# Denver to Sacramento to Portland



## Anita (Oct 15, 2018)

Hi everyone,

I am going on my first long distance Amtrak trip. This is a big trip for me and have booked a roomette.

I am very excited since I really love train travel. I haven't taken an Amtrak outside of the Acela and other short distance trains in the NE.

Denver to Sacramento on Zephyr, Train 5, Car 0532, Room 012

Sacramento to Portland, Coast Starlight, Train 14, Car 1432, Room 006

*May I ask your opinion on these roomettes?* If they are not the greatest situated, would you suggest a better one? (I'm going at the end of October) Also, I have read that you can't really tell what side you're going to be on.

*Tipping*. Is it customary to tip the attendant per day? If yes, how much would be good for adequate service. (I usually tip - and would like to know the range.) For the dining car meals, I'm assuming tip as you would if you were paying for the meal?)

*Holding my luggage in Sacramento.* I would like to explore Sacramento. Can I leave my luggage at the station? Will it be open until I have to board Coast Starlight? (Currently scheduled to depart Sacramento at midnight.)

*Bringing towels and toiletries*. I plan on bringing a blanket with me. Does Amtrak provide towels for use in the showers?

*What else to bring*. I already have these other things on my to bring list. Power strip. Disinfectant wipes. (I'm afraid of catching a cold or flu.) Drinks and snacks. Headphones. Earplugs. Any other tips? This is a long (and probably once in a lifetime) trip for me and would like to make it as comfortable as possible.

If this trip goes well (and I hope it does!) I would like to do another trip from Chicago to Seattle on Empire Builder or maybe NY to New Orleans. But, first I need to get through this trip.

Thank you.

A


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## pennyk (Oct 15, 2018)

Anita,

Your itinerary is very similar to my first cross country trip, which I loved. I traveled between Denver and Seattle, laying over in Sacramento. I think the scenery on the California Zephyr is fabulous.

on my trip, I found the wait in Sacramento quite uncomfortable, but the Sacramento station has been since renovated and is more comfortable. I was able to store my luggage for $3 a piece, which may be more now. When I traveled in 2010, the station remained open during my entire layover. During my layover, I visited the California Rail Museum and, after it closed, I walked around Sacramento until dark. I traveled in late August and it was quite warm. October should be more comfortable.

Amtrak will provide towels and blankets. Unless you prefer your own blanket, I do not think there is a need to bring your own. I try to travel very light.

Your room on train 5 will be downstairs. Some passengers love downstairs rooms, some do not and some do not care. I have never traveled overnight in a downstairs room, so I cannot voice my preference. Being downstairs, you will be close to the luggage rack, restrooms and shower. I am sure others can provide more information regarding room locations.

BTW, thank you for not posting your exact dates of travel. For security reasons, it is unwise to post your dates of travel and your room and car numbers.

I generally tip my sleeping car attendant when de-training and the dining car attendants after each meal. I make sure I bring plenty of one dollar bills with me for tipping.


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## cpotisch (Oct 15, 2018)

Anita said:


> *May I ask your opinion on these roomettes?* If they are not the greatest situated, would you suggest a better one? (I'm going at the end of October) Also, I have read that you can't really tell what side you're going to be on.


On the Starlight (room 6), you will be on the upper-level, whereas on the Zephyr (room 12), you'll be on the lower-level. There is some debate as to which is better. On the upper level, you get better views and you won't have to go up and down the stairs whenever you go between cars. On the other hand, the lower-level offers a somewhat smoother ride, gets less foot traffic, and offers easy access to the luggage area, bathrooms, and shower. There is limited room in the roomettes, so you'll likely have to store any large bags you have in that luggage area, and with a lower level room, they will be mere feet from you. And whereas the upper level only has one toilet and no shower, the lower level has four toilets and a shower. So honestly, I prefer the lower. A lot of it is up to personal preference, though, and I wouldn't say the lower is so much better that it's worth calling to change it.

You are correct that there's no way of determining in advance what side of the train you'll be on, however on the routes you're taking, there really isn't a better or worse side of the train, so it doesn't make much difference. Plus you'll probably be in the Sightseer Lounge for the best scenery anyway.



Anita said:


> *Tipping*. Is it customary to tip the attendant per day? If yes, how much would be good for adequate service. (I usually tip - and would like to know the range.) For the dining car meals, I'm assuming tip as you would if you were paying for the meal?)


