Never Been on a Train

[Guest_Lee12Bee]

I'm going to Washington DC in a couple of weeks. We're taking the train from Dallas, and I've never been on a train before and I've also never been to Washington DC. Any advice? Being a born and bred Texan, I've never seen more than an inch of snow on the ground, and I'm concerned about being snowed in somewhere along the way. I'm very excited about the train trip, but I'm clueless about what to expect. I can't imagine being on the train for so long. We could only get a roomette for the first part of the trip, will it be large enough for two people? Once we change trains in Chicago we'll have a room and from the Amtrak website, it looks a bit bigger. Thanks for any advice, I appreciate it!

 

[Trogdor]

Roomettes are a tight squeeze, but it is theoretically possible to get two people in there. It really all depends on how big the two people are, and how "close" you're willing to be.

The bedrooms are bigger, and you should have no problem fitting two people in there with plenty of room to spare.

You shouldn't be "snowed in" unless something really bad happens. The reports of trains being stuck in the snow are all out west (California, Nevada), and that's due to 16 feet of snow. I don't think Illinois will wind up with 16 feet of snow.

The one thing to note, though, is to expect delays. Trains are subject to limited capacity, and sometimes if there is too much freight traffic, your train will suffer. So, don't plan anything within a couple of hours of your scheduled arrival, just to be on the safe side. Your connection in Chicago is guaranteed, though. This means that, if for whatever reason your train gets to Chicago too late to catch the train to DC, it is up to them to accommodate you and transport you to your destination.

Depending on the day you travel, there may be two trains between Chicago and DC, or only one. The Capitol Limited takes a pretty direct route, via Cleveland and Pittsburgh. The Cardinal runs three days per week and runs via Cincinnati and West Virginia before heading through DC on its way to New York. I'm guessing you're on the Capitol Limited (scheduled to leave at 5:35).

In Chicago, you should check into the Metropolitan Lounge (ask an employee to show you where it is). That lounge is for sleeping car passengers, and you'll be able to relax with some free drinks and sit in comfortable chairs and couches while waiting for your next train. They'll also offer baggage storage and priority boarding.

On the train, you can sit in the lounge car to watch the landscape. The train from Dallas to Chicago will have (barring last-minute equipment substitution) a sightseer lounge car with large windows that curve into the ceiling. This car is excellent for relaxing and watching the scenery if you don't feel like sitting in your room.

If you are on the Capitol Limited (most likely), that train will also have the same kind of car. If you wind up on the Cardinal, unfortunately, that train does not have a good viewing lounge, and its food-service/lounge car's windows will be fairly small.

As far as food service goes, as sleeper passengers, your meals will be free. In the dining car, you'll be seated with someone else to make a table of four people. Space in the diner is limited, and they have to seat strangers together to serve the most people in the least amount of time. It's an excellent opportunity to get to know people that you'd otherwise never meet.

I think I've covered most of the basics. Others can add onto whatever I forgot to mention.

 

[lepearso]

First of all, I'm very, very proud that you chose the train! Please post again when you return home and let everyone know how it was!

One of my favorite things about train travel is when you make connections in a big city, like Chicago, and have time for sightseeing. If your connection in Chicago affords you about three or four hours of spare time, go to one of the luggage lockers in the station, put your bags in storage, and go out on the town. You're within walking distance of some beautiful sights, fine dining and shopping. You'll also have easy access to buses that give narrated tours of the city. In Chicago, simply walk one block over to the Sears Tower (you can't miss it!) and buy a pass on Chicago Trolley or Gray Line. They'll have ticket booths in the immediate area. However, be wearing a watch, and get back to the station at least an hour before train time so you can retrieve your luggage and get to the boarding area or, in your case, the Metropolitan Lounge.

Again, I hope you enjoy it! And, as the previous post said, don't be discouraged by late trains. They're the unfortuntate product of an out-of-balance transportation policy!

 

[AlanB]

If your connection in Chicago affords you about three or four hours of spare time, go to one of the luggage lockers in the station, put your bags in storage, and go out on the town.

Under no circumstances should you pay to put your luggage in one of the lockers.

As sleeping car passengers you are entitled to free luggage storage in the Metropolitan lounge, as Robert mentioned. When you arrive in Chicago simply find the lounge, checkin and they'll tell you where to store your bags. Then if time permits, have fun in Chicago.

But don't pay for the lockers, when you can get free storage in the lounge.

 

[Guest_Lee12Bee]

I'm a novice, how does the tipping work? Who do you tip and how much?

 

[AlanB]

I'm a novice, how does the tipping work? Who do you tip and how much?

You do not tip the conductor.

Assuming that he/she does a good job, you should tip your sleeping car attendant. Typically most people tip $5 per night, more if the attendant does a really great job. The normal duties for an attendant should include a greeting, a brief explanation of you room and where the light switches and such are, plus they should put your beds down in the evening for you and up in the morning. You can also ask them for a wake-up call if you want.

In the dining car, which is where you must take all of the included meals (anything from the cafe car you must pay for), most people tip a buck per person for breakfast and lunch. Dinner most tip $2 per person. Again if you've received great service you may wish to leave more.

You might also wish to check out these hints & tips from On Track On Line. The pages are just chocked full of info, including what to expect on your ride, how to prepare for your trip, and other useful information.

Don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions.

 

[dh127]

I took the Texas Eagle last spring going from Chicago to Houston and back. Actually for Houston, you get off the train at Longview and take a bus to Houston. The train I was on had a sleeper at the back, three coach cars, lounge car, dining car, then dorm car.

Going down I was in a lower level standard room in the sleeper. I was alone, so there was plenty of room, although I know some of the other people in those rooms were couples, and the upper berth in smaller in the standard rooms. Coming back to Chicago, I was in a standard room in the dorm car. I found out later that the dorm car was a Superliner II, and the rest of the cars were Superliner I equipment. I liked the room in the dorm car better, mostly because of the layout of the storage space. There wasn't that much, but in the Superliner I there was a real narrow closet, and in the Superliner II it was a more open space with a small rack. For storing my suitcase, that was handier. On the Superliner I there is one restroom on the upper level, and I believe it was three restrooms and the shower on the lower level. Being on the lower level made it closer to the restrooms. On the dorm car, there was one restroom down the hall with a small shower.

Since the dorm car is right in front of the dining car, it was less of a walk to get to the diner. They were showing movies in the lounge car, at night, but also during the morning, and it was a great place to sit and watch scenery, although on the Chicago to Longview stretch the most interesting scenery seemed to be in the St. Louis area, with the Mississippi off in the distance. I don't recall seeing much of Arkansas or Missouri, as going west we got to St. Louis around 10:00 PM, and coming back to the east, it was dark shortly after leaving Longview, as the train was delayed about an hour or so (part of that was because of a motorcade for Vice Presidetn Cheney who was visiting the Longivew area that day). I know I must have been asleep going through Little Rock both ways, although I recall stopping at Texarkana both ways.

I noticed other posts indicating the many things to do in Chicago while waiting between trains. If you have a lot of time to wait between trains, and the weather isn't too bad, going over to the Sears Tower observation deck would be worth it, but not if its real overcast. The visibility might be next to zero up there. If its a bright day, its a great view.

Have fun on your trip. dh

 

[Guest_shanghaiamtrak]

the cardinal's scenic route makes up for the lack of a nice lounge...