Need advice for short Empire Builder/Glacier National Park trip

[crescent2]

Long post, details...
A friend and I would like to travel on the Empire Builder through Glacier NP. We would fly into Kalispell and presumably take a bus or shuttle to Whitefish to board the eastbound EB.

We are two (possibly three) retired ladies who only want to catch the EB, see some of GN Park, and walk around one or two of the little towns on the route. We are trying to avoid an overnight on the train or renting a car. We'd prefer to spend no more than four nights total in hotels; a short and hopefully easy trip.

We plan to travel eastbound so views of GNP from the EB will be in daylight, barring a disaster. We are thinking late August would be a good time, probably Aug. 2023 as this year may be booked up and my friend prefers to wait til next year.

This is what we tentatively have in mind so far:
1. Fly from ATL to Kalispell. Take a bus or shuttle from the airport to Whitefish.
2. Walk around Whitefish a little and spend one night in a hotel, preferably one close to the train station.
3. Board the eastbound Empire Builder the next morning for a short hop.
4. Get off in West Glacier. Spend two nights there so we can spend a day taking a Red Bus tour on Going to the Sun Rd. Stay in one of the little hotels near the entrance of GTTS Rd./Hwy. 3 or possibly Lake McDonald Lodge.
5. Board the eastbound Empire Builder to continue through GNP.
6. Get off in one of the little towns east of GNP; no idea which one. Walk around that town a bit and probably spend one night there so as not to stress about transportation connection.
7. Get back to the Kalispell airport (or the closest airport with flights to ATL) the next day, maybe on a bus.
8. Fly back to ATL.

Several questions:
1. If (?) the bus could take us from the Kalispell airport to West Glacier (instead of Whitefish), how much would we miss if we didn't see any of Whitefish and the stretch of the EB between Whitefish and W. Glacier? We're thinking Whitefish and the extra segment on the train would probably be worth doing regardless, as the rest of the trip is so brief. Thoughts?
2. Is transportation easily available from/to the W. Glacier Amtrak station and the hotels around the entrance to Going to the Sun Rd.?
3. We think West Glacier might be better suited for our purposes than East Glacier for the 2-night stay and Red Bus tour, but what do you think?
3. Really need suggestions on this one: Which little town east of GNP on the EB route is best for us? (Best scenery from the town, best to walk around town safely, decent hotel near train station, not too far from an airport.) (East Glacier, Browning, Cut Bank, Shelby, Havre, ..., etc.)
4. Is a bus the best way for us to get from that little town back to the airport in Kalispell (or to another airport with flights to ATL)? (I found one bus that supposedly runs two days a week from Shelby to Kalispell, not sure if it makes other stops.) We'd rather not have to spend another night on the way back.
6. Recommendations for hotels and places to eat, keeping in mind we don't plan to rent a car. We don't care about fancy, but clean and a bit of character would be good, and a place to eat on site would be a big plus.
7. Any tips for the EB? Which train (28 or 8), which side of eastbound train, can coach passengers still use the SS Lounge car, etc. I understand we'll be banned from the dining car even if we're on the train at mealtime. We want upper level seats for the better views.
8. Any current info or a current complete timetable for the EB would be greatly appreciated. The info I found says it runs five days a week now. I can only find official times by starting a booking.

All suggestions and advice are appreciated! (I've read the thread in the travel forum about East and West Glacier from a few years ago.)
Many thanks in advance!

 

[Acela150]

I would avoid West Glacier. Their isn't much around the station. Just a gas station really. If you want a nice place to stay where you could get a room and a bus tour, I'd suggest Essex and the Issac Walton Inn.

As for towns to walk around, Browning is not served during the summer, East Glacier is in it's place. Shelby or Havre are ok.

And regarding which train. It doesn't matter except for price. It's the same train just one section comes from PDX the other SEA. Meals in the diner are currently limited to Sleeper Passengers. SSL is open to all passengers, and you'll get a upper level seat UNLESS you book a Lower Level ticket.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

I'm quite fond of Cut Bank, but it's small and has only a few motels and restaurants. But you can see the Rocky Mountain front still from there. Havre is by far the largest town on the highline, but it's a long way east. You might be able to sly out of Great Falls, which is a real city with a good western art museum, but I'm not sure how public transportation from Cut Bank or Shelby is to there.

the view looking west from Cut Bank

 

[Rasputin]

I thought I would make a few comments on your questions based on my experience of working in the Park and also visiting on a number of occasions. However as a caveat, I have not been back to the Park for about 6 years so my information my be somewhat dated and I am not sure how the pandemic may have affected things.

