Two bikes; also early baggage check-in

I'll be taking the CS out of Los Angeles next week.

I know I can check one boxed bike in lieu of a piece of baggage. Can I check two boxed bikes in lieu of two pieces of baggage?

How early can I check luggage? It would sure be nice to get the bikes boxed and checked the afternoon before I leave, so that I don't have to worry about them the morning of departure.

Might be a good question for Amtrak.

From their website "Each passenger may bring one bicycle". It also points out how important advanced reservations are, due to limited space.

https://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard

Are you traveling alone or with someone? :huh: (I'd assume with someone since you have 2 bikes.) If so, "each passenger" means 2 passengers equals 2 bikes allowed.

(1) Yes, I was planning to ask Amtrak, but in my experience folks here are often more knowledgeable about the more obscure Amtrak policies than Amtrak is.

(2) Thanks for the link, but that "one bike" is in the section on carry-on bicycle service. The CS does not have carry-on bicycle service; I would like to box and check the bikes. The section on checked baggage is ambiguous as to whether only one or two pieces of baggage may be bicycles.

(3) I am traveling alone and I want to check two bikes in lieu of my two allowed pieces of checked baggage.

Cho Cho Charlie said:

From their website "Each passenger may bring one bicycle". It also points out how important advanced reservations are, due to limited space.https://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard

Click to expand...

That only applies to routes where bicycles are allowed with designated bicycle racks. On those routes, the bicycle doesn't count as luggage unless it's foldable and stored in the luggage racks.

Bjartmarr said:

(1) Yes, I was planning to ask Amtrak, but in my experience folks here are often more knowledgeable about the more obscure Amtrak policies than Amtrak is.

(2) Thanks for the link, but that "one bike" is in the section on carry-on bicycle service. The CS does not have carry-on bicycle service; I would like to box and check the bikes. The section on checked baggage is ambiguous as to whether only one or two pieces of baggage may be bicycles.

(3) I am traveling alone and I want to check two bikes in lieu of my two allowed pieces of checked baggage.

Click to expand...

They don't indicate that there's any limit. Heck, you could probably check in four (the absolute luggage limit) bikes, as long as the extra luggage fee ($20 per extra piece over 2) is paid. It's a $10 fee for a bike, and they charge for an Amtrak cardboard bike box if you don't supply your own case or box. The last time I took the CS, I saw a couple of these boxes bring offloaded in Emeryville.

If for whatever reason you wanted to check in four bikes and provided you own container, it would be a $40 oversize special item fee for four bikes, and $40 for two extra pieces over your two piece free allowance.

Okay, email to amtrak produced no response. I called customer service, and they said that two bikes would be fine, and I could check the bags in anytime the day before, but if I checked them before 3pm then they would travel via the San Joaquin route.

So there's my answer, though I kind of wish I had it in writing in case of any difficulties with station staff.

Bjartmarr said:

Okay, email to amtrak produced no response. I called customer service, and they said that two bikes would be fine, and I could check the bags in anytime the day before, but if I checked them before 3pm then they would travel via the San Joaquin route.

So there's my answer, though I kind of wish I had it in writing in case of any difficulties with station staff.

Click to expand...

You're overthinking this. Amtrak baggage cars have ample space, and there's no reason why your two piece allowance can't go to two special items (with the additional fees).
Yeah - Amtrak doesn't guarantee that baggage is going on the same trip as the passenger. I'm not quite sure how it goes on the San Joaquin. That route could include one or two buses depending on where you're going.