Looking for help regarding checked luggage

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Good evening from Europe. I will be taking Amtrak train during my trip to the USA this summer. I have booked tickets as follows. San Diego to Los Angeles on Pacific Surliner, Los Angeles to Santa Barbara on Coast Starlight and Santa Barbara to Los Angeles on Pacific Surfliner. Website is hard for me to follow fully the informations on luggage. I see symbol for checked luggage. We will have a large suitcase each and also the small overhead size bag each so I would greatly like to make sue of this service to check the bag.

Could you tell me please how to do this. How I can collect bags when we get off the train and where I do this. Do I need to arrive much time in advance at the station. It is confusing me, this service I have not encountered here.

Also I have used the discount from Santa Barbara Car Free so I have tickets at low price, unreserved coach. I can still use checked luggage, yes? It is not like airline where low price ticket means I must pay the extra fee to check. Also please will I need to tip anybody.

Thank you.
 
You can check two bags each free of charge, regardless of ticket class, and bring a couple of carryons each on board. You can also bring your larger suitcases on board, if you prefer. There's plenty of room to store luggage.

You hand the bags in at the ticket counter when you check in, then pick them up on the platform when you arrive. Staff will unload the bags onto a cart and bring them from the baggage car to the middle of the train (more or less) where you take them from the cart. (If you have a bicycle, the process is a little different).

Los Angeles is a bigger and more complicated station, but if you're coming from Europe, it probably won't impress you :). I would arrive at the counter least half an hour before the train leaves (I'm not aware of a formal cutoff – some else on the forum might know differently). I'd suggest adding a little more time to navigate through the station and to allow for the unexpected – 45 minutes or an hour earlier would be safe. Santa Barbara and San Diego are smaller and simpler stations, so 15 minutes would probably do it, but add a little extra time if you don't want to cut it close.

You don't have to tip anybody. That said, you'll find a variety of opinions on this forum as to whether you should. If all you're doing is checking in bags, taking a carryon bag onboard yourself, and picking up your bags at the end, you don't need to. Amtrak employees are union-represented and earn a very good wage. My advice in regards tipping is to do whatever you're accustomed to doing at home.

Welcome to California!
 
Many stations (in the east - I am not sure about California) require passengers to check luggage at least 45 minutes before departure time.
 
Thank you but may I ask what you mean by 'check in'. What this involves?

I am very much looking with anticipation to seeing Union Station in Los Angeles, the pictures are indeed very beautiful and nothing like we have here in Poland. We do not have tipping at all. I have never in my life given a tip so it will be new for me and I must not do as at home or I will have many angry waiters and drivers! I take your advice on board and thank you for the expectations regarding the Amtrak employees.
 
Most stations you check your luggage at the ticket counter. There are some with separate baggage desks, (Penn Station comes to mind), but not on the route you are taking. If you don't have baggage to check and have your boarding pass there is no need to check in at the ticket counter.

Checked baggage must be in Amtrak's hands 45 minutes before departure, that is a system-wide rule. That does not mean in the line to check bags, but the bags handed over.
 
Thank you but may I ask what you mean by 'check in'. What this involves?

I am very much looking with anticipation to seeing Union Station in Los Angeles, the pictures are indeed very beautiful and nothing like we have here in Poland. We do not have tipping at all. I have never in my life given a tip so it will be new for me and I must not do as at home or I will have many angry waiters and drivers! I take your advice on board and thank you for the expectations regarding the Amtrak employees.
Amtrak does not require tipping . In fact there is no law requiring tipping in the USA. It is 100% free choice on your part too spend or not spend your money for a reward to anyone. Unfortunately there are people that think their tipping habits should be followed by others. Some employees might put out a cup hoping for tips.
 
If you're checking luggage it has to be turned in 45 minutes ahead of scheduled departure, as zephyr17 correctly noted. Being in line doesn't count, so allow a good hour. If you're not checking luggage you just need to be at the station with your e-ticket (printed or on your mobile device) before the train arrives.

Unfortunately, tipping has become such an established custom in the US that many service employees literally work for tips...or worse. At one restaurant I (briefly) worked for 20 years ago I had to pay a 3.5% commission to the restaurant on all my sales...in the hope that the customer would pay me enough of a tip that I came out ahead. Fortunately Amtrak is not one of those skinflint employers; their employees are paid a living wage with benefits. Elsewhere, though, if you assume that service employees are working for tips only, you'll be correct more often than not.

Don't feel that you have to tip everybody, though. It's appropriate to tip $1-$2 per bag if you ask a Redcap to take your luggage from taxi or car at curbside to the train or the check-in desk...but don't think you need to tip everyone who handles your bags when checking or claiming them. On long trips by sleeper car it's customary to tip your car attendant and dining car waiter, but the operating employees (conductors) are never tipped.
 
Is checking luggage where it is in a special car? We will be bringing luggage and assumed we did not need to check as would put in the luggage area ourselves.
 
Not too much to add to the above except these points.

