comfort of amtrak beds (mattress)in sleepers

I find the comfort level on the both the bedroom and roomettes mattress to be in great need of improvement . It is barely adequate . Which is not saying much for the extra cost a person pays for the room upgrade . I do realize the need to conserve space so they can fit in the bunks . But there are lots of new types of pads that use self inflation that might improve the situation . I know if Marriott or Carnival was running this service they would have figured out a way to enhance your comfort .

Am I alone in my opinion on this subject ?

3rdcook said:

I find the comfort level on the both the bedroom and roomettes mattress to be in great need of improvement . It is barely adequate . Which is not saying much for the extra cost a person pays for the room upgrade . I do realize the need to conserve space so they can fit in the bunks . But there are lots of new types of pads that use self inflation that might improve the situation . I know if Marriott or Carnival was running this service they would have figured out a way to enhance your comfort .
Am I alone in my opinion on this subject ?

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Excellent point! They are very thin, basically a piece of foam rubber! When I travel by myself I usually take both mattresses and utilize them on the bottom bunk (Im tak=lking Superliner roomettes, the couch in Bedrooms is a little more comfortable seems like)and it seems to help! Personally I think the pillows could be improved also, I carry a fold up travel pillow that I use and it helps alot especially if you want to read once you're in bed! The blankets could also be a little thicker and fluffier, often the SCAs dont have extras on a full sleeper!

I have always gotten great sleep in sleepers... sometimes better sleep than I get at home. I find the motion of the train to overcome any comfort issues with the pads. In fact, I like the firmness of the pad. It lets me get up and out real easy.

3rdcook said:

I find the comfort level on the both the bedroom and roomettes mattress to be in great need of improvement . It is barely adequate . Which is not saying much for the extra cost a person pays for the room upgrade . I do realize the need to conserve space so they can fit in the bunks . But there are lots of new types of pads that use self inflation that might improve the situation . I know if Marriott or Carnival was running this service they would have figured out a way to enhance your comfort .
Am I alone in my opinion on this subject ?

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The mattresses/pads IMHO, could be improved. An easy way would be to replace the current pads with 'memory foam toppers'. But there are two issues with that, one is size. The beds in roomettes/bedrooms are an odd size, so I'm assuming they would have to have them specially sized. Second would be the added cost. I'm guessing about $50 per mattress. It would be alot of mattresses! I would love to see them added, but since Amtrak operates with bare minimum of $, it is unlikely that would be added in, unless they decide to do it during refurbishment.

Hubby, who has back issues has slept well up top in the Superliner bedroom & roomette. I slept ok on the bottom one, but it could be just a little softer. Better bedding would be nice, too.

Edited for spelling/another comment.

I find the Amtrak bunks to be quite comfortable, but then again I prefer a "hard deck" to sleep on.

I think they do a good job with what they have to work with... though, you're right, they arent the most comfortable beds around. The shaking of the train on CSX track actually had me dreaming i was in a constant earthquake.

On the lower bunks, the folded down seats add extra cushioning, almost like a box spring, where the upper bunks are just the matress pad. I find the bottom bunks to be comfortable, but not the top. I always bring my own extra pillow.

I actually think the comfort is pretty good ... though definitely not on a par with the beds that were found in pre-Amtrak era sleeping cars. Though maybe I have a faulty memory that's making me nostalgic, it seems like the older cars had thicker mattresses, and a spring-type setup underneath, instead of just a hard base.

I have NO problem with comfort/sleeping when traveling alone in a Viewliner Roomette or with the bride in Bedroom. In both cases I opt for the upper and usually in the Roomette I wind up with two mattresses. The only comfort problem I have is on the Superliner. The clearance between the top bunk and the ceiling is TOO close.

Best regards,

Rodger

Do they ever have extra pillows available for the sleeping car passengers?

Rob_C said:

Do they ever have extra pillows available for the sleeping car passengers?

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Not if the sleeper is sold out. On the CZ a passenger snagged a pillow out of an empty roomette, when that group boarded the SCA made an announcement to the car that he needed the pillow back.

Long Train Runnin said:

Rob_C said:

Do they ever have extra pillows available for the sleeping car passengers?

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Not if the sleeper is sold out. On the CZ a passenger snagged a pillow out of an empty roomette, when that group boarded the SCA made an announcement to the car that he needed the pillow back.

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Ewwwwwwww.

I was just on the LSL and they offered me extra pillows for the trip without me asking. I took two. The train seemed to be pretty crowded.

I do not sleep very well on the train, but I think it is more the movement of the train then the matress itself. I do sleep better in a bedroom, perpendicular to the tracks than a roomette where you sleep parallel. For some reason I also sleep better on Superliner equipment than single-level Viewliners. While I might be dating myself somewhat, I always felt the most comfortable sleeping accomodations were in the old Slumbercoaches.

Long Train Runnin said:

Rob_C said:

Do they ever have extra pillows available for the sleeping car passengers?

