CS Advice for Newbie

[baadbee]

Hi all, I just joined yesterday but I've been researching here for a couple of days. The wife and I are planning to book a two week return trip SEA to LAX in a roomette leaving around July 22nd in the next week. I took a few 2-3 hour trips on Via rail in the 80's and that is my total rail experience, well not counting a few freight hops as a teenager. The train beat the heck out of the bus for getting home from university. I've already read the tipping thread, bedroom upgrade thread, can I fit in a roomette upper bunk thread, everything a boy scout would carry with him thread, etc. Yes, I'm a compulsive researcher...

I have a couple of question left and would appreciate any suggestions.

1) Any recommendations for an affordable, clean, safe 3-4 star (wife says 4, I'll leave 3 in the running for now) hotel near Union Station? How difficult, and scary, is it to get transport from the station at the time of night we are likely to get in? Any free hotel shuttles?

2) Can you rent a car near LAX at night or is it better\cheaper to get the car somewhere else the next day? We'll spend a few days in LA but mostly be down near Huntington Beach.

3) Apart from shopping for price are there better days of the week to travel on the CS? Why?

4) Tell me which roomette number you think is best.

5) I saw a thread somewhere on the net that talked about people bringing their own air mattress but haven't seen that mentioned elsewhere. Is that completely ridiculous? How good is the pillow they provide?

Thank you for all responses. I'm enjoying the banter and slightly obsessive train travel discussions in this forum. If anyone can relate to a compulsive researcher I think I'll find them here

Chris

 

[TransitGeek]

1) Any recommendations for an affordable, clean, safe 3-4 star (wife says 4, I'll leave 3 in the running for now) hotel near Union Station? How difficult, and scary, is it to get transport from the station at the time of night we are likely to get in? Any free hotel shuttles?

2) Can you rent a car near LAX at night or is it better\cheaper to get the car somewhere else the next day? We'll spend a few days in LA but mostly be down near Huntington Beach.

Can you be clearer about which LAX you mean? Union Station has Budget and Hertz rental counters in the station, but neither one is open when the CS gets in. (Go figure!) I'm sure that the airport has plentiful rental cars, and a ride on the 24-hour FlyAway bus ($7) would get you there. I've no idea about pricing- I make a point never to drive in Los Angeles.

I've never had need of a hotel in Los Angeles, but Metro is still running at 9 or 10pm. I've never felt unsafe at Union Station, but if you're wary sorts you might want to stick somewhere close to the rail system. Metro's Red, Purple and Gold Lines serve the station directly, and run until roughly 1am on weeknights, midnight on weekends. Some AU'ers have had good luck at the Metro Plaza Hotel, less than a block from Union Station.

 

[busboy]

4) Tell me which roomette number you think is best.

5) I saw a thread somewhere on the net that talked about people bringing their own air mattress but haven't seen that mentioned elsewhere. Is that completely ridiculous? How good is the pillow they provide?

Everyone has their favorite roomette number. Some like the upper level near the center of the car to avoid the noise from the air operated door at the end. Roomettes 1-6

As for me, I prefer the lower level roomettes, rooms 11 and up. I like the lower level for a several reasons. The lower level has no direct connection to adjoining cars, you have to go upstairs to travel to other cars. For this reason the lower level is quieter because people aren't walking back and forth by your room. The showers are on the lower level just a few steps away from your room, There is no noise from the air operated doors. The ride seems a bit better on the lower level, less swaying back and forth. I like being closer to the ground, as you look out the window you feel more connected to the tracks and the sense of speed is greater, also, if your window gets dirty, you can step outside during a station stop and clean it yourself. Some say there's more track noise on the lower level, but I find that it's only slightly louder, and I actually find the sound soothing. I'd rather hear that then loud people talking in the hallway.

I've had several roomettes, upper and lower level, I enjoyed them all. There really isn't a bad one except maybe the two at the very end of the upper level by the air door.

I've never heard of anyone bringing along their own air mattress. The sleeper beds aren't the best, and probably not as comfy as VIA rail sleepers, but I find them satisfactory. I can't imagine the hassle of blowing up an air mattress each night, then trying to get the sheets over it, ect ect. Plus, I've slept on an air mattress before, I thought it was much more uncomfortable than the Amtrak sleepers. I'd pass on that idea.

If you like a thick fluffy pillow, you're in trouble, Amtrak pillows are very thin. If you need a fat pillow, bring one from home.

