Dining reservations

[train_knitter]

Hello -- I have found answers to most of my questions for my family's first train trip, but I haven't been able to find anything about dining reservations. My kids are 6, 3, and 1. We'll be taking the Texas Eagle and it gives a range of meal times. Any tips on how to get my family on the earlier end of the schedule? I can't imagine that my kids would be happy about eating at 8 p.m.

Thanks for any advice you can give me. We are so excited for our trip!

 

[MrFSS]

Hello -- I have found answers to most of my questions for my family's first train trip, but I haven't been able to find anything about dining reservations. My kids are 6, 3, and 1. We'll be taking the Texas Eagle and it gives a range of meal times. Any tips on how to get my family on the earlier end of the schedule? I can't imagine that my kids would be happy about eating at 8 p.m.

Thanks for any advice you can give me. We are so excited for our trip!

If you will tell us what your start and stop points are, if you are in coach or sleeper, we can give an answer easier. Thanks!!

 

[train_knitter]

If you will tell us what your start and stop points are, if you are in coach or sleeper, we can give an answer easier. Thanks!!

We're taking the whole line from San Antonio to Chicago and have a sleeper. I read they ask you when you want to eat and I was hoping to charm someone into giving us an earlier seating. Thank you!

 

[Guest]

When you first board, ask your car's attendant when he/she will be taking dinner time reservations. These are given out, first come first served. So, if you can be amongst the first asked, you should have your choice of any times (in your case an early time).

 

[JoanieBlon]

We have found that the early seatings are the easiest to get. It seems that most people would rather eat "fashionably late." ^_^ Sleeping car passengers are always asked first, so you will get the best choice of times for dinner. For breakfast and lunch, you just show up when you want to eat, and they'll seat you.

 

[train_knitter]

We have found that the early seatings are the easiest to get. It seems that most people would rather eat "fashionably late." ^_^ Sleeping car passengers are always asked first, so you will get the best choice of times for dinner. For breakfast and lunch, you just show up when you want to eat, and they'll seat you.

Thank you so much! I'm glad to know this shouldn't be a problem. Here's hoping this is the first of many wonderful train trips for us!

 

[the_traveler]

Just be sure that at least ONE of the group is in your room(s) when they come the sleeper taking reservations!

If you're all in the lounge, you may actually be asked last!

(They ask in the sleeper first, but if nobody is there to ask, they can't ask!)

 

[Acela150]

We have found that the early seatings are the easiest to get. It seems that most people would rather eat "fashionably late." ^_^ Sleeping car passengers are always asked first, so you will get the best choice of times for dinner. For breakfast and lunch, you just show up when you want to eat, and they'll seat you.

Actually they take reservations for lunch.

 

[TVRM610]

We have found that the early seatings are the easiest to get. It seems that most people would rather eat "fashionably late." ^_^ Sleeping car passengers are always asked first, so you will get the best choice of times for dinner. For breakfast and lunch, you just show up when you want to eat, and they'll seat you.

Actually they take reservations for lunch.

I have very rarely seen this done though, It is much more common to have "Open" calls for Breakfast and Lunch in my experience.

 

[alanh]

Lunch varies depending on the crew and how crowded the train is. Sometimes they take reservations and sometimes not.

 

[ThayerATM]

We have found that the early seatings are the easiest to get. It seems that most people would rather eat "fashionably late." ^_^ Sleeping car passengers are always asked first, so you will get the best choice of times for dinner. For breakfast and lunch, you just show up when you want to eat, and they'll seat you.

Actually they take reservations for lunch.

Trains don't ALWAYS take reservations for lunch. It's been about 50-50 for us. I guess it depends on how crowded the train is. Also, one time on train 6 from EMY to CHI they took reservations for breakfast. :lol: They had replaced the diner on that trip with a CCC. The crew sure was grumpy. hboy: