Amtrak: a partial trip report

[RedSox68]

I guess its the design: and all the fabric and carpet next to the 'bowl'....who knows how careful that previous roomette occupant was.

That's why we're packing seat covers and clorox wipes

 

[RedSox68]

Sooo, what do y'all leave as a tip for the room steward?

And if you had a roomette, what kind of luggage have you brought and where did you store it?

Thanks for all the great answers and tips so far.

 

[JaxDad]

Amtrak trains run near our home. Sometimes, as one goes by, I tell my children we should do an overnight train trip to DC or NYC. I have even looked at the schedules and prices, but always decided to keep putting it off. On a trip to DC a couple years ago, it was just so much more convenient, faster, and even cheaper to fly. However, I never totally gave up on the idea of such a train trip sometime in the near future. Until reading this thread...

 

[RedSox68]

Amtrak trains run near our home. Sometimes, as one goes by, I tell my children we should do an overnight train trip to DC or NYC. I have even looked at the schedules and prices, but always decided to keep putting it off. On a trip to DC a couple years ago, it was just so much more convenient, faster, and even cheaper to fly. However, I never totally gave up on the idea of such a train trip sometime in the near future. Until reading this thread...

Nah, this thread hasn't discouraged me. I'm excited for the adventure -- whatever it brings. If we don't like it, we can say we did it and fly next time LOL. [We're strictly doing this to try it and not to save time or money]

 

[JaxDad]

Nah, this thread hasn't discouraged me. I'm excited for the adventure -- whatever it brings. If we don't like it, we can say we did it and fly next time LOL. [We're strictly doing this to try it and not to save time or money]

Oh, I understand. Like I said, I still think about it when I see the train go by. I have done overnight sleepers and coach seat trips in Europe. And I even did a coach seat roundtrip on Amtrak from Virginia to NYC (back when I was in my twenties, and I was traveling with a bunch of other dudes in their twenties, and all we brought was beer and toothbrushes). I just don't think it's for me now. That photo of the toilet next to the seat...what?!?!

 

[jetskigrl]

Sooo, what do y'all leave as a tip for the room steward?

And if you had a roomette, what kind of luggage have you brought and where did you store it?

Thanks for all the great answers and tips so far.

Tips for the room steward are at your discretion and I always give mine at the end of the trip. There really isn't any guideline for it. Some say $10/night/person but I always base mine on how much the person did for us and our interactions with them. We had one that went out of his way to fix an issue in our room (took a long time), was super attentive the whole trip, etc. We tipped him $100 on a two-day trip (4 people in a 2-bedroom suite, which is really just two connecting bedrooms, LOL).

Also, even though your meals are included in the dining car, the tips are not. So you should plan to tip something for the wait staff that serves you also.

I'm not sure about the Viewliner cars (single level) but on the Superliner (2-level) there are luggage racks on the lower level right by the doors. I believe the Viewliner roomettes have an overhead luggage space but I'm not sure how large it is. You can probably find that information on Amtrak's website.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Sooo, what do y'all leave as a tip for the room steward?

And if you had a roomette, what kind of luggage have you brought and where did you store it?

Thanks for all the great answers and tips so far.

Here's a link on Amtrak tipping that I feel is accurate and lays out the why and how much nicely IMO:

http://www.trainsandtravel.com/2013/12/16/tipping-your-amtrak-car-attendant-when-and-how-much/


We are bringing the same size luggage we use for non check in plane travel. The overhead luggage "nook" will fit 2 of them on the Viewliner but if you have more or bigger luggage just check it within the car and use a tote bag to store whatever you need in your roomette.

PS: I'm assuming w/ a online name that includes "RedSox" you'll be traveling in a Viewliner.

 

[donac]

A roomette does not have a bathroom. A sleeper car has its own bathroom. But the car with the roomettes and sleepers have their own bathrooms and gets a lot less use. We were told that the top bunk on the northeast run is a lot roomier. We did an overnight trip out and an overnight trip back on two different trains. The first has no good night light and was tight for my husband. The second one had a great night light and more room.

 

[donac]

They will check your big bags and you can only bring on a small carry on. They also had places on the lower level (we had a double level car) for the big suitcases. You have no room to store anything bigger than a carry on. We did bring a small pillow to supplement the pillow we got. We also brought a tablet with some movies on it and my nook so I could read.

Sooo, what do y'all leave as a tip for the room steward?

And if you had a roomette, what kind of luggage have you brought and where did you store it?

Thanks for all the great answers and tips so far.

 

[NYCgrrl]

A roomette does not have a bathroom. A sleeper car has its own bathroom. But the car with the roomettes and sleepers have their own bathrooms and gets a lot less use. We were told that the top bunk on the northeast run is a lot roomier. We did an overnight trip out and an overnight trip back on two different trains. The first has no good night light and was tight for my husband. The second one had a great night light and more room.

On the East coast or at least on the Silver line, a roomette and bedroom both have toilets and sinks; the bedroom also has a private shower and the roomette compartments use a public shower; remember to bring your flip flops, no matter what bathing facilities you have, LOL.
When we booked in mid August all the bedrooms were already taken.

