Help needed with Amtrak's Routes

[Bob Dylan]

Whoa Henry - now I'm really confused. We thought the Rail Pass got us anywhere we wanted to go within the limitations of the segment rules and routes).
You are saying (I think) that you have to pay extra fares for different segments on top of the Rail Pass?

i.e in your post..."From SFC to BUF(Buffalo/Niagra Falls) a roomette is $448 for the Chicago leg and an additional $207 between Chicago and Buffalo". and "The Roomette charge between New York and Orlando is $344. So the total cost of your trip for two would be around $1,800.

That's a lot more than we expected - 2 x $389 (Rail Pass), plus upgrade to a bedroom or roomette, whatever that costs.

Can someone please clarify.

We have decided on the California Zephyr in mid-August BTW, though maybe not if those prices are correct!

Dont be scared off, this is a "HIGH Bucket"(top price, sold out train price!)The differences in prices CAN BE vast depending on when you book your trip! That's why I suggested you book early as possible, have your itenerary ready when you purchase your rail passes ($389 X 2=$778 for 15 days/8 segments).

I made a test booking in August of this year on Amtrak.com (you can do this too!) and found the following using August 16 as your date to leave

Emeryville-CHI CZ#6 Roomette for 2 $262 (the absolute lowest price, called Low Bucket!), 2 1/2 days/2 nights, 7 meals for 2!!! CHI-BUf LSL #48 8/18-8/19 Roomette for 2 $165

(only 1 meal/breakfast, not necessary!), NFLS-NYP Empire Serice 8/20 Business Class $27 (not necessary)/345AM!-1235PM or The Maple Leaf from NFLS-NYP

12:40PM-9:35PM (Biz class $27, again not necessary). Spend the night in NYCity: NYP-TPA (Tampa) Silver Star #91 10:50AM-12:35PM 8/21 Sleeper for 2

including 3 meALS $198. Thats looking 8 months ahead, the longer you wait the higher it gets! Of course the LA-New Orleans-WAS route would be a little cheaper and quicker but dont know about air fares from NZ-USA??? Hope this helps! Jim

 

[Konrad]

There are NO high speed routes in the US.

 

[dords]

Jim you are just great! Can you give me a link to the prices for booking a roomette or bedroom. I found it once, but can't find it again. Just going through the booking process doesn't seem to allow for an upgrade to the sleeper car. Many thanks

 

[Bob Dylan]

Jim you are just great! Can you give me a link to the prices for booking a roomette or bedroom. I found it once, but can't find it again. Just going through the booking process doesn't seem to allow for an upgrade to the sleeper car. Many thanks

It's Amtrak.com, the official web site. Calling is 1-800-USA-RAIL in the US, dont know if it works outside North America, perhaps others have this info?

If it does, it's automated, you'll get a computer voice called "Julie", ask for an agent and it'll connect you with a real reservation agent.

The rail pass can only be booked through an agent so I',m sorry I cant tell you how to contact them via phone if 1-800 doesnt work!

You can do all the "test" bookings you want, get prices etc. up to 11 months in advance on amtrak.com!!! Once youre logged on enter your to/from

trains, dates, and itll give you a train menu where you can upgrade to business class or rooms, also remember that the roomette price is for two persons,

in yalls case the rail pass is cheaper than the regular rail fare for the practice itenerary I checked so the rail pass is a great deal for yall! You can look it up as Casey Stengel used to say! (old time Baseball Mgr./Hall of Fame funny guy!)

Remember before you can book a sleeper you have to have the rail pass purchased, it's good for 6 months after the date you buy it, once it starts it's good from midnight of the date you start using it until midnight 15 days later or until the 8 segments are used, whichever comes first!

 

[Konrad]

Jim you are just great! Can you give me a link to the prices for booking a roomette or bedroom. I found it once, but can't find it again. Just going through the booking process doesn't seem to allow for an upgrade to the sleeper car. Many thanks

It's Amtrak.com, the official web site. Calling is 1-800-USA-RAIL in the US, dont know if it works outside North America, perhaps others have this info?

