Cross Country trip

My son & I are booked reserved coach Rochester NY to Chicago on the Lakeshore Limited, Roomette on Southwest Chief to LAX, and unreserved coach Pacific Surfliner to SAN. We leave 5/26 (Friday of Memorial Day Weekend).

I have the e-ticket on an iPhone.

We're planning to check bags through ROC to SAN, and carry 3 days worth of carry on clothes, etc.

Hoping to get some sleep in coach on the Lakeshore Limited, and to sit together,

It sounds like we can leave our carry on bags in the Metropolitan Lounge, take a quick shower, and wander Chicago, to be back in time to board early.....assuming we don't arrive too late.

We may carry on some craft brews to enjoy in the Roomette for the long haul, with the understanding they can't be consumed outside the room per the agent I spoke to on the phone.

He's never traveled on Amtrak and I think it was still Penn Central the last time I took the train to South Bend. I sold him on the train with the roomette, observation car, and dining car

Suggestions, gotch-ya's, and other tips appreciated.

19 days and counting........

Forget to mention that my brother is meeting us in LAX via Texas Eagle. Wondering what happens if one of us is too late for the Surfliner. Can we wait for each other to travel together?

a60Dan said:

Forget to mention that my brother is meeting us in LAX via Texas Eagle. Wondering what happens if one of us is too late for the Surfliner. Can we wait for each other to travel together?

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There are numerous frequencies on the Surfliner. If he is late and you want to travel with him, speak to any agent and I'm sure that your reservation can be changed to a later train. Your baggage will probably still arrive in San Diego as originally scheduled, but that's not a problem. Amtrak is very good about requiring claim checks to be matched before releasing passenger luggage so it's highly unlikely that your bags will walk away without you.

The Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle gets into LA at 5am, but the first Surfliner does not leave LA until a bit later in the morning. The Southwest Chief arrives three hours after the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle arrives, and a Surfliner or two would have departed LA for San Diego. There are multiple Surfliner departures to San Diego, meaning that if you miss one, you can wait for the next one. You might be able to wait for him.

bmjhagen9426 said:

The Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle gets into LA at 5am, but the first Surfliner does not leave LA until a bit later in the morning. The Southwest Chief arrives three hours after the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle arrives, and a Surfliner or two would have departed LA for San Diego. There are multiple Surfliner departures to San Diego, meaning that if you miss one, you can wait for the next one. You might be able to wait for him.

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Actually, it's much more likely that he will end up waiting for you. One suggestion: Modify your reservation so that you detrain from the Southwest Chief in Fullerton and switch to the Pacific Surfliner there. Have him reserve the 7:25 a.m. Surfliner departure from Los Angeles. That train should be able to pick you up at 7:56 if your train gets into Fullerton within an hour of schedule. If the Chief is running more than an hour late, just phone him from the train and have him switch to a later Surfliner...say 8:19 or 8:41. If this works out you'll get into San Diego, with your luggage, more than an hour earlier than you would if you had traveled all the way into Los Angeles. If the Chief is late you'll still get there at or before the time you had originally planned.

Of course, if you just want to see Los Angeles Union Station (and I think it really is a pretty station, one of Amtrak's gems), then keep your plans the way they are. And enjoy your trip!

The LSL is a busy train with many passengers getting on/off in Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, so you should be able to sit together. Mention to the Conductor you want to sit together, they may say which car has the best chance. Many times they have the three stops sitting together, so there should be empty seats. Try to be one of the first to board in Rochester.

Make sure you grab some lunch while in Chicago. The first meal served on the SWC is Dinner. As soon as you get to the ML put your name in for a shower in case there are others before you. They will want your DL in exchange for the key. They provide towels, etc.

Lately, the SL/TE has been arriving LAX on time or early, so I would expect he will be waiting on you, coming in on a Sleeper, he can wait for you in the ML where there are snacks and drinks and comfortable seating. It is upstairs next to the elevator, there are signs on both levels.

Have a great trip!!!

a60Dan said:

My son & I are booked reserved coach Rochester NY to Chicago on the Lakeshore Limited, Roomette on Southwest Chief to LAX, and unreserved coach Pacific Surfliner to SAN. We leave 5/26 (Friday of Memorial Day Weekend).

I have the e-ticket on an iPhone.

We're planning to check bags through ROC to SAN, and carry 3 days worth of carry on clothes, etc.

Hoping to get some sleep in coach on the Lakeshore Limited, and to sit together,

It sounds like we can leave our carry on bags in the Metropolitan Lounge, take a quick shower, and wander Chicago, to be back in time to board early.....assuming we don't arrive too late.

