Booking an Accessible Bedroom

[railiner]

What part of "wheeled" is confusing to you?

Rollator is one of the listed wheeled options. Non-wheeled mobility aids ("cane, walker, crutches, etc.") have their own category.

After you check the box on the booking page for "Disabled" and then click "Find Trains", a dialog comes up that asks for your type of disability. I think Walker is one of the options. Try a fake booking for an LD train to see if the Accessible Bedroom shows up under Rooms.

There isn't really much difference between a standard walker, and one that has two wheels, so far as a mobility aid goes. A four wheeled rollator often adds a seat, some are designed to be also used as a transport wheelchair.

 

[Henry Kisor]

I'm a rollator pilot and have booked H rooms regularly without event.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Non-wheeled mobility aids ("cane, walker, crutches, etc.") have their own category.

I have a cane, but only need it when my lower legs are severely painful or swollen -- and at those times, I'd prefer not travelling at all, so I wouldn't seek to book an accessible bedroom myself. Certainly those who need to use canes/walkers/crutches on a regular basis should be able to book accessible bedrooms on Amtrak's sleeper cars, though.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I have a cane, but only need it when my lower legs are severely painful or swollen -- and at those times, I'd prefer not travelling at all, so I wouldn't seek to book an accessible bedroom myself. Certainly those who need to use canes/walkers/crutches on a regular basis should be able to book accessible bedrooms on Amtrak's sleeper cars, though.

Though canes, folding walkers & crutches can fit in roomettes & bedrooms. On the super liner there are 4 roomettes & the family room on the lower level.
The accessible room provides room for wheelchairs, scooters & rotators.

 

[PVD]

Though canes, folding walkers & crutches can fit in roomettes & bedrooms. On the super liner there are 4 roomettes & the family room.
The accessible room provides room for wheelchairs, scooters & rotators.

I'm assuming you mean "on the lower level," and your point is well taken - as long as those people don't need to use the stairs, any lower level room should suffice. There might be a rare exception where it might be difficult to use the restroom,

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I'm assuming you mean "on the lower level," and your point is well taken - as long as those people don't need to use the stairs, any lower level room should suffice.

I was thinking it - but my fingers didn't follow my thinking. Fixed it. Thanks.

 

[joelkfla]

Though canes, folding walkers & crutches can fit in roomettes & bedrooms. On the super liner there are 4 roomettes & the family room on the lower level.
The accessible room provides room for wheelchairs, scooters & rotators.

But a person who needs a cane or walker may not have enough lower body strength and mobility to get in and out of bed with that tiny space between the bed and the door and nothing to grab onto in a roomette.

I would like to see Amtrak offer regular bedrooms to handicapped people at the same rate as the accessible room. I think my small scooter might fit down the hallway to a Viewliner bedroom, but I would have to disassemble it in the hallway and carry the parts into the room. The disassembled parts should fit in the space freed up by folding the chair.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

But a person who needs a cane or walker may not have enough lower body strength and mobility to get in and out of bed with that tiny space between the bed and the door and nothing to grab onto in a roomette.

On those days when I have to resort to using a cane, lower body strength and mobility are certainly issues. Picking my feet up to climb even just a few steps at home or at work on days when I need a cane is a major undertaking, especially with the steps from the street to the sidewalk in front of the office where I work, which have no railing to grab. (At church, some railings were installed on the altar steps, as we've had a few trip & fall incidents when retired priests come to serve Mass.) In a small space without grab bars (like the shower) when my legs hurt or the floor is too slick for stable footing, I try to brace against the walls; I don't know how well that would work in a roomette, though, even in the lower bunk. (And forget about trying to climb into an upper bunk if one needs a mobility assistance device!)

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I would like to see Amtrak offer regular bedrooms to handicapped people at the same rate as the accessible room. I think my small scooter might fit down the hallway to a Viewliner bedroom, but I would have to disassemble it in the hallway and carry the parts into the room. The disassembled parts should fit in the space freed up by folding the chair.

Once you break down your scooter it becomes baggage. Sorry you should not get a bedroom at a roomette price because you need additional space for baggage. Slippery slope IMHO. While the ADA is a poorly written law and one size does not fit all when you are talking about it. The current policy is written and while we may see multiple issues with technical issues. It’s at least written starting point.

I was recently in a Viewliner 2 H room. A last minute upgrade. Sorry not impressed. It work for me, but not very well. I upgraded due to work, travel stress, and want more space. Which I payed heavily for. The flat spot on the wheel below the room was no extra charge, it seemed. The room setup was lacking and really prevented me from have room to stretch out. (6’6”) Redo that little closet, cut some of the mass from the side of the sink, then I would fit better. Oh and fix the door, and come to terms with the crews about where that ladder is stored. Yes I am that passenger.

