LA-Seattle

[aiblue1]

Hello

Firstimer here

I read the first time thread but still have some questions. So I came to the site of the experts.

My wife and I are going to be taking a train in August from LA to Seattle. With a stop in Portland either on the way up or down.

So I have some questions if you all don't mind helping me out it would be highly appreciated.

1. When should I book the trip in order to get the best value?

2. Am I allowed to change when we stop in Portland if my orginial direction goes another way?

3. Is there a specific spot on the train I should book the sleeper car?

4. What types of meals are included when you buy a sleeper car?

5. Has anyone made the trek up the northwest and if so do you have any recommendations?

6. Will the train have layovers and if so should we got off or just relax?

7. Is there any other advice you would like to give a first time American train rider?

Thank you all so much in advance!

I will be checking throughout the days!

-Airblue1

 

[sunchaser]

HelloFirstimer here

I read the first time thread but still have some questions. So I came to the site of the experts.

My wife and I are going to be taking a train in August from LA to Seattle. With a stop in Portland either on the way up or down.

So I have some questions if you all don't mind helping me out it would be highly appreciated.

1. When should I book the trip in order to get the best value?

2. Am I allowed to change when we stop in Portland if my orginial direction goes another way?

3. Is there a specific spot on the train I should book the sleeper car?

4. What types of meals are included when you buy a sleeper car?

5. Has anyone made the trek up the northwest and if so do you have any recommendations?

6. Will the train have layovers and if so should we got off or just relax?

7. Is there any other advice you would like to give a first time American train rider?

Thank you all so much in advance!

I will be checking throughout the days!

-Airblue1

Welcome to the board!

1. Book as soon as you can-check different dates, you may find better pricing for dates during the week. The closer you get to your trip date, the higher the pricing can go.

2.If I understand your question & you are booking from LA to Seattle, no. If you want, book from LA to Portland, or Seattle to Portland.

3. If you asking for favorite roomette/bedrooms, roomettes upstairs (4,5,6) are in the middle of the car, some prefer them. Others prefer downstairs. I prefer upstairs, but prefer Bedrooms E or D best. Be aware that if you want to select a specific roomette/bedroom it may cost more.

4. All meals are included with the price of the sleeper, plus free coffee, juice, bottled water.

5. We went last summer & had a great time. We did not go all the way to Seattle, but it was great! Seattle has plenty to do & see-do a search online for Seattle & you will find tons of stuff.

6. There is a layover in Klamath Falls & Portland.

7. Try to get a sleeper-the Coast Starlight has an extra car called the Pacific Parlor Car. It's decorated as a turn of the century car, has a slightly different menu & wine tastings/movies daily. It is exclusively reserved for sleeperr passengers except during wine tasting. We really enjoyed using that car. Try to get up early on day two to see Castle Crags (just north of Dunsmuir, on your left) & Mount Shasta-it will be on your right side going north. Don't forget to sign up for amtrak guest rewards on amtrak.com. Enjoy your trip!

 

[uptheirons29]

HelloFirstimer here

I read the first time thread but still have some questions. So I came to the site of the experts.

My wife and I are going to be taking a train in August from LA to Seattle. With a stop in Portland either on the way up or down.

So I have some questions if you all don't mind helping me out it would be highly appreciated.

1. When should I book the trip in order to get the best value?

2. Am I allowed to change when we stop in Portland if my orginial direction goes another way?

3. Is there a specific spot on the train I should book the sleeper car?

4. What types of meals are included when you buy a sleeper car?

5. Has anyone made the trek up the northwest and if so do you have any recommendations?

6. Will the train have layovers and if so should we got off or just relax?

7. Is there any other advice you would like to give a first time American train rider?

Thank you all so much in advance!

I will be checking throughout the days!

-Airblue1

Welcome to the board, airblue1, from one newbie of the forum to another. I have taken the Coast Starlight three times now from L.A to Seattle and back, and loved every bit of it...except for the delays . So, to answer your questions....

1. Book as soon as you know your travel dates. Spaces, especially in sleepers, are sold by demand. The sooner you can book, the cheaper it'd be. If you have a AAA membership or something, you'll get a discount too.

2. No, I dont believe you can do that...

3. If you prefer to be closer to the bathrooms and showers, then go for a lower level roommette. Otherwise, try to book a sleeper upstairs near the center of the sleeping car. For views, going from L.A to Seattle, try to get an even numbered room. This orientation is not guaranteed though, but holds true lots of times.

