Amtrak Travel

I guess I didn%26#39;t really know where to post this question so I thought I%26#39;d look for some advice from local folks....

My husband and I are thinking about traveling out east, to Washington DC by Amtrak probably this summer. Neither of us nor anyone we know has traveled via Amtrak before so I guess I%26#39;m looking for feedback. You wouldn%26#39;t need have traveled out east to answer but that would be helpful. We are thinking of getting a roomette or a family bedroom (just the two of us) Can anyone give any stories about traveling? Are there locks on the doors to the roomettes or bedrooms (concerned about going to the lounge and leaving stuff in the room unattended)? Are the rooms really small? Are there often delays??

Thanks for any help anyone can give!

Amtrak Travel

My Mum traveled Amtrak at least once a year though typically west not east for the past few years. She said the regular seats were so comfy she never considered paying that extra cost for a room. This is not an airline seat at all plus you can get up and move. She has been delayed often but nothing more usually than airline delays. She also usually went at Christmastime so delays were typically weather related which no one can guess. Not sure if that helped but just wanted you to know the alternative too.

Amtrak Travel

I often use the flyertalk travel forum; they%26#39;ve got a subforum on Amtrak that might help you.

flyertalk.com/forum/amtrak-guest-rewards-399/

The really really small rooms are the bathrooms. They make airline toilets seem spacious. And they are not cleaned as often so on a long trip can get pretty disgusting.

Amtrak is actually not bad but can get boring. When possible check the schedules closely to determine where you might have scenic areas during daylight. The train rolls day and night so not a lot to see. The seats are very good compared to airlines....large, recline more and best of all are fairly far apart (pitch) so even when reclined are b not a problem for the person behind.

The downside to not having a sleeper is two fold at night....first...noise in general and comotion at stops. The trains do make stops at night...sometimes fairly often...with people getting on/off, talking, finding seats, dragging luggage around....etc. Think of the loading %26amp; unloading process on an airplane done 4-5 times throughout a night. Even when moving there will be noises....kids crying, the guy in front of you snoring, etc...

So if opting for the less expensive coach seats be sure to bring eye shades and foam earplugs.

My daughter used to take the train from MSP to GFK (Grand Forks) when she went to UND and the trains were about 50/50 as far as on time (within 30 minutes). Most of the time delays were eastbound due to the train having major delays in the Rockies due to avalanche conditions.

Funny incident on a trip we took from Seattle to Twin Cities and back to Seattle (when we lived there)...one night my wife, in aisle seat, woke up to find a small child leaning on her leg, head bent on her knee, fast asleep. Drooling on her leg. It was the wetness that woke her up. His Mom was a couple rows ahead of us also asleep. My wife gently woke him up and aimed him at his Mom.

If you can swing it, do get a bedroom sleeper for

the long haul. As stated above there are alot

of disruptions in the passenger cars. I do sleep

really well on the train but there are always

people going back and forth, doors opening and

closing, kids running by and worst of all, loud

cell phone passengers. Our last trip someone

babbled behind us for 2.5 hours non-stops.

Even the small sleepers are a relief from that by

my husband is a big guy and it was tight for us.

They changed the cars so that you no longer

have a window on the top sleep and it can be

claustrophobic for some persons. The bottom bunk

in the small sleeper, of course has a great view.

We DO love taking Amtrak...we find it so relaxing

and great for seeing the country. Some trains

are better than others. Another option is to

take the train one way and fly back if you can

find a good one way airfare. That would

be ideal.

Sorry for my typos....not enough coffee yet.

a buddy of mine went out to Seattle - with a small cabinet for the two of us

meals were included, and we were able to bring a cooler %26amp; booze to be consumed in our cabin

I have travelled in the coach section too, but get the room if you want to get decent sleep.

there are locks

When my wife and I travel from Twin Cities to Chicago, we always get a roomette if they%26#39;re available. For two people, the price is pretty similar to two people in coach PLUS you get free meals in the dining car, and that%26#39;s worth a LOT. The Roomettes sure aren%26#39;t spacious, but there%26#39;s plenty of room to stretch your legs and you can keep your bags next to you. Plus, you sit across from your spouse and that makes talking or playing games easier.

Plus, if you want to lay flat for a nap along the way, you can fold the seats together for a bed.

I also like talking to the porters when they come by.

The roomettes don%26#39;t have bathrooms, but those are always right down the hall. If you really want a private bath, then pay more for the bigger bedroom. No bathroom will be big on the train. :)

For an overnight in the roomette, your porter will turn the seats into a bottom bunk and pull down the top bunk while you%26#39;re at dinner (or when you request). There%26#39;s not a LOT of space, but you get much more restful sleep than in coach because people aren%26#39;t moving through the aisles all night long.

There aren%26#39;t locks on the doors from the outside that I know of, but you can stash bags away in the roomette and the porters are around keeping an eye on things. I%26#39;d ask the porter for good anti-theft tips.

Personally, I%26#39;d get the room for the whole trip (for the meals mostly). BUT, if you%26#39;re going out east, you could think about going coach from St. Paul (that%26#39;s a day-time trip) and getting the Roomette from Chicago if that leg of your trip is overnight.

For our 30th anniversary my husband and I did a loop trip with amtrak. We started in MN, spent one night in Chicago, then on to Colorado Springs, CO for 3 nights, then on to San Francisco for one night, then on to Glacier National Park for two nights and then home. I planned it with Amtrak Vacations the hotels were fantastic. My husband really relaxed on the whole trip. We had a sleeper that way all your meals are included. The only problem we had was on the way to San Francisco. The train was really late and the bathrooms quit working. The personnel are only allowed so many hours working so we had to sit in the train and wait for another crew to show up and take us the rest of the way to San Francisco. With that in mind I would still go again and am actually looking at Amtrak Vacations for our 35th anniversary this year. Good Luck.