 

[bobnabq]

1) Any recommendations for an affordable, clean, safe 3-4 star (wife says 4, I'll leave 3 in the running for now) hotel near Union Station? How difficult, and scary, is it to get transport from the station at the time of night we are likely to get in? Any free hotel shuttles?Chris

If you enter the address of Union Station, L.A. (800 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012) into Google maps you'll see on the left where it says 'Search nearby'

and you can enter "hotels". That will show you what hotels are in the area, links to them, distance, etc.

 

[Bob Dylan]

:hi: Welcome to the Best Forum around! Think most of us including LA Natives will Urge you to NOT Drive anywhere in the Metro Area! Plenty of Light Rail,Subway, Surfliners, Busses etc. goin g the places you want to see, and Taxis are Very Expensive when sitting in Parking Lot Traffic! No Real Need to have a Car it says here!

As was Said,The Metro Plaza Hotel is across the Street from Union Station, Very Clean and Comfortable,Good Price Most Days, Google it Up and Check it Out! You can also Google up downtown Hotels which will require a Taxi, sometimes you can find a Good Deal, try Kayak.com!

Best Days to ride the CS are Usually during the Week, especially Tue/Wed/Thur, this is a Very Popular Train on the Weekends and during the Summer and your best Price and Least crowding will be on these days! Use Amsnag to chheck out Various Dates, it's a Great Tool developed by one of our Members, Paul M.!

No need to carry your own Mattress but as was said a Travel Pillow is a Big Help! And of Courrse you Won't spend Much Time in your Room, You will Want To Be in the PPC :wub: as much as Possible on this Fantastic Route!

 

[AlanB]

I rather doubt that the Metro Plaza hotel rates 3 stars, 2 at best and I'm not even sure if it gets 2. So that puts it a long ways from Baadbee's wife's request for a 4 star hotel.

 

[Cristian]

The new Marriott at LA Live/Downtown is a short cab ride away (5-7 minutes) from LAUS if you're looking for a true 4 star hotel. Also, if you have an iPhone you can install the HotelTonight app and you might get some pretty nice deals - the only catch is that you have to wait until noon on the day of arrival to find out what hotels have deals for that day. (and for most, you can select to stay between 1 and 5 nights).

For example, for tonight it has The Thompson Beverly Hills for $172 including tax. Or the Holiday Inn Express right next to Hollywood Blvd. for $146 inc. tax. (Also, when you first install the app and sign up with them, you will get an instant $25 credit that you can use immediately towards any booking).

And if you're really set on renting a car (or going to a hotel right after getting off the train), may I suggest getting off at Burbank Airport (BUR) instead? It's the stop before LAUS. There are a couple of hotels close by as well as rental car companies that close much later than the ones at LAUS.

 

[Chatter163]

We used Amtrak Vacations in 2002 (now under a different travel agency now) and we stayed at the New Otani Hotel, only seven minutes by cab from Union Station. The hotel is now the Kyoto Grand Hotel and is a 3.5 star property.

 

[baadbee]

Thank you for all the suggestions. The Metro Plaza only gets 2 of 5 stars on TripAdvisor so I don't think I'll be able to sell that one to the wife. I'll pick a hotel based on TripAdvisor reviews, like usual. I take those reviews with a grain of salt but they are a good way to eliminate the lowest of the low end. I've visited with the inlaws in SoCal many times but we never really visit LA. I want to act like a dumb tourist for a couple of days this time.

It looks like the roomettes 1 to 6 will be a safe choice, I guess that should have been obvious from the floor plan but somehow it wasn't. Upper level will probably work better for us despite the foot traffic. I'm going to ask about a full bedroom upgrade on board but it seems unlikely any will be available, at least not at the base rate. I just can't bring myself to pay $1100.

take care

 

[Cristian]

YMMV on the upgrade based on what mood the conductor is in, if there is a full moon that night, etc. I recently upgraded to a bedroom for $61

 

[AlanB]

I'm going to ask about a full bedroom upgrade on board but it seems unlikely any will be available, at least not at the base rate. I just can't bring myself to pay $1100.

If a Bedroom remains unsold at the time of departure, assuming that you can find a conductor who is willing to do the paperwork, the upgrade is sold at that low bucket price. And you get credit towards that amount for what you paid for the roomette.

So on that train, if for example the roomette was in one of the two highest buckets, your charge for the upgrade to the Bedroom could be as low as $50.

Personally, I suggest starting with the sleeping car attendant. They can't sell you the upgrade, but having them involded in asking the conductor makes it harder for the conductor to say that the rooms are all sold out. The SCA knows the truth so the conductor can't hide by saying that there are none available.

