Thank you, I really appreciate the comments so far. William - we are just traveling coach. Thanks for all the idea's. They thought the sleeper & beds would be too difficult for them to maneuver in. The _traveler - thanks for the warning on the walker, I had wondered about that. He will be fine using the backs of the chairs and cane. Rail Freak- we did decide to go with the lower level for them and then hope my dad can get upstairs for the sightseer lounge for better views.
Does a cooler count as a piece of luggage? Or is the 2 pc luggage maximum just for what you stow underneath?
I continue to welcome any additional thoughts and idea's. We are really excited to give this form of travel a try. Actually my mother would take the train between Iowa and Washington back in the 1950's.
The rule is 2 pieces carryon per person. With lots of plus exceptions, for laptops, diaper bags, child seats, assistive devices, overcoats --.
The practical limit for carryon is whatever you can carry onboard, with minor allowances for mobility problems. Carry-on luggage can be stowed above your lower-level coach seats or in the luggage racks near the entrance door - which may fill up, depending how full the coach is.
Don't try to carry too much, it's easy to over-pack and wish you hadn't. But I'd definitely take some lightweight cooler with favorite soft drinks, tea, whatever, and snacks, [ keep hydrated is my motto, waling, biking, riding trains and planes - always have extra water]
My advice is -- try to be on the right (east) side of the train when runnning from LaCrosse to Minneapolis - the river gorge and wildlife (Eagles, Great Blue Herons, etc) are amazing (you probably already know, being from WIsconsin, and you said your Mum rode to Washington only a few decades ago.
Hope your trip goes well. Keep asking any details, sure others here will help - there's a lot of experienced and helpful riders here -- but not all can watch all the time -- check back and ask again whenever you want.
