tipping instructions would be great, also maybe include a note that the cafe is cashless. advice on how u deal with the rooms not being able to be locked from the outside would be really helpful for solo travelers. note that u can ask to have ur meals in ur room if u dont want to deal with the communal sitting in the dining car.
Amtrak used to also serve a prime rib steak, but alas no more. I recall the Burlington T-bone steak riding on the Texas Zephyr back during the early 1960s...
Every time I see “trip report” in a roomette, the first thought to come to mind is the displeasure you have for a single outlet!😂😂 “Yes the only outlet.” Really appreciated this video. I’ve taken one trip in a roomette before last summer on the Texas Eagle, but there is still more I can learn about this accommodation! 👍Thanks Noah!
Some of these Superliners are approaching 50 years in age, the newest approaching 30 years in age. Long before rechargeable devices were a thing. That one power outlet was sufficient for a razor, or a radio. I recall many bringing Walkmans aboard, tape and CDs. I also recall many bringing portable electronic games aboard bringing extra batteries... Me, I still bring a good book to read...
Just completed our first Amtrak journey on the Empire Builder. We had the perfect storm of all of the most awful things you can imagine. We really wanted to love this experience, but the completely unsanitary restrooms and shower were so bad and never corrected during our journey. Our roomette was not very clean, old and worn. Inside Door lock was broken and locked us out of our room at one point. Thankfully, an employee was able to use a hammer from the outside to get us back into our room. Was supposed to be repaired during a service stop and wasn’t. And yes, we’ve made Amtrak aware of everything. Crew works very hard with what they have. Amtrak, please do better. So much potential.
Next time, bring paper towels, Windex disinfectant spray, a toilet brush, toilet gel cleaner, a bottle of shower cleaner, a scrub sponge, and some cleaning gloves, and you'll do ok. 😁
I wish Amtrak had 'bunkhouse' cars like the old days. Instead of seats which would destroy your back after 12 hours and you can forget about sleeping in those, you could just sleep your way from one end of the country to another. I would much rather be horizontal then seated for 3 days.
I get jealous seeing other countries' trains having different classes with multiple types of bunk bed sleeping options. About to spend 2 nights on a coach seat and dont look forward to that part.
Glad you find the upper berth in the roomette to be comfortable. I find them to be way too confining and hard to get in to--my height is similar to your, but sadly my age is not. Viewliner upper berths are great; on Superliners my wife and I get 2 roomettes across from each other.
Correction on the last part. 63 cars is the total number of cars being restored, which includes Amfleet, Viewliner, and Horizon equipment. The total number of Superliners being restored is 39. 15 of which occurred last fiscal year, and the remaining 24 this year. I believe it included 5 coaches, 1 dining car, 9 transition sleepers, 3 standard sleepers, and 5 Sightseer Lounges. It wasn’t mentioned what car type the 1 other Superliner was.
Agreed. Coach is far cheaper, so many people are stuck with that because rooms are just too far out of the budget sometimes, and combo of time/pricing often makes flying the better option.
It is super expensive unfortunately for sleeper inventory; inflation, rolling stock shortage, coupled with high demand. I have myself a trip booked on the Southwest Chief this summer. It is cheaper to book than the California Zephyr and Empire Builder. Booked a roomette (the cheapest sleeper accommodation) at the lowest bucket fare available. 4 times more expensive than coach!! On the Empire Builder, if you book a roomette from Chicago to Whitefish MT in the same week. $1262 one way in a roomette!!! Ouch!!! Might as well book coach for that journey because for a much much cheaper price, you get a seat as comfy as a 1st class airplane seat. You can always venture to the Sightseer Lounge if you feel the need to escape the crowded coach and with coach passengers now once again allowed to pay to eat in the dining car, it’s not a bad way to travel!!
Sleeper rooms are often super expensive, yes. Coach is usually much more reasonable. In my experience, coach is already quite comfortable even for sleeping, you get to bring a generous amount of bags, and the cafe car food is decent enough and not priced too badly. Depending on the timing and location of your specific trip, your Sleeper ticket may not have any lounges & you might only get 1 or 2 dining car meals - but that won't stop them from charging you 5x the coach rate! 🤯
@@johnsons74thsquadron74 Unfortunately I can't sleep well in a chair, I require at least a flat cot... But for day trips, I always book coach... Frankly last year I booked the 30 day Rail Pass in coach, sleeping every night either in a big city hotel or a small town B&B throughout the northeast without riding a train any night... But that was the northeast, not the west....
The sleeper accommodations seem to be very expensive. Most of my Amtrak travel has been in my backyard on the NEC so that’s not really a factor, but cost has definitely been one of the things that stops me from taking longer trips.
I’ve done quite a few long-haul trips and I generally do a roomette. The bummer is that it’s often far cheaper to fly. I wish this wasn’t the case, as I’m trying to cut down on how many flights I take, but Amtrak just doesn’t price competitively with some of their options.
Amtrak is tight on car availability due to many of them being put in storage during Covid and suffering from several derailments in the past few years, these have both constrained railcar availability. Except for the City of New Orleans, every Superliner train had at least one additional coach and sleeper pre Covid. The Texas Eagle which has just a pathetic Cross Country Cafe acting as a single food service car used to have a Sightseer Lounge and a full service diner. Diners and lounges are also in limited supply. It looks like that high prices are going to become the norm because capacity will likely never return to pre-pandemic levels though some cars are being brought out of storage this year!
@@johnsons74thsquadron74 For sure. I was recently stuck in a very old, run-down car on the Empire Builder. I actually contacted Amtrak about the poor state of the car itself, as well as my personal room - it was in embarrassing shape for a first-time sleeper rider (my daughter) to experience. They gave me a voucher, but I’d really just rather have cars that are in decent shape for the amount I pay.
No you have to buy way ahead to get a great price, the first roommate may go for 700 dollars, 2nd roommate go for 750 dollars and last roommate on the train may go for 1250 dollars, this is just an example.
Indeed. Another example of how irrational federal subsidies distort prices for anybody who travels. Federal, state, and local governments build and maintain airports, ATC, and all the other infrastructure that air travel requires. That means that air carriers do not have to cover any of those "externalized" expenses. Railroads -- and by extension, Amtrak -- is just the opposite. Few people realize that every "host" railroad has to pay property taxes on every mile of right-of-way in addition to all the other costs of infrastructure construction and maintenance. The actual cost -- per passenger mile or per ton-mile -- of air travel (for passenger or freight service) is ENORMOUSLY higher than the same cost for rail transport. Sadly, it is because of our antiquated, baroque, and legally corrupt system of subsidies (many of them silent) that passenger air travel is cheap, auto travel is cheap, and train travel is expensive.
