Newbie To Rail Travel

[mbacfs]

We are experienced travelers, but not by train, so I have a question. I know it is probably always more comfortable to get a sleeper car, but my question has to do with value for our trip. My wife and I are taking our two children (13 & 10) from Albuquerque to LA roundtrip. I have read that there are usually delays, but it shows about a 16 hour trip overnight. My question is, can the coach seats for this trip be any LESS comfortable than coach on an airplane for an overnight flight? We are used to packing it in an airplane for long flights, so is it really worth the extra $500 for the family room or two smaller cars each way? It looks that the coach seats are designed more like first class seating on an airplane anyway, and you are able to get up and walk around, etc. Please provide whatever feedback you can for me so I can make the right decision for us. We are looking forward to the experience and hope we are finding another alternative to the rising cost of airline travel.

 

[PRR 60]

Some quick answers:

The Southwest Chief, the train from ABQ to LAX, is among Amtrak more reliable long-distance trains. While delays, some quite long, can occur on the Chief, the odds of on-time travel are better than many other Amtrak trains.

The Family Room is designed almost perfectly for your family. There are two full-size beds and two smaller beds. The lavatory facilities are right out the door. I would highly recommend the room. And, as a big plus, meals in the dining car are included for the entire family (tips extra).

As for the coach seats, they are better than airline coach, at least for size and spacing between seats (much better for spacing), and not as large as domestic First Class airline seats. Recline is about the same as Domestic First and, of course, nothing like the flat or near-flat sleeping in long-haul First. The seats are not all that great ergonomically (some domestic airline coach are better in that respect), but are not bad either. Some people are very comfortable in Amtrak Coach overnight and others are not.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

We are experienced travelers, but not by train, so I have a question. I know it is probably always more comfortable to get a sleeper car, but my question has to do with value for our trip. My wife and I are taking our two children (13 & 10) from Albuquerque to LA roundtrip. I have read that there are usually delays, but it shows about a 16 hour trip overnight. My question is, can the coach seats for this trip be any LESS comfortable than coach on an airplane for an overnight flight? We are used to packing it in an airplane for long flights, so is it really worth the extra $500 for the family room or two smaller cars each way? It looks that the coach seats are designed more like first class seating on an airplane anyway, and you are able to get up and walk around, etc. Please provide whatever feedback you can for me so I can make the right decision for us. We are looking forward to the experience and hope we are finding another alternative to the rising cost of airline travel.

Then there is always the option of going sleeper one way and coach the other, get experience with both---let you know what to do in the future.

 

[gswager]

I live in eastern NM and use Southwest Chief a lot to California, using Las Vegas (NM), Lamy, and ABQ stations. I use ABQ station if I fly one-way.

It is more comfortable coach seat on train than airplane. It is similiar to airplane's first class seat. It has recliner and leg rest. The biggest different is lack of arm rest between the aisle and window seats.

Southwest Chief that you're riding on is one of the best on-time performance routes. As you're getting closer to the terminal route, Amtrak has add the padded time schedule on the last few stations, even if the train is half hour late.

For those who have sleeper class tickets will entitle to free meals in dining car. For your journey to LA, you will get dinner and breakfast. For return trip, you will get dinner, breakfast, and maybe lunch, depending on the on-time schedule. Dinner is the most expensive one, range from $12 to $20, next is breakfast and then lunch.

Perhaps, you can try coach one way to LA and sleeper class on return trip to keep you well-rest on the next day. Usually, the first night requires some adjustment due to excitement and swaying of the train's movement.

In my own opinion, train is far more relaxing than airline: chatting comfortably with strangers, walk around, viewing the scenery, and no rush. Forget the watch.

 

[VentureForth]

Done both on that same route - twice. The family room is the best bet for your party if you want to go first class. It's the entire width of the train and is very secluded from other people. You may only see your attendant and a couple of other passengers that are staying on that same level. The food value alone for your party would be about $150 - $200.

