Amtrak - Going BIG!

[PaunchyPirate]

Go big or go home. Sometimes that's what you gotta do.

I was so intrigued by the recent posts about the Amtrak California Zephyr (CZ) trip that I researched and then decided to book it for this summer. But the more I looked into the other associated travel stuff (hotels, getting to/from Chicago, how long to stay over, etc.), I decided to go big.

First, I'll likely drive to Chicago from PA and store my car somewhere. Maybe at Midway Airport economy parking.

I will depart Chicago on the CZ on June 29th and go all the way to Emeryville (San Francisco), CA. This is 2 nights on the train. I will then spend one night in a San Francisco hotel. I've been to the San Francisco area many, many times, so don't need to sightsee too much, but I'll have a few hours to play around.

Then I will re-board the Amtrak Coast Starlight and go up to Seattle. This will be one night on the train. I will spend an additional night in a Seattle hotel. I have also been in Seattle area many, many times so I will just do some minor sightseeing here too.

The next day, I will get on the Amtrak Empire Builder for the return trip across the northern tier states to Chicago. This will be 2 more nights on the train. Then I'll do a final night in Chicago before returning home to PA. This last leg leaves Seattle on July 4th, so maybe I'll see some fireworks from the train that night.

This will be a solo trip, as a lot of mine tend to be. My usual travel buddy just laughed at me when I asked if he was interested. I booked a "Roomette" which is designed to hold 2, but some seem to think it's better for 1 person. I watched enough videos on YouTube to know it will be fine for me.

So far, I love riding on trains. I have traveled some on European trains, but not on overnights. I have never been on an Amtrak train, and I know that Amtrak is no way near as nice as European trains tend to be. But I think this trip will be fun even though it's a lot of nights in compact living. I guess we'll see if it's a mistake or not. My travel motto when things aren't perfect is that "it's part of the adventure." I love just looking at the landscape scenery and even the human-built stuff as I'm on my car road trips. I'm usually driving so can only see what is safe to look at. Being on the train, I think it will be fun to just sit back and relax and watch the world go by.

Wish me luck!

 

[Dreamer]

I was also intrigued by the recent train post.

Your trip sounds like it will be awesome.

Good luck and I look forward to hearing all about it.

 

[Montecfo]

I like tour sense of adventure! will look forward to the trip report.

 

[Souschef]

Amtrak is great. I have taken the Coast Starlight from Seattle to LA. I agree about European trains. We took trains from Wengen in the Bernese Alps to Monte Carlo. It involved 6 trains, and went very smoothly.

If you really want to go big, try the Trans Siberian Express tourist train.Attached is my story.
http://stevekathytravels.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/aroundtheworldin16days2006.pdf

 

[SnowballCamper]

We've done a couple train trips. The most recent was from the Puget Sound area to San Diego for a Legoland trip. Having a sleeper berth gets you priority seating for the dining car which is a must for me. It's not that the food is great, but that the snack bar food is relatively not good.

Another discovery is that some connecting legs are on a bus. In order to avoid the bus ride (for a big tall guy) I had to book some legs of the trip separately, and got on the much more scenic line along the southern California coast. If you could swing a stop by Glacier National Park, it's magnificent. But don't do it on a whim, as it is a very popular destination, and a departure reservation may be hard to come by...

Engoy the trip!

 

[PaunchyPirate]

We've done a couple train trips. The most recent was from the Puget Sound area to San Diego for a Legoland trip. Having a sleeper berth gets you priority seating for the dining car which is a must for me. It's not that the food is great, but that the snack bar food is relatively not good.

Another discovery is that some connecting legs are on a bus. In order to avoid the bus ride (for a big tall guy) I had to book some legs of the trip separately, and got on the much more scenic line along the southern California coast. If you could swing a stop by Glacier National Park, it's magnificent. But don't do it on a whim, as it is a very popular destination.

Engoy the trip!

Thanks, SnowballCamper. I’ve already been to Glacier National Park. It is indeed magnificent!

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Good luck! That sounds like a great adventure.

 

[GenXguy]

Amtrak is great. I have taken the Coast Starlight from Seattle to LA. I agree about European trains. We took trains from Wengen in the Bernese Alps to Monte Carlo. It involved 6 trains, and went very smoothly.

If you really want to go big, try the Trans Siberian Express tourist train.Attached is my story.
http://stevekathytravels.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/aroundtheworldin16days2006.pdf

That link didn't work for me. The text shows correctly, but the hyperlink shows http//

This one works:

http://stevekathytravels.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/aroundtheworldin16days2006.pdf

 

[Physics Guy]

I wanted to do the Trans Siberian. I even got really into planning for the possibility of leaving Korea by shipping our stuff off to the US while we fly to Beijing to pick up the train into Russia. Covid and now the war have destroyed those plans though.

Your trip sounds great.

 

[RobbieB]

I've always wanted to do a long train ride since watching Murder on the Orient Express.

 

[easysurfer]

Sounds like a lot of fun!

