Online booking question and discount question

[2ndsout]

Hello,

My wife and I, along with our young son; are planning a trip on the Empire Builder in October 2008. We are going out from Cincinnati on the Cardinal and then catching the Empire Builder in Chicago to North Dakota. My wife has a friend in Montana that we are going to visit, who is going to pick us up from the Wiliston, North Dakota Station.

I've registered with the Amtrak site and have a few travel plans saved. How far in advance should I purchase the tickets? I was planning to buy them once we got our tax return done here in the next couple of weeks. I was wondering if I should wait to purchase or not? My wife and I have never been on a train before; and we have a full two week vacation that we are starting to plan now. Time is not an issue; as we have a full two weeks off that we are integrating this train trip into the vacation. Are there discounts available for the Empire Builder? I have heard that it is a really nice trip with all of the scenary, especially through Minnesota and North Dakota into Big Sky Country.

Is there anyone out there that can point me in the right direction, or give me some pointers about taking this trek for the first time? Should I plan on taking a small weekened train trip somewhere to get myself familiar with how Amtrak operates? How does the Baggage claim work on Amtrak, is it the same as an airline? Very Different, or just a little different? Since we would be travelling from Cincinnati to Chicago and switching trains, to go to North Dakota; would they have all of that information to switch our baggage to the other train too?

Just looking for some help and answers on my questions. Sorry for the long post. All help is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sechs]

Do not wait to buy your tickets.

Amtrak uses a "bucket" system to price tickets. There are only a set number of tickets on each train at each price; as tickets are sold, the price goes up.

If you purchase online and do not get paper tickets, you can cancel with a full refund very easily. So, you can lock-in the current price, and if a discount comes along, you can cancel and rebook for a lower price.

In my opinion, baggage is a lot easier on Amtrak. You can have your luggage checked to your final destination, as long as the station has baggage service. While, at some of the major stations, there are carousels and the like, in general, you'll be picking your bag out from the cart or a room, matching the claims, and going on your way.

 

[Steven B]

I don't think you need to take a smaller trip first. Most people get used to train travel pretty quickly, and each trip tends to be a very different experience anyway. If you have any questions, the people on this board should be able to answer them.

Regarding baggage, unfortunately the Cincinnati Amtrak station does not offer checked baggage service. So for at least the first part of your trip, you'll have to carry on your bags. Assuming you're in coach, there's an overhead luggage rack just like on an airplane. You could check bags for the second part of your trip when you arrive in Chicago.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

If you've ever ridden on a train before, you know what that aspect of it is like. The only problem is that for 3 days, you are going to be locked into a train. Now, for me thats fine. I enjoy train travel, and I know that from long experience. But I gotta tell you, I know a lot of younger kids who get bored very quickly. And trust me... if you think your child complaining in a restaurant makes for an uncomfortable environment, you are going to get a whole new meaning for the word "uncomfortable" if it happens in coach. You get a nice long time for Johnny to do something to aggravate someone. And a whole lotta time left living in the same space with the aggravated. Admittedly, though, people who don't like noisy children generally do not spend their time in the coach section of long-distance Amtrak trains. Unless they are masochists, anyway. But its still a consideration. You can't answer it until you live it, though.

 

[Steven B]

But I gotta tell you, I know a lot of younger kids who get bored very quickly. And trust me... if you think your child complaining in a restaurant makes for an uncomfortable environment, you are going to get a whole new meaning for the word "uncomfortable" if it happens in coach. You get a nice long time for Johnny to do something to aggravate someone. And a whole lotta time left living in the same space with the aggravated. Admittedly, though, people who don't like noisy children generally do not spend their time in the coach section of long-distance Amtrak trains. Unless they are masochists, anyway. But its still a consideration. You can't answer it until you live it, though.

Different kids react very differently to long-distance train travel. Some, possibly most, really enjoy it, but some do find it boring. I know I loved my first train trip (I was 6 or 7 years old at the time), and my 10-year-old nephew also loved his first train trip last summer. The key is to bring plenty of games/books/movies along to keep kids entertained if the scenery gets boring, and be sure to explore the train and go to the lounge car. Obviously, the younger the child, the more challenging the trip could be.

If you can afford it, the upgrade to sleeping car makes any train trip more pleasant. It's nice to have a bed to sleep in, and access to a shower. Sleeping car passengers also get free meals in the dining car, and access to the first-class Metropolitan Lounge in the Chicago station.