Help me plan this trip- Hammond,La to Chicago to Seattle,Cruise Alaska

[cassie225]

Ok to all of you expert train people, my hubbie gave me a trip to Alaska for anniversary,had to cancel because I am TERRIFIED to fly. But when he retires in 1 and 1/2 years I want to have a plan to go. I see where I can take the train from Hammond,La to Chicago. We also want to visit Chicago. Then Chicago to Seattle,then take a cruise, then back home to Hammond or New Orleans. ( I live in Baton Rouge,so leaving from Hammond or New Orleans is about the same. How long will that take us, if we do a seven day cruise and how long will we be on the trains. Will the scenery be nice? Which routes do you all suggest. I have done the Crescent a few times and would like to do something different. Sarah,Sarah are you there?

 

[rrdude]

City Of New Orleans train, (New Orleans-Chicago) scenery is just so-so. Better than the Silver's, but nothing like the western trains, the Card, Cap Limited, or even the Adirondack. You'd leave NOL in the early afternoon, 1:45p, and are scheduled in Chicago at 9:00am the next morning. I'd suggest at least a one night stay in the "Windy", but you certainly could make a connection to the Empire Builder that same day.

Scenery on the Empire Builder (Chicago-Seattle) is FANTASTIC! The Builder departs Chicago around 2:15pm, and is scheduled to arrive in Seattle two days later. (you'll spend two nights on the train) at around 10:30am

Chicago is nice, no lack of things to do and see. Hotels in the city are pricey, go out toward the burbs/airport, often get good deals,, and usually good transit options back to city center.

Of course, you could also take the train(s) up to Toronto, thence X Canada to Vancouver, BC on a real LAND CRUISE, on Via Rail's "The Canadian"

Vancouver, BC is also a big cruise ship port.

 

[the_traveler]

From Chicago, you could also take the California Zephyr and connect in California to the Coast Starlight. The scenery in Colorado is more than fantastic! (In many people's opinion, the best on Amtrak! And if the PPC is on the CS, that is very worth it!)

You would have 1 overnight on the CONO, 2 overnights on either the EB or CZ and 1 overnight on the CS,

 

[cassie225]

City Of New Orleans train, (New Orleans-Chicago) scenery is just so-so. Better than the Silver's, but nothing like the western trains, the Card, Cap Limited, or even the Adirondack. You'd leave NOL in the early afternoon, 1:45p, and are scheduled in Chicago at 9:00am the next morning. I'd suggest at least a one night stay in the "Windy", but you certainly could make a connection to the Empire Builder that same day.

Scenery on the Empire Builder (Chicago-Seattle) is FANTASTIC! The Builder departs Chicago around 2:15pm, and is scheduled to arrive in Seattle two days later. (you'll spend two nights on the train) at around 10:30am

Chicago is nice, no lack of things to do and see. Hotels in the city are pricey, go out toward the burbs/airport, often get good deals,, and usually good transit options back to city center.

Of course, you could also take the train(s) up to Toronto, thence X Canada to Vancouver, BC on a real LAND CRUISE, on Via Rail's "The Canadian"

Vancouver, BC is also a big cruise ship port.

How do you connect with trains to Toronto. You can tell I'm really a newbie lol

 

[cassie225]

What if we went from NO over to California, then up the coast?

 

[niemi24s]

The_traveler's suggestion about the Empire Builder (is it OK to spell out the whole name?) from Chicago to the West coast is sound advise for a few reasons: Scenery is great (you go through the 7.8 mile long Cascade Tunnel); Food is some of the best on any of Amtrak's routes from what I've heard others say. Wife & I have been on the Empire Builder (EB) three times (in roomettes or bedrooms) and loved every minute of it. Rrdude's suggestion about cruising from Vancouver instead of Seattle is also a good one. Wife & I took the EB out west for a cruise to Alaska a few years ago. Got off the EB in Everett WA, spent the night in a nice motel three or so blocks from the station, took the Cascade from Everett to Vancouver the next morning and got to Vancouver in plenty of time to catch the short taxi ride to the boat dock. If recall correctly, there are more Alaskan cruise departures from Vancouver than Seattle so you probably have more choices.

But if you've never been to Seattle, there's lots to see there - and the RR Station has been completely restored to its former splendor. There's not a whole lot of touristy kinds of things to see in Everett except for the Boeing plant.

