I've Got Some Questions

[Lizerina]

I will be taking my first real train ride next week and I have a lot of questions!

Basic Info:

I'll be riding in coach on the Southwest Chief from Hutchinson, KS to Lamy, NM.

Questions:

1. Is this a nice train to ride?

2. I read that some trains have WiFi; will this one have it?

3. Are there a lot of electrical outlets in coach on the train?

4. Where is the best place to sit?

5. Does a back pack count as a carry on or a personal?

That's all I can think of right now. I'll probably think of some more and ask them later haha.

Thanks guys!

 

[johnny.menhennet]

In order:

1) Yes this is a very nice train. You will encounter some great scenery, especially along the border of NM/CO in what is called Raton Pass. Be sure to eat either breakfast or lunch in the diner. The crew has been friendly to me and my family every time I have ridden the Southwest Chief.

2) This train does not have wi-fi, for free or for a price.

3) There will be outlets at every coach seat, but it may be harder to get one if you have an aisle seat. Since you board in the middle of the night, you might be plopped down next to some random sleeping guy, and he may get upset if he wakes up to find some of his gadgets only halfway charged. In other words, you might have to wait until daylight to plug in.

4) If you do not plan on sleeping after you get on, I would actually recommend going a few cars closer towards the front of the train towards a car called the Sightseer Lounge car. It has a cafe on the lower level, and nice large panoramic windows on top. If you don't mind the slightly-less-cushy seats, then it would not be a bad idea to spend most of your day there. But don't wait too long to go there either. By around 8:00A, it may easily be full for the day, and finding a nice seat for the ride through Raton could be difficult.

5) It could be counted as either depending on the size, but honestly, you have nothing to worry about. There are large luggage racks downstairs, and you could easily put two large bags there and have a backpack and purse (I assume you're a girl from your name) with you at your chair.

 

[Old MM]

Don't forget you can also check a bag, for free! ^_^

 

[johnny.menhennet]

Don't forget you can also check a bag, for free! ^_^

Bot between Hutchinson and Lamy!

But even if she could, it would be two free checked bags!

 

[Lizerina]

Thanks, Johnny.

How much are meals on the train and what are the options?

Talking about the outlets, I read somewhere that some people that surge protectors to increase the number of items that can be plugged in. Should I bring one of those? Also, are the outlets three prong or two prong?

Is there any way to find out how many people will be on the train?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I'm not on a PC, but if you look under ?routes? and find the SWC, you should find a link to the menus - diner car & cafe car.

 

[NY Penn]

Thanks, Johnny.

How much are meals on the train and what are the options?

Talking about the outlets, I read somewhere that some people that surge protectors to increase the number of items that can be plugged in. Should I bring one of those? Also, are the outlets three prong or two prong?

Is there any way to find out how many people will be on the train?

For the menu in the dining car, go to amtrak.com. Find the SWC route and click on 'Dining Car Menu'.

And yes, a surge protector can turn out to be extremely useful.

The only way to find out the number of people on the train is (I think) to ask the conductor on board.

According to Google Images (and my experience), the outlets are three-prong.

 

[Lizerina]

The food looks good but expensive. I'm kinda thinking about buying a meal at the snack bar and packing my other meal. I've read some places about free breakfast. Does the Southwest Chief have that? If so, how does it work?

How early should I be to board the train? What is the check in process like?

 

[zephyr17]

The food looks good but expensive. I'm kinda thinking about buying a meal at the snack bar and packing my other meal. I've read some places about free breakfast. Does the Southwest Chief have that? If so, how does it work?

How early should I be to board the train? What is the check in process like?

No free breakfasts or any other free meals. Breakfast is the cheapest meal in the diner though, and it would be part of the experience to try one meal in the diner.

Boarding is nothing at all like air travel. Hutchinson is not a manned station station, so you can't check baggage, so there is no process to go through prior to boarding. Just show up before the train arrives and when the train shows up, get on at the door where they are loading coach passengers (coaches are towards the rear of the train, sleepers, diner, lounge, coaches is the order). The conductor may lift your ticket as your board, but more likely will walk through the train and take your ticket after you sit down.

If the attendant doesn't direct you to a seat, you may sit in any seat that isn't occupied or have a "seat check" above it. A seat check is a rectangular piece of paper stuck in a holder on the side of the rack above the seats. Usually it has the station code of the destination marked on it, although sometimes they use color codes. The seat check marks the seat as occupied whether or not any one is sitting there right that second or not.