Click to expand...

You should be able to have your bags checked to LAX (not sure if SAN has baggage facilities since it has no long distance trains). Last time I went through CHI with a connection I told them in NYP to send them to SLC and they did so I didn't have to worry about them in CHI.

If you have time (big if for Amtrak LD trains) you have a lot of time, the Willis Tower is a reasonable walk away. If you like pizza, Giordano's nearby is really good.

The best thing about the Surfliners is they are unreserved so you can change those plans easily. If going to SAN by yourself I would like the Fullerton idea but it would be hard to meet up with a friend there since the TE doesn't go to Fullerton.

I've ridden on both the LSL and SWC (not back to back though) and had good experiences on both. I visited both Los Angeles and San Diego. I hope you and your son have a great trip!

SAN does have baggage check. The Surliners all have checked baggage.

Since you are traveling coach on the Surfliners, there is no need to "reserve" a specific train. The Surfliners in coach are one of the few unreserved trains on Amtrak. If you miss one, you can get on the next without changing your ticket. (BC is reserved, but coach is unreserved.)

If you're not in a hurry to get to San Diego and want to stretch your legs for a bit in Los Angeles, here are some things I enjoyed there:

Olvera Street - Los Angeles's "old town" - is right next to Union Station and makes an interesting stroll. If you want any kitchy Mexican souvenirs, buy them here - they sell all the same stuff in San Diego's Old Town, but the prices are much higher there. The Avila Adobe is a nice (and free) historical house museum.

A slightly longer walk (or short Metro ride) away is Grand Central Market, which has many good options for prepared food as well as impossibly cheap California produce.

Across the street from Grand Central Market is Angels Flight, a funicular railway that dates to 1901. It's temporarily closed - reopening later this year, apparently - but you can still look at it.

ehbowen said:

bmjhagen9426 said:

The Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle gets into LA at 5am, but the first Surfliner does not leave LA until a bit later in the morning. The Southwest Chief arrives three hours after the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle arrives, and a Surfliner or two would have departed LA for San Diego. There are multiple Surfliner departures to San Diego, meaning that if you miss one, you can wait for the next one. You might be able to wait for him.

Click to expand...

Actually, it's much more likely that he will end up waiting for you. One suggestion: Modify your reservation so that you detrain from the Southwest Chief in Fullerton and switch to the Pacific Surfliner there. Have him reserve the 7:25 a.m. Surfliner departure from Los Angeles. That train should be able to pick you up at 7:56 if your train gets into Fullerton within an hour of schedule. If the Chief is running more than an hour late, just phone him from the train and have him switch to a later Surfliner...say 8:19 or 8:41. If this works out you'll get into San Diego, with your luggage, more than an hour earlier than you would if you had traveled all the way into Los Angeles. If the Chief is late you'll still get there at or before the time you had originally planned.

Of course, if you just want to see Los Angeles Union Station (and I think it really is a pretty station, one of Amtrak's gems), then keep your plans the way they are. And enjoy your trip!

Click to expand...

the_traveler said:

SAN does have baggage check. The Surliners all have checked baggage.

Since you are traveling coach on the Surfliners, there is no need to "reserve" a specific train. The Surfliners in coach are one of the few unreserved trains on Amtrak. If you miss one, you can get on the next without changing your ticket. (BC is reserved, but coach is unreserved.)

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The Traveler is exactly right. The Pacific Surfliner is an unreserved train. If you decide to do the "Fullerton Shuffle" like I suggest, just keep a copy of the Surfliner schedule and have your brother board the first one which you should be able to catch southbound from Fullerton.

A tip for the LSL, bring earplugs or noise cancelling headphones for coach, as it can get crowded and often noisy, but the SWC should be fine with a roomette. Also expect better service from Amtrak than Penn Central, PC had no money to fix things, no money to get new stuff, and no money to maintain the tracks. That said Amtrak is running on a budget so expect a few things to go wrong, but I'd say 90% of everything should be good

Thanks to all for your input!

Another suggestion is to bring a multi-plug strip to plug in all the electronics. Generally you only have access for one plug. I also carry a bottle of water and a couple snack bags that I keep back for the unexpected. I almost always bring them home, once or twice though they came in handy. In coach, if noise bothers you, I suggest noise cancelling head phones. If light at night bothers you, bring something to cover your eyes like a sleep mask. Have your tickets on an iPhone or similar with the Amtrak APP. Really works smooth. Keep in mind that the DC opens at 6:30AM, but by 7-7:15 the car is full, and a wait list started. Personally, I like having breakfast early with sun coming up, not rushed, and quieter. Have a great trip.