Nah, this thread hasn't discouraged me. I'm excited for the adventure -- whatever it brings. If we don't like it, we can say we did it and fly next time LOL. [We're strictly doing this to try it and not to save time or money]

We will be using AMTRAK one way into Kissimmee and returning home via Jet Blue. It would probably have been less expensive to take one mode of transport r/t but not knowing what the weather will be like and seeing some real horror scenes on the local news at airports during the holidays, I decided this would be the best option for us for this travel period. We'll have the added bonus of a calm locale for DGD to do her homework packet (it's hugeee) and if she can complete it on the trip down there will be less Nonnie nagging and time taken away from Disney oohing and aahing.

 

[bcla]

A roomette does not have a bathroom. A sleeper car has its own bathroom. But the car with the roomettes and sleepers have their own bathrooms and gets a lot less use. We were told that the top bunk on the northeast run is a lot roomier. We did an overnight trip out and an overnight trip back on two different trains. The first has no good night light and was tight for my husband. The second one had a great night light and more room.

A Viewliner roomette does have a toilet and sink, but a Superliner roomette doesn't. They're normally not visible. The toilet lid looks like a countertop, while the sink opens up from the wall. It's shown at about 3:30 in the following video:

They will check your big bags and you can only bring on a small carry on. They also had places on the lower level (we had a double level car) for the big suitcases. You have no room to store anything bigger than a carry on. We did bring a small pillow to supplement the pillow we got. We also brought a tablet with some movies on it and my nook so I could read.

Not quite. Amtrak's definition of a carry-on (up to 28"x22"x14" and 50 lbs) is considerably more generous than airlines. While the maximum size isn't specified in linear inches (Amtrak is 75 inches while most US airlines are 63 inches) like check-in baggage, I could bring on my normal check-in sized baggage. There's generally been an unwritten rule that as long as you can carry it on yourself and there's a place to put it, you can bring it on yourself. If Amtrak staff are really sticklers, there's a $20 charge for each piece that's oversized (but theoretically not overweight) or even more than the two allowed pieces of carry-on per passenger. There's also a long list of special items (like musical instruments) where one can pay a fee as well as things like baby items that are free. The stroller I brought for my kid's use was easily over 28", but there was a place to put it. I've also seen a guitar case that was at least 40".

https://www.amtrak.com/carry-on-baggage

Here's the sizer that many stations have.

The OP is going to/from Palatka, FL which doesn't have baggage service. It might be possible to check in baggage to the last staffed station on the route (or even other routes) before the destination but how convenient that is depends on the particular trip.

 

[aprilgail]

A roomette does not have a bathroom. A sleeper car has its own bathroom. But the car with the roomettes and sleepers have their own bathrooms and gets a lot less use. We were told that the top bunk on the northeast run is a lot roomier. We did an overnight trip out and an overnight trip back on two different trains. The first has no good night light and was tight for my husband. The second one had a great night light and more room.

Not true. Maybe some do not but the ones i have taken had toilet and sink in the roomette

 

[bcla]

Not true. Maybe some do not but the ones i have taken had toilet and sink in the roomette

That poster mentioned bilevel cars which on Amtrak long-distance routes can only be Superliner cars. Those definitely don't have their own toilets, but Viewliner roomettes do.

 

[jetskigrl]

Amtrak trains run near our home. Sometimes, as one goes by, I tell my children we should do an overnight train trip to DC or NYC. I have even looked at the schedules and prices, but always decided to keep putting it off. On a trip to DC a couple years ago, it was just so much more convenient, faster, and even cheaper to fly. However, I never totally gave up on the idea of such a train trip sometime in the near future. Until reading this thread...

Awww, don't give up on it. My DS and I did an 8-night, cross country trip in April and we loved every minute of it. I loaded up my Kindle with new books (never opened it once) and we added movies to our ipads (only watched one). We just really enjoyed the views and hanging out together. We went from LA to Portland (two nights in Portland), Portland to Chicago (one night there) and then Chicago back to LA. We were in Roomettes for the first two legs and then a bedroom for the last one. We had so much fun that we are already planning our next adventure.

Nah, this thread hasn't discouraged me. I'm excited for the adventure -- whatever it brings. If we don't like it, we can say we did it and fly next time LOL. [We're strictly doing this to try it and not to save time or money]

Yeah, it doesn't save time or money but it sure is a relaxing way to travel if you aren't in a big hurry I hope you have a great trip!

 

[RedSox68]

A roomette does not have a bathroom. A sleeper car has its own bathroom. But the car with the roomettes and sleepers have their own bathrooms and gets a lot less use. We were told that the top bunk on the northeast run is a lot roomier. We did an overnight trip out and an overnight trip back on two different trains. The first has no good night light and was tight for my husband. The second one had a great night light and more room.

Yes, our roomette has a toilet, no shower.

They will check your big bags and you can only bring on a small carry on. They also had places on the lower level (we had a double level car) for the big suitcases. You have no room to store anything bigger than a carry on. We did bring a small pillow to supplement the pillow we got. We also brought a tablet with some movies on it and my nook so I could read.

