I recommend purchasing two books, "All Aboard" by Jim Loomis and "USA by Rail" by John Pitt. These books compliment each other on information with little redundancy.
They provide useful and practical information on long distance trains and many good hints and suggestions. They will provide you a wealth of information. I purchased them as a combination for $26.

I am sure you will receive many hints and suggestions on your trip. If you have specific questions reply to this forum and I and others will try to assist. If you are staying at the Five Star Greenbrier, they must be paying premium these days for travel stories.

------------------

One resource that you may wish to read is on narprail.org. When that page loads, click on "Travel Tips."
One other resource to be mentioned is the On Track On Line page at Prodigy.net. http://communities.prodigy.net/trains/amthints.htm
That page has several salient points that should be mentioned to any first-time train passenger, especially the "Final Tip" at the bottom of the page. Be sure to take time and look out the window, you'll be seeing sights that you'll never see from 30,000 feet. Also see the Amtrak Security post elsewhere on this website.

2. Get one of those toiletry kits that you can hang on a coathook. It will free up precious counter space in the tiny rest rooms. There is a coathook on the inside of the rest room doors.

3. When walking on a moving train, walk with your legs spread a little farther apart than usual. It helps you keep your balance. When walking between cars, use the hand-holds, expecially the first few times until you get used to it.

4. Breakfast and lunch are on a first-come first-served basis. Dinner is by reservation, unless you choose to go at the "last call." Reservations are taken from sleeping cars first. Coaches second. They will announce when reservations are being taken, so you should be in your room to make sure they don't miss you. If you linger in the lounge they will get to you eventually, but only after they take reservations from coach passengers.

5. When you get off tip your sleeping car attendant $5 per night if service is decent. More or less if you feel service was better or worse than it should have been. Tip for meals 15% as you would in a restaurant. Meals are included in your sleeper fare, but tips are not. When riding coach, I like to give coach attendants a couple dollars. They work hard and rarely get tips. A small tip really makes their faces light up.

How will you be going to Denver from San Diego? Will you take the Starlight to Emeryville to catch the California Zephyr, or will you take the SW Chief to Raton NM and take the bus connection to Denver? Whichever it is, it will be a fun adventure. But don't expect perfection. There are bound to be a few glitches along the way.

I've got a few travelogues on my website which may help you get a better idea of what to expect. The link is below.

------------------
Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

The Del Monte Club Car

Rule #1) Expect absolutely nothing. You will not be disappointed with your trip. The Golden Age for long distance rail travel died a very painful death a real long time ago. Despite the "Pollyannas" and foamers in rail forums, it's over. Rule#2) If something goes wrong during your trip, don't call 1.800.USA.RAIL from the train to whine to an Amtrak res agent. They can't help you. They really don't want you to waste their time with your pathetic travel problems. They are, for the most part, RR employees with no real knowlegde of the system and they are basically useless. Their job experience is comprised of a call center environment working five days a week/four hours a day with Wednesday & Thursday off. Rule #3) Pack light. Two small bags MAX! I don't care where you're headed on the rails, Amtrak probably doesn't handle checked luggage at that destinantion. Rule #4) The food, system wide, is average at best. Rule #5) Long distance trains tend to arrive at their end points fashionably late. If making connections off long distance trains add 2.5 to 8.0 hours to the scheduled arrival time. Rule #6) The Pacific Parlour Car lounges are GROSSLY overrated. Rule #7) Please write your congress critter and demand that they stop throwing money down the bottomless sinkhole that is Amtrak. Outside of corridor service and two or three north/south long distance trains-DEMAND they scrap all east/west long distance service. I'm sure the bustling metropolises of Alpine, Texas and Sand Point, Idaho will somehow manage to continue on without their precious Amtrak service. Rule #8) If seated near or adjacent to a foamer--MOVE AWAY QUICKLY. They will bore you to death with pointless conversations about Amtrak phase 3 paint schemes as compared to Amtrak phase four paint schemes or conversations about Genesis locomotive number sequences. Trust me----MOVE AWAY QUICKLY!!!! Rule #9) If seeing the country roll by is your thing, remember this great country of ours all looks the same at night.

East/West long distance train travel on Amtrak tends to be, more often than not, a below average experience. So expect nothing and you'll have no worries. The North/South long distance runs tend to track towards an average to maybe slightly above average travel experience. Amtrak's corridor service tends to be, but not always, more reliable transportation. Good luck...you're going to need it.

Disband Amtrak 2003!
Write yer congress critters TODAY and tell them you demand that not a single cent be wasted on this outdated mode of travel. End all funding to long distance trains now!

The HeadlessBrakeman
(As always: All trolls, flamers, foamers, Amtrak employee wannabes and res agents completely ignored. )

You are obviously seeking confrontation by posting your comments on this forum. What ever your reasoning, it is bloated full of supressed energy/emotion and inappropiate as a response?

If you choose to "take on" this forum with ignorant, uninformed unqualified statements, then start your own topic so I and others can avoid you and your opinions. You obviously are one with an attitude who needs to chill. I assume you support building bigger, wider and more expensive highways that are overwrought and obsolete before completed.

I am sure others will respond to your energetic and charged comments. I will not. You want a verbal fight. That is childess and immature. I could respect a comment that was without sarcasm. Sarcasm is suppresed anger and it is intensified especially when expressed in an environment to challenge.

I travel by plane extensively and always take the train when possible. It's my choice. Here are suggestions I offer you:

On to suggestions...

