Coach seats together?

[Greenpond]

My wife and I will be taking the Crescent from Birmingham Al. to Washington Dc in mid October. My question is how hard is it going to be for us to get two coach seats together? I called Amtrak and they said it would be pretty full coming out of New Orleans.

 

[Bob Dylan]

My wife and I will be taking the Crescent from Birmingham Al. to Washington Dc in mid October. My question is how hard is it going to be for us to get two coach seats together? I called Amtrak and they said it would be pretty full coming out of New Orleans.

I did some test bookings for a week from 10/14-10/20 on the Crescent from BHM-WAS. With the exception of a couple of days the Rail Fare is $122 each and a Roomette with all Sleeper Ammenities is $304, which would cover YOU BOTH, and includes Dinner and Breakfast in the Diner, a Private Sleeping Room, If you can afford it its the way to go! :wub:

The Train usually really fills up in Atlanta. The Coaches and Lounge Car on this train are OK but a Viewliner Sleeper is like 10 times as good in comparison! Check it out on Amsnag or Amtrak.com. Otherwise, if you go coach, ask the attendant or conductor that pulls your ticket when you board if you can have seats together, its roulette/ 50/50 on popular and Sold Out Trains!(and the Station in BHM looks like Berlin after WWII, what a disgrace! :angry2: )

Good Luck!

 

[Greenpond09]

My wife and I will be taking the Crescent from Birmingham Al. to Washington Dc in mid October. My question is how hard is it going to be for us to get two coach seats together? I called Amtrak and they said it would be pretty full coming out of New Orleans.

I did some test bookings for a week from 10/14-10/20 on the Crescent from BHM-WAS. With the exception of a couple of days the Rail Fare is $122 each and a Roomette with all Sleeper Ammenities is $304, which would cover YOU BOTH, and includes Dinner and Breakfast in the Diner, a Private Sleeping Room, If you can afford it its the way to go! :wub:

The Train usually really fills up in Atlanta. The Coaches and Lounge Car on this train are OK but a Viewliner Sleeper is like 10 times as good in comparison! Check it out on Amsnag or Amtrak.com. Otherwise, if you go coach, ask the attendant or conductor that pulls your ticket when you board if you can have seats together, its roulette/ 50/50 on popular and Sold Out Trains!(and the Station in BHM looks like Berlin after WWII, what a disgrace! :angry2: )

Good Luck!

Yeah we are leaving on 10/15 and return on 10/20 both days look like they are full. If we end up in separate seats I will probably cancel our return tickets and fly back. I waited to long to get a room ( newbie mistake). Thanks for your information though. It is our first time on a train so any other advise from you or anyone would be greatly appreciated.

 

[fairviewroad]

Worst-care scenario is that you have to sit apart from B-ham to Atlanta and that's over the dinner hour anyway, so if you go

eat in the diner than you really won't be apart for that long. In Atlanta plenty of folks will detrain and the conductor should

have no problem getting you seats together at that point. But I suspect you'll be able to sit together immediately upon

boarding in Birmingham. Good conductors know how to make this happen.

 

[Greenpond09]

Another question? How do you hold your seats when you go to eat and what do you do with your carry ons?

 

[fairviewroad]

Another question? How do you hold your seats when you go to eat and what do you do with your carry ons?

The method that most people use is to leave something on the seat...a newspaper, a jacket, etc.

But technically your seat is "held" by the seatcheck which is affixed to the overhead luggage rack.

Of course, those seatchecks can be easily removed by a ne'er-do-well but IME that's rare.

A good conductor will know which seats are taken and will make sure no one takes yours if you

are at dinner or in the lounge.

As far as what to do with your carry-ons, by all means take your "valuables" with you (wallets, phones,

cameras, etc.) But you can't really take a carry-on suitcase into the diner. So just leave it in the overhead rack

and don't worry about it. That's just how it's done....and 99.99% of Amtrak travelers don't have a problem

with theft. Keep in mind that there will always be "eyes" on your belongings...other coach passengers...

so if a stranger comes up and starts rifling through your stuff, that's sure to attract questions. But again,

that's so rare that it's not worth worrying about.

 

[amtkstn]

When the conductor or coach attandent punchies your ticktet, they put a seat check above your seat indicating your desination. Your carry on going in either the rack above your seat or there is a space at each end of the car. I like to put my stuff there because they rack above the seat are too tight for my bags.

