Need Cross-Country Advice!

[KmH]

One can also disembarc in Oakland, walk or Lyft the 1/2 mile or so to the San Francisco Bay Ferry landing and get to SF that way.

That's what I plan to do in March.

Except in winter, the California Zephyr in the last sleeper car at the end of the train has always had Bedroom A at the tail end of the car, which is where the railfan window that looks out the back of the train is.

With the winter consist the CZ has coach cars at the end of the consist.

The South West Chief & Coast Starlight have coach cars at the end of the consist all the time.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

It's my understanding there are only 6 CZ train sets.

Chicago day 1 - Train set A departs.

Chicago day 2 - Train set B departs.

Chicago day 3 - Train set C departs. Train set A reaches Emeryville. Gets serviced/maintained/restocked to start return to CHI morning of Day 4 - arrive CHI day 6

Chicago day 4 - Train set D departs. Train set B reaches Emeryville. Gets serviced/maintained/restocked to start return to CHI morning of Day 5 - arrive CHI day 7

Chicago day 5 - Train set E departs. Train set C reaches Emeryville. Gets serviced/maintained/restocked to start return to CHI morning of Day 6 - arrive CHI day 8

Chicago day 6 - Train set F departs. Train set D reaches Emeryville. Gets serviced/maintained/restocked to start return to CHI morning of Day 6 - arrive CHI day 9.

Rinse and repeat.

Day 7 serviced/maintained/restocked overnight train set A again departs CHI for EMY. Start return to CHI morning of Day 10 - arrive CHI day 12.

If set A was significantly late returning to CHI it may be late departing for EMY the next day.

Day 8 train set B again departs CHI.

Day 9 train set C again departs CHI.

Yada, yada, yada.

Very repetitive and I was worn out reading this by day. Best way for me to understand is to simply say CZ train set 1 or A that departs Chicago Monday arrives Wednesday in Emeryville, is serviced and depart Emeryville Thursday. That Train 1 arrives back in Chicago on Saturday, is serviced and departs Chicago on Sunday or Day 7. So a CZ equipment takes six days to make a complete round trip and begins the next RT departing on day 7. So, yes, there are six equipment sets required for the CZ, SWC, and EB all being two overnight trips.

 

[KleShreen]

Well. Guess I'm not changing. I called and they said I would need to pay an extra 730 dollars to go from bedroom E to bedroom A. Lol. What a joke.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Well. Guess I'm not changing. I called and they said I would need to pay an extra 730 dollars to go from bedroom E to bedroom A. Lol. What a joke.

Call back and say you want to MODIFY your reservation. If the agent does not know how to do that without the price hike, as for a supervisor.

 

[KleShreen]

Well. Guess I'm not changing. I called and they said I would need to pay an extra 730 dollars to go from bedroom E to bedroom A. Lol. What a joke.

Call back and say you want to MODIFY your reservation. If the agent does not know how to do that without the price hike, as for a supervisor.

Will do! I'm guessing the agent took the price for bedroom A and was adding it to the price for bedroom E, rather than taking E off. Would make no sense that bedroom E would cost 930 dollars in fare and that bedroom A would cost 1662 dollars.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Well. Guess I'm not changing. I called and they said I would need to pay an extra 730 dollars to go from bedroom E to bedroom A. Lol. What a joke.

Call back and say you want to MODIFY your reservation. If the agent does not know how to do that without the price hike, as for a supervisor.

Will do! I'm guessing the agent took the price for bedroom A and was adding it to the price for bedroom E, rather than taking E off. Would make no sense that bedroom E would cost 930 dollars in fare and that bedroom A would cost 1662 dollars.

More likely that bedrooms went up in price since the time you originally booked.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You're already in the Best Superliner Bedroom,E, why would you want to change to an inferior Room,A??????

 

[KleShreen]

Well. Guess I'm not changing. I called and they said I would need to pay an extra 730 dollars to go from bedroom E to bedroom A. Lol. What a joke.

Call back and say you want to MODIFY your reservation. If the agent does not know how to do that without the price hike, as for a supervisor.

