Thanks for the heads up‼️Been waiting on this one👍🏾Back in 1973 when we took our 1 st cross country Amtrak ride, our mama and daddy packed us corned beef sandwiches with butter instead of mayo. They were the best sandwiches ever‼️Pop, fruit, candy bars and potato chips too‼️Daddy did take us to the cafe car for cheese sandwiches which were the best cheese sandwiches ever🥰 Precious memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul❣️❣️❣️
Was your mama from New York or the New England area? I'm only asking because my mother and my grandmother always put butter on almost every sandwich even if they add mustard afterwards
I always make a point of asking hotels to make a note that I'm traveling on AMTRAK, and will very likely be late. My favorite hotel in Seattle holds rooms until 3 AM. The Coast Starlight is scheduled to get in to Seattle around 7 PM. I emphasize to them that I don't want to risk losing my room ... they're always willing to make a special note.
Here's one thing I learned the hard way on my first train trip: take note of your train car number (and room number!) If you wander around you might lose track lol. I love Amtrak and your content is excellent 🙂
I am riding for the first time and I am glad to know that I can plan on the trains being late. I am going from Jacksonville FL to Seattle WA to catch a cruise to Alaska. This is also my first ever cruise. I booked the train to get in 2 days before the cruise and so hopefully I don't miss the ship.. Thanks for your info. I have watched several of your videos and am planning on watching more. I don't leave until Sept.
I am an old railbird from infancy in the pullman days and have never tired of just looking at the passing views. Yay for the observation cars! Have you ever mentioned that the observation cars sometimes feature Rangers? Not to be missed these well informed volunteers give talks relevant to the area you are passing through. Special meals must be ordered in advance. Check for what is currently available and how far in advance to order and bring emergency rations because they are not always loaded on the train.
Long time Amtrak traveler here and the #1 rule is don’t expect to get to your destination on time. If my train comes in within 2 hours of ETA, I consider that a good trip.
Hi Rob and Allie, thanks for all your advice. I'm in the US next week and will be traveling around on Amtrak mainly in the North East (Chicago (not in the north east), New York, Boston etc.) and have found your videos very helpful, and entertaining, in planning my trip.
Wow! Even though I've ridden Amtrak like 15 times in the last few years, I always learn something new from you guys. Today, it was the "secret" bathroom. Definitely gonna check that out. Thanks, as always for an awesome video!
Pretty much everything you both say is valuable information, eye openers! And as I learn all these tips and advice makes me wanna get on an Amtrak yesterday, I’m ready! But not yet, my dear husband is still working and hopefully God willing, when he finally retires shortly we will be to plan an amazing trip. Oh and becoming members of those wonderful benefits will be a blessing! 🙌 God bless and continue enjoying your journeys!👋
funny you mentioned being left behind... I was on a train to NYC and we stopped in WAS. I asked the person at the door how long we will be and was told "30 minutes". I got off the train to call someone and get some food and was back in 15 minutes... train was gone. I eventually got to NYC, but not on the train I should have been on.
In Switzerland the trains run on time to 100th of a second, and in Italy legend had it that Mussolini got their trains running on time! And Toronto is supposed to be like New York run by the Swiss. Doesn't apply to VIA rail! Your advice is spot on!
There always seem to be an exception; Two hours (or more) ahead of departure for the Auto Train is required if you are taking your car with you. Again, minimal security to deal with. ❤️ you two for making train travel more accessible. ❤️
Love your channel! We are doing our first Amtrak tomorrow! Viewliner II Train 92 between Ft Lauderdale and Washington DC in a Roomette. We have watched so many of your videos and it has been so helpful! - we obviously subscribed! We have our food, our water bottles, and know exactly what to expect from the bottom bunk and the top bunk! I am a cruise vlogger with a growing channel and love to see good content creators that are successful. Thanks so much for all of your suggestions and videos! I can only hope that my channel can grow and be as amazing as you two! Big Thumbs Up!
The Cafe sells big, delicious cheeseburgers. And I mean really big and really delicious. Buy soon and buy often because they usually run out a day before you reach your destination.
Passenger trains generally travel on rail lines that are owned by commercial companies - their primary purpose is cartage of goods, not passengers, so passenger trains get shunted/held back to keep commerce running smoothly. Essentially, Amtrak owns the rolling stock but rents the rails it runs on.
Next May, we are planning to take the Auto Train from Sanford, FL to Lorton, VA, and then the reverse trip three weeks later. We are going to get bedroom. When should we book our room and auto for the train? Your videos have been very valuable to us for understanding how thing work with Amtrak. You do a fantastic job of informing and giving great tips.
I am leaving in a couple hours for my first Amtrak trip, and first ever solo trip, across the country from North Idaho to Boston and these videos have helped me feel more prepared and a little less anxious!! Thank you for your videos!
Thanks a lot. I'm leaving soon for my trip and some of your tips have been so helpful! The only downside is I've spent more money on things I want to bring on my trip! 😆 🤣 😂
If you’re in the Rewards Program you can also earn points in between trips through Amtrak Survey Rewards. They will email you surveys than can earn 50 points after doing a 10 or 20 minute survey. I’ve added hundreds of points by doing a few surveys each week.
My son and I took the Lakeshore Limited eastbound at the end of July. Everyone had to disembark at Schenectady, NY and be bussed to Albany. The NYC-bound passengers were able to board another train at Albany. The rest of us who went to Boston and intermediate stops were bussed to their destination. Apparently there was a building next to the tracks somewhere between Schenectady and Albany that was destroyed by fire and the building was in danger of collapsing on to the tracks.
I just used the first class lounge at New Orleans Union Station and it was OK. Separate from the main lobby with free snacks and soft drinks. Not the Copa but not bad either.
PS: I've watched all of your "suggestion" vids and found them very helpful. Have you ever considering doing one about transportation after you get off the train? ie getting to an airport to get home after getting off one of the Amtrak "major" routes.
