Newbie...Do I Really NEED a Sleeper Room??

[Lynch]

Hey everyone! Here's the deal...I HATE flying, I'm in Denver,CO and I'll be going to Grand Rapids, MI during Christmas. My girlfriend does the flying every year, she has no problem & she'll probably fly this year too. I will usually drive anywhere I need to go however I am super intrigued by taking the train for a long trip like this (22.5 hrs total, connecting in Chi).

Trying to save money...I'm about 6'3 & my lower back sometimes bothers me...Do I really need to buy a roomette, how comfortable will I be in a regular coach seat, how much wider are the seats compared to an airplane (they look pretty wide on the website?) Will I have decent leg room to stretch out a bit??

Thanks in advance, really excited about the Amtrak idea!

 

[MrEd]

For a short trip like this you won't need a room, seats are wide enough. Enjoy your trip.

 

[greatcats]

I don't think the second poster read the original message accurately. He is going overnight from Denver, which I would not call a short trip. If you have the bucks, by all means go for the sleeper. The train to Michigan from Chicago is coach only, which will be fine.

 

[TVRM610]

I would check the prices of the sleeper... perhaps book coach going, and sleeper going back? Then you will know in the future weather the extra $$$ is worth it. Sleeper is always going to be more comfortable, but sometimes it's just not worth the extra $$$ in my book. But whenever I can get a good price.. sleeper it is.

 

[jim55]

Hey everyone! Here's the deal...I HATE flying, I'm in Denver,CO and I'll be going to Grand Rapids, MI during Christmas. My girlfriend does the flying every year, she has no problem & she'll probably fly this year too. I will usually drive anywhere I need to go however I am super intrigued by taking the train for a long trip like this (22.5 hrs total, connecting in Chi).

Trying to save money...I'm about 6'3 & my lower back sometimes bothers me...Do I really need to buy a roomette, how comfortable will I be in a regular coach seat, how much wider are the seats compared to an airplane (they look pretty wide on the website?) Will I have decent leg room to stretch out a bit??

Thanks in advance, really excited about the Amtrak idea!

It can be very nice or very bad. The seats are very comfortable, recline, have a leg pad to keep feet off the floor( if desired) and a foot bar on the seat in front of you. Since the trains have more and more passengers, the "coach attendent" (don't call them porters) will pair you up with another single so that couples that board down the line can sit together. Children can be a problem, some times not. You might take ear plugs and a blindfold. A small, cheap blanket can be nice. Take a trip to the observation car, it has a snackbar on the lower level and tables. Enjoy, Jim

 

[zepherdude]

If you can afford it, get a sleeper, no question about it! If you book now, you can still get a good price. I personally like the sleeper and the extra comfort is well worth the price. Its tough a guy your size sleeping in the chair next to a someone you do not know. Do it now and don't wait for the movie!

 

[Mackensen]

I've done coach as long as Chicago-Spokane and rather enjoyed it, but I'm four inches shorter. You've got lots of leg space on a Superliner coach. The real issue is that after December 15 roomettes get really expensive (going from $173 to $300+). A roomette does include meals in the dining car as part of the price (in coach you're out of pocket), and going out of Denver you'd probably get three meals (dinner, breakfast and lunch). I haven't taken the Zephyr in years so I can't vouch for that. If the Zephyr is on time you'd have a long enough layover in Chicago to eat something; too bad Lou Mitchell's will be closed for the day by then.

 

[PaulM]

... and going out of Denver you'd probably get three meals (dinner, breakfast and lunch). I haven't taken the Zephyr in years so I can't vouch for that.

#6 is scheduled to depart DEN around 7:35PM. So if it is not terribly late, you CAN have 3 meals. But you don't NEED 3; since there are any number of restaurants in the vicinity of the station.

 

[dlagrua]

Train travelers each have a different comfort level that only they can define. I know a guy who traveled from PA to CA exclusively in coach and he was fine with it. Others like my wife and myself always take a bedroom on anything but day trips.

While there are varying opinions on it, I would imagine that most LD train travelers feel more comfortable in a sleeper. Sleeping accomodations can get costly and can add $100 to $500 per night depending on the advance booking period and the available accomodations on each train. Sleepers do give you more comfort, quiet, privacy, and include meals so I would highly recommend them.

 

[Shanghai]

I always try to get a sleeper on overnight trips. I have had a few coach overnights when all the

sleepers were booked. I definately prefer the sleeper.

You mentioned your girl friend. If she is going with you, the sleeper price is for two people, so

if both of you are traveling, that would reduce your overall costs. Each must pay the rail fare,

but only one pays the sleeper fare.