Will do! I'm guessing the agent took the price for bedroom A and was adding it to the price for bedroom E, rather than taking E off. Would make no sense that bedroom E would cost 930 dollars in fare and that bedroom A would cost 1662 dollars.

More likely that bedrooms went up in price since the time you originally booked.

By nearly double, though?

 

[KleShreen]

You're already in the Best Superliner Bedroom,E, why would you want to change to an inferior Room,A??????

I feel fortunate that most don't like Bedroom A. I always book Bedroom A, although it's for solo travel, so the slight space reduction is not an issue.

Also, I don't use the "torture" chair for anything except storage.

I was led to Bedroom A by the very concerns that the OP expressed. I always found the sliding doors between the other bedrooms flimsy, they rattled as we rolled, and conversations and telephone calls were clearly audible to me.

I once had to politely knock on the door of the adjoining bedroom and tell the person I could hear all of her phone calls; could she please keep it down.

Then there was the group of frat boys who rented a Bedroom to drink and play cards on the LSL from NYC to Buffalo. Noisy.

Still, of the four other bedrooms, E is the best because as others said you are adjoining only one other room and not two, and it's over the center of the car.

I'm so torn on what to do. I'm thinking of seeing if I can switch from Bedroom E to Bedroom A. I think I would prefer the quietness and privacy over the extra 2 feet of space. I would regret it so much if I stay in Bedroom E and we end up with noisy neighbors.

Pros for Bedroom E: Near center of car, so smoother ride. Not by between-cars door. Bigger than Bedroom A.

Cons for Bedroom E: Shared wall with Bedroom D where it appears many noises can be heard, including conversation from neighbors and rattling of partition door. Allegedly louder in the mornings as people congregate near the coffee.

Pros for Bedroom A: Privacy, privacy, privacy. Privacy. Quieter. Privacy.

Cons for Bedroom A: Tight bathroom opening, no floor space next to chair, potentially some noise from between-cars door in the hall.

I think I might go with Bedroom A. Haha.

 

[zephyr17]

Well. Guess I'm not changing. I called and they said I would need to pay an extra 730 dollars to go from bedroom E to bedroom A. Lol. What a joke.

Call back and say you want to MODIFY your reservation. If the agent does not know how to do that without the price hike, as for a supervisor.

Will do! I'm guessing the agent took the price for bedroom A and was adding it to the price for bedroom E, rather than taking E off. Would make no sense that bedroom E would cost 930 dollars in fare and that bedroom A would cost 1662 dollars.

More likely that bedrooms went up in price since the time you originally booked.

By nearly double, though?

Yes, there is a huge price difference between low and high buckets. Bedrooms are not individually priced. Bedroom A is in the same inventory as Bedroom E.

 

[KleShreen]

Well. Guess I'm not changing. I called and they said I would need to pay an extra 730 dollars to go from bedroom E to bedroom A. Lol. What a joke.

Call back and say you want to MODIFY your reservation. If the agent does not know how to do that without the price hike, as for a supervisor.

Will do! I'm guessing the agent took the price for bedroom A and was adding it to the price for bedroom E, rather than taking E off. Would make no sense that bedroom E would cost 930 dollars in fare and that bedroom A would cost 1662 dollars.

More likely that bedrooms went up in price since the time you originally booked.

By nearly double, though?

Yes, there is a huge price difference between low and high buckets. Bedrooms are not individually priced. Bedroom A is in the same inventory as Bedroom E.

Kind of too late to learn at this point, but can you explain low and high buckets? I keep seeing people mention buckets and pricing when I search stuff, but haven't really seen anything break down what it means exactly.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

You're already in the Best Superliner Bedroom,E, why would you want to change to an inferior Room,A??????

I definitely agree with Bob! Bedroom E is in the center of the car so a much quieter ride than over the trucks in Bedroom A.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

It's not unusual at all for Bedroom or Roomette price to jump that much. A year ago I booked an EB Bedroom at low bucket price. After that one sale the EB Bedroom price jumped to the high bucket. I don't remember exact price but total low bucket I got(coach, accommodation, and senior discount) was around $500. The next bedroom price available was high bucket or over $1500. The specific bedroom or roomette does not determine the price. Instead the bucket price in effect is the price charged.