@@jackhays1194 Ahead of trips, I look up local transportation run by the city or hotels near mine which have also free shuttles into the city. There are local government and some mobile apps that partner with local transit in many cities. Always plan ahead, download is good but also good oldfashioned printed or notebook.
One thing a rail fan taught me was about the shortwave radio channels. Find out what channels your train uses and you can hear the train check system and also the chatter between the rail personnel. One time, our train hit a truck that was parked across the tracks. With the radio, we heard that they were drunk and the rail people were angry at the mess they would have to deal with. Luckily, no one was killed, they did get out of the truck in time. There was a lot of beer in truck. Still we knew that was happening without bugging anyone. And have a good laugh at the truck owner's expense.
Thanks for your videos! I love going by train but it’s very different than flying. If you believe “the journey is the destination,” you’ll probably have a great time. I have found people to be very friendly on trains and the camaraderie is a lot of fun. I have probably had delays a third of the time. In the summer, it’s useful to know that there may be speed restrictions due to the temperature of the rails. Once, there is a delay because somebody hauled a washing machine onto the tracks-thankfully we didn’t hit it. Another time, traveling through northern Indiana at night, the train unfortunately struck a pedestrian. In a situation like that, they have to pull the crew for the ensuing investigation, and bring a whole new crew in, so we were sitting there for 12+ hours. I was in coach and people did not settle down all night, which wasn’t fun. The attendant in the cafe the next morning told me the passengers bought out all the alcohol on board in record time. They started to run out of food so we each got a bowl of Dinty Moore stew. After that experience, I am getting a roommette for my next overnight trip later this week and I’m really looking forward to it.
In September 2021, I was traveling from Philadelphia to San Antonio on Amtrak's Cardinal to Chicago. Then a couple hours later I rode the Texas Eagle. About a month prior to my trip, I got a notification from Amtrak letting me know that the Texas Eagle, to San Antonio, was only going as far as Fort Worth and transportation was going to be provided. When I started the trip, the Cardinal was on time leaving Philadelphia and arriving in Chicago. Never happened before. As for the Texas Eagle, it went according to plan. I waited at Fort Worth for about 20 minutes to a half hour for a bus. 2 buses showed up. One of the buses went straight to San Antonio as an express. It arrived 3 hours ahead of the train schedule. So as yall stated, if any issues arise, Amtrak will do their best to accommodate you.
Please. Forget the question on large wheelchairs. They make smaller electrics now. What are the dimensions of largest bag storage per room/train? Thank you.
You guys are great . You do not over hype the experience. What about WiFi . Understand not available on board -- what about at stops? What is your experience with cell service?
My wife & I took a train from Ventura, CA to Houston, TX. Talk about delays... our train was 8 + hours late getting into Houston, TX. They even ran out of food and we had canned chili for dinner the last night. WECOME TO AMTRAK!!!
We grew up in the pre-Amtrak days of elegant Pullman porters and First-Class sleeper cars on the legendary fallen flags. A lot of time was spent on them. Never had any problems with the cushy trains and fares were reasonable. It's extortionate modern air travel that tends to be miserable.
I do want to say how early you should arrive at a train station is completely dependent on the specific train station because I know going into DC especially if you have to travel for more than 30 minutes you’re gonna hit traffic you’re gonna have the same issue in New York especially if you’re driving or taking an Uber to the train station. I definitely try to get there an hour and a half early just in case we got stuck in really bad traffic so I wouldn’t miss the train. One of the lessons that I learned is sometimes it’s easier to go to a much smaller train station even though it’s a little further away like DC union station as my primary station but I prefer to either go to Alexandria or Rockville depending on which direction I’m going.
Agreed. ESPECIALLY if you are using the AutoTrain (Sanford, FL / Lorton, VA). For that set of itineraries you have to be there no later than 90 minutes before the scheduled departure time (4 PM in either direction) to allow time to load the vehicles. We got burned once (and ONLY once) trying to depart Lorton-DC traffic was nasty that day.
@@eemcm6512 DC rush hour starts at 3 pm almost like clockwork. Arriving home in Lorton any M-F will result in a hellacious traffic experience if you are unfamiliar with DC rush hour rivaled only by the city of LA.
Next time we ride overnight on Amtrak, we may do either a bedroom or two roomettes. The problem on the eastbound Lakeshore limited was that my pancakes were served cold so the syrup solidified during breakfast also, they may be privacy curtains, but the light still comes through the door window underneath the short door curtain from the hallway during the night. Checked 2 overnight size suitcases starting in Chicago. The return trip we were not allowed to check our luggage from Albany to Chicago, probably because there is no checked baggage service at LaPlata, MO SW Chief part of the return trip where our trip began. We would have had plenty of time to pick up our luggage at Chicago and put it on the Chief ourselves. We had only two backpacks, snack bag, ByPap machine, and 2 overnight size suitcases for the 10 day trip.
Can you do a little video on layovers? I've never been on a train ride but see some trips I want to take. Some of them says like 5 hour layover. I know it's like a transfer but what do you do during a layover? Do you have to collect your bags off the train? Like what all do you have to do?
I feel like I’m way behind to this game. We have a trip booked for November and did it through Amtrak vacations to help with some of the transfers between locations. We are traveling the sunset limited from Houston to LA, then the Chief to Flagstaff bus to Williams, then the fancy train to the Grand Canyon and back. Then flagstaff to Chicago and Chicago to New Orleans and then NO back to Houston. We only have stays in GC, Williams, and New Orleans with a “short” layover in Chicago - 6 hours which now I’m a little worried about.
I signed up for the guest rewards before my first big trip, and then they did a promo while I had my tickets scheduled for double points so I have enough for a short ride already. The thing I didn't realize that the points don't expire if you just take another ride within a 2 year period, so you can use them or save them for later. So even without traveling enough to go up a reward level you can still benefit and it costs nothing to sign up.