@thomasstambaugh5181 INTERESTING. 🤔 I always hear the debate about passenger rail out of the Hill as a dichotomy of either, more subsidies, or "privatization" (which, let's call this spade a spade, would pretty much eliminate passenger rail in the US, as things currently stand.) But there's really a different way, you think? I'm all ears, if you don't mind expounding. What do you think Congress could do, to--for utter lack of a better phrase, and don't take this the wrong way--make rail travel great again?
Two questions: is there any space in the Superliner Roomette for a carry-on sized bag? In the upper bunk space at day, under the seat at night? Second, if 2 are traveling, is there one room charge or on both? And how do you link them (or is that automatic when booking for 2?
There is technically space for a carry-on bag if you use the upper bunk as a storage area. It can be locked at the halfway point, which should provide ample room for a carry-on suitcase. Overnight there really isn't enough space if you plan on using both bunks. Yes, technically there is space beneath the seats, but I wouldn't recommend using it for storage. If two passengers are traveling, Amtrak will charge an adult fare for both passengers, and then a single room charge on top of that. This is why it's not double the price for two people. Both passengers can be added at the time of booking, which automatically links them to that room. Hope this helps!
Maybe one of these days, if I ever take a vacation back to Iowa, of where I first got my official start in my current railroading career, I'll definitely be sure to book a superliner roomette on either the Cal Z or Southwest Chief on my up to Des Moines, my former city of residence
Awesome and informative video! I like that you distinguished between the Superliner I and II, as it seems many people mistake the “newer” looking Superliner I’s for the II when they are in fact older. I always travel by Amtrak when possible and thanks to their rewards program, many of my trips are free! I’m hoping to take the Sunset Limited next.
The Superliner roomette (either version) has NO PLACE to put even a small carry-on bag. This is a major drawback of the Superliner roomette (in either version) compared to its Viewliner counterpart. For a 2- or 3-night stay, this means doing luggage surgery in the downstairs baggage area each day or night for those of us who prefer a clean shirt, underwear, and trousers each day. A solo traveler can make do by lowering the upstairs berth a bit and using it for a small bag or carry-on. Two adults are just out of luck. I am a frequent long-distance Amtrak passenger -- I do it because I enjoy the experience. In my view, an upstairs bedroom is the most affordable Superliner accommodation. It has enough space for a small or moderate suitcase (so long as you keep the moveable chair stowed and locked) and an ensuite bathroom and toilet. By the way, meals are not "complimentary" -- they are bundled into the price of any sleeper accommodation. That's one reason why "Flexible Dining" is such an insult. I hope that Amtrak is able to restore traditional dining to all its long-distance trains. The "Flexible Dining" option is an insult instituted even before the pandemic by an Amtrak administration that seemed devoted to driving away passengers. On my last trip on the eastbound Capitol Limited, "Flexible Dining" was a disaster. The sleeping car attendant took my order last, even though I was in a more expensive bedroom -- all the desirable dinner items were sold out by the time he got to me. I ended up with warmed-over ziti and meatballs. These meals were "presented" in white paper bag, one per table in the empty diner, each numbered according to our roomette or bedroom number. The containers were still in their foil wrappings. The "attendant" didn't speak English well enough to understand my request for the serving of wine that is promised each sleeping car passenger. My bottom line is that the Texas Eagle, City of New Orleans, and Capitol Limited should be avoided until Amtrak gets the needed equipment back in service and restores traditional dining.
I can confirm this statement having ridden the Texas Eagle last summer. Honestly, I’ve never thought of using the upper bunk as a storage for my suitcase, though I don’t mind too much going downstairs to get something as it’s part of the train experience to me. That would be a good option if I were to bring my duffel bag. On the Texas Eagle, no freshly cooked traditional meals; just pre-packaged microwaved “Flexible Dining,” which by the way does require reservations if you want to eat in the food service car vs your room. Not a generous offering for premium passengers paying a hefty price for their room. If that’s not bad enough, the Texas Eagle doesn’t have a Sightseer Lounge car! What CRAZY world is management living in, thinking that a train over 30 hours long doesn’t deserve a lounge for passengers to enjoy the views from?! This is the same experience on the Capitol Limited. Although that route is 13 hours shorter, it traverses some breathtaking scenery that certainly warrants the need for a lounge. Amtrak just HATES the Capitol Limited and Texas Eagle not giving them a lounge or traditional meals!!! On the City of New Orleans, there is a Sightseer Lounge, but no diner. As a result dining service is suspended until diners can be restored which is scheduled to be sometime later this year in time for the summer travel season. But this temporary inconvenience is inexcusable! If Amtrak wants to make the service as good as they can systemwide, they can suspend the two Chicago to Carbondale trains, both of which are running with 7 Superliner consists. Those trains each run with no more than 3 coaches for paying passengers, the other 4 cars are just running empty to meet an axle requirement CN has in place. Cars used for this purpose can include coaches, sleepers, and diners. Even Sightseer Lounges are occasionally deployed to meet this requirement!! Amtrak management is either so incompetent or they are just determined to drive away riders on the Capitol and the Eagle to justify cutting them up. If management was desperate to improve service on all their routes, they can certainly start by positioning every serviceable Sightseer Lounge and dining car in Chicago to fill as many routes if not all of them. But no Amtrak doesn’t like some of its routes enough to do that!!!!
I've traveled in roomette's from coast to coast, and never had to store my carry-on downstairs. Simply turn it on it's side and it will stay on the little stair step in your room. Perfect.
Agreed, the Flexible Dining menu is swill. Not only do I find the menu choices unappealing, when I get the food it seems half the time the food is burnt, dry, or cold. I have a Hot Logic “portable oven” (really just an insulated bag with an electric warming plate) that can heat up a frozen entree to perfect serving temp in a couple of hours, used it on the last trip. Grinds my gears that I have to do that for the prices I pay, the Traditional dining was better tasting and forced me to be social, something my wife likes me to do. Drinks (except for more than 1 alcoholic drink) are free for sleepers. All the soda you want, just have to trek to the cafe car to get it. But I needed to stretch my legs anyway. In the Viewliner Roomette, as a single rider, I can pull down the top bunk (it drops down like an elevator, instead of flipping down), load up 2 or 3 suitcases, then lift it back up out of the way. Easy access anytime I need something, safe, secure and private.
