Newbie here (with some train history) about to embark on my first cros

[thaskett]

Hello! I've been lurking at this forum for awhile (and enjoying people's travelogues) and finally decided to jump in and start participating.

(The title is supposed to say "cross-country venture" but apparently got cut off. )

I fell in love with train travel the first time I rode Amtrak, back in 1990 when I was 11 years old. I don't have much "train history" YET, but my trips include:

-Coast Starlight (1990) from Tacoma, WA to Los Angeles, CA

-Coast Starlight (1992) from Tacoma to L.A.

-Coast Starlight (1995) again from Tacoma to L.A. All of these were family trips to Disneyland, and we rode coach all three times. We also rode a smaller train from L.A. to Anaheim, but I can't remember the name... :unsure:

-Coast Starlight (2003) from Olympia, WA to Oakland, then another CS from Oakland to L.A... a trip I took with my sister. No Disneyland this time, but still coach seating...

-Cascades (2007) from Olympia to Eugene, OR.

-California Zephyr (2008) from Salt Lake City to Sacramento, then the CS again, from Sacramento to Olympia. This was part of a trip I took with my then-fiancee (we got married this past April!) and again, we sat in coach, though I finally ate in the dining car for the first time!

Plus some train trips in Europe -- from Amsterdam to North Holland (Leeuwarden) from Bergen to Oslo, Norway and from Oslo to Stockholm, Sweden. Part of my European honeymoon back in May! Those European trains were lovely in their own way but I will always have a soft spot for Amtrak.

---

So on to the second part of my (very long!) post. I'm finally going on a cross-country trip, in just a few weeks!! This is something I've wanted to do forever, and especially since our trip on the CZ/CS last year. I would have done it sooner, but I've had a crazy (though in many ways wonderful!) year. I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer last December, which was quite a shock, but I've made up for it by having a great 2009, including getting married and traveling first to Disney World, then to Europe.

But now it's finally time for my cross-country adventure! Here's what it looks like:

8/30 - Ride down to Portland with my in-laws and husband. Unfortunately, my husband can't come along on this trip. I'll spend the night in PDX with some family friends.

8/31 - 9/2 - Ride the Empire Builder from Portland to Milwaukee!! I'm sitting in "lower level" coach seats. I REALLY wanted a roommette for this, as it's the longest "train" portion of my trip, but it was something like $700 :blink: and I didn't learn about AGR in time! I know I'll still love the trip, though.

9/2 - 9/5 - Stay with a friend in Milwaukee

9/5 - Ride "Megabus" (?) from Milwaukee to Chicago, then from Chicago to Indianapolis. Stay overnight in Indy.

9/6 - 9/7 - Ride "Megabus" BACK to Chicago, then hop on a Capitol Limited to Washington, DC. Again, lower level coach seats.

9/7 - 9/9 - Stay with a friend in D.C.

9/9 - 9/13 - Ride that "Megabus" to New York City (my favorite city!!) where I'll be staying with a friend. I have a side trip to Providence, RI planned on 9/11. I'll ride the Northeast Regional there and some "Peter Pan" bus back.

9-13 - 9/14 - Ride the Silver Star from NYC to Orlando. I was able to "splurge" on one roomette, and this was the most affordable I can find, so this will be my first roommette experience!

9/14 - 9/16 - Stay in Orlando, probably at a motel, this is one part of my trip I still need to work out...

9/16 - 9/17 - Ride Silver Star back up from Orlando to Raleigh, NC (just a regular coach seat) then ride the Carolinian from Raleigh to Charlotte.

9/17-9/19 - Staying with family friend in Charlotte.

9/19 - 9/22 - Fly from Charlotte to Montgomery, AL -- stay overnight on the 19th with a friend there. Then, on 9/20 will fly from Montgomery to St. Louis, meet my friend, and the two of us will ride to Springfield in his car, where I'll stay with my family for a couple of nights.

9/22 - Ride Greyhound (!) from Springfield, MO to Tulsa, OK. Stay overnight in Tulsa.

9/23 - 9/24 - Fly again, from Tulsa to Albuquerque, NM. Then ride Southwest Chief (lower level coach) from Albuquerque to L.A.

9/24 - 9/26 - Stay with my friend in L.A., then fly home on the 26th.