: I have been following you guys (Grounded Life Travel) for about a year now. My wife and I are planning a trip up the California coast for next year. I'm sure we will be taking the surfliner up to Washington State. We are going to book the hotel on wheels. Amtrak mini hotel room. LOL. We will be following all or most of your recommendations. Great web site. All Aboard. Anthony, Inglewood, California 🐢 🚂 🐢 🚂 🐢 🚂
Just a quick tip. The Surfliner only goes as far north as San Luis Obispo. To get up to Washington State you'll want to catch the Coast Starlight. I ride it a lot and it is an awesomely gorgeous trip. Enjoy your journey!
@@jamesthompson3099: Thank U JT. That information is great, I think we will just transfer from one train to the next to complete the run and do the opposite on the way back. 🐢 👍 🐢 😀
Hi! Love your videos! They are very informative and well put together. If you haven't done one on this topic, can you go over bringing food and drink in more detail? I'm talking about more than snacks like little bags of chips; I'm talking about fancy stuff like cheese, wine, spirits, mixers, etc and how you'd go about it? If you have done a video on this, can you please point it out in your response? Thanks!
The “almost” rail strike impacted us 3 weeks ago…….we had taken the California Zephyr from Denver to Salt Lake City. Our return trip was canceled. We received NO notification from Amtrak that it was canceled. Luckily, I was checking the train’s schedule about 12 hours before planned departure when I saw it was canceled. No problem getting a refund. We just used airline miles to book airplane tickets to get home that night. By the way, this was our very first train ride!😢
You guys are soooo helpful in letting us know SOME REALLY good tips and advice. Hubby and I want to take a train up to Ohio, we live in Southern NM and I’m trying to find the best route to take. Is it best to have a travel agency help us or do we just try to book ourselves? We’ve never been on a train, so all this will be new for us, and we’d like to have the best and most affordable trip we can find. Thanks soooo much for all your wonderful help and information. Stay safe and may God Bless y’all. ❤️🙏🏻
If this is still relevant, or for anyone that comes across this question, it’s easy enough to book it yourself. Just enter the stations you want to begin and end the trip and the Amtrak website will give you the available options. For southern New Mexico, you’d probably want to board in Lordsburg, Deming, or El Paso. Las Cruces also had Thruway connecting bus service. Please note that the train that serves those stations is triweekly, not daily, so be flexible with your dates. You’d likely take the Texas Eagle to Chicago, then either the Lake Shore Limited to northern OH or the Cardinal, another triweekly train, to southern Ohio. If in doubt, find a travel agent. To my knowledge, it doesn’t cost any more to use a TA.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I can't wait to start! I have bean watching you for a long time and have seen all the videos. Allie, I love all the wraps you have, especially the one you are wearing now. Where did you get it?
I've watched several videos so far and I am so glad I found the two of you. I'm still lost in the regards of planning, but I'm hoping if I call Amtrak they might be able to help me, or at least send me to the right site, or send some literature to me. Thank you thank you thank you for all of your advice
0:39 Just an F.Y.I. here. You can also bring your own food and liquor on a plane. Riding a train or a plane, I would usually stop at a K.F.C. and pick up a three piece chicken dinner to go. It comes in a nice rectangular box.
If an Amtrak train is late at a connection point & the connecting train is missed, will Amtrak have sleeper car accommodations for their passengers on the next outgoing train the following day? This happened to me in the '90's when Amtrak put its passengers up in a hotel overnight in Chicago, but only offered coach seats on the Lakeshore Ltd. the following day or a ticket in coach with an airline. I've learned my lesson after that experience & have always given myself an extra day at connecting points. Great advice for new Amtrak travelers.
Great advise. On superliner rooms 1 through 10 are on the upper level, with 1 reserved for the attendant storage, 11 to 14 are lower level. Bedrooms are lettered A through E don't ever accept bedroom A, it is very cramped, and the bathroom door doesn't open fully, had that one several years back and it was miserable. Bedroom E is over the boarding door on the lower level and it gets slammed at some station stops if you are a light sleeper. This fall I was going to LA and canceled because of the impending strike and when booking hit the jackpot in both ways turned out to be A. Asked nicely if I could have different ones and it was done, always book early or you'll have potluck.
Have ridden Amtrak numerous times and almost all have been late (although not excessive except 1x) but my southbound Cresent seems to never be late especially when I want it to be. My station stop is very early and I never get breakfast. Lol
I'm in Hawaii and am soon to retire from work. The way the economy is going I don;' know if I will be traveling Amtrak soon. You have great presentations and I will follow your channel. Bucket list comes to mind.
I have noticed that on the NE Corridor, the cafe car is closed after a crew change. I recently traveled from NYC to Boston, and the cafe car didn't open until we got into Connecticut.
Question: My husband is 6'8. I know he will not be as comfortable as me, im 5 feet, but my question is : does the viewing cart have high ceiling? and what other areas have higher than normal ceiling, if any? we are traveling from Sanford to Lorton
Hi guys. I love your videos. I have never traveled on Amtrak before so they have been very helpful. I'm heading from Burlington Vt to Dallas Texas. I will have a roomette most of the way down and back but starting out in coach first. Question, once I get my roomette can I bring a small lock with me and lock the door from the outside if I leave the roomette for a while.. Thanks so much fo all the great videos!!
most door do can not put a padlock on the outside. If you are concerned about theft (highly unlikeLy) I would suggest you carry a small bag with your valuables to the bathroom and observation car and when you leave your room draw the curtain closed and velcro it and then slide the door close- the door can slide open during the trip which does not mean someone was in your room.
You mention that you can call and switch to the upper rooms in the train but you cannot pick what roomette side of the train. Obviously, who wouldn't want the best view when travelling by train. I am planning on a trip from Seattle to Philly next September. I really would love to be on the left side for that trip
The problem is the staff even does not know which way the car of each train can be attached, for example one time the car can be arranged forward facing and another time the same car can be backwards facing.
Thank you! I love your channel and you are both awesome with your information! I am planning my first trip on Amtrak for next month from Emeryville, CA to Reno, NV. Does anyone have any advice?
