First time on Amtrak - any pointers?
 

Greetings from Australia, folks.

First time on Amtrak (long haul, that is) later this year (November), going from Seattle to Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight. Travelling alone, so going for the Standard Bedroom.

Need some pointers - anything you can offer would be good. (Note, have travelled extensively in Australia by train, including the four-day/three-night Indian-Pacific, so can well and truely cope with long distances on the train).

Standard Bedroom - is it best to go upstairs or down?

Meals - what can I expect? (They are included in the fare, of course). Do you "dress" for dinner?

Tipping - definitely NOT the norm in Australia, what is the go here? Car attendant, dinind staff, lounge staff, etc., etc., etc.?

Lounge car - on long-distance trains in Australia, you quite often just grab a seat in the lounge car and it can be your for the morning/afternoon (basically, between meal sessions). You can wander back and forth to the bar to replenish your drink, but the whole point of it is basically a "lazy Sunday afternoon" (on any day of the week), watching the scenery and enjoying the company.

I have heard stories about pressure being put upon passengers to vacate lounge car seating after a certain period, to allow others to use it. Is this true?

And any other pointers you can give me would be great.

Dave

Please fly instead. I am serious

I would second the MSP opinion. long haul train service in the US is just not worth it. I would personally not suggest taking Amtrak anywhere that takes more then 4 hours.

I agree. Flying might well end up being cheaper in the end, too. Plus, if FF miles are any consideration, AS will allow you to credit mileage to many of the OW alliance airlines, including AA, QF, LA, CX, and BA. Unfortunately, train travel in the U.S. isn't what it is elsewhere in the world.

Nah, I am a rail enthusiast, I actually *like* train travel. I want to get out and see some of the scenery, but I do not wish to stay sober enough to be able to drive (besides, you all drive on the wrong side of the road).

The train is the go for me, and I have done it before (but in AUstralia, not in the US).

So, some pointers please.

Dave

Wow... I'm amazed that everyone responding to this post ignored the posters questions completely. Perhaps we're not all looking to get down the coast in 2 hours, cramped into an economy flight with a single beverage service to entertain us.

I took the Coast Starlight from L.A. to Seattle last year in a standard bedroom, and will be redoing the trip from Salinas to Portland in a deluxe bedroom in August.

I'd definitly try to get a bedroom on the East side of the train, since you will be exposed to the coastline and a bit more scenary.

I'd also stay upstairs... you'll hear more track noise downstairs, as well as more sound of people moving (toilets are downstairs).

Meals are so-so. The best part of the Coast Starlight is the wine and cheese service at 2pm... I make a meal out of that. The dining car meals are a bit sparse.. the main courses were good in my opinion, but the salads were awful. The breakfasts were pretty good as I recall.

For the full L.A. to Seattle run, I tipped our attendant $20. I'm sure most people tip nothing, but some tip more. I my case, our attendant was very sweet, and when asked, told me she only gets about 3 hours of sleep during the entire 34 hour run. I thought that was worth something.

As for the lounge, the Coast Starlight hosts the Pacfic Parlour car, which is a step above the standard lounge cars. Unfortunately, when I took the trip last year, the car was being serviced, so we got one of the standard lounges. I spent most of my day in the lounge, and have never heard about being asked to vacate. There is a separate lounge for sleeper passengers.. maybe overcrowding is more of a problem in the coach lounge.

Search the internet a bit and you'll find some mile-by-mile scenary guides for this route. I printed one out last time and it was very helpful.

Enjoy the trip.. the scenery is fantastic.. And to all you others recommending flying instead: you stick to planes, I'll take a train. When we're both dead and gone, I'll have seen some of this world.

The left coast ain't on the East side http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif goin' North you wanna be on the left (West) side. Other then that it's pretty good advice. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Heh... thanks for catching that... West side.

Meals -

the rule of thumb I've heard for meals per person per day (from Florida trains) is:
$1 breakfast
$2 lunch
$3 dinner

The menu does not vary from day to day (at least not on the East coast), but the food is reasonably good. Save room for dessert!

Do not dress for dinner, especially on the West Coast where everything is more casual.

Attendant: $5 per person per day

Go forth with your train plans. I'm a 1K, Million Mile Flyer on UA but always take the train when possible.

Get the sleeper, much more pleasant than sitting in coach. I like the upstairs accommodation.

Don't dress for meals, but you will likely be sitting with other sleeper passengers. I have traveled Amtrak mostly on the East coast of the US and the trains there are pretty comfortable and the stewards helpful and friendly. It's not the "Blue Train" but most enjoyable. Food is satisfactory.

I don't know anything about the lounge car. Ask the attendant for advice.

My family (2 adults & 2 grown children) had a great trip a few years ago on the Orient Express from Budapest to Paris - does not compare to Amtrak!!

Good Luck and enjoy your trip.

Here's the latest menu from the choo-choo geeks over at the Amtrak Unlimited Forums. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The train from SEA to LAX is very picturesque. If you're in no hurry and don't mind a SLOOOW train, it can't be beat.

Outside of the Northeast corridor, AMTRAK is for ****S. Really.

Amtrak does not own rail lines outside of the BOS-WAS area so freight trains have priority.

If you have ever waited in a junction for a freight train to pass in the middle of nowhere USA, you know what I mean.

Thanks for the info folks - have just booked the sleepers, and looking forward to the trip.

Dave

Check out trainweb.com under the amtrak forum as it's loaded with information. You should find lots of travelogues doing a google search of coast starlight. I've been reading about some delays of 12 or more hours lately due to track repairs.

I recently did the Coast Starlight from LA to Portland and it was great. (Although we did have to detrain and take the bus to Portland to make our connection.) You have picked the best of Amtrak IMHO.

Call me a lunatic but I actually enjoy Amtrak loghaul service. I have gone Philadelphia to Phoenix via New Orleans, Chicago to Seattle and Philadelphia to Fort Lauderdale, FL.

With the Superliners, definetly get a reservation on the upper floor. Meals aren't gourmet but better than coach airline meals. A $10 tip before the journey beginss for your sleeping attendant is a good idea. Have a great time!

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