4. Sleeper tickets includes all meals in the dining car....breakfast, lunch, dinner. Plus with the Coast Starlight, sleeper passengers have the option to have their meals at the Pacific Parlour car, the exclusive to CS lounge car for sleeper passengers. Meals are more intimate there.

5. Yup....what do you want to know in particular regarding Seattle or Portland? I know Seattle more a bit since i have family residing there...

6. Some stops will be so short that you wont have time to get off the train for a long time, other stops will afford you enough time to check out the station and stuff...it depends on the stop's location and the train's on time performance.

7. Wear comfortable shoes and casual clothes in the train. Bring extra pillow and blanket. Bring stuff to read or maybe even movies to watch on a portable DVD player. Dont overpack. It's a long trip. And most of all, don't be afraid to mingle and meet people in the journey....that's the funnest part of train travel

Happy travels!!

 

[aiblue1]

HelloFirstimer here

I read the first time thread but still have some questions. So I came to the site of the experts.

My wife and I are going to be taking a train in August from LA to Seattle. With a stop in Portland either on the way up or down.

So I have some questions if you all don't mind helping me out it would be highly appreciated.

1. When should I book the trip in order to get the best value?

2. Am I allowed to change when we stop in Portland if my orginial direction goes another way?

3. Is there a specific spot on the train I should book the sleeper car?

4. What types of meals are included when you buy a sleeper car?

5. Has anyone made the trek up the northwest and if so do you have any recommendations?

6. Will the train have layovers and if so should we got off or just relax?

7. Is there any other advice you would like to give a first time American train rider?

Thank you all so much in advance!

I will be checking throughout the days!

-Airblue1

Welcome to the board!

1. Book as soon as you can-check different dates, you may find better pricing for dates during the week. The closer you get to your trip date, the higher the pricing can go.

2.If I understand your question & you are booking from LA to Seattle, no. If you want, book from LA to Portland, or Seattle to Portland.

3. If you asking for favorite roomette/bedrooms, roomettes upstairs (4,5,6) are in the middle of the car, some prefer them. Others prefer downstairs. I prefer upstairs, but prefer Bedrooms E or D best. Be aware that if you want to select a specific roomette/bedroom it may cost more.

4. All meals are included with the price of the sleeper, plus free coffee, juice, bottled water.

5. We went last summer & had a great time. We did not go all the way to Seattle, but it was great! Seattle has plenty to do & see-do a search online for Seattle & you will find tons of stuff.

6. There is a layover in Klamath Falls & Portland.

7. Try to get a sleeper-the Coast Starlight has an extra car called the Pacific Parlor Car. It's decorated as a turn of the century car, has a slightly different menu & wine tastings/movies daily. It is exclusively reserved for sleeperr passengers except during wine tasting. We really enjoyed using that car. Try to get up early on day two to see Castle Crags (just north of Dunsmuir, on your left) & Mount Shasta-it will be on your right side going north. Don't forget to sign up for amtrak guest rewards on amtrak.com. Enjoy your trip!

Thank you so much that helps a ton.

Is the stop in Portland long enough to enjoy the city? Are you allowed to get and return to another train to get to Seattle? Can I have a week or two to book?

I tell them I want these certain sleeper cars?

Again Thanks A million

 

[uptheirons29]

HelloFirstimer here

I read the first time thread but still have some questions. So I came to the site of the experts.

My wife and I are going to be taking a train in August from LA to Seattle. With a stop in Portland either on the way up or down.

So I have some questions if you all don't mind helping me out it would be highly appreciated.

1. When should I book the trip in order to get the best value?

2. Am I allowed to change when we stop in Portland if my orginial direction goes another way?

3. Is there a specific spot on the train I should book the sleeper car?

4. What types of meals are included when you buy a sleeper car?

5. Has anyone made the trek up the northwest and if so do you have any recommendations?

6. Will the train have layovers and if so should we got off or just relax?

7. Is there any other advice you would like to give a first time American train rider?

Thank you all so much in advance!

I will be checking throughout the days!

-Airblue1

Welcome to the board!

1. Book as soon as you can-check different dates, you may find better pricing for dates during the week. The closer you get to your trip date, the higher the pricing can go.

2.If I understand your question & you are booking from LA to Seattle, no. If you want, book from LA to Portland, or Seattle to Portland.

3. If you asking for favorite roomette/bedrooms, roomettes upstairs (4,5,6) are in the middle of the car, some prefer them. Others prefer downstairs. I prefer upstairs, but prefer Bedrooms E or D best. Be aware that if you want to select a specific roomette/bedroom it may cost more.

