Review and tour of Amtrak Viewliner Roomette -- video tour of compartment
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ม.ค. 2012
- This is a video tour of one of Amtrak's Viewliner Roomettes. Although the Roomette is the smallest of Amtrak's private compartments, it is an extremely comfortable way to travel. Each Roomette offers complete privacy, two large, comfortable chairs, a folding table, a private toilet and sink, a comfortable bed with a great view, individual climate control, private storage space, and terrific service from friendly Amtrak employees.
This is the best Viewliner roomette tour video on TH-cam, it's just the right length and shows us everything we need to know!
+Alex Herbst Thanks for the great feedback, and thanks for watching!
I love traveling by train. The roomette is perfect.
Do not spend all your time there, go to the observation car if there is one.
What a great way to travel.
Make getting wherever you are going part of the adventure/journey!
Of the videos I've seen of a tour of a roomette, yours is the best, covered from head to toe. Thanks. I'll be traveling to GA soon and it will be my first time getting a sleeping compartment; the coach seats are comfortable but for this trip I wanted to give myself an upgrade and enjoy the ride with some privacy.
The wife and I are going on our first Amtrak trip and since we have booked the romette your video was super helpful. thanks for sharing.
michael
michael thomey Ditto
Now this is a great Amtrak video. You have a great voice like a radio DJ
+747epecan1 Sounds like I missed my calling! Thanks for the positive feedback, and for watching.
The only other thing I would've mentioned is that if you're travelling with a companion, the two seats can be converted by the porter/car attendant into a second bed. They have extra pillows, sheets and blankets.
@@GeminiDad16 yes very pleasant
Best and most informative video I seen so far. We have taken Amtrak before but for short trips. We will be taking Amtrak from NY to Miami and have booked the roomette and are looking forward to this adventure. Thanks for the time you took to post this. For those who do not know meals are included in the price. When you leave the roomette the door remains unlocked so do not leave valuables such as laptops or cell phones or cameras. The rest of your stuff should be safe to leave. Happy travels.
My husband and I are planning to take a train trip from Ohio to Colorado next year. This helped us decide that a personal room is the way to go. Well done!
dankydane Thanks for watching, and I'm glad the video helped!
Well done! We depart for Montana from the Icicle station in Leavenworth, WA later this month and your excellent video has not only answered all of our questions but increased our level of anticipation as well. Thank you for taking the time to produce this.
You are one of the best camera handlers I've ever watched a video from. I've watched some videos that gave me motion sickness from their camera handling. Your's is so smooth & steady, I had to commend you, good sir. Thank you for a great video!
+lonewolfette Thanks for the great feedback. I tried to keep the camera steady, but TH-cam assisted with some stabilizing software once I uploaded it. Thanks for watching!
super tour. i'll second something this man said. i've traveled on Amtrak all over the US since childhood, as well as on high speed and overnight trains in Europe (even the Sud Expresso and the TGV) and i'll say the Amtrak personnel are the best in the world. and as far as train vs plane? NO COMPARISON as to how you're treated.
i go to florida with my grandma every summer and i take amtrak and the roomette, im anxious to go this year so watching it calmed myself down but also showed how awesome the train is even more, great vid.
love the sound of the flat spot/wheels on the rails best way to travel!! great vid!
Dude, because of you, I'm so going to take a trip to "nowhere" in one of these roomette cars. Thank you for the review!!!!
Mack11721 You won't regret it if you enjoy rail travel. Thanks for watching.
Thank you so much for the video I am going on an auto train in 25 days and I am so excited (I'm only 11) and I like looking at the inside but other videos were really bad
That uses a superliner sleeping car
Thank u so very much for this film. I'm traveling over a 24 hr trip n needed to know exactly what u filmed. U sold me. Thank u. It's been over 40 years since I have traveled by train. Thanks again
Will be taking first trip on viewliner towards the end of May this year 2015. Very much appreciate your explanations and demonstrations. Have been aboard several superliners in the west, but this will be my first trip in the east. Thanks again!
excellent tour!
***** Thanks for the feedback!
Pv
Great Video Man !!!!
