Chicago to Wenatchee WA on the Empire Builder

[hankster211]

Newbie here, hello everyone!

Haven't been on Amtrak since 1994 and have a few questions. In mid-June my wife and I are planning on driving from Knoxville TN to Chicago, then travelling the Empire Builder

from Chicago to Wenatchee WA (140 miles East of Seattle) to visit my daughter at her new home.

I have been checking the Amtrak site and I notice that we can travel from Chi all the way to WEN on Empire Builder #7, but the site says "No Checked Baggage"...........

or we can travel EB #27 from Chi to Spokane and are allowed checked baggage, but then in Spokane change to #7 to Wenatchee with "No checked Baggage".

I have read enough to know that the train splits in Spokane to provide service to Portland and Seattle, but don't understand why we can't have checked baggage on #7.

As a youth I made many train trips on Southern Railways and L&N, and since my daughter is now living in a town along an Amtrak Route, I am taking this opportunity

to relive overnight train travel from my old days. We plan on booking a roomette.

All advice and tips for this trip will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Hank

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

The no checked baggage applies to the station at Wenatchee WA and not to train number 7. In other words, you cannot check baggage at that station. If you are traveling by sleeper be sure to travel on the no. 7 sleeper so that you will continue on to Wenatchee at Spokane. There is adequate storage space for your luggage on the lower level of the sleeping car. Store all your luggage except small carryon size in the lower level luggage racks(yes, they are safe) and take the carryon with you to your roomette or bedroom. If traveling by coach, the coach attendant will help you store your luggage(again on the lower level) since you are traveling to a no checked baggage station. I live in Nashville and have traveled on all the LD trains to the west but only on sleepers so, hopefully, others can verify what I said about taking your luggage on board coach cars.

 

[Sactobob]

The reason you cannot check baggage to Wentachee is because it is an unstaffed station, so there would be nobody there to accept the baggage.

 

[tricia]

Not a question you asked, but....

I live near Asheville, NC, which like Knoxville lacks easy Amtrak connections to Chicago. (And to anyplace else, for that matter.)

Instead of driving to Chicago (unless you've got reason to do so other than just catching the EB), you might consider flying to Milwaukee and catching the EB there. Did this myself a while back, having found a cheap flight to Milwaukee. Amtrak offers an easy rail connection direct from airport to the train station where you'd catch the EB.

 

[oregon pioneer]

I get on & off at a "no checked baggage" station, and the advice is good. There is no reason for you to get up in the middle of the night in Spokane and retrieve your checked baggage, when you can just store it on the lower level of your sleeper car for the whole trip. The attendants are good at helping with luggage, if you have difficulties.

I also like the idea of flying to MSP, though I think there is some mighty nice scenery in Wisconsin and other places before you get to MSP (is the river crossing east of MSP station? I can't remember!).

 

[JayPea]

Welcome to the forum!

All the advice given here is good. Wenatchee is not only an unstaffed station, but there is no station building at all. It's just a platform. You can store your luggage as has been mentioned in the downstairs luggage rack, and also as has been mentioned, your car attendant will assist you if need be. The only way you could check your luggage is to Spokane; then you'd have to retrieve it and store it in your sleeper, Not worth it!

I live south of Spokane and have taken the Empire Builder (and driven) through Wenatchee many, many times. Your daughter lives in a beautiful part of the country in my opinion. How accomodating of her to live in a place by an active Amtrak route. :lol: Enjoy!

 

[Nathanael]

As a youth I made many train trips on Southern Railways and L&N,

Ah, the old days when there was often a member of staff *on the train* dedicated to checked baggage. Sadly this is not the case any more and so checked baggage is only available at staffed stations.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

If traveling by coach, there is storage downstairs for your luggage. Checked baggage can be accepted on the train, but if both your on and off stations do not have checked baggage service, you cannot check your baggage.

 

[hankster211]

Welcome to the forum!

All the advice given here is good. Wenatchee is not only an unstaffed station, but there is no station building at all. It's just a platform. You can store your luggage as has been mentioned in the downstairs luggage rack, and also as has been mentioned, your car attendant will assist you if need be. The only way you could check your luggage is to Spokane; then you'd have to retrieve it and store it in your sleeper, Not worth it!

I live south of Spokane and have taken the Empire Builder (and driven) through Wenatchee many, many times. Your daughter lives in a beautiful part of the country in my opinion. How accomodating of her to live in a place by an active Amtrak route. :lol: Enjoy!

Thanks, everyone, for the advice. The baggage............ I now get it !

When my daughter found out she was moving to Wenatchee, I wikipedia'ed it and found out it was on the Amtrak Route, and had an epiphany!

