Longest one zone

[Linda T]

Well, I finally booked my trip for the end of April from CIN to SAS (San Antonio, TX). I'm so excited to be taking the TE. I do have a question though. I asked Amtrak and got mixed answers to my question, so I'll throw it out to the experts on the forum. Let me see if I can explain this, it's complicated. :help:

I'm taking the Eagle to San Antonio and arriving at 9:55 pm, and then boarding the NB to depart back to CHI at 7 AM the next morning (not staying in SA), as I said it's all about being on the train. Now my question is this. I was told that passengers boarding for ELP can oftentimes board and sleep through the layover, but when I asked if I could board the NB Eagle, scheduled to pull in about the same time I was told no. They said it had something to do with my ticket wasn't till the next day so no early boarding. It also had to do with insurance.

So what's typical? Do I have to sleep in the station, or do they typically allow passengers to board several hours early? It just seems like if my train's gonna be there, and I have a roomette for the morning. I can't miss my train if I'm sleeping on it, Thoughts?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I'm taking the Eagle to San Antonio and arriving at 9:55 pm, and then boarding the NB to depart back to CHI at 7 AM the next morning (not staying in SA), as I said it's all about being on the train. Now my question is this. I was told that passengers boarding for ELP can oftentimes board and sleep through the layover, but when I asked if I could board the NB Eagle, scheduled to pull in about the same time I was told no. They said it had something to do with my ticket wasn't till the next day so no early boarding. It also had to do with insurance. So what's typical? Do I have to sleep in the station, or do they typically allow passengers to board several hours early? It just seems like if my train's gonna be there, and I have a roomette for the morning. I can't miss my train if I'm sleeping on it, Thoughts?

Under the normal scenario you will have to sleep in the station. The only way to avoid that is to ticket to Del Rio on the 421 (on those days when the 421 is active). Then you could stay on the train in SAS until 5:30AM or so. Just don't be late getting off or you'll end up stuck in Del Rio.

 

[Linda T]

Under the normal scenario you will have to sleep in the station. The only way to avoid that is to ticket to Del Rio on the 421 (on those days when the 421 is active). Then you could stay on the train in SAS until 5:30AM or so. Just don't be late getting off or you'll end up stuck in Del Rio.

Thanks! and Del Rio's no short trip either, it's not like I sleep through SA and just catch a taxi back. I get into San Antonio late on Tuesday and leave first thing Wednesday, so it looks like it would work to book to Del Rio. I just don't want to get a reputation of booking to a location and then not following through. I'd love to go all the way to ELP, which was my original goal, but it looks like to make the 421 and the 50 meet requires a one week stay, and that's just too long. I don't mind a one to two day layover, but Thursday to Thurdsay is just a tad too long. :lol: Also, I don't know if there'd be a problem with my traveling back to Chicago, while I'm also, according to my first ticket, "traveling to Del Rio." I think I'll keep it simple and sleep at the station. But thanks to everyone for their advice!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I get into San Antonio late on Tuesday and leave first thing Wednesday, so it looks like it would work to book to Del Rio. I just don't want to get a reputation of booking to a location and then not following through...I don't know if there'd be a problem with my traveling back to Chicago, while I'm also, according to my first ticket, "traveling to Del Rio."

I wouldn't worry about any of that if I were you. Amtrak has no problem with people who choose to disembark before their original destination and each of your tickets is essentially it's own individual trip for these purposes. It's still a good idea to let your attendant know your plans as a courtesy to them and as a courtesy to you they can wake you up and remind you to get off before the train leaves. The 421's sleeper attendant will usually change out in San Antonio. So, unless you make a point of telling everyone your plans, you probably won't really be making much of an impression on anyone who knows you didn't actually make it all the way to Del Rio.

 

[the_traveler]

Normally at SAS, if you are booked on 422 you can board early. However, if you are booked on 22, you must wait in the station until the normal boarding time. (IIRC - they do not pull 22 up to the platform until about 6:30 or so!)

If you do ride to Del Rio, the Conductor will wake you about 30 minutes before the stop!

 

[Texan Eagle]

I have done this TE to TE with overnight at SAS thing last September, and let me tell you- if you have a ticket terminating and originating in SAS, the staff will NOT allow you to board the train early. You will have to spend the night in the station, around town, or in one of the several hotels near the station. Doesn't matter if you are booked on 22 or 422. I had specifically booked on 422 part to see if they let me in early, but their answer was simple- NO! Wait until 6.30am to board!

When I was there for the overnight stay, I went out to the Riverwalk immediately after arrival in SAS, spent an hour or so there, then went to the Denny's near the station and spent another hour there, and by around 2am, walked back to the station and tried to catch some sleep inside the small waiting area. The waiting area is not great, but has comfortable chairs, is temperature controlled, has a vending machine and a big LCD television that will keep blaring out something all through the night. Not a great way to spend the night, but not terrible either.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

So far as I'm aware, if you want to stay late or board early in San Antonio you'll need a ticket to/from Del Rio or San Marcos as the case may be (Houston wouldn't help you as much). If your ticket originates or terminates in San Antonio you'll be de/boarding the train with everyone else. A sleeper ticket can get you early boarding, but not all night early. As Texas Eagle discovered, if you're a coach passenger you can forget about it. You'll be stuck in the station until it's time for Amtrak's coach class kindergarten line-up. I have no idea why Amtrak treats their coach passengers so differently from their sleeper passengers, or why they would force connecting passengers to wait in the station all night long, even after their outbound train has arrived or been cleaned.

 

[Traingeek]

One question about A one zone trip on multiple trains related to this. Would it be separate rewards when you go two different trains (Say the Cardinal and the Texas Eagle in the Opening post)? Meaning that it would actually be 30,000 points for a roomette between those two cities. Am I misunderstanding something in AGR rules on this? If so, Maybe I should take the train from BAL-SAN instead of flying (Crescent and Texas Eagle) for an amazing experience.

 

[RRrich]

We went from STL - NOL via the TE or LS andCNO. Two trains but one AGR award

 

[jb64]

number of trains doesn't matter, only number of zones crossed

 

[Linda T]

Thanks again to everyone. No problem. I'll just attach my sleeping bag to my pack and camp out at the station. And a walk down to the river would probably help digest all that good Amtrak food, too. :giggle: I just saw where for four week performance she's averaging about 30 minutes late, not bad compared to traveling last year!