Questions from first time family taking a train trip

[shawn67]

Hello:

I've been following this board for the last few months in anticiaption of our upcoming family vacation on the Southwest Chief going from Kansas City to Chicago leaving this Monday and return next Saturday. My dad has used this train regularly when he travels from Texarkana to Kansas City and then to Chicago. I had some questions regarding our trip and I hoped some of the good folks here might be able to help me answer.

1.) We are ticketed in coach. I am traveling on this trip with my wife and 3 small girls (ages 7, 5, and 2). I am very fearful (read: scared to death) that we will not be able to sit together (have my wife and kids take up one row) and myself take one of the seats in the next row. Do we have to Union Station super early to get in the line first to make this happen? If I explain the situation to the conductor will he be able to help us out?

2.) My father-in-law was a pilot for TWA so standard operating proceedure for our family has always been to use what they call in the airline industry (crew sized suitcases) the type that we can fit in a planes overhead bin. Are there overheads in the coach sections of the Superliners? Are they the same size as airplane overheads? Will there be room for our five bags in the overheads?

3.) I've seen that there tends to not be very many electrical outlets on the train. However, the Superliner that I saw in December when I was helping my dad on the train (Southwest Chief heading for Chicago from Kansas City) had a bunch of electrical outlets in the upper coach section. Is this a hit or miss proposition depending on if the train has been retrofitted?

4.) My wife has asked if there would be a spare bedroom for us to stay in on the train. I told her according to the boards there may be bedrooms available but we would have to purchase them. From this board I know I could ask the conductor if there is a family bedroom available. If so he could tell me the rate. Do the conductors take credit cards on the train. Can the family bedroom hold five for a daytrip? Would that be in your opinions a crazy waste of money???

Thanks in advance for your help. You've got a great board here and I hope to provide alll of you with a report after we are done with our vacation.

 

[the_traveler]

Welcome, and I'll try to help!

1.) We are ticketed in coach. I am traveling on this trip with my wife and 3 small girls (ages 7, 5, and 2). I am very fearful (read: scared to death) that we will not be able to sit together (have my wife and kids take up one row) and myself take one of the seats in the next row. Do we have to Union Station super early to get in the line first to make this happen? If I explain the situation to the conductor will he be able to help us out?

Call Amtrak and ask them to make a note in your reservations. Many car attendants try to hold a group of seats together and available for families - if they know there will be a group boarding.

2.) My father-in-law was a pilot for TWA so standard operating proceedure for our family has always been to use what they call in the airline industry (crew sized suitcases) the type that we can fit in a planes overhead bin. Are there overheads in the coach sections of the Superliners? Are they the same size as airplane overheads? Will there be room for our five bags in the overheads?

The luggage storage racks are MUCH bigger than anything on a plane! But also keep in mind that most of the seating is on the upper level, and to get there is a narrow and winding stairway. On a Superliner, there is a VERY large luggage storage area on the lower level as you enter the car. You may want to put your bags there.

3.) I've seen that there tends to not be very many electrical outlets on the train. However, the Superliner that I saw in December when I was helping my dad on the train (Southwest Chief heading for Chicago from Kansas City) had a bunch of electrical outlets in the upper coach section. Is this a hit or miss proposition depending on if the train has been retrofitted?

If it is a refurbished coach, there should be one at every row.

4.) My wife has asked if there would be a spare bedroom for us to stay in on the train. I told her according to the boards there may be bedrooms available but we would have to purchase them. From this board I know I could ask the conductor if there is a family bedroom available. If so he could tell me the rate. Do the conductors take credit cards on the train. Can the family bedroom hold five for a daytrip? Would that be in your opinions a crazy waste of money???

If you want to try for a on-board upgrade, ask the conductor ASAP if one is available. But keep in mind, with 2 sleepers on the train, there are only 2 family bedrooms on the entire train!

I hope to provide alll of you with a report after we are done with our vacation.

We'll look forward to your report!

Have fun!

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I've been following this board for the last few months in anticiaption of our upcoming family vacation on the Southwest Chief going from Kansas City to Chicago leaving this Monday and return next Saturday. My dad has used this train regularly when he travels from Texarkana to Kansas City and then to Chicago. I had some questions regarding our trip and I hoped some of the good folks here might be able to help me answer.
1.) We are ticketed in coach. I am traveling on this trip with my wife and 3 small girls (ages 7, 5, and 2). I am very fearful (read: scared to death) that we will not be able to sit together (have my wife and kids take up one row) and myself take one of the seats in the next row. Do we have to Union Station super early to get in the line first to make this happen? If I explain the situation to the conductor will he be able to help us out?

