Amtrak Sleeper Experience repost
 

I posted the following "Trip Report last night and was asked to repost it here.

Transfered some CO miles to Amtrak and took the long way home from Vancouver to Cincinnati after Canadian Thanksgiving with family. The long way, because the route was Vancouver to Sacramento, then east to Cincinnati and my truck parked at CVG. Booked a Delux room (a Bedroom from the Pullman days). Wanted to sequester myself to study for grad school exams and write a paper.

The bus (motor coach in Railroad parlance) from Vancouver's Pacific Station at 5:15 am was an early rise. It was a new clean Prevost coach. I find the Canadian busses to be better than the US busses.

Using the high occupancy lanes we floating past lines of parked cars on I-5 as we approached Seattle in morning rush. Got to King Street Station in plenty of time of a relaxed check in and boarding.

The Coast Starlight is Amtrak's best long distance train with a seperate lounge car for the sleeper passengers. I unpacked in the spacious room. The delux bedroom has maybe 30 percent more space than the traditional Pullman bedroom so the lower berth is wider, about the size of a single bed.

The tickets were checked at pre-board check in. As we left the station at 9:45am, the car attendant, who met me at the platform, came around to check if I needed anything and to make sure I was familar with the set up of the compartment. Everything but the hot water worked. The small table was set with a white table cloth with a small vase of flowers.

The car attendent learned I was onboard to have a few days of isolation to study. We talked a bit about his goals in University and he t;urned off the intercom and closed the door. I set up my laptop and printer using the 110 ac plugs, with one extra to spare. In the bedrooms the berths are accross the width of the car so as to reduce the rocking effect. Just like on a plane it helps to in the center compartment of the car which I was. It's not only more stable but is way from the sound of the truck assemblies.

Came out for lunch about 11:30 about half way to Portland and had lunch with three retirees traveling down the coast. Food comes with the sleeper. Am-Food is not as good as CO domestic First, it's more like unenspired mall cafateria food. Passable but not the dinner in the Super-Chief.

The seperate lounge for the sleeper passengers is an ex Santa Fe 1950 double level car that's heaver and slighly lower in highth than the new double level cars, so they don't quite match up at the pass threws. The Santa Fe car was designed very cleanly with little ornimentation as they thought the car should not take away from the changing scene out the windows. Amtrak has tried to make it look "Old Fashon" and it dosn't work but the car being heaver rides real good.

What used to be the Kachina Lounge on the lower level has been coverted into a Theater with 12 or so nice seats and a large screen TV. The movie selection was anounced, typical in-flight movies. I retreated to my room and read a few more chapters, my hands getten yellowed from the higligher I was using.

I switched from the single lounge seat in the room to spralling out on the long sofa that converts to the berth at night. The bedrooms have a toilet just like in the pullman days except they now are equiped with a shower-head like a Recreation Vehical. There are large showers on the lower level for the Economy Sleepers, the eqiivlent of the Roomette.

After a while I really got to notice how rough even the smoothest rail is compaired to jets. There is no turbulance but the incessent rocking takes a bit of getting used to.

About two hours south of Portland I check voice mail at the farm from my cell phone and found a message that I needed to return because of a family medical emergancy. It was by then 5:00pm or so and I realized that my best bet was to stay on the train overnight and take the first flight out of SMF the next morning. CO reservations and I tried everything we could think of but this was the best option.

I dressed for dinner, as it's part of the fun of the land-curise. Had a passable farm raised sammon dinner with the same steamed stringbeans served for lunch with the Veg. Lyzania. The only veg thing on the menue for dinner was the same veg lazania for lunch with the addition of a salad with Kraft French Dressing. I avoiding the Amtrak Ice Cream that never seems to melt. The medical emergancy wasn't life threating but I wanted to get back. I kept in contact by cell phone that worked enven in the wilderness of southern Oregon.

My table companions in the dinner for dinner asked if I traveled by train a lot as I knew a lot about it. Told them I have in the past but now I need a faster horse. They were really struck by my telling them about CO's Codeshare with Amtrack back east. Two were train nuts and didn't want to hear what I had to say about the practacality of an intigrated air-rail-bus transportation system that could be ours with just a little effort.

Made a gracous exit from the train nuts at dinner and retreated to my room, and the comfey PJ's I packed for the occasion. My carry on legal roll beat up Travel Pro role-aboard and Walmart expandable soft sided brief stowed easy under the lower berth.

The train rocked through the mountians as I studied the night away. I asked the car attended to make up the berth about 10:00pm and got to bed about 11:00 as I knew I had to be up a 5:00am to be ready to de train at 6:15 am in Sacramento. Took a shower in the next car as there was no hot water in the car I was in. Even if there were hot water I wouldn't have used the in room shower as it gets the toilet all wet and takes for ever to dry.

I turned out the lights and opened the window curtins. It's a real treat from childhood to lay in the berth and watch the night scenery go by. You can only do this from a sleeper as you can turn off all interiour light.

