meal limits?

[jphjaxfl]

When I traveled in Europe on the Wagon Lit (sleeping car) second class, I shared sleeping compartment with strangers which usually became a new friend. In western Europe, wagon Lit usually paired you up with someone of the same sex. I understand in the Soviet Union, the sleepers were co- ed.

 

[AlanB]

What are the rules about booking a sleeper? Do you really have to know the persons you share it with? How do they investigate the relationship? I assume the room itself has a cost, but maybe Amtrak charges per passenger just to avoid people sharing to cut cost.

No, you don't have to know the person you are going to share a room with. If you meet someone online, or in the station, or onboard and decide to get together and upgrade to a sleeper that is permitted. Amtrak will not help you make a friend though, that's all on you.

What you cannot do is to already have a sleeper and while already onboard, make a friend and invite them to share your sleeper.

 

[ScottC4746]

I can't say how the calculations have changed since, but I would bet the price of the accomodation is still based on two meals per room.

Isn't the price of sleeper accommodation now based on what the market will bear?

I won't argue, though that the pricing of sleeper accommodations has convinced me that Amtrak hates single travelers. Not as much as it hates vegetarians (proof: the vegetarian lasagna), but still.

What do you mean "Amtrak hates single travelers". I travel solo all the time on Amtrak and have a blast.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I can't say how the calculations have changed since, but I would bet the price of the accomodation is still based on two meals per room.

Isn't the price of sleeper accommodation now based on what the market will bear?

I won't argue, though that the pricing of sleeper accommodations has convinced me that Amtrak hates single travelers. Not as much as it hates vegetarians (proof: the vegetarian lasagna), but still.

What do you mean "Amtrak hates single travelers". I travel solo all the time on Amtrak and have a blast.

S/he probably means that the cost of the roomette, which includes meals, is the same for one or two people, so singles are "paying" for meals they're not getting.

I think hotels used to have (and perhaps still do?) a singles "surcharge". I guess it was due to the fact that part of the housekeeping would be the same price regardless of how many people were in the room. If two people were in the room, the cost per person would be split, if only one person is in the room, then there was a surcharge to cover the basic cleaning costs that would otherwise have been split between two or more guests....just guessing here.

 

[fairviewroad]

Nah, I mean have a program where they allow people to find partners online and book roomettes together.

Just add the whole PS DO IT AT YOUR OWN PERIL and other warnings. In case the other guy is less than a stand up character.

This is a great idea. I mean, a message board like this is really just one step away from doing this. The real trick would be to

get it advertised widely enough to that enough people know about it (because even on a board like this, your chances of getting

someone going the same place at the same time are pretty slim, except perhaps for special events). Yeah, it's a step outside

our comfort zone, but on the other hand when I was younger I stayed in hostels in Europe and in the US where I shared a room

with complete strangers. Since on Amtrak you can't lock your bedrooms while you're away, you're really not compromising

security all that much by sharing your space with a stranger.

They dont. I think the current system is fine. I really wouldn't want to share one with someone I didn't know or had made an arrangement with ahead of time through the Internet.

And that's perfectly fine. But under the "share a room" idea no one would be required to participate. You want to travel by yourself, no problem.

I think hotels used to have (and perhaps still do?) a singles "surcharge". I guess it was due to the fact that part of the housekeeping would be the same price regardless of how many people were in the room. If two people were in the room, the cost per person would be split, if only one person is in the room, then there was a surcharge to cover the basic cleaning costs that would otherwise have been split between two or more guests....just guessing here.

I've never heard of a single surcharge for a straight-up hotel room. Usually the cost of a hotel room is the same for one OR two adults, though some places (like Motel 6)

sometimes offer a discount for a solo traveler. Where you often hear about it is for package tours where the tours are sold "per person." There is a surcharge for someone

who wants to have their own room (as opposed to sharing a room with a stranger). Of course for couples this isn't an issue, but if you go on a tour as a solo person you are

often forced to choose between paying more, or sharing a room.

 

[Ispolkom]

I understand in the Soviet Union, the sleepers were co- ed.

Yes, though a couple of times I switched compartments because a woman didn't want to share a four-person купейный compartment with three male strangers.

 

[sunchaser]

Nah, I mean have a program where they allow people to find partners online and book roomettes together.

Just add the whole PS DO IT AT YOUR OWN PERIL and other warnings. In case the other guy is less than a stand up character.

This is a great idea. I mean, a message board like this is really just one step away from doing this. The real trick would be to

get it advertised widely enough to that enough people know about it (because even on a board like this, your chances of getting

someone going the same place at the same time are pretty slim, except perhaps for special events). Yeah, it's a step outside

our comfort zone, but on the other hand when I was younger I stayed in hostels in Europe and in the US where I shared a room

with complete strangers. Since on Amtrak you can't lock your bedrooms while you're away, you're really not compromising

security all that much by sharing your space with a stranger.

They dont. I think the current system is fine. I really wouldn't want to share one with someone I didn't know or had made an arrangement with ahead of time through the Internet.

And that's perfectly fine. But under the "share a room" idea no one would be required to participate. You want to travel by yourself, no problem.

I think hotels used to have (and perhaps still do?) a singles "surcharge". I guess it was due to the fact that part of the housekeeping would be the same price regardless of how many people were in the room. If two people were in the room, the cost per person would be split, if only one person is in the room, then there was a surcharge to cover the basic cleaning costs that would otherwise have been split between two or more guests....just guessing here.

I've never heard of a single surcharge for a straight-up hotel room. Usually the cost of a hotel room is the same for one OR two adults, though some places (like Motel 6)

sometimes offer a discount for a solo traveler. Where you often hear about it is for package tours where the tours are sold "per person." There is a surcharge for someone

who wants to have their own room (as opposed to sharing a room with a stranger). Of course for couples this isn't an issue, but if you go on a tour as a solo person you are

often forced to choose between paying more, or sharing a room.

Some companies charge a 'singles fee' such as the Rovos train, some cruise ships and tours too. I think they call it a 'single supplement'.

 

[Texan Eagle]

I understand in the Soviet Union, the sleepers were co- ed.

Yes, though a couple of times I switched compartments because a woman didn't want to share a four-person купейный compartment with three male strangers.

In India too sleepers are "co-ed". Most classes are anyway open plan with no "room" as such, only bunks, so doesn't matter if it is single gender or co-ed, but in AC First Class that has 2-passenger rooms and 4-passenger cabins with lockable doors, the seat/room assignment is done manually. For a car with capacity 20, 20 seats are sold but when you reserve you don't get a seat/room number. Once all bookings are complete, on the day of departure the conductor manually goes through the list and "groups" people together. There are no set rules, it is by using common sense. First they get done with the easy ones- groups of 4 traveling on same ticket get a 4-passenger cabin, 2 people on same ticket get 2 passenger cabins, then coming to odd-numbers.. groups of 3 and solo travelers.. they are assigned into empty spots as deemed appropriate. For example, if you are a solo female traveler, you won't be assigned a 2-passenger cabin with a solo male traveler, though you might find yourself in a 4-passenger cabin with 3 strangers, hopefully at least one female, and so on.

The only one time I have traveled by this class, it was not full, so me and my parents just the 3 of us got a complete 4 passenger cabin to us without having to pay for 4 passengers.