Questions (Amtrak vs Greyhound, DEN to ORL)?

[snljamie0518]

The countdown has begun for our train travel from Denver to Orlando. We are moving to the Orlando area & we are anxious & excited about it. I do have more questions. I know, annoying right?

Denver just had a big snowstorm. Will trains still run or be delayed?

I am thinking of downloading the AMTRAK app, how reliable is it?

My husband wants to know if I will be able to sit with him in the car we will be in or will I be two or three seats from him? He is staying in his power chair downstairs & I am his aide.

I am into seeing wildlife, will we see any wildlife while on the train besides cows & horses?

Will any one of you be on the same train? If so, please don't be afraid to talk to us.

Do any of you have videos of the train trip or photos? I love watching videos & looking at photos.

If I purchase the $10 thing with the blanket, eye shade, ear plugs [which I do not need or use] & the inflatable pillow, do I purchase it in the station or on the train? Where on the train would I purchase it? How comfortable & big is the inflatable pillow?

That's all the questions I have for now.

 

[ehbowen]

The countdown has begun for our train travel from Denver to Orlando. We are moving to the Orlando area & we are anxious & excited about it. I do have more questions. I know, annoying right?

Denver just had a big snowstorm. Will trains still run or be delayed?

I am thinking of downloading the AMTRAK app, how reliable is it?

My husband wants to know if I will be able to sit with him in the car we will be in or will I be two or three seats from him? He is staying in his power chair downstairs & I am his aide.

I am into seeing wildlife, will we see any wildlife while on the train besides cows & horses?

Will any one of you be on the same train? If so, please don't be afraid to talk to us.

Do any of you have videos of the train trip or photos? I love watching videos & looking at photos.

If I purchase the $10 thing with the blanket, eye shade, ear plugs [which I do not need or use] & the inflatable pillow, do I purchase it in the station or on the train? Where on the train would I purchase it? How comfortable & big is the inflatable pillow?

That's all the questions I have for now.

It is possible that trains will be canceled during a truly major snow event. If so, Amtrak will either refund you completely or rebook you on a later train. Usually, though, trains continue to run in most adverse weather as long as the tracks are safe to operate on (floods, washouts, mudslides, hurricanes, etc.). They may be delayed and if they are you may miss your connections, as I understand that they are only about two hours. As long as you're not unduly pressed for time it's no biggie; Amtrak will re-accommodate you on the next train out. Bottom line: Once you're on board, Amtrak will get you to where you are going. While I'm sure there's been an exception to that somewhere and somewhen, it's vanishingly rare.

Amtrak app is as reliable as your smartphone and the current cell signal coverage. Which is, in some places in the west (especially), not much.

I can't think of any circumstances in which you couldn't sit next to your husband in the wheelchair space of an Amtrak coach. Sometimes louts use that space to stack/store their luggage; a word to the conductor or coach attendant should get that cleared out pronto.

You have an excellent likelihood of seeing wildlife from the train...If I Remember Correctly, you're taking the California Zephyr and all through Colorado it follows watercourses which attract everything from squirrels to deer to bears...to Full Moons. But I've seen deer foraging in East Texas from the Texas Eagle and I'm sure others have seem much more elsewhere along your route.

I have a number of my personal photographs up in this album. For an advance peek at the route of the Zephyr from Sacramento to Denver, start here and continue through the end of the album.

This forum has a section which allows folks to post plans of their upcoming trips if they're open to being contacted by other forum members while on the train. No link as it's semi-private and can only be seen by members who have been active for a while. I'm not certain, but you should be able to see it by now, though.

The "comfort kit" is sold on board the train in the cafe cars...if it's stocked. They only carry a few of them and someone could beat you to it. If you think that such would make a material difference to your comfort, I'd suggest that you visit the dollar store and see if you can assemble a similar collection on your own prior to coming aboard and possibly being disappointed. I've never actually used the Amtrak kit so I have nothing to say about the size or comfort of the pillows. I have a pair of travel pillows from MyPillow which have been adequate for my journeys.

 

[swc34]

I just want to add make sure you’re both booked in a lower level coach for your ride from Denver to Chicago to accommodate the power chair and comfort kits should also be available at the station if you wish to purchase.

 

[ehbowen]

My bad; the photo album I linked to has pictures from west of Denver. I forgot that you were boarding in Denver. Still, it should be a fine trip although the countryside will be more domesticated than in the wild wild West.

 

[Mike G]

I just check the Amtrak Store and unfortunately I do not see the Comfort Kit listed any longer. They do offer a blanket for about $14.00, that maybe symptomatically of it isn’t available any longer since it appears they’ve added a lot of new items.

 

[BoulderCO]

Not sure what day you depart, but no major snow predicted for Denver for at least the next 10 days or so. But you could experience a departure delay if the Zephyr encounters heavy snow in the mountains between CA and Denver. Complete cancellation of your train is unlikely, however.

The Amtrak app is useful and it is free. So definitely worth having. You should have a connection with your phone data plan perhaps 80% of the time on your trip.

If you are on the lower level in coach, you should be pretty much next to your husband whenever you want to be. Of course, you will need to go upstairs to access the observation car, cafe, etc.

Probably won't see much major wildlife on your trip. Will be dark until you are in Iowa. Probably farm animals and perhaps a deer or two.

I would advise you not to worry about the $10 convenience kits. Their availability might be hit-or-miss. I suggest you bring a couple of small travel blankets with you, plus whatever else you might want. That way you can pick out exactly what you want. Look at Amazon, Walmart, etc. locally before you depart.

Please keep us posted on your trip as it proceeds. Hope it works out well for you.

 

[user 6862]

If I purchase the $10 thing with the blanket, eye shade, ear plugs [which I do not need or use] & the inflatable pillow, do I purchase it in the station or on the train? Where on the train would I purchase it? How comfortable & big is the inflatable pillow?

To make sure you have a blanket for overnight in coach pre-buy fleece blankets from Walmart for just a few dollars, think they sell pillows too but we don't use those so not sure.

 

[FunNut]

I hope you really enjoy your trip. I would purchase blanket, pillow, etc. before you travel because I would want to wash the blanket at home before travel. You will be able to be with your husband throughout the trip. If there isn't a seat open next to him discuss it with a conductor and it will be sorted immediately.

 

[BoulderCO]

If you don't mind posting, OP, what is your scheduled departure date from Denver?