CL from TOL to WAS

[SweetSue]

We are looking forward to a LD trip in September on CZ,CS AND EB but with the special of triple points for AGR in May, I decided to surprise my husband for his birthday and booked the CL to WAS on May 19. Since we are still fairly new to riding Amtrak and have only taken one other trip, I have a few questions:

We board just before midnight. Does the attendant help us find available coach seats or do we find them ourselves? The last time we boarded in TOL so many people were sleeping and no one was around to help so when we found two empty seats there were still slips of paper above the seats. We didn't know if those passengers had just disembarked the train but we sat there and then no one came to take our tickets and nobody told us that we took their seats.

This is my first time going to DC. My husband hasn't been there for 35 years. Still trying to decide where to stay. Any suggestions? We like motels that have free breakfast buffets. Also which is the best tour bus to ride where you just get on and off where and when you want. We will be there Thursday after noon, Friday and Sat. until we get back on the train on Sat. afternoon to head home. I hope to get a motel that will honor a late checkout so we don't have to worry about what to do with our luggage till we head back to union station.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Rail Freak]

We are looking forward to a LD trip in September on CZ,CS AND EB but with the special of triple points for AGR in May, I decided to surprise my husband for his birthday and booked the CL to WAS on May 19. Since we are still fairly new to riding Amtrak and have only taken one other trip, I have a few questions:
We board just before midnight. Does the attendant help us find available coach seats or do we find them ourselves? The last time we boarded in TOL so many people were sleeping and no one was around to help so when we found two empty seats there were still slips of paper above the seats. We didn't know if those passengers had just disembarked the train but we sat there and then no one came to take our tickets and nobody told us that we took their seats.

This is my first time going to DC. My husband hasn't been there for 35 years. Still trying to decide where to stay. Any suggestions? We like motels that have free breakfast buffets. Also which is the best tour bus to ride where you just get on and off where and when you want. We will be there Thursday after noon, Friday and Sat. until we get back on the train on Sat. afternoon to head home. I hope to get a motel that will honor a late checkout so we don't have to worry about what to do with our luggage till we head back to union station.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The Old Town Trolley cost me $35.00 & it has a tcket counter by the front doors in WUS!!! I enjoyed it. You can hop off at one Memorial & hop back on another trolley 15 minutes later to go to the next spot!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railfreak/set...57607284744380/

Have a blast,

RF

 

[Bob Dylan]

We are looking forward to a LD trip in September on CZ,CS AND EB but with the special of triple points for AGR in May, I decided to surprise my husband for his birthday and booked the CL to WAS on May 19. Since we are still fairly new to riding Amtrak and have only taken one other trip, I have a few questions:
We board just before midnight. Does the attendant help us find available coach seats or do we find them ourselves? The last time we boarded in TOL so many people were sleeping and no one was around to help so when we found two empty seats there were still slips of paper above the seats. We didn't know if those passengers had just disembarked the train but we sat there and then no one came to take our tickets and nobody told us that we took their seats.

This is my first time going to DC. My husband hasn't been there for 35 years. Still trying to decide where to stay. Any suggestions? We like motels that have free breakfast buffets. Also which is the best tour bus to ride where you just get on and off where and when you want. We will be there Thursday after noon, Friday and Sat. until we get back on the train on Sat. afternoon to head home. I hope to get a motel that will honor a late checkout so we don't have to worry about what to do with our luggage till we head back to union station.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

The recommend for the trolley @ WAS Union Station is right on! Yall can also get passes for the Metro(subway), and remember the museums are free as are most of the Govt. buildings that you can visit! You do have to have a reservation for the Capitol tour, and the White House has to be done through your Congressman or Senator way in advance! Just walking the mall, seeing the Vietnam,Lincoln Memorial etc. is a real treat! If its open Fords Theater is good as is the WAS Zoo! Also visiting in the station itself is worth seeing, the food court downstairs is like a mall as are the stores but there are a couple of upscale nice joints in the front and upstairs! The subway station is right in the station (downstairs)and the Capitol, Congressional office buildings, Supreme Court etc. are right out front!I could go on forever but Washington is perhaps the best deal of any Major City in the world to visit since so much stuff is free! Have an umbrella, it can rain/be hot and muggy, also cool off quickly @ night, it's damp with all the water around!

As for the train itself, ask the attendant that boards you about seating , you will be in a certain car since different destinations are assigned based on each car or cars! There will be people awake, boarding, deboarding etc. ,it's not that late in Toledo like it is in Cleveland or other Ohio stops in the wee hours!

