Individual Guidelines for Booking a sleeper?

[Amtrak George]

It Depends. if I am traveling with an employee to a seminar in New Orleans, just over 8 hours one way, we will get whatever discount coach seats available and sit together. If it is a short day trip I will do coach. Now, my wife and I generally do a romette Memphis to New Orleans for the privacy, bottled water, meals etc. When traveling overnight I will get a romette, and 2 roomettes or a bedroom if the wife or son is traveling with me.

In younger days I made several overnight trips by coach complete with crying babies and other various and sundry noises. Not any more. :blush: Once we had set up a long day trip on the Cardinal and the crowd was so rambunctious that I begged the conductor to upgrade me to a couple of roomettes, He did and I paid and the wife and kids thought Dad was the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[SarahZ]

Trips not involving sleep: Coach. I like having lots of room to recline and space to breathe. I also like seeing out both sides of the train.

Overnight: roomette. I like being able to shut out the noise late at night and early in the morning, and I am the pickiest sleeper you'll ever meet. I can't sleep in the Coach seats no matter what position I try, and it's too noisy (I have crazy-sensitive ears). My boyfriend has zero issues sleeping in Coach, but we get a roomette for the sake of my sanity, his sanity, and the lives of everyone within 50 feet of me.

 

[Railroad Bill]

We usually take sleepers on trains that provide one. Many of our trips are AGR so the cost factor is not involved.

Rides on the Pennsylvanian and other non sleeper eastern trains are usually in business class if possible.

We tried riding the CAP and LSL in coach to Chicago but my back cannot handle sleeping in coach seats, even when they are reclined.

Since we started using bedrooms instead of roomettes, we are even more spoiled brats

 

[Alexandria Nick]

Yes, we like to see the country as we pass through it, not just look down upon the land as if it were a map, while we're flying over it.

You sleep with your eyes open and have night-vision goggles?

I can't justify burning such a large part of my vacation on certain trips. If I was going to Chicago, i'd lose two days to travel. Conversely, I've left a long weekend in Chicago at...super-early and still made it to work the same day, on time. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy looking out the window and have done it before (Palmetto to Charleston for example). But overnight...that just eats too much time at the destination. I simply can't take enough time off work in one shot like that.

 

[SarahZ]

I sympathize with Nick. While I love trains and love seeing the countryside, most of the trips we'd like to take would burn through most of our vacation time and leave very little time for sight-seeing at our destination. For now, we fly if the train ride will take longer than 24 hours or so. The only LD trip we take is the SWC to ABQ when we visit B's parents.

Once we retire and have unlimited time (or we both have jobs that allow us to work remotely), we'll definitely take a lot of long-distance trips all over the U.S. We really wish we could take the EB and some of the other, gorgeous routes, but we can't give up those five extra days of vacation time because it would mean not seeing our families for the holidays. We really wanted to take the CZ to EMY this summer, but we simply couldn't budget the extra days.

 

[oregon pioneer]

I can't justify burning such a large part of my vacation on certain trips. If I was going to Chicago, i'd lose two days to travel. Conversely, I've left a long weekend in Chicago at...super-early and still made it to work the same day, on time. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy looking out the window and have done it before (Palmetto to Charleston for example). But overnight...that just eats too much time at the destination. I simply can't take enough time off work in one shot like that.

Once we retire and have unlimited time (or we both have jobs that allow us to work remotely), we'll definitely take a lot of long-distance trips all over the U.S. We really wish we could take the EB and some of the other, gorgeous routes, but we can't give up those five extra days of vacation time because it would mean not seeing our families for the holidays. We really wanted to take the CZ to EMY this summer, but we simply couldn't budget the extra days.

I sympathize with both of you -- yes, I've worked the 50-weeks-a-year grind, and I could not take time for long vacations. I either spent my time off in my local region, or I flew. But now I am a part-time worker. In summer, I work full-time and "more-time" (usually 200-220 hours in July). The trade-off is that, in winter, I can take two or three weeks off in a row (as long as I carry my work laptop with me, and take care of what needs to be done). Of course, the other trade-off is that I don't make much money, but we all make our choices, and that's mine.

No, I don't have night-vision goggles. I love to sleep to the rocking of the train, and wake to look out the window (if I have one, I usually get the upper bunk, LOL!) and see where we are at the stops. Even at night, you get a feel for the country, like all the oil workers piling on in Williston ND in a blizzard, because the trains are the only thing running.

I like to tell people, when you travel by air, the vacation starts when you arrive at your destination. When you travel by train, the travel IS part of the vacation.

 

[SarahZ]

I like to tell people, when you travel by air, the vacation starts when you arrive at your destination. When you travel by train, the travel IS part of the vacation.

I tell people the same thing. While I love how quick direct flights can be, I do miss seeing the country.