 

[joelkfla]

Once you break down your scooter it becomes baggage. Sorry you should not get a bedroom at a roomette price because you need additional space for baggage. Slippery slope IMHO. While the ADA is a poorly written law and one size does not fit all when you are talking about it. The current policy is written and while we may see multiple issues with technical issues. It’s at least written starting point.

I was recently in a Viewliner 2 H room. A last minute upgrade. Sorry not impressed. It work for me, but not very well. I upgraded due to work, travel stress, and want more space. Which I payed heavily for. The flat spot on the wheel below the room was no extra charge, it seemed. The room setup was lacking and really prevented me from have room to stretch out. (6’6”) Redo that little closet, cut some of the mass from the side of the sink, then I would fit better. Oh and fix the door, and come to terms with the crews about where that ladder is stored. Yes I am that passenger.

On VL II H-room:

I think the bed is the same length as a regular bedroom.

Yes, the location is bad for wheel noise. It's made worse by an air vent in the door that's covered by nothing more than a metal screen. All the noise from the vestibule comes into the room. The VL I H-room door does not have that vent, or it's covered by some material to dampen the noise.

Mobility aids are excepted from baggage limits and charges. It shouldn't matter whether they're whole or broken down. I know current policy does not allow substitution of a bedroom for an H-room, but it would be nice if they did allow it, especially when recovering from a cancellation or delay where all H-rooms are full.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

The vent is neat how you can position yourself and watch quite clearly the people walking by in the hallway. Not a well thought out design.

I did notice and liked the emergency exit in the ‘end of car doors’. That’s a good idea.

 

[paris_european]

Had accessible room on auto train from Lorton to Sanford on
11/17 - it was disgusting and definitely not a handicapped room.

 

[PVD]

One thing that people often fail to recognize is how different disabilities present different challenges and assisting one may make it more difficult for another. I remember post broken hip, the difficulty my mother had with many toilets because they were set low to ease transfer. At home we had the frame of a commode for her to assist with getting up. That would be a huge hindrance in a wheelchair scenario wher bars and rails get in the way.

 

[Oreius]

I’m going to Florida soon on the Star. I am legitimately disabled, having had 4 lumbar spine surgeries and as a result have sciatica and chronic back pain. I’m booked in the accessible bedroom in Car 9111. The agent told me this room has a shower, but I am not 100% sure. I know it has its own potty. I could have booked this room months earlier, but I wanted to wait and let people with wheelchairs have the opportunity to get it first. Since the room was available to all, I decided to take advantage because I like a bigger room so I sit in the swivel chair if my back hurts while laying in bed. There were no available Bedrooms. Can anyone elaborate on what I should expect?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I think 9111 is a VLI car.

Here's a video showing a VL1 accessible room


Here's a video showing a VLII accessible room
https://www.groundedlifetravel.com/what-its-like-in-an-amtrak-viewliner-ii-accessible-bedroom/

 

[Oreius]

I'm a rollator pilot and have booked H rooms regularly without event.

I see we’re talking about rollators. I use one occasionally myself, as I can’t walk far without pain due to sciatica. I also can’t stand for more than 15 minutes at times.

 

[joelkfla]

I think 9111 is a VLI car.

Here's a video showing a VL1 accessible room


Here's a video showing a VLII accessible room
https://www.groundedlifetravel.com/what-its-like-in-an-amtrak-viewliner-ii-accessible-bedroom/

No, it's normally a VL II. VL II H-rooms have a pretty big dedicated roll-in shower. VL I's have a low-mounted shower head in the bathroom, similar to the deluxe bedrooms.

 

[flitcraft]

Slightly offtopic, since I've never actually booked an accessible room, but about ten years back, I broke my left leg pretty severely. ( I still have a rod, two plates and about a dozen screws keeping things ship-shape in that leg.) I had just given up my knee scooter before our Amtrak trip and was using a walker and cane to get around, but I decided for convenience sake to leave the walker at home and rent one at our destination. My husband and I were in a bedroom, which I managed to hobble to pulling myself up the railings, but the SCA saw me having trouble and asked if we'd prefer the accessible room, which hadn't been booked. He went off to confer with someone about whether this was possible, and came back saying that it was. He moved all our stuff, and half-carried me piggie back style down the spiral staircase! That guy earned his tip and then some!

So, if you have a disability that you think wouldn't necessarily qualify for the accessible room, I recommend checking on its availability before you travel. It really made that trip a lot easier than it otherwise would have been for us.

