Zephyr - which direction?

[user 6862]

We are planning out first Amtrak rail riding trip and will probably use the California Zephyr from Denver to SF OR visa versa. We are building much of our visit to the US around this rail trip and having not booked flights from London, UK yet have the option of where we want to fly into.

We'll be travelling in June 2010

So the main question is ... is there an advantage to travel Denver-SF or SF-Denver?

Also, if there are any other basic things to look out for when booking to get the best deal or heavy remendations on the unmissable or totally avoidable that would be a great help.

I did use the search on this forum to try to see if this question has been asked but may have missed it as It didn't appear.

Thank you all for any advice, it's going to be a long 12 months until this big trip comes around.

Jamie

 

[MrFSS]

We are planning out first Amtrak rail riding trip and will probably use the California Zephyr from Denver to SF OR visa versa. We are building much of our visit to the US around this rail trip and having not booked flights from London, UK yet have the option of where we want to fly into.We'll be traveling in June 2010

So the main question is ... is there an advantage to travel Denver-SF or SF-Denver?

Also, if there are any other basic things to look out for when booking to get the best deal or heavy recomendations on the unmissable or totally avoidable that would be a great help.

I did use the search on this forum to try to see if this question has been asked but may have missed it as It didn't appear.

Thank you all for any advice, it's going to be a long 12 months until this big trip comes around.

Jamie

Jaime - welcome to the forum. I have moved your post to the correct area so more will see it and respond to you.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

By all means it is best to go westbound from Denver to SF. This because, eastbound, if the train is very late you might miss some of the best scenery in the dark. The really good Rocky Mountain scenery begins shortly after leaving Denver westbound.

 

[Konrad]

By all means it is best to go westbound from Denver to SF. This because, eastbound, if the train is very late you might miss some of the best scenery in the dark. The really good Rocky Mountain scenery begins shortly after leaving Denver westbound.

I agree but it will mean a very early arrival at Denver Union Station. The upside is that the train often arrives early at Emeryville as there are no passenger pick-ups after Sacramento.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Westbound!!!!!! I was on an eastbound Zephyr that was 12 hours late once. All sorts of folks onboard mad because they were going through the most spectacular parts on the trip in total darkness. Westbound!!!!!! Enjoy! If you have time, get off for a day or two in Glenwood Springs CO. You'll love it there!

 

[user 6862]

Westbound!!!!!! I was on an eastbound Zephyr that was 12 hours late once. All sorts of folks onboard mad because they were going through the most spectacular parts on the trip in total darkness. Westbound!!!!!! Enjoy! If you have time, get off for a day or two in Glenwood Springs CO. You'll love it there!

Thanks to you all, Westbound it is then!!

Is it possible to buy a through ticket from Denver to SF and break the journey at say Glenwood Springs? or is it 2 separate tickets?

 

[Konrad]

Westbound!!!!!! I was on an eastbound Zephyr that was 12 hours late once. All sorts of folks onboard mad because they were going through the most spectacular parts on the trip in total darkness. Westbound!!!!!! Enjoy! If you have time, get off for a day or two in Glenwood Springs CO. You'll love it there!

Thanks to you all, Westbound it is then!!

Is it possible to buy a through ticket from Denver to SF and break the journey at say Glenwood Springs? or is it 2 separate tickets?

Go into the Amtrak booking site and choose the 'Multi-City Trip' option at the right of the 'Fare Finder' field. I doubt if the fare will be cheaper but you'll get a through booking (with separate tickets for each leg).

My strongest advice is to book as early as possible as the fares rise as the train fills.

And your choice will give you the best of the California Zephyr route, lunch as you cruise past Donner Lake is a great experience and not to be missed.

Just don't expect too much from Amtrak - service ain't up to European (or anywhere else's) standards.

 

[Konrad]

Westbound!!!!!! I was on an eastbound Zephyr that was 12 hours late once. All sorts of folks onboard mad because they were going through the most spectacular parts on the trip in total darkness. Westbound!!!!!! Enjoy! If you have time, get off for a day or two in Glenwood Springs CO. You'll love it there!

Thanks to you all, Westbound it is then!!

Is it possible to buy a through ticket from Denver to SF and break the journey at say Glenwood Springs? or is it 2 separate tickets?

Go into the Amtrak booking site and choose the 'Multi-City Trip' option at the right of the 'Fare Finder' field. I doubt if the fare will be cheaper but you'll get a through booking (with separate tickets for each leg).

My strongest advice is to book as early as possible as the fares rise as the train fills.

And your choice will give you the best of the California Zephyr route, lunch as you cruise past Donner Lake is a great experience and not to be missed.

Just don't expect too much from Amtrak - service ain't up to European (or anywhere else's) standards.

Oh, and if you book early there is no penalty for cancelling up until the date you print your tickets. Can actually work to your profit with currency fluctuations.

 

[jackal]

Is it possible to buy a through ticket from Denver to SF and break the journey at say Glenwood Springs? or is it 2 separate tickets?