LA Amtrak station (LAX) is one of our favourite stations in the world, whether approaching it from the city and walking into it or when inside. The seated waiting is fabulous, can't think of a better waiting area anywhere we have ever been. I'd recommend to get to the station early and enjoy seeing palm trees out in front of the station with hopefully bright blue skies (not many palm trees outside Warsaw station but there are other things), and all the huge hustle and bustle inside, plus take time to relax in the waiting area.

Last time we left from LAX we didn't have enough time to check our bags as the queue was too long, had to board the train with all our baggage. This isn't a big problem because as mentioned above there is plenty of baggage storage onboard.

The coast journey you are taking north from LAX is just one of the great train journeys in the world, but without any doubt (in my mind) the best section is between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo (SLO) to the north. It is so beautiful right along the coast and really looks like California as you will imagine it.

If you can modify your train journey to travel north to SLO then look out for 'Surf Station' a tiny station on a surfing beach. If you are interested I'll be posting a few photos of Surf Station in a long drawn out travelogue that's being slowly written here on this forum during the next week or so.

Enjoy your journey, Americans are friendly and open, just ask if you are not sure.
 
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As far as I know, you don't have to "check in" your luggage unless you want to, you can bring a large suitcase onto the train yourself, as well as the small overhead type case. There are luggage racks.
If you want to get someone else to put your large suitcase on the train, you need to go to the station luggage office and hand it in, this is called "checked baggage service". Free for two bags. You must check in the bags 45 minutes before train is due to depart.
Some trains do not have checked baggage service, there is no option to check it, you must carry it onto the train with you.
It seems as if all the trains you have booked have the option to "check in" your bags. You collect checked bags either on the platform from an Amtrak trolley, or from the station luggage office.
 
I see. In small station like Santa Barbara (I have studied Google maps and I am very tickled that the train is just there in middle of city!) do I need to be there 45 minutes before? The train will not begin there so do I still hand over the luggage in advance?

I am travelling with my teenage daughter and I have had back surgery in January so I would like to avoid the hauling of luggage. I can not anymore move much weight overhead. A life working construction has taken havoc on my back.

Yes the LAX station is much anticipated. I have seen television interview here about the waiting area and the original wooden telephone booths. I have booked for preceding night the Biltmore hotel close to the station so we will be able to get there early for plenty of photography. The train will leave after 10am.
 
Is checking luggage where it is in a special car? We will be bringing luggage and assumed we did not need to check as would put in the luggage area ourselves.

You are correct, you can bring a couple of suitcases on board and stash them in the luggage area. There is a separate baggage car on some trains, and at some stations you can check in your bags at the ticket counter. It's pretty haphazard – you have to make sure that your train and both your originating and destination stations offer baggage service.
 
The Los Angeles Amtrak terminal was slightly complicated even when I got to the correct counter to check in. There were 2 lines, one for people who wanted to check their luggage, and another for those who didn't. Unfortunately, they were not well marked and the people behind the counter weren't the people that were going to be checking people in and gave conflicting information to people waiting in the lines. The people who were supposed to check passengers in had not yet arrived apparently because they were staffing a train that was late. I don't remember for sure, but I do think they arrived after the 45 minute cutoff rule, but, of course, Amtrak does account for these things and delays train departure in these types of cases, if need be. Remain flexible and don't worry if something like this happens. I am a recent convert to trains and now that my time isn't constrained anymore, I hope to never fly again (unless traveling to another continent, of course). Trains are so much more comfortable and you get to see a bunch of beautiful scenery.
 
I see. In small station like Santa Barbara (I have studied Google miaps and I am very tickled that the train is just there in middle of city!) do I need to be there 45 minutes before? The train will not begin there so do I still hand over the luggage in advance? My own station, Everett, WA is also relatively small intermediate stop and the 45 minute cutoff is strictly enforced there.

I am travelling with my teenage daughter and I have had back surgery in January so I would like to avoid the hauling of luggage. I can not anymore move much weight overhead. A life working construction has taken havoc on my back.

Yes the LAX station is much anticipated. I have seen television interview here about the waiting area and the original wooden telephone booths. I have booked for preceding night the Biltmore hotel close to the station so we will be able to get there early for plenty of photography. The train will leave after 10am.

The 45 minute requirement applies to ALL stations handling checked baggage, regardless of their size. Including Santa Barbara. If you want to check items to save your back, you need to be there in time to check it, otherwise you will be carrying it on. The station I mostly use, Everett, WA is also a relatively small, intermediate stop and the 45 minute cutoff is strictly enforced there.

If by close, you mean walking distance, I would not consider the Biltmore that close. It is, however just a couple of stops from the Pershing Square station near the Biltmore to Union Station on the Red/Purple line subway.
 
No I do not mean walking distance. I could not find decent hotel within walking distance with my travel agent. It was the Biltmore or a very costly Marriott close by LA Live and then Roosevelt Hollywood and I do not want to try the metro in weekday morning from there.

I now understand the 45 minute is for all stations. I was not trying to be difficult or trying to get by regulation, I just could not imagine the system in small stations.
 
If the only choices your travel agent found in LA were the Biltmore, the LA Marriott and the Roosevelt in Hollywood, it is time to get a new travel agent.

