M
Melissa
Guest
Hi all!
I have been lurking on your discussion board, reading just about everything that has been posted. It is all so helpful. This is my first post.
I’m excited about my first trip on the Amtrak and I am trying to plan everything, even down to what meals will be served while my boyfriend and I are in the sleeper train—because I know those meals will be free. Some of the meals were unclear as to if they were going to be served during the two sleeper legs of our trip, so I posed the question straight to Amtrak’s email address. However, I really do not understand what their answer is—thus it did not truly answer my question.
My question began by letting them know what dates we are taking the trip in May. The trip will be from Austin to Chicago then to Champaign and on the way back it will be in reverse. Both roomettes, and trips in question, are aboard the Texas Eagle. Leave Austin 9:31am, arrive Chicago 1:52pm the next day, train 22, roomette. (Chicago to Champaign both ways is not a question for me, since those meals will not be free—we’ll be in coach.) The way back leave Chicago on Train 21 at 1:45pm and arrive in Austin the next day at 6:30pm, roomette.
This was my question to Amtrak: “On the sleeper train on the way there, for free, I think lunch, dinner, breakfast are served. What about lunch? Then on the way home, for free on the sleeper car, lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch are served. What about dinner?”
This was Amtrak’s response: “Unless specified otherwise below, the hours of service in dining cars are:
Breakfast: 6:30 am 10:00 am
Passengers will be served if they board the train no later than 9:30 am
Lunch: 11:30 am 3:00 pm
Passengers will be served if they board the train no later than 2:30 pm
Dinner: 5:00 pm 9:30 pm
Passengers will be served if they board the train no later than 8:30 pm
Texas Eagle
Trains 21/421 First day: Lunch is served departing Chicago. Second day: Dining and lounge cars are staffed through to San Antonio with normal dinner hours in the dining car.
Trains 22/422: First day: Dining and lounge cars open 30 minutes after departure San Antonio with breakfast served in the dining car. Second day: Dining car Lunch begins at 11:00 am with last call for dining car service at Bloomington-Normal. Lounge car Last call for service is at Joliet.”
I don’t think the question was answered. I probably asked them my question in a confusing way. So I still have my same question. What about lunch on the way there? And what about dinner on the way home? Then another question comes up because of their email. On the way there, the train leaves at 9:31am. Their email says “Passengers will be served Breakfast if they board the train no later than 9:30am.” So then does this mean we’ll be served breakfast for free on the train that leaves at 9:31am for Chicago, because I’m sure we’ll board before 9:31am. I kind of need to know if we need to eat before we board the train for our first Amtrak train trip.
Thanks kindly in advance, everyone, for any of your thoughts or opinions!
Also P.S. I will surely post somewhere—probably at http://www.on-track-on-line.com/ my experiences on the trip.
I have been lurking on your discussion board, reading just about everything that has been posted. It is all so helpful. This is my first post.
I’m excited about my first trip on the Amtrak and I am trying to plan everything, even down to what meals will be served while my boyfriend and I are in the sleeper train—because I know those meals will be free. Some of the meals were unclear as to if they were going to be served during the two sleeper legs of our trip, so I posed the question straight to Amtrak’s email address. However, I really do not understand what their answer is—thus it did not truly answer my question.
My question began by letting them know what dates we are taking the trip in May. The trip will be from Austin to Chicago then to Champaign and on the way back it will be in reverse. Both roomettes, and trips in question, are aboard the Texas Eagle. Leave Austin 9:31am, arrive Chicago 1:52pm the next day, train 22, roomette. (Chicago to Champaign both ways is not a question for me, since those meals will not be free—we’ll be in coach.) The way back leave Chicago on Train 21 at 1:45pm and arrive in Austin the next day at 6:30pm, roomette.
This was my question to Amtrak: “On the sleeper train on the way there, for free, I think lunch, dinner, breakfast are served. What about lunch? Then on the way home, for free on the sleeper car, lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch are served. What about dinner?”
This was Amtrak’s response: “Unless specified otherwise below, the hours of service in dining cars are:
Breakfast: 6:30 am 10:00 am
Passengers will be served if they board the train no later than 9:30 am
Lunch: 11:30 am 3:00 pm
Passengers will be served if they board the train no later than 2:30 pm
Dinner: 5:00 pm 9:30 pm
Passengers will be served if they board the train no later than 8:30 pm
Texas Eagle
Trains 21/421 First day: Lunch is served departing Chicago. Second day: Dining and lounge cars are staffed through to San Antonio with normal dinner hours in the dining car.
Trains 22/422: First day: Dining and lounge cars open 30 minutes after departure San Antonio with breakfast served in the dining car. Second day: Dining car Lunch begins at 11:00 am with last call for dining car service at Bloomington-Normal. Lounge car Last call for service is at Joliet.”
I don’t think the question was answered. I probably asked them my question in a confusing way. So I still have my same question. What about lunch on the way there? And what about dinner on the way home? Then another question comes up because of their email. On the way there, the train leaves at 9:31am. Their email says “Passengers will be served Breakfast if they board the train no later than 9:30am.” So then does this mean we’ll be served breakfast for free on the train that leaves at 9:31am for Chicago, because I’m sure we’ll board before 9:31am. I kind of need to know if we need to eat before we board the train for our first Amtrak train trip.
Thanks kindly in advance, everyone, for any of your thoughts or opinions!
Also P.S. I will surely post somewhere—probably at http://www.on-track-on-line.com/ my experiences on the trip.