Coast to coast in April

[susanlindsey]

Hoping to find information and resources to assist in preparing for my round-trip East Coast to West Coast adventure in April. Our family traveled from Washington DC to Salt Lake City three years ago but this will be my first solo trip and first time on Empire Builder, Starlight Coast, and Southwest Chief. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[GAT]

How will you be doing the DC-Chicago out and back segments? If you haven't done the Cardinal, I highly recommend it for one of those segments. The foliage should be coming out beautifully by then.

 

[susanlindsey]

How will you be doing the DC-Chicago out and back segments? If you haven't done the Cardinal, I highly recommend it for one of those segments. The foliage should be coming out beautifully by then.

Great idea! Maybe I’ll take the Capital Limited one way and the Cardinal the other. Thanks for the suggestion

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Great idea! Maybe I’ll take the Capital Limited one way and the Cardinal the other. Thanks for the suggestion

If the timing works for you, take the Cardinal eastbound.

 

[pennyk]

Hoping to find information and resources to assist in preparing for my round-trip East Coast to West Coast adventure in April. Our family traveled from Washington DC to Salt Lake City three years ago but this will be my first solo trip and first time on Empire Builder, Starlight Coast, and Southwest Chief. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Welcome to Amtrak Unlimited. I have taken many solo trips cross country and loved every one of them.

 

[Maglev]

For the best daylight scenery on the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight, I would recommend taking this trip clockwise (westbound on the Southwest Chief...). Avoiding same-day connections can eliminate the stress of late trains, and also gives you time to get to know a city.

Let us know how your trip goes!

 

[susanlindsey]

For the best daylight scenery on the Empire Builder and Coast Starlight, I would recommend taking this trip clockwise (westbound on the Southwest Chief...). Avoiding same-day connections can eliminate the stress of late trains, and also gives you time to get to know a city.

Let us know how your trip goes!

Thanks for the advice about scenery. I’m trying to strike a balance between same day connections and paying for overnight accommodations, but it didn’t occur to me to mock up the itinerary in the opposite direction. I guess I automatically pictured riding down the west coast.

 

[GAT]

If the timing works for you, take the Cardinal eastbound.

Agree. I did it last mid-April. Lovely, although it was perhaps a week ort so early for real Spring. I would also suggest, instead of the Capital, look at the LAS out of New York. It may be more expensive, and I don't know how connections would work., but it is a scenic ride.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Agree. I did it last mid-April. Lovely, although it was perhaps a week ort so early for real Spring. I would also suggest, instead of the Capital, look at the LAS out of New York. It may be more expensive, and I don't know how connections would work., but it is a scenic ride.

LSL

 

[GAT]

LSL

Thank you. My senior moment for the day. I guess OP was wondering why I would suggest the Los Angeles westbound - especially from WAS.

 

[Willbridge]

Thanks for the advice about scenery. I’m trying to strike a balance between same day connections and paying for overnight accommodations, but it didn’t occur to me to mock up the itinerary in the opposite direction. I guess I automatically pictured riding down the west coast.

There are good things about the Coast Starlight in either direction, but traveling northbound you may get a view of Mt. Shasta, and departing Klamath Falls breakfast comes with panoramas of Klamath Lake and the Klamath River and the Oregon Cascades.

Also, if Train 11, the Starlight southbound, runs late, the ocean views may be curtailed.

 

[Widfara]

Thanks for the advice about scenery. I’m trying to strike a balance between same day connections and paying for overnight accommodations, but it didn’t occur to me to mock up the itinerary in the opposite direction. I guess I automatically pictured riding down the west coast.

Do not count on same day connections. The week before I did a seven hour connect from the Texas Eaglet to the Lake Shore Limited (which went fine for me), the Texas Eagle was 11 hours late into Chicago. And, yes, it is probably a guaranteed connection, but they don't guarantee the sleeper.

 

[joelkfla]

And, yes, it is probably a guaranteed connection, but they don't guarantee the sleeper.

Good point, often overlooked.