The trains we are taking do not have the ability to check luggage. Everything must fit in our room. (We plan on mailing stuff home from Florida should we buy too much)

Here's a link on Amtrak tipping that I feel is accurate and lays out the why and how much nicely IMO:

http://www.trainsandtravel.com/2013/12/16/tipping-your-amtrak-car-attendant-when-and-how-much/


We are bringing the same size luggage we use for non check in plane travel. The overhead luggage "nook" will fit 2 of them on the Viewliner but if you have more or bigger luggage just check it within the car and use a tote bag to store whatever you need in your roomette.

PS: I'm assuming w/ a online name that includes "RedSox" you'll be traveling in a Viewliner.

Yes, we are on a viewliiner. Even though their website for baggage state sizes for full size luggage, we are planning on bringing what the airlines consider "carry on" suitcase and one backpack each. My challenge will be fitting everything in such small suitcases for a week of travel

QUESTION: How were the temps in the roomettes for anyone who traveled in November or December? Too chilly, controllable?

 

[donac]

bcla Thanks for the video. It was very different than the one we had on our trips out west. My dh would have loved the window for the upper bunk. We did like the train ride but the car you had would have been even better.

 

[RedSox68]

Here's a link on Amtrak tipping that I feel is accurate and lays out the why and how much nicely IMO:

http://www.trainsandtravel.com/2013/12/16/tipping-your-amtrak-car-attendant-when-and-how-much/

This website is amazing. I found so many of his articles about the roomettes and dining and other helpful tips. Thanks so much.

 

[bcla]

Yes, we are on a viewliiner. Even though their website for baggage state sizes for full size luggage, we are planning on bringing what the airlines consider "carry on" suitcase and one backpack each. My challenge will be fitting everything in such small suitcases for a week of travel

QUESTION: How were the temps in the roomettes for anyone who traveled in November or December? Too chilly, controllable?

Theoretically there's a limited amount of extra storage space in each sleeper car outside of the rooms, but it's very limited. Maybe space for two or three bags depending on what size. They're often going to be taken if you're boarding later on the route. However, they might place them in the coach cars since there's space for them. On Superliner equipment I've seen lots of baggage placed in the lower level. My kid's stroller was placed there rather than myself trying to haul it upstairs and place it in a rack.

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/40346-luggage-storage-on-viewliners/

http://blog.amtrak.com/2013/03/roomette-with-a-view-or-two/

Here's their photo of the thermostat:

I guess it could be worse. I've told the story of the time (early 90s) when I took a trip with my parents to Australia right after my college graduation ceremony. I mean - I went straight from my commencement, tossed my rented gown in the collection bin at the venue, and we all drove down to Southern California to take a flight to Sydney. During the trip we took an overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne in a "first class" car. It was OK. The seats were fabric and each pair could rotate to the other direction. Our only problem was that it was late May and basically during the Australian winter and the heat in our car was malfunctioning. We thought it would be heated and checked in our baggage that contained warmer clothing. We looked around and the next "first class" car had heat so my dad suggested we go there since there were plenty of seats open. Then the conductor comes by and tells several of us (not just my family) that we're not allowed to be anywhere except in our assigned car/seats, and he doesn't care if there's no heat. We just accept it rather than get tossed outside where it's even colder and try to sleep. Then in the middle of the night we're all asleep in this really cold car and the conductor who relieved the previous one is waking up people asking us to move to another car with heat. That was just mind boggling that his colleague was suck a stickler for the rules that he wouldn't allow us to even stay warm.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Yes, our roomette has a toilet, no shower.



The trains we are taking do not have the ability to check luggage. Everything must fit in our room. (We plan on mailing stuff home from Florida should we buy too much)



Yes, we are on a viewliiner. Even though their website for baggage state sizes for full size luggage, we are planning on bringing what the airlines consider "carry on" suitcase and one backpack each. My challenge will be fitting everything in such small suitcases for a week of travel

QUESTION: How were the temps in the roomettes for anyone who traveled in November or December? Too chilly, controllable?

I can't say I've ever traveled on a US train before during Nov. or December in a roomette but I plan to be proactive on our December trip and either buy an oversized cashmere throw ( I wuvvvv that stuff and have promised myself one for years; so lightweight, warm and easy to pack and then use at home) or bring a poncho for the member of our party that will spend more time in the coach seat (prolly me). This should take care of any climate control issues in any part of the train. The poncho solution worked well for me as a single traveler using a Eurail Pass back in the late '70's/early '80's. Had a first class pass but often traveled in 2nd and 3rd class seats. 1st class was often too "stuffy" for me back then.

This website is amazing. I found so many of his articles about the roomettes and dining and other helpful tips. Thanks so much.

Glad you like the site; it has a wealth of info for my side too .

 

[dreiwhit]

Thank you both. My girlfriend just emailed me about her experience in round-trip coach to Florida and they had a miserable drunk disrupting their car all night -- yelling and cursing.

FWIW, if you run into issues like this, talk to the Conductor. The Conductor is the "boss" of the train, and they will put off drunk and unruly passengers at the next station. Sometimes with an accompanying "free" trip to the gray bar hotel!