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Thanks for that. Amtrak's Chicago press office finally got in touch and were unable to answer to answer the simple question of what is the cheapest or most basic fares they offer on the CZ in 2023. I guess I shouldn't be surprised but I am. It is the first question anyone reading a feature on...

Thanks for that. What are the five different numbers in each column for ? All I'm really looking for is the lowest possible FROM fare in each category. The newspaper doesn't need any more info than that.

Hi: I've written a feature article on our CZ trip last year ( retired hack for my sins 😉 ) and I need to get some basic fare information for 2023 to add to the end of the article. Emails to Amtrak's press office are unaswered. Without inputing a whole host of dates to get a variety of fares does...

We stayed at HH before commencing our trip to Chicago last summer and it's perfectly fine if a little expensive for its location. If you're into that sort of thing there's a really good little bar not far from the station called the Branch Line. Great regulars bar, friendly hosts and the food is...

Thanks to all for some excellent suggestions - I'll let you know how we get on. Looking forward to another great cross-country trip.

Hi folks, Greetings from England. We had such good fun on our debut Amtrak trip last year on the California Zephyr that we've decided to do something again in '23 , particularly as we have a $400 refund voucher after problems with the dining facilities on our last trip which fortunately didn't...

Three months later an email arrives offering $400 in travel vouchers - about half the cost of our trip - for the disruption over our trip. So I guess the obvious question - any suggestions for anything similar to the CZ around which we can plan another trip because apart from the food issues we...

Greetings all. Folks with long memories may remember our CZ trip from SF in August which had no cooking facilities on board after their cooker broke down before departure causing hours of delay which they never caught up. The food on board became progressively and rapidly terrible although for...

Looks like I may have to take you up on your offer. Three days later no reply to my polite email. They really don't care do they ?

Advice needed please. We got in very late to Chicago eventually and didn't want to waste time seeking out a customer service agent to politely complain about our food experience. Now it's Monday morning should we visit the office at Union Station in person or email the national Amtrak office...

You were right about the Dinty Moore stew...🤣And no burgers left. I think we'll wait till Chicago.

Okay, now I'm pissed. The ONLY food on offer in the dining room for lunch on the third day of this CZ trip we're on is a hamburger with potato chips. Nothing else. Except a hotdog off the children's menu. There is literally no other food on board and as we're running 7 hours late will be the...

Thanks for your thoughts. We're actually having a ball and enjoying the trip immensely. The delays are nothing anyone can really do much about and frankly we don't care what time we arrive in Chicago. We're more frustrated than angry that Amtrak don't make much more of such an iconic route...

Currently on the CZ heading to Chicago. Lots to enjoy about this first-time trip but sadly the food isn't one of them.It's virtually inedible. We left Emeryville three hours late because maintenance couldn't fix the grill. So no steaks for dinner and no eggs for breakfast for the entire journey...

Quick update - just about to board the non-cancelled flight. Thanks for all the input. Emeryville here we come.

Thanks all. You know what it's like when there's a complicated vacation - we're in the States for a month so six flights, four different locations and the CZ to kick things off. Always a bit of a panic as it gets closer. Fingers crossed. I'll let you know.

Best way to contact Amtrak ? Bear in mind I'll likely be on a cellphone at Dublin airport trying to organise a replacement flight as well.

If there is availability on a later train what's the chance of arriving at the station and persuading someone on the train to let us on. My wife is well-trained to produce tears on demand in such an instance.

We fly into SF next Tuesday to take the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago the following day. We leave from Dublin around lunchtime on an Aer Lingus flight. Although the widespread cancellation of flights has receded in recent weeks a number of AL flights to the US from Dublin are...

I used to commute 3 hours a day by train for years and absolutely loved it. A chance to start the working day with a coffee and newspaper and finish it with a few cans of beer and a cigarette in the smoking car ( ask your parents ! ) These days we're not in any rush to get anywhere fast and...