Tips for first time family bedroom rider

[Tom]

Hi folks, My wife and I are taking our 2 grandchildren to San antonio soon. We have reserved the family bedroom on the Eagle roundtrip. This will be our first experience with Amtrak for a 25 hour trip but we have taken the grandkids on several runs of 4-5 hours from St. Louis to Kansas City. I have read the FAQ for newbies but have not read any advice on tips to attendants, etc. So what do regulars advise, also any suggestions pertaqining to the Texas Eagle are appreciated. Tom. gotta go go USA

 

[the_traveler]

Tom -

The "average" tip to the SCA that most of us do is $5 per night per person, based on how much the CA is helpful. If (s)he is around when you need help, and not around when you don't, it may increase. If the SCA is not around at all, it may be $-0-! (I had an SCA on the EB who introduced himself as I left CHI, but I did not see him for the next 3 days when I got off in PDX. I even had to set my own bed! Guess the tip he received?

)

Tip the Dining Car staff as if you were paying for the meals. I know that meals are included, but you should still tip!

I don't know the sizes of your grandkids, but be aware that the 3rd and 4th beds are 4'9" long or less!

 

[tom]

Thanks for your quick reply. Just wondering any other suggestions/experiences pertaing to the Texas Eagle.

 

[Bob Dylan]

:hi: A Family that Rides the Train Together is on the right Track! ^_^

The Family Bedroom is Downstairs on the Two Level Superliner Train! The Restrooms and Shower are on the other End of the Hall in Front of Your Room, there will be 4 Roomettes(#11-#14) in Front of Your Room along with a Luggage rack for your Large Bags!

The Diner (A Cross Country Cafe)and SightSeer Lounge are in Front of the Two to Three Coaches, so with your Sleeping Car being on the End of the Train you will have a Fairly Long walk to reach them but this is Good Exercise on an Overnight Trip! (The Foood is pretty Good and Fillling in the Diner!! :wub: )Your Sleeping Car Attendant (SCA) will be in Room #1 Upstairs by the One Restroom andCoffee and Juice Stand ! There are some Really Good Ones on this Route!

As to Sights, itll be Dark until you get to near Texarkana where Breakfast will Start, then youll go through the Piney Woods of East texas, make Three stops Marshall/Longview, (where the Bus for Houston and Van to Shrevport meet the Eagle and where you can Stretch your Legs) Mineola and then into Dallas, another break Place! (Lunch will be served between Dallas and Ft. Worth) Look for the JFK Museum and Dealy Plaza as you Cross the Trestle next to the Station heading to Ft. Worth, then on to Cowtown (Ft. Worth) where youll have a another Break, then Down the Line to Cleburne, Mc Gregor (youll pass the Metropolis of Crawford near W Bush's Ranch), then a stop in Temple where you can once again get off for a quick stretch! Dinner will start after Temple and be served till after Leaving Austin (there is a quick stop in the Farming/Railroad town of Taylor), Check Out the Run dDown MOPAC Expressway in Austin, then the High Rise Skyline as you leave the Austin Station (another quick Break stop)and Cross Lady Bird lake on the Oldest contious Use RR Trestle in Texas! (since 1881)Youll stop briefly in San Marcos,then on to San Antonio for the Long Looping Journey Around the West Side and then into the Sunset Station Downtown by the Hemisphere Tower, the Lights of San Antonio will be visible during this as it will be Dark!

Hope this helps you out!

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I don't think you should have gotten a Family Bedroom. Two roomettes in the upper level would have been better. On the TE and CONO, there are usually so much plant ggrowth along the routes that they could really hurt your view out. No so much on the barran or mountainous western routes. Also, you would have to climb the stairs every time to get to other cars, and the majority of the reastrooms are right beside you. Not the most desirable location!

Of course, people will start bombarding me with disagreement! :help: :lol:

 

[Old MM]

I don't think you should have gotten a Family Bedroom. Two roomettes in the upper level would have been better. On the TE and CONO, there are usually so much plant ggrowth along the routes that they could really hurt your view out. No so much on the barran or mountainous western routes. Also, you would have to climb the stairs every time to get to other cars, and the majority of the reastrooms are right beside you. Not the most desirable location!

