Peoria, IL to Seattle Washington

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A

Angie

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Well we survived our first train trip and now we are looking into taking one next summer. We are looking at leaving from Peoria, Illinois to Seattle, Washington. Anyone have experience on this line? I hear it is a 46 hour trip.
 
I hope you're planning on leaving before October, because there's a real chance you may not be able to do the trip after that.

If Amtrak doesn't get the cash from the Feds, bye bye LD trains.
 
I like the train ride I took this year. I am looking at next summer. I would hate to fly.
 
Let's just hope we've got LD trains next summer here in the USA.

That would make all of us here very happy indeed.
 
I think trains are neat but they definitely need more funding and not being so late. A hour isn't bad but beyond that can be nerve racking.

We are kind of thinking of taking one of the Canadian trains if Amtrak doesn't look good. We are ultimately headed on a cruise out of Seattle.
 
I wouldn't be too worried. I'm not. This happens all the time.

As for your Peoria to Seattle trip, here is what you do.

Take an Amtrak Thruway Bus from Peoria Airport to Bloomington-Normal or Galesburg. HOWEVER, this option will not get you to Chicago ontime to catch the Empire Builder to Seattle. So your best bet would be to drive to either Bloomington or Galesburg. The train to Chicago leaves Bloomington at 7:31 am and arrives Chicago, 9:55 am. The train from Galesburg leaves at 7:38 am and arrives Chicago, 10:35 am.

Of course some of these times may slightly change in a year. After your connection in Chicago, you can board the Empire Builder which currently departs at 2:15 pm. You'll spend 2 nights and arrive in Seattle at 10:20 am.
 
We are only 45 minutes from either Bloomington or Galesburg. Do you go through Chicago either way and then onto Seattle on the Empire? Can you tell me about the Empire?
 
Can you tell me about the Empire?
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And, here are my EB pictures from a trip last year.

Empire Builder Trip

We are only 45 minutes from either Bloomington or Galesburg. Do you go through Chicago either way and then onto Seattle on the Empire? Can you tell me about the Empire?
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The EB leaves from Chicago, so you have to catch it there. It goes north toward Milwaukee from Chicago, not back into Illinois to the west. There are trains you can take from central Illinois to get to Chciago.
 
You could take a train from Bloomington or Galesburg to get to Chicago, right? Or maybe we could drive. I will check out the pictures next.

Hey, it sounds like Amtrak got their funding (if I understood the news right today).
 
Thanks to both of you for sending pictures.

To MrFss, on your first couple pictures it shows some place that has carpet and nice chairs. Where is that?

Now did you do Chicago to Seattle? I would love to have a bedroom this time. It will be just my husband and I. How ridiculous are the prices for these rooms?

Also, do you go over any of those high tressle bridges (that go over water or something else that doesn't have any sides to the bridge)? If so, I will walk across it.
 
To MrFss, on your first couple pictures it shows some place that has carpet and nice chairs. Where is that?
Now did you do Chicago to Seattle? I would love to have a bedroom this time. It will be just my husband and I. How ridiculous are the prices for these rooms?

Also, do you go over any of those high tressle bridges (that go over water or something else that doesn't have any sides to the bridge)? If so, I will walk across it.
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The pictures with the chairs are in the first class lounge (for sleeper car passengers). We arrived in Chicago about 8 hours before train time, so spent a lot of time there.

We had a bedroom. But, I purchased my ticket about 9 months in advance. They are less expensive the further away from travel time you go.

I don't remember any high trestles, but others might know better than I.
 
The system will let you check prices 11 months in advance. Doing so between Chicago and Seattle, a Family Bedroom is $272.00 on top of a coach seat of $122.00 - say $400.00 for the first person. Then additional adults only pay the $122.00, each. But, that is two nights in the bedroom and 8 meals per person in the diner, which could be worth $30-40 a day for each person if you had to pay for them.

The bedroom for two peopel with a shower in the room is $336.00 plus the cost of the coach seat.

These prices will really increase the closer you get to travel time or they start to sell the space out.