Just finished our 1st trip on Coast Starlight from LA to Oakland which we really enjoyed but….Just before we got off in Oakland, there was a train wide announcement that the train will disembark all passengers in Sacramento due to a freight train derailment further down the line. Because the train was late, people got off at 1am in Sacramento and Amtrak just asked everyone to call the 1-800 number for arrangements. No hotel rooms, no bus to Seattle, simply you need to get off the train. I was shocked that they made no arrangements for the passengers!
I have to disagree on your advice on prices. I booked a trip with a roomette 4 months in advance and then 1 week before my trip I did a curiosity price check. The price was exactly the same. Checking prices several months out is good of course, but I have found that Amtrak always keep their prices up regardless of how far out you book.
Luck of the draw. Amtrak uses a price structure called “buckets”- the first 20% of the seats will be this much, the next 20% a little higher, and so on. It sounds like when you booked they were already working on the last bucket. Generally, the earlier you book, the better.
We just got back from an amtrak trip to NYC from Milwaukee Wisconsin. I must say that we were in a viewliner 1 and it was horrible, no space and when the bed was made there was no room for you to enter the bedroom because the space between the mattress and the wall was 2 inches. Also the food was the worst part and the omelet we had was rubbery and the sausage was just as rubbery. We will never ride on amtrak again after the fiasco. I realize that you toured a viewliner 2 in your video and from what I paid, it was the worst trip I have ever taken.
Yes. When I arrive in Chicago on the Lake Shore Limited (having stayed in a roommate) it is too early to check into a hotel. I have used the Metropolitan Lounge to hang out there until I could check-in.
Why don't you ever mention about Denver Union Station. It is beautiful and has on site Hotel and restaurants in the Station. Just saying Denver is great destinations to go to.
Hi, at 67 I am starting my bucket list, I want to go from Harrisburg Pa to tampa fl for 3 ppl it will be 2 roomettes and on the website they have no baggage check in Harrisburg and we will be in coach to go to philly,will I have enough room to have my luggage in coach, when we get to philly i hope to check our bags for the rest of the trip.I supposedly will have an hour and 20 minutes lay over.
The price to add a second person to a sleeper car is significantly lower than the price for the first person. The fare is in two parts--the room fare (which is paid only one time) and the person fare, paid for each adult passenger. (I don't know what at what age fares are required for children)
Amtrak is always late is an understatement. A couple of days ago, their service from Detroit area to Chicago Union Station was delayed 19 HOURS, people actually got off when it was stopped, outside of Gary, IN (about 20-25 miles outside of chicago) went on to the side of the tollway and booked Ubers to complete the trip to Chicago. They need to be punished by people not riding it anymore. I would take the greyhound before I took Amtrak. They pretty much had an “oh well!” Attitude about it so you know they’re never going to get better ‘cause they dont care!
As long as the best of the best command our war ships The captain should always have preferences. Pizza and wings look great so does the roasted ham. Go U.S. Navy 👍..
Are the hallways big enough to handle a manual wheelchair, walker or etc. Can any handle one if those much bigger electric wheelchairs? Really enjoy you. Thanks.
I’ve enjoyed your videos, and I’m preparing to take a trip on the Lake Shore Limited from Cleveland to Worcester, Mass, getting off at one of the quick stops. I have a question about whether I should check my suitcase or not. I will be traveling in Coach and I am willing to and interested in checking my bag, but wonder how I will retrieve it in Worcester? I also don’t mind having it on the train with me. It will be the size of a carry-on for plane travel, but wonder if I will have trouble finding a place to put it since I’m not getting on at the origination point of the train. Do you have any advice?
Since in coach if you need the suitcase take it on the coach car with you and put it in the luggage rack in the car on the 1rst floor. The only way you can check baggage is if both stations have checked bag service. Also if both stations have checked baggage service and you decide to check the suitcase you will not have access to it for the whole trip.
Hey Rob & Allie! Do you guys ever get “train-lagged” traveling westward? I did taking the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle; and got un-lagged when I went back to Chicago (just tired).
The price to add a second person to a sleeper car is significantly lower than the price for the first person. The fare is in two parts--the room fare (which is paid only one time) and the person fare, paid for each adult passenger. (I don't know what at what age fares are required for children)
Thanks for the heads up‼️Been waiting on this one👍🏾Back in 1973 when we took our 1 st cross country Amtrak ride, our mama and daddy packed us corned beef sandwiches with butter instead of mayo. They were the best sandwiches ever‼️Pop, fruit, candy bars and potato chips too‼️Daddy did take us to the cafe car for cheese sandwiches which were the best cheese sandwiches ever🥰 Precious memories, how they linger, how they ever flood my soul❣️❣️❣️
Yes, this, this right here, the comment above is the best ever.
Was your mama from New York or the New England area? I'm only asking because my mother and my grandmother always put butter on almost every sandwich even if they add mustard afterwards
I always make a point of asking hotels to make a note that I'm traveling on AMTRAK, and will very likely be late. My favorite hotel in Seattle holds rooms until 3 AM. The Coast Starlight is scheduled to get in to Seattle around 7 PM. I emphasize to them that I don't want to risk losing my room ... they're always willing to make a special note.
If you give the hotel a credit card number, they'll hold the room for days if you want them to.
Here's one thing I learned the hard way on my first train trip: take note of your train car number (and room number!) If you wander around you might lose track lol. I love Amtrak and your content is excellent 🙂
I am riding for the first time and I am glad to know that I can plan on the trains being late. I am going from Jacksonville FL to Seattle WA to catch a cruise to Alaska. This is also my first ever cruise. I booked the train to get in 2 days before the cruise and so hopefully I don't miss the ship.. Thanks for your info. I have watched several of your videos and am planning on watching more. I don't leave until Sept.
You should be fine with the time you've built in.
I am an old railbird from infancy in the pullman days and have never tired of just looking at the passing views. Yay for the observation cars! Have you ever mentioned that the observation cars sometimes feature Rangers? Not to be missed these well informed volunteers give talks relevant to the area you are passing through.
Special meals must be ordered in advance. Check for what is currently available and how far in advance to order and bring emergency rations because they are not always loaded on the train.
