I'm looking to travel on the Coast Starlight in December. Never traveled on a sleeper car before. Have a question about baggage. Do you still have to check your bags like you do with coach baggage?
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
Rick, you don't HAVE to check your bags in either coach or sleeper. Many times it is more convenient to do so but you can keep them with you if you want to. In a sleeper you can take a small bag in your room but it if you also have a large one it can be kept on the baggage rack(at the bottom of the stairs) on the lower level.
Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 4724) on :
I loved the fact that we had access to our bags during our trip. The only restriction is the number of bags. You are only allowed two carry ons. So if you have three bags, once is supposed to be checked. However, I noticed that the sleeping car attendants tended to "turn a blind" eye to those who carried on 3 and 4 bags each. I doubt the same would be true if you traveled coach.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
Things like diaper bags, laptops, camera bags, etc do not count towards the two-item carry-on limit, which may account for the "blind eye." In my experience, some Amtrak employees are fairly lenient, while others are strictly by the book, so its best to plan for the latter.
Posted by Rick Morris (Member # 5347) on :
Thanks all for the great info about baggage. I'm thinking of going by doggie bus to Seattle and taking the CS to Sacramento. Would love to take the full route and experience it all someday.
Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 4724) on :
Mr. Toy, these were large bags, which surprised me a bit. I saw at least three passengers do this, two to three large bags and one small one. The sleepers weren't full. Maybe they are stricter when they have a fuller passenger manifest. My camera bag is actually a backpack made for camera equipment and is quite large. I wonder if I could discount that one as a carry on and still take another carry on...
Naw, too much crap to carry around. Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
What has ever happened to "If you can't carry it, don't bring it"?
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: What has ever happened to "If you can't carry it, don't bring it"?
That rule still applies for kids on drum corps tour!
Posted by DeeCT (Member # 3241) on :
It has been my experience that Amtrak is more lenient with passengers boarding or detraining at stops that have no baggage service. As for me I check one medium bag through. I have a small carry on that contains a change of clothes, laptop, medicines, toiletries and a very small purse.I do have one stop I make on trips that lacks baggage service - so I pack that medium size bag light. In these days of laundry facilities in hotels (and relatives homes) there is no need for scads of luggage. Dee
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
I pack the same way you do, Dee. I also carry some snacks, a small book,a deck of cards( we like to play Gin at night)and my travel journal and camera in my carry on.And a medium bottle of water.
Posted by proloz (Member # 5427) on :
Just returned from my round trip journey from MD to WA state on the Capitol Limited and Empire Builder and we took 4 bags. Two small carry on type bags for in the sleeper with the things we really needed for on the train.....and we had one big suitcase just under size limitations and a big duffle bag. (We were going for 2 weeks).
My departing station didn't offer checked luggage so we put the big suitcase in the luggage storage area on the bottom of our sleeper car.....My husband rearranged them a tad so ours were at the back, and we had locks on ALL of our bags....you just never know...can't be too careful. Even the 2 bags in our train were locked because we left our room often and the rooms didn't lock from the outside.
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