# Roomette AND coach seat?



## That Guy (Mar 2, 2011)

Hello all. Rookie train passenger here, planning our first trip. Great forum, btw- already a big help.

So my wife and I are planning a trip with The Son. He's 15 months old, so we're thinking a Roomette would be the best idea. My wife is, however, pretty nervous about feeling claustrophobic in a 3' by 6' room. Our thought was to book the Roomette for myself and The Son, and she would get a coach seat. That way if she felt uncomfortable in the room, she could head to her seat. So I called, and was told this was not possible. I then asked if we could book the Roomette for us both, and buy an additional coach seat, and was told that wasn't possible either. I was told passage from the two separate cars may not be possible due to how the train was arranged. The agent did, however say we could meet in the dining or lounge car. She was extremely friendly, and even checked with her support staff to find a solution, but the best thing they could suggest was meeting in the middle.

Now, my wife will attest that I'm not real quick. And it wasn't until I got off the phone I did the math, and figured, if I can get to the dining car, and she can get to the dining car, why couldn't she get from her seat to the Roomette? We're willing to buy the extra ticket if need be, we just want the warm fuzzy feeling knowing that if she can't handle the confines of the roomette she has a seat she can use.

So is this possible? Am I asking too much? Any other suggestions are gladly considered, but this is what we (she  ) would really like.

We're heading from NYC to Savannah, so this will be on the Silver Meteor.

Any other advice for travelling with an active toddler appreciated, too. And I mean active.

Thanks in advance.


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## Trogdor (Mar 2, 2011)

There is no problem passing through the train. What you are proposing to do is entirely possible. I'm not sure why the agent would have suggested otherwise.

That said, you may find it cheaper/easier to not buy the coach ticket, and if your wife feels claustrophobic, just take a walk through the train for a while, and maybe have a seat in the cafe car (large tables, open seating). If the dining car isn't in use (i.e. it's not meal time), the crew may let you sit there for a little while anyway.


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## buck1108 (Mar 2, 2011)

When I've traveled, I've had no problem going from one area to the other.

The room car attendants are usually understanding about this and try to accomodate the guests accordingly.

If you paid for both, I would think you could commute back and forth, ticket stubs in hand, unless part of the train was detached and reconfigured (and the car with the seat vamoosed) somewhere along the way....not sure. Good question!


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 2, 2011)

I really don't know why Amtrak is being so stubborn about this, but that's just how they are some times. Here would be my solution.

1. Buy three tickets for the roomette that include you, your wife, and your toddler. This should be allowed. If it's not then call back and try again.

2. In a separate transaction on a separate call buy one coach ticket for your wife. Your wife should be in possession of two tickets for the same train on the same day at this point.

3. When you board the train you and your toddler should board the sleeper and your wife should board in the coach car.

4. After your wife has placed the end-point marker (a small rectangular slip of paper) above the seat of her choice she can move about the train and join you in your car so long as she has her roomette ticket on her. She can also go back to her coach seat so long as she has her coach ticket with her.

5. In this situation you can probably swap whoever you want (except the toddler) between the coach and roomette so long as you act like you know what you're doing and don't make a big deal about it. If you're challenged just show them the tickets and they'll probably understand once they realize you're not trying to enjoy a free lunch.



That Guy said:


> So my wife and I are planning a trip with The Son. He's 15 months old, so we're thinking a Roomette would be the best idea. My wife is, however, pretty nervous about feeling claustrophobic in a 3' by 6' room. Our thought was to book the Roomette for myself and The Son, and she would get a coach seat. That way if she felt uncomfortable in the room, she could head to her seat. So I called, and was told this was not possible. I then asked if we could book the Roomette for us both, and buy an additional coach seat, and was told that wasn't possible either. I was told passage from the two separate cars may not be possible due to how the train was arranged. The agent did, however say we could meet in the dining or lounge car. She was extremely friendly, and even checked with her support staff to find a solution, but the best thing they could suggest was meeting in the middle.
> 
> Now, my wife will attest that I'm not real quick. And it wasn't until I got off the phone I did the math, and figured, if I can get to the dining car, and she can get to the dining car, why couldn't she get from her seat to the Roomette? We're willing to buy the extra ticket if need be, we just want the warm fuzzy feeling knowing that if she can't handle the confines of the roomette she has a seat she can use.
> 
> ...


