Decisions, decisions!! SWC or CZ??

[aktrainfan]

:help: I need your help, please!! I'm trying to decide between taking the Southwest Chief or the California Zephyr between Vegas and Denver. Two totally different routes, one through the Southwest and one through SLC. HELP!! The SWC is much more expensive, but a lot less bus time.

 

If I take the Zephyr, I have to take an 8 hour bus to SLC with greyhound (part of the thruway service) but it leaves Vegas at a reasonable time of 7:45a I'm a early morning person anyway...and would get to SLC at 5:05p. I'd have to get a cab to the train station (sounds like it's close, but are cabs there waiting?) and then we wouldn't leave there until 3:30am!! I asked the Amtrak lady what I could do and she said the station is open 24 hrs, is it safe? I would have my laptop, 25 inch suitcase, and purse/carryon with me, it kind of scares me to think of sleeping with all those things exposed. Getting to Denver by train sounds good though, and the time we'd get there is 6:30p, so that's very reasonable.

 

How is the routing/scenery compared the SWC? Which route would you take and why?? One thing I forgot to mention is the price difference~it's about $200 cheaper for the Zephyr. There is limited room on that one for the roommettes too!!

 

I need to get this reserved and done before Wednesday, so I won't have to worry about it anymore once I'm on my trip. Thanks everyone!! hboy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bob Dylan]

Since the bus ride to SLC isnt so bad, and the Price is lots better, I say Go with the Zephyr! Plenty of people around the SLC Station area since the Train comes in and the Local Transportation hub operates out of that area! The Amtrak Station is small but its staffed and Safe!You might want to consider booking a cheap room if one is avaialble for a few hours in SLC??? The Scenery is Spectacular in Colorado and you pull into Downtown Denver around Supper time! If you go on the SWC you will ride a Van or Bus in the Dark to a Desolute Place in Arizona to catch the SWC! When you get to New Mexico you would have to ride a Bus (Greyhound!) to Denver! Doesnt seem like a hard choice when you consider this! Go on the Zephyr!!!

 

[Steve4031]

That is a long layover in slc. If you can store your luggage and get dinner in a movie that would work. I would also suggest checking into a hotel. A showere and a few hours sleep will make the whole trip more enjoyable.

 

[TexRail]

The CZ through Colorado is an unforgettable experience. Every railfan should do it at least once.

 

[aktrainfan]

Well I think I'm going to stick with the SWC after all. I called Amtrak and the lady I spoke with said that the route between Vegas and Kingman is very popular, and that there are lots of people that take it, so I shouldn't be by myself in the small train station in Kingman. Also, she said that she knows the conductor gets on at that station too, so he waits in the station with the passengers. It is also only there for about an hour or less before I board the train. Yes it's more expensive, but I'll be able to sleep on it though, and not worry about what to do for 7 hours!

Thanks for your input, it sounds like the Zephyr has beautiful sights, I'll have to consider that for another time, maybe in the summer. Beautiful mountains full of snow sounds familiar, I'm from Alaska.

Kelly :hi:

 

[railiner]

I would also recommend the CZ. I was looking over GL schedules. Too bad you couldn't connect in Provo or Green River. Would cut off some distance and possibly be even lower in fare, but alas, the connections are not quite there, unless the CZ is well over an hour late in the case of Provo. And the one time you would hope for that, of course it would be on time.....

 

[FunNut]

I concur with your decision. Based on comments about the condition of the cars on the CZ versus my personal experience on the SWC (both EB and WB), the SWC is a better train.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Well I think I'm going to stick with the SWC after all. I called Amtrak and the lady I spoke with said that the route between Vegas and Kingman is very popular, and that there are lots of people that take it, so I shouldn't be by myself in the small train station in Kingman. Also, she said that she knows the conductor gets on at that station too, so he waits in the station with the passengers. It is also only there for about an hour or less before I board the train. Yes it's more expensive, but I'll be able to sleep on it though, and not worry about what to do for 7 hours!