Click to expand...

Not if the sleeper is sold out. On the CZ a passenger snagged a pillow out of an empty roomette, when that group boarded the SCA made an announcement to the car that he needed the pillow back.

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Nope, it depends on the attendant and what happened in the yard. I've been on sold out sleepers and gotten an extra pillow offered to me.

I find the beds to be quite comfortable.

I find it hard to sleep on trains whether I'm in coach or a sleeper. I'll often take coach for the first night then switch over to a sleeper on the subsequent nights. After that first night in coach I can sleep anywhere. Plus it makes the extra cash for the sleeper seem well worth it. Like Alan I've been on sold out sleepers where I've been offered extra pillows. Never thought about the lower bunk being more padded but I see where that could make a difference.

I generally have no trouble sleeping on Amtrak, without regard to which bunk I'm in. If I do wake up during the night, it's usually because the train has stopped moving; not because of track conditions.

I find the mattress adequate and have no real complaints. That said, if I'm sleeping up top (always in a Viewliner and generally even in a Superliner) and riding solo, I usually just spread the lower mattress out over the upper one for a slightly more cushy bed.

I actually take a couple of beach balls from the dollar store. When these are partially inflated they make a quite comfortable head board for the pillow provided and one from home to sit up and read or look out the window. I also add the upper bunk mattress to the bottom one. It's pretty comfortable for watching movies also. That is all.

I'm pretty much in the middle on this one, while I'm sure there could be better mattresses in the cars I do not find anything particularly wrong with the beds and usually sleep just fine. On the viewliners I find the top bunk to be slightly more comfortable... the creases in the seats below the bottom bunk can be felt sometimes through the thin mattress.. where the top bunk sits flat on the bunk itself I guess. I always ride in the lower berth on superliners cause of the window issue.

AlanB said:

I generally have no trouble sleeping on Amtrak, without regard to which bunk I'm in. If I do wake up during the night, it's usually because the train has stopped moving; not because of track conditions.
I find the mattress adequate and have no real complaints. That said, if I'm sleeping up top (always in a Viewliner and generally even in a Superliner) and riding solo, I usually just spread the lower mattress out over the upper one for a slightly more cushy bed.

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Great idea on using one of the mattresses for the second bed if you are traveling solo. Do the SCA's have any problem with that? That would give you an extra blanket too.

Frankly I find the mattresses a little hard, but once I get to sleep I stay asleep like you except when the train stops and then sometimes I awaken.

what you could do is bring along a small inflatable bed if your in sleeper. im sure they come in different sizes and they come with a carrying bag.

jmbgeg said:

AlanB said:

I find the mattress adequate and have no real complaints. That said, if I'm sleeping up top (always in a Viewliner and generally even in a Superliner) and riding solo, I usually just spread the lower mattress out over the upper one for a slightly more cushy bed.

Click to expand...

Great idea on using one of the mattresses for the second bed if you are traveling solo. Do the SCA's have any problem with that? That would give you an extra blanket too.

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Generally most don't, because if I do tell them that I want to sleep up top, that leaves them with the issue of what to do/where to store the setup for the lower bunk. There aren't many places to store the extra bedding, so this solves that problem.

However note that I said "if I do tell them", as most often I just make up the bed myself and never call for the attendant to do it.

And while I could indeed have a second blanket, I've never taken the blanket off the second bed setup as doing so ruins the setup for the attendant. Now they have to make up two beds, instead of one, even though I didn't actually use that setup.

AlanB said:

jmbgeg said:

AlanB said:

I find the mattress adequate and have no real complaints. That said, if I'm sleeping up top (always in a Viewliner and generally even in a Superliner) and riding solo, I usually just spread the lower mattress out over the upper one for a slightly more cushy bed.

Click to expand...

Great idea on using one of the mattresses for the second bed if you are traveling solo. Do the SCA's have any problem with that? That would give you an extra blanket too.

Click to expand...

Generally most don't, because if I do tell them that I want to sleep up top, that leaves them with the issue of what to do/where to store the setup for the lower bunk. There aren't many places to store the extra bedding, so this solves that problem.

However note that I said "if I do tell them", as most often I just make up the bed myself and never call for the attendant to do it.

And while I could indeed have a second blanket, I've never taken the blanket off the second bed setup as doing so ruins the setup for the attendant. Now they have to make up two beds, instead of one, even though I didn't actually use that setup.

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I almost always get deluxe rooms (or family rooms) when they are available. Since the lower beds are bigger I use them. I would gladly pay a sleeping car attendent a larger tip than normal to move the top mattress to the lower level if the double mattress makes it materially more comfortable. I have never been proficient at lowering and raising the upper bed. :unsure:

The upper bed is the easy one, especially in a Viewliner. Just grab the handle on the bottom of the bed and twist it and then lower. It's a bit tougher in the Superliner, especially for the Bedroom and the Family room where the long beds have an extra support bar in some cars.

Putting down the seats is a lot more work IMHO.