 

[MiRider]

All of my trips through Dec. 2012 (with the exception of one) were in coach and I *was* the biggest coach cheerleader

I once wrote that laying down horizontally was over rated

Last year on a round trip on the TE, I somehow was blessed with having both seats to myself both ways - it was wonderful and relaxing until....
The return trip to CHI also happened to be the worst trip I'd taken, staff that couldn't/wouldn't control unruly pax, etc.
The final straw was when the chick in front of me got all mouthy with me because I told the conductor about smokers - WTH!
That was it for me, I'm not afraid of anyone but stay out of my face

So, between having the privacy of both seats and that mouthy chick, I decided no more coach for me.

I don't have any time constraints and I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford a roomette for my trips so that's what I'm doing now.

I'm still too cheap to book a roomette on the LSL so any future NYC trips will be via coach.

Anyway, I've been using amsnag to plan my trips and it's working well.

Also, as a coach passenger, I never had a problem being served or encountered rude service in the diner on any of my trips and I always have breakfast and dinner there.

Then again, I'm pretty friendly and polite or so I've been told.

 

[benjibear]

I am saving up AGR points for a LD sleeper trip. Saving the points give us something to look forward to.

 

[JackieTakestheTrain]

If at all possible, I try to take a sleeper as nearly all of my trips involve some overnight somewhere. Because of my mobility issues, sleepers are usually better for me. Plus, I snore like a Mack truck and I am sure that my fellow riders in Coach would prefer not to hear me.

And I hope this doesn't sound anti-social, but I like the solitude of the sleeper. It is one of the last forms of transportation where I can have a window to look outside *and* a door to close when I don't want to be bugged. I so rarely have any time when I am truly alone it is like a mini-vacation before my vacation. I also prefer to eat my meals in my room unless I am with someone who is dying to go to the dining car.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

If at all possible, I try to take a sleeper as nearly all of my trips involve some overnight somewhere. Because of my mobility issues, sleepers are usually better for me. Plus, I snore like a Mack truck and I am sure that my fellow riders in Coach would prefer not to hear me.
And I hope this doesn't sound anti-social, but I like the solitude of the sleeper. It is one of the last forms of transportation where I can have a window to look outside *and* a door to close when I don't want to be bugged. I so rarely have any time when I am truly alone it is like a mini-vacation before my vacation. I also prefer to eat my meals in my room unless I am with someone who is dying to go to the dining car.

I too have mobility issues, I just reserve the lower level seats and as there are only 12-14 seats down there, it is much quieter than upstairs and therefore much more pleasant. Also, unless I feel ambitious, the attendant brings us all our meals so I don't have to try and negotiate the stairs to get to the dining car.

 

[Paul_1]

None of the commenters have mentioned their age. Up through age 35, I could spend two consecutive nights in a Superliner coach and wake up refreshed. Nowadays at age 58, a single night in coach leaves me uncomfortable and groggy the next morning. Sleeping horizontal is now a luxury I gladly pay for.

 

[boxcar479]

As a graduate of the_travelers school of AGR point accumalation, all my trips are to maximize point redemption, so naturally sleepers(roomettes now since they've raised the redemption rate) are my choice. Like TVRM610 I enjoy my coffee, meals in the diner and other sleeper perks. We have taken coach on point runs or trips that I've actually paid for :blink: but those are always under 6 hours duration and never overnight. I guess if I were to actually pay for a trip I might consider coach. I would probably be thrown from the train due to my loud snoring,which out of consideration for other pax is another reason I usually do sleepers. I don't take the train to get anywhere but back home. I am one of those people that get on the train in FTW going to FTW so the longer I am gone and the more time I spend on the train on the train the better the trip is for me. I also like being able to slide my door shut and have a little privacy I have nothing but respect and awe for all the overnight or 2 night coach riders, you guys must tuff, durable, and I guess alot more tolerable and outgoing than myself :hi: Happy rails to you !

 

[crescent2]

As has been said by many, both coach and sleepers have their advantages and disadvantages. Some balance out, but some are deal-breakers (or deal-makers).

For overnight for me, the deal-breaker with coach is that I cannot sleep in public. I'm not a sound sleeper and value privacy, so for overnights it's sleepers.

Hubby and I have traveled coach on 12-hour trips and found it enjoyable. We were spared some of the bad experiences others have had, though. Some of the advantages of coach, if you're not sitting too far near the front, are the views through all the windows, and the very comfortable seats. Socializing with other passengers is nice, too, although I'm sure that could be a mixed blessing! We've also traveled coach on shorter trips without problems.

After hubby's disability, we did these long daytrips in the H unit, and once in a BR (because the A/C wasn't working in the H unit). The in-room bathroom was a great convenience. Even without a disability, I prefer a sleeper for a long trip. I like having our own bathroom and the privacy and quietness. From the H unit or the BR's (Viewliner), you can see through your window or door across the hall and through the outer window. With a roomette, you don't have that, though. The included meals help offset the extra cost. Even when we traveled coach, we ate in the dining car.

