3 adults traveling

[shanicave]

Two of my friends and I are trying to plan a post graduation trip from Washington DC to San Fran via Amtrack. I am wondering how and what we should book in terms of rooms for this trip. We are fine with sitting in coach from the DC to CHI leg of the trip, but have concerns about showering/smells for the Zephyr train from CHI to Emerysville. Should we stick with coach for the whole trip and save a ton of money or book some combination of roomette/bedroom? Thoughts?

 

[Ryan]

Rooms are awesome, for the private facilities, included meals and privacy. It'll also get you access to the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago when you change trains.

The 3 of you can fit in a bedroom if you skip using the beds (or you can put the top bunk down and the other two of you can sit on the chair and couch.

 

[IowaGirl]

Would they even allow 3 adults in a bedroom? Since it states it is for two? Wouldn't you need the bigger bedroom suite?

 

[Acela150]

No. Three persons CAN travel in a Bedroom. I have been on a trains where that happened.

 

[Train2104]

It'll also get you access to the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago when you change trains.

Note that you'll have this access if you have rooms on either of the trains, it need not be both.

 

[amamba]

Would they even allow 3 adults in a bedroom? Since it states it is for two? Wouldn't you need the bigger bedroom suite?

it is allowed but you must call to book. There is plenty of room for three in the daytime configuration. At night you can do 2 in the lower berth (twin bed sized) if you are an intimate couple or one can sit in the chair and you can rotate.

 

[KmH]

If you decide to travel Coach, you can stay pretty fresh using these:

http://www.norinse.com/no-rinse-products/body-care/item/no-rinse-bathing-wipes.html

http://www.caregiverproducts.com/no-rinse-bathing-wipes.html

Walmart stores carry them in the Pharmacy, Health & Beauty part of the store.

The product maker says to use all 8 'cloths' for each 'bath', but my sister found 3 or 4 worked fine when she had a broken leg and couldn't shower.

Superliner sleeper cars only have 5 bedrooms per car. The same cars have 14 Roomettes. Roomettes are for 1 or 2 adults, but you could reserve 2 roomettes for the 3 of you.

Looks like they are all already booked around graduation time for this year. That's also about when the summertime busy season starts.

With a June 22 departure from Chicago there are 2 Bedrooms still available as of a few minutes ago. For 3 adults the fare to share a Bedroom from Chicago to Denver is $2424. (Coach CHI to EMY for 3 - $489 on a Value ticket with the same CHI departure date)

Two Roomettes for 3 of you from CHI - DEN are $1959 departing CHI on June 22.

Two Bedrooms are still available (1 bedroom for 3) from CHI to EMY with a CHI departure date of June 26 - cost for 3 - $3683. Coach for 3 just the 4 days from June 22 goes up to $765 on a Value ticket.

Book as soon as you can because as trains fill up with reservation (the bucket fills up), prices go up.

 

[SarahZ]

You could do a mix of Coach and rooms to keep it affordable.

For example, ride in Coach from City A to City B and then book a room from City B to City C. Then book Coach from City C to City D. If you book the room(s) for nighttime, that will give you a decent night's sleep and access to a shower. Plus, if you're in a room during any of the meal times, that meal is included in your room charge.

For three people, I would either do two roomettes or one bedroom, depending on which option is cheaper. (I think the third person in the bedroom has to pay for their meal now, but I can't remember for sure.) The bottom bunk is the same size as a twin bed, so if two of you are small, you could share the bottom bunk and put the third person in the top bunk. The bedrooms have a private shower, toilet, and sink. The roomettes do not, but the communal bathrooms and shower are kept quite clean.

As others have mentioned, if you have a room to Chicago or from Chicago, that will give you access to Chicago's Metropolitan Lounge. It has wi-fi, snacks, and drinks along with luggage storage. It's also clean, quiet, and comfortable.

 

[SarahZ]

Oh, and I should add that you're going to see some of the best scenery on the Amtrak system. I hope you have a great time on your adventure. Be sure to come back and write a trip report once it's finished.

You can read other trip reports here:

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/forum/5-travelogues-trip-reports/

 

[KmH]

With 2 Roomettes, meals for all 3 of you are included for the time you have the Roomettes.

Use the Multi-City booking feature to mix coach and a room.

A to B - Coach - 1st night on train

B to C - Roomette(s) (2nd night)

C to D - Coach - 3rd day

You could book the California Zephyr:

CHI to Denver in Coach (1st night)

Denver to Reno (2nd night, and you would have the sleeper a little over 24 hours.)

From Reno to EMY again in Coach seats.

With Roomette(s) from DEN to RNO you should get 4 meals: breakfast in Denver, lunch betwen Granby and Glenwood Springs, dinner between Green River and Provo, and breakfast again between 6:30 am and 8:30 am before you get to Reno.