 

[Shortline]

The food looks good but expensive. I'm kinda thinking about buying a meal at the snack bar and packing my other meal. I've read some places about free breakfast. Does the Southwest Chief have that? If so, how does it work?

How early should I be to board the train? What is the check in process like?

No free breakfasts or any other free meals. Breakfast is the cheapest meal in the diner though, and it would be part of the experience to try one meal in the diner.

You may already know, but just in case-There are no free meals for COACH, but if you upgrade to a sleeper (a private compartment, that the seats convert to a bed at night) then ALL your dining car meals are "free", by being included in the cost of the sleeper upgrade. You might want to call and see what it would cost to go to a Roomette (the smallest, usually least expensive sleeper room). Sometimes it's not TOO much more to upgrade. Other times, it's very expensive. But, it can't hurt to check, if you haven't already looked into it.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I will be taking my first real train ride next week and I have a lot of questions!

Basic Info:

I'll be riding in coach on the Southwest Chief from Hutchinson, KS to Lamy, NM.

Questions:

1. Is this a nice train to ride?

2. I read that some trains have WiFi; will this one have it?

3. Are there a lot of electrical outlets in coach on the train?

4. Where is the best place to sit?

5. Does a back pack count as a carry on or a personal?

That's all I can think of right now. I'll probably think of some more and ask them later haha.

Thanks guys!

1. Yes, it is, IMHO. Nice scenery over Raton Pass.

2. No Wi-Fi for most long-distance trains. Coast Starlight is an exeception (Sleeper passengers only). No idea if Amtrak plans to install it on all LD trains. :mellow:

3. Most or maybe even all LDs now have outlets.

4. Personally I prefer upper level, maybe not too close to the stairs. Chicago can be a boarding/detraining frenzy if all goes NOT WELL.

5. Carry-on. In Superliners like this one, you can store larger bags in the lower level baggage space. Consider checking larger bags, you can check Three For Free.You should be able to carry more than two bags if you don't protrude into other seats.

I always get a sleeper for overnight trips. Station lounge access and diner meals do it for me! If I can't afford a sleeper, there is usually a daylight bus paralleling overnight trains. I'd rather take a bus during the day than Amtrak Coach overnight, just because I don't want to miss out on a oppurtunity for a long bus ride, especially on a rare bus model.

 

[johnny.menhennet]

Do not get a sleeper for this trip. Being a first time passenger, I advise against paying the extra money for a segment of that length.

Honestly, about the outlet thing, I do not find it to be a big deal at all. You will spend most of your trip in the Sightseer Lounge and I would not leave anything of value (or anything at all, for that matter) in a different car. The 12-hour trip should not necessitate multiple device chargings.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Do not get a sleeper for this trip. Being a first time passenger, I advise against paying the extra money for a segment of that length.

Honestly, about the outlet thing, I do not find it to be a big deal at all. You will spend most of your trip in the Sightseer Lounge and I would not leave anything of value (or anything at all, for that matter) in a different car. The 12-hour trip should not necessitate multiple device chargings.

I did not realize it was only twelve hours. I have done that long in Coach during the day, even done it on a bus, and while a Sleeper wouldd have been more comfortable, I think that you should be able to go that long in Coach overnight. Though I still won't do it......

 

[me_little_me]

Some additional suggestions:

If you are going to Santa Fe, remember there is the inexpensive RailRunner commuter train that runs to Albuquerque. Nice scenic ride too.

If you intend to (or unintentionally) stay awake at night, get off the train at any smoker stop even if you don't smoke (ask the conductor if there is one) and just stretch your legs and breathe fresh air for a few minutes. Stay by the car door but upwind of the smokers. Use it as a chance to talk to the car attendant about the route, their job or whatever.

I second the motion to dine once in the diner. Do breakfast as the price includes juice and coffee/tea. Talk to your seatmates in the diner (you will be seated with others). You will almost assuredly find it an enjoyable experience.

You can bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks so be sure to bring some favorite snacks as Murphy's Law says Amtrak will have everything but that one. You can bring a cooler.

Unlike the airlines, Amtrak is more lenient about carry-ons. Usually, if you can carry it, you can carry it.

Have an enchilada at a local restaurant. Enchiladas in Santa Fe are like pizza in NYC. If it's a local place, it will be good. I miss my enchiladas with green or red chile!

