Checked Baggage -- A newbie question

[pfc48]

I've read through the forum but haven't found an answer pertinent to my question. We're planning a trip from Phila to Portland OR in the spring. Will checked baggage be transferred in Chicago from the Cap Limited to the Empire Builder or do we need to claim and recheck in CHI?

I wanted to route this trip through NYC and take the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago but the website only offers connections through DC Union Station...even if I start the itinerary in NYC. Don't quite get that since there is plenty of connecting time in Chicago.

Haven't ridden an overnight train since I was a kid. Most Amtrak ventures have been on the NEC and the occasional trip to Harrisburg or Pittsburgh. Any suggestions in addition to the baggage issue are welcomed.

Thanks

 

[PerRock]

Just like any airline; Amtrak will transfer your checked baggage on any transfers (sometimes it will even take a different train than you).

It looks to me like Amtrak.com really wants you to take the Cardinal (when I checked for a random date in May (18th)). You should be able to work the LSL; by using the multi-city option and specifying NYC as one of your cities. Either that or call up Amtrak (1-800-USA-RAIL) or visit your local staffed station, they should be able to make it work for you, or explain why it won't work.

peter

 

[Eric S]

I've read through the forum but haven't found an answer pertinent to my question. We're planning a trip from Phila to Portland OR in the spring. Will checked baggage be transferred in Chicago from the Cap Limited to the Empire Builder or do we need to claim and recheck in CHI?

I wanted to route this trip through NYC and take the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago but the website only offers connections through DC Union Station...even if I start the itinerary in NYC. Don't quite get that since there is plenty of connecting time in Chicago.

Haven't ridden an overnight train since I was a kid. Most Amtrak ventures have been on the NEC and the occasional trip to Harrisburg or Pittsburgh. Any suggestions in addition to the baggage issue are welcomed.

Thanks

PerRock answered your baggage question and I just checked amtrak.com and was able to get the Lake Shore Limited as an option, it just showed up on the 2nd page of choices. Another way to avoid all the Cardinal options is to enter a specific departure time, something like 3:00pm to "encourage" the site to route you using the Lake Shore Limited.

 

[saxman]

Try entering a later time to get the LSL routing option.

Yes, Amtrak will transfer your checked luggage. Most of the regionals though don't offer checked bag service though so, it will probably be put on a different train such as the Star, Meteor, or Crescent when it comes through PHL. I don't have a timetable right here so I'm not sure what they would do. But it will eventually end up on your train to Portland.

 

[pfc48]

Try entering a later time to get the LSL routing option.

Yes, Amtrak will transfer your checked luggage. Most of the regionals though don't offer checked bag service though so, it will probably be put on a different train such as the Star, Meteor, or Crescent when it comes through PHL. I don't have a timetable right here so I'm not sure what they would do. But it will eventually end up on your train to Portland.

Many thanks for the responses. Now I just have to finally convince my wife that she wants to do this as a way to visit our son in Portland. her first venture on an overnight train was on our honeymoon travelling VIA from Vancouver back to Banff, AL when they were still running on that line. Wasn't an especially memorable experience for her then. I guess timing is everything.