After you ride on the Strasburg (PA) Railroad, tour the PRR Museum, see the huge Choo-Choo Barn layout, and visit the toy train museum...you can sleep in a caboose. I will be staying at the Red Caboose Motel with grandkids (for the 9th time) June 24-26.
We did, on 91, Phila. to Ft. Lauderdale on March 19. Our BIG mistake was trying to use the dining car. Total bedlam with the poor room attendants trying to deliver meals to 5 sleeping cars. We will most likely be flying to Florida next year, and just using Amtrak to get to Boston in 5 hours.
A few, in PA at least, are indoor layouts of "newer" trains. Not "museums" in the strict sense.
The PRR Museum in Strasburg PA is a mind-blower (been about 10 times).
The mid-Florida one in Winter Garden (near Orlando) is a little gem.
I've been lucky over the years. Red Caps have been, for the most part, "above and beyond". Room attendants good, with 3 outstanding. Dining car OK. This was 7 overnight trips in roomettes. Silver, Crescent, and Sunset Limited. I give generous tips.
Like I do, to the tune of $2K.-$3.K a month. "Well traveled" often means "affluent". So far, we have gotten 2 free trips to Florida, one to Boston, and 17,000 points are still unused.
In Media, PA our price today is $4.65, Since Delaware is only 9 miles away, I fill my 18 gallon tank down there, which can be as low as $4.29, a savings of $6. per tank.
My wife and I have done 7 overnight trips, all with a roomette for each of us. At 80 years old, forget the bunk beds. Bedrooms also have bunk beds. Yes, they have more room, but at hundreds more than TWO roomettes, in total.
When we travel the 5-6 hour trip from Philadelphia to Boston, my wife and I actually look forward to the cafe car cheeseburger or Hebrew National hot dog. I'm trying to think of what we might take to eat if no on-board food? Probably a soft pretzel for her, and peanut M&Ms for me. :)
So far, I've done 7 "overnights" on the bottom bunk (my wife and I have our own roomettes). The first trip was bad, namely rolling during high-speed curves. A pillow on the side cured that. The mattress was fine. The last was on the new sleeping cars. Best night of all.
Perhaps one of you can explain why they did not go back to the original "Covid schedule"...namely running the Star on Fri/Sat/Sun, and the Meteor on Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs? We made our travel plans based on the fact that we did not want to "visit" Tampa, plus spend an extra 4 hours on the Star.
Based on personal experience: Call and book a private van pickup service before you leave. This train is rarely on-time, and not even our Uber calls were answered at 1 am. The van is used to these late arrivals
Make believe you worked for Amtrak. Tell me how you would order meals for 5 cars full of coach passengers if they were able to use the dining car? Suppose you ran out? At least with sleeper passengers you know how many you are dealing with. Then you are only dealing with ordering types of meals...
Not true. I followed many Meteors on Ashville VA live-cam, and a normal day was 3 coaches, cafe, diner, and 2 sleepers. I rode in sleepers 5 times on this train.