Amtrak: a partial trip report

[RedSox68]

We have a round-trip booked on Amtrak next month in roomettes. We were thinking of switching the return to coach seats to save a couple hundred.

Is it worth it? Anyone done both and have a preference/tip/review? Thanks.

To make clear, this is not the auto train we are taking, but a regular Amtrak from Philadelphia to Palatka, FL.

EDITED TO ADD: See page 5 for partial trip report.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I found coach seats to be very uncomfortable to sleep in. Plus if it's a busy train it will be full of other people. Once it gets to "lights out", everyone is pretty much quiet, but before that you can run into bad luck and end up with a four year old who kicks your chair and uses foul language. Plus you can have the bad luck of getting a chair that doesn't recline correctly.

(That was the auto train, but a coach seat is a coach seat, regardless).

 

[Hikergirl]

On a trip that long I'd gladly spend the extra couple hundred for a roomette.
I took Amtrack from NY to VA once, and I will never do that again. Ever.

 

[RedSox68]

On a trip that long I'd gladly spend the extra couple hundred for a roomette.
I took Amtrack from NY to VA once, and I will never do that again. Ever.

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. But I think that the PP's story about a 4-year-old that was using foul language is more disturbing!

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Get the roomette. We went from Atlanta to NY in coach last year. Never again. The worst was the bathrooms. They were foul by the time we got there, the attendant wasn't cleaning them and apparently some folks have trouble aiming on a moving train.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Don't forget the many station stops overnight. People will be coming and going at all hours (gathering/storing luggage, finding/getting up from seats, etc.). Both trains that serve Palatka have 5 stops between midnight and 6 AM.

Throw in other people's flatulence, snoring, sleep talking, and phone conversations. Does overnight in coach sound fun?

 

[RedSox68]

Don't forget the many station stops overnight. People will be coming and going at all hours (gathering/storing luggage, finding/getting up from seats, etc.). Both trains that serve Palatka have 5 stops between midnight and 6 AM.

Throw in other people's flatulence, snoring, sleep talking, and phone conversations. Does overnight in coach sound fun?

UGH -- I didn't think about flatulence And I did forget about people getting off and on. Thanks so much.

 

[RangerPooh]

I've only ever had coach seats. My trip was from Spokane, WA to Chicago, IL by myself with two toddlers, ages 1 and 3. The seats were fine, but if it wasn't a last minute trip I would have sprung for a roomette. Thankfully the girls were well behaved (for their ages) during our 40 hour trip...it was a bit longer than the 36 predicted. But it would have given them more room to move and me more comfort with taking a nap while monitoring them and our belongings. Ultimately, it was not the end of the world. The seats were fine for the trip and amount that we paid. Plus the outlets were a huge plus.

 

[punkin]

Only took the autotrain in coach. One of the chairs wouldn't recline. It was not a restful night. How many "couple" hundred are we talking about for how many people? It would have tp be huge for me to even consider coach again.

 

[LSLS]

Depends on the trip. I did a coach trip cross country, and it was not my favorite thing. It's fine if your train is not full so you get the row to yourself. But a big thing to remember is food. That cross country trip involved buying a lot of meals and such, which add up quick. Roomettes give you your meals. Also, the type of train makes a world of difference. The single story trains are a TON more cramped than the double decker trains. I did a roomette once and it was amazing. It was SO relaxing and great to watch the scenery. But, I also found an amazing deal on it, so well worth it. Like I said, I think if you are on a single story train it's much more worth it. I also think if you have the cash to burn (and remember, factor in how you will eat meals) it is well worth it too.

 

[aprilgail]

Get the roomette. We went from Atlanta to NY in coach last year. Never again. The worst was the bathrooms. They were foul by the time we got there, the attendant wasn't cleaning them and apparently some folks have trouble aiming on a moving train.

I agree! The bathroom was a major reason we got the roomette! We loved the roomette- we even had our meals brought to us in there because in the dining car they sat 2 other people with you and we were not crazy about that.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Depends on the trip. I did a coach trip cross country, and it was not my favorite thing. It's fine if your train is not full so you get the row to yourself. But a big thing to remember is food. That cross country trip involved buying a lot of meals and such, which add up quick. Roomettes give you your meals. Also, the type of train makes a world of difference. The single story trains are a TON more cramped than the double decker trains. I did a roomette once and it was amazing. It was SO relaxing and great to watch the scenery. But, I also found an amazing deal on it, so well worth it. Like I said, I think if you are on a single story train it's much more worth it. I also think if you have the cash to burn (and remember, factor in how you will eat meals) it is well worth it too.