As you may know the hotels in the Park and the Red Bus tours are operated by Xanterra. Some hotels outside the Park such as Glacier Park Lodge at East Glacier are operated by Pursuit. You should check the websites of both companies if you have not done so already.

Whitefish is a great town to visit - lots of shops, lodging and good restaurants. Lodging there tends to be a bit more expensive than at other nearby towns. I believe some places will offer a shuttle to and from the airport and to and from the train station.

I would not recommend your plan of taking the train from Whitefish only to West Glacier. Instead I would suggest taking the train from Whitefish to East Glacier and spending a day or two around East Glacier. East Glacier has a variety of lodging, including Glacier Park Lodge which is an easy walk from the train station. There are also a variety of stores and restaurants at East Glacier.

If you stop at East Glacier, I would suggest seeing if you could get a bus to Two Medicine and/or the Many Glacier area both of which are in the Park and are very scenic. If you could stay a night at the Many Glacier Hotel it would be a great experience.

If you do stay at West Glacier, I think it would be much better to stay at Apgar or at Lake McDonald Lodge both of which are within the Park and more scenic than West Glacier itself. On the other hand, the Glacier Highland is right across the street from the train station.

Be aware that there is no checked baggage to and from West Glacier if that makes any difference to you.

There is not a great deal of public transportation in the area but the Park does operate a shuttle on some routes. If you decide to rent a car, you will need a reservation to travel on the Sun Road and will have to review how to apply for one.

As an alternative, it may work out to get a Red Bus tour from West Glacier over the Going to the Sun Road and then down Route 89 to East Glacier. Study the bus services offered by Xanterra. You could then take the train westbound to Whitefish. Unless the train is very late, the westbound trip in the setting sun in the early evening can be stunningly beautiful.

Because you only have a limited amount of time, I think spending a day or two in Cut Bank, Shelby or Havre would be a waste of time compared to spending time in the Park. But of course assessing your priorities is up to you.

I would not stay at the Izaak Walton Hotel in Essex unless you want an out of the way place and want to watch freight trains. It is a great hotel but not a great place to stay if you want to see the Park. You will go by it on the train.

Be aware that smoke from forest fires can be a factor in August.

Hope this helps and I hope you have a great trip. I hope you will post a report of your trip since it will probably be helpful to others.

 

[TinCan782]

Our experience in 2017 was at East Glacier arriving from Seattle on the Empire Builder and spent 4 nights at the Glacier Park Lodge (loved it). Reserve early as it is not uncommon for it to get booked up during the popular summer season.
We rented a car in East Glacier Village (reservations strongly advised) which is how we explored the park. Due to my wife's mobility issues, that was a much easier option for us. There is a Hertz/Budget counter in the Glacier Park Trading Company store (see photo). We drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road ourselves, east-to-west which while busy, was not really that difficult. The park has recently implemented a reservation system for doing this.
Red Buses ("Jammers") do operate from the GP Lodge.
After our stay, we boarded the Empire Builder and continued east to Chicago where we overnighted before catching the California Zephyr back to California.
You asked about train 8 vs 28. Doesn't matter and that is more of a function of where your are starting or ending - #28 serves Portland while #8 serves Seattle. At Spokane the two trains are combined into a single train (the opposite happens with 7 and 27 in Spokane). Between Spokane and Chicago, 8 and 28 are the same physcal train.

As was stated above, the GP Lodge is a short walk from the station; the town is a short walk south of the tracks and station. The lodge provides a van shuttle for arriving and departing Amtrak passengers. They even post the latest estimated arrival times on a chalkboard at the bellman's counter.

 

[Willbridge]

Our family enjoyed Cut Bank years ago, and we were in Browning (by car) for the North American Indian Days. However, for the original poster's needs I agree that it would be better to add a day in East Glacier.

 

[Siegmund]

You will find yourself very short on entertainment, and shorter on public transportation, if you spend a day walking around any of Cut Bank, Shelby, Havre, etc. You will have trouble enough getting from the Kalispell airport to Whitefish or West Glacier. Aside from your time actually in the national park, you'll find more to see and do in Whitefish than in the east-side towns. You may well even consider just making Whitefish your home base, and doing a Whitefish-Shelby-Whitefish round trip on the train on whatever day of the week the eastbound is on time.

There is, technically, essential air service (in a 9-seater) from Havre to Billings... but from most of eastern Montana, train to Whitefish or beyond is the most practical public transportation there is.