Going from Kansas City to Chicago, you'll be boarding in the middle of the route. Other than getting a note on the reservation indicating that you have a party of five that wants to sit together, there's probably not much you can do.

In Chicago, I think you can request a Red Cap to help you with early boarding, but having never personally wanted that service, I'm not 100% sure how that works.

One other thing to keep in mind is that while Amtrak normally likes to have all the seats facing forward, each pair of seats does spin 180 degrees independently of each other pair of seats. This is mostly so that if Amtrak needs to turn the car around somewhere where there's no loop or wye in the track, they can send someone through the car to spin all the seats. It's best not to spin the seats without the consent of the crew, but if you wanted to have two seats facing backwards, it shouldn't hurt to ask nicely as long as you're prepared for the very real possibility that the crew will say no. And I think if there are any rear facing seats, having them be the frontmost seat pair is considered preferable, though I'm failing to remember why that is.

2.) My father-in-law was a pilot for TWA so standard operating proceedure for our family has always been to use what they call in the airline industry (crew sized suitcases) the type that we can fit in a planes overhead bin. Are there overheads in the coach sections of the Superliners? Are they the same size as airplane overheads? Will there be room for our five bags in the overheads?

I've seen people claim that things that will work as checked luggage on airlines will generally work as carry-ons on Amtrak. Though if you end up in a family bedroom, you proably won't have space to comforatbly put all of the luggage in the bedroom.

3.) I've seen that there tends to not be very many electrical outlets on the train. However, the Superliner that I saw in December when I was helping my dad on the train (Southwest Chief heading for Chicago from Kansas City) had a bunch of electrical outlets in the upper coach section. Is this a hit or miss proposition depending on if the train has been retrofitted?

Depends on whether the car is retrofitted, which is indeed hit or miss. It's possible that on some trains, some cars will have been modernized and others not.

4.) My wife has asked if there would be a spare bedroom for us to stay in on the train. I told her according to the boards there may be bedrooms available but we would have to purchase them. From this board I know I could ask the conductor if there is a family bedroom available. If so he could tell me the rate. Do the conductors take credit cards on the train. Can the family bedroom hold five for a daytrip? Would that be in your opinions a crazy waste of money???

I don't know the answers to the credit card question and whether five would be allowed in the family bedroom.

Whether sleeping car compartments are a crazy waste of money depend both on how much money you have and how much you value the privacy and space. Different passengers come up with different answers to this.

 

[Ghost]

1.) We are ticketed in coach. I am traveling on this trip with my wife and 3 small girls (ages 7, 5, and 2). I am very fearful (read: scared to death) that we will not be able to sit together (have my wife and kids take up one row) and myself take one of the seats in the next row. Do we have to Union Station super early to get in the line first to make this happen? If I explain the situation to the conductor will he be able to help us out?

By the time the SWC gets to Kansas City, I bet it is pretty much full. Your fear might be justified. I really doubt that the Assistant or the Conductor is going to hold 5 seats empty just for your family, all the way from LA.

You could try explaining the situation to the conductor or to reservations, but I also doubt you will be the only family requesting to sit together.

If seating together is important, I strongly suggest upgrading from coach. That's what Amtrak offers to better deal with families.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Remember, KCY is a fairly good sized destination, when we boarded there on June 25th, ALOT of people also got off the train. So even if its "full" sometimes in KCY seats opened up from folks getting off the train. Also, if I was you, wait until the train is rolling to ask the conductor about the family room. The family room was empty on June 25th when we were on it. The family room can be real pricey, but if the wheels are rolling, it will drop to the lowest bucket price Amtrak offers. And no, I don't think with that many people that it would be a waste of money even though you are travelling in the daytime hours.

 

[Rail Freak]

1.) We are ticketed in coach. I am traveling on this trip with my wife and 3 small girls (ages 7, 5, and 2). I am very fearful (read: scared to death) that we will not be able to sit together (have my wife and kids take up one row) and myself take one of the seats in the next row. Do we have to Union Station super early to get in the line first to make this happen? If I explain the situation to the conductor will he be able to help us out?

By the time the SWC gets to Kansas City, I bet it is pretty much full. Your fear might be justified. I really doubt that the Assistant or the Conductor is going to hold 5 seats empty just for your family, all the way from LA.

