We Loved It.

In August of ‘09, my wife and I took a cross country trip on Amtrak and loved every minute. I know that on this site, there are countless whiners about Amtrak, but I look forward to another round trip on the rails. I do need to point out that we took a sleeper, not coach which is where the majority of the complaints seem to originate. You might as well take a bus trip as ride coach class on the train ... but the sleepers are extraordinary. The first short leg of our trip was in coach, so I can compare the two.

Our trip began in Rochester, NY, had a change in Chicago and then on to San Francisco. There was a bit of a layover in Chicago, but their lounge for sleeper customers is more than comfortable and offers complementary beverages, snacks, newspapers and Wi-Fi. Depending upon the length of your layover, you can venture up to the street level of Union Station to shop or enjoy a great meal in any of several restaurants. There are plenty of station and lounge attendants to assist anyone with special needs and direct the rest of us first timers to our next train.

Once we were aboard the California Zephyr, we felt like two kids (and that era is 50 years in our rear view mirrors). Each sleeper car has an attendant; our man on the westbound was “Johnny” and he was one of the friendliest and most energetic people I ever met. (I wish I could remember the name of the guy on the return trip, but it’s now lost in time. He was as good as Johnny, but Johnny was our first real contact with Amtrak, so his impression tends to stick in my mind).

Ours was not a luxury compartment, but a Roomette. I won’t say that it was spacious, but it was adequate. We’re not big people, but even above average size folks would be comfortable in a Roomette. It included two comfortable facing seats with a small table in between. At night, the attendant magically converts your little room into a sleeper and I wish my bed at home was as comfortable. Admittedly, the motion of the train does help rock you to sleep at night. Within the compartment, there are built-in reading lights, an enormous window, an electric outlet to recharge your cell phone, laptop and whatever else you might carry. There’s also a modest amount of storage space in the compartment and open storage is available in the hallway for your non-valuables or items not needed aboard the train. The larger compartments offer even more. The main reason we took the train were our luggage needs. The airlines have made a meticulous study of ways to inconvenience or anger their passengers - specifically with luggage needs. Amtrak has limits, but they are fairly generous. Ours was a two week trip, so we were packed to the max; I carried a large wheeled suitcase, a fairly large (and heavy) camera bag which was loaded with about ten grand worth of lenses, camera bodies and more, plus a fairly expensive laptop in a shoulder bag. My wife had a similar volume, although hers were lighter in weight, she did have a knitting project which included several knitting needles. Try boarding an airplane with any of that. With Amtrak there were no extra luggage fees or unrealistic rules. They do provide you with a list of what is not acceptable: firearms, dangerous chemicals, etc., but your shampoo is still okay aboard the trains. They even allow bicycles and golf clubs, but those items will ride in the baggage car. You can, however, expect to meet a K-9 unit with dog or two on various stops along the way. That keeps everyone honest and gave us a pretty good feeling of security, too. The police are from local or state jurisdictions and are friendly, but businesslike and the dogs are “strictly business” but in complete control of their handlers. It was a pleasure to watch these teams work together.

My wife and I don’t smoke, so we enjoyed the 100 percent smoke-free atmosphere of the train, but periodic short stops do allow the smokers time to jump off and puff away. These are announced well in advance. Occasionally, we also took advantage of the stops and stretched our legs. It was not uncommon for window washing crews to appear and give all of the windows a good cleaning. Nice for those of us with cameras in our laps.

How’s the food - We thought it was great. Admittedly, the food aboard the train is not going to equal your favorite little hometown restaurant, but we thought that it was as good as any of the national casual dining chains, better than many and far better than any of the fast food joints. The price of meals are included with sleeper accommodations, so you order from the menu and simply sign your name on the bill. The menu offers a reasonably wide selection, so it’s unlikely that you’ll need to repeat meal, but there are a few that you’ll choose a second or third time. Love the Flat Iron Steak. The salads are basic, but always fresh; there are countless restaurants sitting on permanent foundations that can’t get the salads right. Soft drinks, juice, coffee and tea are also included with all three meals and desserts come with with lunch and dinner, too.

The experience of eating in a dining car has its own rewards, too. Couples are seated side by side and other travelers are seated across the table from you. This was a great way to meet new people. We met travelers from Europe, college professors and ranchers, photographers and vacationers from throughout the States, even folks on golf excursions who jump off every few hundred miles, play a round and catch another train the next day. It was during our dining experiences that we came to learn that we might have been the only couple riding the train for the first time. All were repeat customers, which is quite a positive statement for Amtrak. Everyone aboard had their own reasons for being there, but all of them love rail travel.

Bathrooms - No problems to speak of. Our roomette didn’t have a self-contained bathroom, but the larger luxury compartments do have a private bathroom included. Nevertheless, we had no problems - there were two or three bathrooms including showers at each end of the car and Johnny, the attendant, was in them on an hourly basis keeping them sparkling clean and well supplied with towels and soap.

As a footnote (and before I forget), Johnny was also a big help with our luggage on and off the train, preparing the beds at night, keeping a supply of juice, coffee and snacks nearby and a variety of other services. A nice tip of $20.00 or so, near the end of the trip was certainly in order. And why not - if we had flown, the airline would have stuck us for at least that much in “extra fees”.

The Observation Car and Club Car were also nice for occasional breaks from the roomette and great places to meet some fellow travelers. Although the comfort and huge clean window of our compartment kept us “home” for most of the trip, we did enjoy spending some time in the “more social” part of the train. Just like the staff throughout the train, it’s clear that those folks enjoy their jobs, too. Snacks and beverages, both alcohol and “non”, are available and the prices are fair.

In conclusion, we’re planning another rail trip in the near future - and are very much looking forward to it. Hope to see Johnny again, as well.

kozmo