Of course, people will start bombarding me with disagreement! :help: :lol:

2 Roomettes are OK if these are older grandkids.. but if they are little ones, the Family BR is hands down the best option. Also, many people here had posted they don't like the lower level but we had that for a while (rooms 13 and 14, lower level across the aisle) and we LOVED the feeling of the track. Have never slept so good! There are pros and cons each way. Another plus of the lower level.. very little traffic.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I don't think you should have gotten a Family Bedroom. Two roomettes in the upper level would have been better. On the TE and CONO, there are usually so much plant ggrowth along the routes that they could really hurt your view out. No so much on the barran or mountainous western routes. Also, you would have to climb the stairs every time to get to other cars, and the majority of the reastrooms are right beside you. Not the most desirable location!

Of course, people will start bombarding me with disagreement! :help: :lol:

2 Roomettes are OK if these are older grandkids.. but if they are little ones, the Family BR is hands down the best option. Also, many people here had posted they don't like the lower level but we had that for a while (rooms 13 and 14, lower level across the aisle) and we LOVED the feeling of the track. Have never slept so good! There are pros and cons each way. Another plus of the lower level.. very little traffic.

What do you mean? A Family Bedroom is larger, so smaller kids don't need that much space! They shouldn't play games like at home when they're on a train! They themselves can stand no running around. It's the parent who choose and guide what they do. At least that's what my expierience shows.

 

[AlanB]

I don't think you should have gotten a Family Bedroom. Two roomettes in the upper level would have been better. On the TE and CONO, there are usually so much plant ggrowth along the routes that they could really hurt your view out. No so much on the barran or mountainous western routes. Also, you would have to climb the stairs every time to get to other cars, and the majority of the reastrooms are right beside you. Not the most desirable location!

Of course, people will start bombarding me with disagreement! :help: :lol:

2 Roomettes are OK if these are older grandkids.. but if they are little ones, the Family BR is hands down the best option. Also, many people here had posted they don't like the lower level but we had that for a while (rooms 13 and 14, lower level across the aisle) and we LOVED the feeling of the track. Have never slept so good! There are pros and cons each way. Another plus of the lower level.. very little traffic.

What do you mean? A Family Bedroom is larger, so smaller kids don't need that much space! They shouldn't play games like at home when they're on a train! They themselves can stand no running around. It's the parent who choose and guide what they do. At least that's what my expierience shows.

Actually smaller kids need more space as they bounce around and move quite a bit. Older kids can sit still for longer periods of time, and therefore can better handle the smaller roomettes. Besides, the entire point of the family room is that it has 2 child sized bunks. Why would one want to put two small kids into adult sized bunks on a rocking & rolling train, when they fit so much better into child sized bunks?

 

[FunNut]

The family bedroom is the right choice for grandparents and kids. Going up and down the stairs is good exercise for kids who are on a train for 25 hours. My recommendation would be to allow each child to bring only ONE stuffed animal and a minimum of other items to make a mess in the room.

I rode the SWC last year in roomette 14 (I much much prefer the lower level) and there were four French-Canadian kids in the adjacent family bedroom. They were very well-behaved, but came and went a lot. Their parents checked on them frequently, and I honestly never heard them talking, but when they opened the door it looked like an explosion in a toy factory. I don't know how they ever got all that stuff back in their bags.

Another advantage of the family bedroom is there are windows on both sides, so the kids can watch more from the room. As mentioned above, be sure to check the sizes of the kids' bunks on the Amtrak website, will your grandchildren fit?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I don't think you should have gotten a Family Bedroom. Two roomettes in the upper level would have been better. On the TE and CONO, there are usually so much plant ggrowth along the routes that they could really hurt your view out. No so much on the barran or mountainous western routes. Also, you would have to climb the stairs every time to get to other cars, and the majority of the reastrooms are right beside you. Not the most desirable location!

Of course, people will start bombarding me with disagreement! :help: :lol:

2 Roomettes are OK if these are older grandkids.. but if they are little ones, the Family BR is hands down the best option. Also, many people here had posted they don't like the lower level but we had that for a while (rooms 13 and 14, lower level across the aisle) and we LOVED the feeling of the track. Have never slept so good! There are pros and cons each way. Another plus of the lower level.. very little traffic.

What do you mean? A Family Bedroom is larger, so smaller kids don't need that much space! They shouldn't play games like at home when they're on a train! They themselves can stand no running around. It's the parent who choose and guide what they do. At least that's what my expierience shows.

Actually smaller kids need more space as they bounce around and move quite a bit. Older kids can sit still for longer periods of time, and therefore can better handle the smaller roomettes. Besides, the entire point of the family room is that it has 2 child sized bunks. Why would one want to put two small kids into adult sized bunks on a rocking & rolling train, when they fit so much better into child sized bunks?

