First viewliner trip preparations

Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Barciur

Barciur

OBS Chief
Joined
Aug 13, 2012
Messages
599
Location
Lancaster, PA
Hello all!

I'm taking my first trip in a viewliner on the way down to Miami from PHL. I have a few questions as my only experience in a roomette thus far an overnight Superliner from PGH to CHI.

1. Can I ask the attendant to make up the upper bunk for me instead of the lower bunk? Is the upper bunk comfortable or is it smaller? And is it worthwhile to do this? I know it has a window but just not sure if it's worth it.

2. Are the showers available just like that? I just take my stuff and walk down and if it's open I just use it?

3. Are the Silver Meteor's hours for the dining car the same as the website says for the general hours, i.e 6:30-11 breakfast, 11:30-3 lunch and 5-9:30 dinner?

If anybody has any other tips about my travel in the roomette in the viewliner, let me know. Some of you may know me from my trip reports in Europe, I'm used to sleepers there, not much here, although I do have an experience with a 10 hour trip between PGH and CHI so not a total Amtrak noob ;)
 
the upper bunk in the vl slides up and down vertically as opposed to folding out from the wall. This makes it easier for it to be made up, and then pushed up so yo don't hit your head as easily getting up from the seats. The shower is available as long as it is unoccupied. Diner hors may vary if the train is lightly loaded. Your SCA will let you know when you board, and it will be announced overhead. Remember that one Silver is currently running w/o diner.
 
When I'm in a Viewliner roomette, I use the upper bunk and let the lower

portion of the room remain in the daytime mode. When I wake up, I

move the upper bunk up and I'm ready for day use. Just tell the SCA

your preference and they will comply.

The shower is next to room 11. Towels and soap are provided.

I hope you enjoy your trip.
 
Often the shower room is used for storage. If that is the case, inform the Sleeping Car Attendant that you would like to use the shower.
 
I always sleep in the upper bunk when travelling alone. In fact it can be more comfortable because they can leave the lower bunk mattress up there and you get twice the thickness!

And then in the morning I can just climb down, push it up out of the way and be set.

And yes, you can use the shower when it's empty. (I suppose you could use it when occupied but it's cramped and you had better know the other person REALLY well. :)
 
If you are traveling alone and have no trouble climbing into a Upper, your Viewliner Roomette actually becomes a 4 room lofted Suite! You have your Sleeping Room and your Storage Room upstairs, and downstairs you have your Lounge/Sitting Room and your Restroom. Enjoy your trip!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Also by using the upper bunk to sleep and leaving the lower berth in day mode, it is much easier to utilize the in-room bathroom facility. Everything else discussed previously is great advice. Have a great trip..
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I agree with above information. I am 6' 2'' , 220 lbs and am happy in the upper berth.
 
OlympianHiawatha said:
If you are traveling alone and have no trouble climbing into a Upper, your Viewliner Roomette actually becomes a 4 room lofted Suite! You have your Sleeping Room and your Storage Room upstairs, and downstairs you have your Lounge/Sitting Room and your Restroom. Enjoy your trip!
Click to expand...
Basically, the same. We have no problem sitting in the "downstairs" level of our Roomette suite, without hitting our heads, even when the "upstairs" level is opened up and in use as the kid's playroom.
 
I've begun to sleep in the upper bunk because I've had trouble finding the SCA in the morning to have it in daytime configuration. However most of the time, since I get on at around 4 am or 2 am, my bed is already ready for me (bottom one)
 
How good a shape are you in? Don't answer this on the forum but ...how many times do you need to use the "facilities" in the night.?

As others have said the upper is more comfortable because it's flatter. Plus you don't have to move your other stuff. Unfortunately for some of us climbing up and down is not easy. It's much harder than on the Super line r. So after
 
Sorry to finish the last post....now in my social security years I personally need to use the lower bed... FYI you do have more headroom in the viewliner compared to Superliner and more lighting control if you can climb to the upper bed
 
A viewliner has room for luggage up above and the upper bed is easy to pull down and move back up so you can pretty much make it as you like it during the day. I notice people using both top and bottom during the day.
 
I like to have the upper as my bed, since many nights I am up for a while, so I can have the day configuration set up just by climbing down. Both upper and lower have windows so you don't miss anything. I also think I feel the track less in the upper. Another thing is that if I have had a bad night, I can take a nap on the upper. If you are a watcher of the sights day and night, remember to close the curtain when you use the bathroom. The negative to the VL is traveling with a second person, then one of us has to step out of the room for privacy when using the bathroom.