Great video! I didn't know they were looking at updating their Superliners. I haven't seen any news about that but I'd definitely like a larger/more spacious roomette for sure (and maybe they can give us more than one outlet lol). If they will look anything like the photos you shared, I'm all for it. More space, especially for taller people in the 6'1''+ camp like myself, is always wonderful. I'll definitely be watching more of this series. I'm assuming you'll be covering the Viewliners in the series as well, so can't wait for that. I don't remember if it's the 1's or the 2's that have the in-roomette bathroom, but I'm always curious what people's opinions are on that and if anyone actually uses them or goes down to another bathroom elsewhere.
I traveled alone from Portland to Chicago in a roomette and had all my meals in my room. I couldn't talk myself into having to share a table with complete strangers in the dining car. I'm not antisocial, but I thought the experience would be very awkward and unpleasant.
@@robertcongdon6296 agreed, yes. when i do this again i'll have my meals in the roomette. it was crazy in the dining car. amtrak makes sure you there's 4 of you at a table. at times it seemed like we were cattle. perhaps it was a busy time, perhaps they need to add another dining car or two. i appreciate the response.
The roomette in this video is visibly dirty and worn down, which was exactly my experience on Amtrak in one of these sleeper cars. The bathrooms were also dirty. The train in general was dirty and badly worn. Why can't Americans have nice modern trains that are fast and clean and mostly problem-free like Europeans have? Our train system is really bad. Everything that could go wrong on my Amtrak trip went wrong. Mostly train delays, missed connections, and the nightmare of all that. There wasn't even a dining car that anyone could use. We had to eat our microwaved food inside our tiny sleeper room.Very crowded. Oh yeah, and they hired a bus to drop us off at a hotel for two hours sleep after a very long train delay. And they left us there, 30 miles from the train station, abandoned there by Amtrak. Had to take a $100 cab back to the train station and it took me 4 months to get reimbursed for that by Amtrak. I was so sad because I really wanted to like the experience of riding across the country on a train, but it was an awful, scary experience.
They're from a 2006 ad campaign by artist Michael Schwab. Amtrak used to have pretty affordable merch of it, but all I see left in their store is an Adirondack pin. The artist does have prints available... starting at $375 (for a signed 16x21" on archival paper, but still, ouch)
1) I really hope the new Superliner equivalent rolling stock is not designed by Siemens. Imagine spending 2+ days in a Venture seat, even if it has +3 inches of pitch. 2) The refit with the grey upholstery is such an intense blunder. Why not go with the burgundy seen on the Viewliner II cars out east? Those were welcomed wholeheartedly over grey, and with the matching wood paneling would actually make the two equivalent in appearance.
Different contractor for a different acquisition several years later... Lowest bidder won... I expect a bi-level sleeper fleet will replace the Superliner fleet, not a single level fleet...
@@ronclark9724 I sure hope so! At the bare minimum they're going to need to produce more of those transition/"adapter" cars (one port at single level and another at Superliner level)
What is your favorite traditional and flexible meals on Amtrak you can have more than one or none?did you sleep on the lower bunk and how many hours of uninterrupted sleep did you get on this train?
Taking amtrak from vegas to philly soon. Illl do coach all the way. Sample price for coach is 650 roundtrip. With sleeper its over 2,000 an all i need a sleeper for is a segment from arizona to chicago. Ridiculous
The price is certainly prohibitively high. I’m hoping the cost will come down as more of the idling sleeper cars enter service, but who knows if that will actually happen.
What fun -- I love train travel. the only time I had a roomette (with my husband) we had a tiny bathroom inside our room...the sink lowered down over the toilet. I said, look, honey, you can use the toilet and wash your hands at the same time! Since I've been widowed, I travel the cheapest way...a lot cheaper not to have a room and use the snack bar. Lots of other things I can do at my destination for the extra money. I can curl up in my seat, or across several empty seats to sleep! I sure wish so many trains have not been taken off!
downside to the ones above roomette is you sleep 90 degrees opposed to trains motion so you get shaken all night. roomette it kinda rocks you to sleep due to same motion but its side to side relative to how you are laying
A few suggestions about booking any type of room. First, if you are traveling as a couple, do NOT book a "roomette". I don't care how well you know each other. Unless it's an emergency, don't do it. Second, bring 4 to 6 rubber door stoppers. After several hours of a squeaky door, you'll know what to do. Third, bring lots of "wet wipes", you can thank me later. Oh, and have some fun! : )
Hello! Enjoyed your video. I have travelled Amtrak coast to coast in a roomette, bedroom and a slumber coach compartment and was comfortable as well as going coach. The slumber coach was on the Broadway limited. This was not considered first class but having a bed was better than the coach seat. Sadly this accommodation faded into history
Superliners are also found in the East Coast because of the capitol limited and auto train. I also wonder why you're doing a separate video for the viewliner cars since you didn't specifically list this video topic for superliners.
Decided to do a separate video cause they’re definitively different coaches. While yes this one isn’t explicitly listed for superliners, it’s fairly obvious what the topic is.
@@LonestarTrips you also should have mentioned that the viewliner trains also operate in New York City since some people say they are operated on East Coast but that doesn't include Capitol Limited and Auto train since they carry superliner cars because all stations on these two routes have low level platforms.
@@chrisdobrowolski2783 : The Capitol Limited originates and terminates in Washington DC and runs Superliner equipment. You might be thinking of the Cardinal -- that runs between Chicago and NYC by way way West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington DC. The Cardinal runs Viewliner equipment. IMPORTANT: The Cardinal runs just 3 times per week, and has just two Bedrooms per run. If you want a bedroom on the Cardinal, you're well advised to book your reservation MANY months in advance. Another tidbit for those of us connecting to the westbound Cardinal -- it leaves NYC early enough in the morning that you'll probably want a hotel room the night before. The westbound Cardinal leaves Washington DC at a much more civilized hour. I was about to book a hotel in DC for the night before, and then I realized that I can change in Baltimore instead of DC. It's about the same time, but the BOS-BAL fare on the NE Regional is MUCH lower than the BOS-WAS fare. My next trip on the Cardinal will be in early April. I'm riding the NE Regional from BOS to BAL on Saturday, then catching the Cardinal in Baltimore Sunday morning. I'll arrive in Chicago Monday morning.
