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Hello, I am a NEW train traveler -- that is going on such a long trip! I plan to travel from Washington, D.C. to Portland Oregon. I would appreciate any thoughts about a route, sleeper car ( can I request NOT to be over the wheels?)do some traings have upper sleepers? any other tips that could help me before I book the trip. I appreciate your ideas. Many THANKS !! Nana
Posts: 2 | Registered: Oct 2007
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You're going to get lots of comments on this post.
The best route, I believe, is to Chicago on a train whose name I can't remember, and then on to Portland on the Empire Builder. If you're not college age, I'd recommend a roomette, and yes, you can request the one you want, depending on how far in advance you make your reservations. The Empire Builder has double-decker cars with sleepers on both levels. The roomette is designed for two people and it has an upper and lower berth. You have to buy the whole roomette whether you're traveling by yourself or with another person.
Have fun on your trip.
-------------------- Kiernan Posts: 155 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Apr 2005
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To get from Washington, DC to Portland, Oregon, your routing will probably look like this:
Leave DC on train #29, The Capitol Limited, at 4:05PM Arrive Chicago the next day at 8:40AM.
Then on that same day, you will leave Chicago on the Empire Builder, train #27, at 2:15PM. You arrive into Portland, Oregon two days later at 10:10AM (actually, this train often arrives into Portland an hour or so early).
Others will have lots of recommendations for you, but here is my two cents:
First of all, if you are travelling by yourself, an Standard Bedroom would be your best bet. These rooms used to be called Economy Sleepers, so you will see the names interchanged even though they are referring to the same thing. The equipment that Amtrak uses on the Capitol Limited and the Empire Builder are called Superliners. A Superliner sleeping car has two levels, and Economy Bedrooms are on both the lower level and the upper level. On the lower level, there are four rooms with the following room numbers: 11, 12, 13, and 14. On the upper level, the Economy Bedrooms are numbered 1 through 10, but room #1 is never available because that is the attendant's room. Room 9 and Room 10 are at the end of the car (upper level) above the wheels, next to the door. Room 2 is in the center of the car, and is located adjacent to the coffee pot shelf. The smoother ride will be in rooms 2, 3, and 4. But I think the ride is pretty good no matter what room you are in. If you are in a lower level room (11, 12, 13, or 14) it's quieter down there because you don't have the foot-traffic of people moving through the car. This is because the doors to get from car-to-car are located on the upper level, not the lower level. The ride is also a bit smoother down there because you do not sway as much from side to side as the train rolls along the tracks.
The food on the Capitol Limited in the dining car is a fairly new system that Amtrak is using called, "Simplified Dining Service". You can go to http://www.trainweb.com/sds to learn about this food service. However, on the Empire Builder, they do not use SDS and they still have "normal" food in the diner. The food is very good. If you are in a sleeping car, the price of all three meals each day (breakfast/lunch/dinner) is included in the price of your ticket, so you do not get a bill for your meal---it is pre-paid. You should still leave a tip, however.
The Empire Builder is actually two trains in one. Train #7 goes from Chicago to Seattle, and train #27 goes from Chicago to Portland. It's all one big train with all cars connected together all the way west until you reach Spokane, Washington in the middle of the night. You will probably be asleep at this station stop. In Spokane, they disconnect some cars so that your big train now becomes two different trains. One section (#7) goes to Seattle, and they take the Dining Car with them. Your train (#27) goes to Portland, and they take the Sighsteer Lounge car. Since there is no dining car, you will be given a free cold breakfast on your last morning. A cold breakfast is usually something like milk, cereal, a muffin, a banana, and free coffee is always available in your sleeping car (except in the middle of the night when the pot is emptied and turned off, until a fresh pot is made at about 5:30AM).
Any questions, just ask. I've taken this route several times.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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DC to CHI your choices are the the Capitol Limited (daily) or the Cardinal (Sun-Wed-Fri only). I believe both use double deck Superliner equipment where most bedrooms and coach seats are on the upper level.
Check out www.amtrak.com/ for more details. Clicking on "Traveling with Amtrak" will give you tons of information about accomodations.
Prices for bedrooms include meals. The CHI-Portland train is the Empire Builder which is also Superliner equipment, and is one of the only trains with a full service diner (better meals). Depending on what time of year you are going, you can get some good prices on CHI-Portland sleeper (like in January) vs. peak travel times. Some are cheaper on certain days of the week, so play with the website to get a good price. The last day of the trip is the most scenic -Glacier on the last evening and the spectacular Columbia River Gorge on the last morning.