Get hopping on your reservations. Hotels may already be full. Likewise the red bus tour if you want to see the Sun road. Note that private cars now require a special permit to drive the Sun road, on sale for $2 120 days in advance...yes, that can mean going online at 8:01 AM 120 days before your intended day of arrival... if you go the rental car route be aware you are on your own to obtain that road pass. (The red bus tour will get you in without any special pass beyond your reservation.)

 

[Palmland]

I would second the idea of staying on the train and travel through the Park in the morning and get off at East Glacier. We think that side of the park is more scenic and dramatic with lots of good hiking trails. The lodge there is in the great old National Park tradition like Yellowstone and the Many Glacier lodge is equally traditional. Red buses shoul help you get around. Perhaps you could make the circuit on them over the Going to the Sun Highway perhaps with lunch on the west side at the the relaxing Lake McDonald Lodge. Not sure that Whitefish has that much to offer since the park is the main attraction.

 

[Amtrak25]

Besides Red car tours, which are not intended for just one way transportation or much luggage, doesn't Glacier Park still have scheduled shuttle vans on multiple routes ? They did when I was last there in 2012. They go from East Glacier to Many Glacier, and Waterton Park. From Many Glacier, another route over Going to the Sun Road, and down to Lake McDonald, Apgar Village, and West Glacier. They lease some transit buses from Whitefish during the summer as well. They do not cover US2. There are muliple motels in East Glacier. One of them used to meet the trains with his VM Microbus. East Glacier Lodge met the trains for the short distance with a stretch Checker cab with luggage racks, painted red, built in the 1950's.

 

[Rasputin]

Anyone planning to visit the park in a private vehicle and driving the Sun Road or the North Fork area should check out the information on the Park's website. I believe the Glacier Park Conservancy is also planning to post a video about the reservation system. As I understand it, between May 27 and September 11, 50 percent of the reservations will be released 120 days ahead of time and will be good for three consecutive days. The remaining reservations for that day will be released the day before at 8:00 a.m. Reservations will be required from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As I understand it the same goes for the North Fork area but you can only get a reservation for one day not three consecutive days.

I understand that portions of the Sun Road on the west side will be closed for major nighttime construction for a number of days between 10 pm to 6 am. so trying to beat the system by entering on the west side prior to 6 a.m. will not be an option on those days. I don't know about entering on the east side. Apparently the gate on the East side will be at Rising Sun.

https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/gtsrticketedentry.htm

 

[crescent2]

Many, many thanks for all the suggestions so far!

I do now have more questions. To avoid making us sound even loonier than we might be and clarify some things, it's helpful to know:

Our main goals are to take a segment of the Empire Builder and to spend a day in Glacier National Park by taking a Red Bus tour on Going to the Sun Road. These tours begin at the ends of GTTS Road. We'd also like to get an additional taste of Montana with pretty views somewhere, maybe one of the little towns, if we can while we're in Montana. (Cut Bank view looks beautiful; thanks!)

Our Red Bus tour would be for the tour and sightseeing. Our luggage would stay back at our hotel.
I just checked the GNP Shuttle Service webpage, and it said the shuttles only run between Apgar on the west and St. Mary's on the east. They don't go to/from East Glacier Village if their site info is correct.

We strongly want to avoid having to rent a car. Therefore a location that lets us easily get to GTTSR (for our Red Bus tour) is important. We would also like to limit our hotel nights to four if we can. (The problem we're running into is mostly how to get back to the airport from one of the towns east of the Park without adding hotel days or renting a car. And deciding WG vs EGV for a hotel.)

The first hotel we had considered was Isaac Walton Inn, but it is isolated with not much we could do or see except wait for the next train, although it looks like a great Inn. Many Glacier looks great, too, but it's pretty far inside the Park, and no car, no shuttle. Therefore, it seems one of the hotels near the entrance to GTTSR in W. Glacier or Lake McDonald Lodge look easiest. Glacier Park Lodge in EGV is apparently pretty far from GTTSR/Red Bus tours, and no car or shuttle. But not ruling anything out yet. We won't be in WG or EGV very long so it may not matter how much there is to do there. We plan to be inside the Park our one full day there.

Also, my friend prefers to do the trip in August 2023, so we should have time to make reservations as soon as they start taking them that far out.

Questions:

Is there some reliable, easy way to get from EGV/Glacier Park Lodge to the east end of GTTSR/tours?

If we took the EB back through the Park to Whitefish (westbound) and it ran late, is the Whitefish train station safe for two older females at night?
Would there likely be other passengers getting off in Whitefish with us (westbound from the Park)?
Are taxis dependably available at the train station if it's late?

