posted
Well since this board is also about one's opinions I would like to share my opinions and observations about my travel on Amtrak.
#1 Just today I spoke with an AAA travel agent over the phone and she said they charge $35 dollars comission using the same www.amtrak.com website without expidited services. My take: Book your own trip you have the same information the agent does at AAA and your tickets will be mailed without a ticket mailing charge.
#2 Arrive early to the station I have found myself in the LA Union Station for a couple of hours and have enjoyed looking around the station,railfaning seeing the different trains,walking around the area.
#3 Don't wait in the line inside the station behind the blue/red ropes to board your train instead beat the crowd especially if your in coach and be at the track before everyone gets onboard especially at Union Station since the tracks are open to anyone wanting to see the action. Read the signboards and go to the track and have your first pick of seats. The reason they have you lineup is so you all go together. Noone chekcs for your tickets really nor do they offer you a seatcheck this is done at the boarding door of the train.
#4 Start calling Julie a week or more before your trip to gauge the ontime status of the train. For isntance I found the Coast Starlight to run 3 hpurs late southbound and close to ontime northbound. The reason is it departs from Seattle and it has more time to loose than the start of the trip from LA. Also I found out the Southwest Chief can arrive at 7:20 one day 8:15 the next and 9:20 the next day still giving one enough time to make the connection to the Coast Starlight.
#5 Always book guaranteed connections some people think they are on a guarenteed connection until they find out the train left and there is no recourse. On guaranteed connections Amtrak will do whatever in their power to make sure you make the train even if they need to hold it for 20 more minutes.
#6 Be prepared to be at your seat when they take dinner reservations at least one from your party needs to be seated at your seat. Also wait at your seat until your ticket has been collected.
#7 A good habit that I started when I first took the overnight trains is to ask the conductor to write down your car# and seat so if you forget where you were seated after a long time in the loungecar you show your ticket stub to the conducter. I always keep the stub with me since they request it when a coach passenger dines in the diner or in the cafe car for credit card purchases.
#8 If you have an AAA or other discount card carry it with you or else you will be asked to pay the difference of price onboard also have your government ID as they randomly card you due to the events of 9/11
#9 Take delays on a train in stride relax your on vacation try to allow a day inbetween trains. It's a cruise on rails. Too many people get upset that a train is delayed think of it as extra vacation time. See sights normally passed by in the nighttime during the day.
#10 exercise as much as you can get off at service stops but be ready to board at the stated time. In Albuquerque if the Soutwest Chief arrives early and I have an hour or more to spare I walk around the area and go to the Coldstone Creamery and head back to the train. You can also go to the mini bus and buy soviners and other necessities for your trip.
#11 always carry a cellphone and keep it charged so you can call the party picking you up if you will be late or early tell them about Julie and to call 1800-872-7245 for updates. I always call at the station stop before my destination i.e in Salinas when Im going to San Jose and at Albuquerque when Im going to Lamy.
#12 bring an MP3,CD player with headphones to pass the time. I love listening to my cds in the loungecar while seeing the scenery go by. What better way than to be climbing the Cajon Pass at night listening to The Eagles?
#13 always be gracious to the staff onboard tip when you see good service. Be sure you thank them and say please they are people too. Too many times I overhear people yelling at the crew because of something that could have been fixed in a nice and professional way. They will try to help you in any way possible. Think of it as a hotel on wheels.
#14 in coach I bring my own blanket I got from Virgin Atlantic arilines as a souviner. You can ask on your flight if you can take the blanket and they will most likely say yes. I also pack a pair of eyeshads,ear plugs,airline socks and airline slippers I got from Singapore Airlines to walk to the bathroom at night. I close the curtain and sleep. The pillow they give is comfortable for me.
#15 remember if the train is arriving in LA they close the diner early so be there for breakfast and don't get mad if you don't hear the calls. The y start announcments at 8 AM but the diner is open at 6. Always be ready to meet new people and socialize.
I consider Amtrak a "cruise on rails" because of the setup of the dining car,lounge car and the coach seats are like first class on an airplane.
Feel free to comment or add. I appreciate your feedback to my comments on Amtrak.
posted
A good list of advice for first-timers there. I would add one thing. I like to wear shoes with velcro fasteners when on the train. It makes it quick and easy to take them on and off at my seat/room, and is especially handy for those late night trips to the rest room.