I loved the ranger talks when going through Puget sound in Washington, great start on trips our of Seattle
Long time Amtrak traveler here and the #1 rule is don’t expect to get to your destination on time. If my train comes in within 2 hours of ETA, I consider that a good trip.
On Amtrak. You get there when you get there.
I thought the purpose of train riding was to sit back & relax, no hurrying, it never bothers me since I love riding the rails.❤️
Hi Rob and Allie, thanks for all your advice. I'm in the US next week and will be traveling around on Amtrak mainly in the North East (Chicago (not in the north east), New York, Boston etc.) and have found your videos very helpful, and entertaining, in planning my trip.
Wow! Even though I've ridden Amtrak like 15 times in the last few years, I always learn something new from you guys. Today, it was the "secret" bathroom. Definitely gonna check that out. Thanks, as always for an awesome video!
Pretty much everything you both say is valuable information, eye openers! And as I learn all these tips and advice makes me wanna get on an Amtrak yesterday, I’m ready! But not yet, my dear husband is still working and hopefully God willing, when he finally retires shortly we will be to plan an amazing trip. Oh and becoming members of those wonderful benefits will be a blessing! 🙌 God bless and continue enjoying your journeys!👋
For your first Amtrak adventure ride the California Zephyr.
funny you mentioned being left behind... I was on a train to NYC and we stopped in WAS. I asked the person at the door how long we will be and was told "30 minutes". I got off the train to call someone and get some food and was back in 15 minutes... train was gone. I eventually got to NYC, but not on the train I should have been on.
In Switzerland the trains run on time to 100th of a second, and in Italy legend had it that Mussolini got their trains running on time!
And Toronto is supposed to be like New York run by the Swiss.
Doesn't apply to VIA rail!
Your advice is spot on!
There always seem to be an exception; Two hours (or more) ahead of departure for the Auto Train is required if you are taking your car with you. Again, minimal security to deal with. ❤️ you two for making train travel more accessible. ❤️
My first ride was also on the Crescent, from Birmingham to Washington DC in a roomette. Thanks to your videos I was prepared!
My first Amtrak train ride is coming up in November and oddly enough it's also Atlanta to New Orleans round trip..I can't wait. Love your videos
Love your channel! We are doing our first Amtrak tomorrow! Viewliner II Train 92 between Ft Lauderdale and Washington DC in a Roomette. We have watched so many of your videos and it has been so helpful! - we obviously subscribed! We have our food, our water bottles, and know exactly what to expect from the bottom bunk and the top bunk! I am a cruise vlogger with a growing channel and love to see good content creators that are successful. Thanks so much for all of your suggestions and videos! I can only hope that my channel can grow and be as amazing as you two! Big Thumbs Up!
The Cafe sells big, delicious cheeseburgers. And I mean really big and really delicious. Buy soon and buy often because they usually run out a day before you reach your destination.
Passenger trains generally travel on rail lines that are owned by commercial companies - their primary purpose is cartage of goods, not passengers, so passenger trains get shunted/held back to keep commerce running smoothly. Essentially, Amtrak owns the rolling stock but rents the rails it runs on.
Next May, we are planning to take the Auto Train from Sanford, FL to Lorton, VA, and then the reverse trip three weeks later. We are going to get bedroom. When should we book our room and auto for the train? Your videos have been very valuable to us for understanding how thing work with Amtrak. You do a fantastic job of informing and giving great tips.
Thanks for the update and comments..
I was glad to hear about the possibility of a credit card, as I am an avid train rider and appreciate any savings I can realize.
Thanks for the information. I'm going on my first Amtrak ride next week. You've help me reset my expectations.
Every time I view your vlogs, I learn something valuable or new. Really appreciate you guys and the fine, reliable information you provide❣️💯
So glad I watched this! I was about to make a reservation for an hour after I arrive😂
I always love listening to you guys. It doesn't matter what you are sharing with us 🥰
It was nice to see the Fullerton station on this blog that's my home station Fullerton to San Diego
I am leaving in a couple hours for my first Amtrak trip, and first ever solo trip, across the country from North Idaho to Boston and these videos have helped me feel more prepared and a little less anxious!! Thank you for your videos!
How is your trip going?
Thanks a lot. I'm leaving soon for my trip and some of your tips have been so helpful! The only downside is I've spent more money on things I want to bring on my trip! 😆 🤣 😂
If you’re in the Rewards Program you can also earn points in between trips through Amtrak Survey Rewards. They will email you surveys than can earn 50 points after doing a 10 or 20 minute survey. I’ve added hundreds of points by doing a few surveys each week.
Thank you so much for your advice! We are traveling home from DC on Amtrak and your advice on everything Amtrak is much appreciated!
My son and I took the Lakeshore Limited eastbound at the end of July. Everyone had to disembark at Schenectady, NY and be bussed to Albany. The NYC-bound passengers were able to board another train at Albany. The rest of us who went to Boston and intermediate stops were bussed to their destination. Apparently there was a building next to the tracks somewhere between Schenectady and Albany that was destroyed by fire and the building was in danger of collapsing on to the tracks.
Thanks Bill and Nia!
You are welcome
I just used the first class lounge at New Orleans Union Station and it was OK. Separate from the main lobby with free snacks and soft drinks. Not the Copa but not bad either.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
I hope to travel by train in the near future.
I really appreciate the tips!
2 days away 🎊 RT Houston to LA! Thank you so much for all of your information. I’m so excited!
How is your trip going?
How fun I wish the station by me had a lounge. It’s so small there’s barely nothing there. I’m by the one in maricopa az
We wish ours had a big lounge too!
,love this videos,my first solo Amtrak trip is coming soon
PS: I've watched all of your "suggestion" vids and found them very helpful. Have you ever considering doing one about transportation after you get off the train? ie getting to an airport to get home after getting off one of the Amtrak "major" routes.
Yes! As in reliability of wheelchair accessible transportation -van rentals, buses, subways etc.
@@jackhays1194 Ahead of trips, I look up local transportation run by the city or hotels near mine which have also free shuttles into the city. There are local government and some mobile apps that partner with local transit in many cities. Always plan ahead, download is good but also good oldfashioned printed or notebook.