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## Tony (Mar 2, 2011)

That Guy said:


> ... , and figured, if I can get to the dining car, and she can get to the dining car, why couldn't she get from her seat to the Roomette?


Basically, the dining car crew should not be allowing anyone with only a coach ticket, to exit from the diner into the sleeping car(s).

If your wife has a sleeper ticket with her name on it, then sure. Just show that to the crew member asking (challenging), and they will let her proceed.


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## RRrich (Mar 2, 2011)

Only 2 pax can be ticketed for a Roomette. Unless one of them is a_ little one_, then we can do three 

As Trogdor suggested, I wouldn't bother with a coach ticket, just get the roomette.


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## Pastor Dave (Mar 2, 2011)

We had the same scenario many years ago on a Silver Service train. My mom wanted to be able to sit in coach during the day because the seats were more to her liking than the Roomette. She was told no and didn't challenge. Is this an Amtrak policy? Or does it have something to do with the FRA (although I can't imagine what?)


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## the_traveler (Mar 2, 2011)

I don't see why any agent would question having a roomette with 2 parents and a 15 *MONTH* old child?




(I'm almost sure the 15 *MONTH* old would sleep in the same berth as one of the parents!) I could see them question 2 parents and a 15 *YEAR* old child!





And the child's fare would be -0- (since he or she is under 2 years old), so Amtrak is not even losing any revenue! So I don't see why they would not allow it!

Since you're going from New York to Savannah, have you considered the Palmetto instead?



It's an all day run and no overnights. If you do, I'd suggest going Business Class!


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## me_little_me (Mar 2, 2011)

RRrich said:


> As Trogdor suggested, I wouldn't bother with a coach ticket, just get the roomette.


I'll also agree with that. I have spent hours in the lounge car. If she has a problem with that, talk to the conductor about letting her sit in an unoccupied seat.

When we get a roomette, we open the curtains and the door during the day. We close them only to use the toilet or while out of the room. Then you don't feel claustrophobic. There is light from both sides unless the person across the hall leaves their curtains closed but even then, it makes the room feel open.

Good luck and enjoy your trip.


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## That Guy (Mar 2, 2011)

Thanks for the input. To clarify...



daxomni said:


> I really don't know why Amtrak is being so stubborn about this, but that's just how they are some times. Here would be my solution.
> 
> 1. Buy three tickets for the roomette that include you, your wife, and your toddler. This should be allowed. If it's not then call back and try again.
> 
> ...


I'm going to take some advice from the tips & tricks thread and ask another agent today.


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2011)

That Guy said:


> Know what's funny? The agent said that was ok... since our boy wasn't a fare buying passenger, we could swap him off no problem. Somehow he can move freely about cars, yet my wife cannot. Amtrak physics?


Again, your wife can't because of her ticket. If her ticket is for a coach seat, then her seat is in the coach cars. If her ticket is for a sleeper roomette, then she belongs in the sleeper cars. I mean, there is no reserved coach seat on the train for sleeper ticketed passengers. And coach ticketed passengers have no right to "enjoy" the first class sleeper accommodations.

Sorry, but people have no problem understanding this when it comes to airplanes. I mean, few ask if they buy a coach ticket, can they sit up in first class (and visa versa).


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## Gray (Mar 2, 2011)

Guest said:


> That Guy said:
> 
> 
> > Know what's funny? The agent said that was ok... since our boy wasn't a fare buying passenger, we could swap him off no problem. Somehow he can move freely about cars, yet my wife cannot. Amtrak physics?
> ...


So you're saying that on an airplane, passengers would expect that if they buy both tickets, they'd only be allowed to sit in one?


