Answering All Your Amtrak Questions | Tips To Avoid Mistakes on Amtrak 

I have been blind all of my life. The Amtrak staff has always been helpful in making sure that I get out to the train, and while on the train they come by periodically to see if I need anything or if headed to go anywhere. And if I start to them, or other passengers, usually ask if I need anything along the way. I have found it a very friendly way to travel. there was only one time that made me go. UGG, I was stuck in Chicago all day on my way home from Virginia back to Kansas City. They just said here waiting this area, didn’t tell me if anything that was nearby or anything. Or where the staff would be nice to me. That was the least informative I’d had ever in dealing with Amtrak.

I have taken many solo Amtrak trips. They're a blast!

Love your vlogs. For one with partial disability, watching your vlogs make me feel like I’m able to travel with you. Thank you. Love you both!

Parking - I went to Birmingham Al. Amtrak train station back in Sept. 2022. We rode the train to New York. Parking cost about me $130.00 for 14 days at $9.00 a day. The parking lot was 7th of a mile from the train station. We just walked to the train station and back both ways. There was a parking lot closer (4tenths of a mile away for $4.00 a day but it was not covered and it said park at your on risk.) So for us the $9.00 covered and monitored parking garage sounded better. The garage was big so I would be best to take a picture of the level and spot you park in and then another picture of the outside of the parking garage to help you remind you were you parked. (We forgot to do that and it took about 30 minutes to find the car, but at least the car was safe.) The parking lot across from the Amtrak Birmingham Al. station in not for Amtrak. I read that if you park there your car would be towed. So we did not want to take a chance. Over all out train ride was great. This was my first train ride and the Train staff that we meet were very kind. We booked the sleeper roomette. I was a bit cold but was prepared. I just put on my jacket. The other person I was with stayed hot. So each person is different. We did check our bags and did not have any trouble checking them in or picking them back up. (We did take photos of our bags to refer back to in case the need a came up. It went smooth.) On our trip back to Birmingham Al. from New York the line was long at the New York Station. We go to go to the front of the line because we had booked the Sleeper Roomette. So that was a win. The ride back was a bit more bumpy. I am not sure if it was because of the tracks or if it was we were farther back from the engine. One last thing - I watched several of your videos before I took my trip and found them very helpful. The only thing it did not cover was parking. So I thought I would add what parking was like for me. I hope it helps someone. Thank you for sharing.

Not only you get free drinks in Business Class, but (at least here in the Midwest) a free newspaper, back when I rode Amtrak. I really enjoyed the upgrade.

Great tips! Through my experience, I've always tried to book long distance trips 11 months in advance in order to get the best accommodations & prices. Amtrak has not allowed me to make reservations earlier than 11 months. I've also learned to phone Amtrak's reservation number in order to request specific rooms in their sleeper cars. If I needed to reserve 2 adjoining Deluxe Bedrooms, the website would direct me to phone Amtrak anyway since their system isn't set up to ensuite. If booking a Roomette in a Superliner car, I prefer a room on the 2nd level by phoning their reservation center. If I book a Roomette online, it will probably place me in the 1st available space which could be downstairs. For me, riding the rails in a Deluxe Bedroom is somewhat similar to taking a cruise with a balcony suite-but I can't open a window for fresh air. On a ship's cruise, there are many activities on board since there's nothing to see between ports but water. On a train, there are many sights to see enroute with little else to do other than eating, sleeping, or reading. Long distance train rides are not for those who bore easily. On cruise ships, activities are set up to keep people from getting bored.

Love your reaction to the “will the train arrive on time?” I ride the Coast Starlight pretty regularly. On my trip in the past two weeks going up to Portland we arrived 4.5 hours late. On the way home we were actually 5 minutes early. My attitude is to enjoy the journey - don’t worry about how late or early you are.

Love your vlogs. I know I can only travel by train through your eyes. Thanks for taking me along

This was very interesting. We are planning our first Amtrak trip in the next few months and have been enjoying learning more about if from your channel. We appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us!

