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I've just made plans to travel from Wisconsin to Washington, D.C., at the end of June. I'll be departing from the La Crosse station, changing trains in Chicago, then going overnight to D.C. I'll be travelling with my children, who are 4 and 9. I have a few questions, and would appreciate any tips anyone might have to offer.
Questions: I've been told in the past that a mom and 2 kids could easily make do with one deluxe bedroom. Would you folks agree? How soundproof are the accommodations? On the return trip from Washington we board at something like 5:30 PM. Will dinner be available on board, or should I plan to carry something on? What is Union Station like, and the neighborhood around it? LAst summer we took a trip on the Empire Builder and it was SO hot. We just sweltered. No we are going to a part of the country that's much hotter. Should we expect the train to be just as hot???
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washington Union station is very nice, and very convenient to capitol hill, the DC metro, and all the tourist attractions in downtown washington. my advice is to take the cardinal out of chicago, it does take longer to arrive in DC than the capitol limited but the ride through west virginia is great (i am going to be travelling through wisconsin on my way to DC in about 10 days). I do believe dinner is served on the trains leaving DC in the evening too. and yes, DC is sweltering in the summer. better to stay in the air conditioned museums in the afternoons! Hope this info helps for you.
Posts: 416 | From: St. Albans, Vermont | Registered: Feb 2003
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A Deluxe Bedroom has two beds, so two of you will have to share. The slightly more spacious lower berth is 3' 4" wide. The narrower upper berth is 2' 4" wide.
If you take the "Capitol Limited" between Chicago and Washington, you'll be in a two-level Superliner car. The "Cardinal" uses single-level Viewliners.
Rooms toward the center of the car tend to ride more smoothly and quietly. You can only choose specific numbered or lettered rooms if you book your trip by phone. You'll find sleeper floor plans here (deluxe rooms are in blue):
If it works with your schedule, try taking the Cardinal on the way out and the Capitol Limited when returning home. Just for a change of scenery.
Railroad air conditioning can vary considerably -- many trains are fine, some are like saunas, and others are colder than meat lockers.
Like you, I've traveled on the Empire Builder during the summer and found it stuffy. Luckily, I'd brought along a portable camping fan (uses 4 "D" Cell batteries) from Campmor in New Jersey, who have both a web site and a mail order catalog.
The little fan cost about 15 dollars, and is surprisingly powerful. It definitely kept my sleeping compartment cooler.
[This message has been edited by dilly (edited 01-19-2004).]
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I've covered the same trains in the past, twice, and I'll be going over part ofyour route in march, so here are my contributions: 1. When I've made trips from RDW to FTL, I've always booked coach on the Empire Builder, and the sleeper from CHI to WAS.
2. The deluxe should serve just fine for your family. Be sure to bring along a few things for the youngsters to occupy their attention and time. They may not care to spend the entire trip looking out of the window. However, the route along the Potomac is scenic, IMO.
3. Even with the Capitaol's departure at that hour, you will be offered dinner in the diner. It's just that it will be a little later than what you're accustomed to. First seating may be, say, 7:30 pm or something like that. with any sleepeing accomodations, the meals are included in the price of the ticket (for the train on which you have the sleeper), so enjoy.
4. Washington Union station is just a couple blocks away from the National Capitol, so there will be many folks coming and going about their business. many communter trains, and folks in business suits. When you're in DC, you're so far downtown that it's feasible to get out of the station and take a walkabout and see the sights - the Capitol, the Mall, the national archives, Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian. your children might not feel up to the walk to the Smithsonian, though. this should give you an idea as to what's around.
5. If anything, my experiences with Amtrak a/c have been that it can be quite agressive, or non-existant. Sometimes the train are so busy that management has no other choice but to put cars out on the train regardless of how well the HVAC is working. The fan mentioned in one of the other posts is a smart move, though - the lounge cars can get warm and stuffy.
If you're looking for a trip report that covers this route, I posted one about a year ago in the "travel" section of these fora, titled, "from RDW to FTL and return." It can give you some idea of what can happen, even though your experience won't be the same as mine.