 

[Lizerina]

Thankfully I won't be going through Chicago! I'll be departing from Hutchinson, KS and arriving in Lamy, NM.

Definitely not gonna get a sleeper. It's my first time and it's only 12 hours. I'd love to go on a longer trip and order a sleeper sometime, though!

I'm going to Santa Fe for a ski trip, so I won't have a lot of free time, but we'll probably wander around a little bit.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to sleep at least a little bit on the train. I've never been very good at sleeping in the car, so we'll see how it goes. I'm looking forward to socializing with people and learning more about the train from the attendants.

Okay, so here's what I've gathered from this thread so far:

- The Southwest Chief has some beautiful scenery

- There's no WiFi

- I should be able to get an available outlet (I tend to rely heavily on my electronics lol)

- It's a good idea to spend a while in the Sightseer Lounge and experience the wonderful view

- Still a little unsure about the backpack thing. It's a small backpack and it's got my stuff to keep me busy. = /

- I need to eat at least one meal on the train. It'll most likely be breakfast since it's the least expensive

Anything I'm missing?

Also, what kinds of foods would you guys recommend for stacks and my other meal?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Thankfully I won't be going through Chicago! I'll be departing from Hutchinson, KS and arriving in Lamy, NM.

Definitely not gonna get a sleeper. It's my first time and it's only 12 hours. I'd love to go on a longer trip and order a sleeper sometime, though!

I'm going to Santa Fe for a ski trip, so I won't have a lot of free time, but we'll probably wander around a little bit.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to sleep at least a little bit on the train. I've never been very good at sleeping in the car, so we'll see how it goes. I'm looking forward to socializing with people and learning more about the train from the attendants.

Okay, so here's what I've gathered from this thread so far:

- The Southwest Chief has some beautiful scenery

- There's no WiFi

- I should be able to get an available outlet (I tend to rely heavily on my electronics lol)

- It's a good idea to spend a while in the Sightseer Lounge and experience the wonderful view

- Still a little unsure about the backpack thing. It's a small backpack and it's got my stuff to keep me busy. = /

- I need to eat at least one meal on the train. It'll most likely be breakfast since it's the least expensive

Anything I'm missing?

Also, what kinds of foods would you guys recommend for stacks and my other meal?

No worry about your Backpack, Plenty of Overhead Storeage Space and also @ your feet! Most people find Window seats more Comfortable for Sleeping (and Better for Sightseeing also!) Avoid Seats by the stairs and End of the Car if possible since People Movement, Doors Opening and Closing and Lights by the Stairs tend to interupt your Sleep! A Travel Pillow and a Light Blanket (Fleece works Fine)and Eye Shade and Ear Plugs are also Helpful!You willl be in areas out on the Plains/Prarie where Cell Service is Slim to Non-Existant but the scenery will keep you Entertained!

Snacks are whatever you like, most of us dont take stuff that will Melt/Spoil requires too much Ice or heating so Packaged stuff/Fruit/Water and your own Drinks (tea/sodas/juice/nuts/crackers/peanut butter etc are good!) Stuff is Pricey in the Cafe Car and as was said, Breakfast is your Best Bet in the Diner! Have a great trip, this is a Really Nice Train, one of Amtrak's Best! :wub:

 

[TimePeace]

I usually bring at least one sandwich with me, some nuts and raisins and chocolate(!), some crackers and cheese, apples are a must. Bring a water bottle.

Enjoy!

 

[Texan Eagle]

Okay, so here's what I've gathered from this thread so far:

- The Southwest Chief has some beautiful scenery

- There's no WiFi

- I should be able to get an available outlet (I tend to rely heavily on my electronics lol)

- It's a good idea to spend a while in the Sightseer Lounge and experience the wonderful view

- Still a little unsure about the backpack thing. It's a small backpack and it's got my stuff to keep me busy. = /

- I need to eat at least one meal on the train. It'll most likely be breakfast since it's the least expensive

Anything I'm missing?

Probably one thing a first-time traveler might not be knowing- always keep in mind that the tracks used by Amtrak are not their own, they belong to the freight railroads (eg: BNSF where you are traveling), so your Amtrak train is at the mercy of the freight railroad dispatchers for its on-time performance. Southwest Chief is one of Amtrak's best on-time performers, but you never know- one malfunctioning signal or stranded freight train can delay your train by upto few hours for no fault of Amtrak, so if this happens, just relax. They will try to get things back to normal as fast as they can.

Have fun