Thanks for your input, it sounds like the Zephyr has beautiful sights, I'll have to consider that for another time, maybe in the summer. Beautiful mountains full of snow sounds familiar, I'm from Alaska.

Kelly :hi:

Yes, you should stick with the SWC, the long grind on the Greyhound is not worth the little money saved. Besides, the scenery on the SWC is very different from the CZ. I think everybody should try out the desert, just as much as the Front Range.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

Another Factor in favor of the SWC is where your hotel in Vegas is. The Greyhound Bus depot is downtown. The Kingman Van leaves from the Airport. So It might be more convenient to choose one over the other. The area around the Buss depot is reasonably safe but some areas near the bus station are not. The Airport is well patrolled so not much worry there. I thing the distance between the Airport and bus is about 10-12 miles. I am no sure where in the Airport, the Van leaves from I know it isn't to far from the main terminal as I have picked up a friend that came in on the van at the same place that most air passengers get picked up from.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

 

[gswager]

There's an excellent tool for you to check on the price- AmSnag on different days.

 

[aktrainfan]

Now I'm kind of considering this option. Booking a coach seat now, and then seeing if I can upgrade to a roommette on board, to get a substantial discount. It would save me over $160! How has this worked out for anyone here, if you've ever tried it? Is it to risky and iffy? What if I just booked my coach seat and then checked a few days before and decided the rooms were booking up, can I upgrade then? Thanks for your patience with my endless questions! :lol:

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Now I'm kind of considering this option. Booking a coach seat now, and then seeing if I can upgrade to a roommette on board, to get a substantial discount. It would save me over $160! How has this worked out for anyone here, if you've ever tried it? Is it to risky and iffy? What if I just booked my coach seat and then checked a few days before and decided the rooms were booking up, can I upgrade then? Thanks for your patience with my endless questions! :lol:

On one leg of my trip last Nov, I opted to do coach for the first night (on the CL) and booked a roomette on the CZ for the rest of the trip. I happened to check Amsnag later and noticed about a $100 drop in price for the roomette on the CL so I called and added it to my reservation. This was still months before my trip.

 

[jb64]

there have been many discussions here on onboard upgrades. I was able to upgrade onboard the California Zephyr last summer and saved about $500 from the price I would have paid had I booked the day before. However, it is a risky and iffy proposition and the stars must align right for it to happen. First, there has to be space to upgrade to and second, and this is even more important, you have to have a conductor willing to do the upgrade. That apparently, can be the hardest part. I was fully expecting to stay in coach when I tried it and figured what the heck. It worked out but I wouldn't have been real upset if it hadn't. It all depends on how bad you want the upgrade.

 

[Montanan]

Here's another option ... a pretty blasphemous one, though.

Book a cheap afternoon flight on Southwest from Las Vegas to Reno, and then get on the Zephyr there. The cost would be in line with the other options, there'd be no long and hellacious bus ride, and you'd have a longer train ride with no middle-of-the-night transfers!

 

[TexRail]

Now I'm kind of considering this option. Booking a coach seat now, and then seeing if I can upgrade to a roommette on board, to get a substantial discount. It would save me over $160! How has this worked out for anyone here, if you've ever tried it? Is it to risky and iffy? What if I just booked my coach seat and then checked a few days before and decided the rooms were booking up, can I upgrade then? Thanks for your patience with my endless questions! :lol:

I hesitated on a trip this week and paid for it. I had a 4 hour day trip and wasn't sure if I wanted a room so I waited. Overnight, the roomette price more than doubled from $42 to $94 (SL Bedroom was only $109). I kept refreshing the webpage through the night and the only thing that changed were the number of rooms available.