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 2, 2011)

Guest said:


> That Guy said:
> 
> 
> > Know what's funny? The agent said that was ok... since our boy wasn't a fare buying passenger, we could swap him off no problem. Somehow he can move freely about cars, yet my wife cannot. Amtrak physics?
> ...


Amtrak is not a commercial airline. There is no multiple-person accommodations on commercial aircraft that would equate to the current situation. Not to mention you ignored purchasing two tickets for one person. Check-in would be confusing but again, it's not equivalent to airline accommodations in the first place. I thought guest responses were moderated, so why did this pointless straw man argument make it into the thread?


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## That Guy (Mar 2, 2011)

daxomni said:


> Amtrak is not a commercial airline. There is no multiple-person accommodations on commercial aircraft that would equate to the current situation. Not to mention you ignored purchasing two tickets for one person. Check-in would be confusing but again, it's not equivalent to airline accommodations in the first place. I thought guest responses were moderated, so why did this pointless straw man argument make it into the thread?


He he. Thanks. In case anyone else missed it...



> We're willing to buy the extra ticket


So I called back, and was told again it is not possible. This time the agent said they will not double book a passenger. Which I think is odd; if I have a customer that wants to pay me twice to fix his car once, I'll take it.

I guess our choice is to:

- do as you suggested, daxomni, and take the chance she'll be allowed onto the roomette car after departure. My main concern here is the car attendant will not have seen her board, and give us problem.

- hope she likes the roomette, and if not hang out in the lounge car for 18 hrs. My main concern here is my wife hanging out in the lounge for 18 hrs.





Can you guys tell I think too much? Makes up for being slow.


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## amamba (Mar 2, 2011)

How does the agent know you are double booking a passenger? Just buy a coach ticket online for her. No agent necessary!


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 2, 2011)

That Guy said:


> I guess our choice is to:
> - do as you suggested, daxomni, and take the chance she'll be allowed onto the roomette car after departure. My main concern here is the car attendant will not have seen her board, and give us problem.
> 
> - hope she likes the roomette, and if not hang out in the lounge car for 18 hrs. My main concern here is my wife hanging out in the lounge for 18 hrs.


Your wife's valid sleeper ticket is enough to get past the dining car crew from the coach car into the sleeper cars. Sleeper passengers are allowed in all passenger accessible areas of the train so no problems on the return to coach for either of you. In addition, the SCA should have all three of your names on his or her paperwork, so no problems there either. The only complication right now is the reservations desk, which as Amamba notes can be easily bypassed by purchasing online. The website will sell you another ticket without worrying if the same name is already on the manifest for that train. Hope that helps clear up any remaining concerns. Amtrak is a different way to travel that takes a little while to get used to, but so long as you're not trying to finagle a free lunch or cause any trouble the on-board staff are generally reasonable. Enjoy your ride.


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 2, 2011)

:hi: the_traveler is right, consider the Palmeto in Business Class or, as others have said, book the Roomette for You and your Wife, the Rail Fare will be low bucket for both of you, your child will be free since they are under two! I would NOT buy a seperate Coach ticket, no need to waste the money! The roomette on the Viewliners has a sink and toliet, plenty of room for luggage, and since there are windows up top and on the bottom plenty of light! Your choice, just call and book the two of you, let your wife read some of the trip reports, tips, look at pics etc. She'll Love it! :wub:


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## That Guy (Mar 2, 2011)

amamba said:


> How does the agent know you are double booking a passenger? Just buy a coach ticket online for her. No agent necessary!


They won't. I'm just worried that when she goes to board the sleeper car (after we're under way), and the attendant didn't see her board at departure, the attendant may give her a hard time.

I've never traveled by train, so I'm not sure the specifics in boarding various parts of the train. I'm sure it also comes down to the specific attendant as well.


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## Palmland (Mar 2, 2011)

Why not buy a bedroom. It's certainly larger than a roomette so everyone can spread out. If she still feels claustrophobic she can sit in the lounge car for a while.


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## AlanB (Mar 3, 2011)

That Guy,

First, while I suspect that it won't be as cheap as what you'd like to do, you should certainly double check prices with an eye towards Palmland's suggestion of getting a Bedroom. The Bedroom is much larger and would give you far more room to spread out.