4. All meals are included with the price of the sleeper, plus free coffee, juice, bottled water.

5. We went last summer & had a great time. We did not go all the way to Seattle, but it was great! Seattle has plenty to do & see-do a search online for Seattle & you will find tons of stuff.

6. There is a layover in Klamath Falls & Portland.

7. Try to get a sleeper-the Coast Starlight has an extra car called the Pacific Parlor Car. It's decorated as a turn of the century car, has a slightly different menu & wine tastings/movies daily. It is exclusively reserved for sleeperr passengers except during wine tasting. We really enjoyed using that car. Try to get up early on day two to see Castle Crags (just north of Dunsmuir, on your left) & Mount Shasta-it will be on your right side going north. Don't forget to sign up for amtrak guest rewards on amtrak.com. Enjoy your trip!

Thank you so much that helps a ton.

Is the stop in Portland long enough to enjoy the city? Are you allowed to get and return to another train to get to Seattle? Can I have a week or two to book?

I tell them I want these certain sleeper cars?

Again Thanks A million

Dude, the stop in Portland is about 40 minutes, or close to an hour as I recall....it's been 2 years since I did my trip last . Not really enough to explore the city, but you could explore the awesome Portland Union Station. if you want to stick around the city and get to Seattle in a different train, you can book travel from L.A to Portland on the Starlight, then finish the trip to Seattle by the Cascades train. Now those suckers are a different beast than most other Amtrak trains...it's made in Spain by Talgo, and the train actually curves during the turns, and travels faster than the CS also on the same tracks. If you could afford the time spent in Portland for this, I'd say go for it. I took the Cascades on my last trip going from Seattle to Portland, and switched to the Starlight for my ride home to Los Angeles...it was awesome....and came out cheaper than if I would've done the CS all the way

Booking: two weeks is a bit late, IMO. I'd book my trip a month ahead if I know my dates already...better prices for sleepers and availability too.

 

[darien-l]

To further clarify the pricing issue:

Unlike the airlines, Amtrak doesn't play fare games. As the train fills up, prices go up. Therefore, it's almost always advantageous to book as early as possible. Also, because trains on different days often have different load factors, it's good practice to check different dates for the cheapest fares.

Also, Amtrak doesn't offer round-trip discounts: a round trip is priced as two one-ways. Therefore, there is no real advantage to booking a round trip. In your case, you probably want to book a one-way from LA to Portland, and another one-way from Seattle to LA. (Or a one way from LA to Seattle, and another one way from Portland to LA) There are lots of trains between Portland and Seattle, giving you a lot of flexibility. Book the Cascades, not Coast Starlight, as it's faster, offers business class, and more likely to be on time. Plus, you'll get a different train experience.

 

[aiblue1]

I am so sorry I was meaning would it be okay to book within the next two weeks.

So how does this sound.

La to Portland (2 day layover) Coast Starlight

Portland to Seattle (2 day layover) Cascade

Seattle to La

and I should book each one seperately?

in other words three different bookings?

Man I thank you guys sooo much

 

[darien-l]

I tell them I want these certain sleeper cars?

I would book online, and see if you're satisfied with the sleepers the computer assigns you. If not, you can call and ask to change them. Be sure, to tell them, however, that you don't want a fare increase: specific sleepers are often assigned to specific pricing buckets.

By the way, if you book online and select "pick up at station" option, your tickets are 100% refundable until 7 days before departure or until you pick them up, whichever is first. Cancelling online is super-easy and hassle-free. Thus, there isn't really a good excuse to delay booking.

 

[darien-l]

I am so sorry I was meaning would it be okay to book within the next two weeks.
So how does this sound.

La to Portland (2 day layover) Coast Starlight

Portland to Seattle (2 day layover) Cascade

Seattle to La

and I should book each one seperately?

in other words three different bookings?

Man I thank you guys sooo much

Your itinerary looks good. You can either do 3 different bookings or select the "multi-city" option on amtrak.com and have everything in one booking. The price should be the same.

Personally, I prefer to shop for different dates using the "one-way" option, and then use "multi-city" when I'm ready to book.

 

[AAARGH!]

I am so sorry I was meaning would it be okay to book within the next two weeks.
So how does this sound.

La to Portland (2 day layover) Coast Starlight

Portland to Seattle (2 day layover) Cascade

Seattle to La

and I should book each one seperately?

in other words three different bookings?

Man I thank you guys sooo much

I would book them seperately. There is no advantage to booking them together.

This way, if you have to cancel or change plans, you don't have to change the whole thing.