The Capitol Limited doesn't serve New York City while the Cardinal does... Why one has a Superliner cars while the other has a Viewliner/Amfleet II cars... The key is the tunnels leading to Penn Station...
My mistake then, since it is a little confusing and both trains star with a C plus an extra one which are Cardinal, crescent, Capitol and hard to keep track with all of them.
We shall know who won the placed bids in May 2024... Americans and Canadians have never dealt with European styled couchettes before, preferring Budd/Pullman styled roomettes and standard bedrooms of the past. Superliners and Viewliners have followed in that tradition with Amtrak presently. We will see if that continues soon... I do suspect the winner will be a bi-level fleet to replace the Superliner fleet as the single level Viewliner fleet which must serve New York City are newer, some nearly new, will most likely be replaced much later... American sleeper train require being comfortable for up to three or four days, not just a single overnight sleeper seen in most of Europe... Some see coffin PODs maybe for the future, but I don't see any POD being comfortable for three or four days...
I would have ordered the flat-iron steak dinner myself. it sounds the most filling. Also, these Amtrak bathrooms are 100% identical to every airplane toilet I've seen. I don't see any difference (besides Amtrak having showers).
I am going to correct you. Amtrak actually used old Santa Fe high level cars at one point. I know this because I found a few and even saw one still in Santa Fe once.
I really liked having the in room toilet it was a great experience sitting on the toilet and looking out the window, I believe it was on the superliner 1. I liked the superliner 1 better than 2 because there was no in room toilet they had replaced it with a stair. Moving forward I really hope they keep the in room toilet from superliner 1 in the new roomettes.
No the superliners never had toilets in the roommates but the Viewliner 1 cars did in the roommates but I heard they are phasing those cars out but I do not know when.
I definitely want to! I had planned on taking it last summer, but it was cancelled due to track issues in Canada. Guess that means I’ll have to go back north sometime 😉
The request for replacement super liner cars will likely be 750million dollars because they costed 2.5million new for the second run. This is not a problem for the government if they Actually Care
Alas, the volume control is for the non existent music service. Another age. It doesn't affect the PA. The restrooms and showers in the sleepers are generally better kept up and more sanitary as access is limited to First Class passengers. And of course, you need to check whether your particular route, as the food will be the disgusting FLEX slop. Bring snacks, or do the Snack Bar.
For the Example Fares segment, could I suggest for future videos adding a few stats to each example? It would add a little clutter (and be repetitive if narrated,) but would also put the price in context. (For the westbound Zephyr, that $775 gets you a 2 night stay with 6 meals included - you're on the train for 52h10m, a journey of 2,438 miles.) Also worth nothing that sleepers are a *much* better deal with multiple passengers - that $775 roomette would only be $1064 for 2 adults, or $532 per person.
It’s certainly expensive and the cars need a major overhaul. But Amtrak is in the process of ordering new trainsets for long distance services, so it should be much better in the near future.
@@Grahamrobinsonvt802 With the east coast horrible flexible dining I agree, but with the west coast traditional dining, I prefer a roomette... The best Amtrak deal is the 30 day Rail Pass riding in coach.... And you don't have to consume 30 days either, if all you can get is two weeks or even one week, its still a good deal....
The family bedroom is just sad. Tiny windows and very limited floor space. They should have grabbed the space from the two adjacent roomettes and included in in-suite shower and toilet. I'd never try to cram my family in there.
Maybe something like that will happen with the new bi-level fleet replacing the Superliner fleet... Stay tune for a possible reveal in May 2024 hopefully...
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tipping instructions would be great, also maybe include a note that the cafe is cashless. advice on how u deal with the rooms not being able to be locked from the outside would be really helpful for solo travelers. note that u can ask to have ur meals in ur room if u dont want to deal with the communal sitting in the dining car.
Yes, yes, and yes! All great things to note. I'll be sure to add all of these in the next installment of this series.
Tipping on Amtrak trains is out of control. Just take a lot of cash and hand it out to everyone you see who is doing their job OK.
The power strip is a must for roomette passengers.
The flat iron steak is one of my favourites.
Amtrak used to also serve a prime rib steak, but alas no more. I recall the Burlington T-bone steak riding on the Texas Zephyr back during the early 1960s...
I've often taken the AutoTrain and always get a roomette. Love traveling by train, but it is getting a bit pricey.
Every time I see “trip report” in a roomette, the first thought to come to mind is the displeasure you have for a single outlet!😂😂 “Yes the only outlet.” Really appreciated this video. I’ve taken one trip in a roomette before last summer on the Texas Eagle, but there is still more I can learn about this accommodation! 👍Thanks Noah!
I think there are more on the Caledonian Sleeper, but then what's the point at least of the lowland sleeper? The highland one just about has a point.
Some of these Superliners are approaching 50 years in age, the newest approaching 30 years in age. Long before rechargeable devices were a thing. That one power outlet was sufficient for a razor, or a radio. I recall many bringing Walkmans aboard, tape and CDs. I also recall many bringing portable electronic games aboard bringing extra batteries... Me, I still bring a good book to read...
Just completed our first Amtrak journey on the Empire Builder. We had the perfect storm of all of the most awful things you can imagine. We really wanted to love this experience, but the completely unsanitary restrooms and shower were so bad and never corrected during our journey. Our roomette was not very clean, old and worn. Inside Door lock was broken and locked us out of our room at one point. Thankfully, an employee was able to use a hammer from the outside to get us back into our room. Was supposed to be repaired during a service stop and wasn’t. And yes, we’ve made Amtrak aware of everything. Crew works very hard with what they have. Amtrak, please do better. So much potential.
Next time, bring paper towels, Windex disinfectant spray, a toilet brush, toilet gel cleaner, a bottle of shower cleaner, a scrub sponge, and some cleaning gloves, and you'll do ok.
😁
I wish Amtrak had 'bunkhouse' cars like the old days. Instead of seats which would destroy your back after 12 hours and you can forget about sleeping in those, you could just sleep your way from one end of the country to another. I would much rather be horizontal then seated for 3 days.
I get jealous seeing other countries' trains having different classes with multiple types of bunk bed sleeping options. About to spend 2 nights on a coach seat and dont look forward to that part.