Go into the Amtrak booking site and choose the 'Multi-City Trip' option at the right of the 'Fare Finder' field. I doubt if the fare will be cheaper but you'll get a through booking (with separate tickets for each leg).

Right. If you buy a through ticket, you can get off at Glenwood Springs, but you can't get on the next day!

You can book using the multi-city option that Konrad specified. It will raise the price a bit, as Amtrak only gives free stopovers of less than 24 hours. Since you can't, by definition, have a stopover of less than 24 hours on a a once-a-day train like the CZ, you're stuck paying the price of a separate Denver-Glenwood Springs and Glenwood Springs-San Francisco ticket. The difference shouldn't be that great, though (at least for coach), and Glenwood is a nice place for a stopover, so I'd say do it.

Enjoy the trip--I did it last year in May and had a fabulous time! The scenery is unparalleled (in the contiguous 48 states, at least! ).

 

[Konrad]

Is it possible to buy a through ticket from Denver to SF and break the journey at say Glenwood Springs? or is it 2 separate tickets?

Go into the Amtrak booking site and choose the 'Multi-City Trip' option at the right of the 'Fare Finder' field. I doubt if the fare will be cheaper but you'll get a through booking (with separate tickets for each leg).

Right. If you buy a through ticket, you can get off at Glenwood Springs, but you can't get on the next day!

You can book using the multi-city option that Konrad specified. It will raise the price a bit, as Amtrak only gives free stopovers of less than 24 hours. Since you can't, by definition, have a stopover of less than 24 hours on a a once-a-day train like the CZ, you're stuck paying the price of a separate Denver-Glenwood Springs and Glenwood Springs-San Francisco ticket. The difference shouldn't be that great, though (at least for coach), and Glenwood is a nice place for a stopover, so I'd say do it.

Enjoy the trip--I did it last year in May and had a fabulous time! The scenery is unparalleled (in the contiguous 48 states, at least! ).

And make sure that you book to the closest destination in San Francisco to your hotel -SFC for the Ferry Building, SFS for Union Square (Market Street, really) or SFW for Fisherman's Wharf. It's a bus ride from Emeryville but it's sure cheaper than taking a taxi.

Google Earth is a great resource for pinpointing your hotel over a grid of San Francisco.

 

[PRR 60]

And make sure that you book to the closest destination in San Francisco to your hotel -SFC for the Ferry Building, SFS for Union Square (Market Street, really) or SFW for Fisherman's Wharf. It's a bus ride from Emeryville but it's sure cheaper than taking a taxi.
Google Earth is a great resource for pinpointing your hotel over a grid of San Francisco.

You can book any of the San Francisco bus destinations, and actually use whichever one you want. One price buys all of them, and your ticket is collected at the start of the ride. However, if you will have checked baggage, you are limited to using the Ferry Building Annex stop (SFC). That is the only San Francisco bus stop that offers checked baggage service. Cabs to other San Francisco locations are available there and at the nearby Hyatt Hotel.

 

[Sam31452]

Be aware that you should secure your seat in the lounge car already during the stop in denver (be there at least 10 minutes before departure), as the lounge car gets far more popular than it has been in Illinois.

Get a seat on the right hand side of the train (the train turns direction in Denver!)

Be also aware that there might be a detour through Wyoming, so have a plan B (I had to develop one).

The scenery is unparalleled (in the contiguous 48 states, at least! ).

Well if you know Switzerland, Norway or some railway lines in Bosnia and Serbia then it is not,

but it is still one of the top 10 scenic railway routes on this planet.

 

[catblue]

Westbound!!!!!! I was on an eastbound Zephyr that was 12 hours late once. All sorts of folks onboard mad because they were going through the most spectacular parts on the trip in total darkness. Westbound!!!!!! Enjoy! If you have time, get off for a day or two in Glenwood Springs CO. You'll love it there!

Well this gives me reason to stress because we will be taking the California Zephyr eastward on our return trip. I sure don't want to miss the best view in Colorado. Guess I will have to hope for no delays.

 

[Sam31452]

Well this gives me reason to stress because we will be taking the California Zephyr eastward on our return trip. I sure don't want to miss the best view in Colorado.

Guess why train no 6 arriving into DEN is the default setting at www.amtrakdelays.com

The average delay for last month is 5 minutes, worst delay was 79 mins.

The train arrives at 7:38pm, if it's 90mins late during summer you won't miss an mile of the scenic part.

 

[catblue]

Thanks that is good to know. But there is still that whole issue of the detour through WY. Regardless I intend to enjoy the whole trip no matter what happens.

 

[user 6862]

Thanks that is good to know. But there is still that whole issue of the detour through WY. Regardless I intend to enjoy the whole trip no matter what happens.

Where does the detour through WY take you to and how often and why does this happen?... although it does sound interesting

Took a week's Greyhound zig zagging across the US a few years ago and was bumped only once with a handfull of fellow passengers. It turned out to be fairly interesting as we were marooned at a closed bus depot about 300 miles off course, in the middle of the night in a town without hardly a street light but a glowing beacon of an all night dinner a couple of blocks away. There were people hanging around outside and it made some of the women in our small party a little edgy, but it all turned out well and made for a good story to tell the folks back home.