Are taxis, Ubers, or Lyfts readily available in any or all of these little nearby towns?

Thank you if anyone can answer these!

Please keep the suggestions and info coming. We really want to make this little trip work if we can. And many thanks again for the replies so far!

 

[pennyk]

Back in 2010, the Red Bus tours picked up at Lake McDonald Lodge, and I chose to stay there for that reason. (I made my reservation a year in advance). I detrained the eastbound Empire Builder in West Glacier and took a park van to the lodge (for which I paid in advance) and arrived at the lodge in time for the Lake McDonald boat tour (for which I paid in advance). After lunch (including local beer) in the lodge and checking into my room, I did the 1/2 day Red Bus tour. I left the next morning and instead of van taking me to the station, it was a Red Bus because there were so many of us going to the station that morning. This was right around Labor Day and it was already starting to snow. I was fortunate that my timing worked out and the Empire Builder got me to West Glacier pretty much on time. Unfortunately, things seem to have changed and my great experience may not be able to be duplicated.

 

[Amtrak25]

I heard Isaac Walton In was for sale. I don't know what is going on with that, or is open or not.

Shelby and Cut Bank are both small towns and about equally boring after a day. Havre has very HOT weather. Shelby is a crew change point, so Amtrak personnel around. The Spokane and Minot T&E crews live there. i don't know if they ever staffed the station again even through they were required to. In Cut Bank, on the edge of town, there is the famous Cut Bank trestle and a good place to video trains on it until they are twisting and turning several miles to the west. It is a windy and arrid place. I don't think there are any taxis in any of these places. Find out from the motels.

In Whitefish, there is a motel downtown. After 9pm, they go to bed, and they'll put your room key under a mat. Call them if you're running late, and do so when the train is near a station so you will get a cell phone signal. 10 years ago, CDMA coverage was poor away from towns. I don't think there is any crime problem.

Motels in Libby are half the price. 14 years ago, I decided to go from Apgar to Libby for the night, rather than Whitefish, then took the eastbound train after 2 nights. It was well worth the carfare saving a bundle in hotel bills.

 

[TinCan782]

This is July 2017 so perhaps things have changed but, here are two Red Buses loading up at the main entrance to the Glacier Park Lodge (East Glacier).
I don't recall the particulars of their schedule as we didn't avail ourselves of the service.

 

[Siegmund]

Besides Red car tours, which are not intended for just one way transportation or much luggage, doesn't Glacier Park still have scheduled shuttle vans on multiple routes ? They did when I was last there in 2012.

They did, from 2007 to 2019, both inside the park and from Kalispell to West Glacier. They were operated by the Flathead County transportation department, who backed out of their contract in 2019. The park service found a new operator and gave them a two-year contract.... in March 2020.
They claim they plan to run shuttles again starting in July 2022 (in-park only) but have not seen a news article saying they have an operator in place.
If there was ever service between East Glacier, St. Mary, Many Glacier, and Waterton, that is news to me.

 

[Amtrak25]

If there was ever service between East Glacier, St. Mary, Many Glacier, and Waterton, that is news to me.

I rode that one several times between 2005 and 2012. It started out of East Glacier around 9am, and wound up in Waterton that afternoon. I usually used it only to Many Glacier/Swiftcurrent.

The van and driver lay up in Canada. US Customs actually made me open my suitcase on the way back. It seemed heavy to him and he thought I had a rifle. I had trouble getting Canadian cash in 2008. Their ATM's used PLUS. My ATM card was Cirrus.

 

[Rasputin]

I think you may be confusing the Red Bus tours operated by Xanterra with the free Park Service shuttles which operate pretty much only within the Park. The Park Service shuttles offer transportation only, are unreserved and sometimes there is a long wait. They basically take people to points along the road such as trailheads, campgrounds, hotels and Logan Pass, etc. but do not provide a narrated tour like the Red bus tours do. Red bus tours normally require a reservation.

 

[Amtrak25]

Point-to-point "shuttles' like I described, cost money to ride. It was about $10 per line segment 10 years ago. The drivers will still narrate along the way.

 

[crescent2]

Thanks so much, and please keep the info coming.

Penny, that sounds much like what we are hoping to be able to do. Thanks! To be safe, we were planning on getting to WG, spending a night, taking a Red Bus tour the next day, and maybe doing something else like the boat tour if we have time. Spend another night, and get on the EB going east to one of the little towns to enjoy a bit more of Montana. Then somehow get back as simply as we can.