Riding is coach is generally comfortable. I am 6'4" and have no difficulty in riding coach. I feel

the people next to you, in front and back of you have a strong influence on your comfort. Most of the

time, everything is fine. I have had one trip when my seatmate was drinking and made it uncomfortable

for everyone in the rows around us. After he detrained, everything was fine!!

Good Luck.

 

[Pastor Dave]

I guess I prefer a roomette over coach - especially when travelling alone. The mystery seatmate you get in coach could be fine, but, then again.......

 

[rrdude]

I think, at least for me, it's a pretty simple choice: Sleeping overnight? Get sleeping accommodations. As others have said, a "Flat Bed" is worth a mint to me, AND all your meals from Denver to Chicago would be included, no extra charge. A roommette should do fine.

But to each his own.

 

[nferr]

I've done coach overnight. Never again. Sleeper on the other hand is the greatest way to travel over any other IMO.

 

[ButFli]

What's the deal with the Metro Lounge in Chicago? I know if you have a sleeper ticket for your onward journey you have access to it, so OP would get in there on his way back to Denver. But what if you've just come off a sleeper and are boarding a coach-only train? Can you still use the lounge?

 

[rrdude]

What's the deal with the Metro Lounge in Chicago? I know if you have a sleeper ticket for your onward journey you have access to it, so OP would get in there on his way back to Denver. But what if you've just come off a sleeper and are boarding a coach-only train? Can you still use the lounge?

Absolutely YES.

 

[RailFanLNK]

I would sell plasma to get the extra dollors for a sleeper and I'm serious about that. We have come accustomed to getting a sleeper when we go overnight. We took sleepers from Lincoln NE to Seattle and then from SEA to Chicago but decided to do coach from Chicago to LNK. Well...that part wasn't even overnight but the morons talking on cellphones from Chicago until their ********* got off the train really got annoying. So, the thing we have grown to like with a sleeper is the privacy! Enjoy your trip!

 

[b243923]

We took the Auto Train last February for the first time. We booked the coach seats and really did not sleep that well. This year going down we have booked a room since the price was only 31.00 more. Coming back when we really wanted a room it is over $100.00 more. I will watch to see if the rate drops which I doubt will happen since the coach seats keep going higher.

 

[AlanB]

What's the deal with the Metro Lounge in Chicago? I know if you have a sleeper ticket for your onward journey you have access to it, so OP would get in there on his way back to Denver. But what if you've just come off a sleeper and are boarding a coach-only train? Can you still use the lounge?

Absolutely YES.

Just make sure that you hold onto your ticket stubs for the sleeper, as you'll need to show both the stubs and the tickets for the connecting train to the attendant to gain admission.

 

[acelafan]

Hey everyone! Here's the deal...I HATE flying, I'm in Denver,CO and I'll be going to Grand Rapids, MI during Christmas. My girlfriend does the flying every year, she has no problem & she'll probably fly this year too. I will usually drive anywhere I need to go however I am super intrigued by taking the train for a long trip like this (22.5 hrs total, connecting in Chi).

Trying to save money...I'm about 6'3 & my lower back sometimes bothers me...Do I really need to buy a roomette, how comfortable will I be in a regular coach seat, how much wider are the seats compared to an airplane (they look pretty wide on the website?) Will I have decent leg room to stretch out a bit??

Thanks in advance, really excited about the Amtrak idea!

If you can swing the price of the sleeper, I say try it out...maybe do it one way in coach and one way in sleeper (roomette) like it was suggested. I rode Miami to Boston in coach both ways last Christmas and it became too much for me near the end. I booked a roomette on the next trip and I was sold on the sleeper accommodations for all future overnight trips. Having the ability to close the door, shut the curtains, and lay down flat is a winner for me. But everyone has their preferences and might not want to shell out the extra cost.

 

[Exiled in Express]

Depending on hoe you sleep, you may find the coach seat more comfortable. I am under six feet and don't contract much when sleeping,found the length of the roomette bed limiting. I believe they are just over 6 feet in length.

For me the private room and flat surface mostly outweighs this concern and I chalk my discomfort up to first night on a train jitters. I have yet to do two nights consecutively, some posters here say the second is more comfortable.

 

[leemell]

What's the deal with the Metro Lounge in Chicago? I know if you have a sleeper ticket for your onward journey you have access to it, so OP would get in there on his way back to Denver. But what if you've just come off a sleeper and are boarding a coach-only train? Can you still use the lounge?

