Empire builder - hot deals.

[Faraz]

I am thinking of taking the $97 trip from chicago to seattle, however I am concerned how the ride will be in coach? I have taken lake shore limited and capitol limited and was ok for the 24 hour trip, but this is nearly 50 hours. My main concern is are the bathrooms cleaned midway? is it possible to get a shower onboard for a fee? how much would an upgrade to sleeper be if i do it on the train?

 

[haolerider]

I am thinking of taking the $97 trip from chicago to seattle, however I am concerned how the ride will be in coach? I have taken lake shore limited and capitol limited and was ok for the 24 hour trip, but this is nearly 50 hours. My main concern is are the bathrooms cleaned midway? is it possible to get a shower onboard for a fee? how much would an upgrade to sleeper be if i do it on the train?

That is a long trip in coach. the bathrooms are supposed to be cleaned on a regular basis by the coach attendant and there is no available shower for you to use - even for a fee. You might want to check and see if the special rate you are considering is ok for an on-board upgrade to a sleeper. Also, check the normal upgrade charge on the website. Good luck.

 

[Anthony]

Coach bathrooms are supposed to be cleaned en route, but often aren't, especially as you approach the final day

 

[Guest]

Also, be aware this is a very popular train especially in regards to sleepers. I tried booking a sleeper 4 months in advance and the prefered dates of travel were already booked. It's a looooong trip in coach, and add some hours if delayed and it can lead to a lot of squirming to get off the train.

 

[AlanB]

how much would an upgrade to sleeper be if i do it on the train?

If there is a roomette left once you depart Chicago, then the cost to upgrade would be $200. The charge for a bedroom would be $440. Those number assume that you upgrade ASAP upon departure from Chicago. With each passing hour and town the charges will go down. So if no room is available for the first night, or you don't want to pay that much, you might be able to wait to say Havre, where upon you might find that a roomette if available costs only $120 or some lessor amount.

By the way, the conductor can accept payment for the upgrade either in cash or by credit card.

 

[Torgo90]

I will be on the Empire Builder next Wednesday in coach all the way to Seattle. I did the same trip over Christmas in coach for the first time.

The two day ride is long. Bathrooms are hit and miss, depends on how many disgusting people happen to be on your train. I had decent crews, but our trains were overbooked and the bathrooms got shabby on my outbound leg.

To me riding coach is rather like camping. You won't get as good a night rest as your own bed, you have to sponge-bathe, you have to make do without TV or an Internet connection. But, much like camping, you can meet all kinds of characters and hear their stories (for example - I met Amish people on both my EB trips, interesting and not what I expected), read books you don't otherwise have time to, and zone out looking at the scenery.

I plan to get near an outlet so I can do some work on the laptop. There are also some good Amtrak tips out there: This trip I am including ear-plugs, a sleeping mask, water, Tylenol PM or booze, and wet-wipes. Bring a blanket.

 

[pquinn]

I also advise you to bring earplugs.

Haven't been on the Empire Builder yet but on the Lake Shore Limited I found that the bathrooms in the cafe car were a lot cleaner than the ones in my coach car. Probably less people knew they were there. Don't know if same applies with the superliners but its worth investigating.