Can't say I slept well. Even on the flats of the Central Valley the train is just to rough. Even in coach I can get some good sleep as long as I have a window seat with no one in the middle. I even perfer to streach out in coach if there's three across than stay up in Domestic first all night.

Took the local tranit bus for $1.25 from the Sacramento train station to SMF. and in two hours was having breakfast on the morning flight to MSP upgraded to first on NW. The flight was very smooth. I was back in the air with the water glass just sitting here as if it were on my kitchen table. The only rocking I felt was the residual rocking sensation from being on the train for about 20 hrs.

Made the transfer to a DC -9 instead of the Avro's that I have come to really like. There thrilling machines to ride. They got the power!

Checked in with the hospital as soon as I could turn on my cell phone as the door opened at CVG. Everything went fine.

Amtrak said I could come back and complete the trip from Sacramento to Cincinnati which I will do before christmass using the return of the reward ticket I used from SMF. I let you all know about the 2 and a half day Sacramento to Cincinnati trip afterwards. My hunch is it will be alright but I think except for short hauls my railroad days are over. I like my faster horse.

Sassy!

Well, I enjoyed your report. I've transferred some OnePass miles to Amtrak for my first domestic "sleeper" experience, so I'm curious what to expect. (I also may transfer some miles to use in the UA program, but that's another story).

I was also thinking of taking my family on a x-country rail trip for the novelty of it (not sure these will exist in a few years), but when I asked the Guest Rewards agent about that award, I was told no stopovers are permitted. Is that true? I think we might enjoy a few days on a train if we could stop a couple times, but otherwise I'm afraid it could get tedious. Thoughts?

Saddly there are no stop overs permitted. You might try taking a one or two zone reward and then a seperate one zone to complete that way you'd get a stop over.

The two ways of Amtrak hidden stop overs are to contect to a train that operates three times a week like the LA to Orlando Sunset Limited, or the Chicago to Washington DC Cardnial. Unreserved train segment tickets can be used at any time so you have some options on the NE Corridor, Amtrak Calif., Salem Org to Vancouver and some day trains out of Chicago.

The Family Bedroom will accomidate 2 adults and two children. You only pay the sleeper
charge once.

Hope this helps

Sassy!

Thanks for confirming what I was told. Looks like Chicago is "the place" for a stopover.

That "family sleeper" award does seem like a good deal. I was surprised to be told that this "one reward" provided transportation for an entire family of four (I presumed I would have to pay for "tickets" in addition to the accomodation charge, like you do if you buy a ticket). A great deal, but I wonder how interesting it would be for the kids to go "nonstop" across the country on a train. Seems like somewhat of an endurance contest!

Prior to Amtrak one bought the rail (coach fare) and then bought the accomidation (sleeper). Now the rail fare and accomidation charges are combined for one person and the other person(s) need purchase only the rail portion.

Check with Guest Rewards about this as Guest Rewards is new to me and I don't have the fund of knowlege of a 5 years with CO One Pass.

Sassy!

I'm curious about using my Amtrak Guest Rewards points for a sleeper reward. I currently have about 27,000 AGR points, and I'm saving up to 35,000 for a three-zone sleeper reward.
Can I book any train to get from point A to point B, provided I don't backtrack. Or, must I choose the fastest way?

The reason I ask, is becuase ideally I would like to travel across country from NYP to SEA. The fastest way would be NYP-CHI and then the Empire Builder (CHI-SEA). I would much rather, however, go NYP-Orlando(Silver Service)-LAX (Sunset Ltd.)-SEA(Coast Starlight).

Any thoughts, or experience, on redeeming AGR points for sleeper rewards?

-FlyerBeek

You must do the most direct route although GW res. has said they will make some common sence exceptions, like if the direct route is booked or your contecting with a train that operates three days a week. To avoid an overnight they may book you on a more indirect route.

My impression GW res. is a small office in Milwalky WI as they got to know me after just a few calls. This is new to Amtrak as it is to us.

Sassy!

When I was younger we always used to take the train across the country. The train is great for kids (I would think best for ages 7-12), as they have several cars in which to visit (and play). Although we did not have the benefit of a sleeper car (so no beds--but also not as claustrophobic), I remember enjoying the ability to go from car to car. That being said I recommend taking the train to get to a destination, but I recommend flying to get home.

Yeah, one way seems best on the train. Does anyone know if any of the airlines will let you redeem a one-way award (at half the roundtrip mileage)? Otherwise, getting home from most places could be expensive by air.

I checked with Continental, and they said I'd have to pay the roundtrip mileage for a one way reward.

Alaska Airlines has a great reward choice a sleeper on the coastal starlight then they fly you back home. My Wife and I took it from OAK-SEA and loved it. Flying back is nice especially if you have limited vacation time.

Southwest RR tickets are good for 2 one-way trips.