So quite a trip!! I would have loved to ride my old friend the Coast Starlight home, but have a monthly infusion, and need to be home before 9/27!

Sorry for the very long-winded post! I am so excited about this trip... I'll be in 32 states altogether (a couple of those are airport layovers, but they count I guess :lol: ) and 19 of them will be new to me! After September, my "state count" will jump from 19 to 38.

(Idaho will be a bit of a stretch, since we're scheduled to ride through Sand Point at like 2 in the morning, but I am a night owl, so maybe I'll be awake and able to step off the train long enough to step on its grounds?)

Thanks for reading!

-Tamara

 

[MrEd]

Wow, that is an impressive trip. Hope you have a great time.

 

[pennyk]

Your trip sounds very exciting. I am hoping to make a cross country trip from Florida in 2010. This fall, I might be traveling on the Silver Star to WAS from ORL. In the past, I have always taken the Silver Meteor. I am looking forward to a little different scenery.

I am really looking forward to reading about your trip after it is complete.

I hope your health condition improves and you have a complete recovery.

 

[Shanghai]

What a great trip. I hope you enjoy every leg of the trip.

Be certain to take notes as you go so you can write a trip report for all of us to read and enjoy.

 

[wayman]

Wow!!!

Since you had a question mark after MegaBus, and since they don't exist out where you live, I thought I'd offer a brief description. The buses are nice, clean "tour coach" type buses, not your typical Greyhound. On the east coast the buses are double-deckers, but I don't know about the buses they use in the Midwest. On the east coast they have a great on-time-performance record, too. One or two stops to pick up passengers at the origin, then one or two stops to drop off passengers at the destination, with no stops in the middle. (Well, except that from Washington to New York you either have a stop in Philadelphia or you may even change buses there, I'm not sure. I live in Philadelphia, so I only take the bus from here to New York and back.) You'll find these a huge step up from Greyhound and Peter Pan (which is basically the same as Greyhound).

I lived in Groningen, Netherlands, for a while, and took the train to Leeuwarden once. I wonder if we're the only two people on this message board who've been to that city?

If you prefer trains to buses, you might consider taking Amtrak's Hiawatha from Milwaukee to Chicago--it runs five trips each day, and it's not an expensive train. And of course, there are a gajillion trains from Washington to New York City, but there the bus is certainly cheaper if that's your consideration.

 

[Palmland]

It sounds like a great adventure. Did you consider Amtrak's USA Rail Pass? It sounds like it might save you money and lets you avoid many of the bus rides. Have fun!

 

[Bob Dylan]

It sounds like a great adventure. Did you consider Amtrak's USA Rail Pass? It sounds like it might save you money and lets you avoid many of the bus rides. Have fun!

Welcome to the forum!Have you considered trying the Cardinal from IND to WAS instead of the MegaBus

back to CHI and the CL?The railpass idea is a great idea for future reference, if you havent printed your tickets

you might check into it!Also good luck with the medical treatment,my late wife passed from breast cancer,

fought it for 5 yrs. and theyve come a long way today!Sounds like 2009 Is a good year for you,have a blast

and get into AGR and the AGR MC so you can take future trips like the Traveler! :lol:

 

[ruudkeulers]

I lived in Groningen, Netherlands, for a while, and took the train to Leeuwarden once. I wonder if we're the only two people on this message board who've been to that city?

No you're not

 

[thaskett]

Thanks for the replies and kind words! I'm still learning about AGR but I've started working on it (I just applied for the card) and look forward to taking advantage of it on (hopefully the near) future trips!

wayman, thanks for letting me know more about Megabus, and also thanks for the advice about the Hiawatha. I'll look into it! I would love to do trains the whole way, but decided to try buses for some of the non-overnight trips (for financial reasons). I may go ahead and splurge on some "upgrades" at the last minute, though -- still deciding on that (I haven't printed my tickets yet so I think I still have time!)

Did you enjoy living in the Netherlands? I thought all of the European countries that I visited were wonderful -- I'm particularly drawn to Norway, but the Netherlands was a close second. It was the first stop on our honeymoon, and my husband and I were both very fond of Amsterdam and Leeuwarden/Friesland.

jimhudson, somehow I overlooked the Cardinal and certainly will look into that -- it definitely sounds easier than going back and forth between Indy and Chicago! I'm not sure what I was thinking when I was doing some of my booking, specifically that part ... let's just say I was eager to get the whole trip booked. :lol:

Regarding the Rail Pass, I did look into this when I first started booking, but also am not sure how it works. I could be mistaken here (that trip-booking eagerness again!) but when I read about it, from what I understood, it didn't guarantee me a seat (?) so that's why I didn't pursue it. I would love to learn more, though... at this point, I'm not sure I'd use it for this particular trip, but surely in the future!

