Denver to Galveston roundtrip

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Casinocim

Lead Service Attendant
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Colorado
Hi all,

I have been searching for information on this and what I found is kind of old information. I might have even posted to ask these same questions in the past.

I have an opportunity for a free cruise out of Galveston and have a concern about the thruway bus from Galveston to Longview after the cruise.

Has anyone done this recently?

One post I read said something about having to call this bus 24 hours in advance(to make sure they come), which is probably costly since you are on a ship.

I also thought about riding up with the family to Houston and going home from there. They would go to the airport and most likely I would get a cab to the Amtrak station. Bus leaves at 1:00pm and I am questioning if I have time to get there in time. There is really no set time to getting off of the cruise ship. I think the latest we have gotten off a ship is 10:30am.

Also does this thruway bus to Longview leave from the Houston Amtrak station?

Since I am a worry wart, I am concerned of the bus ride from Galesburg to Springfield. In snow storms do they keep the highway fairly clear? I live in Colorado and know how they do the roads here and it depends on the amount of snow.

I would love to do this cruise, new ship for me and new Amtrak route and train.

Any thoughts on this anyone?

Thanks!

.
 
Just out of curiosity, which ship are you thinking about?
 
The note in the Texas Eagle timetable says that reservations must be made 24 hours in advance of the scheduled bus departure from Galveston. I suppose that this is to ensure that there will be passengers to pick up and enough notice to arrange for a driver/bus.

Did you get it from here?

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/47909-longview-to-galveston-questions/

That says the call needs to be made.
Yes this is one of the posts I read. Looking for someone who has made this trip. I can find people asking about it but no one who has completed this trip from Galveston.
 
Just out of curiosity, which ship are you thinking about?
Liberty of the Seas
Is that a freedom class ship?
I had to look it up but yes it is a freedom class ship. I have only been on about 3 Royal Caribbean ships. Went on the Mariner a few years ago and loved the Royal Promenade and that's what the Liberty has. Harder for me to get to ports that Royal is in(because I don't fly) so I usually cruise on Carnival, my sister cruises mostly with Royal.
 
The note in the Texas Eagle timetable says that reservations must be made 24 hours in advance of the scheduled bus departure from Galveston. I suppose that this is to ensure that there will be passengers to pick up and enough notice to arrange for a driver/bus.

Did you get it from here?

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/47909-longview-to-galveston-questions/

That says the call needs to be made.
Yes this is one of the posts I read. Looking for someone who has made this trip. I can find people asking about it but no one who has completed this trip from Galveston.
Why don't you just call them and ask if it's strictly necessary? Heck - I don't see why you couldn't make the call before you board the cruise ship. I thought the point was to make sure that they'll have someone to pick up.

http://lonestarcoaches.com
 
The note in the Texas Eagle timetable says that reservations must be made 24 hours in advance of the scheduled bus departure from Galveston. I suppose that this is to ensure that there will be passengers to pick up and enough notice to arrange for a driver/bus.

Did you get it from here?

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/47909-longview-to-galveston-questions/

That says the call needs to be made.
Yes this is one of the posts I read. Looking for someone who has made this trip. I can find people asking about it but no one who has completed this trip from Galveston.
Why don't you just call them and ask if it's strictly necessary? Heck - I don't see why you couldn't make the call before you board the cruise ship. I thought the point was to make sure that they'll have someone to pick up.

http://lonestarcoaches.com
I will have to call them. I was hoping to hear from someone who had been on this bus, did they have to call, was it on time, did the bus arrival time work with getting off the ship. I just may never know :)
 
Since I am a worry wart, I am concerned of the bus ride from Galesburg to Springfield. In snow storms do they keep the highway fairly clear? I live in Colorado and know how they do the roads here and it depends on the amount of snow.

.
I have taken this shuttle van between Galesburg and Springfield in February, about a year and a half ago. There was snow on the ground with light scattered flurries, but the roads were clear and dry. Kudos to the Illinois Highway Department.

I haven't the experience to comment on your questions regarding the rest of your route, but it sounds like a fun trip!
 
Since I am a worry wart, I am concerned of the bus ride from Galesburg to Springfield. In snow storms do they keep the highway fairly clear? I live in Colorado and know how they do the roads here and it depends on the amount of snow.

.
I have taken this shuttle van between Galesburg and Springfield in February, about a year and a half ago. There was snow on the ground with light scattered flurries, but the roads were clear and dry. Kudos to the Illinois Highway Department.

I haven't the experience to comment on your questions regarding the rest of your route, but it sounds like a fun trip!
Since I am a worry wart, I am concerned of the bus ride from Galesburg to Springfield. In snow storms do they keep the highway fairly clear? I live in Colorado and know how they do the roads here and it depends on the amount of snow.

