Help with CHI to Glacier trip on EB

[AmyNewbie]

Can you help a newbie. We are planning to take our 3 kids on the EB this summer from Chicago to East Glacier (my youngest is obsessed with trains). I've been reading all posts about the EB and this route, etc., but I still have some questions:

1. Is the EB routinely late in the summer too, or is that just a winter thing?
2. To get from Glacier Park Lodge (where we will stay 2 nights) to Many Glacier Hotel for our last night, do we have to rent a car? Any other options?
3. Trying to decide what to do after spending a few days in Glacier. Do we hop back on Amtrak to Seattle for a few days and then fly home from there? That's an additional $1,000 for our family to take EB to SEA - is it cheaper to rent a car and drive to Seattle instead? Or should we just take Amtrak back from East Glacier to Chicago? Is there an airport that is closer than Seattle that we should consider to fly back? Since this will be our first train trip longer than 6 hours, I'm a little nervous about taking it both ways in case we aren't able to sleep well enough.
4. I read that we should really do EB train East instead, but I can't find a Family car available in that direction during our dates. Has anyone with a family of 5 ever stayed in two roomettes instead of a family car?
5. If we do ride the EB to Seattle and stay a few days, is the train station in Seattle downtown? I'm hoping we wouldn't need a car and could easily get to a downtown hotel.
6. OR if we return on EB, is there a hotel near Chicago Union Station, and is it in a nice part of Chicago where we could stay for a few nights and hang out downtown without a car or having to ride buses?

I realize most of these questions aren't technically questions about the train itself. I have been searching the internet in hopes of not bothering you with these, but I'm not finding answers that way. Thanks in advance for any info. you can provide.

 

[Ispolkom]

1) Yes, it's routinely late in the summer.

2) Renting a car is probably the easiest option.

3) Depends on how much you like the train and Seattle. Nearest airport to Glacier National Park is Kalispell.

4) Five persons in a family room is pushing it. Two of the bunks are 4'9" long, and even the large, full length bottom bunk is narrower than a normal single bed. I can't imagine three people in a roomette.

5) Yes, the Seattle station is downtown.

6) Chicago Union Station is within walking distance or a short cab ride of dozens of hotels. It all depends on how much you want to spend. I like the Palmer House.

 

[greatcats]

If you do not want to rent a car, I believe the red buses will take you around the park, but personally, I would rent a car. You might also investigate flying from Spokane. The important things are for you and your family to enjoy the train trip, which is a much more distinctive experience than flying, and to enjoy the beautiful National Park. Go take som hikes with the park rangers. Have a good trip. ( And yes, expect to be late on the Empire Builder, an unfortunate fact. )

 

[andersone]

you might also want to check out the plethora of information on Trip Advisor.

The Glacier Park forum is here - they also have tons of other good info. Don't leave home without them.

 

[darien-l]

To answer #2: There is a regularly scheduled shuttle between Glacier Park Lodge and Many Glacier Hotel called the East Side shuttle: http://www.glacierparkinc.com/tour_detail.php?id=1

(That said, if you're arriving by train and trying to avoid renting a car, you might prefer staying in a hotel that's on a regular NPS shuttle route, such as Lake McDonald Lodge. It will make it much easier to get around the park, and there is a convenient shuttle to and from the West Glacier train station that's tied to the train. If you prefer the east side, I would recommend spending less time at Glacier Park Lodge and more time at Many Glacier Hotel.)

You might also want to consider flying out of Portland instead of Seattle. In both cities, you can take the light rail from the train station to the airport.

 

[chakk]

I have travelled with two small children in a roomette many years ago on the CZ. The children were ages 8 and 6 at the time and slept "feet to fee" in the upper bunk with no problems. I slept in the lower bunk with the usual problems -- too much rockin and rollin waking me up in the night.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

The EB is routinely late during the summer. If you were simply passing through Glacier on the EB and really wanted to see the scenery, I'd recommend taking the trip eastbound to be sure you saw it during daylight hours. However, since you're going to be spending several days in Glacier, I'd recommend taking the train out and flying back. That way, if you miss the scenery on the train, you'll still see plenty of it on the way back.

As for airports, Kalispell is the closest, but it's often more expensive to fly out of there. I think Spokane is the best bet for a cheaper flight - it's a lot closer than Seattle, & the price difference shouldn't be much vs Seattle. Either way, you'll need a car to get to the airport.

In regards to other "things to do" - Glacier is HUGE. If you're only spending three days there and are looking for other things to do, my suggestion would be to spend more time in Glacier!

A word of warning about the Glacier Park Lodge - while it is absolutely beautiful, it's actually on private (Native American) land OUTSIDE the park, on the east side. Most of what there is to see and do in Glacier is over the mountains, on the west side of the park. It takes several hours (by car, shuttle, or red "jammer" bus) to get over / around the mountains from one side to the other.

So, if I were you, I'd seriously re-think staying in East Glacier - ESPECIALLY if you're not currently planning on having a car.

