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Recently I also took a one-night trip in coach, and returned by sleeper. I didn't sleep much either night, but it was much nicer to get a shower, eat in the dining car, and lie flat. I mostly had two seats to myself in coach--I think it is almost necessary to either have two seats or know and...

I can't sleep with the top sheet tucked tightly under the mattress. When the bed is made this way, the whole thing--top and bottom sheet--come undone when the top sheet is moved, and I then need to re-tuck the bottom sheet. Also, the blanket is in a sealed plastic bag, so the blanket must be...

When I was looking at the Amtrak jobs site, I didn't see pay rates shown for Seattle positions. That is against the law in Washington as of January 1. https://careers.amtrak.com/job/Seattle-EXB-FOOD-SPECIALIST-90273587-Seattle%2C-WA-Wash-98134/914486100/

There's also a Hyatt right next to the station in St. Paul. I checked for rates on a random date, and a standard high-floor room was $129. I got a suite, and it was a fantastic room, but I checked several dates and didn't see suites available at all (although they are shown under "room types,"...

I rode the National Limited from Kansas City to New York at the beginning of 1978, and somewhere along the way we accumulated military inductees heading for basic training. I was 15 years old, and they were amazed that I was from Hawaii--they kept asking me about a psychedelic drug called...

If anything, there are more weirdos in the general populace than one finds on a train.

From what I have read here and on Facebook, and from my personal experience, you should be able to get a refund if the fare drops. Be sure to check every day; fares may change anytime. I think you should book now, as Bedrooms tend to sell out.

It's not often that the Guemes to Anacortes ferry makes the news. But it may be the first electric ferry in the state as early as 2025...

When I took my first cross-country trip in 1977, there were connections advertised at both Laredo and El Paso, although the timing at El Paso was not as well synchronized as at Laredo. (From timetables.org, copyright 1977 by Amtrak).

Next time I travel overnight in coach, I am going to try to make a "smoothie" for lunch. No, I'm not bringing a blender nor do I plan on adding frozen blueberries and cauliflower. But I could have coconut milk mixed with protein powder and the other powders we use (including glorious fiber...

Two of the beds in the Family Bedroom only accommodate children (the kids' berths are 4' 7" and 4' 9" long).

I have experienced a variety of seat assignment selection methods employed on Amtrak, although most of my recent travel has been in sleepers. The Cascades, well before the pandemic, had a person assign seats before boarding in Portland and Seattle (and maybe elsewhere? Tacoma or Eugene?). I...

I didn't get the impression that it was a rip-roaring success the last time they tried, and also now that 67 no longer turns to become 66 on on end, there is a major logistical barrier to a sleeper.

I have read some comments that some feel it is improper to book a Family Bedroom for one person. Many trains only have one of these, and on the Sunset Limited it runs only three times a week. I do not have kids, but my father taught me how to plan travel, and I think if I needed the Family...

For the best daylight scenery on the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight, I would recommend taking this trip clockwise (westbound on the Southwest Chief...). Avoiding same-day connections can eliminate the stress of late trains, and also gives you time to get to know a city. Let us know how...

The Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Midtown Manhattan/Penn Station is right outside Moynihan Train Hall. I am not sure exactly which door gives access, nor how to cross the street, but it is very close. I glanced at rates, and it was $171 for March 1 but $413 for January 25. I got a standard...

The prep school I attended in Concord, NH, would reserve a coach from Boston to New York for school vacations. In more opulent times, there was be a special train from Concord to New York. From August Hecksher, St. Paul's: The Life of a New England School, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons...

Seattle section: One or two locomotives Baggage car Transition/Dorm Sleeper Diner Coach Portland Section: Locomotive Sightseer Lounge Coach Coach/baggage Sleeper Over the last six years (I wasn't paying close attention before that), there has been added occasionally: another Seattle sleeper...

Bellingham, Washington, is a good base for touring Northwest Washington. The stretch of Amtrak running between Mount Vernon and Bellingham along the shore at the base of Mount Chuckanut is one of the most scenic coastal stretches in the Amtrak system. Just a few blocks from the Amtrak station...

There's also the Grand Canyon Railway in this area: https://www.thetrain.com/ I suggest several days to explore the Four Corners area--I spent two weeks on my first visit, and later returned to visit a few more highlights.