 

[sunchaser]

If you want to hang out in Portland, go from LA to Portland, get off the Coast Starlight(as destination) which if on schedule would arrive at 3:20pm. Then you can catch the Cascades- the latest northbound at 6:15pm. Or spend the night in Portland & catch the Cascades the next day 8:30am, 12:15pm, 2:50pm, 4:20pm, or 6:15pm. There are no sleepers on the Cascades & it has a 'Bistro' instead of a diner.

You can check out the station at Portland during the Coast Starlight layover, but ask your Sleeper Car Attendant before wandering off. You could get left behind if you aren't careful!

 

[zephyr17]

If you want to hang out in Portland, go from LA to Portland, get off the Coast Starlight(as destination) which if on schedule would arrive at 3:20pm. Then you can catch the Cascades- the latest northbound at 6:15pm. Or spend the night in Portland & catch the Cascades the next day 8:30am, 12:15pm, 2:50pm, 4:20pm, or 6:15pm. There are no sleepers on the Cascades & it has a 'Bistro' instead of a diner. You can check out the station at Portland during the Coast Starlight layover, but ask your Sleeper Car Attendant before wandering off. You could get left behind if you aren't careful!

Note that even if you notify your car attendent, they will not hold the train for you. With that said, you should have plenty of time in Portland to explore the station. I always make sure I am back trainside 5-10 minutes before scheduled departure. Also, if the train is late, the stop will not be as long the scheduled dwell time; they will make every effort to get out as soon as possible. With that said, Portland is a major service stop, and they can't get everything done in much less that 20 minutes in my experience.

 

[the_traveler]

As mentioned, book 3 separate segments (LAX-PDX, PDX-SEA and SEA-LAX) - and MOST IMPORTANT - DO NOT PICK UP THE NEXT TICKET UNTIL YOU LEAVE THAT CITY! It will make any changes so much easier, and there's less chance of "losing" or "forgetting" your ticket!

And Welcome!

 

[RRrich]

How old are you?

You can get a Senior Discount of 15% of the rialfare if you & your wife are 62

 

[aiblue1]

As mentioned, book 3 separate segments (LAX-PDX, PDX-SEA and SEA-LAX) - and MOST IMPORTANT - DO NOT PICK UP THE NEXT TICKET UNTIL YOU LEAVE THAT CITY! It will make any changes so much easier, and there's less chance of "losing" or "forgetting" your ticket!
And Welcome!

I do not understand. The tickets are flexible?

Also, what is the importance of the different tickets? How do you pick the tickets up? Is there a kiosk at the station?

 

[JayPea]

As mentioned, book 3 separate segments (LAX-PDX, PDX-SEA and SEA-LAX) - and MOST IMPORTANT - DO NOT PICK UP THE NEXT TICKET UNTIL YOU LEAVE THAT CITY! It will make any changes so much easier, and there's less chance of "losing" or "forgetting" your ticket!
And Welcome!

I do not understand. The tickets are flexible?

Also, what is the importance of the different tickets? How do you pick the tickets up? Is there a kiosk at the station?

In those cities there is not only a kiosk available but you can also get them at the service counter from any ticket agent. As for the tickets themselves, no, they aren't flexible but if you decide you want to make a last second change in your itenarary you can do so much more easily if you haven't picked your ticket up yet.

 

[darien-l]

To clarify: if you want to change or cancel and have already picked up your tickets, you will need to either go to a staffed station or mail in the tickets. There is a 15% service fee to refund printed tickets. However, if you haven't printed them yet, all it takes is a phone call, and the refunds are free up until 7 days before departure (for sleepers). Please refer to the Amtrak refund policy for more details.

As for the tickets being flexible, the answer is yes and no. If you haven't picked up your tickets, you can change a reservation fee-free, but you do have to pay the difference in fare.

 

[darien-l]

I do not understand. The tickets are flexible?Also, what is the importance of the different tickets? How do you pick the tickets up? Is there a kiosk at the station?

If you make one reservation and pick up your tickets in LA Union Station (on the day of departure, there's no reason to do it beforehand), you will get printed tickets for all the trains in your journey. The upsides are that you only have to make one reservation and pick up your tickets once, the downsides are that you'll be less flexible if you need to make last minute changes to your remaining legs, and you run some risk of losing your tickets, which would be a major problem.

What several posters here have suggested is that you make 3 separate reservations: LA to Portland, Portland to Seattle, and Seattle to LA. Then, you would only pick up the ticket for the train you are about to board, like getting a boarding pass at the airport when checking in for your flight. This involves a bit more work, but gives you more flexibility and safeguards you against the possibility of losing tickets.