I would never plan on an onboard upgrade based on what I've heard and that is a shame. I am really getting tired of certain Amtrak employees acting like they are doing us a favor by allowing us to board their train. I had another bad experience with a worthless diner employee. This wasn't my first train ride so I almost expect to have run-ins with these clowns but the family I was sitting with remarked how 'everyone seemed so rude' after they witnessed the employee give attitude. They said this was their first Amtrak trip but it might be their last because Amtrak insists on hiring and retaining people who have no business working with the public.

I should complain to Amtrak but I might as well be writing to a brick wall.

 

[aktrainfan]

Now I'm kind of considering this option. Booking a coach seat now, and then seeing if I can upgrade to a roommette on board, to get a substantial discount. It would save me over $160! How has this worked out for anyone here, if you've ever tried it? Is it to risky and iffy? What if I just booked my coach seat and then checked a few days before and decided the rooms were booking up, can I upgrade then? Thanks for your patience with my endless questions! :lol:

I hesitated on a trip this week and paid for it. I had a 4 hour day trip and wasn't sure if I wanted a room so I waited. Overnight, the roomette price more than doubled from $42 to $94 (SL Bedroom was only $109). I kept refreshing the webpage through the night and the only thing that changed were the number of rooms available.

I would never plan on an onboard upgrade based on what I've heard and that is a shame. I am really getting tired of certain Amtrak employees acting like they are doing us a favor by allowing us to board their train. I had another bad experience with a worthless diner employee. This wasn't my first train ride so I almost expect to have run-ins with these clowns but the family I was sitting with remarked how 'everyone seemed so rude' after they witnessed the employee give attitude. They said this was their first Amtrak trip but it might be their last because Amtrak insists on hiring and retaining people who have no business working with the public.

I should complain to Amtrak but I might as well be writing to a brick wall.

Yes, I don't think it's worth it to wait and see anymore. I have been thinking about it, and the more I think about it, the more I want to reserve something so that I'm not fearing the worst and worrying. Which train did you take, just curious? The experience that I've had so far has been really good with the trains I've taken and the personnel. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't have a good experience. Especially with this one with the SWC, it's pretty spendy, so I hope they treat me nice!! I'm also one to refer others if I have good experiences, but I will report anything I experience, good and bad. I really wish you would send them an email, just so it's in writing and then maybe if certain employees are repeat offenders, at least they will have a record of it. Thanks for your opinion!!

 

[TexRail]

Now I'm kind of considering this option. Booking a coach seat now, and then seeing if I can upgrade to a roommette on board, to get a substantial discount. It would save me over $160! How has this worked out for anyone here, if you've ever tried it? Is it to risky and iffy? What if I just booked my coach seat and then checked a few days before and decided the rooms were booking up, can I upgrade then? Thanks for your patience with my endless questions! :lol:

I hesitated on a trip this week and paid for it. I had a 4 hour day trip and wasn't sure if I wanted a room so I waited. Overnight, the roomette price more than doubled from $42 to $94 (SL Bedroom was only $109). I kept refreshing the webpage through the night and the only thing that changed were the number of rooms available.

I would never plan on an onboard upgrade based on what I've heard and that is a shame. I am really getting tired of certain Amtrak employees acting like they are doing us a favor by allowing us to board their train. I had another bad experience with a worthless diner employee. This wasn't my first train ride so I almost expect to have run-ins with these clowns but the family I was sitting with remarked how 'everyone seemed so rude' after they witnessed the employee give attitude. They said this was their first Amtrak trip but it might be their last because Amtrak insists on hiring and retaining people who have no business working with the public.

I should complain to Amtrak but I might as well be writing to a brick wall.

Yes, I don't think it's worth it to wait and see anymore. I have been thinking about it, and the more I think about it, the more I want to reserve something so that I'm not fearing the worst and worrying. Which train did you take, just curious? The experience that I've had so far has been really good with the trains I've taken and the personnel. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't have a good experience. Especially with this one with the SWC, it's pretty spendy, so I hope they treat me nice!! I'm also one to refer others if I have good experiences, but I will report anything I experience, good and bad. I really wish you would send them an email, just so it's in writing and then maybe if certain employees are repeat offenders, at least they will have a record of it. Thanks for your opinion!!

