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Hi, All! Arriving at King Street Station on the northbound CS (8:37pm if on time), are there any scenarios for obtaining a rental car at that hour? (Our final destination is about an hour's drive north of the City, with no need/desire to overnight downtown.) The only method I can think of is...

So today in a phone conversation with an AGR agent (who sounded like she wasn't enjoying her day very much): 1) Affirmed the July 1st rule change that three people cannot travel together on a single Bedroom award. 2) Stated that purchasing a coach ticket for the third person to cover their...

For traveling the CS on 9/18, there is only one Bedroom still available (LAX-SEA). I called AGR, and learned that it's the dreaded Bedroom A, and in the sleeper furthest away from the PPC. (Bedrooms are fully sold out for the two days before and one day after the 18th.) The question: if I book...

Hello, Experts! I'm planning to redeem 25,000 of my points for a bedroom on the Coast Starlight, LAX-SEA, to return my daughter back to college at Seattle U in September. My questions (and excuse my ignorance): 1) Does a bedroom award cover the accommodation only, or does it include my rail...

Hi, All! We're planning a CS trip (LAX-SEA) to see the folks-in-law next month but first need a decent place to crash upon the evening arrival of #14. I know the topic of nearby hotels has been covered before, but would appreciate any "fresh" recommendations, especially given that we only need...

Hi, All! Our Fullerton-based Boy Scout Troop is considering taking the CS next summer to Camp Makualla, OR on Crescent Lake in the heart of the Cascades and Deschutes Nat'l Forest. The Troop would be taking a Surfliner to LAX then xfer to the CS riding up to Chemult, OR. (The camp runs a...

Hi, All! The Amtrak website lists three types of "special menu selections" - Kosher, Vegan, and Vegetarian. Aside from the generic meal descriptions provided, does anyone have any actual experience pre-ordering and being served any of these, either for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner...

Trolling around here & elsewhere, I've not found anything recent about the dining menu currently being offered in the Pacific Parlour Cars. Any recent experiences out there - good, bad, or indifferent? Do you favor the dining car over the PPC, or vice versa, or mix it up? I'm all aboard on the...

Next week (Thurs) I'm booked on the CS NB in a Roomette. I truly prefer the bigger beds in the Bedrooms. The Amtrak website shows bedrooms are still available (at $781-ouch!). Assuming 99% of my daytime hours are spent in the oh-so-comfy PPC, would it make sense to: 1) Wait until after the crew...

There seems to be a consensus of opinion that the Coast Starlight On-Board Service crews consistently provide superior guest service compared with other Amtrak LD trains. From AU members’ experience is that really the case? (I know from my own travels on the CS that service has typically been...

From the vast experience base out there in AU land, what things do passengers do that most aggravate the on-board service crews? I’m not talking about the big, obvious things like being intoxicated or smoking on-board, but the more subtle things like, say, whining about the train running late or...

My thanks to all on this forum that share their experience and expertise about all things Amtrak. Over the years I've benefitted mightily from your accumulated knowledge! Questions about ordering meals: 1) Are item substitutions allowed? For example, for breakfast say I'd like to order French...