Now, that all being said, your original question was about coach. I don't like the comparison to first class anymore. They really aren't that big and they're not leather. They are big enough, though. Better than first class airline seats, there is a lot of leg room, the seats recline very far, they have a thigh rest and a foot rest. If you have a decent neck pillow, you'll sleep soundly. In my opinion, there is no way that they are less comfortable than any coach airline seat. I can't even open up my laptop on an airline tray table (ok - it's a 17"-er) but that same computer on Amtrak is no problem.

Next is your question about schedule. The twice I rode it, it was about 30 minutes to an hour or so late into Fullerton, the next to last stop. This allows for it to arrive in Los Angeles on time or early. It's fairly frequently up to a 1/2 hour late, but only a couple of times MUCH later than that. I would definitely allow for a good hour or so if you are going to transfer to another Amtrak train. If your final destination is LAX Union Station, just hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.

No matter where you sit, you may want just get up a couple of times and to the last car. They have a "railfan" window, allowing you to look out the back of the train. Pretty exciting when you're going 90 MPH through the Mojave dessert in the middle of the night. Most of all, remember to enjoy the trip, and let us know how it goes!

 

[Steven B]

If you're used to sleeping in airline coach, you should be fine in Amtrak coach. The seats are about the same, but the train has far more legroom. There are occasional sections of rough track that make the ride less smooth than the average plane ride, which can affect your quality of sleep, especially in coach. If you're going to travel in coach, a comfortable pillow is a must.

I've travelled overnight in both sleeper and coach in the past year, and I personally believe the upgrade to sleeper is generally worth the cost. You get more privacy, it's quieter, and you have access to a shower and cleaner bathrooms. The best benefit of sleeper service is free meals in the dining car, plus free coffee, juice, and water all day.

The dining car food is generally very good, but it's expensive for coach passengers. If you're traveling in coach, you can save some money by getting food from the cafe on the lower level of the Sightseer Lounge car instead. It doesn't taste as good (mostly microwaved sandwiches and snacks), but it's quite a bit cheaper than the dining car.

If you're still undecided, I highly recommend the advice given above, to travel in coach one way, and upgrade to sleeper for the trip back. When you consider the value of the meals, the cost of sleeper really isn't that much more.

Delays on Amtrak are not as bad as most people think. Of the last ten Amtrak trains I've been on, only one has arrived more than a few minutes late. It's helpful to check an unofficial site, amtrakdelays.com, to see what the recent trends are. And always call Amtrak or check train status on amtrak.com before you leave home on your departure day, to make sure the train isn't running particularly late.

 

[stonesfan]

I guess it depends on your ability to be able to sleep!

Personally, I have major trouble sleeping anywhere but a quiet, darkened and comfy bed. So when I do take my Zephyr trip, its roomette at least, as I know bloody well I will get a combined total of about 2 hours sleep in a 'coach' seat, if my record on airlines is anything to go by.

But if you are one of those types who sleeps through thunderstorms, nods off in 2 seconds on the metro, is crashed out within a few blinks of an eyelid after hitting the sofa, then I guess coach seating will be fine

 

[wkaemena]

We are experienced travelers, but not by train, so I have a question. I know it is probably always more comfortable to get a sleeper car, but my question has to do with value for our trip. My wife and I are taking our two children (13 & 10) from Albuquerque to LA roundtrip. I have read that there are usually delays, but it shows about a 16 hour trip overnight. My question is, can the coach seats for this trip be any LESS comfortable than coach on an airplane for an overnight flight? We are used to packing it in an airplane for long flights, so is it really worth the extra $500 for the family room or two smaller cars each way? It looks that the coach seats are designed more like first class seating on an airplane anyway, and you are able to get up and walk around, etc. Please provide whatever feedback you can for me so I can make the right decision for us. We are looking forward to the experience and hope we are finding another alternative to the rising cost of airline travel.

To get familiar with train travel on Amtrak Superliner I would recommend a visit to the following sites Virtual Tour or Cross Continent with Amtrak

 

[DaveKCMO]

i'll echo other comments about knowing your capacity to sleep in coach airline seats or in the car. i have trouble blocking out noise, so my overnight between ABQ and LAX was awful (snoring person behind me). i upgraded to a sleeper on the next leg of my trip and it was worth every penny.