 

[D T Nelson]

Thank you for all the suggestions. The Metro Plaza only gets 2 of 5 stars on TripAdvisor so I don't think I'll be able to sell that one to the wife. I'll pick a hotel based on TripAdvisor reviews, like usual. I take those reviews with a grain of salt but they are a good way to eliminate the lowest of the low end. I've visited with the inlaws in SoCal many times but we never really visit LA. I want to act like a dumb tourist for a couple of days this time.

I have recently discovered the hotel review and booking site Oyster.com, which you might want to have a look at. The beauty of this site is they have paid employees doing the reviews, and the same person reviews the hotels in a given city, so you get consistent and thorough reviews. So far they only have reviews in a limited number of cities, but Los Angeles is one of them. If you go there and search for hotels in downtown Los Angeles you will see reviews of all the good hotels near the train station, and you might get a deal -- I'm taking the Starlight in June and used Oyster.com to find lodging in downtown LA, and got a room at the Biltmore for $123.

 

[baadbee]

Thank you for all the suggestions. The Metro Plaza only gets 2 of 5 stars on TripAdvisor so I don't think I'll be able to sell that one to the wife. I'll pick a hotel based on TripAdvisor reviews, like usual. I take those reviews with a grain of salt but they are a good way to eliminate the lowest of the low end. I've visited with the inlaws in SoCal many times but we never really visit LA. I want to act like a dumb tourist for a couple of days this time.

I have recently discovered the hotel review and booking site Oyster.com, which you might want to have a look at. The beauty of this site is they have paid employees doing the reviews, and the same person reviews the hotels in a given city, so you get consistent and thorough reviews. So far they only have reviews in a limited number of cities, but Los Angeles is one of them. If you go there and search for hotels in downtown Los Angeles you will see reviews of all the good hotels near the train station, and you might get a deal -- I'm taking the Starlight in June and used Oyster.com to find lodging in downtown LA, and got a room at the Biltmore for $123.

Thank you DT, I'll check that out.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm enjoying the banter and slightly obsessive train travel discussions in this forum.

I would have thought "slightly obsessive" was a bit of an oxymoron, but maybe that's just an example of an obsession over my mother tongue.

The new Marriott at LA Live/Downtown is a short cab ride away (5-7 minutes) from LAUS if you're looking for a true 4 star hotel.

If it's the hotel I think you're talking about then it's part of the JW brand. JW Marriott hotels are higher-end than standard Marriott properties. There is also a Ritz-Carlton in the same complex in case you want to add an extra star to your bill. I haven't stayed at either of these two properties but I have visited a few from both brands and found them to be above average. The staff at the Ritz are generally better than the average JW Marriott staff, but I enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere of the JW over the more snooty and stuffy feel of the Ritz. When you have a Ritz and JW in the same property they generally share some of the same services so it's not that much of a loss to go with the JW instead. The main exception to this are the restaurants where the average Ritz substantially exceeds the average JW.

 

[inspiration100]

priceline and win the bonaventure, it's good enough with a new remodel.

 

[baadbee]

priceline and win the bonaventure, it's good enough with a new remodel.

How does one go about "winning" a particular hotel on priceline? Isn't it pretty much a crap shoot what hotel you'll get?

 

[D.P. Roberts]

My best advice for a first-time rider on the CS (as I was): don't get too excited about the Pacific Parlour Car. There are only 8 or so comfy chairs (aside from the tables and benches). The benches are sometimes available, but they face inward instead of out towards the scenery, making them somewhat silly. And the tables are usually reserved for food service. So, with really only 8 or so good chairs, it's inevitable that at least 8 people in the sleepers will camp out there, early and often. In the middle of summer, if you wander down to the PPC several times a day, be lucky if you find a free chair one time - and it won't be during the times when you pass through the good scenery, as the regulars know when that's coming.

As for the dining - if you prefer food that has been slowly congealing in a tray for several hours you'll love the PPC. You'll usually pass through the PPC on your way to the dining car - please look at that PPC food first, and then ask yourself if you'd really rather eat that than whatever is in the dining car. I assume that regulars prefer this food because it's at least different from the regular dining car food. For a newbie who just wants to eat, you'll probably want to skip it, and wonder what all the PPC fuss is about.

