Multi-City train journey ~ checked baggage question

[user 6862]

It's that time again, we are arriving in New York City from London on September 10 and after visiting a friend will make a continuous 3 train and 1 bus journey booked by using the Amtrak Multi-City option.

We'll leave Syracuse, NY > Chicago > Portland, OR > Emeryville > the San Francisco Temp Transbay Terminal. Apart for a few hours between trains at CHI and PDX we will not be making any layovers, so a continuous journey.

When we check our one large piece of baggage at SYR will that go through to either EMY or SFC without us needing to claim it? (About 18 months ago we arrived on the CZ into EMY and from memory I think we had to claim our checked baggage there before continuing by bus to the old SF terminal on The Embarcadero?).

I'm not sure about through checked baggage as I don't know if Amtrak takes a trip booked through Multi-City as a single journey or just a series of connected ones.

This years version of our USA journey will end up at just under or over 10,000 miles in the US, that's trains, buses and rental car, all in 5 weeks. It's a high average mileage week after week but we will be stopping in 4 places for 2 or 3 days each and quite a bit of time will be riding trains, have to say though we expect to be fairly tired by the time we get to the end of week 4 so are taking 3 days sitting right on the beach at Cocoa Beach before heading for first Chesapeake and then back to NYC by train.

Thanks for any help on through baggage.

 

[BCL]

You can theoretically request your baggage be sent anywhere along your route. Also, your baggage doesn't necessarily go on the same trains that you'll be riding. With your routing, there's a chance that they may send it on the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville, where they will get to your destination early.

Just ask for your baggage to be sent to SFC. If they say no, then EMY and you can pick it up there to transfer to your bus.

The "Temporary Transbay Terminal" really means the San Francisco Greyhound bus depot. It's on the same city block that's being used by AC transit for transbay bus routes.

 

[user 6862]

Thanks BCL.

We travelled on 4 separate long distance train journeys last year and on arrival are familiar with usually seeing a cart somewhere in the station with our baggage on, but if Amtrak decide to send our baggage on a different train(s) to arrive at EMY say before us, then the cart being loaded with baggage for people leaving the Coast Starlight which this year we arrive at EMY on wont be where we look for our baggage. Will it be obvious where we collect our checked baggage from as there is only a short window between the CS arriving and the bus leaving for SFC?

Is it a reliable service to have baggage forwarded through 3 separate train journeys, is it usually at the destination in time or can it sometimes get delayed? We are only in SF for a day and a half before moving on.

By coincidence, when we arrived at The Embarcadero February 2015 it was closing a day or two later, when we continued our journey and left SF 5 days later we left via the new Temp Transbay Terminal so experienced both terminals in the same trip.

ps: If the through baggage is unreliable then is it possible to retrieve checked baggage at the end of each train journey and then immediately re-check to the next destination?

 

[BCL]

Certainly I'm familiar with the Coast Starlight in Emeryville and waited for my baggage to be offloaded and brought to the front where the buses were waiting to take baggage destined for SFC. This is probably the way that most stations handle baggage, as typically the baggage is along for the same ride as the passenger.

If it gets there before you, it should be stored in the back baggage room once it goes unclaimed. They're strict about matching claim checks so there little issue with your baggage being taken. At at EMY or SFC there is no separate baggage counter. The ticket counter would be where to claim stored baggage.

Different stations have different procedures. Some larger stations have separate baggage areas such as New York Penn Station or Los Angeles Union Station. I believe all baggage at NYP has to be claimed at the baggage counter; I've only used it for short term storage. LA Union Station and Chicago Union Station have airport style baggage carousels. Seattle does too, but I believe that's only for pick up. I checked in my baggage at the ticket counter.

How much time do you have in Portland? If you have sleepers, you have access to the Metropolitan Lounge. If not, do you need a pass?

 

[user 6862]

Excellent information BCL, very kind of you.

Arrive Portland, OR on the EB on Saturday 17 September at 10:10 am and leave same day on the CS at 2:25 pm so 4 hours. We are in sleeper on both trains so guess we have access to the lounge at Portland. Understand there is a large unique market on Saturdays so will leave bags in the lounge and take a look at that.

I guess the remote possibility of bags going astray is always there if they are not on the train you travel on and the fact that we are moving on fairly rapidly means it would be difficult for them to catch us up (the next Amtrak train we take after arriving at EMY is Winter Park, FL so a bit of a coast to coast gap for Amtrak to bridge. Just reading what I have just written I think that re-checking baggage at every train change will the best/safest option unless someone can tell me otherwise.

Thank you again BCL

 

[BCL]

OK, I had a look at the schedules, and from Chicago the Empire Builder (#27) leaves at 2:15 PM, while the California Zephyr (#5) leaves at 2:00 PM. There should also be about a 4 hour layover with the Lakeshore Limited. Maybe someone else can comment, but I remember my baggage tag only had the destination station code and no specific routing. I don't remember anything like an airline flight number on the tag. Once it gets to the baggage room for transfer, Amtrak's goal is to get it to the destination, and that's the only information they have on hand. From the Lakeshore Limited, I'm guessing they'll pile everything with an EMY, SAC, or SFC tag onto the California Zephyr.