 

[Eris]

(I think the third person in the bedroom has to pay for their meal now, but I can't remember for sure)

Unless this has changed very recently, it's not true. Everyone booked in a sleeper has meals included... where did you maybe hear otherwise? It seems like something that gets rumored a lot (and sometimes claimed by an overzealous dining car attendant) but has never actually been policy... even when I rode three (two were children) in a roomette, we all got meals. I haven't seen a recent service standards manual, though.

 

[Ryan]

I have and it's still true.



(I also left in the bit about kids being able to order off the adult menu)

 

[SarahZ]

(I think the third person in the bedroom has to pay for their meal now, but I can't remember for sure)

Unless this has changed very recently, it's not true. Everyone booked in a sleeper has meals included... where did you maybe hear otherwise? It seems like something that gets rumored a lot (and sometimes claimed by an overzealous dining car attendant) but has never actually been policy... even when I rode three (two were children) in a roomette, we all got meals. I haven't seen a recent service standards manual, though.

Well, that's why I said, "I think..." and that I couldn't remember for sure.

I figured out what I was thinking of earlier. I got the food rule mixed up with the AGR Redemption Rule:

• Sleeping car redemptions must follow the recommended capacity guidelines as published on Amtrak.com.

I knew there was something about "two passengers" that Amtrak was strict about but couldn't remember what, exactly, it was. I didn't THINK it was the food, but I just wanted to confirm.

 

[Ryan]

Yep, you're spot on.

 

[SarahZ]

I'm going back to bed. I'm never up this early. Now I know why.

 

[Ryan]

You were really just trying to goad me into posting screenshots of the Blue Book.

 

[Guest]

Three of us took a similar trip on empire to new york a year ago. Lax to portland on coach . Portland to chicago in bedroom .all three of us ate for free in dining room.

 

[niemi24s]

all three of us ate for free in dining room.

Not exactly. You paid for those meals with your sleeper fares.

 

[Ryan]

A completely meaningless and pointless distinction.

 

[KmH]

While Amtrak's web site notes a Bedroom is designed for 2 adults, Amtrak states on it's web page that a designed for 4 - Bedroom Suite (2 adjacent bedrooms with the separating wall opened), can accommodate up to 6.

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Accommodation_C&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241210576129

The implication being 3 can occupy a Bedroom.

 

[Ryan]

The single bedroom page has the exact same verbiage:

The Viewliner Bedroom is ideal for two passengers, but can accommodate three (two passengers must share the lower berth). Call 1-800-USA-RAIL for help reserving the Viewliner Bedroom for three passengers.

 

[minnie]

With 2 Roomettes, meals for all 3 of you are included for the time you have the Roomettes.

Use the Multi-City booking feature to mix coach and a room.

A to B - Coach - 1st night on train

B to C - Roomette(s) (2nd night)

C to D - Coach - 3rd day

You could book the California Zephyr:

CHI to Denver in Coach (1st night)

Denver to Reno (2nd night, and you would have the sleeper a little over 24 hours.)

From Reno to EMY again in Coach seats.

With Roomette(s) from DEN to RNO you should get 4 meals: breakfast in Denver, lunch betwen Granby and Glenwood Springs, dinner between Green River and Provo, and breakfast again between 6:30 am and 8:30 am before you get to Reno.

 

 

Do you have to split up your ticket? I would like to make a trip by train from NY to Los Angeles someday but it's really expensive.

 

[SANSR]

Is a Family Bedroom available on their 2nd leg? If one of the three is relatively short, it wouldn't be that difficult sleeping in one of the shorter bed sets. Food for thought.

 

[KmH]

With 2 Roomettes, meals for all 3 of you are included for the time you have the Roomettes.

Use the Multi-City booking feature to mix coach and a room.
A to B - Coach - 1st night on train
B to C - Roomette(s) (2nd night)
C to D - Coach - 3rd day

You could book the California Zephyr:
CHI to Denver in Coach (1st night)
Denver to Reno (2nd night, and you would have the sleeper a little over 24 hours.)
From Reno to EMY again in Coach seats.

With Roomette(s) from DEN to RNO you should get 4 meals: breakfast in Denver, lunch betwen Granby and Glenwood Springs, dinner between Green River and Provo, and breakfast again between 6:30 am and 8:30 am before you get to Reno.

Do you have to split up your ticket? I would like to make a trip by train from NY to Los Angeles someday but it's really expensive. 

Yes and no.

 

You can do a Multi-City booking so you can mix up the accommodations you reserve on a long distance train.

In the example above A-B, B-C, and C-D could all be on 1 ticket, or 3 tickets.

 

Right now, in the off season, you can go from New York Penn station to LA for $285 one-way in coach all on 1 ticket (Adult fare).

You take the Northeast Regional to Washington DC, transfer to the Capitol Limited from there to Chicago, then get on the Southwest Chief to Los Angeles.

 

You can do round trip for just $454 (Adult fare).

 

[KmH]

Is a Family Bedroom available on their 2nd leg? If one of the three is relatively short, it wouldn't be that difficult sleeping in one of the shorter bed sets. Food for thought.

Do 2 Roomettes cost less than 1 Bedroom most of the time?