Finally, I have a question about the Empire Builder ... I booked a trip on one that goes straight from Portland to Milwaukee, but I saw there was another option where I could switch trains in Spokane. If I did this, I could get a roommette on the second train for slightly less money. However, there's only an hour layover in Spokane, and my main concern is that there'd be a delay and I'd miss the second train. Can anyone familiar with the EB tell me if this might in fact be a problem? I'll probably just stick with the train I've already booked, but would still be curious if delays on the EB are an issue.

(And one more question -- the roommette would still be pretty pricy if I did this, but if I downgraded my Silver Star ride to coach, I could possibly put that money toward an EB roommette -- do any of you train experts have any thoughts on this?)

Thanks much!

 

[jackal]

Regarding the Rail Pass, I did look into this when I first started booking, but also am not sure how it works. I could be mistaken here (that trip-booking eagerness again!) but when I read about it, from what I understood, it didn't guarantee me a seat (?) so that's why I didn't pursue it. I would love to learn more, though... at this point, I'm not sure I'd use it for this particular trip, but surely in the future!

If it works anything like the old North American Rail Pass (no longer offered), the pass itself doesn't guarantee you space, but what you do after getting the pass is make your actual reservations for travel, in which case you then (of course) do have a reserved seat.

I think, however, that the pass is only valid on trains which are still selling at low bucket, so your dates and times may be limited (though with several months' advance notice, you can usually get nearly any train at low bucket).

I'm sure someone else will be along shortly to confirm or correct what I say!

 

[Shanghai]

Wow!!!

I lived in Groningen, Netherlands, for a while, and took the train to Leeuwarden once. I wonder if we're the only two people on this message board who've been to that city?

I lived in Amsterdam (Buitenveldert) for three years. I've taken the train to Groningen several times. We went to Groningen for a Saturday excursion to the outdoor

markets and an enjoyable train ride. We enjoyed our time in the Netherlands.

 

[Dovecote]

Finally, I have a question about the Empire Builder ... I booked a trip on one that goes straight from Portland to Milwaukee, but I saw there was another option where I could switch trains in Spokane. If I did this, I could get a roommette on the second train for slightly less money. However, there's only an hour layover in Spokane, and my main concern is that there'd be a delay and I'd miss the second train. Can anyone familiar with the EB tell me if this might in fact be a problem? I'll probably just stick with the train I've already booked, but would still be curious if delays on the EB are an issue. (And one more question -- the roommette would still be pretty pricy if I did this, but if I downgraded my Silver Star ride to coach, I could possibly put that money toward an EB roommette -- do any of you train experts have any thoughts on this?)

Thanks much!

The Empire Builder consists of two trainsets that meet/seperate in Spokane. In your situation, EB train 28 departs from Portland and EB train 8 departs Seattle and join together in Spokane to travel east. The train will not depart from Spokane until both trains have connected.

Getting a sleeper from Portland is very difficult since there is only one sleeping car on this train. Portland passengers shutout of a sleeper at the start of their trip will often get a sleeper in Spokane once the Seattle train arrives there. Train 8 has three sleeper cars.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Finally, I have a question about the Empire Builder ... I booked a trip on one that goes straight from Portland to Milwaukee, but I saw there was another option where I could switch trains in Spokane. If I did this, I could get a roommette on the second train for slightly less money. However, there's only an hour layover in Spokane, and my main concern is that there'd be a delay and I'd miss the second train. Can anyone familiar with the EB tell me if this might in fact be a problem? I'll probably just stick with the train I've already booked, but would still be curious if delays on the EB are an issue. (And one more question -- the roommette would still be pretty pricy if I did this, but if I downgraded my Silver Star ride to coach, I could possibly put that money toward an EB roommette -- do any of you train experts have any thoughts on this?)

Thanks much!