 

[ocean view]

We’ve taken the CZ with a roomette for two of us in 2019 and the Coast Starlight with a full bedroom (with private bath) when our son was young. Both were great trips.

Bring cash for tipping the porters and dining car staff.

And wake up early to see Mt. Lassen or Shasta (I can’t recall which) on the ride north.

Sounds like a fine adventure!

 

[Sunset]

OP - I am wondering why drive your car from PA to Chicago, and then pay for parking while gone.

Is there no train from PA to Chicago ?

 

[Bamaman]

Paunchy Pirate: Nice trains in Europe? Last time we were in Vienna, we rode a "slow train" (4 hrs.) up to Prague in a compartment with stinky soccer players--one of which was asleep with his head on my shoulder. The train looked like an old Russian or Iron Curtain relic.

But we did later take the Barcelona to Paris "fast train" that covered 650 miles in 6.5 hours--topping out at 185 mph. It was quite nice.

But we hope your train experiences will be very good on your trip. My uncle would often take trains down to New Orleans, and he always took his guitar to entertain the other travelers and tell jokes along the way.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

OP - I am wondering why drive your car from PA to Chicago, and then pay for parking while gone.

Is there no train from PA to Chicago ?

Ah, that indeed has been one of my big decisions. And I'm still pondering my options. The closest Amtrak station to me is Erie, PA -- only about 45 miles away. The major problem is that the train to Chicago leaves Erie at 2:00 in the morning. I could have someone drop me off at the station at 1:00 am, I suppose. Parking nearby isn't really an option. It's not in a great part of town and there isn't a dedicated parking lot that I can see. I also don't think I would be able to effectively sleep for the rest of that night on the train even with a roomette. So I figured I would be a mess once I got to Chicago. Then I'd have to kill several more hours in Chicago waiting for the CZ to depart. It just doesn't seem like a good start to the trip.

The drive to Chicago is only about 8 hours and I've done it many times. I used to live in Chicago and drove to PA to visit family. So I think I'll just dedicate the prior day to the drive and then get a good night's sleep in a hotel before getting on the train the next day.

I will give more thought to taking the train over, but I'm currently thinking I will drive it.

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Ah, that indeed has been one of my big decisions. And I'm still pondering my options. The closest Amtrak station to me is Erie, PA -- only about 45 miles away. The major problem is that the train to Chicago leaves Erie at 2:00 in the morning. I could have someone drop me off at the station at 1:00 am, I suppose. Parking nearby isn't really an option. It's not in a great part of town and there isn't a dedicated parking lot that I can see. I also don't think I would be able to effectively sleep for the rest of that night on the train even with a roomette. So I figured I would be a mess once I got to Chicago. Then I'd have to kill several more hours in Chicago waiting for the CZ to depart. It just doesn't seem like a good start to the trip.

The drive to Chicago is only about 8 hours and I've done it many times. I used to live in Chicago and drove to PA to visit family. So I think I'll just dedicate the prior day to the drive and then get a good night's sleep in a hotel before getting on the train the next day.

I will give more thought to taking the train over, but I'm currently thinking I will drive it.

What about taking the train in and then spending a couple of days in Chicago first to rest up and sightsee? When we did a South Pacific cruise, we spent a day and a night at a hotel in the LA area each way, and checked out the beach and some other sights.
Dammit, now I'm hungry, there are so many good places to eat in Chicago!

 

[truenorth418]

I rode the Amtrak Zephyr from Chicago to SF last summer.

Pros: food exceeded expectations; met some nice people - there were a lot of quirky Amtrak fans who ride Amtrak around the country A LOT; the stops are timed to make the most of the Rocky Mountain and Sierra Mountain scenery during the daylight hours.

Cons: the delays caused by freight traffic were significant - we ran way behind schedule virtually the entire ride, sat in the woods above Truckee for hours, and arrived in SF/Emeryville 6 hours late YMMV; for us it was cloudy and smoky during our mountain sections which badly obscured the views, again YMMV; it was VERY expensive - I paid roughly $2,000 for a private compartment for just myself, paying double occupancy, which for a 2 day journey made this a bucket list experience I am glad I did, but I am not likely to repeat.

 

[street]

Sounds like a great adventure!!! I followed your thread on your previous train trip also.

The Iron Horse will be rolling through my country on your return trip. Have a great time.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

I've taken many long distance trips on Amtrak w/my child. (I live in upstate NY but was born/raised in Pittsburgh).

Three or four trips to Florida, the California Zephyr, the Coastal Starlight (from LA up and also from Sacramento up), the Empire builder, the Southwest Chief, the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited, the Lakeshore Limited (several times), the Capital Limited and Cardinal.

It all started when I was doing a lot of NE train travel for work - I accumulated a lot of Amtrak rewards points and after I retired (the first time) in 2009 I did a Florida trip with my young son. He loved it and we've been doing trips since that time. His goal is to do all of the routes before I kick. More than half of those trips were done using points!

If doing one trip, the Zephr is a great one - and going west bound is the best choice for viewing. The Chicago->Denver portion is so-so, but going through the Rockies and Sierra Nevada ranges are beautiful.

