Arrival to LA and Final Thoughts
We arrived into LA just after 10pm. The last few stops, Simi Valley, Van Nuys and Burbank, only one or two people got off. It takes about 30 minutes from Burbank Airport to LA Union Station, so you really need to get yourself together the last 40 minutes or so. I could really feel the atmosphere change from relaxed to hustle we need to get things done.
As soon as I booked the train back in November, I started following Amtrak on Social media. They are very active and give great updates about all the routes, if there are delays or any important info passengers need to know. As a result, I was aware that we could be delayed arriving to LA. We were about 40 minutes late in the end, but its still a delay. I wouldnt advise having any plans made the night of arrival at your final destination. Some trains get delayed by hours. Amtrak shares the tracks on different routes with other train companies. In various places the freight and cargo trains get priority on lines, so Amtrak trains get held on side lines so the freight and cargo trains can go past.
I have been to LA Union station many times, I am familiar with the layout, but still I was a little disorientated getting off the train. I followed the signs to the Amtrak bag reclaim. This is a small area to the left side of Starbucks in the West Concourse of Union Station.
There were about 15 people there but it was a very small stuffy area with a tiny bag carrousel. There were signs that bags could take up to 30 minutes and that was about right.
Once the bags came though and everyone picked their bag, there was an Amtrak agent at the entrance, checking that the bag reclaim tag we had on our tickets matched the bags we took off the carousel.
Once I had my bag, it was about 10.30pm and I went outside to get a taxi. Normally I don't use metered taxis due to traffic as even a short journey can get expensive. But the hotel I had booked was only about 2 miles away and at 10.30pm, traffic is not an issue. The taxi fare cost me $7
Extra Info
Booking Amtrak
Amtrak like airlines uses dynamic booking, meaning the fares increase in price the nearer to journey date you book. I booked 7 months in advance and paid just over $500 for the roomette. The fares start around $400 I think. On the train I met two ladies who were booked business class. They had wanted a roomette but when they checked prices it had gone up to $1100. I booked direct through Amtrak website and had no issues paying with my Irish credit card.
Luggage - On this route, a
checked bag service was available. This was really useful for me, as being an international traveler I had a 50 pound roller as well as carry on bags. I checked my bag at Seattle and didnt have to worry about it. Other than checking a bag, luggage storage is very limited. The carriages are 2 level with most of the seats and rooms on the upper level. The stairs are very narrow and a bit steep, so it would be very difficult to manhandle my 50 pound roller up and down. There is a luggage store rack in each carriage , in the sleeper carriages this is on the lower level, so its up to you if you want to leave your bag unattended. There is very little space in the rooms for luggage, I had my airplane small roller and thats about all there is room for.
Also remember that for checked bags, you need to arrive about an hour before your train departs, so that Amtrak have time to load the bags onto the train.
Like with airlines, you will be given a bag reclaim ticket and Amtrak will check this when you collect your bag, so dont loose it.
And again, if you check a bag, you need to allow time at your destination for the bags to be unloaded.
Another thing to remember about your carry on bags. If you have a sleeper room, they only lock on the inside. So when you leave your room, anyone passing by can go in. Amtrak is relatively safe, and only sleeper passengers have access to sleeper carriages, but at the same time, you are travelling with strangers. You just dont know, staff or passengers could have sticky fingers. Make sure to keep all your important things in one bag which you can easily pick up whenever you decide to go for a walk. Also put your train ticket into this bag, as when you get off the train at a rest stop, the train station staff could ask to check your ticket before getting back on the train. I heard some passengers talking about this. They got off and went into the station shop but were asked for their tickets before getting back onto the train.
Tipping
Yes this America , so tipping is the done thing for train staff. I did my research on this and basically any train staff that you interact with, you should tip. How much you tip depends on the service they provide.
- Amtrak Red Cap Assistance - if you need help with bags or need assistance getting from the train and platform to the station concourse - like a Bell Hop at hotels approx $2 or $3 per bag / person
- Room / Carriage Attendant - the main person you will interact with on your journey approx $10 per person per night
- Restaurant Staff- Approx $3 per person per meal
I had already planned that I would be ordering room service and I knew I wouldnt need assistance at the stations, so I had budgeted that my room attendant would get all the tips.
I gave Daisy $20 when she brought my dinner on the first night and I also gave her $20 when she brought my dinner on the second night. The room attendants are on call for the entire 30 plus hours of the journey. They have a staff rest area but they dont get proper sleep breaks like the airline flight crews. They have a lot of duties, not just changing the rooms from day to night and night to day, but they also do room service for drinks and meals, keep the restrooms clean, look after the complimentary coffee and water station and empty the trash bins throughout their carriage. At every station, they open the door to their carriage for passengers to get and off. Depending on how busy the train is, they will also help their colleagues in other sleeper carriages and the restaurant dining carriage.
On the second night I also gave Daisy $10 for the 2 chefs. Being a former chef, I know that chefs are the forgotten ones in the service industry. The food does not magically appear when the restaurant staff press a button, real people work very hard in cramped conditions to make the food. Daisy was surprised but very grateful on behalf of the chefs, as she knows how hard they work. She told me that she gives them money from her tips, but people dont realize that and it reduces the money she actually makes. I gave her a little note for the chefs, just to say thanks for the great food.
Food
On this route, lunch and dinner on the first day and breakfast, lunch and dinner on the second day were included. Alcohol is also available, you get one adult beverage included but if you want more you can buy it. You can ask your room attendant for room service drinks or you can buy alcohol in the snack cafe.
You can bring your own snacks onto the train, which you can eat in your room or in the viewing carriage.
Wifi
On this route there was no Wifi, but on other Amtrak trains / routes there is. If you book Amtrak, just check about the availability of Wifi.
General Safety
While Amtrak is a relatively safe way to travel, like everything be aware of your personal safety. When I was in my room, I kept the door locked. There were a few funny incidents with other passengers trying to open my door. One time two ladies were coming through the corridor. One lady was insisting they were in the right carriage, her friend was telling her no, we need to go one more. They tried my door and it was locked, but I moved the curtain and waved and they fell about laughing and the friend said, see I told you were in the wrong carriage. Another time a child went to the restroom nearby and got confused and tried to open my door.
Both of these are harmless and funny but at the same time, it just shows that you are travelling with strangers and you still need to be aware of others behavior.
The same when chatting to fellow passengers. Its human nature to share info about yourself but you dont know who you are talking to or what they could do with the info you tell them. Be mindful of what you tell people and that others can hear your conversation.
Also be aware that you are on a moving train during the night and while rare incidents do happen to trains. You are in a private locked room , but its not a hotel room, so be a bit conscious of what you wear or dont wear for sleeping. The restrooms are shared, so you could meet fellow passengers or train staff if you leave your room in the middle of the night. Also if there is an issue, you could have to leave the train in the middle of the night, so again keep your important things handy in case you have to leave in a hurry.
YouTube
YouTube is an amazing resource for Amtrak train journeys. Some people have entire channels just for Amtrak, some people just have a few videos about specific routes.
There is so much info and videos on YouTube, from the different routes, to the different types of rooms, to hints and tips. Theres room tour videos, food review videos and station tour videos.
While I had an amazing experience in a sleeper room, I know that not everyone can afford that. From my walk around the train, the coach seats looked great for people on a budget, you still get to experience the same scenery and you have access to the viewing carriage and you can bring your own food or buy from the snack car. I'm used to 10 hour transatlantic flights in economy seats , so the Amtrak coach seats would be a similar experience.
Im sure I have forgotten some things but if anyone has any questions, I hopefully will be able to answer.
