I have no disability but I would like to try one of the accessible bedrooms on Amtrak because it's huge and you can see out both sides of the train. If it's not sold out on a particular train by a certain date before a train departs will I be able to get it or do they just leave it empty?
H Rooms available to passengers with no disability?
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Ryan
Court Jester
Two weeks.
The fare for the H room will generally be the same as a regular bedroom (within that 2 week period). (In my opinion, the regular bedroom is more comfortable - especially on Superliners).
If you are travelling on a train that operates with Viewliners, definitely try the H rooms. I like them largely because of the size of the enclosed bathroom and shower. Rebooked to the H from a roomette on my last trip on the Crescent. Significant difference in cost, but it was a great ride ATN-NYP-ATN.
Yes to the old H room. But the new design on the Viewliner II puts the toilet exposed in the middle of the room. Not the greatest ambience and not the best solution if you intend to sell these to non-ADA passengers. Amtrak has probably killed the salability since the old enclosed bathroom/shower was a big selling point.
Thanks for that post--cocojacoby--I did not know that about the Viewliner II. Although I rode the silvers when I lived in Florida, riding the Crescent for the last twenty years or so. Sometime depart from Savannah--so I will remember this about Viewliner II H room. You are right. That seems less desirable to non-ADA passengers like me. Thanks again!
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No use having a throne if you're going o hide it! At least, that's Amtrak's take on it, it seems. 
The change was to provide easier access to passengers using wheelchairs.
There are several videos on YouTube that show a wheelchair in the H room bathroom. You would have to transfer of course for certain uses which I would think is doable with all of the surrounding railings.
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I have a Superliner bedroom booked on the CZ, CHI to EMY. I see that someone says the H Room fare is generally the same as a bedroom. Im consideriing a switch to the H room if available and the price is not ridiculously higher. I hear I have to wait 2 weeks before my departure to see if one is available. I like the idea of being able to see out the window on both sides of the train. Thoughts, pros and cons, please?
There is no couch....just two seats facing each other like the economy rooms...
Seaboard92
Engineer
I give it two weeks before we get another Business Insider report. "I couldn't dance around my room anymore because they put a toilet in the middle of the floor?
I love the old Viewliner H Room. My family used to always reserve it for my grandmother and it's amazing.
Maglev
Conductor
I was watching the fares for a recent trip, and two weeks out the H room was available for $1350, Roomettes were $602 and Bedrooms were about $1,900. I just now tried to get a few more reference points, but rooms are booked pretty tightly for the next two weeks due to Thanksgiving.
Did you see the fare online or call Amtrak? I have been trying to see H Room fares online and can't find anything on Amtrak's website.
Maglev
Conductor
I saw it online. Here's one. There are some bugs in the documentation. Also, the photograph shows a Family Bedroom, not an H room.
OTOH, you have a nice roomy shower without a toilet in the way. Which doubles as luggage space, if you don't plan to use the shower.
Male occupants, especially, need to remember to close the curtain on the hallway window before use of the facilities.
The first time I took Amtrak, we signed up for a roomette on a Superliner (SWC), but for some reason, about 2 weeks prior to the trip, we got an email from Amtrak indicating that they were moving us to the H room (no extra cost to us). I enjoyed the roominess and the degree of isolation that allowed me to practice my flute without bothering anyone (at least no one complained to me), but the unenclosed toilet and being next to the groups of public toilets did lend an "air" of unpleasantness that never dissipated. It wasn't terrible, but I do remember it with disfavor. Something to consider depending on your ability to handle bad odors. My ability is very low.
SubwayNut
Conductor
I'll never forget the time i joked wity myswlf "Im leaving Chicago sitting on a toilet" while sitting in the Southwest Cheif's Superliner Accessible Bedroom that we had booked for my partners disabled father. My partner and I had a Rommette booked for ourselves but the most obvious place for a third person to sit was on the closed toilet lid.
A few months later I took a day trip to Chicago, meeting up with some friends who were going cross-county on the Lake Shore Limited, and entered Chicago sitting on the closed lid of their Viewliner Roomette toilet, its pretty much the only way to have 3 people sit together in a Viewliner I Roomette. I had spent most of the trip from SBN-CHI in the Viewliner Lounge with them (I only had a coach ticket but they got permission from the crew for me to just come and sit with them for only the 90 minute trip).
A few months later I took a day trip to Chicago, meeting up with some friends who were going cross-county on the Lake Shore Limited, and entered Chicago sitting on the closed lid of their Viewliner Roomette toilet, its pretty much the only way to have 3 people sit together in a Viewliner I Roomette. I had spent most of the trip from SBN-CHI in the Viewliner Lounge with them (I only had a coach ticket but they got permission from the crew for me to just come and sit with them for only the 90 minute trip).
I have no disability. I heard I can change my room and get an accessible bedroom before the train departs if no one has booked it. Do I have to wait for the day of departure to change rooms? I ask because I would like the view out both sides of the train.
No, call up to two weeks before departure; that's when they open up the room to those who otherwise wouldn't qualify for the accessible room. I imagine this will be affected by the change fees going into effect next month.
Maglev
Conductor
It's easy to see if the H room is still available--in the booking process under "Traveler," scroll down to "Discounts" and select "Passenger with Disability."
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Unless it’s changed in the last couple years (which is very possible) the low bucket H room is/was priced the same as low bucket roomettes on western trains. We did a 6 day trip in 2018 GBB-LAX on the SWC return LAX to Lincoln, IL on the Eagle. On another trip a few months later GBB to SAC on the CZ. Each leg was about $620+/-.
Again this was in 2018 when family bedrooms could be had for under $900, now a family room can’t be had for under $2000 OW even being super flexible. For that matter any low bucket is hard to find compared to a few years ago. Very cognizant of that since we had our second child. Back to the subject at hand the H room beats a roomette hands down all things equal If it’s open or if you qualify. For us at the time with a 10 month old it was great and a huge step up from the standard roomette.
Again this was in 2018 when family bedrooms could be had for under $900, now a family room can’t be had for under $2000 OW even being super flexible. For that matter any low bucket is hard to find compared to a few years ago. Very cognizant of that since we had our second child. Back to the subject at hand the H room beats a roomette hands down all things equal If it’s open or if you qualify. For us at the time with a 10 month old it was great and a huge step up from the standard roomette.
Seaboard92: I commented in this forum back in November about my love of H room in the Viewliner I--your post advised that the toilet in the Viewliner II H room is no longer enclosed but in the middle of the room and not nearly as desirable to a non-ADA passenger. I am riding the Crescent mostly these days and have yet to physically see a Viewliner II. Is there actually a photo somewhere of the Viewliner II H room. I have a concept in my mind as to what it might look like as the space is at the end of the car and probably similar in configuration--except the toilet. Just curious.
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