The Empire Builder consists of two trainsets that meet/seperate in Spokane. In your situation, EB train 28 departs from Portland and EB train 8 departs Seattle and join together in Spokane to travel east. The train will not depart from Spokane until both trains have connected.

Getting a sleeper from Portland is very difficult since there is only one sleeping car on this train. Portland passengers shutout of a sleeper at the start of their trip will often get a sleeper in Spokane once the Seattle train arrives there. Train 8 has three sleeper cars.

Since most of your EB question is answered above let me suggest that you ride #28 PDX-SPK as planned/#8

SPK-MIL in a roomette since it includes meals and the trip is 2nights/2 1/2 days vs. 1 night/2 days on the Silver

trains!)Also the food is very good on the EB! Take train from MIL to CHI if possible,then the Cardinal

from IND -WAS after the MEGA Bus from mCHI-IND since the Cardinal gets into IND @ midnight!Im going to ride the

Silver trains in the fall, one way in Coach from WAS-MIA/sleeper MIA-NYP so cant advise except to point out that

its single level/Viewliner cars as opposed to Superliners in the West,most folks prefer the Superliners for

Long Distance but the Extra Windows in the roomettes are nice! The Rail Pas is best for planning in advance

since most LD trains are full in the summer(the EB/CZ/CS/Cardinal are hard to get bedrooms in!)and there are

limmited amount oif coach seats available!Im curious about the lower level seating,most feel you can see

better up top on the Superliners,remember you are guaranteed A seat on reserved coach,seats will be

assigned upon boarding by SA,try to avoid seats by doors/stairs and restrooms and showers and follow all the

tips on this forum about traveling/sleeping in coach!Hope this helped/keep in touch,you sound like a very

friendly and fun person!

 

[wayman]

Since most of your EB question is answered above let me suggest that you ride #28 PDX-SPK as planned/#8 SPK-MIL in a roomette since it includes meals and the trip is 2nights/2 1/2 days vs. 1 night/2 days on the Silver

trains!)Also the food is very good on the EB!

SPK-MIL is more like 1 1/2 days in the roomette (and the extra day before Spokane is in coach)... you're re-boarding in SPK in the middle of the night, it isn't daytime until somewhere in Montana I think, and then you have another night between Minneapolis and Milwaukee I think? But switch to a roomette in Spokane as others have suggested! You'll get two nights of better sleep, and a full day of meals in the dining car plus breakfast the next morning are included in the fee you pay to upgrade to the roomette. Figure that's a good $40-50 in "free food" you'd otherwise be paying for if you were in coach. The food on the EB is excellent (enjoy it on your first day, too! but it won't be free, while you're in coach).

Take train from MIL to CHI if possible,then the Cardinal from IND -WAS after the MEGA Bus from mCHI-IND since the Cardinal gets into IND @ midnight!

Yes, since you're currently thinking of taking a trip IND-CHI followed by train from CHI-WAS, I can't imagine the Cardinal IND-WAS is more expensive (and it might even be a cost savings). It may be a time savings... but since the Cardinal only runs three days a week, you'll have to look at your dates to make sure it fits into your itinerary!

remember you are guaranteed A seat on reserved coach, seats will beassigned upon boarding by SA

Most often, as you walk out to the train you'll be directed to a particular coach based on your destination city, and then at the door to the coach the car attendant will tell you a seat (and you can ask for a window, or not-near-the-stairs, or something, and they can often accommodate). But sometimes it's handled differently. In Portland, they'll handle seat assignments in the station before you walk out to the platform, I think. And sometimes they don't worry about seat assignments at all. It can vary by station, by train, by crew... but most of the time it will be taken care of as you board the coach.

 

[Dovecote]

The food on the EB is excellent (enjoy it on your first day, too! but it won't be free, while you're in coach).

Just an additional note on the food service on the EB between PDX and SPK. On this segment, the purchase of microwave items, sandwiches, snacks, etc. are only available from the lounge car. Full meal service from the Dining car comes into play once the EB couples together in SPK.

I usually brown bag my first night meal when I begin coach travel on the EB from PDX. The remainder of my meals are then consumed in the Dining car for the trip back east.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

Greetings from Nottingham, UK.