Another question about fares:

When I check the Amtrak site for fares from Chi to Wen, for example on May 17, it gives a fare of $438 (2 people coach) for EB #7- Chicago to Wenatchee............next fare

down is $334 (2 people coach) for EB #27 -chicago to spokane, then Spokane to Wenatchee on EB #7...(this is not the fare that involves a bus.)

Both fares leave Chicago at 2:15 pm and arrive Wenatchee 2 days later at 5:25 am. Can anyone tell me what is the difference and/or details

of these two fares?

 

[June the Coach Rider]

Another question about fares:

When I check the Amtrak site for fares from Chi to Wen, for example on May 17, it gives a fare of $438 (2 people coach) for EB #7- Chicago to Wenatchee............next fare

down is $334 (2 people coach) for EB #27 -chicago to spokane, then Spokane to Wenatchee on EB #7...(this is not the fare that involves a bus.)

Both fares leave Chicago at 2:15 pm and arrive Wenatchee 2 days later at 5:25 am. Can anyone tell me what is the difference and/or details

of these two fares?

Both trains travel together as one from CHI to Spokane where it splits #7 going to Seattle and #27 going to Portland. If you picked the second choice, you would be changing cars in Spokane from the coach that is on #27 to one that continues on to Wenatchee on #7.

I hope this helps.

 

[hankster211]

Another question about fares:

When I check the Amtrak site for fares from Chi to Wen, for example on May 17, it gives a fare of $438 (2 people coach) for EB #7- Chicago to Wenatchee............next fare

down is $334 (2 people coach) for EB #27 -chicago to spokane, then Spokane to Wenatchee on EB #7...(this is not the fare that involves a bus.)

Both fares leave Chicago at 2:15 pm and arrive Wenatchee 2 days later at 5:25 am. Can anyone tell me what is the difference and/or details

of these two fares?

Both trains travel together as one from CHI to Spokane where it splits #7 going to Seattle and #27 going to Portland. If you picked the second choice, you would be changing cars in Spokane from the coach that is on #27 to one that continues on to Wenatchee on #7.

I hope this helps.

Thanks, June, makes perfect sense now.

 

[Rail Freak]

In other words, book on #7 all the way. Otherwise you'll have to change cars in the middle of the night in Spokane!!!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Since they are Traveling in Coach a Hundred Dollars is a Hundred Dollars! Id think that this Money could Better be Spent on Food and Drink during the Trip, hence changing Coaches (only a Couple of Cars difference between the SEA and PDX Coaches) in SPK may Well be Worth It! But i'm a Retired Government Hand on a Small Pension and Social Security and Medicare! YMMV

 

[Rail Freak]

Since they are Traveling in Coach a Hundred Dollars is a Hundred Dollars! Id think that this Money could Better be Spent on Food and Drink during the Trip, hence changing Coaches (only a Couple of Cars difference between the SEA and PDX Coaches) in SPK may Well be Worth It! But i'm a Retired Government Hand on a Small Pension and Social Security and Medicare! YMMV

Good Point! Would they make them detrain & wait in the station to reboard the #7 consist?

 

[hankster211]

Since they are Traveling in Coach a Hundred Dollars is a Hundred Dollars! Id think that this Money could Better be Spent on Food and Drink during the Trip, hence changing Coaches (only a Couple of Cars difference between the SEA and PDX Coaches) in SPK may Well be Worth It! But i'm a Retired Government Hand on a Small Pension and Social Security and Medicare! YMMV

I would agree 100% with you, if we were riding in coach, but we are actually going to book a roomette. My question was based on wanting to understand how the Amtrak system works. The difference in the 2 coach fares baffled me until June hit me with the common sense answer.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Since they are Traveling in Coach a Hundred Dollars is a Hundred Dollars! Id think that this Money could Better be Spent on Food and Drink during the Trip, hence changing Coaches (only a Couple of Cars difference between the SEA and PDX Coaches) in SPK may Well be Worth It! But i'm a Retired Government Hand on a Small Pension and Social Security and Medicare! YMMV

I would agree 100% with you, if we were riding in coach, but we are actually going to book a roomette. My question was based on wanting to understand how the Amtrak system works. The difference in the 2 coach fares baffled me until June hit me with the common sense answer.

Thanks for the Clarification! Since you are in a Sleeper you will be paying the Low Bucket Rail Fare so the only Difference Might be in the Room Charge which Usually is Higher on the PDX #27 Section since there is only One Sleeper while the SEA #7 Section has 2-3 Depending on the time of Year!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Since they are Traveling in Coach a Hundred Dollars is a Hundred Dollars! Id think that this Money could Better be Spent on Food and Drink during the Trip, hence changing Coaches (only a Couple of Cars difference between the SEA and PDX Coaches) in SPK may Well be Worth It! But i'm a Retired Government Hand on a Small Pension and Social Security and Medicare! YMMV

Good Point! Would they make them detrain & wait in the station to reboard the #7 consist?