 

[wayman]

No matter where you sit, you may want just get up a couple of times and to the last car. They have a "railfan" window, allowing you to look out the back of the train. Pretty exciting when you're going 90 MPH through the Mojave dessert in the middle of the night. Most of all, remember to enjoy the trip, and let us know how it goes!

How many trains is this true of? And is this only available to sleeping car passengers on trains where the sleepers are at the rear of the train?

 

[meatpuff]

i'll echo other comments about knowing your capacity to sleep in coach airline seats or in the car. i have trouble blocking out noise, so my overnight between ABQ and LAX was awful (snoring person behind me). i upgraded to a sleeper on the next leg of my trip and it was worth every penny.

I just posted something about my experience with overnight in coach and advice in the recent "I could use a bit of help with Sleepers..." thread. I would add those same comments to this discussion, but I'll just point everyone over there rather than reposting.

 

[WICT106]

No matter where you sit, you may want just get up a couple of times and to the last car. They have a "railfan" window, allowing you to look out the back of the train. Pretty exciting when you're going 90 MPH through the Mojave dessert in the middle of the night. Most of all, remember to enjoy the trip, and let us know how it goes!

How many trains is this true of? And is this only available to sleeping car passengers on trains where the sleepers are at the rear of the train?

This is true on all of the trains. If you have a sleeper ticket, you can go to the rear of the coaches and view the receding tracks. On trains such as the Empire Builder, which has the Portland sleeper attached at the rear, this option is available only to sleeping car passengers.

 

[AlanB]

No matter where you sit, you may want just get up a couple of times and to the last car. They have a "railfan" window, allowing you to look out the back of the train. Pretty exciting when you're going 90 MPH through the Mojave dessert in the middle of the night. Most of all, remember to enjoy the trip, and let us know how it goes!

How many trains is this true of? And is this only available to sleeping car passengers on trains where the sleepers are at the rear of the train?

This is true on all of the trains. If you have a sleeper ticket, you can go to the rear of the coaches and view the receding tracks. On trains such as the Empire Builder, which has the Portland sleeper attached at the rear, this option is available only to sleeping car passengers.

The Zephyr has been running lately with it's sleepers on the rear too, thereby making the railfan window available only to sleeping car passengers.

 

[AmtrakCrescent20]

I definitely wouldn't go with a family room. I'm not sure of the exact dimensions of the two smaller bunks but they probably wouldn't be long enough for a 10 year old, much less a 13 year old.

 

[PRR 60]

I definitely wouldn't go with a family room. I'm not sure of the exact dimensions of the two smaller bunks but they probably wouldn't be long enough for a 10 year old, much less a 13 year old.

My daughter was 15 and my son was 10 when we rode the Zephyr in a Family Room and the beds were just fine. The lower child's berth is 4' 9" and the upper is 4' 7". Curl up just a little and even someone 5' 3" should do OK.

 

[wayman]

The Zephyr has been running lately with it's sleepers on the rear too, thereby making the railfan window available only to sleeping car passengers.

That was the case when I rode it, and also the Cardinal and Capitol. It never occurred to me to try this with the Chief, which I think did have the sleepers forward. I've never tried it on a Regional or the Crescent, but will next time!

On the Keystone, I have tried it, but have been steered away by a conductor once. That may be because the rear end (when it's a window at all) is through the Cab Control, though.

 

[sweet tea]

sounds to me like you'd do fine in coach, though the sleepers are fun. i'll second the motion to do it in one direction.

for coach comfort, i'd recommend bringing ear plugs -- i'm not normally bothered by noise, but chatty folks on cell phones, track noise, and middle-of-the-night train whistles can get to me (the whistles don't bother me when i'm lying down in a sleeper, but they do sometimes spook me when i'm only reclining, semi-asleep, in coach). better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

a pillow can be annoying to schlep, but it makes all the difference to me in coach. the ones they have in the sleepers are fine -- no need to bring my own then.

i can find trains too chilly for good sleep, so i always travel with a light wool shawl i can use as an additional blanket. thick socks are also nice.