Hoping to take AMTRAK from ATL - PDX and was wondering if going Coach on the Empire Builder is going to be doable. Can you get up and walk around or move to other cars? Anything else I should know about this route, or the ATL-WAS Crescent or WAS-CHI Capitol Limited routes? Never travelled by AMTRAK before.
Coach OK for EB?
- Thread starter theSMITHS
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Coach is certainly doable. I've done it for multiple nights.
If you've spent nights sleeping on a bus, in a car, or on a plane (i.e. flights to Europe), then sleeping in coach on a train will be an absolute breeze in comparison. The seats are far more comfortable than those found in pretty much any other transport vehicle in this country, and you get plenty of legroom. So, if you can sleep in a chair, you can sleep in coach.
One thing that coach lacks, though (well, besides the ability to lie flat), is privacy. Your car will have about 60 other seats, and depending on the time of year you travel, they could all be full. It also lacks shower facilities (sleeping car passengers have access to showers, coach passengers don't).
You can certainly get up and walk around to other cars (except for sleeping cars). Many passengers choose to spend much of their time in the lounge car. The dining car is open during meal times, as well.
Depending on the number of people traveling with you (if any), and how much you've budgeted to spend on the trip, you may want to consider upgrading to a sleeping car for at least a portion of your trip (such as, perhaps, the Capitol Limited from DC to Chicago). Your trip will cover four nights, and while it is certainly possible to go four straight nights in coach (I've done it before), you will wind up wishing you had access to a bed and shower (the Superliner coaches have one restroom that is large enough to be considered a "dressing room" with a sink to wash up in, but it's not much more than that).
Anyway, as for your routes, the Crescent is operated with single-level Amfleet, Heritage and Viewliner equipment. It is a pretty reliable train, and usually runs close to schedule. The one drawback to the Crescent is the lack of adequate lounge facilities on the train. The Amfleet lounge only has a few tables, and those are often taken up by passengers that bought items from the cafe in the middle. Some cars have an out-of-service smoking section (Amtrak recently prohibited smoking on all of its long-distance trains except for Auto Train, and some of the smoking lounges on the remaining cars have not yet been converted to other uses). Other cars may have a bit more lounge area available, instead of the smoking section.
The Capitol Limited does suffer from on-time reliability problems, but since this is just the middle of the trip, it shouldn't hurt you too much. You will have several hours to catch the Empire Builder in Chicago once you arrive on the Capitol Limited, so if the Capitol is late, you still have a good chance of making the connection.
Anyway, the Capitol Limited operates with bi-level Superliner equipment. In the coaches, the lower level will either have a baggage section, or a section for additional seating (usually offered to seniors or persons with disabilities). The upper level has the main coach seating area (62 seats), and offers more legroom than you'll know what to do with. In fact, Superliners offer slightly more legroom than the Amfleet coaches you'll ride from Atlanta to Washington, DC.
The Superliner Sightseer Lounge offers significantly more space than the Amfleet lounge, as well. The cafe is on the lower level, with a few tables for people to eat their food. The upper level has large, wrap-around windows perfect for watching the scenery pass by. The Capitol Limited also passes through some pretty scenic areas between DC and Pittsburgh. However, depending on the time of year you'll be traveling, the train may pass through this area after dark.
The Empire Builder is also a Superliner train, but this train is receiving recently refurbished equipment, including upgraded lounge cars. I haven't yet been on one of these "new" lounges, so I can't say exactly how they're laid out. The Builder now offers (or maybe it will in a couple of weeks, I haven't been able to be sure when the upgraded service officially starts) extra amenities to passengers, but overall, the coach experience should be largely the same as on the Crescent/Capitol Limited.
Earlier, I suggested you upgrade to a sleeper on the Capitol Limited. If you do this, you will gain access to ClubAcela in Washington Union Station, and the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago Union Station. These lounges are reserved for first-class passengers (sleepers are first class) with a same-day ticket. You have access to these facilities whether you are arriving or departing in first class (so, a sleeper ticket on the Capitol will give you access to both lounges). Amtrak's first-class lounges offer improved waiting areas and complimentary beverages and (sometimes) snacks, as well as priority boarding for your train.
If you would like additional tips for traveling by Amtrak, check this website:
http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtrak-tips.shtml
If you still have questions after visiting that page, feel free to ask them here, and someone (or two or three) will probably respond within hours.