Now, turning to the coach/sleeper booking issues. First, keep in mind the fact that you'll be having dinner on the train. That should take all of you out of your room for at least 1.5 hours while you partake of your meals in the dining car. Next, assuming that she doesn't buy coach ticket, your wife is still free to get up and walk the train at any point in time. Additionally, she can actually get off the train and walk on the platform at DC & Richmond. She should not go into the stations, only walk on the platform near the train and be ready to reboard at a moments notice.

Regarding the double booking issue, the rule stems from the fact that some people will make multiple bookings on trains to hedge their bets. It tends to happen far more on the corridor trains, where people would book the 4PM, 5PM, & 6PM trains. Then once they got to the station, whatever train was closest to that time would be the one that they'd board and they'd then cancel the other reservations and get a full refund. This locked up a lot of seats that Amtrak couldn't sell, yet ultimately would not get any revenue for.

I realize that is not what you're trying to do, but this is why the rule exists. And to that end, Amtrak does have a way of sweeping reservations and deleting duplicate/conflicting reservations. By that I mean, if one is booked on the 4PM train from DC to NY, then clearly one also cannot be on the 5PM train from DC to NY. To a lesser extent Amtrak has also had people do something similar with the long distance trains, booking the same train 2 days in a row to lock in a low fare, and then canceling the one they don't need. And again, you can't be a train departing NY tomorrow, if you're already on the one that left today.

So to combat this problem, Amtrak not only instituted the rule, but also has developed a computer procedure to weed out duplicated reservations. I'm not sure just how this works, meaning I don't know if it's an automatic housekeeping procedure or if someone at Amtrak has to trigger the program to run. But if it does run, there is certainly a good chance that it could kick out your wife's duplicated reservation. There is also a chance that if your name is listed first on the reservation, that it will miss a coach reservation in her name totally.

The danger however if it does catch the duplicate is that it doesn't cancel the coach reservation and instead cancels the sleeper reservation. Again, I don't know the specifics of just how it works, what it checks for, and how the computer decides which reservation to cancel. For that matter, I'm not sure if the computer doesn't spit out a list of duplicates and then some human picks which to cancel. But I do know that people with double bookings have reported Amtrak canceling reservations on them, and many times the one cancelled was the reservation that they really wanted to be able to use, and not the backup/safety reservation.

So if you choose to follow the advice of others above, and just book a coach ticket without saying anything about the sleeper reservation or going online, proceed with caution! You could be in for a nasty surprise.

And all of the above is of course why the phone agents will not book that coach seat for you.

My advice is to stick with the reservation that you have and then talk with the crew once on board. If the train isn't sold out, then they might well allow her to occupy a seat in coach, should you find that the walking around, dinner in the diner, etc., aren't enough to keep her anxiety at bay.


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 3, 2011)

AlanB said:


> I do know that people with double bookings have reported Amtrak canceling reservations on them, and many times the one cancelled was the reservation that they really wanted to be able to use, and not the backup/safety reservation.


What people? I've purchased both coach and sleeper tickets on the exact same train under identical names on the same credit card multiple times, from a few hours to a few _months_ in advance of my trip. I've also purchased tickets on identical trains on successive days. Never once have I suffered any ill effect of this rule or the "computer procedure" that supposedly enforces it. Everything I booked was always ready and waiting for me when I arrived at the station. To be frank Amtrak doesn't typically have enough information to go around arbitrarily canceling anyone's tickets just because they happen to have the same name. The more I think about it the more this sounds like Amtrak lore than Amtrak fact.


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## amtrakwolverine (Mar 3, 2011)

It's not amtrak lore. At least one member of this forum had it happen to him. I forgot who.


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## Ryan (Mar 3, 2011)

daxomni said:


> To be frank Amtrak doesn't typically have enough information to go around arbitrarily canceling anyone's tickets just because they happen to have the same name. The more I think about it the more this sounds like Amtrak lore than Amtrak fact.