Glad you find the upper berth in the roomette to be comfortable. I find them to be way too confining and hard to get in to--my height is similar to your, but sadly my age is not. Viewliner upper berths are great; on Superliners my wife and I get 2 roomettes across from each other.
Correction on the last part. 63 cars is the total number of cars being restored, which includes Amfleet, Viewliner, and Horizon equipment. The total number of Superliners being restored is 39. 15 of which occurred last fiscal year, and the remaining 24 this year. I believe it included 5 coaches, 1 dining car, 9 transition sleepers, 3 standard sleepers, and 5 Sightseer Lounges. It wasn’t mentioned what car type the 1 other Superliner was.
Don’t you fell Amtrak is super expensive. I had several trips on Amtrak, enjoyed them all but they seem overpriced to me…just my two cents.
Agreed. Coach is far cheaper, so many people are stuck with that because rooms are just too far out of the budget sometimes, and combo of time/pricing often makes flying the better option.
It is super expensive unfortunately for sleeper inventory; inflation, rolling stock shortage, coupled with high demand. I have myself a trip booked on the Southwest Chief this summer. It is cheaper to book than the California Zephyr and Empire Builder. Booked a roomette (the cheapest sleeper accommodation) at the lowest bucket fare available. 4 times more expensive than coach!! On the Empire Builder, if you book a roomette from Chicago to Whitefish MT in the same week. $1262 one way in a roomette!!! Ouch!!! Might as well book coach for that journey because for a much much cheaper price, you get a seat as comfy as a 1st class airplane seat. You can always venture to the Sightseer Lounge if you feel the need to escape the crowded coach and with coach passengers now once again allowed to pay to eat in the dining car, it’s not a bad way to travel!!
Sleeper rooms are often super expensive, yes. Coach is usually much more reasonable. In my experience, coach is already quite comfortable even for sleeping, you get to bring a generous amount of bags, and the cafe car food is decent enough and not priced too badly. Depending on the timing and location of your specific trip, your Sleeper ticket may not have any lounges & you might only get 1 or 2 dining car meals - but that won't stop them from charging you 5x the coach rate! 🤯
@@johnsons74thsquadron74 Unfortunately I can't sleep well in a chair, I require at least a flat cot... But for day trips, I always book coach... Frankly last year I booked the 30 day Rail Pass in coach, sleeping every night either in a big city hotel or a small town B&B throughout the northeast without riding a train any night... But that was the northeast, not the west....
The sleeper accommodations seem to be very expensive. Most of my Amtrak travel has been in my backyard on the NEC so that’s not really a factor, but cost has definitely been one of the things that stops me from taking longer trips.
I’ve done quite a few long-haul trips and I generally do a roomette. The bummer is that it’s often far cheaper to fly. I wish this wasn’t the case, as I’m trying to cut down on how many flights I take, but Amtrak just doesn’t price competitively with some of their options.
Amtrak is tight on car availability due to many of them being put in storage during Covid and suffering from several derailments in the past few years, these have both constrained railcar availability. Except for the City of New Orleans, every Superliner train had at least one additional coach and sleeper pre Covid. The Texas Eagle which has just a pathetic Cross Country Cafe acting as a single food service car used to have a Sightseer Lounge and a full service diner. Diners and lounges are also in limited supply. It looks like that high prices are going to become the norm because capacity will likely never return to pre-pandemic levels though some cars are being brought out of storage this year!
@@johnsons74thsquadron74 For sure. I was recently stuck in a very old, run-down car on the Empire Builder. I actually contacted Amtrak about the poor state of the car itself, as well as my personal room - it was in embarrassing shape for a first-time sleeper rider (my daughter) to experience. They gave me a voucher, but I’d really just rather have cars that are in decent shape for the amount I pay.
No you have to buy way ahead to get a great price, the first roommate may go for 700 dollars, 2nd roommate go for 750 dollars and last roommate on the train may go for 1250 dollars, this is just an example.
Indeed. Another example of how irrational federal subsidies distort prices for anybody who travels. Federal, state, and local governments build and maintain airports, ATC, and all the other infrastructure that air travel requires. That means that air carriers do not have to cover any of those "externalized" expenses. Railroads -- and by extension, Amtrak -- is just the opposite. Few people realize that every "host" railroad has to pay property taxes on every mile of right-of-way in addition to all the other costs of infrastructure construction and maintenance.
The actual cost -- per passenger mile or per ton-mile -- of air travel (for passenger or freight service) is ENORMOUSLY higher than the same cost for rail transport.
Sadly, it is because of our antiquated, baroque, and legally corrupt system of subsidies (many of them silent) that passenger air travel is cheap, auto travel is cheap, and train travel is expensive.
@thomasstambaugh5181 INTERESTING. 🤔
I always hear the debate about passenger rail out of the Hill as a dichotomy of either, more subsidies, or "privatization" (which, let's call this spade a spade, would pretty much eliminate passenger rail in the US, as things currently stand.)
But there's really a different way, you think? I'm all ears, if you don't mind expounding.
What do you think Congress could do, to--for utter lack of a better phrase, and don't take this the wrong way--make rail travel great again?
Thanks like the format of this video and looking forward to future episodes.
I wasn’t sure how well this format would work, so Im glad to hear you enjoyed it 😊
Two questions: is there any space in the Superliner Roomette for a carry-on sized bag? In the upper bunk space at day, under the seat at night? Second, if 2 are traveling, is there one room charge or on both? And how do you link them (or is that automatic when booking for 2?
There is technically space for a carry-on bag if you use the upper bunk as a storage area. It can be locked at the halfway point, which should provide ample room for a carry-on suitcase. Overnight there really isn't enough space if you plan on using both bunks. Yes, technically there is space beneath the seats, but I wouldn't recommend using it for storage.
If two passengers are traveling, Amtrak will charge an adult fare for both passengers, and then a single room charge on top of that. This is why it's not double the price for two people. Both passengers can be added at the time of booking, which automatically links them to that room. Hope this helps!
Maybe one of these days, if I ever take a vacation back to Iowa, of where I first got my official start in my current railroading career, I'll definitely be sure to book a superliner roomette on either the Cal Z or Southwest Chief on my up to Des Moines, my former city of residence
Awesome and informative video! I like that you distinguished between the Superliner I and II, as it seems many people mistake the “newer” looking Superliner I’s for the II when they are in fact older.
