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If you are travelling on a train that operates with Viewliners, definitely try the H rooms. I like them largely because of the size of the enclosed bathroom and shower. Rebooked to the H from a roomette on my last trip on the Crescent. Significant difference in cost, but it was a great ride...

This discussion made me curious about booking private room sleeper space locally between WAS-NYP and intermediate stops (daytime type seat space) so I called a friend in Amtrak admin. You can (if you want to pay the price) on 66/67, of course, but also the long distance trains Crescent, Silver...

With respect and in my opinion, to ask Amtrak for compensation for the lack of a SSL--based on my fifty+ years of working for and observing their operative response--compensation will be a day after the sun explodes.

With all due respect to NOL and also--in my opinion--NOL is NOT a place to be staying for 12 hours in a station. A hotel is a better choice (although I am told that cab fares and hotel room rates have gotten very, very expensive). Unless changes to the station have been made in recent years...

This is not exactly on point. It has been over four years since House Representative John Mica was defeated and put out of office. I am afraid it is going to take still a while for dining car service on the east coast to return to a "respectable" level.

I know you cannot book this until very close to departure day if available, but I like Viewliner H.

Thanks, zephyr17, for the concise update on VIA. I have paid little attention to VIA in the past twenty years. I loved that ride VAN-TOR in that drawing room in the observation car in 2000. From your description, the prestige class sounds like "luxury" type accommodations like maybe the...

Subsequent to my post above, I got curious as to what that trip Vancouver to Toronto in that same drawing room for 2 people would cost TODAY 21 years later. Nearly had a stroke upon seeing the result. I should quit complaining about Amtrak high bedroom fares!!!!

I just remembered another fabulous drawing room trip: it was on Via Rail Canadian in the year 2000 Vancouver to Toronto. The "Park Car" I think it is called; a tapered-end dome observation last car on the train. The drawing room had been retrofitted with a private bathroom. I wonder what that...

Thanks joelkfla for that info. It is true I cannot remember traveling in a drawing room on the Southern, only the Santa Fe Super Chief--but is still was a fabulous sleeping car space. I know it is 50+ years later, but can you imagine those fares compared to today??

Just to be truthful and to soften my perceived overreaction to high bedroom fares for one person, the SCA on the Crescent did serve me two gin and tonics at dinner on both my northbound and southbound trips. This trip occurred just 4 and 6 days when daily service was returned to the Crescent...

Another thought, back in the days of the heritage sleepers before the 1990's debut of the Viewliners, I would almost rather have a roomette as a bedroom. Other than not having an enclosed toilet and having to put the bed up to use the toilet, the seats seemed more plush and the beds more...

Actually, I am reminded that Amtrak--or it may have been Southern Railway before it joined Amtrak--required an extra one-quarter rail fare (1/4) for one-person exclusive occupancy of a bedroom. This was probably in the 1970's and during the days of heritage sleepers and long before meals were...

Hey, Larry H. Both meals?? The flex dining on the Crescent those days I travelled was NOT good. I am a 230-pound guy, but I do not believe I could have eaten two meals.

Thanks for the reply niemi24s. YES, you are absolutely correct. When I booked in April I was searching for low bucket near the week the Crescent resumed daily service--so I picked 06/10/2021 & 06/12/2021 return and there were NO Bedrooms available. Just to ride and see the Moynihan Train Hall...

I think that those of us who prefer a bedroom to a roomette had (and I repeat: HAD) gotten used to paying premium price for it in general--for the larger space, the enclosed toilet, the private shower, etc.--the meals charge is just ancillary (in my opinion). Based on what have become...

Just to add my two cents worth: my favorite "cheap" sleeping car fare = Athens, GA to Richmond, VA Broad Street Station November 1966 Pullman Roomette $27.70 first class rail fare + $8.80 Pullman sleeping car ticket (the bedroom sleeping car ticket Richmond to Athens same trip was $19.10 + rail...

Thanks to all for refreshing my memory on Congressman Mica. Although a long time rail fan my entire life of 74 years and 375,000 miles on the rails since 1965, I had lived in Congressman Mica's district in Florida since 1982 (even before Mica's time) until I moved back to Georgia in 1998--but...

Just for something to do and mostly due to my recent dining experience on the Crescent ATN-NYP-ATN, I have been reading through all 111 pages of this discussion. Remind me: the "MICA RULE" refers to Congressman Mica and the food service of Amtrak being or becoming self-supporting--right? He...

It was the Desert Wind. It made its last trip in I think April or May of 1997. I was on LAX-CHI the week of the last trip and remember passing through Las Vegas and noticing the skyline. A lot has changed in those 25 years.