 

[Alice]

My best advice for a first-time rider on the CS (as I was): don't get too excited about the Pacific Parlour Car. There are only 8 or so comfy chairs (aside from the tables and benches). The benches are sometimes available, but they face inward instead of out towards the scenery, making them somewhat silly. And the tables are usually reserved for food service. So, with really only 8 or so good chairs, it's inevitable that at least 8 people in the sleepers will camp out there, early and often. In the middle of summer, if you wander down to the PPC several times a day, be lucky if you find a free chair one time - and it won't be during the times when you pass through the good scenery, as the regulars know when that's coming.

As for the dining - if you prefer food that has been slowly congealing in a tray for several hours you'll love the PPC. You'll usually pass through the PPC on your way to the dining car - please look at that PPC food first, and then ask yourself if you'd really rather eat that than whatever is in the dining car. I assume that regulars prefer this food because it's at least different from the regular dining car food. For a newbie who just wants to eat, you'll probably want to skip it, and wonder what all the PPC fuss is about.

This is all true about the PPC. The food will be fresh if you make your dinner reservation for right when they open. It is cooked in the diner and sits in a chafing dish for several hours. The recipes tend to be things with sauces that hold up pretty well to that kind of treatment, no steaks or anything like that. To snag one of those 8 seats, hang out nearby until an occupant goes to a meal. I think the scenery is better from the lounge car (other side of the diner) for several reasons. First, it does not have curtains. Besides covering part of each window, some <expletive deleted> people close the curtains in the PPC on sunny afternoons. Second, all of the seats in the lounge face out. Third, they are closer to the windows, and higher, so short people like me can see out without perching on the edge of the seat like I do in the PPC.

To the OP:

Do go to the wine and cheese tasting in the PPC (between lunch and dinner each day), just for the atmosphere. And maybe hang out there after dinner, even after dark, for the same reason. The PPC has a bar should you like evening drinks.

About that car rental, don't get it until you are good and ready to drive to Huntington Beach as downtown motels soak you on parking. Also, the freeway between Los Angeles and Huntington Beach is no picnic. You might take Metrolink or Amtrak to Fullerton or Anaheim and rent a car there. Nearly all Enterprise, and some branches of several other brands, will pick you up at the station.

 

[baadbee]

Thanks for the comments on the PPC. This makes sense but is certainly a different view from other postings that make such a big deal about the parlor car. Good to know that one should dine as early as possible. My wife and I found the menu in another posting yesterday and were surprised to find a choice between lamb shank and lobster bisque on one of the nights. Lamb isn't something a lot of people care for, I only eat it in Lebanese restaurants with that great spicing. Having soup as the entree option to lamb seems odd. If I'm not in a lamb mood I'm going to want a solid protein, not soup..

I wondered about seat availability and whether hogging is a problem in the parlor car. We'll definitely go for the wine tasting and to get the parlor car experience but not count on it for sight seeing. We are looking at one night in LA on the way down and then a couple of nights prior to coming back. I'll have to see how metrolink travel works with that plan. We visit CA almost every year so I'm not too afraid of the traffic, it's just a question of balancing rental car flexibility and travel times against public transport wait times and inconvenience.

 

[amamba]

priceline and win the bonaventure, it's good enough with a new remodel.

How does one go about "winning" a particular hotel on priceline? Isn't it pretty much a crap shoot what hotel you'll get?

go to www.betterbidding.com and learn all the tips. It is most definitely NOT a crapshoot if you know what you are doing and am familiar with the rebid strategies. I have been able to narrow it down to pretty much knowing that I will get one of two hotels in a certain neighborhood in Boston on multiple times.

 

[leemell]

Thank you for all the suggestions. The Metro Plaza only gets 2 of 5 stars on TripAdvisor so I don't think I'll be able to sell that one to the wife. I'll pick a hotel based on TripAdvisor reviews, like usual. I take those reviews with a grain of salt but they are a good way to eliminate the lowest of the low end. I've visited with the inlaws in SoCal many times but we never really visit LA. I want to act like a dumb tourist for a couple of days this time.

I have recently discovered the hotel review and booking site Oyster.com, which you might want to have a look at. The beauty of this site is they have paid employees doing the reviews, and the same person reviews the hotels in a given city, so you get consistent and thorough reviews. So far they only have reviews in a limited number of cities, but Los Angeles is one of them. If you go there and search for hotels in downtown Los Angeles you will see reviews of all the good hotels near the train station, and you might get a deal -- I'm taking the Starlight in June and used Oyster.com to find lodging in downtown LA, and got a room at the Biltmore for $123.

The Biltmore is an old main line hotel in downtown. I haven't been there in 10 years, but it was a very elegant hotel then. It is now run by the Millennium Hotel chain.