Of course if a longer train ride with lots of scenery is your preference, you could take the California Zephyr CHI-Sacramento and the Coast Starlight up to Portland. The scenery after Denver is outstanding for a full day. Donner Pass and the Oregon mountains are also very beautiful. These trains sometimes run a few hours late, while the Empire Builder runs pretty much ontime.
You will probably get a lot more advice, especially on the eastern trains. Good luck and a pleasant journey. You may experience service problems with Amtrak and you may find everything will go fine. It varies. We like to tell people every train ride is an adventure.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
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The Cardinal is not a Superliner train. It is a single-level train with Viewliner sleeping cars.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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The Capitol Limited 29 is probably better because the Cardinal #50 has no checked baggage or diner. With checked baggage you can check through all the way to Portland (up to 3 bags.) Then just take a small one with the things you need on the train with you . If your budget allows you might want to consider a bedroom for the Chicago Portland section of your trip. There is more room than the roomette and you have a private bathroom. In a roomette you share one shower room and 3 small toilet/sink rooms with the other 13 roomettes. Certainly doable but it is nice to have your own if possible, Amtrak.com does give you just about all the info you want but if you have questions just post them and one of us wil be happy to help you. You have a super trip planned so sit back and enjoy
Posts: 1577 | From: virginia | Registered: Jun 2005
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You'll have at least 2 or 3 hrs in Chicago. Union Station is pretty much in the heart of Downtown. You might want to check out Sears Tower, which is directly across the street from the Station in Chicago. Does that Capitol usually run within an hr or so of it's scheduled arrival in CHI people?
Posts: 387 | From: Bakersfield, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Take the Capital Ltd (#29) westbound to Chicago, not the Cardinal. The latter is scenic eastbound but not west (scenic bits are largely at night), runs only 3 days a week, takes longer, and is single decker. The Capital Ltd, on the other hand, is double decker, and you want to be on the upper deck for the views. If you are traveling in winter, you unfortunately will not see the pretty views into W VA on the first night because it gets dark too early. On the second day, however, there are some reasonably pleasant farm views in Indiana.
If you can afford it, get a Superliner Roomette--the least expensive smaller sleeper (someone in a post above called this a Standard Bedroom but that is not what it is called). The price for this depends on how early you book. The sleeper includes food. Triple A, student, and other discounts do not apply to the sleeper. If you are flexible about the date you travel, check the sleeper prices on adjoining days or weeks etc. Often they are cheaper M-Th than on weekends. And they are generally higher--sometimes MUCH higher--on holidays. In my experience, it really does not matter if you are on the wheels, if you are in room 2 or 6, etc etc--if you are tired, you will sleep; if not, you will still be reasonably comfortable and be able to rest. The one thing that does matter to me is that I like to be on the UPPER level on the double decker trains.
If you cannot afford a sleeper, go coach if you are at all nimble (I'm middle aged and I have done it), and bring a small pillow (they'll give you another, and 2 is good) and an eye mask (or use your coat over your head as you sleep). If the train is not busy and you are traveling alone, you are likely to get a seat all to yourself. There are footrests you can use to help you sleep. There is more room than on a standard plane seat--but of couse, you are there longer.
Whether you go coach or sleeper, the Capital Ltd is a double decker with a big shelf on the bottom where you can put your main suitcase. Travel as light as you can, but bring an overnight bag to take to your sleeper or coach seat. In it put a nightshirt or whatever if you have a sleeper (I like to sleep in a long T-shirt and take both exercise shorts and long john bottoms to wear under it, choosing which to wear depending on how hot or cold my sleeper is), warm socks, your toothbrush & paste & comb & other toiletries, ear plugs, undies, a change of your shirt, any medicines you use, a book to read, maybe some crossword of Sudoku puzzles if you like them, and if possible a CD player with some CDs in paper cases, plus extra batteries. Also, wear layers or fit into your overnight bag a light sweater or jacket of some kind in case the train is chilly, as the observation or dining car often are (I like one of those zippered sweatshirt-type little jackets, I am not sure what they are called, but in winter when I am goig to FL I can actually wear it under my raincoat--and I find the layers much more useful than a removable lining). Also, be sure to keep your money, ID, tickets, and other valuables on your person or in your purse if you are female (and I wouldn't travel with too many unnecessary valuables). One more thing it is fun to take with you is some kind of map or itinerary describing your route--in the sleepers Amtrak sometimes supplies a short route guide, but you can also find them on the Net or photocopied from library books like USA Rail (but some routes have changed somewhat).