I usually tip $5 per person per night for good service from the Sleeping Car Attendant (SCA). If they are rude, unhelpful, or just hard to find and get assistance from, I might tip nothing. If they are super helpful and friendly, I might tip $10 per person per night. But $5 is my baseline. As to tipping in the dining car, you are 100% dead on. I always tip 15-20% of the menu price for the meal. (If I have the SCA bring me food to the room, I tip them the same way as in the diner).



Anita said:


> *Bringing towels and toiletries*. I plan on bringing a blanket with me. Does Amtrak provide towels for use in the showers?


Amtrak provides towels and soap. Also, I don't think you should bother bringing a blanket, since they will provide pillows, blankets, and sheets. If you're cold at night, just ask your SCA for more, and I'm sure they'll oblige.



Anita said:


> *What else to bring*. I already have these other things on my to bring list. Power strip. Disinfectant wipes. (I'm afraid of catching a cold or flu.) Drinks and snacks. Headphones. Earplugs. Any other tips? This is a long (and probably once in a lifetime) trip for me and would like to make it as comfortable as possible.


I would recommend you bringing book(s) and/or download some movies. It can get cold on the train so it's never a bad idea to bring a sweatshirt or jacket.

Hope this helps!


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 15, 2018)

The other Posters gave you good advice.

As for your Roomette, you won't spend most of your time in your room, so you get to experience the Upstairs and Downstairs Roomettes and can decide for yourself which suits you best.( I prefer Upstairs myself but any Roomette is better than None!)

When you are in Sacramento, remember the Rail Museum closes early since its staffed by State Employees.

There is a Starbucks close to the Station, Old Sacramento is next to the Rail Museum and the River, worth a Look.

The Light Rail stops right @ the Station so you might want to ride around town to Sight see after visiting the Museum.

Downtown Sacramento closes down fairly early since its the State Capitol unless there's a Basketball Game ( NBA Kings) @ the New Arena.

Another idea is to hop on a Train to Davis,( frequent Cap Corridor Trains) a Beautiful Small College town 20 minutes to the West towards the Bay Area and eat Dinner, then return to Sacramento where you can wait in the Reserved Sleeper Waiting Area for the Starlight which is usually Late into Sacramento.

The tunnel out to the Amtrak Platforms is a fairly long walk, but the friendly Agents do have carts and will assist you if needed.( $5 tip appreciated!)

The standard Amtrak Luggage Hold Amount is now $10 but lots of Agents don't charge Sleeper passengers making connections for such service if you ask.

You'll love going thru the Cascades on the way to Portland. Having Breakfast in the Diner as the Snow Capped My Shasta appears ( hopefully it'll be a Clear day)Is Memorable. And the Lakes around Klamath Falls are really scenic as are the Cascades themselves,especially if there is Snow!

As you roll along the Willamette River approaching Portland ( on your left) ther are lots of interesting things to see.

Be sure and visit the Nice Metro Lounge @ Union Station upon arrival, the Agents there are really friendly and even though it's small, it's one of the Best of the Metro Lounges!


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## jebr (Oct 15, 2018)

The room selection looks fine; neither of those are bad, and having both an upper and a lower level roomette will allow you to decide which you prefer more if you take a future trip.

As for tipping, opinions vary widely on whether to tip and the proper amount. Tips are appreciated but aren't required, and Amtrak staff do make a living wage, so they're not reliant on tips in the same way wait staff at a restaurant often are. It's historically customary to tip the dining car staff along with your sleeper car attendant. The general range for those that do tip is somewhere between a couple bucks and 15-20% of the bill for meals in the diner, and $5-$20/night for the SCA in a sleeper car accommodation. It's definitely a wide range (thanks to numerous opinions!) but do what you're comfortable with. Tips for the SCA are generally given at the end of each train ride, with the possible exception of room service (where the tip for that would be given upon delivery of the food.) Tips for meals in the diner are generally given at the end of each meal, simply left on the table. (Note that conductors and engineers are not tipped.)

The Sacramento station does hold luggage. When I was there two years ago, they held the luggage at no charge with my connecting sleeper car ticket. That may have changed, however. The Starbucks nearby is decent for a cup of coffee and a snack, though I'd suggest exploring if you want a more substantial supper. The light rail does make connections easy to explore the city.