I'd look at Glacier this way - the "hub" of the park is the Apgar Village / Lake McDonald area, on the west side of the park. Most of the park facilities (visitor centers, easy hikes, great scenery) is in that area. From there, people usually venture up the mountain on the Going to the Sun road (car or shuttle). There's also easy access to the West Glacier Amtrak station from there. If I were visiting Glacier for the first time, and only had a few days to spend, I'd take the train to West Glacier, & stay in Apgar or Lake McDonald for a few days. If I had a few more days, I'd travel up over the mountain, staying in or at least visiting the Many Glacier Hotel and that area on the northeast side. Seeing East Glacier and the Glacier Park Lodge in the southwest corner of the park would honestly be last on my list - I would agree with darien-l that the Many Glacier area is much more interesting than East Glacier.

As it is, if you're only visiting Many Glacier and East Glacier, you're only seeing the eastern side of the mountains, and most of the best scenery & hikes are on the west side.

 

[Train Rider]

Did my honeymoon at GNP last summer. We took the train to West Glacier and stayed at a hotel across the street from the station -- clean, comfortable and much cheaper than a lodge. The local car rental place delivered the car the next morning and we were off to see everything. The best part of having a car was we could travel to Whitefish and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, which is a must see. The only bad thing about West Glacier is that they don't do checked luggage.

Do have dinner at the Isaac Walter Inn in Essex. Best meal of the trip.

With regard to flying out of Seattle, the station is downtown and downtown is connected to the airport via lightrail.

 

[andersone]

Me sainted mother said the most beautiful place in the world, perhaps only challenged by Lake Louise, is the porch of the Many Glacier hotel. I agree with her. Remember, I am NOT a hiker so we are doing 4 days on the east side (staying at East Glacier the first night so I don't have to drive to Many Glacier late at night) and two at Belton (Apgar) Nothing but boat rides and trail rides and watching Swiftcurrent Lake from the veranda for us - what I find strange is I have to take my rental BACK to East Glacier (they won't pick it up in West Glacier) but I can suffer through the drive through Marias Pass first thing in the morning to beat the EB back to EG. I can only hope you enjoy your time ,,,,

 

[RalphCT]

Regarding transportation from East Glacier to Many Glacier and/or back:

In past years there was a daily east Side Shuttle between these locations. However things might change this year do to a change in concessionaires. The East Glacier Lodge and Saint Mary Lodge are run by Glacier Park Incorporated. The Many Glacier Hotel will be managed this year by Xanterra which will also operate the Red Busses. I suggest googling each organization to determine what transportation options might exist this coming summer.

For car rentals Avis and Dollar both have summer locations in east Glacier.

If your family enjoys hiking I would spend more time in Glacier and Skip the trip further west.

A Montanan who enjoys train travel.

 

[tomfuller]

I've done this two ways. First trip my wife and I took the eastbound EB to Whitefish and were met by a van from Meadow Lake Resort (Columbia Falls). Our car was delivered from the Kalispell airport.

Second trip we got off the westbound EB in Cut Bank MT and had a rental car waiting for us in the Amtrak lot. We left for the east side of the park right after breakfast the next morning.

Given the recent late trend, I would say fly to Seattle, Portland or Spokane and get off in Whitefish. I'm thinking flying to Kalispell would be too pricey. The eastbound EB is generally right on time out of Spokane.

Our June 2012 trip from Cut Bank to Spokane was about a half hour early into Spokane.

 

[SarahZ]

There are many, many nice hotels near Union Station. A lot depends on your budget.

I would suggest checking TripAdvisor for ratings and prices. You can also try Hotwire. I've been able to snag some pretty good deals. If you use Hotwire, filter it by "Theatre District". That will give you hotels near the station.

 

[MnMotherMary]

Suggestion--Fly out to Seattle and then take the train to Glacier or?? and then take the train again back home to Chicago. That way if there is a delay you are heading back home and more time on the train would be a bonus

For advice on rooms you would need to mention the ages or sizes of family. Depending on your families flexibility coach isn't the worst way to travel. If you want the rooms you need to book now and be flexible for good prices.

If there is no major convention in Chicago you should be able to shop around for best pricing.

 

[Paul CHI]

For train watching you can't beat the Izaak Walton Inn in Essex, which used to be lodging for train crews. You can even rent a caboose for overnight. the train stops right there, and you can rent a car there to visit either end of the park.

But Many Glacier Hotel is ideally suited for beauty and walking: I liked it as well as the Apgar/Lake MacDonald area.

 

[andersone]

The new Red Bus tour schedule has been posted by Xantera. It is 2014 info.

Information on the shuttle is here. I believe the shuttle is actually run by the NPS. The Shuttle stops are displayed here. This is 2014 info as well.

To paraphrase;

"The transit system provides two-way service along Going-to-the-Sun Road between the Apgar Transit Center and St. Mary Visitor Center. On the west side from the Apgar Transit Center to Logan Pass, buses run every 30 minutes and every 40 to 60 minutes on the east side. Due to the popularity of the system, shuttles fill up quickly. Seating capacitly is limited and you may need to wait for the next shuttle."