My husband is a long time flight attendant. I’m looking forward to planning a trip out of California. I have not traveled by plane since Covid🥺
One thing a rail fan taught me was about the shortwave radio channels. Find out what channels your train uses and you can hear the train check system and also the chatter between the rail personnel.
One time, our train hit a truck that was parked across the tracks. With the radio, we heard that they were drunk and the rail people were angry at the mess they would have to deal with. Luckily, no one was killed, they did get out of the truck in time. There was a lot of beer in truck. Still we knew that was happening without bugging anyone. And have a good laugh at the truck owner's expense.
Thanks for your videos! I love going by train but it’s very different than flying. If you believe “the journey is the destination,” you’ll probably have a great time. I have found people to be very friendly on trains and the camaraderie is a lot of fun. I have probably had delays a third of the time. In the summer, it’s useful to know that there may be speed restrictions due to the temperature of the rails. Once, there is a delay because somebody hauled a washing machine onto the tracks-thankfully we didn’t hit it. Another time, traveling through northern Indiana at night, the train unfortunately struck a pedestrian. In a situation like that, they have to pull the crew for the ensuing investigation, and bring a whole new crew in, so we were sitting there for 12+ hours. I was in coach and people did not settle down all night, which wasn’t fun. The attendant in the cafe the next morning told me the passengers bought out all the alcohol on board in record time. They started to run out of food so we each got a bowl of Dinty Moore stew. After that experience, I am getting a roommette for my next overnight trip later this week and I’m really looking forward to it.
In September 2021, I was traveling from Philadelphia to San Antonio on Amtrak's Cardinal to Chicago. Then a couple hours later I rode the Texas Eagle. About a month prior to my trip, I got a notification from Amtrak letting me know that the Texas Eagle, to San Antonio, was only going as far as Fort Worth and transportation was going to be provided. When I started the trip, the Cardinal was on time leaving Philadelphia and arriving in Chicago. Never happened before. As for the Texas Eagle, it went according to plan. I waited at Fort Worth for about 20 minutes to a half hour for a bus. 2 buses showed up. One of the buses went straight to San Antonio as an express. It arrived 3 hours ahead of the train schedule. So as yall stated, if any issues arise, Amtrak will do their best to accommodate you.
Please. Forget the question on large wheelchairs. They make smaller electrics now. What are the dimensions of largest bag storage per room/train? Thank you.
You guys are great . You do not over hype the experience. What about WiFi . Understand not available on board -- what about at stops? What is your experience with cell service?
My wife & I took a train from Ventura, CA to Houston, TX. Talk about delays... our train was 8 + hours late getting into Houston, TX. They even ran out of food and we had canned chili for dinner the last night. WECOME TO AMTRAK!!!
Good information! Outstanding content!👍🏾
We grew up in the pre-Amtrak days of elegant Pullman porters and First-Class sleeper cars on the legendary fallen flags. A lot of time was spent on them. Never had any problems with the cushy trains and fares were reasonable. It's extortionate modern air travel that tends to be miserable.
I do want to say how early you should arrive at a train station is completely dependent on the specific train station because I know going into DC especially if you have to travel for more than 30 minutes you’re gonna hit traffic you’re gonna have the same issue in New York especially if you’re driving or taking an Uber to the train station. I definitely try to get there an hour and a half early just in case we got stuck in really bad traffic so I wouldn’t miss the train.
One of the lessons that I learned is sometimes it’s easier to go to a much smaller train station even though it’s a little further away like DC union station as my primary station but I prefer to either go to Alexandria or Rockville depending on which direction I’m going.
Agreed. ESPECIALLY if you are using the AutoTrain (Sanford, FL / Lorton, VA). For that set of itineraries you have to be there no later than 90 minutes before the scheduled departure time (4 PM in either direction) to allow time to load the vehicles. We got burned once (and ONLY once) trying to depart Lorton-DC traffic was nasty that day.
@@eemcm6512 DC rush hour starts at 3 pm almost like clockwork. Arriving home in Lorton any M-F will result in a hellacious traffic experience if you are unfamiliar with DC rush hour rivaled only by the city of LA.
Next time we ride overnight on Amtrak, we may do either a bedroom or two roomettes. The problem on the eastbound Lakeshore limited was that my pancakes were served cold so the syrup solidified during breakfast also, they may be privacy curtains, but the light still comes through the door window underneath the short door curtain from the hallway during the night. Checked 2 overnight size suitcases starting in Chicago.
The return trip we were not allowed to check our luggage from Albany to Chicago, probably because there is no checked baggage service at LaPlata, MO SW Chief part of the return trip where our trip began. We would have had plenty of time to pick up our luggage at Chicago and put it on the Chief ourselves. We had only two backpacks, snack bag, ByPap machine, and 2 overnight size suitcases for the 10 day trip.
Can you do a little video on layovers? I've never been on a train ride but see some trips I want to take. Some of them says like 5 hour layover. I know it's like a transfer but what do you do during a layover? Do you have to collect your bags off the train? Like what all do you have to do?
I feel like I’m way behind to this game. We have a trip booked for November and did it through Amtrak vacations to help with some of the transfers between locations. We are traveling the sunset limited from Houston to LA, then the Chief to Flagstaff bus to Williams, then the fancy train to the Grand Canyon and back. Then flagstaff to Chicago and Chicago to New Orleans and then NO back to Houston.
We only have stays in GC, Williams, and New Orleans with a “short” layover in Chicago - 6 hours which now I’m a little worried about.
❤❤❤ ! Thank you for the valuable info...
I signed up for the guest rewards before my first big trip, and then they did a promo while I had my tickets scheduled for double points so I have enough for a short ride already. The thing I didn't realize that the points don't expire if you just take another ride within a 2 year period, so you can use them or save them for later. So even without traveling enough to go up a reward level you can still benefit and it costs nothing to sign up.