Have you been to Amtrak's web site where you can check schedules, prices, etc?

Amtrak Site
 
Well we are looking at next June so right now it won't let us put prices in.

Am I understanding this right? It would maybe cost us $522 one way for a couple to have a bedroom? That would include food, right?
 
The bedroom that has the shower is much larger than the roomette. There is only one bedroom and an aisle but roomettes are on each side of the aisle, so they are much smaller. However, the shower is actually in the area where the comode is, which is very small. You have to sit on the comode seat to take a shower (fun at 79mph) and that leaves the bathroom "wet" for the rest of the trip almost.

Each sleeping car on the EB has showers for all to use and I found it much nicer to use the bigger shower downstairs. That shower has a small changing room and the shower part is large enough to stand and move around, just as you would in a shower stall at home.

So, you get the bigger room (and meals) for the price you pay, and a shower, but I think many experienced travelers will tell you it is easier to use the community shower.

I just took the Canadian across Canada and used the car shower. Never had a problem with it being busy and it was always clean.

The bottom line is, how much room do you want in the room.

Here is the link to what all these rooms look like: Amtrak Train Bedrooms

$580 would be the price for two in a bedroom with all meals for both of you included.

What would two nights in a hotel and 16 meals cost you, plus the cost of gas if you drove from Chicago to seattle?
 
I'll just add that, I've had a bedroom on more than one occasion. While I do appreciate having the toilet close at hand, after my first experience, I always use the public shower.

The shower in the bedroom IMHO just isn't worth it. It's way too hard to shower in there.
 
Aloha

Just having a chance to get back to you, and I will agree as a single traveler I much prefer the roomette to the larger room with toilet/shower as the shower is much to small. The bed in the larger room might be Better for two though.

The Time I had the Larger room the price was only an extra hundred over the rommette on the Sunset Limited from Orlando to LA. Seems like this trip was only 600.00 higher than flying all the way.

On one trip from Chicago to LA I had for one night the family room and then the small roomette. Again I like the roomette. The Community shower downstairs is very much like a home shower except for moving, get in, then out some place else :rolleyes: .

Some of my pictures show the new lounge just after MrFSs took his, look under the station gallery.

Hopfully Amtrak survives untill I get to ride every LD train there is :unsure:
 
It's funny you guys mentioned the bedroom. My husband just said that a woman he knows went up into Canada on a train and they had a bedroom and it was very hard to take a shower. Okay, skip the bedroom.

Now, about the roommete and the toilet. Is the toilet in the roommete or do you share that and a shower? Is it a private shower? In other words can other people walk into you taking a shower? Are all the meals included on a roommete and what would that cost for two people from Chicago to Seattle and back?

Thanks
 
Another thought. Can you lock the roommete and/or bedroom?
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Only if you are inside the room. Not if you go out to eat, etc. But there is never a problem on a train with security if you are careful. You can pull the curtains shut and shut the door when you leave and know one else will know if you are in there or not.

I never would leave anything sitting out, such as a camera, etc. Put stuff in the suitcases and it will be fine.
 
Thanks for your help.

Now do you go over those big bridges that the train could fall over the side? I think they are called tressle bridges.

How is the food on the Empire? We took the Cardinal a few weeks ago and the food was awful.
 
Guest_Gingee said:
Thanks for your help.
Now do you go over those big bridges that the train could fall over the side? I think they are called tressle bridges.

How is the food on the Empire? We took the Cardinal a few weeks ago and the food was awful.
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The Builder's food is better they have a full Dinning Car unlike the Cardinal.
 
All meals are included on any sleeping compartment, be it a bedroom, family room, handicapped room, or a roomette.

On Superliner trains, the double deckers, there are no bathrooms in the roomettes, only the bedrooms. There is one common bathroom upstairs and three more downstairs.

On the Viewliner cars, single level trains, there is a toilet in the roomette. There are no common bathrooms in the car.

No one can walk in on you in the shower compartment, which includes the changing room and the shower stall, unless you forget to lock the door. :lol:
 

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