You are scheduled to arrive into Chicago's Union Station the next morning at 8:40 central time. If you have a sleeper, you should go with your luggage to check in at the Metropolitan Lounge at Union Station, the special lounge for sleeper passengers. Here, you can check your luggage for free if you have time to go out; if you go coach, you would need to use the lockers adjoining the main waiting rooms. The train is usually late, but lately has only been about 1-2 hours late, which isn't bad and, if that is the case on the day you travel, would give you enough time to stretch your legs & see something of Chicago on a nice walk from Union Station down Adams St to Michigan Av/Millennium Park/the lake and back, if you are reasonably fit. And/or you can lunch inexpensively in Greektown (about 4 blocks down Adams in the other direction)--have moussaka at Greek Islands (corner Adams & Halsted) or Rodity (cheaper but less lively, 2 doors down on Halsted). Whatever you do, try also to see the big hall in the old part of Union Station if you have any time at all (the Metro Lounge etc etc are in the new part--you need to walk around to get to the old part).
That afternoon, at 2:15, you would catch the Empire Builder, Amtrak's best train, from Chicago to Portland. It leaves Chicago at 2:15 the same day. You go up through Wisconsin to the Mississippi, arriving in Minneapolis in the evening, then spend a night on the train through North Dakota, awakening around Minot ND before entering Montana, you go through Glacier Park and spend a second night on the train when you go through Idaho and Spokane, then down the Columbia River Gorge (which is gorgeous), arriving in Portland the next morning. It's a very nice trip, although more scenic eastbound (because of when it is light and dark), especially when the days are shorter. The train leaving Chicago has 2 sleeper sections--1 to Portland and 1 to Seattle--that are split in the middle of the night in Spokane (and the diner goes to Seattle, the observation car, to Porland). Again, try to get a superliner roomette if you can afford it. If the cost for 2 nights is prohibitively high, you might just get it for 1 night, for example, from Chicago to Minot, ND, or from someplace in Montana to Porland. Check the different prices. Whether you have a sleeper or go coach--esp if you go coach--make much use of the observation car, going in early to get a good seat. I like to watch the sunrise as I head west, I'm always up early because of the time changes. Sometimes a few younger coach passengers sleep in the observation car, and the lights may be off if you go in early, but it's still fine for seeing the sunrise.
Again, the train is double decker, with the shelf downstairs for your main suitcase.
If you go coach, food is not included, and is definitely overpriced in the diner. Nevertheless, it's fun to use the diner sometimes, it's the best place for meeting people & having the real train experience (other than sleepers). So I would definitely recommend you have at least your breakfasts there. Esp if your train is on diner lite (I think Capital Ltd is, the Empire Builder definitely is not), I'd recommend you avoid the omlets! The French toast is usually good. Breakfasts come with coffee and juice. For other meals, if you are traveling coach, you might bring some food--yogurt (bring a plastic spoon) or cheese (plastic knife) should keep the first night, bananas are a good filling thing to take; apples, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, granola bars, raisins, dried apricots and other dried fruit, nuts, and various cookies/cake/crackers are all good bets. OTOH, you don't want to weigh yourself down with food merely to save some money. Oh, and you can get takeout from Greektown or stop in a CVS or similar store in Chicago to buy some more food supplies. Beware on Sundays many stores etc in downtown Chicago (and even food venues in Union Station) are closed--but there is a Walgreens over in Greektown that is open, I believe, and another on Reynolds, near Wacker or Wells I think?
IMPORTANT NOTE: You did not say if you are going round trip, but if you are, you might consider taking the scenic California Zephyr, which goes from Chicago across the Mississippi (briefly) through Iowa and Nebraska (first night) to Denver & across the gorgeous Colorado Rockies & through equally gorgeous Ruby Canyon into Salt Lake City (second night), then across the Sierra Nevada into Sacramento, changing in Sacramento (with a layover when you might see Old Town etc if it's spring/summer season) for the Coast Starlight to Portland--and then, after your stay in Portland, returning on the Empire Builder. This is a gorgeous run when the weather is good and the days are longer, but it will cost you more. The California Zephyr also takes longer and tends to be later than the Empire Builder, which is often close to on time. Also, there are sometimes reroutes through Wyoming, not so scenic and a bummer! But when things go well, Denver to Sacramento is the most spectacular ride on Amtrak, IMO.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Smitty, that's okay. "... reluctant to find he's stuck in the nineties again..." Economy and Deluxe were terms switched to in the mid nineties and then changed back sometime in 2002. I guess they figured that the term "roomette" sounded a little too 1982ish, but if the cars still look like they did then, then it's okay.