Posts: 2649 | From: California's Monterey Peninsula | Registered: Dec 2000
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posted
Alas Travelplus ---- Cheryl's Mini bus is now a thing of the past !! I just returned today from a trip on the SW Chief. On my walk along the vendors trackside -- I took note that Cheryl was no where to be seen. I asked the man who has for years sold burritos if she was just missing for the day and he told me that with the new restrictions (no motor powered vehicles) on what is allowed in the vendors area she was forced to call it a day. He by the way is now doing business out of what appears to be a pull by hand food cart. It appears he has also upped the amount of souvenier type mdse. JMHO but there was something about Cheryl and her bus that is irreplaceable.
Posts: 460 | From: North Central CT | Registered: May 2004
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posted
#1 What's is a guaranteed connection? I've never heard of such a thing. I can't imagine that Amtrak would hold back a train for more than a few minutes under any circumstances.
#2 Thanks for carrying a cellphone. You better believe I'm going to ask to use it when we approach Albuquerque. As far as owning one myself, dream on.
#3 How do you know what track the train is going to be leaving from after you jump the rope to get a choice seat?
#4 Who in their right mind uses AAA to book a trip on Amtrak? Sure, using the Amtrak website is a good way find a deal, but having done that, you might even find a better deal by just calling Amtrak directly at some off-peak hour.
#5 I like your idea about being at your seat when the tickets are being collected. I sure wouldn't want to face the wrath of the conductor.
#6 I think it's going a bit far to call Amtrak a "cruise on rails." To me, a person who is unable to fly (or steal blankets from the airlines), Amtrak is just basic, essential transportation. Yes, it's a good thing to rationalize delays (and most people on this board have developed a kind of "schadenfreude" attitude when it comes to delays) but to compare it to a cruise....well I just don't buy it. And to tell some poor "newbie" that it's a "cruise on rails" after a six hour delay and all the bathrooms are plugged up, well, that's just cruel.
#7 Yeah, Julie's a babe.
Nice post travelplus. I'm just messing with ya.
Chuck
Posts: 324 | From: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
Mr Toy, I don't have shoes with Velcro fasteners, but I found these little sock-shoes (slipper shoes? I don't recall what they are called, exactly) that fold up easily and fit in a pocket, purse etc. They are terry-like fabric on top but have a slipper or beachshoe like sole on the bottom. I simply take my shoes off and put them on. They are pretty cheap and come in different colors in men's and women's sizes. I can even where them when asleep in the sleeper because they never get very dirty (I don't wear them for walking around much); and they do help keep your feet warm if you take off your shoes. I would not wear them to walk between cars but they are fine in the sleepers, even on the stairs of the 2-level ones. I recommend 'em!
TravelPlus, I do so agree with you about getting exercise when you can. When I was changing trains in Chicago last summer to an eastbound sleeper, I was amazed at the number of people who hung out at the Metropolitan Lounge in Union Station for several hours waiting for their next train. Unless you have a mobility problem or the weather is awful, I think it's highly advisable to check your luggage there and take a long walk between trains--walking up to Millennium Park at the very least. It's not only good to stretch but it helps to walk off some of those Amtrak desserts!
Back to shoes, I always wear comfortable walking shoes when I travel (that means sneakers or Oxfords or other shoes that tie; other types of shoes often give me blisters), so that I can take such walks. I've don't the same when I've changed in NYC and Washington, and I walked around Albuquerque during the layover too. I didn't see that Coldstone Creamery, but maybe that is just as well!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Chucky, My husband calls our Amtraking a poor man's cruise.We have never been on a trip where all the toilets are blocked up and delays are all part of the game. To the list of things to bring I would like to add several very large safety pins if you are traveling sleeper. I have found that the curtains seldom close properly and by pinning them together the problem is solved. Also a handy wipe is useful for a number of things. I agreee that exercise is important. We walk the length of the train several times and that helps.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
The best analogy for Amtrak travel with same on water is overnight ferries.
At one time or the other in this life, I have sailed on several North Sea ferries, and the C&O cross Lake. I have not sailed on the Alaska Marine Highway.
Any of these offer staterooms, which I always found to be as hard to come by as peak-period Amtrak sleeper space, and full ship-board meal and bar service. The best description is "you will be served tasty food in an efficient manner".
Shipboard entertainment? well in all likelihood, there will be a "post college-pre life' crowd, one of who will be strumming a guitar.
These ferries are simply transportation; the flaming Baked Alaska, themed costumes for the service staff, and Las Vegas revues are the province of the "love tubs".
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Mr.Plus: Thank you for your lengthy post, esp. #13. I'm glad you advocate courtesy to the crew, which of course will usually, but not always, ensure courtesy and good service in return. Most Amtrak crews will be glad to see you if you don't treat them like some form of subhuman life. But they do get all kinds of passengers out there...most in my experience do a pretty good to excellent job.
Posts: 588 | From: East San Diego County, CA | Registered: Oct 2004
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