35 replies to this topic

[Anderson]

For maximum stretch on a two-zone, El Paso to Miami jumps to mind as a logical extension of the Dallas-to-Deland trip I seriously looked at last spring. It's 93 hours and change if you use the Cardinal for your connection east out of Chicago, and your redemption value is over $.06/point (which is very good).

[rile42]

Take the Cardinal to Chicago - and connect to the westbound Empire Builder, and take the Builder to Wolf Point. Then have a pre-purchased ticket in Coach to go on to Essex, Montana. The trip from Wolf Point to Essex is daytime so you only need a coach ticket. Then just sit in the sightseer Lounge and the Diner. The scenery is remarkable form Wolf Point to Essex. And when you get to Essex - just hop off the train and walk over to the Izaak Walton Inn, which is right by the tracks. Spend the night there in the heart of the Rockies and enjoy the snow. The eastbound builder will pick you up in the morning. Again - coach ticket to Wolf Point and then you get your Roomette in Wolf Point (that same afternoon). Just buy time in the diner and the Sightseer Lounge until you get to Wolf Point. When we travel - we always have a roomette, yet it seems like I spend every minute of daylight in the Sightseer (or the diner for meals). So the coach thing is not a big deal. Then you stretch your one zone award into a really nice trip...

I'm not up on everything related to redeeming points, but wouldn't the trip mentioned above require two redemptions....one going out and one coming back?

Edited by the_traveler, 22 February 2012 - 12:51 PM.
Fixed quote

[the_traveler]

Yes, but OP stated she would be paying one way!

[Linda T]

Yes, but OP stated she would be paying one way!

No, I'll be using AGR both ways. It looks like I can't do ELP as it would require a weeks stay to time the Eagle with the Cardinal. Amtrak.com keeps changing my departure dates both to and from ELP to Thursday. Eagle only runs 3 days a week, as does the Card. They only meet on Thursdays, so I'll have to just accept SAS.

CHI to SAS = 32 hours
CHI to Wolf Point = 22.5 hours
CHI to Denver = 21 hours
CHI to NO = 18.5 hours

One thing I really enjoy about travelling by train is being able to sit and talk during meals with other passengers, so that rules out traveling by coach, as I don't want to actually pay for my meals. Not only is the food great, but I get to meet people that I otherwise wouldn't, and I've always found my meal company to be interesting. I get a lot more meals going to SAS than I do going to any of the other locations, that's well worth the points.

[Devil's Advocate]

If I were going stick to a one zone award SAS-CHI would be fine because I enjoy hanging out in Chicago. I'm not so sure I'd want to do the reverse though. If I could pick any one zone at all I'd probably go with the Coast Starlight. If I had to do the Eastern zone I'd probably go with the Star. However, I strongly agree with those who feel it's a much better value to go with a two-zone award if at all possible. So far as I can tell three zones offer no additional benefit over a 2+1 zone with a stopover in a dual-zone city; leaving two zones as the true sweet spot. As an example, SAS-SPI-GBB-SAC-SEA is four days of train time including plenty of time on two of the highest rated routes for only 20,000 points!

For maximum stretch on a two-zone, El Paso to Miami jumps to mind as a logical extension of the Dallas-to-Deland trip I seriously looked at last spring. It's 93 hours and change if you use the Cardinal for your connection east out of Chicago, and your redemption value is over $.06/point (which is very good).

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Edited by Texas Sunset, 23 February 2012 - 12:04 AM.

[Linda T]

Well, I finally booked my trip for the end of April from CIN to SAS (San Antonio, TX). I'm so excited to be taking the TE. I do have a question though. I asked Amtrak and got mixed answers to my question, so I'll throw it out to the experts on the forum. Let me see if I can explain this, it's complicated.

I'm taking the Eagle to San Antonio and arriving at 9:55 pm, and then boarding the NB to depart back to CHI at 7 AM the next morning (not staying in SA), as I said it's all about being on the train. Now my question is this. I was told that passengers boarding for ELP can oftentimes board and sleep through the layover, but when I asked if I could board the NB Eagle, scheduled to pull in about the same time I was told no. They said it had something to do with my ticket wasn't till the next day so no early boarding. It also had to do with insurance.

So what's typical? Do I have to sleep in the station, or do they typically allow passengers to board several hours early? It just seems like if my train's gonna be there, and I have a roomette for the morning. I can't miss my train if I'm sleeping on it, Thoughts?

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm taking the Eagle to San Antonio and arriving at 9:55 pm, and then boarding the NB to depart back to CHI at 7 AM the next morning (not staying in SA), as I said it's all about being on the train. Now my question is this. I was told that passengers boarding for ELP can oftentimes board and sleep through the layover, but when I asked if I could board the NB Eagle, scheduled to pull in about the same time I was told no. They said it had something to do with my ticket wasn't till the next day so no early boarding. It also had to do with insurance. So what's typical? Do I have to sleep in the station, or do they typically allow passengers to board several hours early? It just seems like if my train's gonna be there, and I have a roomette for the morning. I can't miss my train if I'm sleeping on it, Thoughts?

