Midnight Railroader wrote: Jetrock wrote: My favorite metaphor for Amtrak sleeper travel is that it's kind of like being a cat: your routine consists of sleeping, eating, bathing, and staring out the window. It's pretty nice.I also agree with the comparison that--in Coach--it's like camping, indoors, at 50 mph.
Jetrock wrote: My favorite metaphor for Amtrak sleeper travel is that it's kind of like being a cat: your routine consists of sleeping, eating, bathing, and staring out the window. It's pretty nice.
My favorite metaphor for Amtrak sleeper travel is that it's kind of like being a cat: your routine consists of sleeping, eating, bathing, and staring out the window. It's pretty nice.
If you can camp you can go anywhere on an Amtrak Train. Sleeper or coach it doesn't matter. My wife and I have a trip planed to take the "Lake shore"to the "Builder" to the Coast Starlight. Back east on the Zephyr and the Capitol Limited. We are going 1st Class all the way. If you can afford it, it is the only way to go. We are leaving from NY on Aug the 2ond. and we are getting Antsy counting days. Take the sleeper from NY to Chi it will be more restful.
Hey there,
Just letting you know, you can book the Empire Builder coach to say, Minneapolis, then go into a sleeper; or even to N Dakota, and coach or vice versa. Go to Amtrak.com and play around with fictitional fares...You might want a sleeper out of Chicago if you are awake overnight on the Lakeshore Ltd, and then go to coach later. You plan it right, you can get a sleeper and the free meals at advantageous times.
If you get a sleeper, you get to use the 1st class lounge & if it has it's own restrooms then that is worth the price of the sleeper. Union Station in chicago has 6 stalls for men for the entire station which serves 10,000+ people per day.
Rob
PS if you can spend a couple of nights at the lodge a glacier Nat. Park or the Issac Walton Inn. I highly reccommend stopping.
Safety Valve wrote: If Im going to get a sleeper, it better be BIG for the hundreds of dollars they ask for the fare.Otherwise I find it cheaper to fly first class.
If Im going to get a sleeper, it better be BIG for the hundreds of dollars they ask for the fare.
Otherwise I find it cheaper to fly first class.
But the point isn't what's cheaper.
Bob-Fryml wrote: aricat wrote: YES YES get a sleeper! The Empire Builder is Amtrak's best train by far. I had the most relaxing trip I have ever had in my Lifetime. The sleeper was worth every penny. Food was FABULOUS. Nothing better than having Prime Rib while going through Glacier National Park. We didn't arrrive in Seattle exhausted like you would in coach. Every railfan should do this at least once.I've ridden the Empire Builder only eastbound and found the scenery through northern Montana to be exceedingly boring; but, I'll heartily agree with rest of the comments aricat wrote.Here's a sleeping tip that works both for train and airplane travel: never open your eyes for any reason through the night! You can listen to the rattles and squeaks of a moving passenger car throughout the night time hours. You'll here some loud thuds as the wheels negotiate there way through every switch frog and then there's the locomotive horn sounding for every road crossing. You may even pick up on some conversations, but whatever you do keep your eyes shut. Do this and you'll likely be fine the next day!
aricat wrote: YES YES get a sleeper! The Empire Builder is Amtrak's best train by far. I had the most relaxing trip I have ever had in my Lifetime. The sleeper was worth every penny. Food was FABULOUS. Nothing better than having Prime Rib while going through Glacier National Park. We didn't arrrive in Seattle exhausted like you would in coach. Every railfan should do this at least once.
I've ridden the Empire Builder only eastbound and found the scenery through northern Montana to be exceedingly boring; but, I'll heartily agree with rest of the comments aricat wrote.
Here's a sleeping tip that works both for train and airplane travel: never open your eyes for any reason through the night! You can listen to the rattles and squeaks of a moving passenger car throughout the night time hours. You'll here some loud thuds as the wheels negotiate there way through every switch frog and then there's the locomotive horn sounding for every road crossing. You may even pick up on some conversations, but whatever you do keep your eyes shut. Do this and you'll likely be fine the next day!
That is why I got out of riding Greyhound. That thing gets onto the interstate and drifts me off with the hum of the engine pulling strong. The moment the driver lets up the hammer and those RPMs drop Im awake and assessing the traffic ahead of the bus; especially if that rpm drop is combined with air application.
I dont sleep when traveling much these days.
I made a boo-boo on my previous post and nobody caught it. How did that happen? I said that the Vermonter goes through Albany, NY. Nope! I was looking at the Ethan Allen schedule. The Vermonter makes a whole bunch of stops in Vermont and a couple in New Hampshire before making a station stop at Springfield, MA at 2:40pm. Or, about 20 minutes after the LSL goes through Springfield. Nice timing - no connection! I wonder how many passengers Amtrak loses with this missed connection?
CC
*EDIT* Now that I took a closer look at it, you can connect from the Ethan Allen to the LSL at Albany (depending on the day of the week). The Ethan Allen runs between Rutland, VT and NYC.
G Mack wrote: ...and you can request that the car attendant bring your meals/drinks to your room. Remember, on the train, when you go to the dining car they seat you at any available seat. So you may get seated with other people at the same table.
...and you can request that the car attendant bring your meals/drinks to your room. Remember, on the train, when you go to the dining car they seat you at any available seat. So you may get seated with other people at the same table.
