Recent content by MccfamschoolMom

I'd even be happy if the "Eaglette" were to adopt "free Cafe Car food" for sleeper passengers, which apparently is how the City of New Orleans handles meal service. The Flexible Dining lunch/dinner entrees were each OK the first time, but really uninspiring when repeated, when the hubby & I...

The hubby and I rode in Business class (I think in a Horizon Business/Cafe car) on the Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner to Kansas City the year before last, and didn't need to use the luggage storage area with what we were bringing for an overnight stop in KC (purse, backpack & overnight...

It might depend on what equipment is being used on the Lincoln Service when you board. When the hubby and I rode the Lincoln Service/Missouri River Runner 2 years ago, all of the cars were older ones. Business Class in the combined Business/Cafe Car was fairly comfortable (although we weren't...

If there will be 2 of you in that bedroom, make sure one of you can handle climbing the ladder into the top bunk. Otherwise, the two of you will be pretty uncomfortable trying to both sleep on the bottom bunk + chair. (The hubby & I found this out the hard way last fall!)

We plan to stick to the "Historic Downtown" area of Truckee. We'll have several hours to fill both after we arrive/before hotel check-in one day, and before departure on the eastbound CZ the next day. It seems like there are a LOT of shops (including a bookstore for both of us and a yarn store...

Looks like the engine in that image is configured so that either end can be the "front" of the train. (I tend to call that a "pushme-pullyu" configuration, after a critter from the Doctor Doolittle book and movies which had heads at both ends of its body.)

Booked the westbound CZ trip with the FNBO AGR Mastercard. Plan to take advantage of the "up to 50% bonus AGR points when you buy/gift points" promo going on now (until 2/17) to buy enough additional points to pay for the eastbound CZ trip totally with points. (Including the bit on the Lincoln...

I received a similar email yesterday (02/10/2025) offering "up to 50% more points" when one buys or gifts points through 02/17/2025. I might take advantage of this to buy sufficient points to book at least half (either westbound or eastbound) of this fall's planned California Zephyr trip with...

I was looking at hotels at the various CZ stops in California between Sacramento and the Nevada border, and Truckee sounds fairly attractive, with lots of history and several hotels/B&Bs within easy walking distance of the station. (Apparently a major ski/winter sports area, too, but the hubby...

It probably did; since the travel dates requirement didn't work with our travel plans, I didn't pay very close attention to the close of the booking date period for the promotion.

If the time you want to travel is within the travel dates allowed in one of those "2 in a roomette for the price of 1" sales (one such sale is currently ongoing, BUT travel must be completed no later than mid-April), that's a good time. If you can be a bit flexible on travel dates, RailForLess...

I remember hearing about that on a YouTube video about the Canadian.

Too bad the promotion is only good for travel through mid-April. Early October is when the hubby and I can usually block off enough free time from work to make an Amtrak trip.

I've heard of some Amtrak travelers using a backpacker's sleeping mat on top of the mattress (I had one in my Amazon wishlist, so I must have heard it mentioned in a YouTube video). One has to consider whether or not it would be worthwhile adding that to one's luggage, though. I've also heard...

Sounds like a bonus perk for a couple (like the hubby & me) booking 2 roomettes instead of 1. We're thinking of doing this because of concerns about the hubby being able to climb safely into & out of the upper bunk in a roomette (and having enough room up there), but having a thicker mattress...