This was today on the TE, I'll just leave it at that. It's been years since I've used Amtrak until last month when I went on a 4500 mile adventure. I had a blast and all the employees I ran into were good to great. I took an unexpected but necessary trip today and I find the bad seed on a 200+ mile ride. It could be luck of the draw. I have a theory that maybe onboard leadership has something to do with it. I had no contact with the conductor on this trip but on past trips, there seemed to be a connection between a rude conductor and rude employees elsewhere on the train. It's like they feed off the negative energy of their leader. I've been on trains that had unprofessional conductors, dining staff, car attendant's and cafe attendant's all on the same train. However it's been over 10 years since I have had a horrible trip like that. I take trains to briefly escape reality and just enjoy the countryside for a while and an incident with a rude employee can seriously ruin the mood and the rest of the trip. If any leaders of Amtrak are reading this, they should be ashamed that this problem has persisted for almost as long as Amtrak has been around.

We get it, Amtrak is much slower than the airlines and they are often significantly delayed. We don't care. Some of us just like to take the train. They already have us railfans as customers. But when Congress is constantly trying to kill our LD trains in the West, we need those families taking their toddlers on their first train ride to be impressed. We need them to write their representatives when Amtrak is facing more cuts. We need these families to come back and keep paying a premium for those bedrooms and coach seats. We need them to tell their friends how much of a joy the train was. It is this type of customer that we as railfans depend on to keep the ridership just above the water line so X LD route will be spared for yet another year by Congress. I saw Amtrak blow it today in the diner. I didn't even mind that the employee was rude to me. I was embarrassed as a fan of Amtrak that this was another act of unprofessionalism witnessed by this family (I did not ask them the details of the other incident or incidents they referred to). I endorse Amtrak to almost everyone and when this happened I honestly felt like I was being embarrassed by a family member or something.

Do something about this NOW Amtrak. Us railfans can't keep these trains funded by ourselves.

 

[aktrainfan]

When they say that the fares can jump up in no time at all, they weren't kidding! Earlier the sleeping accomm. on the train on the day I was thinking of leaving was $316, now it jumped up to $370!! GEEZ louise!! I literally just refreshed the page and it went up. So now I'm considering staying one more night in Vegas with my cousin and just taking off the next day. Now the difference between the two days is $108...

I was just about to buy the ticket and BAM! So moral of the story, don't wait like I did!! ;(

 

[TexRail]

When they say that the fares can jump up in no time at all, they weren't kidding! Earlier the sleeping accomm. on the train on the day I was thinking of leaving was $316, now it jumped up to $370!! GEEZ louise!! I literally just refreshed the page and it went up. So now I'm considering staying one more night in Vegas with my cousin and just taking off the next day. Now the difference between the two days is $108...

I was just about to buy the ticket and BAM! So moral of the story, don't wait like I did!! ;(

Yep, I was kicking myself for hours last night. It was like I just flushed 60 bucks down the toilet. Oh well, lesson learned.

 

[aktrainfan]

No worries. I've decided to stay an extra night in Glitter Gulch (hee hee) and hopefully I'll win enough to pay for my train trip! (wishful thinking) so I will just leave the next day, and voila! It's a cheaper deal than even the original price of the day before. I'm good to go! Thanks everyone!!

 

[TexRail]

No worries. I've decided to stay an extra night in Glitter Gulch (hee hee) and hopefully I'll win enough to pay for my train trip! (wishful thinking) so I will just leave the next day, and voila! It's a cheaper deal than even the original price of the day before. I'm good to go! Thanks everyone!!

Just be sure to pay for your train tickets BEFORE you hit the casino. hehe

 

[aktrainfan]

Good one!! That would be kind of a bummer, I'm envisioning the Grizwolds in Vegas Vacation!!! :lol: :lol: