From Holland to California
- Thread starter PeeweeTM
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
When I first saw this post title, I wondered whether it was from Holland, MI or the Netherlands. Would have guessed the former (there is an Amtrak station on the Pere Marquette line in Holland, MI, and I lived there as a kid), but turns out it’s the latter! Interested to seeing the different trains (and presumably a plane, unless there‘s somehow a very long boat ride) you end up taking, Definitely don’t have high speed rail in Holland, MI - just one train per day to Chicago…
PeeweeTM
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 265
This trip in Europe is by Thalys mostly; only on my way back I have an InterCity Brussel train. Sorry. 
I've just collected my ticket at Bruxelles Midi station an am on my way back to the Netherlands, to Schiphol airport.
I took an earlier train and don't want to go hunting for a seat, so vestibule it is!
No boating planned in this vacation...
I've just collected my ticket at Bruxelles Midi station an am on my way back to the Netherlands, to Schiphol airport.
I took an earlier train and don't want to go hunting for a seat, so vestibule it is!
No boating planned in this vacation...
flying into SD or taking the train from somewhere else in the US
PeeweeTM
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 265
Flying to Chicago.
Texas Eagle to LAX.
(Swimming to San Diego, I fear...)
Going back via Fullerton to Chicago by Southwest Chief.
Flying to Paris, Thalys to Bruxelles, ICB to Rotterdam, 20 minutes subway and a ten minute walk back home.
Pretty straight forward this time.
But my wife goes to Berlin later in October when I'm working again, so she can do fun thing, too.
Texas Eagle to LAX.
(Swimming to San Diego, I fear...)
Going back via Fullerton to Chicago by Southwest Chief.
Flying to Paris, Thalys to Bruxelles, ICB to Rotterdam, 20 minutes subway and a ten minute walk back home.
Pretty straight forward this time.
But my wife goes to Berlin later in October when I'm working again, so she can do fun thing, too.
PeeweeTM
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 265
At the airport/shopping mall I bought a dinner salat ar the supermarket.
My hotel at Schiphol (Maxhotel) was near the airport, just a five minute €=$1,67 bus ride. Busses running every five to ten minutes.
The room was small but efficient, booked in advance for €72.
I upgraded my seat from Economy to KLM Premium Comfort in the app with points. KLM economy on a Boeing 787-10 is 3+3+3 seating. Doable but not comfortabel. Premium Comfort is new on KLM an is, I think, comparable to US domestic first class.
Seating is 2+3+2, my middle seat remained empty.
Oh, and this travel class also comes with fast lane securety check.
The flight left with about twenty minutes delay, food was good. I tried to nap a bit.
The aircraft landed after about eight hours in Chicago. The lines at security were rather short, so within an hour after landing I was at my hotel.
And after a short walk in the neighbourhood I turned in early.
My hotel at Schiphol (Maxhotel) was near the airport, just a five minute €=$1,67 bus ride. Busses running every five to ten minutes.
The room was small but efficient, booked in advance for €72.
I upgraded my seat from Economy to KLM Premium Comfort in the app with points. KLM economy on a Boeing 787-10 is 3+3+3 seating. Doable but not comfortabel. Premium Comfort is new on KLM an is, I think, comparable to US domestic first class.
Seating is 2+3+2, my middle seat remained empty.
Oh, and this travel class also comes with fast lane securety check.
The flight left with about twenty minutes delay, food was good. I tried to nap a bit.
The aircraft landed after about eight hours in Chicago. The lines at security were rather short, so within an hour after landing I was at my hotel.
And after a short walk in the neighbourhood I turned in early.
PeeweeTM
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 265
Sunday morning I took the airport transit train to terminal 2 and changed to CTA. Today they were accepting passengers on the lower level:
At Clark/Lake I changed to the Pink line to Quincy which followed this Midway train:
I dumped my back pack in the lounge and took a walk to Lake Michigan, via Roosevelt Road and a Whole Foods backto the station.
After a few minutes I lined up and boarded the Texas Eagle.
This train was made of engine 58, sleeper, dinette, bagcoach, coach, St.Louis coach.
Engine had some scar tissue, but engineer seemed happy enough.
Got me a hot water, tipped a dollar and asked if I could sit in 'my' marked booth in his car, which was ok for Chip, the café car attendant.