If you are traveling during a full moon, spend some night time with the drapes to your room closed, all lights off, and enjoy the moonlit nightscape. If you have a low lux camera, see if you can capture some "moonlit" pictures.

On your trip through the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas, try to get to the observation/sightseer lounge car early. The seats fill up fast, and that is the best place to view the mountain scenery. Crossing the Mississippi River is a kodak moment, too.

While you are in Chicago, be sure to see the Union Station hall. It's cavernous and a must see.

If you like the desert, you'll love west Texas, New Mexico, & Arizona.

In the diner, you will be seated with other people. The best opening line for conversation is "Where are you headed?" or "I'm headed to ______".

Concerning your trip and another comment, I suggest you go from San Diego to Denver via Los Angeles and Emeryville -- the scenery you will see on the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Denver, is spectacular!! You will see both the Sierra Nevada Mtns and the Rockies during the day.

Let us know how your experience at the Greenbrier is! I have been past there on the Cardinal several times, but have never stayed there -- I hear it is very nice!

I don't know why I even bother to respond to characters like you.

First, perhaps we could all arrange for a "pity-party."

Somehow you have been "poisoned"---and there is no serum that anyone can offer you. Eagerly you search for support from anyone and everyone who might lend a sympathetic ear----and are shocked when your thoughts fall on deaf ears. Individuals like you don't seek answers , you seek revenge.

As with any mode of transportation , there are "highs" and "lows."

I have absolutely loved every mile of my travels with Amtrak---and to date there are over 100,000. Has every trip been perfect ? Of course not. As with any mode of transportation there are bound to be "glitches." But over-all , my general experience with Amtrak has been positive.

I consider Amtrak to be a wonderful travel option. Long-distance passenger-rail is not for everyone simply because (in this day and age) many people simply do not have the time.

But what a wonderful way to meet people and learn about the history and geography of the country !!

Generally speaking the scenery is breath-taking---whichever route you take.

There are those who will complain about Amtrak service and Amtrak food. I can honestly say I have no serious complaints whatsoever.

Your train may be late arriving at its destination--but Amtrak has no control over that.

The "ride" may be rough in places---again, Amtrak has no control over that.

You may encounter a rude Amtrak service employee or two---you encounter individuals like this EVERYWHERE in the real world. Why would it be shocking to find rude Amtrak employees ?

Keep and open mind, and you will be fine.

I look forward to my rail trips months in advance. I find rail travel very relaxing and educational and love the opportunity. Hopefully, I someday will have the chance to take my grandchildren on a rail journey.

1. Head into Denver via the California Zephyr. Its a more scenic trip than the Southwest Chief to Raton. Take the Southwest Chief back to LA.

2. Be sure to get a seat early in the sightseer lounge when there is one.

3. Limit yourself to one meal in the dining car a day. You can feed yourself pretty heardilly in the Lounge Car for a lot less.

4. Be patient. Delays will occur. I hate to agree with Headlessbrakeman, but give yourself 2 to 6 hours leeway when it comes to connections and post travel engagements. Usually crews are good at keeping passengers informed about delays.

5. The worse times to go get something to eat in the lounge car-right after the train leaves a major station.

6. If power(lights/fans) all of a sudden seems to cut out-don't worry-they might be adding or dropping cars (extra box cars) or changing out locomotives.

7. If seats are assigned-see if the attendant will give you a seat away from the stairwell. But, in your case you won't have this problem being in a sleeper compartment.

8. Leaving Los Angeles--going back to San Diego-be sure to sit on the east side-this will turn into the west/ocean side once it pulls out of LA.

Hope this helps. Good luck on your trip.

quote:

---

3. Limit yourself to one meal in the dining car a day. You can feed yourself pretty heardilly in the Lounge Car for a lot less.

---

Of course, if you travel in a sleeper, the meals are included in your ticket, so cost is not an issue. You can take your meals at either the diner or the lounge cafe. Be sure to tell the lounge cafe attendant you are a sleeping car passenger. They will usually have you sign for you meal and take down your car and room number. Dining car servers usually know you are a sleeping car passenger from the direction you enter the dining car.

------------------
Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

quote:

---

Originally posted by daisybumble:
Even today's Amtrak is far more civilized and comfortable than even first-class air travel. The only drawback to taking the train is time...and that isn't even a drawback if you consider the travel to be part of your trip, and not just a means of getting from A to B.

---

Well put, Daisy! That is the perfect, concise response to those who argue that train travel is obsolete in the jet age.

------------------
Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

Back to the writing part. If you are using a laptop, you will probably have a limited supply of battery power. Having studied a little bit about electricity in school, I'm not sure if I would trust an expensive laptop be powered by the juice coming out of those refurbished 70's-era outlets, but its your call. Personally, I use an Alphasmart3000 for writing. Three AA batteries and I'm good for 700 hours.

I don't fly. Period. Gave it up over five years ago. I have a bit of an ear problem and don't care to undergo an operation to fix it. However, I don't miss flying at all. From what I hear, post 9/11, flying sounds like a nightmare. Train travel, on the other hand is quite a hoot, and this is coming from a 45-year-old guy, not a so-called "railfan" (though I seem to be evolving into one).

To me train travel is a necessity and I have taken the train all over the place. Over 12,000 miles in the last year alone and I love it. The food is great. The service is great. Everything about trains are great. People who are nasty and impatient probably should fly and make train travel easier for the rest of us.