Im leaving Orlando FL Station to 30th street Station Philadelphia Pa 27Hours Can't wait !!!
Jon L. Sandaco I apologize for the late response. Thanks for the feedback, and I hope you enjoyed your trip. The 30th Street Station in Philly is impressive.
Great way to travel. I had a roomette while traveling by train from Florida to Virginia. Extremely comfortable. Also each sleeper car has a bathroom/shower available. Roomette fares include meals in the dining car. The food was very good.
Attendants were great and there is nothing like sleeping on a train!
There are also bedrooms available that have toilets and showers.
Pen, thanks for watching and I'm glad you enjoyed the video -- and had a nice trip of your own.
What did that trip cost you in total if you don’t mind sharing?
I will be traveling to Florida in a few weeks in a viewliner roomette. This video showed me what to expect when i get in to the room thank you for the detailed walkthrough of your video.
This was pretty much my experience a couple of months ago on the Silver Star. The only thing I might add is that he was most likely using the upper berth for sleeping as normally they store the mattress for the lower bed up there during the day, I assume he had the attendant remove it. The lower seats will lay flat and the mattress is placed on it. I actually found the bed to be fairly comfortable. Also, as I was traveling alone, during the day I laid one of the seats flat, ie in bed mode, and the other reclined so that I could sit with my legs up on the flat seat (I had my shoes off and put a blanket on the flat seat). Enjoy your trip.
The two seats are indeed meant to form a full-fledged bed while pulled together. Not to merely recline, but to lay down a have a good night sleep the same way as you would on the upper berth. That's what make this compartment convenient for two travelers. By the way, the new upcoming series of Viewliner sleepers won't have toilets in roomettes. Instead, one or two restrooms will be located in the car for roomette riders. That's the way it is in bi-level Superliner sleepers as well. I believe this is much better than an unenclosed toiled in the compartment. When I ride in a Viewliner roomette, I put my bag on the toilet and never use it - walking to the coaches to use regular restroom instead. The larger compartments - the "bedrooms" - will still have enclosed restrooms inside in the new cars.
I like the thought of having a toilet right there, its way more convenient than going to a bathroom that may be occupied or dirty, when its in your car, you know if anyone has used it during the trip
The only thing I hate about that roomette is how there's a toilet out in the open right next to your sink, your seats, your personal space. Like, let's say you've had Taco Bell before you got on the train, you drop the world famous Taco Bell Monster Shit in the toilet then you have to wipe your butt right next to your chilling space. Wouldn't that be disgusting, chilling right next to where you wiped the remnants of the Taco Bell Monster Shit? (We can refer to it as the TBMS from now on) It's like relaxing in the bathroom at home. Oh and adding on to that, since they installed two chairs in that roomette, that implies that you should ride with a buddy, and since the toilet is out in the open, your buddy is gonna see you laying the TBMS, right? And then the whole freaking roomette is gonna smell like shit.
Two words: Coach toilets.
Yes. YES. THANK YOU.
***** Having said that, I specifically did not have a 4th slice of pizza today with just that in mind.
Stu in SW6 LOL
I do not like this idea at all. I would have to use the other toilets in the car. This idea is just too nasty. Sorry.
Thank you so much for this video! It answered all my questions. My girlfriend and I intend to take a tour this fall and I believe we'll be getting the roomette now that we've viewed your video. Thank you again!
Thanks so much for the excellent video! It cleared up many questions I had about the roomette!
With the toilet right in the tiny roomette, any tips for my wife to hide her eyes and pinch her nose while I "drop the kids off at the pool"? Thanks.
Have her go to the lounge car
There are public restrooms at the end of the car. There is also a nice shower.
+Beefyerky There are only restrooms in the sleeper coaches if you are in a Superliner. The Viewliners only have public washrooms in the cafe and coach cars. The only common feature is that there is a shower in both the Superliner and Viewliner cars.