My wife and I DO sleep together on the bottom berth in Bedrooms. We are both slender, so that might not be possible for all couples, but we can do it on both Superliners and Viewliners. Obviously not possible in Roomettes.

I can't wait to one day have a real job again so I can take a trip and put your tips into practice!

A big advantage for people traveling out of either Chicago or Los Angeles is that business class also gives access to the Metropolitan Lounges in those cities. To me that makes business class worth it on the Midwestern trains and the Pacific Surfliner.

Rode Empire Builder R/T 30 days ago. Got to give a Big Thank You to entire staff both on train and in station for 2 Seniors with mobility issues. Red Cap service excellent.

I have ridden cross country trains many times. Trains are often late, but I have been on them many times when they are on time or even early.

A great old school railroad hotel, The Olympic Club (it’s a McMenamin’s) is in Centralia, Washington and is literally across the street from the railroad station. It’s great for people who want to take the Coast Starlight.

Hi Guys!! I really enjoy your videos, they have been so informative. I have scheduled an Amtrak trip from Battle Creek, MI to Los Angeles on the first full week of June. I am planning on visiting with my Uncle that I haven't seen in ten years since my dad passed away. I will finally be able to see my cousins that I haven't seen since I was a kid and finally meet one of my cousins that I have never met. After my stay in Los Angeles I am traveling Amtrak up to Emeryville then back to Battle Creek. I am so excited as I have never taken a long train trip! Thanks again for all the information that you have provided and I hope to possibly meet you guys on the rails!

Awesome!! Thanks!!!!

Happy to see your videos again!

I just made my first reservations on Amtrak! I used the online site and it worked very cleanly. I learned from you so much about how to do it all, especially the thing about knowing the NAME of the train. Such a helpful tip. Anyway, in February I am doing roomette trips on the Spirit of New Orleans, then the Crescent to Washington D.C, and then the Cardinal back to Chicago. I'll spend some time in both New Orleans and D.C. doing touristy things. I will fly in and out of Chicago. Thanks for all your information and inspiration. Maybe one of these days I will catch you live.

On our next Amtrak overnight trip we may book 2 roomettes or a bedroom instead of 1 roomette. Our return trip from Albany, NY (Lake shore Limited, Viewliner II) was very cramped due to the fact that we couldn't check our luggage (2 carry-ons,) from Chicago to La Plata, MO (Southwest Chief) being our final destination. No checked baggage service in La Plata. Of course one never knows if the first train arrives on time to make the connection to the second train. As you suggested in an earlier video, we had our overnight items in backpacks. Just another learning experience to help for future trips. 🙂

Very helpful! Thank you for always great content!

This is really good. Thanks!

Excellent information! Thanks for the great answers to these questions.

Thanks guys! Very informative video 👍👍

Hello guys. Just to remind you that 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, PA also has a Metropolitan Lounge which is also known as Club Acela. I don't know if they sell daypasses to access it.

Awesome. I love this style of q & a presentation.

I'm looking forward to your Canada videos!

This was fun to watch and reminisce about our family trip this summer. It was a WONDERFUL trip. Cross country and a big loop with the rail pass and visiting family. I watched several of your videos and read your blog on your website. It really helped me be prepared for something that was so foreign to me at that time. You helped me prepare the best of all the others I listened to. And your enthusiasm helped me look forward to it and be less intimidated. Thank you! I miss it already, but the unforgettable memories remain!

Love you guys!!

Great info, thanks!

Baltimore BWI station is right by the airport so the car rental companies are close by as well. I know there's a shuttle to the airport that you could then transfer to a car rental shuttle.

Wow, just wow! 😃 Such invaluable advice, observations and insights‼️ Thank you for all you share about the Amtrack experience. Definitely looking into your Seattle hotel recommendation for our booked bedroom trip from L. A. to Seattle in the new year. Much appreciated‼️

just a note...just completed a train odyssey from Portland Oregon to Toronto Ontario....the only late train was the Coast starlight, arriving in LAX 1.30 hours late...the Southwest Chief was running ahead of schedule for its entire route, as was the Lakeshore Limited, and the Maple Leaf to Toronto...maybe I just lucked out...lol

Good show.