Going to Emeryville is also a good choice vs. switching at Sacramento due to the wait in Sacramento and usual late arrival of the northbound CS. However, if there is some way you can easily go from San Fran to LA to take the CS northbound from LA, the CS portion there (LA to San Fran) is quite nice as the CS spends time running along the coast.

While I have reservations about going to Portland or Seattle these days, another nice run is from there to Vancouver.

Going solo I would go for the Roomette. One thing to note is that in the Western trains (and the new updated Eastern ones), the Roomettes do not contain a toilet (which you can consider good or bad). For me, it was nice to not have to trudge down the hall or downstairs in the middle of the night when nature called.

Good places to know more about the details on Amtrak travel is Flyertalk and Discuss Amtrak Trains. (Amtracktrains.com).

A lot of people don't like train travel - "Why do I want to be on a train for two nights" and Amtrak certainly has their issues. But to me, one needs to think of the train trip as part of the vacation - not how you are getting there.

Have fun on your trip!

 

[PaunchyPirate]

What about taking the train in and then spending a couple of days in Chicago first to rest up and sightsee? When we did a South Pacific cruise, we spent a day and a night at a hotel in the LA area each way, and checked out the beach and some other sights.
Dammit, now I'm hungry, there are so many good places to eat in Chicago!

Perhaps. I'm considering that. But I lived in Chicago for several years so I've done most of the things I feel the need to do. I'll think about it.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I rode the Amtrak Zephyr from Chicago to SF last summer.

Pros: food exceeded expectations; met some nice people - there were a lot of quirky Amtrak fans who ride Amtrak around the country A LOT; the stops are timed to make the most of the Rocky Mountain and Sierra Mountain scenery during the daylight hours.

Cons: the delays caused by freight traffic were significant - we ran way behind schedule virtually the entire ride, sat in the woods above Truckee for hours, and arrived in SF/Emeryville 6 hours late YMMV; for us it was cloudy and smoky during our mountain sections which badly obscured the views, again YMMV; it was VERY expensive - I paid roughly $2,000 for a private compartment for just myself, paying double occupancy, which for a 2 day journey made this a bucket list experience I am glad I did, but I am not likely to repeat.

When I was researching yesterday, I found a person who had their trip delayed 14 hours. I found a site that tracks the timing and it seems that they are pretty much never ON time. Delays are often quite significant.

My total price for the 3 legs (out and back) is $2309 for one person in a roomette. Not cheap, but not awful, in my opinion.

 

[Chuckanut]

Mr. Pirate, you are an inspiration.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I've taken many long distance trips on Amtrak w/my child. (I live in upstate NY but was born/raised in Pittsburgh).

Three or four trips to Florida, the California Zephyr, the Coastal Starlight (from LA up and also from Sacramento up), the Empire builder, the Southwest Chief, the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited, the Lakeshore Limited (several times), the Capital Limited and Cardinal.

It all started when I was doing a lot of NE train travel for work - I accumulated a lot of Amtrak rewards points and after I retired (the first time) in 2009 I did a Florida trip with my young son. He loved it and we've been doing trips since that time. His goal is to do all of the routes before I kick. More than half of those trips were done using points!

If doing one trip, the Zephr is a great one - and going west bound is the best choice for viewing. The Chicago->Denver portion is so-so, but going through the Rockies and Sierra Nevada ranges are beautiful.

Going to Emeryville is also a good choice vs. switching at Sacramento due to the wait in Sacramento and usual late arrival of the northbound CS. However, if there is some way you can easily go from San Fran to LA to take the CS northbound from LA, the CS portion there (LA to San Fran) is quite nice as the CS spends time running along the coast.

While I have reservations about going to Portland or Seattle these days, another nice run is from there to Vancouver.

Going solo I would go for the Roomette. One thing to note is that in the Western trains (and the new updated Eastern ones), the Roomettes do not contain a toilet (which you can consider good or bad). For me, it was nice to not have to trudge down the hall or downstairs in the middle of the night when nature called.

Good places to know more about the details on Amtrak travel is Flyertalk and Discuss Amtrak Trains. (Amtracktrains.com).

A lot of people don't like train travel - "Why do I want to be on a train for two nights" and Amtrak certainly has their issues. But to me, one needs to think of the train trip as part of the vacation - not how you are getting there.

Have fun on your trip!

I am intrigued by the rest of the Coastal Starlight route as well. I think if I actually like this trip, I could easily see myself going back out via the Southwest Chief from Chicago to LA, then up the coast via the CS and then coming back on the Zephyr the other direction from this trip. I'm the kind of person that could easily become one of these Amtrak geeks that I've started reading -- I discovered Amtraktrains.com yesterday!

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Mr. Pirate, you are an inspiration.

Ha. Thanks! I'm not so sure about that. But I'll try to live up to that.

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

I wish you great luck. Plan on arriving 12 hours late. If you beat that, call it success. I want to love Amtrak, but it doesn't love me