mommycrawford

I am traveling with my daughter on AMTRAK NY to FL, and can check bags up to 24 hours before the train leaves....

I figure on checking bags in early in the morning, so I can not have to bring my daughter to the station for an extended wait before such a long trip.

What are people's experiences with checking in luggage/retrieving luggage?

...are wait times horrible,...have bags gotten lost,...or is the system like a well oiled machine?

TIA!!!!

paytonc

Amtrak = a well oiled machine? Wishful thinking, I'm afraid. However, Amtrak's checked baggage system, as it were, is pretty much that the ticket agent piles the bags onto a cart and brings them out to the train. It's dead simple, and unlike an airport, you can pretty much see your bag the entire time.

Pros:
- difficult for things to get lost in such a simple system
- generous allowances by airline standards
- can "check" boxes at good prices even when you're not traveling with
- can often drop/retrieve bags at your leisure
Cons, mostly related to short-staffed stations:
- long waits to retrieve bags
- few stations even offer the service
- weird station hours sometimes

megtravels

i wouldn't even bother....if you're leaving from NYP snag a red cap...they'll take you down before the train boards ( a few minutes) and then get them stowed for you...........worth the tip.

not sure where you're going in FLA or if all stations have red caps, but you'll wind up hauling it anyway...

just my 2 cents!

mommycrawford

I need to not have to worry about the bags so I can be attentive to my child...toileting, etc., it seems easier! That said, I really would like to know if there are specific reasons NOT to check luggage?

Ispolkom

Like Paytonc says, Amtrak's baggage system is very simple, and it's hard for them to lose your luggage, since there are not many trains to put it on. I generally do what you suggest: go down early and check my suitcase and pick up my ticket when the station isn't busy. That leaves less to go wrong at departure time.

darben

Check the bag early. Take care of your child. Enjoy your trip.
If your taking the train 5 minutes extra waiting at the destination is worth the tranquility you will get.

Amtrak usually makes you show you check stub at destination to claim your bag resulting in very few taken bags

fairviewroad

I have not experienced long waits to retrieve bags. In many stations they are available trackside almost immediately after your disembark. Some larger stations have inside baggage claims similar to airports. Those would take a little longer but are generally better than airports, timewise.

But yes, before you head to the station to check your bag, you should confirm on the timetable or by calling Amtrak that your destination station offers checked bags. Otherwise this whole discussion is moot. However, if you're going to Florida, any of the major cities would offer checked bag service.

mommycrawford

Thanks everyone for your input!!!! I appreciate it!!!!^

megtravels

OK I was just trying to help and present an opposite view point

.....the few times I have checked bags on long trains it has taken a while to get them. At one station in Fla, they were piled onto a large cart and the agent had to sort through the pile...took forever IMO and I swore off checking bags again....when in a sleeper, I have the red cap stow them in that car, and when in coach-same thing. No need to worry, but it's there if you need something..

Also you didn't really say that your child was young....

paytonc

The time really depends on the station. Several weeks ago, I waited nearly an hour at Atlanta -- at that station, the baggage claim is upstairs and the platforms downstairs, and there's just one elevator to move all the pax and bags. At simpler stations, the "claim" is right next to the platform and it's pretty quick.

houserulz77

I see from the posts in this thread that it is generally possible to check bags well before a train leaves. Is this always the case.

I will be getting off a ship in Vancouver at around 9am, but our train does not leave until after 5pm. Can we go directly from the ship to the train station, check our bags, get tickets, and then come back for the train later?

We are going to be going to Seattle, so we will need to clear us customs before departure.

Thanks

RogerD408

Unfortunately not a guarantee. Not all stations have staff available throughout the day, especially those with few trains. Finding staff during slack time can also be a challenge.

houserulz77

The station is staffed all day. So assuming I am able to find someone, will they check the bags, or is that a non-starter given the border crossing?

zephyr17

Not in Vancouver, BC. What other posters said about checking in advance goes for almost station offering baggage service in the Amtrak system, but it does not apply in Vancouver.

The Vancouver station is not staffed by Amtrak, but by Via Rail Canada. On the Cascades trains at Vancouver you check your bag with the Amtrak train crew right on the platform outside the baggage car, after having gone through US Immigration in the station.

However, the Via station staff will day-check your bags for a fee (I think $4 CAD per bag). Note that you MUST retrieve them from the Via counter before checking in for the Cascades.

I have ridden this service frequently for some years, and am very familiar with the process in Vancouver.

AlanB

You might be able to day check your bags in the station at VIA Rail; no guarantees. But since your bags must go through Customs with you, you will not be able to check them onto the train. Amtrak will check your bags after you clear customs; not before.