J
J.M.
Guest
Completed my SAV -> WAS -> ESX -> WAS -> SAV trip and it went very well. I had a roommette for the two overnight portions from and back to Savannah and I rode in coach up to Vermont and Biz Class on the way back.
The roommette was very room for one person. I can see two people fitting in it, but not nearly as easily. I slept on the upper bunk using one lower seat for one of my bags and the other as my seat. I kept my other bag in the storage space that goes over the hallway.
Having the toilet in the room was very convenient for bladder relief during late night hours.
Ate a nice dinner (Land & Sea) in the dining car, seated with a pleasant couple from England who enjoyed chatting. I drank a half bottle, made sure to request my salad and roll which I think the server forgot about, and enjoyed the pecan tart for dessert. My steak was overcooked but I wasn't going to complain, as I know how it's cooked Sous vide first and finished on the grill.
Slept about 3-4 hours and then woke up and decided to sit in the seat under my bunk and watch the stations go by. Ate breakfast in the dining car (quesedilla with bacon which was delicious).
Silver Meteor was on time to WAS which was great since I only had 45 mins until the Vermonter departed.
Seats on the Vermonter coachclass cars were fantastic. They seemed very new (very supple grey leather). My friend and I hit the cafe car pretty hard for the 12 hour trip. Service was fantastic all the way up to ESX. Vermont train crew were all terrific. Vermonter train was about 15 mins late at the final station, which is not bad at all for a 12 hour trip.
On the way back we sat in Biz Class and the seats weren't as nice as the newer ones in coach, although we did have more leg room and a center armrest. And we had super easy access to the cafe. I slept a fair amount on the way back, exhausted from my time in Vermont with friends. Vermonter back to DC was on time.
Spent about 21 hours in DC (10:30pm until 7:30pm the next day) sleeping in a hotel near Union Station and touring the National Mall.
Tired from walking DC I retired to the Acela lounge where I enjoyed some soda, some snack crackers, and some TV without the noise of the main waiting areas. A lounge attendant escorted me to the platform where Ed my SCA met me at the far end of the train. Dinner was very similar to my original trip, except that I asked for the cheese plate for "desert" (to finish my wine) and then asked for a cheescake as my actual desert (which I said I'd pay for) to go with coffee. The server only charged me for my wine and wouldn't even add the cheesecake when I reminded him that I got two "deserts."
This morning the Silver Meteor was scheduled to arrive in SAV at 6:34am which meant I wouldn't have time for the dining car, but thankfully the train was 20 mins behind schedule - just enough to get another "quick" breakfast quesadilla in.
Tipped my SCA's $5 for the overnight service both ways (my trip was 12 hours each time). I tipped the cafe and dining car servers according to the prices of the food and drink.
Overall it was a fantastic trip and I can't wait to do another one, hopefully a train that has a true observation lounge.
The roommette was very room for one person. I can see two people fitting in it, but not nearly as easily. I slept on the upper bunk using one lower seat for one of my bags and the other as my seat. I kept my other bag in the storage space that goes over the hallway.
Having the toilet in the room was very convenient for bladder relief during late night hours.
Ate a nice dinner (Land & Sea) in the dining car, seated with a pleasant couple from England who enjoyed chatting. I drank a half bottle, made sure to request my salad and roll which I think the server forgot about, and enjoyed the pecan tart for dessert. My steak was overcooked but I wasn't going to complain, as I know how it's cooked Sous vide first and finished on the grill.
Slept about 3-4 hours and then woke up and decided to sit in the seat under my bunk and watch the stations go by. Ate breakfast in the dining car (quesedilla with bacon which was delicious).
Silver Meteor was on time to WAS which was great since I only had 45 mins until the Vermonter departed.
Seats on the Vermonter coachclass cars were fantastic. They seemed very new (very supple grey leather). My friend and I hit the cafe car pretty hard for the 12 hour trip. Service was fantastic all the way up to ESX. Vermont train crew were all terrific. Vermonter train was about 15 mins late at the final station, which is not bad at all for a 12 hour trip.
On the way back we sat in Biz Class and the seats weren't as nice as the newer ones in coach, although we did have more leg room and a center armrest. And we had super easy access to the cafe. I slept a fair amount on the way back, exhausted from my time in Vermont with friends. Vermonter back to DC was on time.
Spent about 21 hours in DC (10:30pm until 7:30pm the next day) sleeping in a hotel near Union Station and touring the National Mall.
Tired from walking DC I retired to the Acela lounge where I enjoyed some soda, some snack crackers, and some TV without the noise of the main waiting areas. A lounge attendant escorted me to the platform where Ed my SCA met me at the far end of the train. Dinner was very similar to my original trip, except that I asked for the cheese plate for "desert" (to finish my wine) and then asked for a cheescake as my actual desert (which I said I'd pay for) to go with coffee. The server only charged me for my wine and wouldn't even add the cheesecake when I reminded him that I got two "deserts."
This morning the Silver Meteor was scheduled to arrive in SAV at 6:34am which meant I wouldn't have time for the dining car, but thankfully the train was 20 mins behind schedule - just enough to get another "quick" breakfast quesadilla in.
Tipped my SCA's $5 for the overnight service both ways (my trip was 12 hours each time). I tipped the cafe and dining car servers according to the prices of the food and drink.
Overall it was a fantastic trip and I can't wait to do another one, hopefully a train that has a true observation lounge.