: I have been following you guys (Grounded Life Travel) for about a year now. My wife and I are planning a trip up the California coast for next year. I'm sure we will be taking the surfliner up to Washington State. We are going to book the hotel on wheels. Amtrak mini hotel room. LOL. We will be following all or most of your recommendations. Great web site. All Aboard.
Anthony, Inglewood, California
🐢 🚂 🐢 🚂 🐢 🚂
Just a quick tip. The Surfliner only goes as far north as San Luis Obispo. To get up to Washington State you'll want to catch the Coast Starlight. I ride it a lot and it is an awesomely gorgeous trip. Enjoy your journey!
@@jamesthompson3099: Thank U JT. That information is great, I think we will just transfer from one train to the next to complete the run and do the opposite on the way back. 🐢 👍 🐢 😀
Hi! Love your videos! They are very informative and well put together. If you haven't done one on this topic, can you go over bringing food and drink in more detail? I'm talking about more than snacks like little bags of chips; I'm talking about fancy stuff like cheese, wine, spirits, mixers, etc and how you'd go about it? If you have done a video on this, can you please point it out in your response? Thanks!
The “almost” rail strike impacted us 3 weeks ago…….we had taken the California Zephyr from Denver to Salt Lake City. Our return trip was canceled. We received NO notification from Amtrak that it was canceled. Luckily, I was checking the train’s schedule about 12 hours before planned departure when I saw it was canceled. No problem getting a refund. We just used airline miles to book airplane tickets to get home that night. By the way, this was our very first train ride!😢
I bought my ticket a few weeks ago for my Januray trip from San Jose CA to Lamy for $243 r/t in coach and will Bid for an upgrade.
Yikes! I didn’t know that they can run up to 4 hours late!! Headed from Ashland VA to Whitefish MT tomorrow.
It looks like the Amtrak credit card is available now. 12k mile sign up bonus for the free card and 30k for the $99 annual fee card.
You guys are soooo helpful in letting us know SOME REALLY good tips and advice. Hubby and I want to take a train up to Ohio, we live in Southern NM and I’m trying to find the best route to take. Is it best to have a travel agency help us or do we just try to book ourselves? We’ve never been on a train, so all this will be new for us, and we’d like to have the best and most affordable trip we can find. Thanks soooo much for all your wonderful help and information. Stay safe and may God Bless y’all. ❤️🙏🏻
If this is still relevant, or for anyone that comes across this question, it’s easy enough to book it yourself. Just enter the stations you want to begin and end the trip and the Amtrak website will give you the available options. For southern New Mexico, you’d probably want to board in Lordsburg, Deming, or El Paso. Las Cruces also had Thruway connecting bus service. Please note that the train that serves those stations is triweekly, not daily, so be flexible with your dates. You’d likely take the Texas Eagle to Chicago, then either the Lake Shore Limited to northern OH or the Cardinal, another triweekly train, to southern Ohio.
If in doubt, find a travel agent. To my knowledge, it doesn’t cost any more to use a TA.
Is there a food court at the major stations
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! I can't wait to start! I have bean watching you for a long time and have seen all the videos. Allie, I love all the wraps you have, especially the one you are wearing now. Where did you get it?
I've watched several videos so far and I am so glad I found the two of you. I'm still lost in the regards of planning, but I'm hoping if I call Amtrak they might be able to help me, or at least send me to the right site, or send some literature to me. Thank you thank you thank you for all of your advice
0:39 Just an F.Y.I. here.
You can also bring your own food and liquor on a plane.
Riding a train or a plane, I would usually stop at a K.F.C. and pick up a three piece chicken dinner to go.
It comes in a nice rectangular box.
If an Amtrak train is late at a connection point & the connecting train is missed, will Amtrak have sleeper car accommodations for their passengers on the next outgoing train the following day? This happened to me in the '90's when Amtrak put its passengers up in a hotel overnight in Chicago, but only offered coach seats on the Lakeshore Ltd. the following day or a ticket in coach with an airline. I've learned my lesson after that experience & have always given myself an extra day at connecting points. Great advice for new Amtrak travelers.
Great advise. On superliner rooms 1 through 10 are on the upper level, with 1 reserved for the attendant storage, 11 to 14 are lower level. Bedrooms are lettered A through E don't ever accept bedroom A, it is very cramped, and the bathroom door doesn't open fully, had that one several years back and it was miserable. Bedroom E is over the boarding door on the lower level and it gets slammed at some station stops if you are a light sleeper. This fall I was going to LA and canceled because of the impending strike and when booking hit the jackpot in both ways turned out to be A. Asked nicely if I could have different ones and it was done, always book early or you'll have potluck.
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Have ridden Amtrak numerous times and almost all have been late (although not excessive except 1x) but my southbound Cresent seems to never be late especially when I want it to be. My station stop is very early and I never get breakfast. Lol
I'm in Hawaii and am soon to retire from work. The way the economy is going I don;' know if I will be traveling Amtrak soon.
You have great presentations and I will follow your channel. Bucket list comes to mind.
I have noticed that on the NE Corridor, the cafe car is closed after a crew change. I recently traveled from NYC to Boston, and the cafe car didn't open until we got into Connecticut.
I’m actually stressing about this rail strike now because I’m scheduled the last week of next month on the Zephyr and Coast Starlight
Question:
My husband is 6'8. I know he will not be as comfortable as me, im 5 feet, but my question is : does the viewing cart have high ceiling? and what other areas have higher than normal ceiling, if any? we are traveling from Sanford to Lorton
You'll be on a Superliner, which unfortunately has slightly lower ceilings due to it being a double level train. It shouldn't be too bad though.
Hi guys. I love your videos. I have never traveled on Amtrak before so they have been very helpful. I'm heading from Burlington Vt to Dallas Texas. I will have a roomette most of the way down and back but starting out in coach first. Question, once I get my roomette can I bring a small lock with me and lock the door from the outside if I leave the roomette for a while.. Thanks so much fo all the great videos!!
most door do can not put a padlock on the outside. If you are concerned about theft (highly unlikeLy) I would suggest you carry a small bag with your valuables to the bathroom and observation car and when you leave your room draw the curtain closed and velcro it and then slide the door close- the door can slide open during the trip which does not mean someone was in your room.