Because the kids might not fit into the bunks and/or maybe the Family Bedroom is more expensive than two roomettes. The kids still can't bounce around much in the FB, and the close proximity to the restroom "block" is another disadvantage.

I just knew there would be a barrage of disagreement!

 

[AlanB]

Because the kids might not fit into the bunks and/or maybe the Family Bedroom is more expensive than two roomettes. The kids still can't bounce around much in the FB, and the close proximity to the restroom "block" is another disadvantage.

If the kids don't fit into the bunks, then they are old enough to be in a roomette.

Yes, there are times that 2 roomettes are cheaper, but most time not. Even if it is cheaper, there is still the idea that some people want their family together. Or if you have 1 adult traveling with 3 kids, you want your kids with you in the same room. You don't want them sleeping by themselves. And the family room fixes that.

And trust me, kids have a wealth of room in the Family room compared to the Roomettes. I've taken my nieces and nephews on the Auto Train several times in the family room, and I would trade it for a roomette if you paid me. Well maybe if you paid me enough. But you get the idea. I speak from experience.

In fact, I'll be taking my nieces & nephews on the AT again this summer. The only reason that we're not doing a family room this time is that save 1, all the rest are now too big for the kids bunks. So it no longer makes sense. But if we could, I would do the family room again in a heartbeat. Especially for the big couch which would allow us to put easily half the family into that room during the day.

Finally, having the restroom right down the hall isn't a disadvantage. It's an advantage with small kids!

 

[Trainmans daughter]

On our first Amtrak trip in 2009, we took our 7 year old granddaughter on a cross country trip from California to Virginia. Roundtrip, that was a total of 6 days/nights in the Family Bedroom. We loved its roominess(at least by train standards), the close proximity to the bathrooms, the large couch, and windows on each side. There was even room for her and another little girl she met on the train to dance! Although we spent lots of time in the lounge car, we really appreciated the space we had in the Family Room.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[The Crazy Vacationer]

Do what we did. Take the dimensions and tape them out on your floor. Even so, the room will feel smaller when you get there.

We used the Family Bedroom when we traveled to Glacier Park - it was significantly less expensive to do this than to get two roomettes (by almost the price of a roomette). In fact, I leave in two days for Chicago, and because I had a voucher, I only had to pay an extra $60 to get the Family Bedroom again - we won't be sleeping, but having some private space will be nice as well as having the meals included.

The space is long and narrow and when the bunks are down there isn't much room to navigate. My children are old enough that the next we would probably get two roomettes if the price.

Advantages: Everyone together in the same room, windows on both sides of the train, lower level so very little traffic

Improvements: The door will not stay open unless you have a doorstop (our room was very hot), the windows are small, you're close to the trucks and there can be some rail noise.

Bottom Line - you'll have an enjoyable time and it will be whatever you make of it.

 

[jim55]

Hi folks, My wife and I are taking our 2 grandchildren to San antonio soon. We have reserved the family bedroom on the Eagle roundtrip. This will be our first experience with Amtrak for a 25 hour trip but we have taken the grandkids on several runs of 4-5 hours from St. Louis to Kansas City. I have read the FAQ for newbies but have not read any advice on tips to attendants, etc. So what do regulars advise, also any suggestions pertaqining to the Texas Eagle are appreciated. Tom. gotta go go USA

Use CAUTION when the train is makeing a station stop. Some passengers might detrain and that open door might make the young ones want to explore. Jim

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Do what we did. Take the dimensions and tape them out on your floor. Even so, the room will feel smaller when you get there.

We used the Family Bedroom when we traveled to Glacier Park - it was significantly less expensive to do this than to get two roomettes (by almost the price of a roomette). In fact, I leave in two days for Chicago, and because I had a voucher, I only had to pay an extra $60 to get the Family Bedroom again - we won't be sleeping, but having some private space will be nice as well as having the meals included.

The space is long and narrow and when the bunks are down there isn't much room to navigate. My children are old enough that the next we would probably get two roomettes if the price.

Advantages: Everyone together in the same room, windows on both sides of the train, lower level so very little traffic

Improvements: The door will not stay open unless you have a doorstop (our room was very hot), the windows are small, you're close to the trucks and there can be some rail noise.

Bottom Line - you'll have an enjoyable time and it will be whatever you make of it.

Last time I checked the CZ fares, the Family Bedroom was always more expensive than two roomettes. On the other hand, roomette fares seem to be higher on the EB.

Your "Improvements" are better called disadvantages. I would like to add that you can see out two sides too if you get opposite roomettes.

For me, the poor line of sight kills one of the big enjoyments of rail travel.