I always travel by Amtrak when possible and thanks to their rewards program, many of my trips are free! I’m hoping to take the Sunset Limited next.
You will love the Sunset. You get to LA in time for breakfast at Philippes, and you get to New Orleans in time for a late dinner.
Great video as always Noah!
Lots of useful information particularly about booking and prices and all done in a perfect length! Loved the posters and I paused to take them in.
Do you use a particular booking group? I used one attached to the amtrack platform on my last trip. Okay but are there options?
And I have a picture of that Santa Fe one too. My jaw dropped wide open. The other ones I looked up the car numbers. That’s how I discovered it.
Wilmington, DE station now has an unstaffed First Class lounge available for Acela First Class passengers and sleeping car passengers.
For the record, I ran to watch this vid lol
I hope it lived up to the hype!
The Superliner roomette (either version) has NO PLACE to put even a small carry-on bag. This is a major drawback of the Superliner roomette (in either version) compared to its Viewliner counterpart. For a 2- or 3-night stay, this means doing luggage surgery in the downstairs baggage area each day or night for those of us who prefer a clean shirt, underwear, and trousers each day.
A solo traveler can make do by lowering the upstairs berth a bit and using it for a small bag or carry-on. Two adults are just out of luck.
I am a frequent long-distance Amtrak passenger -- I do it because I enjoy the experience. In my view, an upstairs bedroom is the most affordable Superliner accommodation. It has enough space for a small or moderate suitcase (so long as you keep the moveable chair stowed and locked) and an ensuite bathroom and toilet.
By the way, meals are not "complimentary" -- they are bundled into the price of any sleeper accommodation. That's one reason why "Flexible Dining" is such an insult.
I hope that Amtrak is able to restore traditional dining to all its long-distance trains. The "Flexible Dining" option is an insult instituted even before the pandemic by an Amtrak administration that seemed devoted to driving away passengers. On my last trip on the eastbound Capitol Limited, "Flexible Dining" was a disaster. The sleeping car attendant took my order last, even though I was in a more expensive bedroom -- all the desirable dinner items were sold out by the time he got to me. I ended up with warmed-over ziti and meatballs. These meals were "presented" in white paper bag, one per table in the empty diner, each numbered according to our roomette or bedroom number. The containers were still in their foil wrappings. The "attendant" didn't speak English well enough to understand my request for the serving of wine that is promised each sleeping car passenger.
My bottom line is that the Texas Eagle, City of New Orleans, and Capitol Limited should be avoided until Amtrak gets the needed equipment back in service and restores traditional dining.
You can bring a duffel bag into your roommate with pajamas sandals, shampoo and change of clothes and that bag will fit under the seat or bed.
The “flexible” dining is rather unappetizing, they need to get back to quality dining on those routes!
I can confirm this statement having ridden the Texas Eagle last summer. Honestly, I’ve never thought of using the upper bunk as a storage for my suitcase, though I don’t mind too much going downstairs to get something as it’s part of the train experience to me. That would be a good option if I were to bring my duffel bag.
On the Texas Eagle, no freshly cooked traditional meals; just pre-packaged microwaved “Flexible Dining,” which by the way does require reservations if you want to eat in the food service car vs your room. Not a generous offering for premium passengers paying a hefty price for their room. If that’s not bad enough, the Texas Eagle doesn’t have a Sightseer Lounge car! What CRAZY world is management living in, thinking that a train over 30 hours long doesn’t deserve a lounge for passengers to enjoy the views from?! This is the same experience on the Capitol Limited. Although that route is 13 hours shorter, it traverses some breathtaking scenery that certainly warrants the need for a lounge. Amtrak just HATES the Capitol Limited and Texas Eagle not giving them a lounge or traditional meals!!!
On the City of New Orleans, there is a Sightseer Lounge, but no diner. As a result dining service is suspended until diners can be restored which is scheduled to be sometime later this year in time for the summer travel season. But this temporary inconvenience is inexcusable!
If Amtrak wants to make the service as good as they can systemwide, they can suspend the two Chicago to Carbondale trains, both of which are running with 7 Superliner consists. Those trains each run with no more than 3 coaches for paying passengers, the other 4 cars are just running empty to meet an axle requirement CN has in place. Cars used for this purpose can include coaches, sleepers, and diners. Even Sightseer Lounges are occasionally deployed to meet this requirement!! Amtrak management is either so incompetent or they are just determined to drive away riders on the Capitol and the Eagle to justify cutting them up.
If management was desperate to improve service on all their routes, they can certainly start by positioning every serviceable Sightseer Lounge and dining car in Chicago to fill as many routes if not all of them. But no Amtrak doesn’t like some of its routes enough to do that!!!!
I've traveled in roomette's from coast to coast, and never had to store my carry-on downstairs. Simply turn it on it's side and it will stay on the little stair step in your room. Perfect.
Agreed, the Flexible Dining menu is swill. Not only do I find the menu choices unappealing, when I get the food it seems half the time the food is burnt, dry, or cold. I have a Hot Logic “portable oven” (really just an insulated bag with an electric warming plate) that can heat up a frozen entree to perfect serving temp in a couple of hours, used it on the last trip. Grinds my gears that I have to do that for the prices I pay, the Traditional dining was better tasting and forced me to be social, something my wife likes me to do.
Drinks (except for more than 1 alcoholic drink) are free for sleepers. All the soda you want, just have to trek to the cafe car to get it. But I needed to stretch my legs anyway.
In the Viewliner Roomette, as a single rider, I can pull down the top bunk (it drops down like an elevator, instead of flipping down), load up 2 or 3 suitcases, then lift it back up out of the way. Easy access anytime I need something, safe, secure and private.
Very informative video, thank you! One question - where do you store your luggage? We are thinking of traveling with folding bicycles. Thanks again.
Great video! I didn't know they were looking at updating their Superliners. I haven't seen any news about that but I'd definitely like a larger/more spacious roomette for sure (and maybe they can give us more than one outlet lol). If they will look anything like the photos you shared, I'm all for it. More space, especially for taller people in the 6'1''+ camp like myself, is always wonderful. I'll definitely be watching more of this series.
I'm assuming you'll be covering the Viewliners in the series as well, so can't wait for that. I don't remember if it's the 1's or the 2's that have the in-roomette bathroom, but I'm always curious what people's opinions are on that and if anyone actually uses them or goes down to another bathroom elsewhere.