Amtrak generally provides towels, though there's been once or twice where the shower room wasn't restocked with towels at that moment. (The attendant eventually came by and put more in, though.) I'd bring shampoo, conditioner, and body wash with; Amtrak only provides bar soap on most of the trains so anything else needs to be brought with you.

As for other things to bring, that's mainly personal preference. I like to bring along a few snacks, along with my preferred adult beverage. (Personal alcohol is allowed to be consumed in your private sleeper car accommodation.) If most/all of your electronics are USB, I'd suggest bringing a USB charger with a power cord that connects to the brick (like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IUTIUEA/)- the ones with the brick right against the outlet may not fit into some of the recessed outlets on the train. I find it more convenient than a power strip, though I also don't have any electronics on my trips that need something other than USB for charging. On my last trip, I brought an old phone pre-loaded with maps (I used the maps.me app, which pulls data from Open Street Maps) and found it enjoyable to have that on a holder that suction-cups to the window so I knew where we were and what I was seeing outside my window. GPS will work without a cellular connection, so it can be an inactive phone. Some offline entertainment is also good, whether it's podcasts, books/e-books, downloaded videos (Netflix allows this, as does YouTube if you pay for their premium package,) or puzzle books. Cellular reception can be spotty between stations (and even in some stations depending on your carrier!) so there'll be times where you can't rely on that for entertainment.

Feel free to ask any further questions!


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## the_traveler (Oct 15, 2018)

Also, if you check your luggage in Denver,it will be automatically transferred to your new train. But you will NOT have access to it on the train or in Sacramento.


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## BCL (Oct 15, 2018)

Bob Dylan said:


> When you are in Sacramento, remember the Rail Museum closes early since its staffed by State Employees.
> 
> Downtown Sacramento closes down fairly early since its the State Capitol unless there's a Basketball Game ( NBA Kings) @ the New Arena.


It's a museum with typical museum hours (closed at 5 PM). However, mostly it's run by volunteers.

Also - Golden One Center has a pretty full event calendar. The first event with paying customers was a Paul McCartney concert.

https://www.golden1center.com/events/calendar-of-events


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## Anita (Oct 15, 2018)

Thank you Penny for your thoughts.






I'm excited to hear that you had a similar itinerary and that you found things to do during your layover in Sacramento. (I had considered Seattle as well to complete the journey north but, I've never been to Portland so I decided to stop there instead.) I am very much looking forward to the view.

I love train travel (have done cross Canada a few times and am in love with Shinkansen in Japan) and am excited since this is my first time for such a trip in the US and treated myself to a roomette. I have found these message boards to be useful so I'll probably join, donate and post 'trip reports'. I think it's so nice to have such an easy way to get and share advice on rail travel.



pennyk said:


> Anita,
> 
> Your itinerary is very similar to my first cross country trip, which I loved. I traveled between Denver and Seattle, laying over in Sacramento. I think the scenery on the California Zephyr is fabulous.
> 
> ...


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## Anita (Oct 15, 2018)

Thank you cpotisch on your thoughts. Like you and some other respondents mentioned, I will use the opportunity to explore both top and bottom roomette options. This way, I can form an opinion on preference. I also feel relieved about your tipping guidelines as that was what I was thinking as well. I am happy to follow what is customary and try to err on the side of tipping, when unsure. (I think it's from my many years living in NYC, where you tip for everything.



)

With your suggestion, I won't bring a blanket and will ask for an extra if needed. I'll also bring layers. I'm going to have one large bag and then just bring a small duffle bag with me in the roomette so not having a blanket will save space.

I have a few daydreams about some of the trains you've taken before so I may hit you up with more questions.

In the meantime, thank you again for taking the time to respond.


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## Anita (Oct 15, 2018)

Thank you Bob for your thoughts and tips.

I'm actually super excited to have a long stop in Sacramento (hopefully minimal to no delays!) so your tips about catching the light rail to sightsee is a great one. I love public transportation and always try to hop on whatever a city has. I'll plan on keeping some things with me on a backpack and putting the rest to be checked in my luggage.

I am also really hoping for clear weather to take advantage of the best sights. But, nature is so unpredictable so I keep my expectations reasonable.

Maybe a weird question. Do people actually bring windex with them to wipe down the windows?I saw some reference of this somewhere. I would love to take pictures and clean windows would help but, it seems kinda strange. Though, it's not beneath me to do weird things (as I said, I may not do this trip again so might as well make the best of it.) so I may come with some wipes in case of extremely dirty windows due to weather.