I'm sure someone has brought this up, but regarding the toilet, what kind of privacy measures are there if you are traveling with someone? Sure you could ask them to step out of the room for a minute, but what if they are sleeping? I wouldn't want to wake up next to whoever I'm traveling with while they're on the shitter.
wfrankwalshiv That is entirely between you and your traveling companion! There's no privacy in the actual Roomette, so the other person would need to step outside if that was a concern.
there is a public bathroom down the corridor if you or your traveling companion may need to "sit" so to speak while you are sleeping, other times the companion either deals with it, or leaves the room.
They can step out.
Anyway, the new trains are eliminating the toilet in the roomette.
Thank you - very informational video for someone who has never ridden the train before!
I saw Amtrak had roomettes for close to the cost of a airplane ticket. Their little diagram didn’t show much so this video was so helpful, even years later 😊
I personally would prefer the super liner roomette. Having a toilet next to your seat is not my pleasure.
***** Personal choice....there are public restrooms available the viewliner sleepers have one public bathroom which is wheelchair accessible. It is located on the opposite end of the car from the roomettes.
Sam Rowland Oh thank goodness. I would much rather do that.
***** Also of note the new Viewliner II sleepers do not have toilet/sink in the roomettes they increased the number of "public" toilets in each sleeper so they are more like the Superliners in that regard.
***** Agreed. That's a horrible design choice, nothing more to it. It's no wonder it's not in the newer designs. The entire roomette just doesn't agree with me actually.
+Sam Rowland - darn, really? No more personal toilets or sinks? I was looking forward to this feature traveling alone...what have they done with the extra space now? A bar fridge would be cool too :)
A toilet just like that in the compartment? I don't better imagine the smells in the compartment after using the toilet :). In Europe, the toilets are in their extra rooms - either on both ends of the car or as a part of the ventilated shower booth, separated from the main compartment in case of first-class services.
David, they have public/hallway bathrooms, too. Thanks for watching.
Toilet flush sucks out the air anyway. There's no lingering smell.
You obviously haven't smelled the roomette after my other half uses the John...
This is an excellent tour, but I can't be the only one wondering the price. So I called Amtrak. The price is a disgrace, for these rooms. Almost $400 per night, plus the ticket price. I don't care if a couple of meals, and bottle water is in the price. No wonder there is no mention of price. No thanks. I'd fly or even a bus before I'd allow Amtrak, to rip me off. By the way not all roomettes have a toilet in that closet size space. Its a public bathroom in the car.
Toyota1949 The price will vary depending on where you travel. I'm in Memphis and have used the City of New Orleans, a Superliner, not a Viewliner, a few times for Memphis to New Orleans and Memphis to Chicago. It's about 9 hours to NOLA, about 10 hours to Chicago. Four of us are going to New Orleans next month, in TWO bedrooms (not roomettes) for less than $300 each, R/T. That's better than flying, more comfortable than Greyhound, and more fun than either. But I get it, your mileage may vary.
Thanks for this nice walk-through, sir. I've taken Amtrak from Florida up to Penn Station in the past but never in a roomette. I splurged this time around for Christmas - finally doing the roomette with my wife. So looking forward to it. Thanks again.
Thanks so much for this vid....we're travelling with 3 kids, 2, 5, & 7. Even though we'll only be on Amtrak for a couple hours, we sprung for the roomettes (2 of them). We figured if nothing else, it'll keep the kids at least mildly entertained for that leg of the trip!!
Thanks so much for your review!!
Excellent tour... the only negative thing I could say is that you keep referring to the "roomette" as your "car" when it's actually about one twentieth of a train car... 5 full first class rooms on one end and ten roomettes on the other... Me Pickey? Well maybe a little.. but it would be nice to have a whole private "car" like the robber barons did back at the turn of the 19th/20th century... A Pullman all done up in Mahogany, with servants and all that shizizzle... now that was a train car! But good job otherwise, Thanks.
Believe it or not there are about a dozen ultra rich people in the United States in 2014 who own their own private rail cars. They have to make advance arrangements with a railroad to connect them. It costs about $10,000.00 to do so and go somewhere, but OH! What a luxurious way to travel that must be! I am envious...
So, BackInTheGarden, if you and I could only earn millions of dollars as hedgefund managers or doctors or lawyers or dotcom inventors, we could travel in luxury like robber barons. :-)
I have taken lots of Amtrak rides and love it. Sleeping car is best when money allows...