The rail pass has changed somewhat since I first used it. Broadly speaking, with the current version you are now buying a pass which gives you the chance to take an exact specific number of trains at a reduced price, but all within a limited time frame. You can only take those trains if the lowest price seats are still available when you reserve your seat. In order to take any train, you must make a seat reservation. The best way to get the most out of a pass will be to reserve those seats as far in advance as possible. If you use an Amtrak bus, or need to use two trains for a journey, each time you get on and off a vehicle, that counts as a travel segment. I believe each pass segment costs in the order of $44, so it makes sense to pay for short bus or cheaper segments yourself, and save the pass to use on more expensive sections!

I am pleased to see a bus and train tour plan.. something I think would suit my wish to sleep in a hotel bed overnight, at least sometimes!

Best wishes, and good luck,

Ed

 

[AlanB]

Getting a sleeper from Portland is very difficult since there is only one sleeping car on this train. Portland passengers shutout of a sleeper at the start of their trip will often get a sleeper in Spokane once the Seattle train arrives there. Train 8 has three sleeper cars.

Actually it's more like two and quarter sleeping cars. Train 8 has two regular sleeping cars and then they sell 4 roomettes in the crew dorm car if and when the roomettes sell out in the regular sleeping cars.

 

[AlanB]

Since most of your EB question is answered above let me suggest that you ride #28 PDX-SPK as planned/#8 SPK-MIL in a roomette since it includes meals and the trip is 2nights/2 1/2 days vs. 1 night/2 days on the Silver

trains!)Also the food is very good on the EB!

SPK-MIL is more like 1 1/2 days in the roomette (and the extra day before Spokane is in coach)... you're re-boarding in SPK in the middle of the night, it isn't daytime until somewhere in Montana I think, and then you have another night between Minneapolis and Milwaukee I think? But switch to a roomette in Spokane as others have suggested! You'll get two nights of better sleep, and a full day of meals in the dining car plus breakfast the next morning are included in the fee you pay to upgrade to the roomette. Figure that's a good $40-50 in "free food" you'd otherwise be paying for if you were in coach. The food on the EB is excellent (enjoy it on your first day, too! but it won't be free, while you're in coach).

The second night would occur between Grand Forks, ND and Minneapolis/St. Paul. It's a daylight run between MSP and Milwaukee. So she would get a night and a half in a sleeper on the Empire Builder, along with 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner for free.

 

[thaskett]

Hey everyone, thanks again for the tips/suggestions, kind words, etc! I can't believe my trip is only a week and a half away. :blink: I have SO much to do, but at the same time, am SOOO excited! I'm sure I'll be checking this board quite a bit in the next week and a half.

Anyway I made a couple of changes to my trip. My basic itinerary remains much the same, EXCEPT I went ahead and upgraded to a roomette on the Empire Builder -- as suggested above, I'll ride coach from PDX to Spokane (on train 28) then I'll switch to the roomette (room 8, car 0830) in Spokane (train 8) and ride in it all the way to Milwaukee.

I ALSO upgraded to a roomette on the Capitol Limited -- I had a little extra $, so thought "why not." So I'll be in roomette #12, car 3000, on the #30 train.

And I left my Silver Star roomette alone -- so now I have THREE roomettes -- that one is roomette 7, car 9110, in the #91 Silver Star.

I may still end up upgrading my Albuquerque to L.A. ticket at the last minute, but for now, will leave it alone.

Anyhow, I'm wondering if any of you might be able to tell me about these roomettes? Just curious, if they're upper-level, lower-level, etc? Also what meals might come with them?

(Actually, it looks like AlanB already told me about the meals for the Empire Builder ride. For the record, my Chicago to D.C. trip runs from 6:50 pm-1:15 pm, and the NYC to Orlando runs from 10:50 AM to 10:15 AM)

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[JSmith]

Anyhow, I'm wondering if any of you might be able to tell me about these roomettes? Just curious, if they're upper-level, lower-level, etc? Also what meals might come with them?

This page - http://www.trainweb.org/crocon/sleeperplans.html - has sleeper car diagrams that I have found useful.

On the Empire Builder and Capitol Limited you are riding in a Superliner sleeping car. Looks like you have the upper level on the EB and the lower level on the CL, so you'll get to compare them (many people will say that each levels have their own advantages and disadvantages). On the Silver Star you are riding in a Viewliner which is a single-level car.

I believe in all three cases your sleeper is the closest one to the diner. This thread - http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?showtopic=27128 - has more information than you ever wanted to know about how sleeping cars are numbered.