The Miyako in the Little Tokyo district is very good hotel much closer to Union Station. If you just want a clean, decent place to stay, the Metro Plaza, though no one's idea of a luxury hotel, is almost right across the street from Union Station. Another basic, but decent place is the Best Western Dragon Gate, a few blocks from Union Station in Chinatown. In downtown proper, in addition to the Biltmore and Marriott (you can't get much farther from Union Station than the Marriott at LA Live and still be in downtown, BTW) there is the Westin Bonaventure, a Sheraton, the LA Standard, among many others.

With that said, since you are an architecture buff, I am sure you will enjoy the public areas of the historic Biltmore. Even if you don't swim, I would recommend going down to take a look at the pool area, too. Also I would recommend walking a half block down Olive from the hotel to see the spectacular Art Deco lobby of the Oviatt Building at 617 S. Olive.

I didn't think you were trying to get around anything. If you aren't on time, there's nothing to get around, the agent just would not check it. I only wanted to make sure you were able to check you bag if that is what you want, especially if you have a bad back.
 
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The 45 minute requirement applies to ALL stations handling checked baggage, regardless of their size

While this check-in time for luggage is a system requirement, it isn't in-forced at Fort Lauderdale for passengers boarding #98. As I discovered in January, the station does not even open 45 minutes before train departure. (I arrived 85 minutes before train time. Station closed and was told by another passenger waiting for a local train into Miami that it never opens even an hour before train time. Fortunately, there were outside benches on which to sit until the staff arrived. There was quite enough time for luggage to be checked prior to the Silver Meteor's arrival.)
 
No I do not mean walking distance. I could not find decent hotel within walking distance with my travel agent. It was the Biltmore or a very costly Marriott close by LA Live and then Roosevelt Hollywood and I do not want to try the metro in weekday morning from there.

I now understand the 45 minute is for all stations. I was not trying to be difficult or trying to get by regulation, I just could not imagine the system in small stations.

I know what you mean. The 45 minute cut off is not strictly enforced at all stations, particularly small stations. I've never had a problem at a small station, including Santa Barbara, even fronting up five minutes before departure with a bike box or a roll up bicycle. Maybe I've been lucky. Or maybe they dealt with it because they couldn't tell me to just take it on myself – bikes and bike boxes aren't allowed in long distance passenger cars. But if you want to be safe, yeah, allow 45 minutes. Apparently, there are some small station agents that do insist on the rules.
 
Since it is important for you to use the checked luggage service in light of your recent surgery, I would urge you to err on the side of caution and check your luggage well in advance of the 45 minute limit to ensure that there are no problems. Some Amtrak Agents may be lenient with the time limit and some are not and there is usually no way to predict this ahead of time.

Also make sure that your luggage does not exceed the Amtrak weight and size limits as noted on their website. (To add to the confusion it seems to me that the maximum Surfliner luggage size dimensions are slightly smaller than the general Amtrak limits but hopefully someone with more experience can clarify this.)

I would also recommend arriving at the San Diego Amtrak station (built by Santa Fe Railway) early so you can enjoy the architecture of that station. It is a real architectural gem.

Hope you and your daughter have a wonderful visit to the U.S.
 
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Does the 45 minute rule apply even if a train is significantly behind schedule? I hate the dank and depressing Pittsburgh station and because I live fewer than 30 minutes away I try to go in as close as possible to actual departure. I am taking a long Amtrak trip (via sleeper) to the west coast next month and for the first time ever am considering checking one bag through to LA. I figure that's simpler than carrying two bags on.
 
“The Miyako in the Little Tokyo district is very good hotel much closer to Union Station. If you just want a clean, decent place to stay, the Metro Plaza, though no one's idea of a luxury hotel, is almost right across the street from Union Station. Another basic, but decent place is the Best Western Dragon Gate, a few blocks from Union Station in Chinatown.”

No these are not offered by my travel agent. Not all hotels in the city will be in books of Polish travel agents although they have a lot but mostly close to beach as most Polish travellers want to be in Santa Monica not downtown but agent is reputable and in business many years. I must use agent because we have smaller limits on the credit card and I do not want to carry thousands of cash dollars so I have paid before to have no worries and just use credit card for swiping the holding money at reception.
 
Most stations you check your luggage at the ticket counter. There are some with separate baggage desks, (Penn Station comes to mind), but not on the route you are taking. If you don't have baggage to check and have your boarding pass there is no need to check in at the ticket counter.

Checked baggage must be in Amtrak's hands 45 minutes before departure, that is a system-wide rule. That does not mean in the line to check bags, but the bags handed over.
They require it in Ft. Lauderdale. Of course, the train was due at 8:30 and they don't open until 8AM. Hmmm! They did check the bags but why have a rule your employees can't meet?
 
Does the 45 minute rule apply even if a train is significantly behind schedule? I hate the dank and depressing Pittsburgh station and because I live fewer than 30 minutes away I try to go in as close as possible to actual departure. I am taking a long Amtrak trip (via sleeper) to the west coast next month and for the first time ever am considering checking one bag through to LA. I figure that's simpler than carrying two bags on.
The Amtrak website indicates:

"Luggage must be checked at least 45 minutes prior to your train's scheduled departure."

It does not appear from this policy that delays are taken into account.
 
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