But unless you cherish making your train trip to the Pacific Northwest an expedition, the City of New Orleans up to the Empire Builder is the simplest route - even though the scenery along the CONO route may be nothing to write home about. And with 5h15m between trains in Chicago, you might even make the connection without having to spend the night in the Windy City.

One way to get a good idea of what the scenery is like along any route is to use Google Earth and its aerial imagery. It's just like flying along over the tracks and looking straight down through a window in the bottom of the airplane - and you can control the airplane's speed and altitude! Can't begin to tell you how many hours I've frittered away making armchair trips via Google Earth: https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS481US482&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=google%20earth%20download

 

[the_traveler]

You can do that too, but the scenery from NOL to after when you wake up after SAS is OK but west of there all the way to LA is desert.

 

[cassie225]

Does EB have sightseer car and are there any stops you suggest we get off and see the sights. I can probably get hubbie to spend one night on a train,without break but not two, although after 9-11 he was supposed to go on business trip to San Francisco and he said they were gonna have to put him on a train. Good thing it ended up he didn't have to go. lol

 

[George K]

Does EB have sightseer car

Yes, it has a Sightseer Lounge - very nice

are there any stops you suggest we get off and see the sights

Not if you want to get back on the same train. Longest stops are about 20-30 minutes - for crew change and refueling. Once you're on, you're on.

 

[cassie225]

So City of New Orleans to Chicago, then Empire Builder to Everett,Wa, then Cascade to Vancouver, Cruise to Alaska, then return Cascade to Everett, Empire Builder to Chicago,City of New Orleans to Hammond,La. Now I have to do research on this forum on all the trains and have everything set to present to hubbie. We can be gone for a month,just chilling!!!! Thanks y'all

 

[niemi24s]

If your husband couldn't tolerate two consecutive nights on a train that eliminates the Empire Builder as a choice because, in all honesty, there's very few "neat" places to get off the train and spend the night between St Paul MN and Glacier Nat'l Park in Western Montana. And I lived in Minot ND for four years. But let me ask this: is your husband's aversion to two consecutive night on the train because you're going coach or because he's a smoker? If the later, be advised the EB's scheduled stops usually allow for a few puffs every several hours.

I would highly recommend you obtain a paper copy of the "Amtrak System Timetable" in which you'll find lots of information about any route. Most manned Amtrak stations (Hammond's does have a ticket office, (985)345-6262) usually have them or you might be able to get Amtrak to mail one to you. The most recent pdf file of the paper one I could find is this one: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/458/185/Amtrak-System-Timetable-Summer-Fall-2014,0.pdf They are also available online in another form here: http://www.amtrak.com/train-schedules-timetables by clicking on the Timetables tab at the top of the page.

And just noticed you did want to spend a day seeing the sights in Chicago. It is possible to spend the night along any train route, but you have to book a multi-city trip, f'rinstance Chicago to Havre MT then, the next day, Havre MT to Seattle or Everett. Just remember one thing about the Empire Builder may be a bit disconcerting - the oilfield workers boarding in ND who get on the train stewed to the gills, giving the (usually huge) conductor a chance to show them he's up to the task of being the train boss. But if you're in a sleeper car - nothing at all to worry about.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Instead of going round trip on the Empire Builder, I suggest y'all take the City of New Orleans to Chicago, if desired spend a night there.( you arrive early in the am after breakfast so could sightsee, have lunch, and then catch your train West)

Then take then take the California Zephyr overnight, have Breakfast into Denver, up into the Beautiful Colorado Rockies, overnight across the Desert through Salt Lake to Reno, then more spectacular Mountain scenery through the Sierra Nevadas to Sacramento.

You would have about a 8 hour layover there,you could, if on time, visit the really nice California Rail Museum next to the Amtrak Station ( it closes @ 5pm), then have Dinner in Old Sacramento on the River besides the Rail Museum! There's are really nice docked River Boat Hotel there with a good cafe, and many eating places! Old Sacramento is sort of a Disneyland version of an old Westwrn Town but worth looking around!

You would then catch the Coast Starlight as others said, another of the great trains Amtrak runs. Overnight to Seattle via Portland, (you'll wake up in the Cascade Mountains with a view of snowcapped Mt. Shasta.)

Arrive into Seattle around 9pm (As was said, use one if the travel sights to book a Hotel you like close to Amtrak, I like Kayak and Book it.com myself).

