# Sleeping In The Coach Seats



## PJRACER (Sep 24, 2010)

Just how comfortable (or uncomfortable) are the coach seats for sleeping........for two nights on different trains. Wife is average size and I am 6'1" and 185. Any downsides to attempting this..........maybe we will try the first night on the Silver Meteor and if to difficult...try to get a sleeper on the Capital Limited to Chicago.


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## Big Iron (Sep 24, 2010)

I find that the gap between your back and the seat when reclined causes me to slide down the seat and make my back sore. Stuffing a pillow or blanket in the gap helped. The leg rests, if you can prop them up higher than verticle also helps. I'm your same height but got you by about 30 lbs.


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## Shawn Ryu (Sep 24, 2010)

If the seat next to you is empty, use it. Or you can go sleep in the Observation Car. If your train has one.


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## river (Sep 24, 2010)

I did coach once on a long distance trip and never again! Could not sleep in coach, kids fussy, people snoring, couldn't get comfortable in the seat. Did a roomette and loved it for meals, privacy, peace and quiet, looking out the window at night in bed, am coffee and newspaper, and comfort. Bed and pillows were much more comfortable than I predicted. I wouldn't even do a long DAY trip without a roomette now. I recommend you skip the coach idea entirely and get roomettes all the way.


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## jimhudson78666 (Sep 24, 2010)

PJRACER said:


> Just how comfortable (or uncomfortable) are the coach seats for sleeping........for two nights on different trains. Wife is average size and I am 6'1" and 185. Any downsides to attempting this..........maybe we will try the first night on the Silver Meteor and if to difficult...try to get a sleeper on the Capital Limited to Chicago.


The Silver Trains are single level cars, Amfleet, not really,IMO, all that comfortable for overnight travel compared to the Viewliner roomettes which are great!Id suggest booking a roomette (meals included for two remember) for your trip North.There is a big difference in comfort an convience and the price of the meals in the diner for two make it even bettew rif you can get a reasonable rate!If you book a sleeper you also get the lowest rail fare which you both pay anyway!

As to the Cap Ltd., it's a Superliner train,two levels, the chairs are like airline seats,recliners @ home.Large, recline,footrests, fold out table and usually electrical outlets byy your seat. This train uses a diner thats called a Cross Country cafe or Cafe/lounge but also has a Sight Seer Lounge! This is the fastest way to get to CHI, its an easy overnight with dinner and brekast, leave in the evening, scheduled fairly decently the next morning! (Of course you never know!Stuff happens!)The roomettes are great for one but a little tight for twoespecially for those that havent used them. On Superliners I like to say that if you can snag one, and afford it a Bedroom is the way to go!(In descending order A-B-C-D-E, also an Handicapped and Family bedroom downstairs but IMo up top is better!

Do some test bookings @ Amtrak.com or use the amsnag site that one of our members kindly developed for us (Amtrak should hire him to do their IT!!),if you get a good price, sleepers are the way to go, otherwise sleepr on the silver and Coach on the Cap! Nice trip! 

The


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## pennyk (Sep 24, 2010)

river said:


> I did coach once on a long distance trip and never again! Could not sleep in coach, kids fussy, people snoring, couldn't get comfortable in the seat. Did a roomette and loved it for meals, privacy, peace and quiet, looking out the window at night in bed, am coffee and newspaper, and comfort. Bed and pillows were much more comfortable than I predicted. I wouldn't even do a long DAY trip without a roomette now. I recommend you skip the coach idea entirely and get roomettes all the way.


Ditto (and I am fairly small)


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## Ispolkom (Sep 24, 2010)

A sleeper compartment is much more comfortable than coach, but I still do half a dozen overnight trips in coach a year, since it's hard for me to justify a roomette when traveling alone. I wouldn't try two straight nights in coach, though. My advice: earplugs, eye shade, gin.


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## jmbgeg (Sep 24, 2010)

PJRACER said:


> Just how comfortable (or uncomfortable) are the coach seats for sleeping........for two nights on different trains. Wife is average size and I am 6'1" and 185. Any downsides to attempting this..........maybe we will try the first night on the Silver Meteor and if to difficult...try to get a sleeper on the Capital Limited to Chicago.


Have you ever tried to sleep on a long red eye airline flight, e.g. Hawaii, Asia, etc...? That would give you some idea...


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## Paul Dow (Sep 24, 2010)

I think it's much more comfortable than a coach airline seat. More like a domestic first class airline seat.