I don't think there's any guarantee that your baggage will be on the same train. There are some interesting routes. I looked up Syracuse to Portland, and one route includes the California Zephyr with a transfer to the northbound Coast Starlight in Sacramento. In that case I would think baggage would probably be sent on the Empire Builder ahead of the passenger taking the slower route.

 

[user 6862]

Think we'll stick with checking bags for each train as if there's a slip up we'll not get our large bag (sent to Winter Park?) until the end of week 4, just in time for our return to London!

I tried various ways to buy a single ticket journey from SYR to EMY via PDX but failed until a forum member suggested using the Multi-City method which worked well including a problem getting from EMY to SFC which had to be booked as the 4th leg of the journey.

 

[the_traveler]

The only problem with claiming and rechecking your bags at each station is what if one train is very late, and they hold the next train for connecting passengers - and they tell you to go right to your next train. (Example - the LSL gets to CHI at 3:45, and say to go right to the EB and it departs late at 4:05. Your bags will be sitting in CHI, and you'll be in SF.)

I would either check them thru, or carry them on to each train. There is storage room aboard.

 

[user 6862]

Looks like damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Thanks tt

 

[BCL]

You're overthinking this. Claiming your baggage at each stop is just going to take more time and create hassles if your train is delayed, because then you may not have the time to check in. They will have an absolute priority on getting baggage to connecting trains.

I'm pretty sure you can have your baggage sent all the way to SFC. You will have to get in line, but it's pretty painless. The chances of your stuff getting lost aren't any better or worse by letting Amtrak handle all the connections. They're pretty good about segregating baggage by destination and making sure they get to the right place. And if there's a mistake, just placing a tag for the end of each train doesn't really help.

In a way I'd think having your baggage on the California Zephyr might reduce the chances of misdirection. It's the end of the line, so it's not like the Coast Starlight with a possibility that it doesn't get pulled out in the middle of the route.

About all I can think is that the California Zephyr does hit a higher elevation. If you have something that's sensitive to high elevation like a sealed bag, it might blow. I had a bag of snack food explode at high altitude.

 

[user 6862]

You're probably right BCL, maybe it's overthinking an everyday situation. I guess I was hoping that someone else had taken a series of directly connecting trains and had no problems at all with through checked bags.

Trying to work out what Brexit will mean to Europe and us in particular would be overthinking with zero factual information, so for that little problem just bemused...

Thanks

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Best not to worry about this. I would not check baggage per individual train but would and have checked my connecting train baggage all the way to my end destination. Never have lost any checked bag. The type ticket "multi-city" or individual will not affect your ability to check bag all the way through to your final destination. I have frequently in recent years traveled on connecting trains from New Orleans to both Seattle and Emeryville. Checked bag always made it with me. The only time I had any delay in receiving my checked bag was this June when I traveled from Albany, NY, to New Orleans on the LSL and CONO through Chicago. My checked bag was not sent on my trains but through New York and arrived in New Orleans on the Cresent four hours later than I arrived on the CONO. I really appreciated that the New Orleans Amtrak personnel made effort to find my bag calling both Chicago and Albany and after the bag arrived sent it direct to me at my hotel. I hold the Albany station responsible for this mix up. I was really unimpressed with the Amtrak employees and my own interactions with them when checking my bag 6 hours before my actual train time on the LSL. Personally I would not check my bag again at the Albany station.

 

[2sk21]

I have a related question - my itinerary next month is New York Penn to Washington by NE Regional, Washington to Chicago by Capitol Limited and Empire Builder to Seattle. This is one continuous journey on one ticket.

The problem is that there is no checked baggage on the Northeast Regional. So will we have to lug our bags to Washington on the regional and check it in there or will we be able to check our bags directly all the way to Seattle? The Amtrak agent on the phone seemed to suggest that I would have to check my bags in at Washington. We could certainly do that but I'd rather like traveling a little lighter.

 

[the_traveler]

Yes. The checked baggage will be put on the LSL - which does offer checked baggage - between NYP and CHI. It will then be transferred to the EB for you. Because the LSL departs later from NYP than your Regional, the luggage will be on the same EB as you.

Alternatively, you could hand carry your bags on the Regional and check them in at WAS, but there is no real advantage to that. Either way, they'll be on the same EB as you.

 

[user 6862]

Thank you Tennessee Traveler, we'll take your and others advice on checking our bags at the start of our rail journey all the way through to San Francisco. We are familiar with baggage collecting at EMY, near the end by the buses, but as mentioned our bags may arrive a day or so earlier than us so we may have to look at the ticket counter for information as to where they are.

From memory there was about 20 minutes between arriving and the bus leaving which is plenty of time usually, but if someone has to look around for our bags and we miss the bus, will they put us on the next one to SFC?