Tin Can, I looked at the Red Bus webpage and the only Red Bus tour that I saw that went to EGV was one that didn't go to the places we want to see on GTTSR. It kind of looped around the bottom. I'll definitely recheck that, though. I could have easily missed one because I was checking a lot of different things. That would give us more options if there is one. Thanks!

Siegmund, thanks so much for the van info! I'll keep an eye on that, as that may be another transportation option for us.

Thanks, Rasputin, for the clarification, and that was my understanding, too. I know we'll want one of the reserved Red Bus tours for our main sightseeing in the Park. I was looking at the fc/fs shuttles as a possible way to get to some of the hotels that were suggested, as we don't plan to have a car, and they go to some of the lodges. Also as a possible way to get from EGV to the Red Bus tours, but according to the shuttle webpage, the shuttles only go between Apgar and St. Mary's, not to EGV. More details are very appreciated!

Amtrak25, thanks for that info! I have not run across those shuttles yet, but I will certainly look for them. I've only seen the Red Bus tours and the free Park shuttles so far, but I have more research to do. Yours sound like something we might need. I hope they are still in service.
Edit: And thanks for the other info, too, which I had somehow missed earlier.

So much great info so far; thanks, everybody!

 

[Siegmund]

I heard Isaac Walton In was for sale. I don't know what is going on with that, or is open or not.

Still open, but the current owner wants to retire.

10 years ago, CDMA coverage was poor away from towns. I don't think there is any crime problem.

Still is. An occupational hazard of putting roads and railroads in the bottom of canyons through the mountains. Expect no signal from 5 miles outside Libby until 5 miles outside Whitefish, and from the first curve after West Glacier to the last curve before East Glacier. East Glacier to Shelby the signal is spotty - depends what the rolling hills next to the track are doing at any given moment.

Motels in Libby are half the price.

Motels and everything else! There's a reason why I live just over the Lincoln County line, rather than in Flathead County.

 

[crescent2]

Also one more question that I should have asked:

Is there any info on problems with the Empire Builder that we should know? Like months they usually do maintenance and/or are likely to have train cancellations, etc., etc. We're tentatively thinking August of next year, but any info on any times could be helpful.

Make that two questions:

Also, I know from Spokane eastward the trains are combined into one train, but is coach in one of the "trains" closer to the SSL or preferred over coach in the other "train" for some reason? I'm guessing the equipment would be the same, but maybe different places in the consist? If so, does it matter? When booking on line, you have to still choose a train #, 8 or 28. They also let you choose upper or lower level, and we want upper.

I'm purely guessing seats on the left side (toward GNP or toward the north) of the train going eastbound into the Park would have the prettier views? (In case the SSL is full.)

Thanks again!

 

[Amtrak25]

I would not take westbound train in or out of West Glacier. There is no telling when #7 will get there and there in NO place to wait under cover, except the Going to the Sun Road underpass. Around midnight, the bars and restaurants shut down and they roll up the sidewalks.

I was lucky in 2008. My train to Libby was on time. But the prior night's train did not show up until 130am. (grade crossing accident or something back in Wisconsin or Minnesota). The Apgar lodge personnel were walking around the lobby and outside infoming their guests who looked like they were waiting for something that their train was to be many hours late, and a shuttle driver had to be kept up until then to take them there.

 

[toddinde]

I have been to Glacier Park three or four times. I echo the great advice others have given. There is something very magical about getting off the train at East Glacier and walking to the Glacier Park Lodge through the beautiful gardens. I have stayed at all the hotels in the park, and they’re all fabulous. Lake McDonald is wonderful, as is Many Glacier, and both have hiking opportunities walking distance from the hotels. I’ve also camped in the park which is fun. It’s a beautiful place. If you’re time limited, Glacier Park Lodge and Lake McDonald Lodge would be good choices.

 

[crescent2]

Thanks so very much, once again!

 

[Northwestern]

Long post, details...
A friend and I would like to travel on the Empire Builder through Glacier NP. We would fly into Kalispell and presumably take a bus or shuttle to Whitefish to board the eastbound EB.

We are two (possibly three) retired ladies who only want to catch the EB, see some of GN Park, and walk around one or two of the little towns on the route. We are trying to avoid an overnight on the train or renting a car. We'd prefer to spend no more than four nights total in hotels; a short and hopefully easy trip.

We plan to travel eastbound so views of GNP from the EB will be in daylight, barring a disaster. We are thinking late August would be a good time, probably Aug. 2023 as this year may be booked up and my friend prefers to wait til next year.

