I'm visiting relatives north of Chicago on Sunday. I will be flying into Midway (arrive 9:00AM) and taking the Orange Line to downtown. My relatives live up near the Wisconsin border, so I can take Amtrak Hiawatha to Sturtevant ($24) or I could take Metra UP-N to Waukegan ($7.50).
I have a $400 voucher from a cancelled ticket that I could "refresh" by using it to purchase the Amtrak ticket, and it's "Double Days", so I'm leaning toward Amtrak. Also, SVT is a bit easier for them to get to than Waukegan.
The question I have is how boarding works for the Hiawatha in Chicago. I have taken it from SVT to CHI but never the other way around. And any other Amtrak travel I've done from CHI has been LD-Sleeper so I was boarding from the lounge. Do I just buy my ticket at the ticket counter and then go wait in that coach lounge? I've heard horror stories about the boarding from CHI, but on a Sunday morning should it be something to worry about?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Steve
(And I'll be back at CUS in two weeks for my big western LD trip -- can hardly wait!)
I have a $400 voucher from a cancelled ticket that I could "refresh" by using it to purchase the Amtrak ticket, and it's "Double Days", so I'm leaning toward Amtrak. Also, SVT is a bit easier for them to get to than Waukegan.
The question I have is how boarding works for the Hiawatha in Chicago. I have taken it from SVT to CHI but never the other way around. And any other Amtrak travel I've done from CHI has been LD-Sleeper so I was boarding from the lounge. Do I just buy my ticket at the ticket counter and then go wait in that coach lounge? I've heard horror stories about the boarding from CHI, but on a Sunday morning should it be something to worry about?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Steve
(And I'll be back at CUS in two weeks for my big western LD trip -- can hardly wait!)