Amtrak Guest Rewards - First Time On Amtrak - Calif Zephyr

Hi Everyone -

Amtrak Newbie!

Any advice would be appreciated - My husband and I just booked the Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville in early September, with a Superliner Bedroom -

Any advice on which Bedroom (A,B,C,or D) is the best? What can we expect? Any tips, advice, words of wisdom, methods for enjoying trip without killing each other? ;)

Thank you!

It's a great ride.

I believe bedroom A is a bit smaller than the others. The others are also closer to the middle of the train, which is quieter.

Print out a route guide. Several are available online, like this one, which is more comprehensive than what Amtrak has on their site:
http://www.trainweb.com/routes/route_05/rg_5old.htm

As it was several times last summer, there is always a chance that the train will be re-routed through Wyoming and will skip the Rockies, which is the most scenic part. Amtrak will post this info on their website. Maybe you can't do anything about it, but it helps set expectations.

Most people (employees and passengers) that you meet at meals and in the Sightseer Lounge are pretty friendly. I hang out in the lounge as much as possible. Also, get a seat in the Lounge as soon as you pull out of Denver because it can fill up fast. The next 4 hours are the best scenery of the trip.


Enjoy the trip!

Kim,

A is a bit smaller than the other 4 bedrooms, but it does have the advantage of no connecting door to another room. It is also closest to the door to the next car, and therefore you may hear a bit more noise from the tracks. The other 4 rooms are slighly larger, get less track noise, but all have a sliding door that allows the crews to turn to bedrooms into what they call a suite for 4 people. This door is kept locked when not being used as a suite, but it can sometimes rattle and you may or may not hear your neighbors from time to time.

Personally I like the E room, just because it's the closest to the coffee pot and the stairs to go down to the lower level. You should know however that requesting a different room could lead to a price increase. So I'd recommend staying with whatever room you got. It should be more than fine.

As for what to do, there is plenty to do. I'd bring along a good book just for the heck of it, but you may not read all that much of it.

Finally, you may wish to check out these (http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtrak-tips.shtml) hints & tips from On Track On Line.

Thank you so much for your input! I'm sure it'll be a great trip!

Oh it should be! Ive only used the D bedroom but it was enough for me and my Father. Enjoy!

I'll second nerd's advice to hit the lounge car at DEN--in fact, before you arrive at DEN, so you beat the crowd of people boarding at DEN. It's by far the best place to view the scenery of the Rockies, and everyone else knows that, too, so it fills up fast. Grab a seat and then don't leave that seat all day (at least until you hit Glenwood Springs)--if you so much as stand up to stretch, you'll find your seat reoccupied when you try to sit back down. ;)