Still, It's not a lie flat seat. I always seemed to have some pressure point. The only time I had an overnight coach trip, I had a jacket with a removable liner. I used the liner as a blanket, and the jacket as a lumbar support. I agree with the ear plug suggestion. I didn't need the eye cover since I happened to be in a car that was pretty quiet through the night. If I do it again, I'll bring one of those horse shoe pillows that go around the neck.


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## Dan O (Sep 24, 2010)

I did it from LA to CHI and back..so 4 nights on the train in coach. It was no problem. I'd say similar to sleeping in a comfy reclining chair that doesn't go back flat. I would definitely do it again.

Dan


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## GG-1 (Sep 25, 2010)

jmbgeg said:


> PJRACER said:
> 
> 
> > Just how comfortable (or uncomfortable) are the coach seats for sleeping........for two nights on different trains. Wife is average size and I am 6'1" and 185. Any downsides to attempting this..........maybe we will try the first night on the Silver Meteor and if to difficult...try to get a sleeper on the Capital Limited to Chicago.
> ...


Aloha

many times I have taken a red eye between Hawaii and places on the mainline, Sleeping in coach on the train is many times more comfortable.


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## railiner (Sep 25, 2010)

I have gone coast to coast many times in coach. I have even done so on bus seats which are not nearly as roomy, but I am blessed with the ability to sleep anywhere, so perhaps I am not a good reference. I can go to sleep on a hard cement floor, with the sun at high noon, using only my arm as a pillow.

That said, I offer these pointers. First of all, don't do what most folks do when they board. That is immediately on boarding, recline the seat and try to sleep, or even at 10PM when the lights are dimmed on most overnite coaches. Instead, try to stay awake as long as you can...until your eyes won't stay open, and then try to go to sleep. I think that you will feel better if you don't take a series of short naps, and instead try to sleep for a longer period. If you can't sleep, try reading for a while, or take a walk up and down the train. It is no good to just lie there if you cannot fall asleep.

I don't recommend trying to sleep across two seats. You will probably wake up with some serious neck and/or back pain. If you can get two seats, sleep in the window and recline it fully. Sleep on your side, turned towards the outer seat and leave it reclined less, so that you can rest your head in a corner created by your headrest and the side of the other seat headrest. i like to sleep curled up with my knee on the cushion, and my other leg crossed over my foot.

If I can only get a single seat, I just recline, and sleep on my back, with my legs extended as far under the seat in front as I can reach.

Whatever, you find comfortable is the best for you. Also you will find that on a two or longer night journey, you will definetly sleep better after the first night.

Good Luck!


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## AlanB (Sep 25, 2010)

jimhudson78666 said:


> The Silver Trains are single level cars, Amfleet, not really,IMO, all that comfortable for overnight travel compared to the Viewliner roomettes which are great!Id suggest booking a roomette (meals included for two remember) for your trip North.There is a big difference in comfort an convience and the price of the meals in the diner for two make it even bettew rif you can get a reasonable rate!If you book a sleeper you also get the lowest rail fare which you both pay anyway!


Amfleet I's, which are used in corridor service don't have seats that are conducive to overnight travel. However, the Amfleet II's that are used for overnight runs on the single level trains have essentially the same style of seat found in a Superliner coach.


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## Everydaymatters (Sep 25, 2010)

On the first night of a trip, I'm usually so pumped up I can't sleep anyhow. By the 2nd night I'm so tired out, I could sleep on a picket fence. A roomette on the 2nd night would be great.


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## RailFanLNK (Sep 25, 2010)

We've just had experience with this situation this week. We had bedroom E for our whole honeymoon other than from CHI-LNK and we were in coach. The bedrooms had been sold out for quite some time but then reappeared at the higher buckets but dropped to the point where I could have snagged a roomette but we chose not to since its not technically "overnight". Well the wife needed to go to work at 8am and we arrived into LNK at 1:15am and she could not sleep a wink in the seats and I couldn't either. My best suggestion would be earplugs and Tylenol or something even stronger if a doctor has prescribed you anything. The privacy thing is such a huge plus on getting a sleeper. We listened to a dumb*** talk on his cellphone from CHI-Ottumwa almost non-stop. And the coversations made us almost puke. "Oh honey this, sweetie lovey hey babie cakes" ....uh...can you call the person a REAL name instead of something godawful and mushy? :giggle: We are not done with traveling by coach, but it sure made us miss the accomodations of the sleepers. Also, it seemed like people were constantly walking by us too, not that its bad, but just constant people walking and yapping non-stop.