Under the normal scenario you will have to sleep in the station. The only way to avoid that is to ticket to Del Rio on the 421 (on those days when the 421 is active). Then you could stay on the train in SAS until 5:30AM or so. Just don't be late getting off or you'll end up stuck in Del Rio.

[Linda T]

Under the normal scenario you will have to sleep in the station. The only way to avoid that is to ticket to Del Rio on the 421 (on those days when the 421 is active). Then you could stay on the train in SAS until 5:30AM or so. Just don't be late getting off or you'll end up stuck in Del Rio.

Thanks! and Del Rio's no short trip either, it's not like I sleep through SA and just catch a taxi back. I get into San Antonio late on Tuesday and leave first thing Wednesday, so it looks like it would work to book to Del Rio. I just don't want to get a reputation of booking to a location and then not following through. I'd love to go all the way to ELP, which was my original goal, but it looks like to make the 421 and the 50 meet requires a one week stay, and that's just too long. I don't mind a one to two day layover, but Thursday to Thurdsay is just a tad too long. Also, I don't know if there'd be a problem with my traveling back to Chicago, while I'm also, according to my first ticket, "traveling to Del Rio." I think I'll keep it simple and sleep at the station. But thanks to everyone for their advice!

[Devil's Advocate]

I get into San Antonio late on Tuesday and leave first thing Wednesday, so it looks like it would work to book to Del Rio. I just don't want to get a reputation of booking to a location and then not following through...I don't know if there'd be a problem with my traveling back to Chicago, while I'm also, according to my first ticket, "traveling to Del Rio."

I wouldn't worry about any of that if I were you. Amtrak has no problem with people who choose to disembark before their original destination and each of your tickets is essentially it's own individual trip for these purposes. It's still a good idea to let your attendant know your plans as a courtesy to them and as a courtesy to you they can wake you up and remind you to get off before the train leaves. The 421's sleeper attendant will usually change out in San Antonio. So, unless you make a point of telling everyone your plans, you probably won't really be making much of an impression on anyone who knows you didn't actually make it all the way to Del Rio.

[the_traveler]

Normally at SAS, if you are booked on 422 you can board early. However, if you are booked on 22, you must wait in the station until the normal boarding time. (IIRC - they do not pull 22 up to the platform until about 6:30 or so!)

If you do ride to Del Rio, the Conductor will wake you about 30 minutes before the stop!

[Texan Eagle]

I have done this TE to TE with overnight at SAS thing last September, and let me tell you- if you have a ticket terminating and originating in SAS, the staff will NOT allow you to board the train early. You will have to spend the night in the station, around town, or in one of the several hotels near the station. Doesn't matter if you are booked on 22 or 422. I had specifically booked on 422 part to see if they let me in early, but their answer was simple- NO! Wait until 6.30am to board!


When I was there for the overnight stay, I went out to the Riverwalk immediately after arrival in SAS, spent an hour or so there, then went to the Denny's near the station and spent another hour there, and by around 2am, walked back to the station and tried to catch some sleep inside the small waiting area. The waiting area is not great, but has comfortable chairs, is temperature controlled, has a vending machine and a big LCD television that will keep blaring out something all through the night. Not a great way to spend the night, but not terrible either.

[Devil's Advocate]

So far as I'm aware, if you want to stay late or board early in San Antonio you'll need a ticket to/from Del Rio or San Marcos as the case may be (Houston wouldn't help you as much). If your ticket originates or terminates in San Antonio you'll be de/boarding the train with everyone else. A sleeper ticket can get you early boarding, but not all night early. As Texas Eagle discovered, if you're a coach passenger you can forget about it. You'll be stuck in the station until it's time for Amtrak's coach class kindergarten line-up. I have no idea why Amtrak treats their coach passengers so differently from their sleeper passengers, or why they would force connecting passengers to wait in the station all night long, even after their outbound train has arrived or been cleaned.

Edited by Texas Sunset, 24 February 2012 - 04:13 PM.

[Traingeek]

One question about A one zone trip on multiple trains related to this. Would it be separate rewards when you go two different trains (Say the Cardinal and the Texas Eagle in the Opening post)? Meaning that it would actually be 30,000 points for a roomette between those two cities. Am I misunderstanding something in AGR rules on this? If so, Maybe I should take the train from BAL-SAN instead of flying (Crescent and Texas Eagle) for an amazing experience.

[RRrich]

We went from STL - NOL via the TE or LS andCNO. Two trains but one AGR award

[jb64]

number of trains doesn't matter, only number of zones crossed

[Linda T]

Thanks again to everyone. No problem. I'll just attach my sleeping bag to my pack and camp out at the station. And a walk down to the river would probably help digest all that good Amtrak food, too. I just saw where for four week performance she's averaging about 30 minutes late, not bad compared to traveling last year!

Edited by Linda T, 24 February 2012 - 11:53 PM.