If you've spent nights sleeping on a bus, in a car, or on a plane (i.e. flights to Europe), then sleeping in coach on a train will be an absolute breeze in comparison. The seats are far more comfortable than those found in pretty much any other transport vehicle in this country, and you get plenty of legroom. So, if you can sleep in a chair, you can sleep in coach.
One thing that coach lacks, though (well, besides the ability to lie flat), is privacy. Your car will have about 60 other seats, and depending on the time of year you travel, they could all be full. It also lacks shower facilities (sleeping car passengers have access to showers, coach passengers don't).
You can certainly get up and walk around to other cars (except for sleeping cars). Many passengers choose to spend much of their time in the lounge car. The dining car is open during meal times, as well.
Depending on the number of people traveling with you (if any), and how much you've budgeted to spend on the trip, you may want to consider upgrading to a sleeping car for at least a portion of your trip (such as, perhaps, the Capitol Limited from DC to Chicago). Your trip will cover four nights, and while it is certainly possible to go four straight nights in coach (I've done it before), you will wind up wishing you had access to a bed and shower (the Superliner coaches have one restroom that is large enough to be considered a "dressing room" with a sink to wash up in, but it's not much more than that).
Anyway, as for your routes, the Crescent is operated with single-level Amfleet, Heritage and Viewliner equipment. It is a pretty reliable train, and usually runs close to schedule. The one drawback to the Crescent is the lack of adequate lounge facilities on the train. The Amfleet lounge only has a few tables, and those are often taken up by passengers that bought items from the cafe in the middle. Some cars have an out-of-service smoking section (Amtrak recently prohibited smoking on all of its long-distance trains except for Auto Train, and some of the smoking lounges on the remaining cars have not yet been converted to other uses). Other cars may have a bit more lounge area available, instead of the smoking section.
The Capitol Limited does suffer from on-time reliability problems, but since this is just the middle of the trip, it shouldn't hurt you too much. You will have several hours to catch the Empire Builder in Chicago once you arrive on the Capitol Limited, so if the Capitol is late, you still have a good chance of making the connection.
Anyway, the Capitol Limited operates with bi-level Superliner equipment. In the coaches, the lower level will either have a baggage section, or a section for additional seating (usually offered to seniors or persons with disabilities). The upper level has the main coach seating area (62 seats), and offers more legroom than you'll know what to do with. In fact, Superliners offer slightly more legroom than the Amfleet coaches you'll ride from Atlanta to Washington, DC.
The Superliner Sightseer Lounge offers significantly more space than the Amfleet lounge, as well. The cafe is on the lower level, with a few tables for people to eat their food. The upper level has large, wrap-around windows perfect for watching the scenery pass by. The Capitol Limited also passes through some pretty scenic areas between DC and Pittsburgh. However, depending on the time of year you'll be traveling, the train may pass through this area after dark.
The Empire Builder is also a Superliner train, but this train is receiving recently refurbished equipment, including upgraded lounge cars. I haven't yet been on one of these "new" lounges, so I can't say exactly how they're laid out. The Builder now offers (or maybe it will in a couple of weeks, I haven't been able to be sure when the upgraded service officially starts) extra amenities to passengers, but overall, the coach experience should be largely the same as on the Crescent/Capitol Limited.
Earlier, I suggested you upgrade to a sleeper on the Capitol Limited. If you do this, you will gain access to ClubAcela in Washington Union Station, and the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago Union Station. These lounges are reserved for first-class passengers (sleepers are first class) with a same-day ticket. You have access to these facilities whether you are arriving or departing in first class (so, a sleeper ticket on the Capitol will give you access to both lounges). Amtrak's first-class lounges offer improved waiting areas and complimentary beverages and (sometimes) snacks, as well as priority boarding for your train.
If you would like additional tips for traveling by Amtrak, check this website:
http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtrak-tips.shtml
If you still have questions after visiting that page, feel free to ask them here, and someone (or two or three) will probably respond within hours.
I spent six nights in coach a couple of years ago. I'd suggest you bring along a face cloth and a small towel to wash up. You can lay your towel over your luggage above your head. The ventilation system is there and dries it quickly. Also, you might like to take a pillow. The Amtrak pillows are pretty small.
Enjoy the trip.
Enjoy the trip.