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## Anita (Oct 15, 2018)

Thank you Jebr on your tips, especially the one about GPS! That's a new one I haven't heard of before though it is something that will definitely enhance my trip. I'm one of those people who look at the 'flight tracker' map while on a plane, so this is definitely something I would love. Thank you for this suggestion. Does this app also track your route? So I can see exactly where I have traveled and not just where you are at that time? (I will experiment with this before I leave.)

I was actually just wondering about the powerstrip/cube/usb situation and am on the market for a new strip. I had considered a cube but did wonder if it would be too long/fat/whatever to sit flush. Your advice on this is spot on.

Re: tipping. This confirms what I was thinking about as well. I kinda liken it to as you said, room service at a hotel. Or maybe if you have a special request for housekeeping. I will carry bills with me to show appreciation and spread goodwill. I have a stack of $2 bills that I put aside and this train trip may be a nice way to use them up.


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## Anita (Oct 15, 2018)

Traveler, thank you for this tip! Ah Great! I will have one large suitcase with me which I will consider doing this for. One less thing to worry about. Then keep my essentials with me on a smaller bag.



the_traveler said:


> Also, if you check your luggage in Denver,it will be automatically transferred to your new train. But you will NOT have access to it on the train or in Sacramento.


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## Anita (Oct 15, 2018)

Thank you BCL for the link! I will check. That would be a very cool thing to do on a stopover! I really hope we are not delayed so I'll have plenty of time in Sacramento to explore.



BCL said:


> Bob Dylan said:
> 
> 
> > When you are in Sacramento, remember the Rail Museum closes early since its staffed by State Employees.
> ...


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## Maglev (Oct 16, 2018)

Hi Anita!

I think you will have a great trip! I have just a couple comments about comfort--I'm big on comfort!

I don't bring a blanket, but I do bring a pillow. I find the temperature of the rooms to be generally comfortable with just the thin blanket Amtrak provides, and I didn't feel a need for a blanket during the day even on the _Empire Builder _with below-zero temperatures outside. But if a heavy blanket is important for your comfort, I would recommend packing one. The pillows Amtrak provides aren't the greatest, so I pack my own in a duffle that fits on top of my rolling suitcase.

Regarding cleaning your windows on the outside, I've never done this. (This applies to downstairs Room 12 windows, which would be accessible at some stations). I don't know how you'd do it without smearing unless you use a lot of rags and water.

In addition to earplugs, I recommend packing an eye-mask just in case you get stuck and have to spend a night traveling in a coach seat. I hope everything goes well on your trip, but being prepared can make severe disruptions much more bearable, and an eye-mask really doesn't take up much space. I've never been displaced from a sleeper, but some of the more experienced travelers here have.


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## jebr (Oct 16, 2018)

Anita said:


> Thank you Jebr on your tips, especially the one about GPS! That's a new one I haven't heard of before though it is something that will definitely enhance my trip. I'm one of those people who look at the 'flight tracker' map while on a plane, so this is definitely something I would love. Thank you for this suggestion. Does this app also track your route? So I can see exactly where I have traveled and not just where you are at that time? (I will experiment with this before I leave.)


I didn't see the option when I was using it, but I didn't look terribly closely either. Since most of the areas traveled through only have one set of train tracks nearby (except in larger cities or switching points for the train tracks) I didn't feel the need to see exactly where I've traveled. (There's also a few maps online of the routes, my favorite being asm.transitdocs.com. However, each individual train only updates every few minutes, with the lines showing the official routes that it normally takes.)


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## me_little_me (Oct 16, 2018)

One comment about the snacks. Your meals, given that you like talking with others, can be an enjoyable, drawn-out affair as you sit after your meal with your seatmates. Note, you will likely be seated with others and we never had a disappointing experience with strangers seated with us. Given that you get three meals a day (depending on train times) and that meals include everything (including salad and dessert at both lunch and dinner) and such things as juice and bacon or sausage along with the usual omelets or pancakes at breakfast, you might find snacks to be superfluous. We always do unless we board just after a meal service is started and if we can't get a reasonable dinner time reservation. If you do, after a really big meal or a (prohibited) joint, still get the munchies, then snacks might be worth the effort.


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## Maglev (Oct 16, 2018)

I bring mixed nuts for a snack, as they are not available in the cafe on board.


