2 roomettes or family bedroom

So my family is taking an 11 hour long trip from san jose to los angeles on the coast starlight.

We were wondering whether having a family bedroom or two roomettes is better.

Some other questions:

Can we choose which roomettes we occupy?

The family bedroom is only on the lower level right?

Are the complimentary stuff and services any less or different with the roomettes than the family bedroom?

So we have five people in our party, so we were planning on getting a coach seat along with the roomettes or family bedroom. Is the family bedroom roomy enough to squeeze 5 people in there or no?

The Family Bedroom is pretty cramped if you're trying to cram five adults in there. It's designed for two adults and two children.

Also, if the fifth member of your party has a Coach ticket, they will not be allowed in the Sleeper car, even if you explain that you know them. Some car attendants might turn a blind eye, but it's against the rules. There is a sign posted on the Dining Car door that states Coach passengers are not allowed past that point.

You can choose your roomettes if you make your reservation over the phone. Just tell the agent you want two roomettes across from each other.

The Family Bedroom is on the lower level.

The complimentary services (towels, meals, water, coffee, etc.) are the same for the entire sleeper car.

guesty mcguestface said:

So my family is taking an 11 hour long trip from san jose to los angeles on the coast starlight.

We were wondering whether having a family bedroom or two roomettes is better.

Some other questions:

Can we choose which roomettes we occupy?

The family bedroom is only on the lower level right?

Are the complimentary stuff and services any less or different with the roomettes than the family bedroom?

So we have five people in our party, so we were planning on getting a coach seat along with the roomettes or family bedroom. Is the family bedroom roomy enough to squeeze 5 people in there or no?

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If your budget permits it, you can sleep three adults in a regular bedroom if two of them are willing to share a berth that's just an inch or two wider than a standard twin bed. Booked in conjunction with a roomette, you could legitimately put all of your party in a sleeper for the trip. If the budget will stretch even further, you can book two adjoining bedrooms as a "bedroom suite"; by opening the partition up between them you will have all the space to share which will be enough to socialize.

The lower berth in the Family Bedroom is the same size as in a regular Bedroom, so you can book it along with a roomette if the price is better. Of course, if two of your traveling party are young children or very small adults under five feet tall, the Family Bedroom is the way to go. You are allowed to book up to five in a FB if you do it over the phone with an agent. (Booking 3 in a regular Bedroom or booking a Bedroom Suite likewise requires an agent over the phone.)

It's all daytime from San Jose to LA. Sleeping is not the issue.

City of Miami said:

It's all daytime from San Jose to LA. Sleeping is not the issue.

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Right, but I still think five adults in the Family Bedroom would be rather cramped, depending on everyone's height.

In the Family Room, there is a couch and a table with 2 seats. The couch can easily seat 3 adults, 4 if you're cozy. The table has 2 seats, but it's very small - I'm 6' and it's very tight for me and if there were 2 of me, it would almost be impossible. Each roomette has ONLY 2 seats.

Of course, if you spend most of the trip in the SSL or PPC, this is not an issue!

To book 5 in the Family Room or 3 in a roomette for a daytime trip, you must phone in your reservation. Also, this gives all 5 access to the sleeping car, the PPC AND the included meals! Otherwise, the person with the coach ticket could not go to the sleeper, the PPC and must pay for their meals. And their fare may even be higher, as they must pay the current coach fare. (With a sleeper fare, your rail fare portion is the lowest coach fare.)

I had forgotten about the southbound Coast Starlight being a daytime run from San Jose. With that stated, the Family Bedroom is the way to go. This snip is from the 2011 manual, but I'd be very surprised if it has changed:



"Non-berth service" means the room will not be set up for sleeping. It is permissible to book five adults into the Family Bedroom on this basis, although you will have to do so over the phone directly with an Amtrak agent. It will be crowded in the room, but as it spans the full width of the train there will be as much space as you would have in coach. And, of course, you are not trapped within the room; you will have free access to the lounge car and the Pacific Parlour Car when you need a change of pace. And all five of you will be provided all meals in the dining car during your trip.

I say go for it.

I'd say it depends on the family. With two roomettes across from each other you can use them differently, say one for sitting and one for napping. You have access to PPC, lounge car, diner. Don't put anyone in coach.

Alice said:

I'd say it depends on the family. With two roomettes across from each other you can use them differently, say one for sitting and one for napping. You have access to PPC, lounge car, diner. Don't put anyone in coach.

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However, the only way you can legally book five people into two roomettes is if two of those people are children.

First, do not book anyone into coach. Second, get the Family Room, the couch can seat three and the table/chairs seats two. Third you will have to do the reservation over the phone, the on line site will not allow five. As far as comfort, I would expect that you would use the PPC either a couple of you at a time or all. There will be a the SSL car that you can also find seating to see the scenery. In the Diner the tables hold four, two on each side, so you will need to decide if you want to take sit four together and one with other people or two with other folks and three with one other person.

Also, I would consider the "business class" coach since it is usually very lightly used.

However, BC will not gain access to the PPC (except during the wine tasting) nor include meals.

Unfortunately, the PPC is not lightly used but instead greatly used since there are three revenue sleepers and only six or eight lounge type chairs. Beware of the "hoggers". On my receint trip I ate all my meals in the PPC and enjoyed it except the air conditioning running full force made it noticeably cold so I wore my lined jacket anytime I went to the PPC.