A few tips here . I routinely travel from Albany / Rensselaer to NYP on the Empire Service Train and back. I was told that a train that starts at the beginning of the route will be usually on time because it starts there and no delays that could have happened upstream . The best view is to the west looking at the Hudson River. Also, when I arrive at Penn I am ready for the bathroom. Rather than rush to get off the train, wait about 5 minutes and let the crowd disperse. Instead of taking a long walk searching for a bathroom at NYP, just use the one on the train . That avoids going all the way to NYP . Usually I need to get on the subway at the end of the train ride. This avoids moving from the platform to NYP for a bathroom, then walking all the way back to the subway which you were close to in the first place. Also, NYP has a waiting area ( not a lounge ) for all ticketed passengers waiting for a train - not arrivals, but departures . Comfortable seats , separate bathrooms and charging ports.

Thanks!

By the way enjoy hearing your experiences along the way. Book my first trip a month ago Chicago to Seattle and then Seattle to LA great trip food was very good and plentiful staff was great by the pretty much on time. Next trip is late February Chicago to flagstaff AZ. Will how that goes. Enjoy your information thanks again. 👌

Please let your viewers know that if they change their roomette assignments they may be charged for it. I changed an upper level assignment to a lower level and was charged $145 (for the round trip). Worth it, but a surprise.

Double tree in LA is pretty close to LAX. Great hotel

I have found that a number of destinations arrive late in the evening and/or depart early in the morning. This really plays havoc with hotel reservations, since you have to stay an additional night because of the arrival/departure times. For example, It makes it difficult to enjoy an additional day in the city and then depart later in the afternoon or evening. It forces you to stay in additional night in a hotel. Or late arrivals do not allow you to arrive early in the morning and enjoy a day in the city before staying in hotel. Have you found any workarounds or tricks to avoid these additional costs?

Are there televisions on the trains?

As stated before in other comments that I have left on your videos, a long distance round-trip train journey is a Bucket List item for me. (For now I have to be satisfied vicariously by watching your wonderful and informative videos.) I do have a question that I don't believe was asked as yet and I am nearing the end of this video. Are you allowed to bring your own alcoholic libations along? Say a 1.75L of a good whiskey? You did say that ice is available in the sleeper cars. Please understand that by asking this question that my intentions are not to be a sot upon the rails but a few relaxing drinks in the evenings as I travel would be desirable. Thank you for any answer that you may offer.

You guys are so cute!

One question: How much space is there in the various Superliner room types for bags/suitcases? Under seat? I used the overhead space in a Viewliner.

So true about Los Angeles not having good hotels close to the Station. I recommend rent higher end AirBnB on EagleRock part of L.A. it's like a 15 to 20 minute Uber ride to the Station and the price is the same as the Downtown hotels which I don't recommend because it's kind of a loud part of the city and sketchy at night. I got one for 100 bucks a night/420 friendly. EagleRock is really nice part of the city also recommend AirBnB's by Beverly Hills but it is further from the Station and no 420 friendly places that I can find.

São legais e capacitados além da incrível simpatia 😅

I want to thank you both so much for the information you all put out. It has helped put me at ease. I ride the rails in December for the first time with my kids and I am super excited! So, while I know that you travel together, do you have any special tips for families riding the rail? Anything that you may have observed seeing families when riding Amtrak? I assume all the information you give applies to anyone riding the rails, but just thought I'd reach out to see if there is anything I may have missed. Thanks again for all you do!