If it does, it's automated, you'll get a computer voice called "Julie", ask for an agent and it'll connect you with a real reservation agent.

The rail pass can only be booked through an agent so I',m sorry I cant tell you how to contact them via phone if 1-800 doesnt work!

You can do all the "test" bookings you want, get prices etc. up to 11 months in advance on amtrak.com!!! Once youre logged on enter your to/from

trains, dates, and itll give you a train menu where you can upgrade to business class or rooms, also remember that the roomette price is for two persons,

in yalls case the rail pass is cheaper than the regular rail fare for the practice itenerary I checked so the rail pass is a great deal for yall! You can look it up as Casey Stengel used to say! (old time Baseball Mgr./Hall of Fame funny guy!)

Remember before you can book a sleeper you have to have the rail pass purchased, it's good for 6 months after the date you buy it, once it starts it's good from midnight of the date you start using it until midnight 15 days later or until the 8 segments are used, whichever comes first!

My suggestion is to forget the rail pass - it's just too restrictive.

Go to www.amtrak.com and request a booking from LAX to ORL. It'll give you the quickest (shortest) schedule across the country. Adjust your fares to your preferred accommodations (roomette/sleeper/coach) and adjust the booking to your status (senior/AAA - and that works with your local motoring organisation) and you'll get the total fare for two people. Remember that on Amtrak the sleeper fare for two is not twice the fare for one.

Unfortunately, Niagara falls is a totally different side trip which is best negotiated from Albany or New york.

If travelling on the right days you might catch The Cardinal between Washington and Chicago which is one of the better routes on the east coast for scenic highlights.

And don't be afraid to experiment with the Amtrak site, changing dates can give massive fare savings if you're flexible. An extra day or two in Los Angeles can more than cover the cost of the accommodation over the train fares. We stay at the Metro Plaza in Los Angeles (less than $100/night) and it's only a $7 bus fare from LAX.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

Just to throw a little more confusion into the explanations..

I live in the UK, but have toured America by train several times, on a railpass, so I will try to explain the system from a foreigners perspective.

By visiting amtrak.com website, you can view maps, timetables, routes and prices. You can put in starting points and destinations, together with your rough

dates, and it will give you prices for "coach" class, which is a regular seat. These prices can vary from day to day, tending to be lower midweek, midwinter,

higher at weekends and summertime. The prices rise too as more seats are sold, the last ones cost a lot more than the first ones sold, rather like trying to

get a plane ticket for the same day is expensive compared to booking well in advance. (These price brackets are called "price buckets")

You can "play" with entries on the amtrak website, and get a feel for different routes/prices/availabilities without fear of booking anything - just try it out.

Sleeper compartments are an "add on", or "upgrade" option, whether you upgrade from a regular coach ticket, or from a rail pass.

You CAN purchase a sleeper at the same time as you purchase a regular ticket on amtrak.com, and you will see the full cost there.

You CANNOT reserve a sleeper OR seat via the website if you have a railpass, you need to phone or email after you buy your pass online.

With a railpass, you still need to make specific reservations for each train, and you can reserve your seats, or sleeping upgrades as follows:

Make Reservations: For travelers outside of the United States, send your name, desired travel date(s), your USA Rail Pass Confirmation Number and the train(s) on which you want to travel to [email protected] prior to arriving in the United States, or call (001) 215-856-7953 during regular business hours (Monday-Friday from 8:30-17:00 EST)

My advice would be to phone, that way you get current info, and the agent can advise on all options. These "international" agents seem to be a bit more on

the ball as they do the job on a regular basis, and are used to dealing with overseas customers.

Ok.. Still a lot more to learn, I am afraid!

Your railpass will entitle you to travel on any train, providing you make the advance reservation, and providing there is a low bucket priced seat available on

that train AT THE TIME YOU RESERVE.