They most certainly do, and it most certainly has happened. I'll see if I can't dig out a link, but I can't remember who it happened to either.
Edit: That was easy: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/30352-yikes-amtrak-can-cancel-reservations-without-notice/page__p__205254__hl__%2Bcancel+%2Bduplicate__fromsearch__1#entry205254


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## Devil's Advocate (Mar 3, 2011)

It sounds like it's mostly an NEC policy. I'm still curious how Amtrak avoids problems with this though. Two people have the same name but are unrelated, how does Amtrak avoid cancelling one of them in that case? Maybe they are related but they're Jr./Sr. so how does Amtrak handle that? Supposedly Amtrak attempts a phone call and then simply cancels one of the tickets if that one single call doesn't reach you for any reason. Seems like Amtrak is shooting themselves in the foot with this rule. If they don't want people refunding tickets so easily then maybe they should change the refund rules instead of arbitrarily canceling tickets as they please. Thankfully this rule doesn't seem to be in effect for the LD network as of yet. I try not to double-book but occasionally it happens. If Amtrak decides to start canceling my tickets I'll be sure to write about it. I know I'd never win my case in some lopsided arbitration process, but just outside the door are hundreds of media sources more than willing to post negative stories about Amtrak customer service. You'd think Amtrak would be walking on eggshells these days, but I guess not. Anyway, thanks for the link. Sounds like the NEC doesn't mess around.


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## AlanB (Mar 3, 2011)

daxomni said:


> It sounds like it's mostly an NEC policy.


As I said, the NEC is where they have/had the biggest problem, but it can and has been enforced on trains outside of the NEC.



daxomni said:


> I'm still curious how Amtrak avoids problems with this though. Two people have the same name but are unrelated, how does Amtrak avoid cancelling one of them in that case?


Address & telephone.



daxomni said:


> Maybe they are related but they're Jr./Sr. so how does Amtrak handle that?


Jr./Sr. makes it different names, therefore no problem.



daxomni said:


> Supposedly Amtrak attempts a phone call and then simply cancels one of the tickets if that one single call doesn't reach you for any reason. Seems like Amtrak is shooting themselves in the foot with this rule. If they don't want people refunding tickets so easily then maybe they should change the refund rules instead of arbitrarily canceling tickets as they please.


Amtrak doesn't want to change the refund rules. They just want people to stop abusing the rather generous system. Tying up 3 or 4 seats on different trains just to hedge your bets on when you get out of a meeting and depriving Amtrak of revenue for those seats isn't exactly fair.



daxomni said:


> Thankfully this rule doesn't seem to be in effect for the LD network as of yet. I try not to double-book but occasionally it happens. If Amtrak decides to start canceling my tickets I'll be sure to write about it.


And again, the rule is in effect for all trains. The thing that I'm usure about is when & how is the routine run. Observation seems to suggest that it's not an automated housekeeping chore, that someone at Amtrak must push the button as it were to make it happen. But just what makes someone push the button or when they decide to push it is unknown to me.


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## Guest (Mar 3, 2011)

AlanB said:


> daxomni said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe they are related but they're Jr./Sr. so how does Amtrak handle that?
> ...


I think he meant a Jr/Sr who don't use the Jr/Sr suffix on their reservations.

I'm a "jr", but never use it on anything, including my birth certificate nor driver's licence.


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## AlanB (Mar 3, 2011)

Guest said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> > daxomni said:
> ...


In that case if you have a different address, then you'll have no problem. If you have the same address, then you could well have a problem.


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## That Guy (Mar 3, 2011)

Well, my wife's not a Jr or Sr, so we have that to consider.






Thank you all for the info (Except that one guest guy. You get no thanks).

We decided to keep our roomette for two (and a half), and not get the coach seat. Mrs. That Guy will see how she likes it, and hang out in the lounge if need be. If it becomes an issue, I'm going to use the idea of speaking to the crew about an unoccupied seat. So thanks again for all the input. We're pretty excited to ride the rails.

Sooo... anybody know how the parking situation is at Penn Station?