Sojourner, you've beaten me to a long-winded post. My typing fingers thank you! In disagreement with your book, I've found that the Capitol (sic) Limited may not be the greatest train to get a sleeper in, especially if you're on the non-river side your first night out. I typically cannot sleep the first night on a train, regardless of accomodation type, track roughness, ride quality, or internal temperature, so I get a coach the first night. I've spent many a night bombing westward on the Lakeshore headed for Chicago as a budding insomniac. In agreement with your post, definitely make use of the lounge in Chicago (I forgot once and we rented a locker, and they didn't even give me #207!) and get out and see the town. If you need to stay close to the station, just hit the Sears Tower skydeck. For intermediate distances (four hours or so) you can get some shopping done on Michigan Boulevard or visit the Art Institute. If you have six hours or more, definitely see one (you won't have time for more!) of the museums near the waterfront: the Shedd Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, or the paleontological mecca that is the Field Museum. Or, still having six hours or so, you can make a loop of (you guessed it,) the loop. Go hit the original Uno's or visit the observation deck of the John Hancock Tower, which has spectacular views of Lake Michigan. Chicago has a fairly comprehensive website at http://www.choosechicago.com/ so have at it! During baseball season (obviously not now), Comiskey Park Jr. is right along your approach to the station. I recommend a cab if you're going to try to get a White Sox game. For the Cubbies, it's a little more complex since Wrigley Field is way out in the north-central side of the city. Beyond that, I have no idea what to expect on the Builder beyond Milwaukee since I have yet to take that train. My father has taken it numerous times to begin various bicycle trips and says the service is pretty good, the equipment has been overhauled, and the scenery is good in some places and great in all the rest. Cruise around the Amtrak website for more information about accomodations and the various rules involved in train travel. For example, you can bring your own stash of food on board, but you cannot consume it in the lounge car. Also make use of the web site to check the timekeeping history of that train. You can check it (look for train number 29) back a week or so and figure out a general sense of how well you can expect your Capitol Limited to adhere to its schedule. As for the upper versus lower level argument, my sleeper (an upper-level roomette) on the Capitol Limited was a Superliner I car (class of 1982) and had the characteristic "Superliner Sway." I had the lower bunk, and the track was only rough in spots, but the car would rock side to side exactly four times after any major bumps disturbed the ride. The car will only rock so far, but on we went, sashaying into the night. This motion can take some getting used to, but you only have a 50% chance of getting one of these cars, coach or sleeper. This brought back memories after riding from Chicago to St. Louis on one of the wost stretches of track in the country (at the time) in the same equipment back when they had air springs in the trucks in 1992. Apparently they have been retrofitted, and that motion remains. Bring a book to read. While you're at it, get a pen and a pad of paper to take notes on what food was good, which crewmembers went above and beyond, which cars or rooms had the heat stuck on (car numbers are on the end doors, for example a coach would be 34108) and share this information with a letter to Amtrak at the end of your journey. Of course we on this message board would love to hear too! If you're looking for advice on packing lists or how much spending money to budget in or anything like that, chances are someone here can help you out. Definitely pack light and bring only what you need on board with you (don't forget medications!) but still bring enough gear to keep yourself dry in Chicago and warm overnight.
Just for the record (it may have been glossed over earlier) you will have access to a shower in sleeping accomodations.
Posts: 391 | From: Schenectady | Registered: Jan 2002
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'Cross country trip... Thank you ALL for your helpful and encouraging info and comments. I am getting so excited about my trip. I am actually going to spend extended time w/ my son, and WILL be returning, so I appreciate info about scenery etc. I took an overnight once to Florida and had terrible back pain from my roomette. The room assistant told me it was b/c my room was right over the wheels AND because CSX tracks are so poor. I don't mind swaying, but being thrown up/down was not pleasant. I might take coach to CHI and then get a sleeper (a little bit of budget for a Nana!) I was also thinking of taking coach and getting off in Essex and spending a night at Walton Inn? THANKS for all your input! NANA
Posts: 2 | Registered: Oct 2007
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Nana, be sure to take some Tylenol before you board the train, or close to bed time. This will help with the back pain. (Or perhaps you prefer Advil, though it isn't as good for you, it's probably even better for the pain!) Also, ask for an extra pillow if you don't have one--if you are a Nana they will likely give it to you.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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