 

[tonys96]

Only once did I run into there not being two coach seats together available, and when that happened, we simply chose to deboard and walk back toward the station, running into an Amtrak employee (conductor??) who asked us for our tickets, and after being told we wished to sit together, not apart, this guy told us to follow him, and we were boarded into a completely empty coach car......as the trip to SAS continued our previously empty car gathered about 30 passengers.....I have never figured out why they boarded us into a full car to begin with, knowing that there would be more pax further down the line.......... :huh:

 

[Amtrak George]

COACH TOGETHER: you might try getting to the station early, finding out from the ticket agent when boarding will begin and where the line forms, and get in line early. Also you could let the conductor know you are spouses and wish to locate two seats together.

Some roads used to assign specific seats when reservations were made (pre amtrak) and this worked pretty well. Should Amtrak return to that? The advantages are obvious, everybody would know where they are supposed to sit and there would be no need for a mad dash upon boarding; you could guarantee seats together if making advance reservations.

Disadvantages of assigned seating include less flexibility to find a great seat in the middle of the car, being stuck close to rowdy folks, less likely to find two vacant seats when traveling solo, defective seat assigned, etc. Food for thought.

 

[PaulM]

Yeah we are leaving on 10/15 and return on 10/20 both days look like they are full.

When you say "full" do you mean from BGH, or somewhere along the line? One of Amtrak Unlimited's old wives' tales (oops, I mean nuggets of wisdom) is that nobody rides the train southwest of Atlanta. If that is the case, then you should have no trouble getting two seats together at BGH. Once you have them, they are yours.

Of course, the return trip from DC might be a different story.

 

[Greenpond09]

What is there policy on stuff in your carry on's? Would we be able to take some snack crackers and maybe a couple of bottles of water. I have searched there website over but haven't seen anything about this. I actually had thought about taking a backpack to Washington DC for the purpose of always having a light snack and drink.

 

[jb64]

you may take as many snacks and bottles of water as you can carry. Amtrak is very flexible with bags and carryons. The only real prohibited items are smoking on the train and personal alcoholic beverages in coach (although they are allowed in sleepers)

 

[MiRider]

What is there policy on stuff in your carry on's? Would we be able to take some snack crackers and maybe a couple of bottles of water. I have searched there website over but haven't seen anything about this. I actually had thought about taking a backpack to Washington DC for the purpose of always having a light snack and drink.

You can bring full size toiletries, medications, etc. - it's very liberating.

You can use your electronics at all times, you can eat and drink at your seat whenever you want to.

You can get up and walk around anytime you feel like it..

You can pack a cooler full of all of the food and drink (no alcohol in coach but you can drink in the lounge) you want as long as you can carry it and stow it at your seat or in the overhead area above your seat.

You'll have FUN!

Don't worry so much about the seats - it will all work out.

Read the First Time Riders forum and check out the 'what to take with you' thread - the link is below

I learned a lot reading that forum and it made traveling a lot easier.

I've learned to pack a full size pillow and a lightweight blanket, the Amtrak pillows are way too small if you're overnight in coach.

My trick - I bought a set of packing bags at Target that work like those vacuum storage bags except that you roll them to compact them - makes a pillow and blanket very small and easy to pack.

ENJOY!

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/forum/78-amtrak-faqs-first-time-rider-info/

 

[Ryan]

I actually had thought about taking a backpack to Washington DC for the purpose of always having a light snack and drink.

You're going to want to research where you're going to be visiting in DC before you do that, some places don't allow food and drink. My wife works at the Capitol Visitor Center, which is one of the places that doesn't allow food or drink to be brought in, and comes home on a daily basis with stories about visitors that try to get stuff inside. My personal favorite is the visitor that saw the security measures just before he got in front of the line, bailed out of line and went over to a tree on the grounds and buried something in the mulch at the foot of the tree and then returned to the line. Needless to say, the police saw him do it and went over to check it out while he went on his tour. Lo and behold, the package that he left out side was his stash of pot - a plainclothes officer took up a position where he could watch. When the visitor returned, he looked frantically all around for his stash before the officer (and several others) came up to him and arrested him.

 

[Greenpond09]

Where in coach can you charge your cell phones?