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## Ryan (Mar 3, 2011)

I think that's an excellent solution and that your wife won't have many issues.


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## AlanB (Mar 3, 2011)

That Guy said:


> Sooo... anybody know how the parking situation is at Penn Station?


Very, very expensive! 

Please try to find some other way to get to the station, be it subway, commuter train, friends driving, etc.


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## That Guy (Mar 3, 2011)

AlanB said:


> That Guy said:
> 
> 
> > Sooo... anybody know how the parking situation is at Penn Station?
> ...





Hmmm. Not what I was hoping to hear. Obviously, of course.

I know next to nothing about that part of the world. We're from NH. We figured with the boy, and luggage, it would be easier to do it in one shot as opposed to switching trains, subway, etc. Plus, we know how he's going to behave on a 5 hour car ride. A 5 hour train from Boston is a whole 'nother matter, and we'd rather not have to share that learning curve with other (innocent) passengers.

Any ideas? Easy transfers out of Connecticut? Shuttle bus? A hotel with long term(ish) parking and shuttle would be ideal.


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## AlanB (Mar 3, 2011)

That Guy,

I'm not certain that they allow overnight parking, much less how much it might cost, but you could consider New Haven. They do have a big parking facility right there, and it would be a straight shot right down I-91 to the station. You can call the New Haven Parking Authority to inquire about costs and overnights at 203-946-8936.

From New Haven, you have 2 options, buy tickets for the cheaper Metro North trains and then transfer from Grand Central to Penn Station in NY. Or buy Amtrak tickets and go straight to Penn. Amtrak is also faster, since it makes fewer stops. Be sure to allow enough time for delays, peferably at least 2 hours between connecting trains.

Being that you're in a sleeper, once you get to NY Penn, you can go to the Club Acela to wait for your next train. As a sleeping class passenger you are entitled to utilize Amtrak's first class lounges in NY. These lounges are a nice quiet refuge in the often-bustling train station. They have nice plush chairs, conference rooms, computer terminals, newspapers, TV's, luggage storage, free soft drinks, juices, coffee, tea, and clean safe bathrooms. They also allow you to board your train before the rest of the masses.

The lounge in NY can be found to the far left of the NJ Transit ticket windows as you face them, when standing in the Amtrak concourse which is on the 8th Avenue side of the station. Walk past the West Gate for tracks 7 & 8 on the left side of the escalator and you will see a sign on the corner of the wall. There is a doorbell to the left of two gold doors. Ring the bell and wait for the click to open the door. Note: In NY there is no pre-boarding ahead of the regular passengers, but they usually do announce your train in the lounge before they announce it in the main station. This means if you don’t dilly-dally, you can generally be near the head of the line at the escalator.

If New Haven isn't viable, try to find a parking lot west of 9th Avenue for cheaper rates in NY. But one problem that I see is that not all lots are staffed 24/7. So even if they let you overnight, there may not be anyone to keep an eye on your car. That could be very dangerous.

Another alternative migh be to drive to Albany, where overnight parking is also permitted and board an Amtrak train from there. That's about a 2-1/2 hour ride on the train from there.


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## the_traveler (Mar 3, 2011)

That Guy said:


> I know next to nothing about that part of the world. We're from NH. We figured with the boy, and luggage, it would be easier to do it in one shot as opposed to switching trains, subway, etc. Plus, we know how he's going to behave on a 5 hour car ride. A 5 hour train from Boston is a whole 'nother matter, and we'd rather not have to share that learning curve with other (innocent) passengers.
> 
> Any ideas? Easy transfers out of Connecticut? Shuttle bus? A hotel with long term(ish) parking and shuttle would be ideal.


I'm not sure what part of NH you're from, but is it possible for you to take a bus (either an Amtrak Thruway bus or another bus) to Boston South Station?



The bus station is connected to the train station, and you can take a Regional train to NYP. Another idea (and not just because it is my home station) is to drive to Kingston, RI. The station has a large *AND **FREE* parking lot where you can park during your trip! And you can take a Regional to NYP. (On average, there's 1 every 2 hours!)


