First Time Amtrak Rider Tips&Suggestions

[crosshair428]

Hi,

I'm looking for some help. I booked my first amtrak trip on the eastbound empire builder from Seattle to Milwaukee. Just have a few questions. I'm traveling alone in a roomette. Can you pick which bed you want to sleep in and if so, which do you recommend? Also, how long before the train departs should I be at King Street Station. Anybody have any issues with King Street at all and is it easy to navigate. I haven't been able to find an interior layout of the station so I don't know what to expect. I've got about 4 hours to burn in Seattle before departure and am looking for any suggestions for quick things to see and do in the city. Also, any suggestions on what to bring along or do while on the train to make it easier/more enjoyable.

Thanks for your help

 

[pennyk]

Welcome. You will get different answers as to which bed to sleep in. Some people like the top and some the bottom. Since you will be in a superliner, I think most will like the bottom because there is a window. I personally like the bottom bunk.

The King Street station has been renovated since I was last there, so I will leave it to others who can offer you information about layout.

There are threads devoted on what to bring, but my suggestion is pack light. There is very limited storage in the roomette, but there is a community luggage area downstairs in the superliners.

On the eastbound Empire Builder, you will pass very close to Glacier National Park - most likely in daylight.

I hope you love your trip.

 

[zephyr17]

A roomette is a private room with at least two berths in it, most people prefer to use the lower in Superliner. The upper in the Superliner is often called "the coffin" because it has no window, and not very much vertical room (you can't fully sit up). The upper is usually always made up, and the SCA will make up the lower (the lower's bedding is stowed in the upper berth when the roomette is in "day" configuration). You can choose which roomette you get if you call for a reservation rather than use the website.

How long you need to be there depends on whether or not you check baggage. If you are checking bags, they must be checked 45 minutes prior to departure, and that does not mean standing in line to get them checked 45 minutes before departure, it means in their hands. If you don't need to check bags, you just need to be there in enough time to go through the station and get out to the platform before the train leaves. If you are on the platform when they call "All Aboard!", you'll get on (King Street doesn't have the gates close 5 minutes before departure thing that some stations do). Amtrak recommends 30 minutes, but 15 works all right at King Street. If you are cutting it close, make sure you have enough time to actually get there in time. Traffic in downtown Seattle can be bad.

King Street Station is relatively small and easy to navigate (it's pretty much a big box). It is pretty obvious where the waiting room and platforms are, but they are to your right as you come in the main entrance. Ticketing and baggage are straight ahead from the main entrance. Signage is good.

There is a lot to do in Seattle. Since you are very close to Pioneer Square, you could do the Underground Tour, which can be fun. The Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (museum) is in Pioneer Square and is interesting. Other than that, there is Pike Place Market, shopping, Seattle Art Museum, etc, etc. Seattle Center and the Space Needle are kind of on the far other end of downtown from King Street, but you could go up there if you watch your time and bus schedules carefully.

As to the train, bring books and music. If you foam and have a scanner, definitely bring that.

 

[oregon pioneer]

The comments above are really good, but I do have a couple of things to add:

Since I'm the smaller of the two of us, I always get to climb up to the top bunk. I call it the "time-out room" since there is absolutely no stiimulation up there. But last November I got to travel alone, so I slept in the bottom bunk. I enjoy waking up and being able to look out the window and see where we are when we stop. If you really want to sleep well, and you are not a very large person, you can try the top bunk.

I like to bring a laptop computer so I can write and get online, but then I don't have a smartphone (with no cell reception at home, it would be kind of pointless, so I have a "dumb" phone). There is no wi-fi on the Empire Builder, but I noticed that people with smartphones could almost always access a cell tower, so that would actually be more useful if you want to be online while on the train.

 

[crosshair428]

Thanks for the tips. This is a bucket list trip that's been put off too long. Looking forward to some relaxation and quiet!

 

[SeeBuyFly]

You do not need to travel light as suggested above. If you can lift your luggage to the upper bunk, you have lots of luggage space. A roomette with two people in it is a different matter.

 

[calwatch]

Yes, but then that will block your view. Still, there is usually plenty of space on the bottom shelf. Pack reasonably, but there is no need to travel lighter than normal. This isn't an airplane, after all.

 

[Shanghai]

When I travel alone in a roomette, I prefer sleeping in the top bunk.

I leave the bottom seats in the day position so I have room to walk

in the roomette. On a Superliner, it is tight for me but manageable.

On a Viewliner, there is adequate space for me. Enjoy your trip.

