'Dream trip' to Glacier Park - Can we do it?

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

DennisInGeorgia

Train Attendant
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
95
Location
Atlanta
We've seen the documentaries about Glacier National Park that show the EB arriving at the E.Glacier station, and now we have a trip in mind that will put us in that marvelous picture. This "dream journey" would take us from ATL to NOL, overnight there (on our nickel) and then to CHI on the CONO. From there it's the SWC to LAX, the Coast Starlight to PDX, and then EB east into the park. Coming home (this saves a night's lodging at the park on both ends) we board EB west to PDX, CS south to SAC, then back to CHI on the CZ, south on the CONO, and then back home on the Crescent to ATL.

I've seen the discussion about loopholes, custom routings, etc. but can anyone say for certain that AGR wouldn't allow two 2-zone awards to do this trip? We'd be able to ride the Zephyr and the Chief, the last 2 LD trains on our bucket list, and we'd get to see the CA coast in daylight. Does this kind of routing need the cooperation of a kind AGR agent, or is this something that's done all the time?

Yeah, this is kinda early since we're not going til August, but it's never too late to worry. Advice greatly and thankfully appreciated.

Dennis... drwomack(at)bellsouth.net
 
It's good that it will be in August, since the EB does not stop there from Oct to May (I believe - late fall to spring I know)!

Because they will only book you directly via the EB from Chicago to Glacier Park, here's what you have to do!
ph34r.gif
Call AGR and book one award from ATL to ABQ - specifying you want to go thru NOL. Then book a 2nd award from ABQ to GPK! On the return. book one award from GPK to DEN and a 2nd award from DEN-ATL - again specifying you want to go thru NOL!
smile.gif
 
The only problem I see on your routing is the CS to EB in Portland. Connection time is 1 hour and we missed that last time. Maybe going from CHI directly to East Glacier might make more sense.
 
So you'll go the next day from PDX to GPK, what's the problem?
huh.gif
And Amtrak will pay for the hotel in PDX!
rolleyes.gif


Last time I was on the CS, we were late and would not make the connection. So Amtrak bussed the connecting passengers from Albany, OR to PDX to make the connection!
smile.gif
 
So you'll go the next day from PDX to GPK, what's the problem?
huh.gif
And Amtrak will pay for the hotel in PDX!
rolleyes.gif


Last time I was on the CS, we were late and would not make the connection. So Amtrak bussed the connecting passengers from Albany, OR to PDX to make the connection!
smile.gif

The problem would be the reservations they have at Glacier. They book fast during the summer so there is not a lot of flexibility there.

Glacier is a fabulous place. Enjoy your trip. We got off at the West Glacier stop which is a nice stop, too.
 
Oh, not to worry - we'll be reserving in plenty of time at the Glacier hotels,including one just outside the park that won'e even open til mid-May. And since we'll be traveling after Labor Day in early Sept., that'll be plenty of time. I think I'm hearing that on this 2-zone trip from ATL to GPK, AGR doesn't have the flexibility to do a routing other than what the computer spits out? Sure hope that's not the case. I'd hate to think the agents have no leeway at all.

Dennis
 
I think I'm hearing that on this 2-zone trip from ATL to GPK, AGR doesn't have the flexibility to do a routing other than what the computer spits out? Sure hope that's not the case. I'd hate to think the agents have no leeway at all.
Remember that as far as I know, no one on this board has actually seen the AGR rules for long-distance redemptions. They aren't published anywhere, apparently are subject to change without notice, and are interpreted differently by different agents. You might be able to book your itinerary as one two-zone trip, but I'd expect that you'd have to do The Traveler's expedient of booking it as two one-zone trips. Perhaps with two different agents. Maybe on two different phone calls.

If I had to bet, I'd expect that most agents would insist on you traveling Atlanta-New Orleans-Chicago-East Glacier, and that some would even require you to travel via Washington (and charge you an extra zone). It's always easier to book a routing that the computer spits out, and that's all some agents will book. If you don't like what you hear from one agent, hang up and try again later, you might well get a different answer.

can anyone say for certain that AGR wouldn't allow two 2-zone awards to do this trip
Anyone who claims to say for certain anything about AGR long-distance redemptions is mistaken.
 
The only problem I see on your routing is the CS to EB in Portland. Connection time is 1 hour and we missed that last time. Maybe going from CHI directly to East Glacier might make more sense.
If they bus you to Pasco, it can be a -long- bus ride to catch up to the Builder, and you'll miss the best scenery of the PDX section, the ride up the Columbia River valley. And if you're really late, Amtrak will provide a hotel, but they may only be able to provide coach seats on the next day's train. Sleeper space is likely to be sold out in the summer.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top