Love your channel and watch it all the time! We (me and wife) recently took the California Zephyr and had the family bedroom. Your channel provided us with a lot of good tips and advice that we put to good use. Our trip went well but we need to contact customer service about an issue we had with our trip. We are also Guest Rewards members and I remember you saying there is a special number to call for customer service. I was wondering if you could publish the number because I tried calling the Amtrak Guest Rewards number and unfortunately was put on hold for a lengthy period which caused me to think I wasn't using the correct #. Any help is greatly appreciated and keep up the great work!

Amtrak should have Coach Showers for $10

I've spent years traveling on Amtrak when time and routes allow and always enjoyed it. Looking to try one of the long distance VIA trains and finding it hard to find comparisons between Amtrak and VIA when it comes to the sleeper options. Could you do a video with one-to-one comparisons of the offerings on the two railroads?

As Always…. Very informative and interesting. Question…. You mentioned or actually did not mention a nearby hotel for the Los Angeles area. Any reason why? AND…. In another video you were very vague about walking around downtown or around the Union station in Los Angeles, for example compared to Chicago which you said was very safe and easy to walk around in. Can you elaborate more about the problem about walking around Los Angeles and the hotels? Thanks

Question - when I rode Amtrak last summer I wondered about free drinks as a sleeper passenger. I noticed that you said that business class gets free drinks, so do sleeper passengers also get free drinks, such as soda? One of trains I was on offered some free water bottles but neither mentioned anything about free drinks beyond that, so if true I feel like that should have been better advertised.

Love your channel! Looks like the Mastercard offer is back. Do you recommend getting it this time? Are the benefits just as good as when you it was offered before?

This is a great video; I've learned quite a bit especially about the hotels, but there is one "addendum" I hope you don't mind if I add. There was one time I asked how you get the really good prices on the tickets because no matter how I tried I wasn't getting them. In your response you said something that made me realize what my problem was that I was experiencing; this is that you were talking about booking from important hubs like NYC or DC. If you book from even a place like the city I live in; Hartford, CT; you don't get the same pricing advantage. For me that is no big deal as both NYC and Boston are only aproximately an hour away, but even though Hartford IS a large city; it is not considered an important hub to Amtrak. There ARE other disadvantages to booking from Hartford, but I will save them for now.

Do you know what the policy is for concealed carry? I know airlines have their own set of rules, but as there is no "TSA" type security in the station, I just wondered if you've ever come across anyone carrying a handgun. Thanks!

The upper deck on the sleeper card what room # is the top deck??

I took my first trip a week ago. I really wish I had the info you shared in this video. I booked through Amtrak Vacations and didn't realize they were a separate company from Amtrak. I stayed at the New Yorker hotel--terrible and so expensive. Please let us know whether it is better to book directly through Amtrak and make hotel reservations separately. Thanks again for the very helpful info.

You did not mention that Business class gives you access to the Metro. Lounges..

LA Hilton Checkers

Is there a refill water station in the train somewhere or do I have to purchase water bottles?

You two are so cool! I would like to know why my reservation for January shows it as ineligible for upgrade bid on the SW Chief? Is it because its too far out? Thanks

I absolutely love watching all of your train/Amtrak vlogs.❤ I especially like the Amtrak vlogs/information. I am a huge Amtrak traveler and it’s always nice to get additional insight from others that travel the rails. My next Amtrak trip is scheduled for this coming Christmas holiday season. I will be taking the Coast Starlight from Oregon down to Los Angeles and then out to Palm Springs. I have family down in that area, we are all counting the days. 🚊 🚆 🚂

never been on a train before, and pardon if this is weird, but if i wanted to stay on the Amtrak train the entire time could i do that with a roundtrip ticket? or would i have to get off and wait at my destination, until the next train is available to take me back. Like if i had no plans in the city i ended my trip on, and just wanted to see the views on the train. (I struggle with anxiety so being in an unfamiliar city would not be fun)

Need your help amigos. I'm planning a 30 day vacation across the USA traveling by train, and I'm trying to avoid crowded trains, since I'll be traveling in coach seats. My question is: Are January and February good months to enjoy "empty trains"? I'd really appreciate your help. Happy holidays in advance 🙂.