 

[pianocat]

During my recent round-trip from Chicago to Spokane, I had an EB roomette and slept on the bottom bunk. Though I'm only 5 ft. tall and COULD have slept above, I have a touch of claustrophobia and didn't want to potentially trigger that! The car attendant came around in the morning asking to return the bed to daytime use, and I asked her to simply leave it as a bed. Traveling solo, I was more comfortable sitting on the full length mattress cross-legged. I could also do yoga exercises more easily throughout the day, and could nap if i wanted, in a bed-length setting. Might want to consider leaving it in nighttime position. I brought an iPad mini with no data plan, but had uploaded several books, tons of favorite music, and games that didn't require internet access. But honestly....I spent most of my time watching out the large windows, wide-eyed like a child seeing the world for the first time, simply enjoying the scenery. It never got boring....even in Montana and North Dakota!! Enjoy your trip, hope all goes well for you.

 

[SarahZ]

My boyfriend sleeps in the top bunk because he likes small spaces and it's darker up there in the morning (no window). He sleeps much later than I do, so it's easier for me to get up and move around without disturbing him. He also doesn't mind that the padding is a bit thinner. And, for now, he's smaller than me, so he does the monkey climb by default.

I like the bottom bunk because I'm claustrophobic, it has a bit more cushioning (the mattress goes on top of the seat cushions), I like looking out the window during the night and when I wake up in the morning, and I usually have to get up once during the night to use the restroom.

When traveling alone, it's definitely up to you, but a lot of people like to sleep in the top bunk and leave the chairs in their configuration so they have more room to move around. Some people also use the top bunk as storage by putting it down during the day and then sleep in the top or bottom bunk.

I hope you have fun on your trip. Maybe, for variety, you could sleep in the bottom bunk one night and then give the top bunk a try the next night.

 

[the_traveler]

I brought an iPad mini with no data plan, but had uploaded several books, tons of favorite music, and games that didn't require internet access.

I second this idea! I do have a "regular" iPad with no data plan, only buying data when I travel once a year or so. I like the iPad or iPad mini (or some other tablet), because you can carry books, music, etc... - without the extra weight or space. On my iPad right now, i have over 1,000 books and 3 or 4 albums - yet together they weigh less than 1 pound and take up less than 1" of space.

 

[NW cannonball]

Hi,

I'm looking for some help. I booked my first amtrak trip on the eastbound empire builder from Seattle to Milwaukee. Just have a few questions. I'm traveling alone in a roomette. Can you pick which bed you want to sleep in and if so, which do you recommend? Also, how long before the train departs should I be at King Street Station. Anybody have any issues with King Street at all and is it easy to navigate. I haven't been able to find an interior layout of the station so I don't know what to expect. I've got about 4 hours to burn in Seattle before departure and am looking for any suggestions for quick things to see and do in the city. Also, any suggestions on what to bring along or do while on the train to make it easier/more enjoyable.

Thanks for your help

Lots of good info posted on the roomette.

About getting to the station -- if you want to check baggage you need to do that at very least 45 minutes (or up to at least 24 hours) before scheduled departure time. IF no baggage to check 5-10 minutes will work fine. King Street Station is beautifully refurbished - but navigate? No problemo - it is just a big square open space with the gates to the tracks clearly marked on the east side of that space.

Near the station things to do -- the Elliot Bay waterfront to the west and north - walk and look - mostly tourist trap type stuff -- sometimes an oyster happy hour from early afternoon at at least one of those places - forget the name. Or with 4 hours hit the Pike Place market - is for tourists but also real good deals on fruit and fish if you want some to eat on the train. But it's at least a 20 min walk from there to the station.

Or go east to the ID (International District (formerly Chinatown)) maybe 10 min walk max from station. Uwajimaya super grocery and deli - really good fresh everything - just don't bring live oysters to eat on the train (tempting - but don't). Just north from the station is a firefighting museum - and Pioneer Square -- and a gospel mission flophouse and some homeless people. Lots to see and do near the station.

Public transit -- bunches of buses and the light rail stop close. But the C-D super express bus only stops way north at Seneca -- I missed that stop may last departure form SEA - the next stop soutbound is 3-4 miles away in West Seattle - where I crossed the street, rode back to Seneca, power-walked the half-mile to the station and boarded at least 6 minutes before the EB departed .

Enjoy you trip. And the station neighborhood.

 

[the_traveler]

if you want to check baggage you need to do that at very least 30 minutes (or up to at least 24 hours) before scheduled departure time.

I'm sorry, but that is no longer correct! The cut off time for the agent to receive checked baggage used to be 30 minutes, but is now 45 minutes! And it must be in their hand and tagged before that time, not just being in line 45 minutes early!

 

[NW cannonball]

if you want to check baggage you need to do that at very least 30 minutes (or up to at least 24 hours) before scheduled departure time.

I'm sorry, but that is no longer correct! The cut off time for the agent to receive checked baggage used to be 30 minutes, but is now 45 minutes! And it must be in their hand and tagged before that time, not just being in line 45 minutes early!

Thanks -- it's been a while since I checked any baggage - editing previous post to obliterate false information. My bad.

 

[the Other Mike]

MAke sure to lock the shower door

 

[shelzp]

I listen to audiobooks on my ipad while I'm traveling.