The Glacier Park Inc website (previously had park contract, now only has Glacier Park Lodge (East Glacier); St Mary Lodge;and the Prince of Wales (Waterton). However this site still displays an "East Side Shuttle" (with 2013 dates) running Glacier Park Lodge - Two Medicine - Cut Bank Creek - St Mary - Many Glacier - Chief Mountain - Prince of Wales". There is also a PDF of their flyer here. As mentioned above, whether this will be maintained - or if they just Dump Many Glacier (Because it is Xantera) only time will tell.

There is a complete Trip Advisor thread here on Transportation from Many Glacier to St. Mary Visitor Center

Beside Trip Advisor, the Glacier National Park Chat is nicely done.

 

[Rail Freak]

Last summer, I took the train to West Glacier & stayed at the Village Inn at Apgar. I took the shuttles & Red Bus Tour. The next time I'll do the same! Convenient & good rates in a beautiful setting on (and I do mean on) Lake McDonald!!! Check it out! (you dont need a car)

Have Fun

 

[NewbieAmy]

Since the EB is scheduled to arrive in East Glacier at 6:45pm, what happens with my hotel room if it doesn't arrive until 10am the next day? Do the lodges there let you cancel that day, or will we just be out $200+ for that night?

 

[SarahZ]

Since the EB is scheduled to arrive in East Glacier at 6:45pm, what happens with my hotel room if it doesn't arrive until 10am the next day? Do the lodges there let you cancel that day, or will we just be out $200+ for that night?

If the train is running late, I would call to let them know you won't be there that night, but you don't want to cancel your entire booking. For a no-show, hotels will often cancel the entire booking. If you call them, they'll just give your room away that night and keep the rest of your reservation.

From their website:

Deposits are non-refundable if the reservation(s) is cancelled after 5:00 p.m. MDT 72 hours (3 days) prior to arrival date.

Deposits are fully refundable for 30 days following the date the reservation was made.

From 31 days after the reservation was made until three days prior to the scheduled arrival date, the deposit will be refunded less a $15 administrative fee ($20 for reservations with tours/activities).

For reservations made within 30 days prior to arrival, the above policy applies with no grace period.

Please telephone 406.892.2525 or 403.236.3400 for reservations.

 

[NewbieAmy]

I'm just finished reading all the great replies, and have some thinking to do, as well as more research thanks to all of your great ideas.

 

[pianocat]

I would add just one more thing about the Going-to-the -Sun road, at Glacier. When I was there in late June of 2011, the route was not completely open yet due to a huge winter snowfall that year. Be sure to check the road status updates [there's a website out there for that....can't recall the exact www] as your trip dates get closer. And a ps to Andersone...your mother was right - there is NOTHING in this world like the view from the porch of Many Glacier hotel. Our tour group got to spend an unexpected 6 hours hanging out there due to flooding on the EB preventing our trip back to CHI [we rode, instead, to SEA and flew home from there] Great restaurant, beautiful views...but even in late June it was COLD!!!!!!! [ok, so my idea of cold is 50 degrees... but there's definitely a chill, even in the summer] Have a wonderful trip.

 

[tomfuller]

The 24 hour car rental and hotel room in Cut Bank were less than $100. The room right off the lobby was pretty nice. We got off the train about 6PM instead of sometime after 6:45.

On June 1 2012 I drove up 17 miles from St. Mary before getting to the locked gate. The scenery was great even though we didn't get to the top of Logan Pass.

 

[JayPea]

Since the EB is scheduled to arrive in East Glacier at 6:45pm, what happens with my hotel room if it doesn't arrive until 10am the next day? Do the lodges there let you cancel that day, or will we just be out $200+ for that night?

The EB is almost always late, to be sure, into East Glacier, but never, to my knowledge, on the order of 15+ hours. You should be just fine.

 

[JayPea]

I would add just one more thing about the Going-to-the -Sun road, at Glacier. When I was there in late June of 2011, the route was not completely open yet due to a huge winter snowfall that year. Be sure to check the road status updates [there's a website out there for that....can't recall the exact www] as your trip dates get closer. And a ps to Andersone...your mother was right - there is NOTHING in this world like the view from the porch of Many Glacier hotel. Our tour group got to spend an unexpected 6 hours hanging out there due to flooding on the EB preventing our trip back to CHI [we rode, instead, to SEA and flew home from there] Great restaurant, beautiful views...but even in late June it was COLD!!!!!!! [ok, so my idea of cold is 50 degrees... but there's definitely a chill, even in the summer] Have a wonderful trip.

Here's a link for road conditions on Going-to-the-Sun Road:

 

[montana mike]

The Park is receiving way above normal snowfall again this year, so any visit in June MAY be subject to not having the GTTS open at that time. Four years ago the road didn't open until early July! And yes, at altitude it can get quite chilly, especially at night.