.
I have taken this shuttle van between Galesburg and Springfield in February, about a year and a half ago. There was snow on the ground with light scattered flurries, but the roads were clear and dry. Kudos to the Illinois Highway Department.

I haven't the experience to comment on your questions regarding the rest of your route, but it sounds like a fun trip!
Thank you
 
We take snowplowing seriously in Illinois. One Chicago mayor (Bilandic) lost his job because the streets weren't plowed after a snowstorm. No Illinois politician has ever forgotten that. Unless you're caught right in the middle of a blizzard, I wouldn't worry.
 
We take snowplowing seriously in Illinois. One Chicago mayor (Bilandic) lost his job because the streets weren't plowed after a snowstorm. No Illinois politician has ever forgotten that. Unless you're caught right in the middle of a blizzard, I wouldn't worry.
Thank you
 
I've been on the Thruway Bus between Longview and Houston. It's a Greyhound type Charter Bus and makes a Rest stop @ a truck stop both ways to/from Longview. It leaves/arrives from the Amtrak Station in Houston and the Amtrak Station in Longview.Sorry I haven't been on the Galveston leg.

And the thruway van between Springfield and Galesburg travels on Interstate Highways thru Peoria, and I have never had a problem during anytime of the year while connecting between the Eagles and the Chief and the Zephyr.
 
We take snowplowing seriously in Illinois. One Chicago mayor (Bilandic) lost his job because the streets weren't plowed after a snowstorm. No Illinois politician has ever forgotten that. Unless you're caught right in the middle of a blizzard, I wouldn't worry.
I lived in Illinois for about 20 years a while back. Plowing really began in earnest out in the boonies after the storm subsided. In Chicago, the first thing they did was lay down salt. Dopey, in my mind. Sometimes worked, sometimes didn't when snow volume was high.
 
We take snowplowing seriously in Illinois. One Chicago mayor (Bilandic) lost his job because the streets weren't plowed after a snowstorm. No Illinois politician has ever forgotten that. Unless you're caught right in the middle of a blizzard, I wouldn't worry.
I lived in Illinois for about 20 years a while back. Plowing really began in earnest out in the boonies after the storm subsided. In Chicago, the first thing they did was lay down salt. Dopey, in my mind. Sometimes worked, sometimes didn't when snow volume was high.
Then there was the year that Evanston sold their remaining salt at cost to a certain institution of higher learning that shall remain nameless. Then there was a late season storm and they had no salt.

I used to have a 25 mile commute to the NW suburbs - the City did a fine job keeping streets clear, but the suburbs were hit or miss, mostly miss (we miss most lake effect snow in the city and north so we usually only get the big storms). However, the past couple years Rahm hasn't done as good a job with keeping roads clear.
 
As a Californian, what is the "salt" you talk about?

Seriously, we don't get that in California, even in some of the worst areas for snow. However, the tire chain rules are pretty tough.
 
Interesting that for the Sunset Limited, the only transfer to/from Galveston is from the west. So you can get to Galveston from San Antonio but not NOL. Similarly, you can get to San Antonio from Galveston but not not to NOL. For both, the connection is in Houston (same buses as the ones going to/from Longview).

Sad, because it would be a great (and the only convenient) way to get to Galveston cruise port from Atlanta.

Trying to get from Houston Amtrak any other way is a problem as shuttles only go from the airports, taxis are outrageous, and rental cars don't do one way.
 
I've been on the Thruway Bus between Longview and Houston. It's a Greyhound type Charter Bus and makes a Rest stop @ a truck stop both ways to/from Longview. It leaves/arrives from the Amtrak Station in Houston and the Amtrak Station in Longview.Sorry I haven't been on the Galveston leg.

And the thruway van between Springfield and Galesburg travels on Interstate Highways thru Peoria, and I have never had a problem during anytime of the year while connecting between the Eagles and the Chief and the Zephyr.
Thank you!
 
Interesting that for the Sunset Limited, the only transfer to/from Galveston is from the west. So you can get to Galveston from San Antonio but not NOL. Similarly, you can get to San Antonio from Galveston but not not to NOL. For both, the connection is in Houston (same buses as the ones going to/from Longview).

Sad, because it would be a great (and the only convenient) way to get to Galveston cruise port from Atlanta.

Trying to get from Houston Amtrak any other way is a problem as shuttles only go from the airports, taxis are outrageous, and rental cars don't do one way.
I was just thinking it would be nice if there was a train through New Mexico or Texas from Colorado to get to the Sunset Limited. Would it be popular here, have no idea. When you mentioned NOL, I had a thought of taking the CZ to NOL, then taking the Sunset Limited to Houston but that would be an extra two nights hotel, which I think would be fun but not sure I want to pay.
 