Coach on Amtrak is a world of difference from coach on a plane! But, as others have mentioned, we sometimes had to fly due to limited days off work. But we willingly "lost" two days of a week vacation to take the train. For us, the train trip was a valued part of our vacation.

Amsnag.net is a wonderful resource for finding lower priced fares and accommodations, and the AGR program is a bonus.

It's nice that on many of Amtrak's trains, you have a choice.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

None of the commenters have mentioned their age. Up through age 35, I could spend two consecutive nights in a Superliner coach and wake up refreshed. Nowadays at age 58, a single night in coach leaves me uncomfortable and groggy the next morning. Sleeping horizontal is now a luxury I gladly pay for.

I am 55 and have no trouble with sleeping on coach and I am refreshed in the morning and I have done four nights in a row taking the Texas Eagle from LAX to CHI and then the LSL to WOR.

 

[Ispolkom]

In younger days I made several overnight trips by coach complete with crying babies and other various and sundry noises. Not any more. :blush:

I've overnighted in coach dozens of times, but very much less in the past couple of years. Between more crowded trains and more ways for fellow passengers to make annoying noise (I guess I can understand someone talking loudly on a mobile phone, but who can possibly think it a good thing to watch a DVD without headphones?), I am much more willing to pay the up-charge for sleeper.

Of course, I also have more money now, which makes the choice easier.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Being deaf w/o my hearing aids, noise won't bother me, but my snoring may bother others. I'll be doing my first overnight trip in coach later this year.

 

[thully]

On long distance trips, i've done both coach and sleeper. The first few overnight trips I mostly did coach as the roomettes for the solo passenger were quite expensive. I had found that I could tolerate it relatively well on my first overnight (Capitol Limited TOL-WAS), so I figured sleeper wasn't worth the cost as a solo passenger. I did do a couple sleeper trips on the LSL (both to TOL - with bus to ARB), though it was mostly because I was planning on going to work the day of arrival. Most of the coach trips went well, but a few (such as my trip on the Cardinal and one of my Cap trips) had me wishing I had a sleeper.

However, my last major LD trip (returning to Michigan from California) was in sleeper - I was feeling like a multi-day coach trip wasn't the most thrilling way to travel over Christmas, and I had enough AGR points to cover one way. The other way I managed to snag a low bucket, so the total cost in $ ended up being close to what an airline coach ticket would be. All I can say is that it was definitely nice to have the flat bed - though during the day, I found myself staying in the SSL most of the time. I do think coach seats are preferable on day trips as they can recline easily and you can see both sides of the train. In any case, the two-day+ trips are starting to seem like a bit much and take time that could otherwise be spent at the destination, so I'm likely going to fly back to Michigan next year. I still want to get the CZ/CS north of OKJ/Canadian though, so I may end up planning a trip for them sometime...

(I'll definitely ride the Surfliners plenty more, though - I know I'll likely have 2-3 more trips on them this month alone...)

I have also done a sleeper on a day trip - when I went to San Francisco a few weeks back, coach OKJ-LAX was higher-bucket and sleeper lower-bucket. The difference was $75ish - which seemed more than worth it (even for one person) given that meals were included and access to the Pacific Parlour Car, where I stayed for a good portion of the trip. I'd probably do coach given higher sleeper buckets/lower coach buckets, though. Also, for short corridor trips I generally always do coach unless Business Class is the 2x1 seating (found on Chicago corridor routes, 66/67, and the single-level Surfliner consist). Honestly, on normal Surfliner trips, the best seats can be found in the Superliner coach (that is nearly always in the consist), *not* in BC.

 

[Porter20]

My most recent travels on Amtrak have been for vacation and overnight trips that include having my 7 year old daughter with me. I have booked us in roomettes simply because I know I can shut the door, doze off and not worry about her going off on adventure in the train. While I know many people travel with children in coach (and we do for our day trips), but when traveling as a single parent with just my daughter I guess I am overly protective. Now when my wife joins us, we have to have a room - that's her rules; although on most trips, she will fly (prefers that form of transportation) and the rest of the family takes the train.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

In younger days I made several overnight trips by coach complete with crying babies and other various and sundry noises. Not any more. :blush:

I've overnighted in coach dozens of times, but very much less in the past couple of years. Between more crowded trains and more ways for fellow passengers to make annoying noise (I guess I can understand someone talking loudly on a mobile phone, but who can possibly think it a good thing to watch a DVD without headphones?), I am much more willing to pay the up-charge for sleeper.

Of course, I also have more money now, which makes the choice easier.

It depends on the crew, but on most of the trains I have been on, before the lights are dimmed at 10 pm the conductor makes an announcement about quiet and that people must use headphones. I have seen crew ask people to turn off the sound or use earphones. the majority of people do that, but there will always be the bad apple.