RE: Amtrak Trip
I took the California Zephyr in Feb of this year and really enjoyed it. I had a bedroom (has the toilet/shower combo in the room). I was lucky as when we pulled into Emeryville we were only 3 hours late and that was after leaving Chicago 2 hours late. So not bad at all. The scenery between Denver and Sacramento is the best on the Empire builder.
Here are some things you should pack for your train trips:
1. Comfortable overnight clothes
3. Sandals for going from your room to the toilet/shower/coffee machine. (Cheap ones like Hotel slippers)
4. Snacks high in fiber. (eating Amtrak food for a long time may back you up). I also brought prunes with me.
6. Wipes to sanitize your sleeping compartment
7. Hand sanitizer
8. Easy on/off shoes
10. Tape and a piece of cardboard to stop any rattling in your compartment may have.
11. Also you can order food to be delivered at a long stop if you get tired of the food on the train. But I have found that the food now on Amtrak is better than pre-covid. It is basically one step up from food you would get on first class on a flight. (avoid the lounge car food)
12. A USB hub with a long power cord (or bring a small extension cord) as there is only 1 plug in Roomette. I brought a GoPro camera/cell phone and laptop and it made my life so much easier as the plugs in the rooms/roomettes are not located in optimal locations.
13. Just remember you are in no rush and sit back and relax. You will more than likely meet someone you get along with and take most of your meal with them. I met a guy from Argentina and learned so much about his country during the trip.
14. Download an app like "speedometer" on your phone so you can see how fast the train is moving.
15. You can track updates to your arrival times and train locations when you have cell service on site:
https://asm.transitdocs.com/
16. Take some amazing photos/videos from the last car on the train. Especially cool when going over bridges.
17. A typical tip for the sleeping car attendant is $20/day.
18. Go ahead and download offline google maps for areas you will be traveling though so you can still see where you are when you are out of cell service range (which is often).
I also took the Empire Builder in 2019 and made a video of my trip if you are interested:
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.
Have a great trip, take lots of photos, and we look forward to hearing about your journey!