As a child I also rode the Great Northern railway a couple of times, pre-Amtrak.
WinRem30 There are far more than just a dozen people that have private cars. We've had that many just on one private chartered train run by Amtrak. If I remember correctly, we had 30 at NOLA for the AAPRCO convention in 1997. Cost when we last ran was $1.60 a mile plus switching charges and station stay fees of about $300 a night with power, water, and sewage dump included. And you can have up to 21 in the private car at no extra cost. Here are a list of some of the cars with picture links. www.rrpicturearchives.net/rslist.aspx?id=PPCX&Page=1
My last trip in a private car was 10 years ago when we took the car to DC to turn over to the new owners. Car number is 800379, the oldest stainless steel passenger to meet Amtrak standard. It had a complete 40 year overhaul in 1996-97 and was originally built in 1937. That car while owned by my friend traveled as far as Seattle to the NW, LA to the SW, Boston in the NE, and Homestead, Florida in the SE. It actually has been to the southernmost rail location in the US. And it has been all over in between. Including track that Amtrak doesn't run on. I served as mech crew on it. Top speed we ever clocked with it was 115mph in the NEC. I too owned a private railcar and I sure wasn't a millionaire. Buying the car isn't the problem. It is the upgrade work and maintenance that they require that will eat you alive once you get the car.
Those old "done up" rail cars had toilets that emptied onto the tracks.
i would like to nickname the train roomettes The Anti-Chatty Cathy Force Field! good way to have totally your own space and away from any annoying chatty cathy seatmates who like to tell them their life story during the whole trip.....for those who cant afford this luxury at least we still have ipods tablet and smartphones to block unwanted company:P no one cares about your daughters cheesy dance recital or your little poodle Fifi's bad bathroom habits!! lol
***** I couldn't agree more! Thanks for watching.
Thanks so much for this video...had no idea what rooms on train would look like and now will definitely use roomette. Your video was a huge help...thanks again!
I did this once a few years back and LOVED IT!!! Cant wait to do it again!
Im heading out in a view liner roomette tomorrow for a 12.5 hour ride. This is my first time in a room on amtrak I have always been in coach. This time for such a long ride I wanted the comfort. Your video was great and sealed the deal for me in choosing the room over coach.
Great video. This isn't anything like traveling by train used to be, nice, comfortable and clean area to sleep in. It's been years since I've taken a train anywhere, you've inspired me to do so!
Fantastic job on the tour. I am defiantly going on a tour ride.
Great video tour. Really showed a lot in the small space. Thank you
I'm going to be taking a trip from NYC to Toledo, Ohio for the holidays - quite a hike - and though I've traveled via Amtrak many times, this will be the first time I've reserved a Roomette. Thanks for the video! Very informative!
The bottom seats make abed also. Great video. Amtrak is my #1 way to travel.
Exactly what I needed to see, way better than the "3D" tours on their website! Thanks!
Thanks for that awesome review, now I know exactly what it looks like!
Another nice tour of an Amtrak train unit. It's sure to motivate travelers to consider 'training' as opposed to driving or flying. I liked it.
I never been on amtrak train before, but my sister has. This video is so detailed, I love it. I learned a lot how people travel on this train. Thank you for posting this video. I love how it is very detailed. Amazing how they give you everything in small space :) I enjoyed it. Made me feel like I was in the room. Great job :)
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the great feedback.
Thank you very much this excellent video!!! your explanation is simple ,clear and friendly and you explain each part of this car. Thanks to you I think I wont have any difficulty in a future train travel in Amtrak
Congratulations d1bottch!!
Awesome video tour.. Im going on the Amtrak Cardinal tomorrow from Philadelphia to Chicago i was upgraded from a coach seat to a viewliner roomette.. This looks great for a 26 hour ride im embarking on... Thanks
Thanks Dude! We took a trip on the Zephyr a few years ago in the Family Sleeper car but this time it's just the Momma and the pre-teen daughter. You have triggered our memories and helped us to prepare for a trip in a roomette! :)
You're gonna be in a Superliner Roomette, not a Viewliner Roomette. There are a lot of differences.
