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I have a bedroom booked next month on the Texas Eagle to California, and I'm wondering just what sort of meals are available between San Antonio and Austin. The timetable says "Dining Car: Complete meals except San Antonio--Austin. Cold meal service for sleeping car passengers between San Antonio-Austin." Since I'm travelling westbound on 421 and the train is due out of Austin at 8:20 pm, surely they could feed us a proper meal before Austin, or does this just refer to eastbound passengers? Amtrak is unclear on this point. Does anyone have any recent experience on the westbound Eagle?
stlboomer Member # 2028
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I rode the Eagle/Sunset over Labor Day weekend, St. Louis to Los Angeles. Dinner was served in the diner before arrival in Austin. If I recall correctly, it was an early-call, one-seating meal. I had a wonderful trip. Hope yours is too.
-Mark
notelvis Member # 3071
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In one of those little 'cost cutting' moves, the Texas Eagle's dining car staff detrains in Austin and turns there. That means a one seating dinner westbound (perhaps two if the train is late) and no hot breakfast out of San Antonio eastbound.
I was on the 422 sleeper El Paso - St. Louis this past July. I would have preferred a hot breakfast to the prepackaged croissant, yogurt, and box of cereal that they distributed to sleeper passengers. However, dining car service from Austin and beyond was efficient and pleasant. I believe that this was, in part, due to the fact that the dining car staff boarded better rested than they would have had they turned in San Antonio.
royaltrain Member # 622
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Thank you for your assistance. I am looking forward to my North America Rail Pass tour. In addition to the Eagle, I will be on the Lake Shore, Coast Starlight, Cascade and Via's Canadian.
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by royaltrain: Thank you for your assistance. I am looking forward to my North America Rail Pass tour. In addition to the Eagle, I will be on the Lake Shore, Coast Starlight, Cascade and Via's Canadian.
We look forward to hearing about your trip when you get home!
mikesmith Member # 447
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If you are on the eastbound Sunset/Eagle, and the train arrives anywhere close to on time, there is an all-night Denny's 3 blocks away from the train station in San Antonio.
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