Yes, just did that last week.

 

[PerRock]

I tend to travel coach; as I generally enjoy meeting my car mates & such. Having a horizontal bed is preferred in my book but not necessary. And sometimes in Coach I've been able to get away with a horizontal bed (Slept in the SSL on one trip). And having food provided isn't much of a perk; as I tend to travel with a lot of food anyways; although I do try and eat one meal in the diner when I travel long distance. my suggestion would be to book coach to start off with, and if it isn't your thing just remember to get a sleeper on the next trip. However I will admit that most people here (as you can see) will tell you that the sleeper is the way to go. And I'll also admit that they are quite nice; and when I have the money (or are given a free upgrade) I will take one.

As for seat sizes; the Acela Business Class seats (in which the coach class seats are very similar dimension wise) are:

31" High

21" Wide (inside armrests)

42" of Pitch (leaning back)

1st class are (Acela):

31"

23"

42"

I would hazard a guess that the coach seats are a tiny bit smaller than the Business seats; if they are at all

According to the Texas Eagle website the dimensions are as follows:

Each Superliner coach car has a center aisle, with 2 seats on either side. There's no center armrest. The width of each pair of seats, as measured from the window-side armrest to the aisle-side armrest, is about 41 inches. The distance between rows (seat pitch) is 50-52 inches.

The Superliner all use the same interiors for the most part. Single-level equipment are going to be very similar.

peter

 

[leemell]

Hey everyone! Here's the deal...I HATE flying, I'm in Denver,CO and I'll be going to Grand Rapids, MI during Christmas. My girlfriend does the flying every year, she has no problem & she'll probably fly this year too. I will usually drive anywhere I need to go however I am super intrigued by taking the train for a long trip like this (22.5 hrs total, connecting in Chi).

Trying to save money...I'm about 6'3 & my lower back sometimes bothers me...Do I really need to buy a roomette, how comfortable will I be in a regular coach seat, how much wider are the seats compared to an airplane (they look pretty wide on the website?) Will I have decent leg room to stretch out a bit??

Thanks in advance, really excited about the Amtrak idea!

I think the long and the short of it (pun intended) is that it is very personal and hard to predict. If you can, go to the station and ask the conductor if you can go aboard and try out the coach seats. Most conductors will let you do it if there is time and does not interfere with the operation.

 

[caravanman]

Hi,

I too am tall at 6' 2". I am age 58. There is no doubt that sleeping in a roomette or bedroom is going to be more comfortable than a coach seat.. no question.. but not all of us are happy to pay out the huge costs for this at peak times. My guess is that the coach seat will be ok for a shortish journey, say one day and one night. There is a huge amount of space between the seats to stretch out. I have travelled happily from San Francisco to New York all in coach, just a few hours layover in Chicago en route.. mind you, I did spend a full hour in the shower once I got to my hotel in NY !

Cheers,

Eddie

 

[hhswami]

To me, this would be the perfect trip for your first experience of LD coach travel. You have the option of having your evening meal close to Union Station Denver before boarding. Have some snacks handy for later, and treat yourself to breakfast or lunch in the Diner. If you're totally new to the CZ, don't forget to explore the observation car, which will have the snack bar below with legal beverages, if desired, at a slightly inflated price.

I love long distance travel. Taller than the previous poster, I'm 6'5" and have no room issues with a coach seat. When compared to flying coach or most buses, an Amtrak coach seat is luxurious. Having said that, there are the other passengers who have great deal to do with how enjoyable the trip will be. There can be sad examples of humanity from time to time coming in many uncomfortable social types (and/or aromas), but more than often overall, the fellow travelers make the journey an unexpected pleasure.

This also has to take into consideration the whole of the trip, since I usually require a connection to make my final destination. You have one, but short, so if all goes well there'll be enough time to grab a bite in Chicago's Union Station before boarding the Pere Marquette.

I'm not the type who deals well with two nights in a row on coach, primarily due to the fact I need a shower and shave every so often. I either break and find a hotel for overnight every other segment, or fly one-way half or 1/3 the trip when applicable, even though, like you, I consider this mode of travel a trip through Hades. I also have enough grit to withstand a 2-3 hour bus trip if the connecting times are right for where I want to be. If I do book a sleeper, it usually means I have just come from or am going on another Amtrak segment.

If the sleeper price is reasonable when I book the trip I always consider the option, especially when it can be better than delaying travel for an overnight hotel. In this case, Denver to Grand Rapids requires just one brief day-2 layover, so I say go for coach so you can say you did.