6. Accentuate the positive, especially with the kids. Look for the things that go right with the trip, not every little thing that is wrong. Remember, no mode of travel is absolutly perfect. you can have long hours in the car, you can get stuck at the airport for hours on end, and the train is no different. keep up the Positive Mental Attitude, and don't let whatever imperfections there are get you down in the dumps.
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Thanks for the tip about the portable fan. On our trip out west last summer we just sweltered. The A/C was off several times as we sat on the tracks for various reasons, and even when it was on you couldn't tell it all that much, especially when eastbound. It wasn't the greatest trip, but we all love trains and are eager to ride again. This time I am going to a conference in D.C. Am I correct that the Capitol uses the bi-level Superliner cars and the Cardinal uses the single-level Viewliner cars? I thought most trains running in the east had to use the single-level cars because of bridge heights. Is there any real difference for the rider? With my kids I am mostly interested in the level of soundproofing, the nearness to food and drink, and the type and nearness of bathroom facilities.
Does anyone here know (or know where to find) lateness statistics on either train into Washington? The conference I am attending starts on a Tuesday, with registration from 1 to 5 PM, and a very nice reception from 6 to 8 PM. It is at the Renaissance Hotel, which I'm told is a short cab ride from the station. I am debating whether it would be wise at all to plan to leave home on Monday, which I would prefer. Another question: do cabs queue up at Union Station, and at what entrance? It seems like a silly question, but 2 years ago we took the train to Chicago, and ended up on a wild goose chase looking for a cabstand, as the signs were wrong and various employees misdirected us. This was not funny in a big city at rush hour with a baby in a stroller and a lot of luggage in hand. I want to be as prepared as possible this time.
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the cardinal is frequently late. When i took it earlier this year, it was 7 hours late (arrived at 330 am).
taxis are right outside the main entrance. from where you exit the train, walk straight. dont go out the left or right entrances. either way, its not as confusing as Chicago.
Posts: 416 | From: St. Albans, Vermont | Registered: Feb 2003
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The A/C level can vary from car to car. It also depends upon personal preference. I've worked as an outdoor guide of sorts for several summers, so by about the third week in June my body has acclimated to the heat, and there have been a few years where the stuffiness and lack of constant airflow bothered my parents, but not me. If you're one of those folks who will be spending most of the year in climate controlled environs, I can see where you would be more sensitive to stuffiness. It also depends on how urgently the car is needed by Amtrak. Sometimes Amtrak can be so short-handed that they have no other choice but to put cars with marginal A/C out on the trains, as long as the safety features work. The Capitol (trains 29/30) is bi-level, while the Cardinal is single-level. This is due to the shortage of bi-level equipment, and also becuase the Cardinal goes to NYC. All of the trains that go to NYC must be single level due to the clearances around the tunnels in the North East, not bridges. There is no huge difference for the rider. The soundproffing is about the same, and the proximity to food and drink is such that the sleepers are in one direction past the diner, while the lounge and coaches are in the other direction. for bi-level cars, the washroom facilities are on the lower level, while on the single level trains, they will be at one end of each car.
About once a month on OnTrack On Line's website, there will be a survey listing the tardiness or punctuality of severalof Amtrak's trains. The last survey indicated that the Capitol was averaging about one hour or so late into Washington DC. Of course, that's always subject to change - I mean, Norfolk Southern and CSX could have a considerable change in attitude towards Amtrak and start dispatching them over the rails with more urgency, but don't be surprised if you're late. This is in contrast to trains 7/8, which have had a history of rather good punctuality.
These posts are what I found, just to give you some examples of on-time performance. As you can see, while the Capitol (trains #29 & 30) is imperfect, it is nowhere near as bad as some people portray all amtrak trains.
[This message has been edited by CG96 (edited 01-21-2004).]
[This message has been edited by CG96 (edited 01-23-2004).]
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What if the Empire Builder is so late arriving in Chicago that I miss my connection to Washington? Does this ever happen?
Posts: 31 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Apr 2003
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If you know beforehand that you'll be late into Chicago, be certain to inform the conductor of your situation, and that you have to connect with another train. Depending upon how many people are connecting with eastern intercity trains, the passenger service provider (in this case, Amtrak) will hold its trains until folks arrive. Having connected with the Captiol from the Empire Builder a couple of times, I think that a "guaranteed connection" exists between the two trains. Posts: 506 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2002
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