 

[jb64]

Where in coach can you charge your cell phones?

Most of the coach cars used by Amtrak have been refurbished and have outlets at every pair of seats. Occasionally you will run into an unrefurbished car with no outlets and then you can charge in the Sightseer lounge. (assuming you are on a superliner)

 

[fairviewroad]

Where in coach can you charge your cell phones?

Most of the coach cars used by Amtrak have been refurbished and have outlets at every pair of seats. Occasionally you will run into an unrefurbished car with no outlets and then you can charge in the Sightseer lounge. (assuming you are on a superliner)

The OP will not be on Superliner equipment on his trip from Birmingham to WAS.

 

[lthanlon]

Where in coach can you charge your cell phones?

Most of the coach cars used by Amtrak have been refurbished and have outlets at every pair of seats. Occasionally you will run into an unrefurbished car with no outlets and then you can charge in the Sightseer lounge. (assuming you are on a superliner)

The OP will not be on Superliner equipment on his trip from Birmingham to WAS.

Even if I know an outlet will be available, I always bring along a backup battery. The last couple of times on Amtrak, I've enjoyed having the Just Mobile Gum Plus. It can provide at least three or four charges for my iPhone 4.

 

[guest]

A good TA will make sure that single travelers are seated with single travelers (despite the fact that a lot of them whine and moan about it), saving blocks of seats for couples, groups, and families traveling together who are boarding downline.

 

[Greenpond09]

Anyone know Amtrak's policy on batteries?? Wanting to bring extra's along so I don't have to buy them in Washington.

 

[MiRider]

Anyone know Amtrak's policy on batteries?? Wanting to bring extra's along so I don't have to buy them in Washington.

You can bring those types of batteries without a problem - bring a pkg of them if you want.

Not much you can't bring - mostly illegal and dangerous items are prohibited.

Here's a link from Amtrak's site: Amtrak Baggage Policy and Prohibited Items

I've copied part of it here - click on the link for more detailed information:

Prohibited Items

The prohibited items list is not an exhaustive list.

Any item that is similar to the prohibited items below, even if not specifically mentioned, is also prohibited.

Amtrak personnel may determine if an item not mentioned in this list is prohibited.

 

~Archery equipment



~Firearms or ammunition Checked baggage only

*Black powder, percussion caps or any ammunition used with a matchlock, flintlock, percussion-cap ignition system or similar type are never permitted; this includes self-loaded, gunpowder-based modern ammunition.

 

~Canisters, tanks, or other devices containing propellants

*Oxygen equipment for medical reasons is allowed onboard with restrictions.

~Incendiaries, including flammable gases, liquids, fuels, fireworks or other explosive devices



~Large sharp objects such as axes, ice picks and swords



~Corrosive or dangerous chemicals or materials, such as liquid bleach, tear gas, electronic control devices (stun guns, TASER guns), radioactive and harmful bacteriological materials



~Batteries with acid that can spill or leak

*Batteries used in motorized wheel chairs or similar devices for the mobility-impaired are allowed.

 

~Club like items, such as billy clubs and nightsticks



~Fragile and/or valuable items, including but not limited to electronic equipment

*Laptop computers and other handheld devices are allowed onboard; however Amtrak accepts no liability for theft or damage.

 

~Animals including comfort animals

*Only service animals are allowed onboard.

 

~Oversized and/or overweight items

 

 

[jb64]

There is a policy on batteries? Since they rarely search your stuff, how would they even know?

 

[amtkstn]

Batteries are fine. Unlike the airlines there are very few few things that are not allowed onboard.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Some guy had a tire with him on the Heartland Flyer the other night, and since that train has no checked baggage, he carried it on with him and stayed in the Lower Level with it. I'm sure he got some teasing over that!

 

[me_little_me]

What is there policy on stuff in your carry on's? Would we be able to take some snack crackers and maybe a couple of bottles of water. I have searched there website over but haven't seen anything about this. I actually had thought about taking a backpack to Washington DC for the purpose of always having a light snack and drink.

You can pack a cooler full of all of the food and drink (no alcohol in coach but you can drink in the lounge)

That is a little misleading. You can PURCHASE alcoholic drinks in the lounge and DRINK IT THERE but you cannot consume any alcohol you brought with you unless you are a sleeper passenger consuming it in the sleeper compartment.