How do I know the low bucket fare? You need to go to amtrak .com and put in a few off peak trips for your proposed routes. You should soon find the lowest

fare available by trying several dates. I suggest you try late Feb or early March to find lowest prices.

Once you have found what seems to be the lowest coach price for your route, put in the dates you intend to actualy travel, and if the coach seat price is the

same, you can make your reservation without any extra charges. If it is higher, then you can still use your railpass to off-set some of the cost, but you will

have to pay extra to book that seat.

The sun is shining outside here in Nottingham, so I am going to cut and run for now, hope I haven't confused things even more!

Ed

 

[Rail Freak]

Remember to book into STP ( St. Petersburg, actually Pinellas Park) ! It is less expensive than by cab from Tampa & a lot easier for your son to pick you up!!!

RF

 

[Chris J.]

How do I know the low bucket fare? You need to go to amtrak .com and put in a few off peak trips for your proposed routes. You should soon find the lowest
fare available by trying several dates. I suggest you try late Feb or early March to find lowest prices.

If you can add a sleeper to your test booking that will put the rail fare into the lowest bucket; so that would also tell you what the lowest bucket is.

Which leads me to a question; if you want to make a sleeper journey with the rail pass, do you pay JUST the sleeper fare; with the rail fare being paid for on the pass as the rail fare is the lowest bucket for any sleeper journey?

 

[rrdude]

You do have to pay for 2 rail passes (the rail fare), but the sleeper price that includes meals is good for one or two-same price!(for example 2 railpasses@ $389 each= Rail Fare 1 roomette(includes meals)@$200=1 or 2 passengers Total =$589

I, too, am totally confused by Amtrak's fare structure and rail pass policies. If I get a rail pass, does that *really* cover the "rail fare" or only the lowest bucket fare?

What I wanted to do was go on an ad-hoc trip with a rail pass. That is, go somewhere and then stop off for a few days and maybe more and then hop the train for another ride to somewhere else.

If the rail pass covers the "rail fare" (coach) then that is a doable thing, but if it only covers the lowest bucket, then it's not really workable. I find it hard to believe that they would let a train leave the station with empty space and not take a rail pass as payment.

I also find it very frustrating that leaving from Miami I have to travel through Washington and (possibly) Chicago to get to New Orleans.

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I certainly understand the Original Poster's frustration with Amtrak's schedule and fare policies.

--

Bud

I can't tell you how many times I've told people that I rode the train and they respond with "We wanted to ride the train but when we called/went online it was just SOOOO expensive."

The pricing structure is a bit odd to say the least. Sleepers are the really weird one... I don't know who out there is really paying $616 for one night in a bedroom on the LSL but that is just crazy!

But the airlines don't seem to make sense to me either... so Amtrak is in good company.

Or $958 for a BEDROOM on a northbound Silver Service train from Orlando to Baltimore.......I couldn't believe my eyes.............

 

[caravanman]

Chris J,

That would indeed be the case if you are booking a sleeper, your pass will cover the basic low bucket fare anyway. The lowest bucket price is the one that is

always added to your sleeper room price. Each segment of travel with a rail pass costs around $45, so worthwhile savings can be made on the longer

distance trips. As you may be aware, the passes were once only available to overseas residents, this is no longer the case and anyone can buy them.

One has to be aware that the sleepers have their own low and high prices too, so best to book as early as possible.

Ed

 

[henryj]

Whoa Henry - now I'm really confused. We thought the Rail Pass got us anywhere we wanted to go within the limitations of the segment rules and routes).
You are saying (I think) that you have to pay extra fares for different segments on top of the Rail Pass?

i.e in your post..."From SFC to BUF(Buffalo/Niagra Falls) a roomette is $448 for the Chicago leg and an additional $207 between Chicago and Buffalo". and "The Roomette charge between New York and Orlando is $344. So the total cost of your trip for two would be around $1,800.