 

[me_little_me]

You're probably right BCL, maybe it's overthinking an everyday situation. I guess I was hoping that someone else had taken a series of directly connecting trains and had no problems at all with through checked bags.

Trying to work out what Brexit will mean to Europe and us in particular would be overthinking with zero factual information, so for that little problem just bemused...

Thanks

While I didn't take your trains, we took ABQ->CHI on the Southwest Chief then the Capitol Limited to WAS then the Crescent to Greenville, SC. Our bags got off the train with us. Having checked bags many times, I would not hesitate to do it again. In fact, we are taking the same 3 trains in the same direction to/from the same cities in September. My bags will be checked from ABQ to Greenville..

 

[2sk21]

Ok I'm sold I'll definitely pack my bags all they way through to my destination.

 

[BCL]

You're probably right BCL, maybe it's overthinking an everyday situation. I guess I was hoping that someone else had taken a series of directly connecting trains and had no problems at all with through checked bags.

Trying to work out what Brexit will mean to Europe and us in particular would be overthinking with zero factual information, so for that little problem just bemused...

Thanks

While I didn't take your trains, we took ABQ->CHI on the Southwest Chief then the Capitol Limited to WAS then the Crescent to Greenville, SC. Our bags got off the train with us. Having checked bags many times, I would not hesitate to do it again. In fact, we are taking the same 3 trains in the same direction to/from the same cities in September. My bags will be checked from ABQ to Greenville..

However, did your bags take the most direct way to your destination? Certainly for the OP's chosen route, it's not the most direct way.

I haven't done it myself, but some have said that if a bag is checked-in early (like the day before) it may leave that day and be routed through whatever the most direct route would be. However, it helps that Amtrak matches baggage tags to claim checks. It's been years since I've had any airline luggage get matched to my claim check.

 

[CCC1007]

You're probably right BCL, maybe it's overthinking an everyday situation. I guess I was hoping that someone else had taken a series of directly connecting trains and had no problems at all with through checked bags.

Trying to work out what Brexit will mean to Europe and us in particular would be overthinking with zero factual information, so for that little problem just bemused...

Thanks

While I didn't take your trains, we took ABQ->CHI on the Southwest Chief then the Capitol Limited to WAS then the Crescent to Greenville, SC. Our bags got off the train with us. Having checked bags many times, I would not hesitate to do it again. In fact, we are taking the same 3 trains in the same direction to/from the same cities in September. My bags will be checked from ABQ to Greenville..

However, did your bags take the most direct way to your destination? Certainly for the OP's chosen route, it's not the most direct way.

I haven't done it myself, but some have said that if a bag is checked-in early (like the day before) it may leave that day and be routed through whatever the most direct route would be. However, it helps that Amtrak matches baggage tags to claim checks. It's been years since I've had any airline luggage get matched to my claim check.

there was a person earlier this summer that requested to have her bag verified to be in the baggage car on 7, she was going as far as Santa Barbra, and had given it over to Amtrak in Albany NY, so her bag wasn't on the train in WFH, it likely went via 3 through LAX and onto either the starlight or a Surfliner, arriving about 36 hours before she would.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

ALBANY, NY - As I stated in my earlier comment, I would not check a bag here again. They do arbitrarily send bags any old way even when(as in my case, they specifically stated the routing and connection point as Chicago). They sent my bag through NYC Penn on a Regional and then a day later on the Cresent.

 

[zephyr17]

I checked a bag from NYP to SEA in March. I was going NYP-WAS-CHI-LAX-SEA (last hurrah for a 3 zone AGR award) and the bag did not follow me. I did not expect it to, I expected it went NYP-CHI-SEA via 49 and 7, and it did. I asked at the baggage room when I got in. The only "problem" (which really was not one) was that they asked me to wait until they got all the bags from the Starlight on the belt first. After that, I knocked on the door, and they came and got it for me, having held it since it arrived the morning before.

 

[user 6862]

All good information, thank you again AU.

In the last couple of years I've asked a lot of questions as never been a dedicated rail fan and have a lot to learn, we're more interested in travel in any form just for the sake of seeing what's around the next corner. But have to write that the generous responses from this forum have been superb, they have completely enhanced and added to our Amtrak experience in a big positive way, in particular the small detail which has opened the door to greater things.

I'm sure there are plenty more questions to come but just big thank you to AU

 

[BCL]

While technology seems to allow for tracking and specific routing of baggage and packages going around the world on airlines and delivery services, Amtrak still does it the old fashioned way. While others use bar codes, RFID, cameras, scanners, etc. to figure out an item's last known location, Amtrak has employees look at the destination on a tag and figure out where to put it in the baggage room, when to send it out on a train, how to segregate it with baggage destined for the same location, and where/when to take it off a train.

Certainly there is a pick-up procedure to be followed when your baggage arrives on the same train as the passenger. However, that procedure goes away if your baggage arrives before you do or if it somehow your baggage takes the "scenic route" (or about as scenic as possible in a baggage car without windows).