So there I drank my tea. The car attendants who set up business at the four dinertables closest to the counter made some comments, but no further problems.
Food at dinner was not as bad as expected, but still disappointing. The attendant however was very friendly and active. He had set up the booths for everyone by room number. Served out salats, cleaned the tables, served the food, served extra drinks and let us sit while he started serving coach passengers.
At Clark/Lake I changed to the Pink line to Quincy which followed this Midway train:
I dumped my back pack in the lounge and took a walk to Lake Michigan, via Roosevelt Road and a Whole Foods backto the station.
After a few minutes I lined up and boarded the Texas Eagle.
This train was made of engine 58, sleeper, dinette, bagcoach, coach, St.Louis coach.
Engine had some scar tissue, but engineer seemed happy enough.
Got me a hot water, tipped a dollar and asked if I could sit in 'my' marked booth in his car, which was ok for Chip, the café car attendant.
So there I drank my tea. The car attendants who set up business at the four dinertables closest to the counter made some comments, but no further problems.
Food at dinner was not as bad as expected, but still disappointing. The attendant however was very friendly and active. He had set up the booths for everyone by room number. Served out salats, cleaned the tables, served the food, served extra drinks and let us sit while he started serving coach passengers.
Attachments
Look what they've done to my Train Ma!
You won’t have to swim to San Diego - while the Surfliner has suspended service between Irvine and Oceanside, they are running trains LA-Irvine with a bus bridge to Oceanside where you reboard the train to San Diego. Your departure from LA may have changed, though, as there are only 4 round-trips all the way to San Diego…Flying to Chicago.
Texas Eagle to LAX.
(Swimming to San Diego, I fear...)
Going back via Fullerton to Chicago by Southwest Chief.
Flying to Paris, Thalys to Bruxelles, ICB to Rotterdam, 20 minutes subway and a ten minute walk back home.
Pretty straight forward this time.
But my wife goes to Berlin later in October when I'm working again, so she can do fun thing, too.
PeeweeTM
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 265
The train left Temple right on time, but because of freight traffic, we're about an hour late in Austin, Texas:
Edit:
Most of the time I had my own booth in the diner, but this evening I was sat together with Liz and Larry. It is their first time on Amtrak.
Edit:
Most of the time I had my own booth in the diner, but this evening I was sat together with Liz and Larry. It is their first time on Amtrak.
Last edited:
I’m enjoying your trip. Good photos and translation.
PeeweeTM
Lead Service Attendant
- Joined
- May 9, 2011
- Messages
- 265
The Cros Country Café Car has WiFi, unlike the Sunset Limited...
The San Antonio shuffle was done swiftly, although it felt as if we got a few bumps extra, just for fun.
The trip was rather uneventfull, which was great.
El Paso.
I talked with Liz an Larry, a just retired veteran from Oklahoma. First time travelers. They liked the food (on the Sunset Limited) and the observation car.
I also spoke with "Eric", also an US veteran, but born in Iceland. He just escaped hospital, had money to burn, took Amtrak for the first time too, and liked it also.
Here Visual Railfan captured me talking with him in Tuscon.
The train arrived a bit late in Los Angeles. As Amtrak couldn't get me on time in San Diego, I cancelled my rental car there and took a train to Lancaster and back.
The plan at this moment is, to go to Long Beach and take Flixbus on Friday morning to San Diego.
And there I can worry about my bus 3281 to Irvine and the rest of my trip back...
The San Antonio shuffle was done swiftly, although it felt as if we got a few bumps extra, just for fun.
The trip was rather uneventfull, which was great.
El Paso.
I talked with Liz an Larry, a just retired veteran from Oklahoma. First time travelers. They liked the food (on the Sunset Limited) and the observation car.
I also spoke with "Eric", also an US veteran, but born in Iceland. He just escaped hospital, had money to burn, took Amtrak for the first time too, and liked it also.
Here Visual Railfan captured me talking with him in Tuscon.
The train arrived a bit late in Los Angeles. As Amtrak couldn't get me on time in San Diego, I cancelled my rental car there and took a train to Lancaster and back.
The plan at this moment is, to go to Long Beach and take Flixbus on Friday morning to San Diego.
And there I can worry about my bus 3281 to Irvine and the rest of my trip back...