That's a lot more than we expected - 2 x $389 (Rail Pass), plus upgrade to a bedroom or roomette, whatever that costs.

Can someone please clarify.

We have decided on the California Zephyr in mid-August BTW, though maybe not if those prices are correct!

Dont be scared off, this is a "HIGH Bucket"(top price, sold out train price!)The differences in prices CAN BE vast depending on when you book your trip! That's why I suggested you book early as possible, have your itenerary ready when you purchase your rail passes ($389 X 2=$778 for 15 days/8 segments).

I made a test booking in August of this year on Amtrak.com (you can do this too!) and found the following using August 16 as your date to leave

Emeryville-CHI CZ#6 Roomette for 2 $262 (the absolute lowest price, called Low Bucket!), 2 1/2 days/2 nights, 7 meals for 2!!! CHI-BUf LSL #48 8/18-8/19 Roomette for 2 $165

(only 1 meal/breakfast, not necessary!), NFLS-NYP Empire Serice 8/20 Business Class $27 (not necessary)/345AM!-1235PM or The Maple Leaf from NFLS-NYP

12:40PM-9:35PM (Biz class $27, again not necessary). Spend the night in NYCity: NYP-TPA (Tampa) Silver Star #91 10:50AM-12:35PM 8/21 Sleeper for 2

including 3 meALS $198. Thats looking 8 months ahead, the longer you wait the higher it gets! Of course the LA-New Orleans-WAS route would be a little cheaper and quicker but dont know about air fares from NZ-USA??? Hope this helps! Jim

Jim, I got that high a price because I did the test booking in the first week in June when every one with school age kids starts their vacation. For instance when I did a test booking going through New Orleans I got $110 for a roomette on the Lake Shore Limited vs $207 on the test booking for option 1. That's almost double in price. I did the test bookings using the multi-city option so I could manually direct myself to different destinations. I do not know how this works after you have bought a USA rail pass. As one person noted, you are paying $778 for the two rail passes which are good only in coach and only for a limited number of seats on each train. When I did the test booking the full fare was only $116 more than using the pass for two people. As for the room charges, those only apply if you elect to sleep in a roomette or bedroom vs the coach. Coach seats on a superliner(western trains) have large leg rest reclining seats with plenty of leg room and are quite comfortable. So you might forgoe the room option if you are traveling on a tight budget. But just remember, coach seats do not include meals and there is no shower available, just the large community restrooms. What you might do is elect to pay for a roomette on say the CZ for the two nights your are on that train and just go coach the rest of the way as all the other trains are just one night out. The Lake Shore Limited from Chicago is a good example. The train boards late at night and you get off in the morning so you don't even get the meal benefit and certainly don't need the shower. The New York to Orlando train you are on for a much longer time even though it's one night out only so you do get meal benefits. You might think about getting a roomette on that one. If you could furnish us with your dates of travel I am sure the 'experts' on here could get you much more accurate fare information.

 

[ThayerATM]

Hi everyone - greetings from New Zealand!
My husband and I are planning a trip to the States later this year. The intention is to land at LA and Amtrak over to Orlando. (Have a son in New Port Richie).

I'm having difficulty making head or tail of the routes. There is so much info on the Amtrak site, I'm getting really confused.

I thought there was a route that takes us across the mid-west and via Niagara Falls (which we want to visit), to Orlando, but all I can find is the route to New Orleans on the Sunset Limited. Problem is, I've read some posts saying that route finishes at New Orleans now and doesn't go all the way to Miami since Katrina.

As far as I can see we need a USA Rail Pass, which will enable us to break the trip and see some of the country. Can someone confirm this is the way to do it please and which train we need to book. I can't see any schedules leaving LA - they all seem to be coming back the other way.

The route via New Orleans on the Sunset Limited would be great, but how do you now get from New Orleans to Orlando?

Is the Sunset Limited the only high speed train operating?

Any help gratefully received.

