Originally Posted by
skaya
I have received e-tickets (only, and 4 mails) for the return, and have printed this. Do I need to print one for each passenger on the reservation? For the outbound I only got reservation summary.
Does the outbound from Emeryville then need a check-in? As I see from their site, you should be 45 min prior both if requiring service and if not. Is that a final cut off like on airlines?
There is no need to check in with anyone in Emeryville. The only reason to interact with anyone in the station would be if you need to check baggage.
The conductor on the train will want to scan the eTicket and will then check in all 4 people at the same time. You don't need one printout for each person, although you might want one per room just in case.
If you don't need to check bags, then frankly you can pretty much show up at any point prior to 5 minutes before departure and still get on the train.
In Chicago, they close the gate at the 5 minute mark, so I'd be a bit earlier there. And frankly, I'd be earlier simply to avoid any worries.
Also you should be aware that in Chicago there is a first class lounge called the Metropolitan lounge that you are entitled to use as sleeping car passengers. Instead of plastic bench seats, this lounge offers nice overstuffed chairs and other amenities. They're not quite up to the standards of FC lounges offered by the airlines, but still by comparison to the regular waiting room it is much nicer.
They'll also take you out the back door directly to the train, bypassing the often long line that forms in the main waiting room.
A similar lounge is also available in LA, and you would be entitled to use that lounge too by showing your ticket to wait in for your run up the coast back to the Bay area.