I have Never changed in SPK from Coach to Coach but have done a Change from #28 in Coach to #8 Sleeper due to the PDX Sleeper being Bad ordered from PDX-SPK!! It was a Down the Platform Change upon Arrival in SPK but i'm not certain what the Policy is for Coach-Coach going Westbound! In SAS, when you change in SAS from #1/#2 to #421/#422 or Vice Versa you have to get Off and Wait in the Station which Sucks!!! :unsure:

 

[hankster211]

Not a question you asked, but....
I live near Asheville, NC, which like Knoxville lacks easy Amtrak connections to Chicago. (And to anyplace else, for that matter.)

Instead of driving to Chicago (unless you've got reason to do so other than just catching the EB), you might consider flying to Milwaukee and catching the EB there. Did this myself a while back, having found a cheap flight to Milwaukee. Amtrak offers an easy rail connection direct from airport to the train station where you'd catch the EB.

I checked into this, Tricia. Good idea! We may try to do this.

 

[hankster211]

As a youth I made many train trips on Southern Railways and L&N,

Ah, the old days when there was often a member of staff *on the train* dedicated to checked baggage. Sadly this is not the case any more and so checked baggage is only available at staffed stations.

Most memorable was catching the Northbound Carolina Special in my little town of Clinton TN. with my little league team and coach in 1961. We boarded at 10:00 pm and rode all night arriving in Cincinnati at around 7 am. From Union Station we walked to Crosley Field and watched the Reds day game. After the game, walked back to Union Station and caught the Southbound Carolina Special and arrived home early in the morning........................tired, but excited to have gone to the "Big City" and watched a Major League Game......................great memory!

 

[AlanB]

Hankster,

Take a look at the prices if you book from Chicago or Milwaukee to Whitefish, Montana on Train #27 and then book from there to Wenatchee on Train #7. The savings might not be quite as dramatic, but at least you'd be making the switch around 9 PM instead of switching cars in the middle of the night in Spokane.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

Since they are Traveling in Coach a Hundred Dollars is a Hundred Dollars! Id think that this Money could Better be Spent on Food and Drink during the Trip, hence changing Coaches (only a Couple of Cars difference between the SEA and PDX Coaches) in SPK may Well be Worth It! But i'm a Retired Government Hand on a Small Pension and Social Security and Medicare! YMMV

I have to agree with you, the $100 would go a long way to helping in my budget too. But I usually use the 15 day rail pass, so it would not matter as much for me, but if I was paying, I would want to save the $$.

 

[NW cannonball]

Since they are Traveling in Coach a Hundred Dollars is a Hundred Dollars! Id think that this Money could Better be Spent on Food and Drink during the Trip, hence changing Coaches (only a Couple of Cars difference between the SEA and PDX Coaches) in SPK may Well be Worth It! But i'm a Retired Government Hand on a Small Pension and Social Security and Medicare! YMMV

Good Point! Would they make them detrain & wait in the station to reboard the #7 consist?

Don't think so -- no -

The way the 7-27-8-28 evolution works at Spokane at about zero-dark-something - is --

(apologies for any confusion this attempt at an explanation might lead to)

First - just to make it clear - the westbound EB #7 splits into the #7 to Seattle and the #27 to Portland.

Second - at about the same time - and with delays and power problems - hwatever - the eastbound parts of the EB from Seattle #8 and Portland #28 - join and run together all the way to Chicago.

There is one very long island platform. The Amtrak station tracks are next to the island platform. There are at least two BNSF mainline tracks and a few more minor tracks outside of those - To get to the actual "station" - meaning "place with waiting room and ticket vending and baggage service - etc -etc" it's down a couple flights or an escalator or elevator and through a tunnel to such a place, if there is any such place, because to be honest, in all the midnight stops of the EB at Spokane that I have ever been on, which is maybe a dozen or two, I have never taken that up-down-over-across visit to the "station:"

The complicated eastbound-westbound zero-dark-something evolution at Spokane is chilly to observe.

Stay in your railcar and sleep.

 

[EB_OBS]

If you have split tickets on the Empire Builder westbound, just tell the conductor or train attendant when you board, where your final destination is. Since your final destination is Wenatchee, they will board you in the #7 Seattle section from the start and you won't need to switch cars in Spokane.

 

[hankster211]

Hankster,
Take a look at the prices if you book from Chicago or Milwaukee to Whitefish, Montana on Train #27 and then book from there to Wenatchee on Train #7. The savings might not be quite as dramatic, but at least you'd be making the switch around 9 PM instead of switching cars in the middle of the night in Spokane.

Good idea, Alan.

 

[Eric308]

I'd also suggest booking that roomette ASAP for lower fare and even availability. Have a great trip!