As to "modifying" the reservation, for me that has proven to be an almost impossible task. I've never been successful. Those who do succeed must have some very good debate skills convincing the customer service agent to get a "supervisor" to teach them how to do it.

 

[KmH]

Amtrak pricing is dynamic and tied to demand. Also known as surge pricing, demand pricing.

The airlines, Uber, Lyft, and others also use dynamic pricing.

As there are fewer seats/sleepers available the price usually goes up.

For sleepers there seem to be 4 bucket levels of price.

 

[KleShreen]

Amtrak pricing is dynamic and tied to demand. Also known as surge pricing, demand pricing.

The airlines, Uber, Lyft, and others also use dynamic pricing.

As there are fewer seats/sleepers available the price usually goes up.

For sleepers there seem to be 4 bucket levels of price.

So from what I'm gathering...it seems like I probably got the first bedroom on the train, and that triggered the price of the rest of the rooms to go up in price for anyone else who chooses one. So when I called the first time, they probably got that pricing because my reservation for the first bedroom was being taken in to account rather than realizing that my reservation would just move.

Anyway, I called again today and they changed me to bedroom A with no issues. I'm excited to trade a couple feet of space between the chair and bathroom for solid walls and no partition doors =)

 

[Rail Freak]

You should be perfectly content in BR- A, I would be!!!

 

[KmH]

Solid, but thin walls.

But only one wall between you and the one, nextdoor bedroom.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Solid, but thin walls.

But only one wall between you and the one, nextdoor bedroom.

Just like the Best Bedroom,E!!

 

[guest]

If I were honeymooning, I'd probably prefer bedroom A, too, although I've personally not had specific problems with the other bedrooms and there's not going to be a huge difference for most people. The walls are pretty thin in all of them, but at least A's are all solid. I'm getting old and I've never found the ends of the cars to be objectionably bumpy.

I don't recall whether you said either of you have traveled overnight trains before, but any of the bedrooms are going to look very small--because they are. If your bride is not familiar with them, she may be like "Huh?!" when you board. There are lots of youtube videos out there to preview. It will be a unique, memorable setting for sure. That said, I love traveling by Amtrak although the experience varies tremendously depending on a number of unpredictable factors. A laid back attitude is a must especially for such a special occasion as yours. Other than for scenery, begin with low expectations that everything will be exactly as it should be.

The Zephyr has a beautiful route especially west of Denver.

Congrats, best wishes for a blessed marriage, and enjoy the ride.

 

[KleShreen]

If I were honeymooning, I'd probably prefer bedroom A, too, although I've personally not had specific problems with the other bedrooms and there's not going to be a huge difference for most people. The walls are pretty thin in all of them, but at least A's are all solid. I'm getting old and I've never found the ends of the cars to be objectionably bumpy.

I don't recall whether you said either of you have traveled overnight trains before, but any of the bedrooms are going to look very small--because they are. If your bride is not familiar with them, she may be like "Huh?!" when you board. There are lots of youtube videos out there to preview. It will be a unique, memorable setting for sure. That said, I love traveling by Amtrak although the experience varies tremendously depending on a number of unpredictable factors. A laid back attitude is a must especially for such a special occasion as yours. Other than for scenery, begin with low expectations that everything will be exactly as it should be.

The Zephyr has a beautiful route especially west of Denver.

Congrats, best wishes for a blessed marriage, and enjoy the ride.

I have only ever been on a train once - between Toronto and Quebec City back in middle school. No overnights! We did a lot of research before booking this, so I'm hoping we'll be ready! =)

 

[KleShreen]

Hey all - Finally got around to measuring the size of my luggage bag. I know the Amtrak dimensions say 28 x 22 x 14. Mine is 30 x 20 x 10, and the 30 is with wheels. 28 not counting the wheels. So total size wise, mine is smaller than the maximum. Do you think it would be ok?

 

[zephyr17]

You are fine. No one on Amtrak will give it a second glance.