Interesting that for the Sunset Limited, the only transfer to/from Galveston is from the west. So you can get to Galveston from San Antonio but not NOL. Similarly, you can get to San Antonio from Galveston but not not to NOL. For both, the connection is in Houston (same buses as the ones going to/from Longview).

Sad, because it would be a great (and the only convenient) way to get to Galveston cruise port from Atlanta.

Trying to get from Houston Amtrak any other way is a problem as shuttles only go from the airports, taxis are outrageous, and rental cars don't do one way.
Connections from Atlanta would not work for cruise shuttles anyway, as the train from the east arrives well after any cruises would have departed from Galveston that day anyway.
 
I am a semi-regular volunteer at the Galveston Railroad Museum, which is located in the former Galveston Union (railroad) station. It also serves as the Galveston terminus for the Thruway bus to Houston, Nacogdoches and Longview which connects to/from the Texas Eagle. Amtrak passengers are welcome to wait inside and use the restrooms in the museum during operating hours (normally 10a-5p summer and weekends; 9a-4p weekdays in the off-season). We have many passengers connecting to and from cruise ships; one terminal is literally a block away from the museum while the other terminal (which Royal Caribbean normally uses) is about three or four blocks farther away. The bus drivers are generally familiar with the needs of cruise ship passengers and I've never heard of someone being left.

The "24 hour advance notice" applies mainly to last-minute passengers; they need to make sure that the drivers know to expect you. If you have made your reservations in advance you do not need to reconfirm from the ship; you will be on the driver's manifest. When connecting southbound from the Texas Eagle you should be able to check your luggage "through" but you will need to claim it in Longview and put it on the bus for the trip south. Traveling north from Houston I have always been able to check my luggage but originating in Galveston you will probably not have the opportunity to check it in either Houston or Longview due to the 45 minutes before departure check-in requirement.

Have a good trip, and if you have a few extra minutes to spend the collection at the Galveston museum is worth the price of admission. Enjoy!
 
I am a semi-regular volunteer at the Galveston Railroad Museum, which is located in the former Galveston Union (railroad) station. It also serves as the Galveston terminus for the Thruway bus to Houston, Nacogdoches and Longview which connects to/from the Texas Eagle. Amtrak passengers are welcome to wait inside and use the restrooms in the museum during operating hours (normally 10a-5p summer and weekends; 9a-4p weekdays in the off-season). We have many passengers connecting to and from cruise ships; one terminal is literally a block away from the museum while the other terminal (which Royal Caribbean normally uses) is about three or four blocks farther away. The bus drivers are generally familiar with the needs of cruise ship passengers and I've never heard of someone being left.

The "24 hour advance notice" applies mainly to last-minute passengers; they need to make sure that the drivers know to expect you. If you have made your reservations in advance you do not need to reconfirm from the ship; you will be on the driver's manifest. When connecting southbound from the Texas Eagle you should be able to check your luggage "through" but you will need to claim it in Longview and put it on the bus for the trip south. Traveling north from Houston I have always been able to check my luggage but originating in Galveston you will probably not have the opportunity to check it in either Houston or Longview due to the 45 minutes before departure check-in requirement.

Have a good trip, and if you have a few extra minutes to spend the collection at the Galveston museum is worth the price of admission. Enjoy!
That information sounds so much better than the small amount of info I had. Thank you so much, traveling into Galveston doesn't sound so scary now.
 
A few more thoughts....

As stated above, the bus is a full size, restroom equipped intercity bus. The times I have ridden it the driver played (forgettable...Paul Blart Mall Cop?) DVD movies. (OK, so National Treasure 2 wasn't so bad....) The stop in Nacogdoches is made at a truck stop and is generally about 20 minutes long; long enough to visit a real restroom and pick up some refreshments for the remainder of the trip. The stop in Houston is made at the Amtrak station; while there isn't much in its vicinity there are restrooms and vending machines if you just must have something more to snack on. (Make sure that the driver knows you'll be in the station....)

The museum/bus stop in Galveston is located at the head of The Strand, a very popular historic district with a number of bars, shops, cafes, and restaurants. It's safe and walkable day and night. My own "must-see" on The Strand, aside from the Museum, is La Kings Confectionary two blocks up the street...an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and candy factory which makes the best banana splits and ice cream sodas in town.

If you decide you would like to spend a night in Galveston before or after, the Tremont House is just two blocks from the Museum. It's an upscale Wyndham property; a bit pricy but very nice inside. Their rooftop bar overlooking the harbor is "not to be missed" if you're in town at sunset.

For lunch I always recommend Star Drug Store a few blocks south of The Strand on 23rd St. While no longer a working pharmacy, it does have its original old-fashioned lunch counter serving sandwiches, burgers, and ice cream treats which rival La Kings.

If you make a day of The Strand, be sure and stop in to see Galveston's "tall ship", the 1877 sailing ship Elissa.
 
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