Hi everybody...looking forward to our trip, which is 3 months away. Chicago to Portland, roomette 2 in car 2730, Empire Builder. First go...so need input and guidance. As in....uuummmm, I don't know, input? And guidance? Hee!! What do we need to bring? We are stuck with airline limits, meaning, we are flying into Chicago, then hiring a taxi into Union Station. So. Help.
Hey...Hooo..Hey...
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Lumpy,
You will be in the roomette adjacent the coffee station across from the one upstairs bathroom and roomette 1 where the ice will be. The shower is downstairs as is the luggage rack. Roomette luggage storage is limited. I bring my own shampoo on the trips even though they should have a small bottle in the room. I bring my own beverage cup. You can consume adult beverages that you bring on board or buy in the lounge in your room.
I always like to take a scanner, a copy of the Amtrak schedule, a small flashlight, and a small roll of duct tape. The tape is used to silence rattles, or maybe keep the curtains closed. I'm sure others will add in. Have fun and if the train gets too late,toss the schedule!!
GregL
GregL
the_traveler
Engineer
Roomette 2 is almost in the middle of the car, right across the hall from the attendant's room. Car 2730 will be the last car of the EB. You will have to walk thru the 2 PDX coaches to get to the Sightseer Lounge. To get to the Diner, you have to go thru those 2 PDX coaches, the Sightseer and 2 SEA coaches (5 cars in total)!
All necessary items (like pillows and blankets) will be provided. As are all meals IN THE DINING CAR INCLUDED IN YOUR FARE. (If you get something from the cafe, you must pay for it!)
As said, there is not much storage in the roomette. Personally, I leave all my bags downstairs in the luggage rack, and just bring valuables (like wallets, purses, cameras, computer, etc...) up to the room.
All necessary items (like pillows and blankets) will be provided. As are all meals IN THE DINING CAR INCLUDED IN YOUR FARE. (If you get something from the cafe, you must pay for it!)
As said, there is not much storage in the roomette. Personally, I leave all my bags downstairs in the luggage rack, and just bring valuables (like wallets, purses, cameras, computer, etc...) up to the room.
the_traveler
Engineer
Every roomette I've been in had a schedule in the room.
lthanlon
OBS Chief
I really enjoyed my trip on the Empire Builder last year from Chicago to Seattle. I especially liked being able to watch the change from big cities to small towns as the train heads northwest out of Chicago. My favorite segment of the journey was the vast stretch of wide-open spaces in North Dakota. It was close to dusk by the time we reached Glacier National Park, but the views still were enjoyable. Also, make sure that you sign up for the wine-tasting party, where you get to sample regional wines. It's free for sleeper passengers. Some nice cheeses, too, but I forget if they were regional. This is a fun event and there's a quiz for winning a bottle of wine.
I recorded an audio podcast about my trip, if you're interested.
Here's one of my favorite photos from the trip, taken in Glasgow, Montana:
Here's a link to more photos from my EB trip. I know you'll have a great time!
I recorded an audio podcast about my trip, if you're interested.
Here's one of my favorite photos from the trip, taken in Glasgow, Montana:
Here's a link to more photos from my EB trip. I know you'll have a great time!
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One thing to watch for is how the Dining car is handling dinner reservations. Mostly likely the person in charge will be walking through the train soon after leaving CHI to make those reservations, beginning with the sleepers. So, you'll need to be in or near your roomette when he/she comes into the 2730 car, so that you can get your pick of dinner times. Once you have that dinner reservation slip, then no problem leaving the roomette, if you wish to go forward to the lounge car, or go back and look out the rear window of the train, etc. Then, as your reservation time approaches, it would probably be best to be in the lounge car, so that when the announcement is made for your time group, you only have two cars to pass through to reach the Dining car, and thus can arrive there more promptly.
I have found flip flop type footware good for wearing to the shower. The showers on the EB have always been clean when I have taken it, but you never know. And in any event, you never want to walk around barefoot at any time.
depending on how many people are in your party, you might find it cheaper to take a shuttle from the airport to the station. there's a desk where you can buy a ticket and they'll drop you right off. the other thing is that the blue line of the public transport system goes from the airport to a station just a few blocks from union station.
Just to make sure: you do know about the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago Union Station? As a sleeping car passenger, you are entitled to wait for the train there, and board the train from there. So go directly there once you arrive. It is very nice, with free snacks, soft drinks, coffee, newspapers, TVs, even a fireplace. Depending on how far in advance of your departure time you arrive, there is a luggage room just inside the lounge entrance in which you can check your luggage for safe keeping, if you then want to wander around and see the station.
Thanks so much, everyone. We've started a checklist. I have lots of questions. I realize the EB originates in Chicago, but does the consist originate there, or rely on another route arriving on-time? You see, the only timing concern I have is Southwest Airlines getting us to Midway on time, which is 11AM, which is plenty of time. But, as Juaquin Andujar (a terrific pitcher) said.."I got jus' 2 words for 'dat. Jew nebber know." He was Ozzie Guillen before Ozzie was cool. One tough Dominican. Anyway, back on message. Will the crew be aboard for the duration? Or no? Want to figure out when to tip. Thanks again all.
the_traveler
Engineer
Yes the OBS (such as sleeping car attendant and dining car staff) will be with you all the way. The operating crew (Engineer and Conductors) change every 6-8 hours, however you don't tip them. I would tip the dining car staff after every meal - because you don't know that you'll get the same server each time. I tip the sleeping car attendant at the end of the trip.