Cheers

OK, so you're flying from New Zealand to Los Angeles (LAX). Then taking the train to New Orleans (NOL). Then taking the train to Chicago (CHI). Then taking the train to Niagara Falls (NFL in New York or if you cross the border, to NFS in Ontario). Then taking the train to New York (NYP). Then taking the train to Orlando (ORL)

Sounds like a GREAT trip.

How do you plan to getting back to New Zealand?

Are you going to take the train back to LAX to fly back to New Zealand, or are you going to fly out of Florida back to New Zealand? If I had the time, I'd opt to take the train back to LAX but I'd follow other routes back to LAX, just to see more of the country.

Your biggest expense in taking the train will be your accomodations. You'll have to decide if you're going to travel in a Bedroom, a Roomette, or a Coach. My wife and I prefer a bedroom. I think your rail pass will be of little consequence. I've planned two "around the country" trips and I have a third in the works. Contrary to what rrdude suggests, a bedroom, at a high bucket price on a particular leg of a trip, doesn't impact the total price much. The whole package is expensive, but worth it. I've been told (on good authority) that I can't take it with me. I might as well use it to enjoy myself while I'm here.

I've got to put in a plug for this AU forum. You'll find a plethora of information. You'll also (obviously) find a plethora of conflicting opinions. Stick with it. Ultimately, you'll have to make up your own mind, but the more information you have, the better your decision will be to fulfill your expectations.

My suggestion is to book early (11 months out to get the best chance for low bucket), and book while talking to an agent at 1-800-USA-RAIL. Using AMTRAK.com to plan stuff is OK <IMHO>, but the final booking needs to be with an agent, just in case you need to get on a waiting list for better accomodations in case someone (hopefully) cancels.

 

[AlanB]

My suggestion is to book early (11 months out to get the best chance for low bucket), and book while talking to an agent at 1-800-USA-RAIL. Using AMTRAK.com to plan stuff is OK <IMHO>, but the final booking needs to be with an agent, just in case you need to get on a waiting list for better accomodations in case someone (hopefully) cancels.

While this is good advice, let me add a clarifier to this.

If you don't go with the Railpass, then book as soon as possible after the 11 month mark. However, if one is using the Railpass, then you cannot buy the pass until you are within a six month window of the date of travel. And you cannot start making the sleeper reservations until you can buy the pass.

 

[dords]

Good morning everyone and thank you for the informative posts to date. It's starting to gel - especially since I have raked in the better half to help.

Henry - you've clarified the costs - as your "high Season" is the opposite to ours, it's a fine balancing act to get the lowest air fares to LA, as we will be right on the cusp of summer fares here and trying to avoid the US highest fares at the other end.

Thayer - we were going to fly back to LA and on to Tahiti from there, but as time isn't an issue (we're retired) going back on the Amtrak is a strong possiblilty. Not keen on flying on one of the domestic airlines!

We are wondering what is left of New Orleans after their tragic hurricane. Is it still worth visiting on the return trip? Or is there a scenic route that would be better to take?

Off to do a test booking.... :huh:

 

[Michael061282]

Good morning everyone and thank you for the informative posts to date. It's starting to gel - especially since I have raked in the better half to help.
Henry - you've clarified the costs - as your "high Season" is the opposite to ours, it's a fine balancing act to get the lowest air fares to LA, as we will be right on the cusp of summer fares here and trying to avoid the US highest fares at the other end.

Thayer - we were going to fly back to LA and on to Tahiti from there, but as time isn't an issue (we're retired) going back on the Amtrak is a strong possiblilty. Not keen on flying on one of the domestic airlines!

We are wondering what is left of New Orleans after their tragic hurricane. Is it still worth visiting on the return trip? Or is there a scenic route that would be better to take?

Off to do a test booking.... :huh:

I can't speak for New Orleans since I haven't been there in ages, but it seems to be rebounding. If you want a really nice scenic ride, try #5 the California Zephyr from Chicago to Oakland, just across the bay form San Francisco. Other then the Canadian, I don't think there is a better ride in North America. But thats just my opinion and I happen to like Mountain railroading.