I did the New York to Orlando trip on Amtrak and had the roomette both ways. Very relaxing, the rooms are small but very well appointed and I'm doing the same trip again in a few weeks.
Thanks for the tour. Never traveled by train and was helpful in preparing and making decisions.
washbhr If you've got the time, I highly recommend trying one of these roomettes. Thanks for the feedback.
Travelling in train has its own beauty and charm..The beautiful sights passing infront of your eyes are so serene and soothing to the senses..I have always been a big fan of Trains..and use to travell a lot by them..
I couldn't agree more! Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the review and tour, taking a trip soon and your video helped make my mind up.
THanks for sharing this, I'm taking an Amtrak for the first time ever in 72 years and wondered what it would be like. Of course, it won't have a roommate but I wanted to know about luggage and if I had to keep it all near me, etc. but was glad to know about the roomette. It was so cool.
Roommate should have been roomette, good ole' autocorrect.
Marlene, thanks for watching. Have a great trip!
Great tour. Thanks. I'll be taking Amtrak from LA to Albuquerque with my own roomette. Sweet!
Liam
I do understand that there is a slight difference between the Roomette on the west coast runs vs the east coast operated trains. The western trains are double-decker and do not have the toilet in the roomette, but double check w/AMTRAK on this.
Edmund Charles Great advice.
*Thank you so much for this review.* I've seen a few others but there was much more THEM in the video than the car itself. This was perfect and the entire video was deliciously clear. It's true - *roomettes are the ONLY way to travel by train*. Really.
+Patricia Nixon Thanks so much for watching, and I'm glad you found it helpful!
+d1bottch Oh no - thank YOU! I was so excited and enjoyed my ride immensely. I was just so relaxed and ended up leaving my door open some of the way and chatting with the guy travelling across from my room. When we had enough of each other, we politely slid our doors and chilled out. No other way to go and relatively inexpensive for the pretty much hassle-free travel.
I would love to take that train some day. Thanks for the advice.
This is a great video. My kids and I are traveling coach from Reno, NV to Iowa. This is our first time taking the train. I couldn't afford more than coach but next trip I will try to upgrade. This video helped a lot.
thank you so much for sharing this, Love how you was able to show and explain everything in Detail, Thank you so much you did a Great Job🙌🏼🙌🏼
I sincerely appreciate it. Hope you’ve had a train adventure since making that post.
Very Nicely done. I just might have to take a train ride. Very nice. Thanks for the tour
You're quite welcome. Thanks for watching, and enjoy your next Amtrak trip.
Wonderful tour! Thank you!
I bought a car while here in Florida and do not want to drive it home to PA, so my wife and I have decided to take the auto train from Sanford, FL to Lorton, VA. Really don't know what we're getting ourselves into, but after watching this video, I'm pumped and ready. Should be fun and a great experience and maybe something we'll do more of in the future. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! Everything I needed to see!!
Enjoy your trip, Emma. I'm sure you will love the Roomette.
Thank you for your tour! I am super excited to book a roomette for my trip to Chicago from Boston next month. :)
+Lesley Edwards I hope you had a nice trip. Thanks for watching.
That's so cool! I didn't even know trains like this were still in America!
Hey man... That is one excellent review. I didn't intend on looking at something so thorough when I entered "Amtrak Roomette Review" in the search field. Again, thank you for the detailed review!
Thanks for sharing. Planning on using one from NJ to Cincinnati, OH in July.
Awesome video, I'm taking Amtrak from Chicago to NYC and I just upgraded to the roomette.
Only have done the Superliner but we are doing the Viewliner Roomette from NYC-Tampa in March. Great Review!
I have rode Amtrak 4 times and only once I have been in one of the smaller rooms and I liked it you made a good video
amtrak-kid Thanks for watching, and nice TH-cam handle by the way!
Chris, you always get a meal (or perhaps meals, depending on the length of your trip) when you book a Roomette. The train food was decent. It's no 5-star restaurant, but I was happy with it. You will love the Roomette for a trip of that length! Enjoy your travels.
Great video thanks! I'm ready to go and excited because of it!