This is what we tentatively have in mind so far:
1. Fly from ATL to Kalispell. Take a bus or shuttle from the airport to Whitefish.
2. Walk around Whitefish a little and spend one night in a hotel, preferably one close to the train station.
3. Board the eastbound Empire Builder the next morning for a short hop.
4. Get off in West Glacier. Spend two nights there so we can spend a day taking a Red Bus tour on Going to the Sun Rd. Stay in one of the little hotels near the entrance of GTTS Rd./Hwy. 3 or possibly Lake McDonald Lodge.
5. Board the eastbound Empire Builder to continue through GNP.
6. Get off in one of the little towns east of GNP; no idea which one. Walk around that town a bit and probably spend one night there so as not to stress about transportation connection.
7. Get back to the Kalispell airport (or the closest airport with flights to ATL) the next day, maybe on a bus.
8. Fly back to ATL.

Several questions:
1. If (?) the bus could take us from the Kalispell airport to West Glacier (instead of Whitefish), how much would we miss if we didn't see any of Whitefish and the stretch of the EB between Whitefish and W. Glacier? We're thinking Whitefish and the extra segment on the train would probably be worth doing regardless, as the rest of the trip is so brief. Thoughts?
2. Is transportation easily available from/to the W. Glacier Amtrak station and the hotels around the entrance to Going to the Sun Rd.?
3. We think West Glacier might be better suited for our purposes than East Glacier for the 2-night stay and Red Bus tour, but what do you think?
3. Really need suggestions on this one: Which little town east of GNP on the EB route is best for us? (Best scenery from the town, best to walk around town safely, decent hotel near train station, not too far from an airport.) (East Glacier, Browning, Cut Bank, Shelby, Havre, ..., etc.)
4. Is a bus the best way for us to get from that little town back to the airport in Kalispell (or to another airport with flights to ATL)? (I found one bus that supposedly runs two days a week from Shelby to Kalispell, not sure if it makes other stops.) We'd rather not have to spend another night on the way back.
6. Recommendations for hotels and places to eat, keeping in mind we don't plan to rent a car. We don't care about fancy, but clean and a bit of character would be good, and a place to eat on site would be a big plus.
7. Any tips for the EB? Which train (28 or 8), which side of eastbound train, can coach passengers still use the SS Lounge car, etc. I understand we'll be banned from the dining car even if we're on the train at mealtime. We want upper level seats for the better views.
8. Any current info or a current complete timetable for the EB would be greatly appreciated. The info I found says it runs five days a week now. I can only find official times by starting a booking.

All suggestions and advice are appreciated! (I've read the thread in the travel forum about East and West Glacier from a few years ago.)
Many thanks in advance!

Sounds like a great trip, Crescent2. You are wise to go in Aug. Some try to visit Glacier park in late spring or early fall. It can be very cold during any month other than the peak summer months. I lived near E. Glacier Park, for a couple of years, and it could snow in mid June.

It looks like there is some sort of bus shuttle service either in the east or the west side of the park (see the Glacier Park shuttle service link, below). In Whitefish, you can rent a Hertz car at the Amtrak station. It's about a 30-35 minute drive to West Glacier. You can catch a red bus there. I have stayed at the Grouse Mountain Lodge, in Whitefish, and it isn't inexpensive but very nice. The Grouse Mountain Lodge has a shuttle service into Whitefish (the lodge is 1-2 miles west of town) and also to the airport in Kalispell. You said you wouldn't want an overnight on the Empire Builder. If you change your mind, it's a beautiful train ride from either Portland or Seattle to Whitefish. If you board a red bus in West Glacier, it will travel up to Logan Pass, which is a great sight.

I never stayed at either the Lake McDonald Lodge or Many Glacier Hotel. Both look nice. I have been to the Many Glacier Hotel but I never stayed there overnight. Very picturesque and plenty of mountain goats and mountain sheep to photograph. You can catch a red "jammer" bus at both the Lake McDonald Lodge and at the Many Glacier Hotel:

https://is.gd/PLLToD
There is a Glacier Park shuttle (bus) service, either in the east or west side of the park:

https://is.gd/7MRBnV
I have always wanted to stay at the Belton Chalet, in Apgar (West Glacier). A famous old hotel and a great restaurant next door.

I can't recommend any small towns east of Glacier Park. Browning is really dumpy. There was a Best Western motel in Browning, but I don't know if it's still there. Nothing much to see in Cut Bank or Shelby.