 

[ThayerATM]

Good morning everyone and thank you for the informative posts to date. It's starting to gel - especially since I have raked in the better half to help.
Henry - you've clarified the costs - as your "high Season" is the opposite to ours, it's a fine balancing act to get the lowest air fares to LA, as we will be right on the cusp of summer fares here and trying to avoid the US highest fares at the other end.

Thayer - we were going to fly back to LA and on to Tahiti from there, but as time isn't an issue (we're retired) going back on the Amtrak is a strong possiblilty. Not keen on flying on one of the domestic airlines!

We are wondering what is left of New Orleans after their tragic hurricane. Is it still worth visiting on the return trip? Or is there a scenic route that would be better to take?

Off to do a test booking.... :huh:

Let me start by saying that New Orleans is alive and well. Much of it was destroyed, but certainly not the parts that we've heard about in story and song. The French Quarter (for example) was virtually untouched by the flooding. Actually, with the exeception of the 9th Ward, everything seems to be back up and running. The 9th ward, for all practical purposes, is gone. But if you want to see a live, vibrant city, New Orleans is the place.

I really can't comment on the Eastern US, as I've never taken the train there, but if you're seriously contemplating taking the train back to LA I have a couple of really fun trips for you to consider. Getting from Orlando to CHI is out of my experience, but I think you have several choices of trains to CHI.

But from CHI west...Been there... Done that... Twice. And I'm going to do it again next year.

First, I'd suggest going from CHI to Emeryville CA (EMY) [a suburb of San Francisco] on the California Zephyr. You'd be going through some of the most magnificient scenery in the US on a train that is timed and focused toward the passenger experience. You could then take the Coast Starlight from EMY down to LAX, as it also passes through some magnificent scenery along the Pacific Ocean.

If you have the time, I'd suggest going from CHI to Seattle WA (SEA) on the Empire Builder. This is also a train that's timed and focused on the passenger experience, although I've got to admit that Montana gets boring after a couple of hours. But... that's why Amtrak has lounges. :lol: Pugit Sound is amazing, and I'm particularly fond of the King Street Station in Seattle. It's old (1906) but Seattle is in the process of renovating it, and when I see it next year I anticipate that it will be back to its glory years looks. It was pleasant last year and staffed with really friendly people. They wouldn't just tell you where something was... they'd take you there.

Then, when you depart Seattle, you can take the Coast Starlight its entire length down to LAX. The Coast Starlight is really geared for the first class passenger with the Pacific Parlor Car. Swivel chairs... Tables... Drinks... We felt pampered and finally kind of guilty. We went to the sightseer lounge just to let someone else experience the PPC. I could have stayed there all day, but my wife wouldn't hear of it. <_< She tries to make me socially acceptable.

 

[Jeremy]

Thank you sooo much everyone for your much need help. We've never been to the States so it is a bit daunting given the sheer size of the country. New Zealand would fit in one tiny corner! . . .

I would imagine that you've visited Australia . . . the USA is the same size (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) and even the same shape, upside-down. Just remember to bring us some Hobbits!

Jeremy

 

[Bob Dylan]

We are wondering what is left of New Orleans after their tragic hurricane. Is it still worth visiting on the return trip? Or is there a scenic route that would be better to take?
Off to do a test booking.... :huh:

Ive been in New Orleans three times since August, it's a great place that's on the way back! (How bout them Saints!Who Dat!)All three street cars are running (a day pass for seniors for all busses and street cars in NOL is $5, a real deal), Orbitz.com has great hotel deals (you get to actually see the hotels before you book), lots of folks will recommend places here for you! The food is fantastic, Bourbon Street is worth walking down to see the circus, just dont go into the joints! :lol: Also the ferry across the Mississippi River is FREE, another good deal! You dont want to drive here, Parking is expensive to non-existant, it's easy to get around and LOTS of tour agencies for everything under the sun! I'd say do not miss it before you go home! Good luck with the bookings, I see the experts (Alan B is good as they get!) are helping out, there's plenty more! Jim

 

[dords]

Right - have done the test trip pricing.