Then catch the morning Cascades train to Vancouver, you'll roll along Puget Sound, do Customs and Immigration @ the Rail Station upon arrival, then a cab over to the Cruise Docks in downtown Vancouver! ( the Skytrain light rail also runs from in front of the Pacific Central Station directly to where the Cruise Terminal is but with your Luggage a cab would be easier)

Enjoy the Beautiful Inward Passage to Alaska, return to Vancouver, take the Train or Amtrak Bus back to Seattle ( evening only, you'll have to spend a night in Seattle again), then catch the Empire Builder to CHI, you get to see some ofcGlacier Park in Daylight and then from the Twin Cities to Chicago you'll also have daylight, If you're close to on time into CHI you can catch the City of New Orleans home, it leaves @8pm, you'll have Dinner on the train, sllep, awake in Memphis and then cruise down through the Mississippi Delta and Swamps into La.

We've done this route several times, it's as good as it gets!!

 

[cassie225]

Instead of going round trip on the Empire Builder, I suggest y'all take the City of New Orleans to Chicago, if desired spend a night there.( you arrive early in the am after breakfast so could sightsee, have lunch, and then catch your train West)

Then take then take the California Zephyr overnight, have Breakfast into Denver, up into the Beautiful Colorado Rockies, overnight across the Desert through Salt Lake to Reno, then more spectacular Mountain scenery through the Sierra Nevadas to Sacramento.

You would have about a 8 hour layover there,you could, if on time, visit the really nice California Rail Museum next to the Amtrak Station ( it closes @ 5pm), then have Dinner in Old Sacramento on the River besides the Rail Museum! There's are really nice docked River Boat Hotel there with a good cafe, and many eating places! Old Sacramento is sort of a Disneyland version of an old Westwrn Town but worth looking around!

You would then catch the Coast Starlight as others said, another of the great trains Amtrak runs. Overnight to Seattle via Portland, (you'll wake up in the Cascade Mountains with a view of snowcapped Mt. Shasta.)

Arrive into Seattle around 9pm (As was said, use one if the travel sights to book a Hotel you like close to Amtrak, I like Kayak and Book it.com myself).

Then catch the morning Cascades train to Vancouver, you'll roll along Puget Sound, do Customs and Immigration @ the Rail Station upon arrival, then a cab over to the Cruise Docks in downtown Vancouver! ( the Skytrain light rail also runs from in front of the Pacific Central Station directly to where the Cruise Terminal is but with your Luggage a cab would be easier)

Enjoy the Beautiful Inward Passage to Alaska, return to Vancouver, take the Train or Amtrak Bus back to Seattle ( evening only, you'll have to spend a night in Seattle again), then catch the Empire Builder to CHI, you get to see some ofcGlacier Park in Daylight and then from the Twin Cities to Chicago you'll also have daylight, If you're close to on time into CHI you can catch the City of New Orleans home, it leaves @8pm, you'll have Dinner on the train, sllep, awake in Memphis and then cruise down through the Mississippi Delta and Swamps into La.

We've done this route several times, it's as good as it gets!!

Love,Love ,Love this idea. This sounds so beautiful. We will do sleeper on the overnight trains and coach on the day train rides. He does not smoke,just think its boring on a train because he has only been on the Crescent from NO to Atlanta. We had a sleeper and he slept all the way. He did say they really feed you a lot. Thanks

 

[niemi24s]

Everybody no doubt has their own favorite way of finding and booking a hotel room, so here's mine:

• I select the hotel/motel I want to stay at using Trip Advisor... http://www.tripadvisor.com/ ...which has lots of reviews and pictures of the hotels. They're listed in order of customer satisfaction. This site has maps showing the hotel's location and "prices" both from the hotel (or its chain) and a host of second party booking agents. After making this this initial decision, I then...

• Book a room in the hotel by calling the hotel's front desk. Nobody else. I never use second party booking agents because: many hotels treat such bookings as "second rate" transactions; they may be no less expensive than the rates offered by the actual place you're going to stay. I also never use the (800) number that gets you the national, central reservation office for the hotel chain. I always book with somebody physically located in the hotel I'm going to stay in and confirm this by asking their location - and then get their name and a confirmation number after the booking is complete. Almost forgot - I always initially ask if they have the time to book me and If not I'll call back - could be a line of customers at the desk waiting.

