Help me plan my trip

[Phil Newton]

Hey gang. Next spring, I want to take my family of 6 from Chicago to Eugene OR and back using two sleeping cars, stopping in various cities for a day or two then resuming the trip, taking a total of two weeks. Is this possible? What do you estimate cost would be? Anyone made this trip before?

Thanks

 

[lepearso]

It is. You should be able to get the Explore America fare, which lets you go there and back with up to three stopovers at one price. Now, when you add the sleeper cars it will get pricey, but your meals are covered if you go that route. I would suggest returning by way of another route so you can get more scenery. If you return by way of the California Zephyr, stop over in Glenwood Springs - it's one of my favorite places to visit!

 

[Trogdor]

This page shows the Explore America fares (you should call 1800-USA-RAIL and speak with an agent to get exact fares and to book your trip). Since you would be covering two "regions," the total rail (transportation) fare would not exceed $371 per adult or $185.50 per child. This assumes your travel dates fall within the "off peak" time period.

Sleeping car charges are extra (the above fare is for coach travel), and are per room, not per person. If your family of 6 includes at least two small children, I'd recommend booking the family bedroom, plus one roomette. If there are no "small" children, then the family room's beds would probably be too small, and therefore three roomettes (or a couple of ensuite bedrooms) might be better.

Giving a total cost estimate would be difficult because it varies depending on where you stop off (sleeping car charges would be more expensive booking from A to B, and B to C, rather than booking simply A to C), and the exact dates of your intended travel (if you're traveling during spring break week, you'll be paying a bit more for the sleepers than you would if it's during a typically low travel period). It also depends on whether you plan on taking the same route (Empire Builder to Portland, then either Coast Starlight or Cascades to Eugene) both ways, or if you want to return via a different route (such as Coast Starlight to California Zephyr, via either Sacramento or Emeryville).

However, you can use Amtrak's website to gauge how much the sleeping car fares would be.

Simply pick a travel date, and the two cities you would be traveling between. When you click on "View Seat/Room Options" it will give you a list of the different accommodations Amtrak offers, and the price. For sleepers, the box will say "Add $xx.xx to seat fare." This is the amount you would have to pay for one room in addition to your basic transportation fare (i.e. the $371 per person). If two, three, or four people (in the case of a family room) will be sleeping in the same room, you will still only have to pay one accommodation charge.

So, get out a notebook, enter some cities and some dates, and keep notes on the different options, and make your decisions from there. You could also call Amtrak reservations to get this fare info, but it's a lot easier to do it via the website.