California Zephyr - San Francisco to Chicago

[Dorothy Matthews]

Hello there. We hope to travel on the California Zephyr in October when we visit the USA. Would we miss some stunning, iconic piece of landscape by going on the 'reverse' journey? It is cheaper to to from San Francisco to Chicago rather than the other way around. Can anyone help :unsure:

 

[Eric S]

The worry with traveling eastbound (toward Chicago) rather than westbound (toward San Francisco) is that if the train is running late, it may be dark when passing through some of the great scenery west of Denver.

 

[the_traveler]

Other than that, if the CZ is on time, the most scenic segments (thru the mountains) are scheduled to be in the daylight hours both eastbound and westbound.

 

[DetroitTed]

I'm making this same trip, also in October (departing from SAC however.) Then I'm taking the Blue Water to Port Huron. My concern is that there's only 70 minutes connection time:#6 to #364. Anyone else ever tried this connection? If I miss the connection, the world won't end but I'm hoping it's generally doable. Plus, if the CZ is relatively on time, where should I pick up my dinner take-out as I run through CUS to catch 364?

 

[KmH]

I too am traveling on the California Zephyr (CZ) in October - from Ottumwa, Iowa to Davis, California.

Westbound first, and then returning eastbound on the CZ.

As mentioned, as long as the CZ is on time the most scenic portions of the trip are made in daylight so either way works.

 

[willem]

I'm making this same trip, also in October (departing from SAC however.) Then I'm taking the Blue Water to Port Huron. My concern is that there's only 70 minutes connection time:#6 to #364.

The recent history is not good, but it did make the connection 25% of the time. Probably Amtrak would put you on a bus or van if your connection left without you.

 

[ehbowen]

I'm making this same trip, also in October (departing from SAC however.) Then I'm taking the Blue Water to Port Huron. My concern is that there's only 70 minutes connection time:#6 to #364. Anyone else ever tried this connection? If I miss the connection, the world won't end but I'm hoping it's generally doable. Plus, if the CZ is relatively on time, where should I pick up my dinner take-out as I run through CUS to catch 364?

As long as you have put this trip under a single reservation the connection should be guaranteed. It's generally slow going into Chicago and equally slow coming out of Chicago. If Amtrak sees that a customer is likely to miss a connection they will often "cut the corner" by putting you on a shuttle van or bus which bypasses the Chicago congestion...say direct from Naperville to New Buffalo.

 

[bmjhagen9426]

My concern is that there's only 70 minutes connection time:#6 to #364. Anyone else ever tried this connection? If I miss the connection, the world won't end but I'm hoping it's generally doable.

If you are connecting to a corridor from a LD train like The California Zephyr, you won't have much to lose. If you are changing trains from a LD to another LD, like what I am doing this winter and what I plan to do in the near future, it's more of a gamble. It really depends.

 

[bmjhagen9426]

when passing through some of the great scenery west of Denver.

...unless the CZ detours thru Wyoming, which can and occasionally does happen.

 

[DetroitTed]

I'm making this same trip, also in October (departing from SAC however.) Then I'm taking the Blue Water to Port Huron. My concern is that there's only 70 minutes connection time:#6 to #364. Anyone else ever tried this connection? If I miss the connection, the world won't end but I'm hoping it's generally doable. Plus, if the CZ is relatively on time, where should I pick up my dinner take-out as I run through CUS to catch 364?

As long as you have put this trip under a single reservation the connection should be guaranteed. It's generally slow going into Chicago and equally slow coming out of Chicago. If Amtrak sees that a customer is likely to miss a connection they will often "cut the corner" by putting you on a shuttle van or bus which bypasses the Chicago congestion...say direct from Naperville to New Buffalo.

Thanks for the good info. I am travelling on a single reservation so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Either way it doesn't look like I'll have much luck picking something up to eat before I get on 364

Thanks for the good info. I am travelling on a single reservation so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Either way it doesn't look like I'll have much luck picking something up to eat before I get on 364

 

[SarahZ]

If the CZ is on-time, or even just a few minutes late, you'll have time to grab something in the food court. There's a McDonald's that has relatively quick service even in the middle of a workday rush, and there are some hot dog and pizza places as well. The longest I've ever waited for food is about ten minutes.

You can bring your food on the train, so even if you don't have time to sit and eat, you can still pick something up. I used to get a burrito bowl from Burrito Beach and eat that on the Wolverine.

The Blue Water has a cafe car, so if the CZ is super delayed and you have to dash to the Blue Water, you can have a sandwich and whatnot on the way to Port Huron.

 

[DetroitTed]

If the CZ is on-time, or even just a few minutes late, you'll have time to grab something in the food court. There's a McDonald's that has relatively quick service even in the middle of a workday rush, and there are some hot dog and pizza places as well. The longest I've ever waited for food is about ten minutes.

You can bring your food on the train, so even if you don't have time to sit and eat, you can still pick something up. I used to get a burrito bowl from Burrito Beach and eat that on the Wolverine.

The Blue Water has a cafe car, so if the CZ is super delayed and you have to dash to the Blue Water, you can have a sandwich and whatnot on the way to Port Huron.

Thanks Sarah -- mostly I've taken the Blue Water from PTH, not the other way around. Last time I went from CHI, it was the International!( wish that were still a possibility).

 

[SarahZ]

If the CZ is on-time, or even just a few minutes late, you'll have time to grab something in the food court. There's a McDonald's that has relatively quick service even in the middle of a workday rush, and there are some hot dog and pizza places as well. The longest I've ever waited for food is about ten minutes.

You can bring your food on the train, so even if you don't have time to sit and eat, you can still pick something up. I used to get a burrito bowl from Burrito Beach and eat that on the Wolverine.

The Blue Water has a cafe car, so if the CZ is super delayed and you have to dash to the Blue Water, you can have a sandwich and whatnot on the way to Port Huron.

Thanks Sarah -- mostly I've taken the Blue Water from PTH, not the other way around. Last time I went from CHI, it was the International!( wish that were still a possibility).

You and me both.

 

[Woodcut60]

I'd like to offer another reason why one should take the westbound trip. Railroad history. I mean the whole "Go West, young man" concept and why President Lincoln signed the 1862 Pacific Railway Act. A great book covering this subject is Dee Brown's Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow (1977). That is, if you're interested in railroad history, of course.

 

[New Train Guy]

This January I'm planning on taking the CZ from Denver to San Francisco and then on to Seatle. Any concerns about this itinerary in winter? Thank you. New Train Guy

 

[Seaboard92]

I don't think you need worry with a CZ CS connection. At least headed towards SEA

 

[Mjo]

This is just one anecdotal report, but we took the CZ from SF to Chicago in July, and it was amazing. We were late coming into Chicago, by 2 hours, I think. However, all our delays were from Denver, east. Mostly it was sitting in Denver for a private car to be attached, and then a longer stop in Iowa (I think) to pick up marooned passengers from another train. The ride from SF to Denver was spot on and gorgeous. It's always a risk, but I would take this one again in a heartbeat. Loved it. Good luck!

 

[KmH]

I'm hoping the deciduous tree leaves will have changed color by the time I do a round trip on the CZ in the middle of next month.

 

[chakk]

I'm hoping the deciduous tree leaves will have changed color by the time I do a round trip on the CZ in the middle of next month.

Colorodo rockies are peaking week. All leaves there will be gone by mid-oct. Perhaps some color still in the cottonqoods near Grand Jct and near Helper, Itah.