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DaddyJim

Train Attendant
Joined
May 25, 2013
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22
Location
NC
For the Wifes 60th birthday gift in late Sept . We will be flying into MDW to catch the EB to SEA for 5 days

then from SEA to Emeryville on the CS for 4 days then back to CHI on th CZ the first week of Oct.

We would like any tips and ideas for the trip

We will be in a roomette on the EB and the CZ and coach on the CS :giggle:
 
DaddyJim said:
For the Wifes 60th birthday gift in late Sept . We will be flying into MDW to catch the EB to SEA for 5 daysthen from SEA to Emeryville on the CS for 4 days then back to CHI on th CZ the first week of Oct.

We would like any tips and ideas for the trip

We will be in a roomette on the EB and the CZ and coach on the CS :giggle:
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Do whatever is possible to get a room on the CS......sleeping car pax get use of a very unique car, called The Pacific Parlour Car, swivel seats, sep dining room, plush. Best place to watch the scenery.
Plus, you will have "spoiled" you wife with a room on EB, and going coach after being in a room is, well, just find a room
 
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That's a very nice B-Day Gift! The EB thru Glacier Park, the Northern Cascades on into Seattle is Beautiful. The CS is also very scenic. And the CZ is Spectacular!!!

The only tip I would have is to not get your expectations of Amtrak service too high, take the trip as it comes, & Have Fun!!! I'll be doing those routes myself in August!
 
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Rail Freak said:
That's a very nice B-Day Gift! The EB thru Glacier Park, the Northern Cascades on into Seattle is Beautiful. The CS is also very scenic. And the CZ is Spectacular!!!The only tip I would have is to not get your expectations of Amtrak service too high, take the trip as it comes, & Have Fun!!! I'll be doing those routes myself in August!
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Agree w/ Railfreak, "downgrade" or lower your wife's expectation level. It is NOT a land cruise, EXCEPT for the scenery. Food, service, and amenities can range from "pretty damn good", to downright "poor". I'd say chance of "poor" or below less than 25%, but be prepared to roll with the punches.

Scan/search this forum for list of what u may want to bring, (Power strip, Duct tape, wet wipes, flip flops, GPS or app, etc., etc) and for opinions on tipping employees. (In diner, and your porter, er, "Train Attendant-Sleeper".

Train travel isn't for everyone, my neighbors listened to me for YEARS tell of my travels, then they booked on the Auto Train, and HATED it. (Couldn't sleep comfortably)

Good luck.
 
Welcome to AU. Speaking as a 60 year old woman, I agree with rrdude's suggestion that you try to get a sleeper on the Coast Starlight. I think that will make a special trip even more special. (I personally like bedrooms better than roomettes because of the restroom facilities, but not everyone has the same preference. Bedrooms are usually considerably more expensive than roomettes....but not always).

It sounds like a wonderful trip.
 
Go for a sleeper accommodation on the Coast Starlight if possible.

The Pacific Parlor Car is an outstanding treat!!

Best wishes to you and your wife for a great trip.
 
One suggestion if you do decide to try to upgrade to sleeper on the CS is to open up an AGR mastercard. You might be able to find a 12K point (or more!) bonus and then if you use it aggressively for a few months should have 15K points which is enough for the roomette on the CS for both of you. Good luck!
 
As this is your first LD trip, join Amtrak Guest Rewards if you are not already a member. BOTH of you! Didn't see any mention regarding AGR status.

If you are paying for the trip, you've got a bunch of points to rack up. Even though you already have tickets, you would still be able to get credit for this trip by joining AGR.

Ditto on amamba's post above regarding the Chase AGR Mastercard.
 
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Another suggestion I may make is to reverse your routing. Although both the EB and CZ are scenic in both directions, my opinion is the CZ is more scenic westbound. Also, the EB goes through the very scenic area around Glacier NP in the dark westbound, but in daylight (morning) going eastbound.
 
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the_traveler said:
Another suggestion I may make is to reverse your routing. Although both the EB and CZ are scenic in both directions, my opinion is the CZ is more scenic westbound. Also, the EB goes through the very scenic area around Glacier NP in the dark westbound, but in daylight (morning) going eastbound.
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True this! The AGR Master has spoken! ;)
 
Daddy Jim,

I don't know what part of the country you're from but some of the most beautiful scenery from the train is between San Diego and San Francisco. If possible, try to incorporate that into your trip.

I agree with the_traveler about starting off with the Zephyr. Maybe even fly into Denver. After a few days in Frisco, make your way down to San Diego. (Sleepers not needed for this portion. A roomette would get free dinner). Start early from San Diego and connect to the Coast Starlight for the entire ride to Seattle. Agree with others that you definitely want a sleeper on the CS. Take Penny's advice and get bedrooms all the way through. Sometimes the bathrooms on Amtrak are not fit for soldiers...let alone ladies.

The Empire Builder is a nice train but scenerywise it's all over after the first day.

Enjoy yourselves
 
the Empire Builder if he is planning on staying in Seattle anyway, I would take 27 to Portland for the scenery along the Columbian then take Amtrak Cascades up to Seattle.

I like the scenery outiside of Portland beautiful along the river.
 
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Since your wife is 60, I am guessing you are about the same age. In a roomette, one of you may be climbing into the upper bunk, not the easiest thing to get in and out of. Also, upper has no window, which for me was a big downer, waking up in the middle of the night not able to tell where I was. So, my suggestion is to either get a bedroom or two roomettes. Sometimes, two roomettes will be cheaper than one bedroom.
 
ArchBishop said:
Since your wife is 60, I am guessing you are about the same age. In a roomette, one of you may be climbing into the upper bunk, not the easiest thing to get in and out of. ...... So, my suggestion is to either get a bedroom or two roomettes. Sometimes, two roomettes will be cheaper than one bedroom.
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Even in a bedroom, there is also one lower berth and one upper berth!
And yes, many times 2 roomettes are cheaper than a bedroom. If you decide to do that, call to speak to an agent to get 2 rooms across the hall from each other. If you book online, the computer assigns you the next 2 rooms on the list. Those may be 1 on the upper level and 1 on the lower level! They may not even be in the same car!
 
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Thanks for all the tips and ideas ... will see if we can get roomette on the CS.....we do not demand a lot and are pretty laid back when we travel and as they say " getting there is have the fun "

Would like to reverse the route some day ....

We are AGR members

We took the two kids 9 and 6 in 1985 cross country for 26 days in a van, if we survived than I think we can handle the train for a couple of days

Thanks again for all the info
 
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