I may have done it incorrectly in that I've allowed the same price (i.e. $262 for the Frisco to Chicago leg, and $198 for the NY to Tampa leg), for the roomettes added to a Rail Pass, as on the "multi-city" plan, but here are the results...

By Multi-City with two of the four legs using a roomette came to $1140 (San Francisco to Tampa)

Using a Rail Pass, with 2 x roomettes, totalled $1,238!

This is presuming the roomettes are the same price with a Rail Pass - can't see anywhere you can get a roomette price with a rail pass.

It doesn't allow for diverting off to the Falls, is there some transport from Buffalo to the Falls?

 

[Bob Dylan]

It doesn't allow for diverting off to the Falls, is there some transport from Buffalo to the Falls?

Please remember the six month rule for the rail pass, it's getting close!Once you have the pass you can make your sleeper reservations and lock in the prices!The sooner the better!

As to Niagara Falls, youll arrive @ the Buffalo-Depew station which is east of downtown out by the airport! There are cabs that will take you to the Buffalo airport and they run express busses to/from Niagara Falls, NY. If you want to wait for a train it doesnt come until the afternoon, then stops downtown @ the Exchange St. Station, then gets to Niagara Falls about 5PM.(The Maple Leaf). If you cross the border of course youll need your passport, I'm not up on visas, dont know what the Canadian and US policy is with NZ citizens. Usually theres like an hour to 2 hour check @ the border on the train, perhaps staying on the US side and just walking across the bridge is the easiest way to do it! As Ive said before you can catch the early train (3:45AM!!) Empire Service to new York City, or the Maple Leaf about noon, arrives in NYC about 9PM. The Niagara Falls station on the NY side is a ways from town, cabs meet the trains.The Ontario (Canada ) Station is just across the bridge but a ways from the Falls and downtown, cabs are available, the bus station is across the street from the VIA rail stration for busses to Toronto and New York.

Theres also Greyhound bus service to/from Buffalo but I dont have any info on that, you can google it.

 

[TVRM610]

Good morning everyone and thank you for the informative posts to date. It's starting to gel - especially since I have raked in the better half to help.
Henry - you've clarified the costs - as your "high Season" is the opposite to ours, it's a fine balancing act to get the lowest air fares to LA, as we will be right on the cusp of summer fares here and trying to avoid the US highest fares at the other end.

Thayer - we were going to fly back to LA and on to Tahiti from there, but as time isn't an issue (we're retired) going back on the Amtrak is a strong possiblilty. Not keen on flying on one of the domestic airlines!

We are wondering what is left of New Orleans after their tragic hurricane. Is it still worth visiting on the return trip? Or is there a scenic route that would be better to take?

Off to do a test booking.... :huh:

If you have the time, I'd suggest going from CHI to Seattle WA (SEA) on the Empire Builder. This is also a train that's timed and focused on the passenger experience, although I've got to admit that Montana gets boring after a couple of hours. But... that's why Amtrak has lounges. :lol: Pugit Sound is amazing, and I'm particularly fond of the King Street Station in Seattle. It's old (1906) but Seattle is in the process of renovating it, and when I see it next year I anticipate that it will be back to its glory years looks. It was pleasant last year and staffed with really friendly people. They wouldn't just tell you where something was... they'd take you there.

Then, when you depart Seattle, you can take the Coast Starlight its entire length down to LAX. The Coast Starlight is really geared for the first class passenger with the Pacific Parlor Car. Swivel chairs... Tables... Drinks... We felt pampered and finally kind of guilty. We went to the sightseer lounge just to let someone else experience the PPC. I could have stayed there all day, but my wife wouldn't hear of it. <_< She tries to make me socially acceptable.