The consist for the EB starts in CHI and comes right from the yard.
As you will be flying to Midway Airport rather than O'Hare, the train in question would be the Orange Line, not the Blue Line. Running time from Midway to the Quincy station, which is closest to Union Station (about a four block walk, however, you have to walk down the stairs from the station as the station was built about 95 years before ADA was even thought of, and 8 years before the airplane was invented). From there, walk three blocks west on either Jackson or Adams (two and a half blocks to the river, then another half block to the CUS entrance).
The Empire Builder consist does overnight in Chicago from the previous day's arrival, so there shouldn't be any delays due to late equipment arrival, however that doesn't guarantee there won't be some last-minute mechanical issue.
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Your Southwest 11am arrival at Midway (MDW) should work fine. Three months from now puts you in November, which is a month with a low likelihood of air travel delays. The public transit options from MDW to Union Station are not straight forward (particularly with luggage), so using a cab is a decent option. The cab should run you about $40, plus tip, and is well worth the price for door-to-door travel to the station. If you are traveling solo, you could use the Airport Express van to Union Station for $24, but for two or more, the cab is the better deal.
The first meal on the Empire Builder is dinner, so you will have to grab lunch somewhere. If you are on-time, you could cab directly to Union Station, check-in and drop your bags at the Metropolitan Lounge, and then grab something at the station or nearby. Another option is to get lunch at the MDW food court (it's a good one), then head to the station after lunch. I like eating either a light lunch or an early lunch so I feel more like dinner when the time comes on the train. The Metropolitan Lounge is pretty bare bones as travel lounges go, so (in my opinion) there is no great incentive to spend a lot of time there. When I was last there in July, I think I might have spent 10 minutes in the lounge. I showed up as the Empire Builder tickets were being collected.
The Empire Builder, as it leaves Chicago, is a huge train - at least 11 and sometimes 12 cars long. Your sleeper will be the 11th car of the train, either second from the rear (if there is a coach for Minneapolis), or the last car (if there is no MSP coach). The location of the Portland Sleeper has it's downside. You are far removed from the dining car (five cars between you and the diner) and, if there is a coach for MSP behind your sleeper, there is a lot of hallway traffic. Items like the bottled water tend to disappear from the Portland sleeper when the Minneapolis coach passengers are walking through. If there is a MSP coach, it will be removed at MSP (makes sense), so from that point westward, your sleeper will be the last car of the train with very little foot traffic. For railfan types, being the last car also means the window in the door at the back of car looks out on the track - a great opportunity for rail photos and videos.
As mentioned, you will get "free" meals in the diner, but be prepared to pay a little anyway. If you want an alcoholic beverage, that is extra. Also, it is customary to tip the dining car server, with the tip roughly based on what you would tip in a restaurant for the menu cost of your meal. I suggest that you prepare yourself with a nice quantity of one dollar, five dollar, and ten dollar bills for your trip. You will need tips for four dining car meals, plus something for your car attendant ($20 if the service is good, $10 if nothing great, zero if he or she was missing in action). If you use Red Cap luggage service at either end, you have those tips as well. Also, I like having a variety of bills to pay what is needed for the cabs at each end, including tips, without having to get change from the driver. That is just me.
This brings me to the one negative aspect of the Empire Builder to Portland. The westbound train splits at Spokane, and with that split, the dining car heads to Seattle, and the lounge car heads to Portland. Breakfast that last morning for the sleeping car passengers heading to Portland is a pre-packaged meal handed out in the lounge. The meal itself is mediocre at best (in my opinion, is was lousy, but I'll be kind). It had about six small cubes of some fruit, a very small container of yogurt, and a ham and cheese on croissant sandwich. It is exactly like a typical BOB airline meal, which is not a compliment. If you want coffee or juice with your "breakfast", you either have to get that in your sleeper (three cars back), or you have to pay for the beverages in the lounge. If you take one look at the box meal and would rather just have a danish or a bagel instead, you pay. So, for sleeping car passengers heading to Portland, the last meal of the trip is a pretty sad way to end the Empire Builder dining experience.
Having said all that, the primary draw is not the food or the lounge or the stations, it is the trip itself. You will see lots of towns along the northern tier of the country that you would likely never see otherwise. Hop off when you get the chance just to say you stepped foot in Williston ND or Wolf Point MT. The route of the Builder roughly follows US 2 from North Dakota to Spokane, so you are not even next to an Interstate. From the plains to the prairie to the mountains to the Columbia River Gorge, it is a fun way to spend two days.