I am happy that you do this so when I get on the train i know what type seats or rooms I should get
For roomette passengers, do you have your meals in your room or in the dining room car?
You can have them in either your room or in the dining car. The choice is up to you!
@@LonestarTrips Thank-you!
I traveled alone from Portland to Chicago in a roomette and had all my meals in my room. I couldn't talk myself into having to share a table with complete strangers in the dining car. I'm not antisocial, but I thought the experience would be very awkward and unpleasant.
@@robertcongdon6296 agreed, yes. when i do this again i'll have my meals in the roomette. it was crazy in the dining car. amtrak makes sure you there's 4 of you at a table. at times it seemed like we were cattle. perhaps it was a busy time, perhaps they need to add another dining car or two. i appreciate the response.
The roomette in this video is visibly dirty and worn down, which was exactly my experience on Amtrak in one of these sleeper cars. The bathrooms were also dirty. The train in general was dirty and badly worn. Why can't Americans have nice modern trains that are fast and clean and mostly problem-free like Europeans have? Our train system is really bad. Everything that could go wrong on my Amtrak trip went wrong. Mostly train delays, missed connections, and the nightmare of all that. There wasn't even a dining car that anyone could use. We had to eat our microwaved food inside our tiny sleeper room.Very crowded. Oh yeah, and they hired a bus to drop us off at a hotel for two hours sleep after a very long train delay. And they left us there, 30 miles from the train station, abandoned there by Amtrak. Had to take a $100 cab back to the train station and it took me 4 months to get reimbursed for that by Amtrak. I was so sad because I really wanted to like the experience of riding across the country on a train, but it was an awful, scary experience.
OMG where are those posters from?
They're from a 2006 ad campaign by artist Michael Schwab. Amtrak used to have pretty affordable merch of it, but all I see left in their store is an Adirondack pin. The artist does have prints available... starting at $375 (for a signed 16x21" on archival paper, but still, ouch)
Do you have to share with a stranger if you purchase a roomette?
Nope! You get the whole space as one person.
1) I really hope the new Superliner equivalent rolling stock is not designed by Siemens. Imagine spending 2+ days in a Venture seat, even if it has +3 inches of pitch.
2) The refit with the grey upholstery is such an intense blunder. Why not go with the burgundy seen on the Viewliner II cars out east? Those were welcomed wholeheartedly over grey, and with the matching wood paneling would actually make the two equivalent in appearance.
Different contractor for a different acquisition several years later... Lowest bidder won... I expect a bi-level sleeper fleet will replace the Superliner fleet, not a single level fleet...
@@ronclark9724 I sure hope so! At the bare minimum they're going to need to produce more of those transition/"adapter" cars (one port at single level and another at Superliner level)
What is your favorite traditional and flexible meals on Amtrak you can have more than one or none?did you sleep on the lower bunk and how many hours of uninterrupted sleep did you get on this train?
Taking amtrak from vegas to philly soon. Illl do coach all the way. Sample price for coach is 650 roundtrip. With sleeper its over 2,000 an all i need a sleeper for is a segment from arizona to chicago. Ridiculous
The price is certainly prohibitively high. I’m hoping the cost will come down as more of the idling sleeper cars enter service, but who knows if that will actually happen.
@@LonestarTrips it's been the same for years.
Are you sure the skyline on the shower door is DC? I can't figure out what any of those buildings are supposed to be.
Eh, it’s my best guess. Never had anyone say otherwise, so that’s what I’ve stuck with.
Excellent
Thanks!
What fun -- I love train travel. the only time I had a roomette (with my husband) we had a tiny bathroom inside our room...the sink lowered down over the toilet. I said, look, honey, you can use the toilet and wash your hands at the same time! Since I've been widowed, I travel the cheapest way...a lot cheaper not to have a room and use the snack bar. Lots of other things I can do at my destination for the extra money. I can curl up in my seat, or across several empty seats to sleep! I sure wish so many trains have not been taken off!
downside to the ones above roomette is you sleep 90 degrees opposed to trains motion so you get shaken all night. roomette it kinda rocks you to sleep due to same motion but its side to side relative to how you are laying
A few suggestions about booking any type of room. First, if you are traveling as a couple, do NOT book a "roomette". I don't care how well you know each other. Unless it's an emergency, don't do it. Second, bring 4 to 6 rubber door stoppers. After several hours of a squeaky door, you'll know what to do. Third, bring lots of "wet wipes", you can thank me later. Oh, and have some fun! : )
If your alone and book a roomette, the booking said private room, it is really private meaning you hqve the room for yourself?
@@LeVoyageurConscientise Yes, absolutely.
Can you do a American Express CRJ 900 IF POSSIBLE from lax to DCA
Why?
Is there a smokeing car or area?!
Nope! Smoking is only allowed at designated smoke stops, which are announced along the route.
@@LonestarTrips Thanks ) been trying to find that out for awhile.
Hello! Enjoyed your video. I have travelled Amtrak coast to coast in a roomette, bedroom and a slumber coach compartment and was comfortable as well as going coach. The slumber coach was on the Broadway limited. This was not considered first class but having a bed was better than the coach seat. Sadly this accommodation faded into history
Superliners are also found in the East Coast because of the capitol limited and auto train. I also wonder why you're doing a separate video for the viewliner cars since you didn't specifically list this video topic for superliners.
Decided to do a separate video cause they’re definitively different coaches. While yes this one isn’t explicitly listed for superliners, it’s fairly obvious what the topic is.
@@LonestarTrips you also should have mentioned that the viewliner trains also operate in New York City since some people say they are operated on East Coast but that doesn't include Capitol Limited and Auto train since they carry superliner cars because all stations on these two routes have low level platforms.
@@hermanchan2794 I’ll definitely mention it when I end up making the Viewliner video(s).
@@LonestarTrips great, I do appreciate your videos since I need all the information
@@hermanchan2794 I’m happy to make them, and it’s always great to hear they’re appreciated 😊
Prices quoted on the roomette on based on how many days?
Don’t forget that the Superliners are the Capitol Limited
No it is a viewliner since it goes to New York any train that goes to New York must be a viewliner card.