While not everyone enjoys it, for me part of the dining car experience is meeting new people with every meal. I have met many nice and interesting people from around the world, typically people who enjoy travel, especially enjoy trains, and like to share their experiences. If you're not the gregarious type this may not sound too appealing, but even then it's not too uncomfortable.
One piece of advice for night owls: If you're typically up all night and like to sleep during the day, a sleeper is the only way to go. Coaches are kind of noisy during the day, but sleepers are generally quiet all the time, and well-suited to daytime cat-naps.
Greetings,
Having rode the Empire Builder to Seattle and back this past March, I would highly recommend the roomette if you can afford it. As stated in the previous post, your meals are included, you get use of the Amtrak first-class lounge in Chicago with its secure baggage storage ( in case you want to do some walking around Chicago), and you can request that the car attendant bring your meals/drinks to your room. Remember, on the train, when you go to the dining car they seat you at any available seat. So you may get seated with other people at the same table. The roomette is designed to accomodate two people, so it has plenty of space, two fold-down bunks, reclining seats, and you are not far from the lavatory and shower rooms. The rooms have electrical plug-ins and a fold-down table in case you want to bring a music player or some other electrical device. For the sleeping car passengers, they have a cheese and wine tasting in the diner where you can meet some of your fellow passengers if you like, its voluntary of course. Coach isn't a bad way to go, but, the trip from Chicago to Seattle is a long one and if you are the kind of person who likes to have some peace and quite and not worry about someone taking your seat while you are up walking about or in the diner, then the roomette is the way to go.
Have a good trip!
Gregory
I'm not sure where in Vermont you are located, but I would also recomend taking the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago. Albany/Rensselaer would be a good station to depart from. The Boston & New York sections of the LSL are combined at Albany/Rensselaer and are scheduled to depart at 7pm for a scheduled 9:45am arrival in Chicago the next morning. The westbound Empire Builder for Washington doesn't depart Chicago until after 2pm daily, so there is some flex time there. Other stations that the Boston section of the LSL stops at that you might be interested in are: Worcester, MA (1:03pm departure), Springfield, MA (2:20pm) and Pittsfield, MA (3:41pm). The Boston section of the LSL is scheduled to arrive in Albany/Rensselaer at 5:35pm; so there is some layover time there. I also checked the schedule of a Amtrak train called The Vermonter, but there aren't any good connetion times at Albany/Rensselaer.
Hope this helps...
Draicun wrote: Alright. I had planned on getting the sleeper for the last leg of the trip as it's almost 40 hours. But for the 16 hour one, I didn't know if I'd really need it or not. It is over night though somewhere around 7pm to 11am. And it's $300 something for it. I was kind of looking at it as an expensive hotel room. I guess I should go ahead with it though. I know the sleepers include the cost of food but I was thinking it can't cost that much for dinner / breakfast. Thanks for all your help!D
Alright. I had planned on getting the sleeper for the last leg of the trip as it's almost 40 hours. But for the 16 hour one, I didn't know if I'd really need it or not. It is over night though somewhere around 7pm to 11am. And it's $300 something for it. I was kind of looking at it as an expensive hotel room.
I guess I should go ahead with it though. I know the sleepers include the cost of food but I was thinking it can't cost that much for dinner / breakfast.
Thanks for all your help!
D
I have made the trip to the West Coast many times since before Amtrak. My trips have generally begun in the Northeast from Upstate New York, Massachusetts or Philly. As I have reached middle age I always use a sleeper. On a trip a few months ago to Chicago, the Lakeshore was over five (5) hours late in both directions. The causes for the delays were extensive trackeork on both the CSX and NS portions and on the westbound trip a surprise visit for the U.S. Border Patrol who removed several undocumented passengers. Be aware that such delays are common and may affect your connections.
Also, remember that in addition to getting your meals included, sleeping car passengers also get access to the First Class lounge in Chicago which offers comfortable couches, TV, free snacks and soda fountain. You can use the lounge even if you are only a sleeper passenger on one leg of your trip. When it is time to board you will be escorted to your car and provided luggage assistance if you desire.
LC
don't foreget - 1st class (sleepers) include meals - coach doesn't.
dd
I didn't think to check Boston! It's still running. It's not bad as there is only a 2 hour layover in NY - compared to the one leaving VT and it's 10 hr layover.
I don't like air planes. The seats are so small and cramped. I'm 5'10 and can barely make it in one piece. Plus, I've always wanted to travel cross country in a train. I could actually fly First Class though for about 1/2 the price of the train tickets!
Why can't you book your trip out of Boston to Chicago? The Lake Shore still running? If you take a coach seat to Chicago I'd get a room to WA.
Actually NY to IL is a 16 hour trip.
This is also a one way trip. I'll be driving back.
I'm trying to figure out my Route from NH to WA at the end of this month. Having never even been on a train before I have lots of questions.
Right now it looks like I'm just going to skip part of it and book from NY as there is a 9 hour layover there after a 3 hour train ride but it's only a 2.5hr drive so it'd be better just to leave from there.
The ride from NY to Chicago IL is about 12 hours over-night. Would it be worth it to upgrade to the "Viewliner Roomette"? I'm a night owl anyways and will probably be awake the majority of the time.
The last leg of the trip from IL to WA is 40 hours so I'm probably going to get the room for that one. But I'm wondering if it's worth the $360 for the first night?
Are the seats tiny and uncomfortable? Can you get up and walk laps up and down the length of the train?
Thanks! D
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