But that's just me.

 

[wtsheman100]

If your objective is to avoid two consecutive nights in a sleeper, you should consider a stayover in Chicago and then take the Empire Builder westbound with an overnight at one of the Glacier Park stops, there are lodges near all three (one stop is only available spring April-October). EB arrives late afternoon or early evening and would give you the next day to explore Glacier Park and catch the following EB to Seattle. This would eliminate 2 consecutive nights in a sleeper and give you a little time to explore the park.

 

[SarahZ]

He does not smoke,just think its boring on a train because he has only been on the Crescent from NO to Atlanta. We had a sleeper and he slept all the way. He did say they really feed you a lot. Thanks

I get that. I took the Crescent from NOL to ATL (and then onto WAS) last summer, and the trees along the side of the tracks blocked much of the scenery that first day. A couple I had lunch with commented on it as well. It was like riding through a tree tunnel.

I think he'll really enjoy the scenery along these routes. There will be much more variety, different climates, etc.

 

[cassie225]

If your objective is to avoid two consecutive nights in a sleeper, you should consider a stayover in Chicago and then take the Empire Builder westbound with an overnight at one of the Glacier Park stops, there are lodges near all three (one stop is only available spring April-October). EB arrives late afternoon or early evening and would give you the next day to explore Glacier Park and catch the following EB to Seattle. This would eliminate 2 consecutive nights in a sleeper and give you a little time to explore the park.

Sounds like a plan but since I am a novice It seems hard to plan,but I have a year and a half to do so.

 

[cassie225]

He does not smoke,just think its boring on a train because he has only been on the Crescent from NO to Atlanta. We had a sleeper and he slept all the way. He did say they really feed you a lot. Thanks

I get that. I took the Crescent from NOL to ATL (and then onto WAS) last summer, and the trees along the side of the tracks blocked much of the scenery that first day. A couple I had lunch with commented on it as well. It was like riding through a tree tunnel.

I think he'll really enjoy the scenery along these routes. There will be much more variety, different climates, etc.

Thanks Sarah,Im gonna need a travel agent to do this one for me.

 

[the_traveler]

Or one of us! Or even yourself - just put in "A" to "B" and chose one of the choices.

 

[cassie225]

You guys have so many good suggestions, I don't know what to choose. I want to see everything and want to stop everywhere. Having only been on the Crescent and Pennsylvanian, I'm still a newbie. So many choices!!! lol

 

[cassie225]

Ok y'all my hubbie says go ahead and plan it and then he will take a look,EB from Seattle to Chicago is that one or two nights? Does it run on time so we will be able to get City of New Orleans that same day? If not is it Amtraks fault will they put us in a hotel and get us on the next one?

 

[George K]

Two nights from Seattle to Chicago.

It is a published route - you arrive in Chicago at 3:55 and there's a four hour layover to the City of New Orleans, which departs at 8:05. EB has not been bad lately, so you should be able to make that connection.

 

[niemi24s]

Here's a link to the most recent available Amtrak System Timetable booklet containing all the routes: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/458/185/Amtrak-System-Timetable-Summer-Fall-2014,0.pdf I've heard the new one is supposed to be out some time in February. PDF page 4 has a nice big map of the Amtrak System. You may even be able to get a paper copy at a manned Amtrak station. Other resources for planning are Amtrak Route Guides and here's the one for the Chicago to Seattle ride on the Empire Builder: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/229/381/Amtrak-Empire-Builder-Train-Route-Guide.pdf I find Google searches the best way to find them by train name. Many routes (by train name) have their own route guide.

 

[andersone]

Two snaps and a thumbs up on the EB food - loved the trip last August, Great SCA (Curtis) great food and met some great people

Enjoy

 

[cassie225]

Here's a link to the most recent available Amtrak System Timetable booklet containing all the routes: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/458/185/Amtrak-System-Timetable-Summer-Fall-2014,0.pdf I've heard the new one is supposed to be out some time in February. PDF page 4 has a nice big map of the Amtrak System. You may even be able to get a paper copy at a manned Amtrak station. Another resource for planning are the Amtrak Route Guides and here's the one for the Chicago to Seattle ride on the Empire Builder: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/229/381/Amtrak-Empire-Builder-Train-Route-Guide.pdf I find Google searches the best way to find them by train name. Lots of routes (by train name) have them.

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to experiencing the sight seer car