The first meal on the Empire Builder is dinner, so you will have to grab lunch somewhere. If you are on-time, you could cab directly to Union Station, check-in and drop your bags at the Metropolitan Lounge, and then grab something at the station or nearby. Another option is to get lunch at the MDW food court (it's a good one), then head to the station after lunch. I like eating either a light lunch or an early lunch so I feel more like dinner when the time comes on the train. The Metropolitan Lounge is pretty bare bones as travel lounges go, so (in my opinion) there is no great incentive to spend a lot of time there. When I was last there in July, I think I might have spent 10 minutes in the lounge. I showed up as the Empire Builder tickets were being collected.
The Empire Builder, as it leaves Chicago, is a huge train - at least 11 and sometimes 12 cars long. Your sleeper will be the 11th car of the train, either second from the rear (if there is a coach for Minneapolis), or the last car (if there is no MSP coach). The location of the Portland Sleeper has it's downside. You are far removed from the dining car (five cars between you and the diner) and, if there is a coach for MSP behind your sleeper, there is a lot of hallway traffic. Items like the bottled water tend to disappear from the Portland sleeper when the Minneapolis coach passengers are walking through. If there is a MSP coach, it will be removed at MSP (makes sense), so from that point westward, your sleeper will be the last car of the train with very little foot traffic. For railfan types, being the last car also means the window in the door at the back of car looks out on the track - a great opportunity for rail photos and videos.
As mentioned, you will get "free" meals in the diner, but be prepared to pay a little anyway. If you want an alcoholic beverage, that is extra. Also, it is customary to tip the dining car server, with the tip roughly based on what you would tip in a restaurant for the menu cost of your meal. I suggest that you prepare yourself with a nice quantity of one dollar, five dollar, and ten dollar bills for your trip. You will need tips for four dining car meals, plus something for your car attendant ($20 if the service is good, $10 if nothing great, zero if he or she was missing in action). If you use Red Cap luggage service at either end, you have those tips as well. Also, I like having a variety of bills to pay what is needed for the cabs at each end, including tips, without having to get change from the driver. That is just me.
This brings me to the one negative aspect of the Empire Builder to Portland. The westbound train splits at Spokane, and with that split, the dining car heads to Seattle, and the lounge car heads to Portland. Breakfast that last morning for the sleeping car passengers heading to Portland is a pre-packaged meal handed out in the lounge. The meal itself is mediocre at best (in my opinion, is was lousy, but I'll be kind). It had about six small cubes of some fruit, a very small container of yogurt, and a ham and cheese on croissant sandwich. It is exactly like a typical BOB airline meal, which is not a compliment. If you want coffee or juice with your "breakfast", you either have to get that in your sleeper (three cars back), or you have to pay for the beverages in the lounge. If you take one look at the box meal and would rather just have a danish or a bagel instead, you pay. So, for sleeping car passengers heading to Portland, the last meal of the trip is a pretty sad way to end the Empire Builder dining experience.
Having said all that, the primary draw is not the food or the lounge or the stations, it is the trip itself. You will see lots of towns along the northern tier of the country that you would likely never see otherwise. Hop off when you get the chance just to say you stepped foot in Williston ND or Wolf Point MT. The route of the Builder roughly follows US 2 from North Dakota to Spokane, so you are not even next to an Interstate. From the plains to the prairie to the mountains to the Columbia River Gorge, it is a fun way to spend two days.
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RailFanLNK
Conductor
I have always picked the dessert I want and have it first thing, also don't say to yourself, "I would love to have the Flat Iron Steak, but I 'll save that for tomorrow night" because the train can run out of items if EVERYONE picks those items first thing. So if there's something on the menu you really want, order it the first night. Also, bring small bills for tipping. The train has no ATM's. I even go so far as to bring "Thank You" notes and "if" I have a very good crew member, I take the time to write out "what I like about the service from you" and then put my tip in that card. Are you travelling with a significant other? I always "secretly" pack a bottle of alcohol-free Meiers Sprarkling Juice along with two wine goblets. (is that what they are called?) You see, I don't drink but its fun to open up the bottle of juice/wine when you are going through a beautiful part of the trip and make a toast to your significant other. I have already purchased 3 bottles for my upcoming trip in September for the CZ, CS and EB. (California Zephyr, Coast Starlight and Empire Builder)
G
Guest
Guest
:hi: Good tip and nice touch Al, you should also get a choice from your SCA on the EB and CS!
Hope your upcoming wedding and trip is the best ever!
Hope your upcoming wedding and trip is the best ever!
I on the other hand didn't mind the boxed breakfast from Spokane to Portland, but then I'm not too picky!
I saw a few of the other's from OTOL with their box in the SSL when I came in that morning. I didn't even bother to get my box, went right for the EggMuffin, and my mom got a cinimon roll. She did take one of the boxes for the yougert and fruit, but threw away the rest of it.
On the other hand, I've heard good things about the cold diner boxes supplied going east out of Portland.
On the other hand, I've heard good things about the cold diner boxes supplied going east out of Portland.
Devil's Advocate
⠀⠀⠀
Nice idea for toasting your happy trails. What sort of scheduling arrangement are you using for the Zephyr, Starlight, Builder run?
rrdude
Engineer
Yea For me next week then!
Yep - on my recent six-day Amtrak trip around the west the cold meal in the PDX sleeper was one of the best meals even compared to some I had in the dinning cars.
Have the salmon - it was superb!
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