soxfanndc

So I just got back a few hours ago from my first Sleeper Car train. I was on the Capitol Limited from CHI-WAS. I was traveling alone in a sleeper roomette. I'm sharing some reactions from the trip in case others have questions.

At the conclusion of the trip, all I can say is WOW!!!! why in the heck have all you train folks been "hiding" what a GREAT experience train travel is. WOW WOW WOW!!! now some impressions:

METROPOLITAN LOUNGE in Chicago. Rather unimpressed. basic furnitute and spartan food/drink offerings but the desk staff was very helpful and informative. I did like the fact that we could board the train right from the lounge tho.

SLEEPING CAR: So as I said, I was traveling solo in a roomette. Although the room is small it is very well appointed and the little touches were great: coat hangars, Kleenex provided, VERY comfortable seats, clean bedding. this was, arguably, one of the best nights sleep I've ever had "in transit". I slept for nine hours of the overall trip. The bedding material wasn't the newest but BOY was it COMFORTABLE and that's all I cared about. slept SO soundly. The curtains in the room actually made the room dark, even during the day. They provided bottled water and I was a bit surprised they even had towels and wash cloths in the coat closet. Again, nice touches. I only wish they had more than one outlet and I wish the tray table could have been a bit bigger but overall I was immensely pleased with the room and thought is was very worth the cost.

FOOD: Ok, let's be clear, no one really takes the train for the food offerings - OK, maybe some do but I was SHOCKED at how good the food was. I had the steak for dinner and it was moist, juicy, tender as all get up and cooked PERFECTLY at medium rare. The wait staff was awesome and, in fact, the ENTIRE train crew was great. I found myself lingering over dinner for about two hours as I really enjoyed my seat mates and it was a great meal. I even think they marinated the steak too. yummy, ymmy, yumm!!!!!! Breakfast was good too. Dinner portions were great, breakfast portions were decent but I was, again, VERY satisfied in this department. Oh yea, def wish they had Coke products but.... small "sacrifice" otherwise.

CREW: from the room attendant, to the dining car staff, to the lounge staff, I thought the crew was top notch. Everyone seemed to truly be enthusiastic about their job and actually seemed they enjoy what they do. what a concept....

SHOWER/BATH: they did a FANTASTIC job of keeping both the bathrooms and shower room quite clean throughout the journey. the shower water got VERY hot, just as if I was in a good hotel and there were plenty of towels and soap even at the end of the trip. I actually showered at night and in the morning and could not have asked for any better conditions in this regard.

I'm not sure I've ever said Amtrak has impressed me but....Amtrak impressed me. What a GREAT product and the price point just makes it WONDERFUL. I've already booked my trip for July on this same train and I cannot wait. I actually didn't want to leave the train.

OVERALL: due to food, crew, comfort, rest facilities and value, I"d give the overall trip an A. A+ if they just get a bigger table in the room, more outlets in the room but a very solid, and WELL DESERVED A in my book. great job Amtrak and I can't wait to do the trip again in July..... and thanks to the folk who replied to all my queries before the trip. This Amtrak group of posters is amazing. Thanks!

honest_abe

Of the six sleepers we used on a single round-trip vacation over the last 3 weeks, the cars and people on the Capitol Limited in BOTH directions were far better than those on the Southwest Chief and the Crescent - especially the people.

kspeed55

We have travelled over 50,000 miles on Amtrak and overall have been pleased. We have found the people can be quite variable as to their level of service. One trip on a particular train can have crews that are great, the next trip not. And a trip can have some that are very good and some that are lousy. The only train that we have been on that seems to frequently have unhelpful crew members is the Lake Shore Limited.

SteveSTX

Glad you had a good trip! You'd better be careful or you'll get hooked like I am now. I took my first overnight trip just 18 months ago and I've already been on 4 more since then and have two more scheduled in the next 2 months. All of them have been 3-5 nights on the train.

The shower is a well-kept secret, especially on a one-night route like the CL. I think a lot of people figure they will just shower when they get to wherever they are going.

As far as the outlet situation, I've started carrying a cheap extension cord with a multi-outlet plug at the end (along with duct tape for rattles and covering air vents when necessary).

I enjoy traveling solo in a roomette. I have done it with a companion, but it can be a little tight at night. And meeting people in the dining car is one of my favorite parts of the trip, too. I've had some of those two-hour dinners.

By and large, I've found the on-board crews to be friendly and helpful, with a few minor exceptions. And I try to make sure that I'm not on a tight schedule because it makes the delays much less stressful.

Hope you can enjoy some of the other great routes in the system, too.