You can pay to check your luggage in Union Station if you have to get there early since you are not riding a sleeper! Washington has pretty nice waiting areas compared to other stations but it can be hectic! remember to get to the station early enough to get your bags if you leave them with baggage check, plenty of joints in the food court to have a snack or drinks! This time of year the ride and scenery are nice on the Cap route, especially in W.VA,MD and around the district! Ohio of course is o-dark-thirty but not much there anyway from what I hear! :lol: Be sure and check out places to stay away from downtown,(the Metro goes most everywhere, across the River in Va. is good!) they tend to be pricey, google is your friend as are the various travel web sights,have a great time and dont hesitate to ask questions, lots of friendly experts on here and even those that dont know fake it! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[savoirfaire]

Sue,

Since the CL is an LD train, they will most likely (although not always) assign or direct you to seats when you board at TOL in the wee hours. IIRC, when I last boarded the CL in coach at SKY, this is what happened. You can always ask the attendant when you are boarding. As Jim said, you will be in a certain car, most likely 2nd coach or the rear coach, as they try to group people by destination. (on your return trip, you will almost definitely be in the rear coach.)

As far as getting around DC, there are many options. The metro is very easy to navigate, and there are the "Circulator" buses that will take you to a lot of the touristy areas in the city cheaply. Check metro's website at http://www.wmata.com for more info. There is also the tourmobile which goes all over the mall and to/from Arlington Cemetery. It has on/off privileges, similar to that of the Old Town Trolley mentioned by others.

Places to stay? I'm not sure of many places in good DC neighborhoods (read, avoid hotels on NY ave NE, as nice as they may look) that are reasonably priced and have the whole free breakfast thing going on. You may want to look for metro-accessible hotels in Arlington or Alexandria which are close to the Yellow, Blue, or Orange metro lines. There are some nice hotels in/near Chinatown and the Penn Quarter/Theater district on the east side of the White House.

Enough of my babbling! Enjoy the fair city that I call home and the trip to and fro on the Cap!

-Sav

 

[AKA]

We are looking forward to a LD trip in September on CZ,CS AND EB but with the special of triple points for AGR in May, I decided to surprise my husband for his birthday and booked the CL to WAS on May 19. Since we are still fairly new to riding Amtrak and have only taken one other trip, I have a few questions:
We board just before midnight. Does the attendant help us find available coach seats or do we find them ourselves? The last time we boarded in TOL so many people were sleeping and no one was around to help so when we found two empty seats there were still slips of paper above the seats. We didn't know if those passengers had just disembarked the train but we sat there and then no one came to take our tickets and nobody told us that we took their seats.

This is my first time going to DC. My husband hasn't been there for 35 years. Still trying to decide where to stay. Any suggestions? We like motels that have free breakfast buffets. Also which is the best tour bus to ride where you just get on and off where and when you want. We will be there Thursday after noon, Friday and Sat. until we get back on the train on Sat. afternoon to head home. I hope to get a motel that will honor a late checkout so we don't have to worry about what to do with our luggage till we head back to union station.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

We board in Cleveland 4-6 times a year. We are always assigned seats. This has been the case for the last few years. East and west bound. Have a good trip

 

[AlanB]

Sue,

Here's a list of hotels that are near the DC Metro Subway, or provide a shuttle bus to/from the subway. It might help to get you started on finding the right hotel and one that you can actually get to by train.

 

[C&O RR]

Go to hilton.com, search Alexandria, Va, set distance to 5 miles.

Now if you limit your search and put a check mark besides Embassy Suites Hotels (left side of page), click "search again" you will see

Embassy Suites Alexandria - Old Town (Hotel is across the street)

and

Embassy Suites Crystal City - National Airport (cheaper cost, but still very nice. Hotel will pick you in)

Both have evening receptions, $2.00 mixed drinks and an excellent free breakfast

There is a Metro stop in Union Station

The Metro trip planner is located at

http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/tripplann...r_form_solo.cfm

In the "travel from location" type Union Station

If you want to stay at the Crystal City location type

PENTAGON CITY METRO STATION in the "Travel to location"

If you want to stay at the Old Town location type

King Street in the "Travel to location"

Have fun!

 

[SweetSue]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!!

 

[SweetSue]

Embassy Suites Crystal City - National Airport (cheaper cost, but still very nice. Hotel will pick you in)Both have evening receptions, $2.00 mixed drinks and an excellent free breakfast

Have fun!

I looked this one up and it sounds great so I booked it. Thanks for the tip!

SS

 

[PaulM]

I noticed Alan's list included the Harrington. When I graduated from high school 50 years ago, my graduation present was a train trip to the northeast and we stayed at the Harrington. Fifteen years ago, my daughter's annual 8th grade class trip to the East stayed there. A couple of years ago I stayed there and enjoyed it. It's on 11th street about a 1/2 block off Pennsylvania Av.

I must say that it is a classic old tourist class hotel, not your freeway exit chain motel.