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## JRR (Oct 16, 2018)

I have found that the “thin” blanket provided is amazingly warm. It always surprises me how warm it is. That being said you can always ask the SCA for another if you need it. I always take a mask and earplugs and manage to sleep well. The extension cord and multi plug for charging are also in my permanent kit along with gaffer tape along with s variety of items to jam into rattling doors panels etc.

With all the meals provided, one doesn’t really need snacks but I like to have nuts, chips or pretzels to go with my “adult” beverages before dinner or nite cap!

I recommend visiting the Delta King steamboat in Old Sacramento. Unfortunately, it is just being used as a hotel now. I believe they have a restaurant on board. My wife and I spent the night there once. A real deja vu for us since we had taken two trips on the twin “Delta Queen “ which plied the Ohio and Mississippi River before Congress failed to renew its exemption from the “Safety At Sea” legislation.

Please note that it is not an accessible facility or at least it wasn’t.

Have a great trip and let us all know how it turned out.


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## BCL (Oct 16, 2018)

Anita said:


> Thank you BCL for the link! I will check. That would be a very cool thing to do on a stopover! I really hope we are not delayed so I'll have plenty of time in Sacramento to explore.


The Golden One Center was built on a portion of what used to be the Downtown Plaza shopping center. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but at one time it was owned/operated by Westfield, but clearly not at the same standard as many of the other shopping centers that Westfield operated. It just seemed kind of sad. They had a food court there, but the restaurants were mostly independents. What's left of it seems to exist as the "Downtown Commons" center, which seems to be a work in progress although Macy's hasn't moved out. The website doesn't seem to have up to date information on business hours. It looks like Yard House is now open until midnight, with happy hour 3-6.

https://www.docosacramento.com/directory/

https://www.yardhouse.com/locations/ca/sacramento/sacramento/8379

https://www.thepizzapress.com/location/sacramento-ca/

I haven't been there in a while. What would be ideal would be if there were an actual working Chinatown in Sacramento. The historic Chinatown is actually across the street from the station, but 60s/70s redevelopment turned it into some strange excuse for a mall that's just barely hanging in there.

https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/sacramento-chinatown-mall-sacramento


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## Anita (Oct 17, 2018)

*Maglev*
Thank you for the tips.I'm a fussy sleeper (usually but, I can rough it and have even overnighted on coach trains before) so I will definitely add earplugs, eye mask and other sleep aids with me. I will see if I have room and if I do, I will bring a pillow and maybe shawl that can double as a blanket. And of course, will allow myself the freedom to nap whenever I feel like.

*me_little_me*
Thanks for the note about snacks. I do get munchy and will buy some fruit and nuts with me, along with a bottle of tasty beverage for a nightcap.



I have travelled on rail before, solo and I really enjoyed meeting new people. I live in Hawaii and whenever I travel off-island, I always bring small packs of local snacks/nuts to share aloha from the islands. I'll do the same on this trip.

*jebr*
Thanks Jebr for the map link. I was trying to think of a way to have a digital journal of the trip and I think this will definitely help.

*JRR *
That's a great tip about Gaffer's tape. I did note to pack some tape (was just gonna bring masking tape as that doesn't leave a mark) but, will spring for gaffer's tape since it's sturdier/stronger. For this trip, I don't mind packing these things 'just in case' as they don't take up that much room.

Thank you all again for your tips. I am finally starting to get really excited for this trip.


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## cpotisch (Oct 17, 2018)

Anita said:


> *Maglev*
> Thank you for the tips.I'm a fussy sleeper (usually but, I can rough it and have even overnighted on coach trains before) so I will definitely add earplugs, eye mask and other sleep aids with me. I will see if I have room and if I do, I will bring a pillow and maybe shawl that can double as a blanket. And of course, will allow myself the freedom to nap whenever I feel like.
> 
> *me_little_me*
> ...


Glad we (they) could help! Enjoy the trip and *please* let us know how it went.


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## ehbowen (Oct 18, 2018)

As of September 2016, I was told that Amtrak would hold sleeper passengers' carry-on luggage at no charge at staffed stations with a first class lounge or dedicated sleeper / business class waiting area. Sacramento did have such an area and they held our bags at no charge. Galesburg did not and the agent would have charged us, but we elected to schlep our luggage to a restaurant across the street while we had lunch.


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