Jamie

 

[AlanB]

Jamie,

The detour is to permit track work in the mountains, which can only be done in the summer when the weather is warmer and there is no snow. It usually happens only on Monday through Thursday or Friday. On weekends, the trains run normal. So if you can schedule your trip to hit the mountains on Saturday or Sunday, then you would probably be safe. No promises though.

As for when, it varies from year to year. Some years it has been in May, other June or July.

You can read more about the detour and the route in this topic.

 

[user 6862]

Jamie,
The detour is to permit track work in the mountains, which can only be done in the summer when the weather is warmer and there is no snow. It usually happens only on Monday through Thursday or Friday. On weekends, the trains run normal. So if you can schedule your trip to hit the mountains on Saturday or Sunday, then you would probably be safe. No promises though.

As for when, it varies from year to year. Some years it has been in May, other June or July.

You can read more about the detour and the route in this topic.

Thanks Alan.

If we book a weekend in June will that mean there is an increase in passengers due to the weekend and therefore more difficulty getting into the veiwing lounge?

I read the link that you posted, is the email sent by Amtrak sent to all passengers who are booked in the period when work is scheduled, is it posted somewhere on their website, or does it have to be requested?

Phew, this is an information overload for a newby

 

[jackal]

The scenery is unparalleled (in the contiguous 48 states, at least! ).

Well if you know Switzerland, Norway or some railway lines in Bosnia and Serbia then it is not,

but it is still one of the top 10 scenic railway routes on this planet.

That's why I said the contiguous 48 states. We have some scenery up here that I'd gladly put up against anything Colorado has to offer, and of course Switzerland and Norway go without saying. I'm not familiar with scenery in Bosnia and Serbia, though--I did a driving tour of Eastern Europe in 2001, but we skirted around the four former Yugoslav countries (Bosnia, Serbia, Albania, and Macedonia) because of safety concerns. We did (briefly) hit the countries surrounding those, though--Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece and had a fantastic time.

 

[AlanB]

If we book a weekend in June will that mean there is an increase in passengers due to the weekend and therefore more difficulty getting into the veiwing lounge?

If you go early in June it probably won't be as crowded as it will nearer to the end of June. But the weekend probably won't make all that much of a difference on crowds. Remember, this train takes 3 days to make its full run. So people are on it all the time and often start their journey on a weekend, but most of them are starting from an origination point which is a day's travel away from where you're getting on.

I read the link that you posted, is the email sent by Amtrak sent to all passengers who are booked in the period when work is scheduled, is it posted somewhere on their website, or does it have to be requested?

None of the above. That piece in all caps is an internal Amtrak communication, that also makes its way to travel agents and eventually ends up being posted on Railfan sites like this one.

Amtrak will usually try to call people in the US, not sure what they do about communicating with those overseas. Amtrak will usually put up a notice on their website, but many times you have to pretend like you're going to book a trip to see the notice.

And of course you can just keep checking back here as the trip gets closer as someone will most likely get wind of any detours and post about it here.

 

[Konrad]

Jamie,
The detour is to permit track work in the mountains, which can only be done in the summer when the weather is warmer and there is no snow. It usually happens only on Monday through Thursday or Friday. On weekends, the trains run normal. So if you can schedule your trip to hit the mountains on Saturday or Sunday, then you would probably be safe. No promises though.

As for when, it varies from year to year. Some years it has been in May, other June or July.

You can read more about the detour and the route in this topic.

Thanks Alan.

If we book a weekend in June will that mean there is an increase in passengers due to the weekend and therefore more difficulty getting into the veiwing lounge?

I read the link that you posted, is the email sent by Amtrak sent to all passengers who are booked in the period when work is scheduled, is it posted somewhere on their website, or does it have to be requested?

Phew, this is an information overload for a newby

Never had trouble getting a seat (or three) in the SSL so long as you get your seats while the train is standing in Denver.

Had a lot of trouble with latecomers wanting our seats :angry: .

Regarding updates to the schedule - Amtrak has always emailed me regarding changes to the schedule. But I've never experienced a route change, just arival/departure times.

Hey, if I can do it from Australia it should be a piece of p*** to do it from Europe.

 

[caravanman]

Hi Jamie,

I got a bit overloaded with helpful advice my first few visits to this forum too. Having done the Greyhound trip, Amtrak will be easier and more comfortable.

All travel involves a small risk of the schedule not going to plan, but like your Night Hawks restaurant experience, it can add something!

My advice is to book your trip as soon as you can, for the cheapest prices. Are you going in coach (seated) or sleeper?

Diversions or not, the train trip will be fun. I suggest that a possible diversion will still offer good scenery, and would not be worth worrying about.

You don't have to be in the lounge car all the time to see out, coach gives a good view out both sides too.

Cheers,

Ed