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## dlagrua (Sep 25, 2010)

PJRACER said:


> Just how comfortable (or uncomfortable) are the coach seats for sleeping........for two nights on different trains. Wife is average size and I am 6'1" and 185. Any downsides to attempting this..........maybe we will try the first night on the Silver Meteor and if to difficult...try to get a sleeper on the Capital Limited to Chicago.



That depends on you. I know some people that can sleep in a chair and are perfectly OK with it, others like ourselves that find it difficult or impossible to do. I would say most find it difficult. My wife and myself always travel in a bedroom and we also greatly prefer the privacy of a sleeper. If you want to experiment try taking a few hour Amtrak day and early evening trip, try out the coach seats and see how you like them.


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## daveyb99 (Sep 25, 2010)

Shawn Ryu said:


> If the seat next to you is empty, use it.


Bad advice. If the train fills and another passenger needs that seat, you get told to MOVE ...

Just be ready for that.



Shawn Ryu said:


> Or you can go sleep in the Observation Car. If your train has one.


NO NO NO. Not this again.....

The coach seats are fine. Enjoy.


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## the_traveler (Sep 25, 2010)

jimhudson78666 said:


> On Superliners I like to say that if you can snag one, and afford it a Bedroom is the way to go!(*In descending order A-B-C-D-E*, also an Handicapped and Family bedroom downstairs but IMo up top is better!


Bad advise!




I avoid Bedroom A at all costs - especially with 2 people!

In descending order, I would chose E-D-C-B and then A as a *VERY* last resort!



And I agree, I prefer upstairs too!


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## Railroad Bill (Sep 25, 2010)

Much depends on your back and legs and how long you intend to stay in one position.  At 6'6" and 230 lbs I find the seats uncomfortable for sleeping and my back is not able to flex like it did 30 years ago.

Wife and I have tried coach from CLE to CHI and back and it was bearable (if you dont count the guy behind us who put his smelly feet on the back of our seats and the obnoxious cell phone users). :angry:

If you can get and afford a roomette, go for it. Nothing beats the privacy of your own room and the meals that go with it.


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## jimhudson (Sep 25, 2010)

the_traveler said:


> jimhudson78666 said:
> 
> 
> > On Superliners I like to say that if you can snag one, and afford it a Bedroom is the way to go!(*In descending order A-B-C-D-E*, also an Handicapped and Family bedroom downstairs but IMo up top is better!
> ...


A typo on my part, should have said "ascending" but you are correct about bedroom A, last choice for sure on a Superliner! Your check is in the mail your majesty! :lol:


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## rick (Sep 25, 2010)

I've taken many three night cross country trips in coach over the years. As the above poster said,don't force sleep. It will happen. On the second day you ll feel like a zombie and take many cat naps. Same for the next day. Just don't think about sleep. I ve taken the train from New York to LA in coach many times. As soon as you get to your destination, get to your motel or whatever,take a shower and you 'll sleep fine.

I always traveled by myself and never could justify the cost of a sleeper. Sometimes you'll find a great rate on a rommette. I remember traveling from Chicago to LA on the Texas Eagle about ten years ago..thats three nights and nine meals for $166. Of course you'd grab something that good,but for the most part I chose coach because of the cost..and you can always eat cheap on the train. Just bring cans of soda,water or whatever on with you and lots of snacks. Lunch and dinner prices aren't that bad in the snack bar. I would suggest breakfast in the diner. For $6 or $7 you can get a basic breakfast that will include coffee and juice.

These days I will usually go by sleeper,now that I travel with my lady. I usually go to Florida once a year and do coach,since the sleepers are pretty steep for a one night trip. If you are young and in good shape,there shouldn't be any problem sleeping in coach. Look at it as an adventure. You'll be back to normal after a good day or night sleep in a bed.

Enjoy your trip!


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## PaulM (Sep 25, 2010)

river said:


> I did coach once on a long distance trip and never again! Could not sleep in coach, kids fussy, people snoring, couldn't get comfortable in the seat.


I also prefer a sleeper because of all that snoring going on.


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## NorthCoastHiawatha (Sep 26, 2010)

If its over night I can usually hack it. If its two nights I will opt for a sleeper. As for getting comfortable in coach, I usually can't and only get a sort of prolonged nap at night. I'm usually awake every 30 min or so until about 3 in the morning when I finally get into a deeper sleep. Even then im up by 6:30 and then im off to the diner. As for sleeping in the lounge car, yes i've done it a couple times. I did it once on the Capitol Limited simply becuase the person across the aisle was extreme snorer (sawmill style). I did it once on the Empire Builder for one night becuase the man next to me was a large fellow (didn't smell so nice either).


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