Have a great trip!!
 
Lonestar648 said:
If you are a watcher of the sights day and night, remember to close the curtain when you use the bathroom.

Have a great trip!!
Click to expand...
And even if you are out in the middle of Absolute NOWHERE, the chances of people suddenly showing up within viewing range of your window increase dramatically the second you sit down on the pot :unsure: :p :eek:
 
Concensus seems to favor the VL roomette in many ways over its older sibling, but the in room toilet has been the one area that always brings up widely different views. When the "no toilet" VL2 cars come on line I wonder what the reaction will be? That was a tough call.
 
Thanks once again for everything, I just came back in coach as I had only booked a roomette one way (I'm not quite that financially sound to afford such luxury both ways ;) )

Anyhow, full trip report will come in as I always do with my reports from Europe (some of you know them, I'm sure), but just a few quick comments:

I had no input into reservations of dinner and lunch which surprised me. The SCA upon boarding and greeting me told me to go to dinner. I had hoped to do dinner late in the evening but was told it was pre-made for me. As for lunch, the LSA came by and said "I have a 1PM lunch reservation for you" so I just nodded and said ok.

On the way back in coach there was no dinner and lunch reservations as "they had no room" so it was all cafe car junk food.

As for the viewliner still, yes indeed the upper bunk was a blessing. I enjoyed the bathroom being so close on one hand, but the sink with potential to spill water was not as great - but hey, it is what it is. I kept my upper bunk in the sleeping position all day until we were getting into Miami and would alternate between relaxing there and in the lower day set up so it was a great idea.

Thanks for your help! :)
 
Barciur said:
I had no input into reservations of dinner and lunch which surprised me. The SCA upon boarding and greeting me told me to go to dinner. I had hoped to do dinner late in the evening but was told it was pre-made for me.
Click to expand...
On all my trips, either the LSA or the SCA would stop by and ask me what my preferred dinner time, and if still available, assign that time to me. Otherwise, we would negotiate with that times that were still open.

However, if you board at dinner time, the LSA or SCA would need to simply assign you a time earlier in the day. I would venture a guess that more often than not, passengers boarding at dinner time would be expecting to eat shortly thereafter, so they would be simply assigned such a reservation.

I am not too sure what else you would expect the LSA/SCA to have done? Call you on your cell/mobile when assigning dinner times?
 
I was reasoning in a similar way to you and just figured fair enough, that's how they have to do it. Nevertheless, the fact that I was not able to pick anything for lunch was a little bit surprising. This is a minor thing, I was not upset about it or anything, just a bit surprised and thought I'd mention that here. Everything is well, I don't pick on the little things :)
 
leacrane said:
How good a shape are you in? Don't answer this on the forum but ...how many times do you need to use the "facilities" in the night.?

As others have said the upper is more comfortable because it's flatter. Plus you don't have to move your other stuff. Unfortunately for some of us climbing up and down is not easy. It's much harder than on the Super line r. So after
Click to expand...
how hard is this climbing down to tinkle game? I'm in relativity good shape but yea... Travling with a older person so the lowers not an option :(
 
flying_babyb said:
leacrane said:
How good a shape are you in? Don't answer this on the forum but ...how many times do you need to use the "facilities" in the night.?

As others have said the upper is more comfortable because it's flatter. Plus you don't have to move your other stuff. Unfortunately for some of us climbing up and down is not easy. It's much harder than on the Super line r. So after
Click to expand...
how hard is this climbing down to tinkle game? I'm in relativity good shape but yea... Travling with a older person so the lowers not an option :(
Click to expand...
I'm 60 and I have no trouble climbing up and down and I do usually have to climb down at least once during the night. Though I've only slept "upstairs" a total of 3 nights between 2011 and today.
 
AmtrakBlue said:
flying_babyb said:
leacrane said:
How good a shape are you in? Don't answer this on the forum but ...how many times do you need to use the "facilities" in the night.?

As others have said the upper is more comfortable because it's flatter. Plus you don't have to move your other stuff. Unfortunately for some of us climbing up and down is not easy. It's much harder than on the Super line r. So after
Click to expand...
how hard is this climbing down to tinkle game? I'm in relativity good shape but yea... Travling with a older person so the lowers not an option :(
Click to expand...
I'm 60 and I have no trouble climbing up and down and I do usually have to climb down at least once during the night. Though I've only slept "upstairs" a total of 3 nights between 2011 and today.
Click to expand...
thank you for the reassurance!! this is the first time we've gotten a sleeper. I wouldnt trust my mother up top
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top