Washington Union Station, is there a lounge?

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Have taken a look at the Amtrak page for lounges and don't see a lounge listed for WAS except for the Club Acela passengers, or have I read this wrong? We would be using the Silver Service for onward travel.

Making plans for the final part of our trip and may travel via Washington DC but with a 5 to 7 hour layover in the early hours of the morning. Not sure if our train out will be coach or roomette but are looking for somewhere quiet to sit for a few hours whichever.

We were at WAS Union a few years back but just using it with local metro in and around the city, but what a building, we were pretty impressed have to say. We are not making a 'visit' to Washington just passing through this time, but if the weather were ok in early March may go for a stroll for a couple of hours to see the difference winter makes.

Thanks for any help on a good place to wait
 
The Acela Lounge is also used for First Class/Sleeper passengers. I use it on a regular basis when traveling the Silvers and Cap Limited.
 
Thanks for the fast reply and that's a help, but do you know if there is a lounge or other quiet seating area if we travel coach?

Our route would be Washington to Charleston either on the 89 Palmetto which is only coach, or the 97 Silver Meteor departing at 7:30pm and arriving at 5:06am. if we take the SM are we too late for diner and too early for breakfast?
 
Generally, the sleeper passengers boarding in Washington get dinner on the Silver Meteor. If the train is on time, you would not get breakfast when traveling to Charleston.
 
We'd be arriving on an overnighter by Greyhound so no previous sleeper tickets to enable us to use the lounge. Previous experience with Greyhound will mean we will arrive a little tired, but we do travel Greyhound from choice.

Both train times have their plus and minus points for us so it may not come down to a choice for us as factors before and after Washington have to be taken into account too.

If we end up on the Palmetto and have a say 6 hours layover, is there anywhere we can sit in Union Station that's quiet?

Thanks
 
Suggestion for a place for peace and quiet: The Library of Congress is not far from Union Station ( walkable) and is a wonderful place to visit! (Shhhh!)

Also you could take the Subway (Metro/downstairs right in the Station)

to the National Mall which has tons of Museums, ( Most Free!), Monuments etc.

At the far end is the Lincoln Monument, a great place to visit and contemplate how Beautiful Washington is! (when the Weather is nice!)

Union Station is a combination of a Busy Rail Station and a Shopping Mall, the waiting areas @ the Gates are similar to an airport and not peaceful or quiet!

As for the Train choice, if youre going in Coach I'd take the Palmetto ( Business Class is available and may be worth it, it adds about $100 to the Cost for 2), its a Day trip of 12 Hours! Also take along some favorite snacks and drinks for the trip since there's no Diner, only a Cafe Car!
 
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I want to reiterate what Jim said - a little lost in the plethora of great information...

There are waiting areas in DC in front of the gates. This is where the coach passengers gather prior to boarding.

They are, indeed, similar to an airport. You can sit & rest, but it's not peaceful or quiet.

Library of Congress sounds like fun....
 
OK, got it now. There are 5 1/2 options for the leg KCY to CHS with fixed dates in both cities.

What would we expect to see/do in the Library of Congress? Is it a library pure and simple although an important one, or is there something that a non American wouldn't know of? Our few hours in Washington will be on a Sunday if that makes any difference.

Thanks very much to all, but in particular Jim I think I owe you a couple of beers if I ever get to Austin
 
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There is a very nice large Food Court on the Lower Level of Washington Union Station and it is easy to kill some time there. Food offerings in the Station range from Taco Bell to overpriced clip joints with lots of good stuff in between.
 
Have just read the Library of Congress isn't open on Sunday's which is a big pity as from a few reviews I read it sounds fabulous
 
You beat me to this, I was going to mention it was closed on Sunday and give you some tips, but the rest of the ideas around the Mall are still a go! Even Govt employees and locals like coming to the Mall on nice Days on the weekend when they are off!

As for the Beer, Austin has lots of Pubs and Brew Pubs but make mine Guiness in an Irish Pub!!!

And Austin is worth a visit, just not in the Summer when its too Hot!
 
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If you want a quiet waiting room, take Metro to Alexandria, VA and get your train there.
 
Was in an Irish Pub last Friday, but it was in Berlin. It's only the second I've visited but the atmosphere was pretty relaxed and cordial, so trying one in Austin in the future seems like a good idea.

Only connection we have had with Austin was meeting a singer songwriter sitting on a bluff a way to the east of Austin playing his guitar and singing to the scenery in front of him. He played a lot of the Austin club and pub venues and later teamed up with Kathy Street, his name is Tommy Byrd, ever see him sing?

Thanks for the tip on Alexandria NS, I'll investigate that tonight.
 
Haven't heard him but to paraphrase an old Roger Miller song, " there's 15,000 Guitar Pickers and Singers in Austin.."

An Irish Pub in Berlin, WOW!!! But then the Beatles became famous by playing dives in Germany so maybe not so strange!

Old Town Alexandria is a neat place,(one of our members, The Davey Crockett, lives there) the Station in Alexandria should be quiet on Sunday without Commuters, but then Union Station won't have them either so maybe just visiting around the Station and the National Mall will work!

There are Two Irish Pubs close to Union Station, one in the Hotel Phoenix across from the Old Post Office Building next to Union Station and another next door! Good pub food and of course Guiness on Draft ( make mine Black and Tan!) and in the bottle!
 
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If you have a layover of several hours in DC, there are lots of historic and other things to explore or see if you'd like. Catch a taxi out front and just be back in time for your train. There's also at least one sit-down restaurant inside the station if that's what you prefer.
 
Sounds like the OP is expecting to be tired when he arrives at WAS and is looking for some place to rest & maybe catch a few upright z's.
 
v v said:
Thanks for the tip on Alexandria NS, I'll investigate that tonight.
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The Alexandria VA station only has vending machines if you need to get something to drink or eat. There are places to eat south of the station in Old Town and along King St, but they are not very close by. Much smaller station than DC. Union Station in DC has a lot more to offer and is in walking distance of some very famous buildings. You can walk to see the US Capitol, the Hill, the US Supreme Court and the Library of Congress from the outside on Sunday, even if you can't get in. The Dome on the Capitol building is undergoing repair and is surrounded by scaffolding, if you want to see it looking different from countless movies or pictures.
 
Amtrak Blue has it spot on, a quiet corner to sleep for a couple of hours and a couple of hours walking around will do it.

Alexandria looks very well to do and may be an idea, but first we now have to decide using the help here on which of our multiple options to go for.

Thank you
 
If you're considering the Palmetto you must be arriving very early as it leaves Wash. at 9:55.

I think you won't have any trouble finding a quiet spot before 10am on a Sunday morning in the station, perhaps one of the nicer eateries that serves breakfast. I know I would need many cups of coffee after an all night bus ride!
 
Yes there are 2 arrival time options, 04:20am and 12:15pm, each have their advantages connected to where we are coming from and going to.

Thanks for your input
 
The National Museum of the American Indian has a sitdown cafe and is a very interesting museum. The fourth floor where the various cosmologies and mythologies are presented is great. I like to go there and watch the 'storytelling' videos sometimes even though I know those stories by heart now. http://www.nmai.si.edu

The East Building of the National Gallery of Art also has a sitdown cafe. There's a very relaxing waterfall to be mesmerized by as you sit in the lower level. If the weather's nice, there's a nice fountain outside in the park area where the sculpture garden is too. A patio cafe there runs during events, I don't know if it's a regular thing though. During the day, it'd be a nice place to stretch out and catch some zz's as long as you're not having to tote a bunch of baggage or anything. East Building is quite close to Union Station

http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/visit/maps-and-information.html
 
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