Travelling when Disabled

[Ava]

Hi everyone. Hope I'm on the correct forum!

We are NZer's (two couples), booked into roomettes for the LA to New Orleans trip later this year and then, later in the month, on the Zephyr to return from Chicago to the West Coast. Sadly, one of our party has had a stroke and is - at this stage), unable to walk unaided.

My husband and I have done the California Zephyr trip, San Francisco to Chicago and return and were very keen to show my sister and hubby what travelling on the Amtrak is like (we loved it!). Now BIL has had a stroke

Question is...how do we get him downstairs to shower and toilet? Our roomette on our last trip on the Zephyr actually had a toilet in it - is this normal?

It appears the only option Amtrak can offer is a dowstairs room, with all his meals brought down to him. Not much fun!

Any ideas anyone?

Many thanks and have a great day.

Ava

 

[PennCentralFan]

Hmmm I think the downstairs room the family room with meals brought down might actually be your only option. Wheel chairs won't fit in the aisles in the upper level. I actually think he would have to be carried to up and down the stairs, I was just on the EB super lines last night I think he would have to be carried up the stairs and to the diner. Now they do have evac chairs that could do that but I doubt amtrak has those and the personal to do that. They are met only for emergencies.

You're best bet in the bottom is the family bedroom which does not have a toilet or shower in it.

 

[Willie1946]

Roomettes, which have numbers, do not have showers or toilets. There is however one toilet upstairs. Bedrooms, which have letters, A,B,C,D,E include a small toilet/shower room. If possible, avoid room A, the shower is configured differently and difficult to get into. B&C or D&E can be joined into a single larger room by sliding back a wall. There is one bedroom downstairs, Bedroom H, that has a toilet and room to maneuver a wheelchair but it has no shower. Of course the shower room is nearby.

 

[Rail Freak]

I bet he/she will really appreciate the effort to make everything as comfortable & enjoyable as possible!!! I, for one, would like to say :hi: to you ! My very 1st Amtrak, STP -ORL - WAS-CHI-SEA-SAC - CHI - WAS-STP, I had just had surgery & I went by myself. I had the Handicap Rm.

Just Do It

Have Fun

 

[the_traveler]

There are 4 roomettes on the lower level, #11-14. These do not have toilets in the room. (There are 3 toilets and the shower also on the lower level.) There is also the H-Room (Handicapped bedroom) on the lower level which does have an in room toilet. I would not recommend the Family Room for more than 2 adults. While it does have 4 berths, 2 of them are less than 4'9" (175 cm) long!

I am handicapped also. All access to other cars is via the upper level only. This includes the Dining Car and Lounge Car. Is there any way he can get up the stairs. (He really only needs to do so once per trip, at the beginning and at the end. There is a toilet in the sleeping cars on the upper level. I also think the view is better on the upper level. Roomettes are #2-10 and the bedrooms are A-E.

I usually stay in my room and try to move while the train is stopped. If I'm in the Lounge Car (for example), I wait for the train to stop before I move (if I can). If I do have to move while the train is in motion, I use the seatbacks and/or walls for support.

Enjoy your holiday!

 

[June the Coach Rider]

If you are able to get two bedrooms side by side and use them as a suite like mentioned above, then he would have a bathroom and shower in the room. Is he able to do stairs at all? The stairs are narrow and I as disabled use the walls to lean on as I struggle up or down the stairs. I travel by coach and stay in the lower level seats, but depending on my pain level, I do wander upstairs once a trip.

Edited to add: Or you could get a roomette for you and your husband and a bedroom for them, If he can walk with assistance to the lounge car, you could spend the time in there or all of you spend the time in their bedroom during the day and then you and your husband retire to your roomette to sleep.

 

[VentureForth]

All good advice. To recap:

You can book two roomettes DOWNSTAIRS and have access to the showers. You can book one roomette and an accessible room downstairs with a private toilet - same price as the roomette, and you still use the community shower.

If you BIL can make it up and down the stairs ONCE per trip, you would have a much more scenic experience. With at least one bedroom and a roomette, you can have a private shower and toilet. This will cost more than two roomettes or a roomette and an accessible room.

In all cases, your meals can always be brought to you.

I appreciate your dedication to continue to treat your sister and brother in law to a fantastic experience on Amtrak as you visit our beautiful country!

Also click on Amtrak's 3D virtual tour here. It will give you a good image of all the accomodations talked about in the posts above.

 

[me_little_me]

He should be eligible for the Handicapped Room (if available) at Roomette rate. If you could help him up and down the stairs (they are pretty narrow and curved), then he can have a meal in the diner and sit and relax in the lounge for at least one meal.

 

[Nathanael]

If he only needs a *little* help walking, you might do fine upstairs.

The stairs are narrow and turn sharply. The connections between cars can be slippery, can move underneath you, and so can be dangerous. If he needs a lot of help walking, you want him to be downstairs.

Remember to make reservations specifying that he is disabled -- online, there's a special section of the website for it; if you make a phone call, tell them this first. He and one other person to help him (presumably your sister) then get the 20% disability discount on the entire reservation.

Also, if you have Amtrak note it on the reservation, the conductors and car attendants are supposed to be alerted in advance to the fact that he may need assistance getting on or off the train (where there are often steps).