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## Ryan (Mar 3, 2011)

I agree that driving to Kingston might be a very good place to leave your car for the trip.


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## TVRM610 (Mar 3, 2011)

In regards to the original issue you def. Made the right choice. No need to buy a coach ticket, your wife can just sit in the lounge car! It'll be less crowded than the coaches anyways... Most of the time.


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## That Guy (Mar 3, 2011)

Excellent information, Alan. Apparently Mrs. That Guy and I have a lot to think through this evening.

I may be back with more questions, but again thanks all. You folks have a great forum here.


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## the_traveler (Mar 3, 2011)

daxomni said:


> I'm still curious how Amtrak avoids problems with this though. Two people have the same name but are unrelated, how does Amtrak avoid cancelling one of them in that case? Maybe they are related but they're Jr./Sr. so how does Amtrak handle that?


If they associate an AGR number with their ticket, even if they don't use Jr and Sr on the tickets, they would not have the same AGR number!


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## wayman (Mar 3, 2011)

AlanB said:


> I'm not certain that they allow overnight parking, much less how much it might cost, but you could consider New Haven. They do have a big parking facility right there, and it would be a straight shot right down I-91 to the station. You can call the New Haven Parking Authority to inquire about costs and overnights at 203-946-8936.


New Haven parking is $13 per 24hrs (measured by hours, not by calendar days -- much nicer than some lots!). You want the garage that is right next to the station, not any of the other lots you might see on the way (some of which are actually quite a bit more expensive). The garage is connected directly by walkway to the station.

I've parked there for four days once; I don't there being a maximum stay posted anywhere.


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## That Guy (Mar 4, 2011)

Well it's looking like New Haven. La Quinta Inn has free parking and shuttle to the station, so we'll head out the night before and stay there.

This is good because it'll be much more leisurely; no rushing to make the train. The bus would be a good idea it it were just me, but with Mrs. That Guy and little TG not so much. Plus we live up in the sticks, so we need to drive an hour just to get anywhere. Why not a couple more and eliminate the bus, minimize transfers, etc.

So now I'm wondering:

Do we get to use the 1st class lounge at Penn Station after the return trip (with Roomette), while waiting the New Haven train? This would make life a whole lot easier.

Does checked baggage get transferred automatically?

How hectic is the loading procedure at Penn Station, with all the luggage, kid, etc?


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## AlanB (Mar 4, 2011)

That Guy said:


> Well it's looking like New Haven. La Quinta Inn has free parking and shuttle to the station, so we'll head out the night before and stay there.
> 
> This is good because it'll be much more leisurely; no rushing to make the train. The bus would be a good idea it it were just me, but with Mrs. That Guy and little TG not so much. Plus we live up in the sticks, so we need to drive an hour just to get anywhere. Why not a couple more and eliminate the bus, minimize transfers, etc.


Good choice! 



That Guy said:


> Do we get to use the 1st class lounge at Penn Station after the return trip (with Roomette), while waiting the New Haven train? This would make life a whole lot easier.


Yes.



That Guy said:


> Does checked baggage get transferred automatically?


Yes, but there is a big problem for you. The only train that takes checked baggage from New Haven is the overnight train #67. If you check your bags at New Haven, they won't get picked up until very late that night, and therefore they won't be on the train to Savanah with you. They'll be a day behind you, meaning that you'd have to come back to the Savanah station the next day to get your bags.

So if you really want to check your bags at New Haven, then you must do so the night you arrive at the La Quinta. That way they'd go out that night and get onto your train to Savanah the next day. Otherwise wait until NY to check your bags.



That Guy said:


> How hectic is the loading procedure at Penn Station, with all the luggage, kid, etc?


It can be a bit overwhelming for a first timer, even without the little guy. The lounge attendant will make an announcement telling you what track/gate to go to. Then the gate attendant will check you tickets before sending you down on the escalator to track level. Usually one of the conductors is near the bottom of the escalator to direct you towards the correct car.

