Somewhat Handicapped and Sleepers

[PJRACER]

In planning stages of a trip next year......I am somewhat handicapped in that from time to time I use a walker, but can get by without.....but I will be going at the time of making my reservation to the ticket agent at St Petersburg/Clearwater and will be asking about a roomette for handicapped (my wife and I). Will there be a large up=charge for such or how is that figured. Plan on taking the Amtrak bus service to Orlando and train to Washington.DC. At that point the next leg of the trip Washington to Chicago will involve a roomette. That is where we would prefer a handicapped roomette....but can't figure out how to price that on the web site. I know there is someone out there who has much experience at this and can help us out. What would be the advantage of a handicapped roomette and are they hard to reserve.????????

 

[amamba]

I don't actually believe there is a handicapped roomette option. You may be thinking of the handicapped bedroom - which is actually priced the same as a roomette at the time of booking even though it is larger. The handicap room on the viewliner train has a larger and accessible bathroom within the room. If you look at the current roomette prices online for the date/train you are looking for, as long as you qualify, you should be able to book the handicapped bedroom for this price if you call or visit the station.

 

[the_traveler]

You must call to book the accessible (as Amtrak calls it). But note that there are 2 berths in each (1 upper and 1 lower). Also, you both will receive a 15% discount!

 

[RRrich]

If you are haandicapped, get a letter from your MD stating that you are "Mobility Impaired", then call Amtrak and make your reservations. As stated above you will/should get "Room H" which is the handicapped room - on the single level Viewliners, it is bigger than the regular bedroom, the beds are like a regular BR (large lower and small upper but the bathroom is considerably larger than the regular bathroom in a bedroom. On the couble level Superliner the H room is like a roomette (2 beds, singles, one above the other) with a large private toilet screened off by a retractable canvas divider.

If you call Amtrak and tell them you are handicapped, they will charge you the roomette rate for either bedroom - I am not sure about the 15% discount - I get that anyway for being a senior.

We like the Viewliner Room H much more than the Superliner Room H

 

[AlanB]

Pjracer, please check out this excellant post by Alice where she describes part of the procedure, as well as how to answere some of the questions you'll be asked.

 

[Alice]

Pjracer, this adds to the post Alan linked.

Walkers are a little different than wheelchairs, but the information is similar. Folding, rigid, or one of those large wheeled things that you can sit on? How thick is it when folded (has to do with where they need to fit it if you get a regular room instead of the H-room). Is it so light it can be lifted anywhere?

Say "yes" to do you need help, plan to tip for good service, even lousy car attendants generally give good service to nice people with disabilities. Let them know whether you'll want the ramp or lift. Unless you are really good with large steps up, I recommend asking for the ramp/lift, then decline it at the time if the step isn't too high for you.

One thing to note about the H-room is one bed is low but one is high, so someone is going to be crawling up a ladder. If neither you nor your wife can manage that, then you might consider two roomettes across the hall from each other (for daytime views out both sides). That worked real well when traveling with my mother (and her scooter and walker). I've also slept on the floor in the H-room (costs a lot less, I'm cheap!). If you want to consider fitting two people on the lower mattress, ask about that in another thread to see if it'll work, I think it depends on the exact type of car and room, and your sizes.

The handicapped room is very easy to reserve, they save it for people with mobility disabilities until two weeks before departure. However, price follows roomette buckets (learn about them elsewhere if you haven't yet) so reserve as early as you can. The 15% discount is for person with disability and up to one helper, and you can get it on other rooms/seats, too.

There are other acceptable identifications besides doctor's letter, Amtrak lists them somewhere on their disability page. Your parking placard and its registration will work fine.

Enjoy the trip!