Sort of Newbie with questions...

[deathcabforchristina]

This is my second time taking amtrak... (been a while.. first time was kind of awful but I am giving it a second shot, had hours upon hours of delays etc etc due to a winter blizzard) The last time I rode with my boyfriend, and this time I will be alone, I am a bigger girl (even more so since the last time I traveled on amtrak) how big are the seats? what is the likely hood that I will be able to get a seat alone? I know I will have trouble sleeping if I have a seatmate. I will be traveling mid august from Baltimore to Chicago and then an amtrak bus to rockford, Il. Whats the situation with electrical outlets? I will be bringing a laptop and an ipad to watch videos and read books and will need to charge these every few hours... also whats the deal with the bus from amtrak? will tell me where to go? will the buses be outside?

If this is TLDR for you heres a summary:

1. How big are the seats?

2. What are the chances I can get a seat alone?

3. Are there outlets at the seats?

4. How do I catch the amtrak bus?

5. How much is the food on the diner car and what is offered?

any other tips would be good....

I will be taking the capitol limited there on august 13 and the cardinal back on august 21..

 

[jdcnosse]

While I may not be able to answer all of your questions I can answer some of them. So far I have taken the Pere Marquette, Wolverine (both Michigan based) and Southwest Chief. My last trip via the Southwest Chief (LA to Chicago), I got on at Flagstaff, and because there was so little people traveling that day (it was a monday) I had my own seat until the next day when we pulled into Kansas City. However the first trip via the Southwest Chief I had a seatmate nearly the whole way there.

As for the sleeping part, I've gone round trip on the Southwest Chief twice now, and each time when it comes to sleeping I have gotten a whole seat to myself. I've been told that overnight if you're able to find an open seat and the train attendant says it's alright, you can move there for the night so that you can stretch out. I haven't had to move but I'm assuming my seatmates went somewhere. lol

As for the outlets, I've been told that it's not a guarantee as some of the older cars only have two outlets in the very middle for the custodial crew. That being said, I've traveled from Grand Rapids to Flagstaff round trip twice now (via the Pere Marquette and the Southwest Chief) and I've always had outlets near my seat. Problem is there is only two per set of seats, so I recommend what someone told me, and bring an extension cord/multi-strip/surge protector. If you have a seatmate and there are only two plugs...well yeah. I had two cell phones and an iPod so I needed the extra plugs.

I believe the long distance trains typically have a dining car and a cafe car, but as for price I'm not sure as I haven't actually eaten on the train yet. (I tend to just bring my own food)

 

[the_traveler]

Welcome!

And I'm glad that you're giving Amtrak a 2nd chance!

1. How big are the seats?

I would compare the width of the seats with Business Class on an international flight.

2. What are the chances I can get a seat alone?

It's a gamble, especially on popular routes in the middle of summer.

3. Are there outlets at the seats?

Based on what I have seen lately, I would say your chances of finding at-seat power at 90%+! And if by some chance your seat does not, walk thru other cars, and if you find an empty seat with a plug, ask that car's attendant if you can more. (Most often the answer is yes!

) Then also notify your original car's attendant that you are moving.

4. How do I catch the amtrak bus?

I really don't know. but if you ask any Amtrak employee at Union Station, they'll direct you to the right place.

5. How much is the food on the diner car and what is offered?

Check out THIS PAGE and click on the links for the Capitol Limited and the Cardinal to get an idea of the food items. They both offer a selection at the cafe.

any other tips would be good....

Enjoy your trip!