Does Amtrak give them any discounts because of the free commercials they provide, or do they give these two money, these two really go out of there way to be pleasant, Amtrak has to appreciate that. Just saying.

How can I find out which style of train I will be on? I'm going on a northwest journey in May and have sleeper car reservations. After watching several of your videos I saw where you like to try and get the roomettes on trains with upper levels.

Thanks so much for your help in planning my first rail trip on the Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville. I been able to change my roomette assignment (dreaded rm 13 to a transition car), plan for my departure and last mile transportation options if delayed. Can tote my own beer and snacks before i get on the train? And will they have ice for my cooler on the train? Thanks so much.

What happens when you have segments?

What is the best side of the train in a roomette when going from Emeryville to Chicago?

Thank you for this video. I'll be on the Texas Eagle from Austin to Chicago, transferring to Empire Builder (next day) to make it home to Seattle from visiting family for Thanksgiving. It seems like the Texas Eagle on this leg has no Observation car nor a Dining Car. Does that mean I'll be stuck with flexible dining in my roommette? Do you have any more advice/tips for this first leg of my journey? Thank you. PS, Did you do a video on the Texas Eagle and I missed it?

We were just on Amtrak for the first time - ended up waiting over 3 hrs both ways for train. Are we able to get a travel voucher for future from Amtrak & how?

Does amtrak have any good special offers for getting the credit card right now?

Is the $99 annual credit card offer worth the money?

How does the Bid up work? Do I need to bid the minimal amount shown? Say $300 for a roomette.. Thankvyou, Nancy H

Why don't you 2 ever stay in Denver or even say anything about the Union Station in Denver it is really nice you should check it out. Oh and there is a hotel inside the Union Station.

😮

Hi, due to Amtrak basically not being on time how flexible should you make your hotel booking?, and should you let them know?

Rode Empire Builder 30 days ago R/T. Mobility issues for both made upper berth impossible. Would either bedroom or family BR be comfortable for 2 adults? Otherwise 2 roomettes across hall is it.

I know this is a little late but I just booked my tickets recently and have a question... my son and I will be getting on the Silver Star in Tampa down to Miami, coach seats. I don't think we have reserved seats (the ticket doesn't show anything reserved). The Silver Star is a long-haul but we're getting on only for the last 5.5 hrs. Will we encounter any problems finding coach seats together? I'm partially disabled and he's coming along with me as a personal companion, so being able to sit together is important. Any advice? Thanks!!

When riding in coach and there is no one seated next to me, can I stretch out and sleep on the floor?

My husband and I are planning a train ride home from FL in July of 2024. We will be going from FL to NY, NY to Chicago to KCMO. I am doing all my research now so I know what to expect, so I am prepared. You mentioned that trains can be delayed. When we get to NY, we have a little time before we board our next train and the same in Chicago. However, what happens if we are too late and miss our next train? Or will they hold the train until our train comes in and we get boarded?

HI, I am planning to sign up for the Rail Pass later this Spring. I live in Las Vegas and will need to get the Amtrak shuttle from the airport to Kingman, Arizona to catch the Southwest Chief. Does that shuttle ride count as a segment? It seems it should not but should be part of the Southwest Chief named-train ride, but I have read differently. Thanks, Ken

Looking for a price for the car and passangers.

Do there have hot chocolate cocoa.

Could you please tell us about Tier status on Amtrak. Once you reach a certain tier, do you hold it forever or do you lose it at the end of the Year and have to start all over ?????????????????????????

I currently have 786 points in my rewards how many do I need for a free roomette?

Wondering about gluten-free my daughter has celiac disease. Do you know? 😊

I'll be going 3 days on Amtrak with a toddler (coach) in December. Question about baggage: We have a transfer. If we check baggage, when we reach our transfer/layover, do we have to pick up the checked luggage and move it to the new train or something? Or when we check our bags at our first station will it continue on until our last destination/station?

What if I have an expired id

wher on the train can your relieve gas (fart) when u have alot.?