Cars not card
@@chrisdobrowolski2783 : The Capitol Limited originates and terminates in Washington DC and runs Superliner equipment. You might be thinking of the Cardinal -- that runs between Chicago and NYC by way way West Virginia, Virginia, and Washington DC. The Cardinal runs Viewliner equipment.
IMPORTANT: The Cardinal runs just 3 times per week, and has just two Bedrooms per run. If you want a bedroom on the Cardinal, you're well advised to book your reservation MANY months in advance.
Another tidbit for those of us connecting to the westbound Cardinal -- it leaves NYC early enough in the morning that you'll probably want a hotel room the night before. The westbound Cardinal leaves Washington DC at a much more civilized hour. I was about to book a hotel in DC for the night before, and then I realized that I can change in Baltimore instead of DC. It's about the same time, but the BOS-BAL fare on the NE Regional is MUCH lower than the BOS-WAS fare. My next trip on the Cardinal will be in early April. I'm riding the NE Regional from BOS to BAL on Saturday, then catching the Cardinal in Baltimore Sunday morning. I'll arrive in Chicago Monday morning.
The Capitol Limited doesn't serve New York City while the Cardinal does... Why one has a Superliner cars while the other has a Viewliner/Amfleet II cars... The key is the tunnels leading to Penn Station...
My mistake then, since it is a little confusing and both trains star with a C plus an extra one which are Cardinal, crescent, Capitol and hard to keep track with all of them.
Very informative video thank you
Nice video 👋
Amtrak should consider copying the double decker sleepers that are used in Finland. Have you ever ridden their Santa Claus Express?
We shall know who won the placed bids in May 2024... Americans and Canadians have never dealt with European styled couchettes before, preferring Budd/Pullman styled roomettes and standard bedrooms of the past. Superliners and Viewliners have followed in that tradition with Amtrak presently. We will see if that continues soon... I do suspect the winner will be a bi-level fleet to replace the Superliner fleet as the single level Viewliner fleet which must serve New York City are newer, some nearly new, will most likely be replaced much later... American sleeper train require being comfortable for up to three or four days, not just a single overnight sleeper seen in most of Europe... Some see coffin PODs maybe for the future, but I don't see any POD being comfortable for three or four days...
I would have ordered the flat-iron steak dinner myself. it sounds the most filling.
Also, these Amtrak bathrooms are 100% identical to every airplane toilet I've seen. I don't see any difference (besides Amtrak having showers).
I am going to correct you. Amtrak actually used old Santa Fe high level cars at one point. I know this because I found a few and even saw one still in Santa Fe once.
I'm not sure what fact you're correcting here. While yes they did use the hi-level cars, they weren't built for Amtrak.
@@LonestarTrips they invite you answer. Amtrak used them still uses. Hi cars that were not built for Amtrak. I know that for a fact.
I really liked having the in room toilet it was a great experience sitting on the toilet and looking out the window, I believe it was on the superliner 1. I liked the superliner 1 better than 2 because there was no in room toilet they had replaced it with a stair. Moving forward I really hope they keep the in room toilet from superliner 1 in the new roomettes.
No the superliners never had toilets in the roommates but the Viewliner 1 cars did in the roommates but I heard they are phasing those cars out but I do not know when.
can you do the adirondack to montreal and back?
I definitely want to! I had planned on taking it last summer, but it was cancelled due to track issues in Canada. Guess that means I’ll have to go back north sometime 😉
One sleeper train Amtrak has is both a sleeper car or more than 1 and a business class car 1 of them on the Coast Starlight.
The request for replacement super liner cars will likely be 750million dollars because they costed 2.5million new for the second run. This is not a problem for the government if they Actually Care
Any trip reports?
Got a couple good ones coming next week and on the 9th of March.
@@LonestarTrips can you make a video about auto train
@@willgibson9718 absolutely.
@@LonestarTrips about the channel LeShuttle
Alas, the volume control is for the non existent music service. Another age. It doesn't affect the PA.
The restrooms and showers in the sleepers are generally better kept up and more sanitary as access is limited to First Class passengers.
And of course, you need to check whether your particular route, as the food will be the disgusting FLEX slop. Bring snacks, or do the Snack Bar.
The volume control does affect the PA. I’ve been able to raise and lower the volume using that dial on multiple occasions.
For the Example Fares segment, could I suggest for future videos adding a few stats to each example? It would add a little clutter (and be repetitive if narrated,) but would also put the price in context. (For the westbound Zephyr, that $775 gets you a 2 night stay with 6 meals included - you're on the train for 52h10m, a journey of 2,438 miles.) Also worth nothing that sleepers are a *much* better deal with multiple passengers - that $775 roomette would only be $1064 for 2 adults, or $532 per person.
The family bedroom can be cheaper than a roommette, and there are no special qualifications. It can be occupied by one person.
I’ve never seen a family bedroom cheaper than a roomette. Often it slots in just between the roomette and bedroom prices.
I did that. Paid a small fortune. The sleeper cars were filthy. Never again. Don’t waste your money.
It’s certainly expensive and the cars need a major overhaul. But Amtrak is in the process of ordering new trainsets for long distance services, so it should be much better in the near future.
You should have done coach lol 😂
If only this was to be a series…
@@LonestarTrips I’ve taken all routes in coach better than. Sleeper
@@Grahamrobinsonvt802 With the east coast horrible flexible dining I agree, but with the west coast traditional dining, I prefer a roomette... The best Amtrak deal is the 30 day Rail Pass riding in coach.... And you don't have to consume 30 days either, if all you can get is two weeks or even one week, its still a good deal....
The family bedroom is just sad. Tiny windows and very limited floor space. They should have grabbed the space from the two adjacent roomettes and included in in-suite shower and toilet. I'd never try to cram my family in there.
Maybe something like that will happen with the new bi-level fleet replacing the Superliner fleet... Stay tune for a possible reveal in May 2024 hopefully...
Upgraded in 1995😂
Any video today
Pushed back to tomorrow. Made a community post about it.
@@LonestarTrips why
@@willgibson9718 something came up that required my immediate attention.
@@LonestarTrips what
@@willgibson9718 family emergency.
I paid $900 for emeryville to denver 💀💀
... by...a...curtain lol
No thanks I’ll take a plane
Back the camera up so people can see what you are talking about 🤕
There’s not room to back up the camera. The 0.5x lens does a good job, but beyond that there’s not much I can do.
F.. that China has Amtrak beat!! What a sorry excuse for travel..👎👎👎👎👎