תודה רבה
Is there ice to fill your coolers on board for the longer trips?
You mention that you can call and switch to the upper rooms in the train but you cannot pick what roomette side of the train. Obviously, who wouldn't want the best view when travelling by train. I am planning on a trip from Seattle to Philly next September. I really would love to be on the left side for that trip
The problem is the staff even does not know which way the car of each train can be attached, for example one time the car can be arranged forward facing and another time the same car can be backwards facing.
Thank you! I love your channel and you are both awesome with your information! I am planning my first trip on Amtrak for next month from Emeryville, CA to Reno, NV. Does anyone have any advice?
i love you guys
Thanks!
Just finished our 1st trip on Coast Starlight from LA to Oakland which we really enjoyed but….Just before we got off in Oakland, there was a train wide announcement that the train will disembark all passengers in Sacramento due to a freight train derailment further down the line. Because the train was late, people got off at 1am in Sacramento and Amtrak just asked everyone to call the 1-800 number for arrangements. No hotel rooms, no bus to Seattle, simply you need to get off the train. I was shocked that they made no arrangements for the passengers!
Many thanks 😊
I have to disagree on your advice on prices. I booked a trip with a roomette 4 months in advance and then 1 week before my trip I did a curiosity price check. The price was exactly the same. Checking prices several months out is good of course, but I have found that Amtrak always keep their prices up regardless of how far out you book.
Great to know 👍🏾.
Luck of the draw. Amtrak uses a price structure called “buckets”- the first 20% of the seats will be this much, the next 20% a little higher, and so on. It sounds like when you booked they were already working on the last bucket. Generally, the earlier you book, the better.
Question: we use CPAP machines for sleeping. Would those be counted as one carry on? Or since they are medical devices are used they not counted?
Always funny videos 👍
We want to take a trip west from probably Chicago and in California rent a car spend week the take another train back. Any tips
I'd go with the California Zepyr
We just got back from an amtrak trip to NYC from Milwaukee Wisconsin. I must say that we were in a viewliner 1 and it was horrible, no space and when the bed was made there was no room for you to enter the bedroom because the space between the mattress and the wall was 2 inches. Also the food was the worst part and the omelet we had was rubbery and the sausage was just as rubbery. We will never ride on amtrak again after the fiasco. I realize that you toured a viewliner 2 in your video and from what I paid, it was the worst trip I have ever taken.
The Metropolitan Lounge can you use it at the end of your trip on Amtrak ?
Yes. When I arrive in Chicago on the Lake Shore Limited (having stayed in a roommate) it is too early to check into a hotel. I have used the Metropolitan Lounge to hang out there until I could check-in.
I get to Moynihan train hall an hour early just so I can have delicious coffee and hot food.
Why don't you ever mention about Denver Union Station. It is beautiful and has on site Hotel and restaurants in the Station. Just saying Denver is great destinations to go to.
Hi, at 67 I am starting my bucket list, I want to go from Harrisburg Pa to tampa fl for 3 ppl it will be 2 roomettes and on the website they have no baggage check in Harrisburg and we will be in coach to go to philly,will I have enough room to have my luggage in coach, when we get to philly i hope to check our bags for the rest of the trip.I supposedly will have an hour and 20 minutes lay over.
When you buy a roomette ticket, is that only for yourself or does it include someone else too?
Per person
The price to add a second person to a sleeper car is significantly lower than the price for the first person. The fare is in two parts--the room fare (which is paid only one time) and the person fare, paid for each adult passenger. (I don't know what at what age fares are required for children)
Amtrak is always late is an understatement. A couple of days ago, their service from Detroit area to Chicago Union Station was delayed 19 HOURS, people actually got off when it was stopped, outside of Gary, IN (about 20-25 miles outside of chicago) went on to the side of the tollway and booked Ubers to complete the trip to Chicago. They need to be punished by people not riding it anymore. I would take the greyhound before I took Amtrak. They pretty much had an “oh well!” Attitude about it so you know they’re never going to get better ‘cause they dont care!
Something most don't realize is that Amtrak doesn't own the tracks they use. They rent the tracks from the freightliners.
Yes I totally get that. But something needs to be done. I stopped taking trains because of this. 19 hour delay is trash.
As long as the best of the best command our war ships The captain should always have preferences.
Pizza and wings look great so does the roasted ham.
Go U.S. Navy 👍..
I'm claustrophobic. Will I be able to get an accessible room?
Are the hallways big enough to handle a manual wheelchair, walker or etc. Can any handle one if those much bigger electric wheelchairs? Really enjoy you. Thanks.
Thanks
Burrito lady is i in El Paso!
I’ve enjoyed your videos, and I’m preparing to take a trip on the Lake Shore Limited from Cleveland to Worcester, Mass, getting off at one of the quick stops. I have a question about whether I should check my suitcase or not. I will be traveling in Coach and I am willing to and interested in checking my bag, but wonder how I will retrieve it in Worcester? I also don’t mind having it on the train with me. It will be the size of a carry-on for plane travel, but wonder if I will have trouble finding a place to put it since I’m not getting on at the origination point of the train. Do you have any advice?
Since in coach if you need the suitcase take it on the coach car with you and put it in the luggage rack in the car on the 1rst floor. The only way you can check baggage is if both stations have checked bag service. Also if both stations have checked baggage service and you decide to check the suitcase you will not have access to it for the whole trip.
Hey Rob & Allie! Do you guys ever get “train-lagged” traveling westward? I did taking the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle; and got un-lagged when I went back to Chicago (just tired).
Amtrak should have given everyone free meals!
When ordering tickets for the sleeper cars, are the prices for the sleepers for two passengers or just for each passenger?
From what I understand, it's per person
The price to add a second person to a sleeper car is significantly lower than the price for the first person. The fare is in two parts--the room fare (which is paid only one time) and the person fare, paid for each adult passenger. (I don't know what at what age fares are required for children)