Jen, I agree that the cars have come a long ways. These are great. I also agree that for a 7-hour trip the Roomette is a luxury rather than a necessity. But what a luxury!
Sir this was a great video that you of 48/448 or 49/449 and many memories I have from the route years back and also the old Heritage Cars........Thanks for a great tour a very detailed explanation. I love the Roomettes. DWB
This was fantastic! I'm taking a trip in a few months and have a room. It's nice to know what to expect before traveling. It'll ne u first train trip, Long distance. Thank you so much for this informative video!
Thank you for the info. Well I managed to save up for the smallest roomette. I'm very excited and will going to NC in July. This will be an exciting new adventure.
Excellent and informative video. Will be using the roomette on the Southwest Chief next summer.
Scottish NS Rail Fan My apologies for the late response. Did you wind up taking it? I hope you had a good trip.
Thanks for the video! I travel a lot and have always wondered about the train!
Easy listening and great info! Thanks!
Thank you for the video. I m getting ready for my first train ride and this was very informative.
Hi Candace, I hope your first train experience was nice. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the video. IT WAS GREAT. I will be traveling in November from Monterey Ca. to Albany New York it will be a round trip and was wondering about the interior and you covered all aspects of the Roomette. Now I am really getting excited about the train ride. The last time I was on a train it was a Steam Engine YUP STEAM Thank you for your video
+Butch Francis So glad you liked it, and I hope you enjoyed your trip to Albany last month. Thanks for watching.
For future reference, all trains west of Chicago use Superliners, Superliner Roomettes do not have a toilet or sink in the room.
My sister and I are taking my parents to Disney World next September; we are thinking of buying roomette train tickets for our parents (they don't like airplanes) while my sister and I fly. Thanks for the helpful video! :D
Thanks, Peter. The Roommette will be the perfect way to travel from Boston to Chicago. You won't regret it.
Thanks for the tour!
excellent tour of the roomette. Thank you.
Thanks, Dan! And thanks for watching.
I enjoyed this video a fair bit. Thank you.
Very nicely done. I with we had these on our superliners.
Great review! Super helpful. Thanks!
+Dancerboy Thanks for watching!
just got back from a round-way trip Tampa,fl to Washington dc had a great time was treated like a king the attendants were fantastic highly recommend this means of travel can't wait for my next trip
John Smith John, your trip sounds just like mine: a great experience all-around. Thanks for watching.
I have never been in the Viewliner Roomette....just the Superliner Roomette. I would love to try it out sometime....I guess I need to take at train to the east coast sometime. Thanks for the video....I enjoyed it.
awesome video, for my next trip I will definitely pay extra for all that luxury!
Thanks very helpful! I'm planning my first Amtrak trip soon!
Hope it was a great one.
Great informative video. I think I'll go with that option . I'll be travelling from Philadelphia to New Orleans then on to Beaumont. My son has Aspergers & cannot tolerate crowds or noise . This should work out perfectly !
thanks for the video! I am riding a train for the first time and its an 11hr trip! After wathcing this video, I am more confident that the extra dollars I spent for the roomette is well worth it! Im so excited to travel by train! :)
Kayla La Clair Kayla, I hope your trip was fun. Thanks for watching.
Looks like everyone that has commented agrees you did a super duper job. When we travel we always get a sleeper unless of course there is a cancellation of a deluxe sleeper. Which has happened once what a difference. This is not meant to find fault with your video, however, maybe with the next one you do you could explain to the folks who have never been before what all of the paperwork is by the pull out table. Also now I believe there is an Amtrak app for your phone which allows you to keep track of where you are and where you are going. Great video thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Great video... I've always wondered what the Viewliner Roomettes were like. Last time I went to NYC, I was stuck in a coach seat for 12 hours.
Love the video! Very helpful! I am considering buying a Berth to Florida. 19 hours from New York City. I am new to train travel but have taken short rides to Niagara Falls. Again Very helpful! Thank You!
Max, it sounds like you're in for a fun trip. Enjoy!
Terrific video! Helped me pack and plan.
Hi Debbie, thanks for watching. Glad you found it so helpful!