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I was checking the Empire Builder for May, 2007 and found "no roomette available" for the leg from St. Paul west to Essex, Montana. When this occurs should I just keep checking? If I pay the fare and I find a roomette available later will they add it on? (I feel pretty sure they would do that). Is there some kind of wait list from which I could be notified if the roomette became available? Inquiring minds want to know. Also, is there really no train other than at 6:00 pm from Vancouver, BC to Seattle?
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Yes, continue to check back from time to time, as something may become available due to other passengers canceling trips, etc. I think if you have already made a reservation, you could call the 1-800 number for Amtrak and ask about a waiting list for that date and itinerary.
Vancouver, BC - Seattle had only one train when I last checked in spring this year. Part of the reason is that a significant portion of the expenses for the route are paid for by the State of WA. BC has been less cooperative to spend money on passenger rail. The State supported trains stop just south of the border, because neither the State of WA or BC Transport MInistry is willing to spend the money to expand either track capacity or train capacity, and no one is willing to spend money that goes out-of-state (or, in BC's case, out-of-province). The State of WA has found it cheaper to provide a bus service between BC and Seattle, and that has a few additional frequencies.
-------------------- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one corner of the Earth all one's life." Posts: 506 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Mar 2002
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Be sure you are checking both trains 7 and 27; either will work MSP-Essex. But if one is sold out the other usually jumps up in price.
If your plans are flexible, check other days. You might also find a better room price. Sometimes travel groups buy a block of rooms on one day and the days on either side are available.
It is unusual for Builder rooms to be sold out for days in May. July and August, however, often fill up months in advance.
Ex-Sec. Mineta says there are empty Amtrak trains traveling through Montana, and he should know. You just have keep hunting to find one.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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I took the 6PM train south in May to Seattle--it was a lovely ride, and light until after 9. I got in late but caught a cab from the Seattle train station to the Best Western Pioneer Square Hotel. The driver was peeved I wasn't going too far but I gave him a large tip to stop his complaining.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by CG96: Vancouver, BC - Seattle had only one train when I last checked in spring this year. Part of the reason is that a significant portion of the expenses for the route are paid for by the State of WA. BC has been less cooperative to spend money on passenger rail. The State supported trains stop just south of the border, because neither the State of WA or BC Transport MInistry is willing to spend the money to expand either track capacity or train capacity, and no one is willing to spend money that goes out-of-state (or, in BC's case, out-of-province). The State of WA has found it cheaper to provide a bus service between BC and Seattle, and that has a few additional frequencies.
Cascades trains 510 and 517 travel the full route, Seattle-Vancouver.
Posts: 134 | From: New York, New York USA | Registered: Oct 2001
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Thanks Twin Star - I checked the other Empire Builder and you are right, it had a roomette but at a premium price. Turns out these dates won't work anyway. I checked with the Glacier Park Bus trip and the first bus trip is June 1st. So I need to move into June on my dates. I was trying to link it to a repositioning cruise, LA to Vancouver but the last one of those is May 15th. Back to the drawing board. Any thoughts on an itinerary starting in Los Angeles, including the Twin Cities and Glacier Park. That Chicago connection is the pits. Guess I could just go to Seattle on the CS and take the EB both ways.
-------------------- Vicki in usually sunny Southern California Posts: 951 | From: Redondo Beach, CA | Registered: Aug 2006
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Sometimes a roomette becomes available mid-journey. Leaving Chicago all the roomettes might be full but some passengers might be only going as far as Fargo, or another intermediate point. Call Amtrak and see if you can upgrade somewhere along the journey.
Posts: 78 | From: Seattle | Registered: Jun 2006
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Yes Vicki, that Chicago connection is a bummer. If 22 hours in Chicago isn't to your liking, you could layover anywhere between Galesburg and Milwaukee and take one of the more frequent local trains. When you consider the Chief is so much faster and more reliable than any other LA-CHI train, the layover in CHI does not really cost you much time. The Chief is still my favorite train for speed, reliability, and daylight scenery.
(Twin Star Rocket is the name of the pre-Amtrak Rock Island train from the Twin Cities to KC that would have connected me to the Chief. That 7 hour drive to Missouri is getting awfully old. At least I can drop in on Trainweb in La Plata now.)
You might also consider the CS to EB connection at Portland may be risky if UP starts up spring trackwork again. The EB to CS connection is more reliable. One very, very nice thing about the EB in June will be the long days with the opportunity to see more of the scenery around Glacier and the Columbia gorge.
There is also a risk that Going-to-the-Sun highway may not be plowed out by June 1. It will depend on what kind of Winter they have. Do book an EB bedroom early for June as they do fill up and get more expensive as the summer season gets into full swing.
-Jerry in MN, where the current Winter has another 5 months to go.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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Has Amtrak taken the second Seattle sleeper off the train? This could be part of the problem as to why you can't find space. Typically an extra sleeper operates during peak periods (Seattle section). But with the re-launched Empire Builder, not sure if they have taken the extra sleeper off during what used to be the "off periods" or not. I believe last year, they left it on.
Posts: 337 | Registered: Jun 2003
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Vicki, I would keep trying.Usually the available rooms that are returned to the system become available after mid night. Ask an agent as I can't remember when. Also it's better to call rather than use the web site( I was told) because sometimes rooms are available and gone before they make the web. As the time gets closer there may be cancellations because many times the rooms are for a tour group and someone backs out closer to departure time, That's what happened to us.
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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