That reminded me of something else, the food situation. Food on the train was BAD BAD BAD, $$$$$$$$, and frequently unavailable. When the dining car and snack counter were open they were usually out of everything except booze, which came in handy about 6 hours into the 18 hour trip. Definitely pack some snacks.

 

[RedSox68]

Depends on the trip. I did a coach trip cross country, and it was not my favorite thing. It's fine if your train is not full so you get the row to yourself. But a big thing to remember is food. That cross country trip involved buying a lot of meals and such, which add up quick. Roomettes give you your meals. Also, the type of train makes a world of difference. The single story trains are a TON more cramped than the double decker trains. I did a roomette once and it was amazing. It was SO relaxing and great to watch the scenery. But, I also found an amazing deal on it, so well worth it. Like I said, I think if you are on a single story train it's much more worth it. I also think if you have the cash to burn (and remember, factor in how you will eat meals) it is well worth it too.

The return trip would save us $200. We got a great sale price on the trip down. The meals doing down are not included as that train doesn't have a dining car, but our price was very low reflecting that factor.

I agree! The bathroom was a major reason we got the roomette! We loved the roomette- we even had our meals brought to us in there because in the dining car they sat 2 other people with you and we were not crazy about that.

I did not know we could have our meals brought to us! Does that include breakfast on the last morning? Thanks.

 

[LSLS]

The return trip would save us $200. We got a great sale price on the trip down. The meals doing down are not included as that train doesn't have a dining car, but our price was very low reflecting that factor.

So my guess is you are going on one of the silver routes, which means it goes through NYC, which means single decker. Honestly when you think of food for 2 throughout the day, you are probably talking closer to $100. If it's me, I think it's well worth the extra money (unless you really need that money for something else). Also check out refund policies, I'm not sure you get the full refund.

 

[punkin]

Imo, $200 is worth it for a roomette.

 

[bcla]

It's really up to you and your own tolerance for sitting in a coach seat. All the coach seats in Amtrak long-distance (overnight) routes are large reclining seats with footrests. They're about the size of airline first class although there's no center armrest. You can easily lean all the way back and the passenger behind you will barely notice.

I've done overnight once on a Superliner car - upper level. The only thing I wish I'd brought was one of those inflatable neck pillows because they're really no support. Something like those new style airline headrests with an adjustable cupping support would have been ideal. Other than that it was quite roomy and almost everyone knows how to behave when boarding in the middle of the night.

I guess a roomette is fine, but the top bed is supposed to be somewhat cramped. The advantage is that it will come with meals included, so factor that into your cost calculations. Also you're allowed to consume your own alcohol brought onboard in your own room.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

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. But I think that the PP's story about a 4-year-old that was using foul language is more disturbing!

And actually I think he was three.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Lord, get the Roomette! I have done both. I've been tossing and turning in my coach seat while people all around me snored and farted. I've shared a bathroom with dozens of people who peed on the seat and surrounding floor because of the moving train.

In the roomette I had curtains to pull so I wouldn't wake up when pulling into a station. I had my own toilet and sink for privacy and cleanliness. I had privacy, period. A bed, even though very small, was a bed and boy was it welcome.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

I did not know we could have our meals brought to us! Does that include breakfast on the last morning? Thanks.

It's not that formal of a thing. You can ask the attendants to bring the meal to your room, but its not part of standard service. And the attendants usually use the time that you are in the dining car to make-up/close-up your bed.

Here's a post from Flyer-talk that explains it well:

Yes, you can request room service from your sleeping car attendant. They are required to provide it as an ADA accommodation to pax with disabilities, but Amtrak has also marketed it as an amenity. Just beware that the attendant may need to prioritize those who need it over those who want it. The numbers vary on each run, and it's probably easier with a Viewliner sleeper as on the Crescent (as opposed to the double-decker, higher-capacity Superliners).

Talk to your attendant upon boarding. Explain that you'd prefer to eat in your room as much as possible, offer a generous tip upfront (maybe $10-20), and be flexible with scheduling meal times. It may also be possible to order from the attendant in advance but pick up the to-go orders from the diner yourself. So, you could ask about that alternative as well.

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[bcla]

I agree! The bathroom was a major reason we got the roomette! We loved the roomette- we even had our meals brought to us in there because in the dining car they sat 2 other people with you and we were not crazy about that.

You could probably ask for it when the dining car attendant comes by with reservation times. Breakfast is FCFS so you'd probably need to mention that to the sleeper attendant.