Steve

CMK10

Glad you enjoyed your trip. I take a few of those trips a year and I usually enjoy myself very much for the reasons you stated. Plus, the fact that you can bring alcohol in your sleeper is a nice bonus. The food is decent enough, albeit microwaved, but being able to see the country from your moving hotel makes everything worth it.

frankp01

It's good to hear you enjoyed your sleeper as much as you did. I have a small list of items I always pack for overnight trips:
1. A short extension cord. I always have my laptop, MP3 player, etc. and usually want to power more than one at a time. The single-level Viewliner rooms do have 2 outlets, however.
2. Ear plugs. There almost always seems to be a rattle somewhere. With the blackout curtains and ear plugs I'm completely set for sleep.
3. A small roll of duct tape and/or a newspaper. These are for dampening the rattles that happen. A rolled-up bit of newspaper can be jammed into whatever's vibrating. I miss the onboard USA Today, if only because it meant there'd always be a spare newspaper nearby.
4. Silicone wine glasses and a nice red wine. There's nothing better than watching the scenery go past with a nice red wine to enhance it.

Phil

GITU

This really tempts me, instead of flying to San Francisco from NYC all the time, to take the train once or twice. I don't mind the extra time so long as there's reliable wifi? Anything to expect, other than laid out in this TR? How can I maximize the value?

I am a startup co-founder, so no qualms with taking my time getting there, so long as I'm working in the process.

Thanks!

RogerD408

I'm not sure how well the LD WiFi will hold up, but I do the Capitol Corridor (SAC - SJC) quite often and find tethering with my cell phone does better than the on-board service, if it's even working at all.

If you need a reliable connection at all times, then the train may not be a solution for you. Learn how to off-load your need for consistent network might get you through. For instance, I will download all my messages to Outlook and then read and compose replies to send when in a good connection.

zephyr17

There is NO wifi on long distance trains. The long distance cars is not equipped with it, the only exception being the Pacific Parlour Car on the Coast Starlight and there the connection can be iffy around areas like Pt. Conception. Wireless network connectivity for your phone/tether is iffy when the train gets away from highways, like Ruby Canyon in Utah.

Do not take an Amtrak long distance train if you expect to be connected. You won't be.

ColdRain&Snow

You will need to bring your own wifi, but many of us do and it works out well. Verizon's overall coverage is probably the best followed pretty closely by AT&T. You will encounter areas where coverage is lost, and each route has its specific zones where signals drop out.

On the Empire Builder, there will be periods on Day Two through Montana where you'll lose connectivity. Once you reach proximity to the Oil Fields of ND, they will reemerge and generally stay intact (with local exceptions) onward to Chicago.

On the California Zephyr, you will run into intermittent signal loss late into the first day as you cross the Nevada desert. Day Two will have decent connectivity except for the parts of the day you're traveling through the Utah desert and Colorado Canyons. Day Three is Farmland USA, so service will come and go until you get closer to Chicago.

It is similar for the other two Western Long Distance Trains -- the Southwest Chief and the Sunset Limited. There is connectivity each day, punctuated by periods of signal loss. Pop your mail throughout the day.

Now, if you're FTP-ing files and moving video around, it may not be enough. But for popping your mail and trading spreadsheets/other docs, you can most definitely make it work. And on the plus side, you are able to see slices of Americana pass by your windows all day long.

Hope that helps, and do get an Amtrak trip on the books!

uaflr

Small things to add:

for breakfast you can have meat added for N/C -coffee & juice both N/c

for lunch can add bacon to Hamburger N/C - dessert & non-alcky beverage N/C

for dinner dessert & non-alky beverage N/C

try to time your shower for crew change stops - nicer to wash while stationary!!

If they made your table larger, the room would need to be larger

God bless!

uaflr

Be careful - Amtrak allows you to carry personal alcohol - BUT NOT consume it!!

Close your curtains and be discreet, otherwise they can remove you from the train.

Was on the CSL from LAX - 4 people had 2 coolers, 30 -16oz beers, 2 fifths of wine and at least a fifth of hard liquor. They were in the observation car. Managed to consume all their stash before departing in SBA.

They lucked out - train crew just ignored them!!

CMK10

That's only partially correct. In a sleeper you are absolutely allowed to bring and consume your own alcohol.

http://www.amtrak.com/personal-food-...ges-medication

Armani

You are definitely allowed to enjoy your own wine in your rooms. however, make sure to bring your own glasses because Amtrak no longer provides glass wine glasses, only plastic.

Armani

Another option is to fly to Denver and take the train from there to San Francisco. All of the best scenery is Denver west so you can save a little time and not miss any scenery. I suggest staying in a downtown hotel and enjoying the city prior to boarding the train. It leaves in the morning and several hotels are within walking distance.

We typically get of in Martinez and stay at the Renaissance ClubSport in Walnut Creek, which is across the street from the BART station. Not only is it a much nicer hotel for the price, but it is part of a great athletic club. A good workout is welcome after two days on the train.