 

[Oreius]

Slightly offtopic, since I've never actually booked an accessible room, but about ten years back, I broke my left leg pretty severely. ( I still have a rod, two plates and about a dozen screws keeping things ship-shape in that leg.) I had just given up my knee scooter before our Amtrak trip and was using a walker and cane to get around, but I decided for convenience sake to leave the walker at home and rent one at our destination. My husband and I were in a bedroom, which I managed to hobble to pulling myself up the railings, but the SCA saw me having trouble and asked if we'd prefer the accessible room, which hadn't been booked. He went off to confer with someone about whether this was possible, and came back saying that it was. He moved all our stuff, and half-carried me piggie back style down the spiral staircase! That guy earned his tip and then some!

So, if you have a disability that you think wouldn't necessarily qualify for the accessible room, I recommend checking on its availability before you travel. It really made that trip a lot easier than it otherwise would have been for us.

I’m a gentleman. I wanted to give those with legitimate mobility issues (wheelchairs, legally blind) the chance first. When I saw on Amtrak.com the room was available for anyone, I made the move and the call. I wanted to be fair.

 

[Bonser]

I don't think the Accessible Bedroom is restricted to just people who need to use a wheelchair, I am pretty sure they are available to anyone who is mobility impaired within the standard booking window, up to 11 months out. If memory serves, they are offered at the prevailing roomette accommodation charge.

In order to book in advance, either call Amtrak or use the website by selecting the "discount" drop down under "travelers" and select "passenger with disablity" After going through Accessible Services menu (type of disability, need assistance at station, etc), it should display any open accessible rooms available in inventory.

Historically, open accessible rooms were released to general inventory 2 weeks before departure at the Bedroom accommodation charge and could be booked by anyone.

If the cost of the accessible BR and the roomette are the same up to 2 weeks prior to departure why wouldn't anyone book them? They are clearly an upgrade over the roomette.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

If the cost of the accessible BR and the roomette are the same up to 2 weeks prior to departure why wouldn't anyone book them? They are clearly an upgrade over the roomette.

What do you mean by "anyone"? It is only available to those who qualify for it up to 2 weeks before departure. After that, if it's not booked already, it's available to everyone - but at the prevailing bedroom price.

 

[zephyr17]

If the cost of the accessible BR and the roomette are the same up to 2 weeks prior to departure why wouldn't anyone book them? They are clearly an upgrade over the roomette.

Because they are only available to those with a mobility impairment up until two weeks before departure, at which time they'll go up to bedroom prices for the general public. Those with mobility impairment can still book it at roomette rates within two weeks of departure if it has not otherwise been sold.

 

[Oreius]

I have to say that after riding in the Accessible Bedroom for 22 hours, it really came in handy for me. I have bad sciatica due to my bad back and having the walk-in shower with bench was very nice. I have a walk-in shower at home with a bench. Also, the wide lower bunk sat up higher; it is harder for me to get off of lower chairs. I think in the future, I might settle for this room when I travel on my Florida trips. I do have documentation that I am disabled.

I’ve done the Roomette. It is very tight for me to have the bed made up. I will leave it in daytime setup for overnight travel if I have to. I like the Bedroom because of the extra space so I can stretch when I get sciatica and back pain.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I have to say that after riding in the Accessible Bedroom for 22 hours, it really came in handy for me. I have bad sciatica due to my bad back and having the walk-in shower with bench was very nice. I have a walk-in shower at home with a bench. Also, the wide lower bunk sat up higher; it is harder for me to get off of lower chairs. I think in the future, I might settle for this room when I travel on my Florida trips. I do have documentation that I am disabled.

I’ve done the Roomette. It is very tight for me to have the bed made up. I will leave it in daytime setup for overnight travel if I have to. I like the Bedroom because of the extra space so I can stretch when I get sciatica and back pain.

I am so glad the accessible bedroom worked out well for you. You most certainly deserve to use it—don’t feel guilty. Also, you have been so good to your parents helping them travel. You need and deserve to take care of yourself and recharge in comfortable accommodations when the opportunity is there.

 

[zephyr17]

If the cost of the accessible BR and the roomette are the same up to 2 weeks prior to departure why wouldn't anyone book them? They are clearly an upgrade over the roomette.

They aren't to anyone who is not mobility impaired. The roomette price is only offered to those with a mobility impairment. While anyone can book an Accessible Bedroom within 14 days of departure, those without a mobility impairment will pay the Bedroom, not the Roomette, fare.

To make it simple:
>14 days in advance:
General public: Accessible Bedroom not available for purchase.
Mobility Impaired: Available for purchase at Roomette rate

=< 14 days in advance:
General public: Available for purchase at Bedroom rate
Mobility Impaired: Available for purchase at Roomette rate

That is why "anyone" cannot book them at those rates.