You could try explaining the situation to the conductor or to reservations, but I also doubt you will be the only family requesting to sit together.

If seating together is important, I strongly suggest upgrading from coach. That's what Amtrak offers to better deal with families.

If I've been doing my homework correctly, the family room & a seperate luggage area is downstairs in the sleeping cars. That way you aren't but a few steps to your extra bags &, with the door to your room open, you can keep an eye on them. Also, the family room has windows on both sides! & don't forget the included meals!!!!

Hope ya have a Memorable Journey! Then, I guess, either way it goes will be memorable!!! :lol: :huh:

 

[RailFanLNK]

From my last trip of 7 Amtrak trains, I have really gotten to appreciate the lower level. I don't find that the view is all that much more inhibited and I really like the "privacy" of being downstairs and having so much less foot traffic, luggage a short skip away, shower just a bit away, exit door to step out briefly at stops etc.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Do the conductors take credit cards on the train.

I've done onboard upgrades twice, both with credit cards. Shouldn't be a problem.

 

[clearfork]

" Can the family bedroom hold five for a daytrip? Would that be in your opinions a crazy waste of money???"

Family bedroom is quite fine for two adults and three children. Big long couch and an opposing seat. Also, with the ages of your children, will comfortably sleep five. Two kids in the short bunks, one child and adult in the rather spacious bottom bed and the other adult on the top bunk. I'd be surprised, however, if they were available this summer.

Regarding the apprehension regarding seating: You could spend a lot of time in the lounge car, playing games and such, and not be too worried about being separated during daylight hours....

 

[reisert]

Hello:
I've been following this board for the last few months in anticiaption of our upcoming family vacation on the Southwest Chief going from Kansas City to Chicago leaving this Monday and return next Saturday. My dad has used this train regularly when he travels from Texarkana to Kansas City and then to Chicago. I had some questions regarding our trip and I hoped some of the good folks here might be able to help me answer.

1.) We are ticketed in coach. I am traveling on this trip with my wife and 3 small girls (ages 7, 5, and 2). I am very fearful (read: scared to death) that we will not be able to sit together (have my wife and kids take up one row) and myself take one of the seats in the next row. Do we have to Union Station super early to get in the line first to make this happen? If I explain the situation to the conductor will he be able to help us out?

2.) My father-in-law was a pilot for TWA so standard operating proceedure for our family has always been to use what they call in the airline industry (crew sized suitcases) the type that we can fit in a planes overhead bin. Are there overheads in the coach sections of the Superliners? Are they the same size as airplane overheads? Will there be room for our five bags in the overheads?

3.) I've seen that there tends to not be very many electrical outlets on the train. However, the Superliner that I saw in December when I was helping my dad on the train (Southwest Chief heading for Chicago from Kansas City) had a bunch of electrical outlets in the upper coach section. Is this a hit or miss proposition depending on if the train has been retrofitted?

4.) My wife has asked if there would be a spare bedroom for us to stay in on the train. I told her according to the boards there may be bedrooms available but we would have to purchase them. From this board I know I could ask the conductor if there is a family bedroom available. If so he could tell me the rate. Do the conductors take credit cards on the train. Can the family bedroom hold five for a daytrip? Would that be in your opinions a crazy waste of money???

Thanks in advance for your help. You've got a great board here and I hope to provide alll of you with a report after we are done with our vacation.

1. South gate in Chicago is kind of challenging in general, but for most long distance trains, they board seniors 62 and over first and then families with small children--I would say by 2:30 should put you in reasonable shape.

2. There is one giant overhead area for everyone so it's kind of hard to say--each car also has an area downstairs as well for larger bags--Kansas City does have checked bags as such. Maybe someone else on the board knows how fast things close in Kansas City. I carry on both a laptop bag stuffed to the gills and also an athletic bag usually stuffed to the gills and they both clear--the latter being a bit more of a wrestling match since it usually has both a bunch of water and soda in it.

 

[da40flyer]

[

I had the same fear with my 2 kids and I on the Coast Starlight a couple weeks ago about getting seats together. It turned out not to be a problem at all. I made sure the coach attendant knew it was 3 of us with 2 kids, they made it work out for us with no issues on getting seats together.

 

[printman2000]

You could always take a Missouri train to St Louis then Chicago. Since it orginates in KC, you are more likey to get all together. It looks like it may be cheaper than the SWC as well, though takes longer.