Alternatively you can make your life easier if you ask at the desk where you check into the lounge for a Redcap. The Redcap will show up a bit earlier than the general boarding announcement in the lounge and pesonally escort you to your sleeper, not to mention carrying your bags for you. The tip to the Redcap may well be worth it to you for making life easier during the boarding process. There is no other charge than a tip, which is highly recommended but actually not a requirement.


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## Ryan (Mar 4, 2011)

AlanB said:


> Yes, but there is a big problem for you. The only train that takes checked baggage from New Haven is the overnight train #67. If you check your bags at New Haven, they won't get picked up until very late that night, and therefore they won't be on the train to Savanah with you. They'll be a day behind you, meaning that you'd have to come back to the Savanah station the next day to get your bags.


The same thing will happen on the way home, and there isn't as easy a solution. You'll get to New Haven, but your baggage won't arrive until #66 arrives early thing the next morning. The only solutions that I can see (unless you don't check any bags) is to stay in New Haven overnight and go back by the station the following morning to get your bags and head home.


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## amamba (Mar 4, 2011)

How much luggage will you have, TG? I am just wondering if maybe you want to only do carry-on luggage?


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## That Guy (Mar 4, 2011)

Huh. Interesting.

Will we be able to unload checked baggage at Savannah upon arrival? Penn Station?

And what are the luggage guidelines on the New Haven (NER?) train?


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## That Guy (Mar 4, 2011)

amamba said:


> How much luggage will you have, TG? I am just wondering if maybe you want to only do carry-on luggage?


Me, not much. Mrs. TG is pretty good about that stuff, but still...

I guess we'll have to keep it to carry on size.

The tricky part will be the car seat and stroller. Then baby bag, suitcase, and our "carry on". Oh, and his suitcase.

This could be fun.


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## RRrich (Mar 4, 2011)

That Guy said:


> Me, not much. Mrs. TG is pretty good about that stuff, but still...
> 
> I guess we'll have to keep it to carry on size.
> 
> ...


Keep that attitude and it will be fun :lol:


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## That Guy (Mar 4, 2011)

RRrich said:


> That Guy said:
> 
> 
> > Me, not much. Mrs. TG is pretty good about that stuff, but still...
> ...



Yeah it will for sure. I just figure the more I sweat the details now, the less hassle then.

I found the carry on guidelines- pretty generous. I think we can pull it off. The limits don't apply to baby gear, so we could theoretically bring more carry on than we could carry. But truth be told, despite the name I don't want to be that guy.


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## tyrod B (May 1, 2011)

hi guys! both me and my wife are taking oour first rain trip and Im kind of in the same boat as " that guy"..with the possible claustrophobia  but my main issue is that were taking the Dallas to Chicago texas eagle in june and are considering getting a roomette due to my being a VERY light sleeper. can you tell me about the noise level in the coach cars??

Thanks for al your help in advance


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## Pat Harper (May 1, 2011)

tyrod B said:


> can you tell me about the noise level in the coach cars??



If you have a good pair of ear plugs, you can probably get by, but I'll take a sleeper over coach seat any day! Much less foot traffic, no screaming children or bawling babies (unless you have one in the room with you).

Have a great trip!


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## JayPea (May 1, 2011)

I'm a very light sleeper, so much so that I'll wake up if an ant coughs. :lol: Earplugs do work all right, and if you do get coach seats, if you can, try to sit near the center of the car, away from the doors. If at all possible, I'd go for the sleeper and move around the train should you get claustrophobic. While it can be noisy in sleepers too, it's much less so than the coaches.


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## Devil's Advocate (May 1, 2011)

Sleepers are generally quieter, but they can also have extremely disruptive guests that apparently have no clue or no concern that they're annoying anyone else. My advice is to take ear plugs. Find ones that work well with your ears well before your trip. You want them to block as much noise as possible while also being comfortable and not falling out. If anyone is making so much noise the plugs can't block it then speak up to whoever is overstepping the boundaries of common courtesy. It doesn't matter if it's an disruptive family or a couple of frat boys; nobody should be prevented from a good nights sleep just because someone else hasn't been taught how and when to use their indoor voice.


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