I second this option... the Empire Builder is fantastic. Also... if you take the Empire Builder and spend a day or two in Seattle, you can then brag that you spent time in all four corners of the country (LA, New York City, Tampa FL, and Seattle WA). If you have the time... this would be a fantastic end to your journey.

As for New Orleans, I have been several times.... it very much depends on what you are looking for. Personally.. I would not go extremely out of the way to see it, before or after the hurricane. Having said that, the touristy parts of New Orleans are doing fine, and did not suffer near the amount of damage that other areas did. I was last there this November. New Orleans has a ton of history, the streetcar system itself is a great way to see the city. The architecture as well is fascinating. That said, it never has been a particularly safe city to visit, nor does it have as much to offer as the "major" cities like New York, Chicago, Washington DC, LA, etc. This is of course my opinion!

Since your taking the Lake Shore Limited on the way to Florida and laying over in New York. I would reccomend that you layover a day or two in Washington DC and then take the Capitol Limited or the Cardinal (the Capitol will have cheaper sleepers, and provides a full dining car, the Cardinal is more scenic but meals are served in a "cafe" style car).

It would be a shame to visit the States and not spend a day in DC. The White House, the Capitol Building and all the great monuments are MUST see's in my view. Plus, the Smithsonian Museums, some of the best in the world, are located in DC and they offer free admission!

 

[dords]

Gulp! So much to take in, though we are slowly getting an itinerary sorted with your very welcome help. Have just added 4 days in Tahiti

Hopefully anyone else contemplating a similar trip will also benefit.

One thing I forgot to ask is re the meals on the segments where you aren't using the sleeper car.

Are they available to buy as in a restaurant? Ditto, breakfast and lunch?

 

[dords]

By the way Jeremy - yes we have visited Aus, Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville, Melbourne - in fact we lived there for 5 years or so and recently spent a couple of weeks in Cairns BUT the big difference is, virtually all the cities/towns follow the coastline - the interior is for the hardiest of souls (which isn't me - I like my creature comforts). USA on the other hand is settled all over and what an amazing country it is.

 

[ThayerATM]

Good morning everyone and thank you for the informative posts to date. It's starting to gel - especially since I have raked in the better half to help.
Henry - you've clarified the costs - as your "high Season" is the opposite to ours, it's a fine balancing act to get the lowest air fares to LA, as we will be right on the cusp of summer fares here and trying to avoid the US highest fares at the other end.

Thayer - we were going to fly back to LA and on to Tahiti from there, but as time isn't an issue (we're retired) going back on the Amtrak is a strong possiblilty. Not keen on flying on one of the domestic airlines!

We are wondering what is left of New Orleans after their tragic hurricane. Is it still worth visiting on the return trip? Or is there a scenic route that would be better to take?

Off to do a test booking.... :huh:

After saying all those things about Amtrak, and how kewl the train travel is... TAHATI isn't a bad place to be either.

I haven't been to Tahiti, but I've sailed my own boat in the Caribbean, and that's the way to relax. I guess Tahiti doesn't have much need for Amtrak. :lol:

 

[AlanB]

Gulp! So much to take in, though we are slowly getting an itinerary sorted with your very welcome help. Have just added 4 days in Tahiti
Hopefully anyone else contemplating a similar trip will also benefit.

One thing I forgot to ask is re the meals on the segments where you aren't using the sleeper car.

Are they available to buy as in a restaurant? Ditto, breakfast and lunch?

You can always go to the cafe car for snack food, sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, and such. Even if you're in a sleeper you can go there, although you will have to pay for anything you buy, it's not included in the sleeper fare.

You can certainly get breakfast in the dining car by paying for it, they'll take cash or credit card. Lunch and dinner may be harder to get into the diner, depending on how many sleeping car passengers there are. Sleeping car passengers get dibs on reservations, and of course first choice on the prime seating times. So while you might be able to get dinner in the diner while in coach, you might end up with an 8:30 PM reservation.