Noob looking for tips on the Empire Builder

[ThePun]

Heya all,

First time poster here but I a 20+ year forum veteran and lived all around Chicago from the city, burbs, and out in the country. I have done plenty of short rides inbusiness class and love avoiding Chicago traffic when commuting to NW Illinois.

Looking to do a round trip from Chicago to Portland at the end of December. Traveling solo and staying 3-4 nights in Portland to visit a friend before heading back to Chicago. Might be traveling Xmas/NY and very flexible on departure and arrival to save some cash.

Hopefully going to grab a Roomette but heard about the option to bid to upgrade and wanted to know how that’s worked.

Any advice from the experts here otherwise I’ll be searching around for some answers in previous threads. Throw up any links to hidden gem threads here or ways to search best fairs.

Might start using this Amtrak to run the Floridian South for the winters also as I spend a lot of time in Ft Lauderdale so this will be a great resource.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Maglev]

Welcome to the forum!

The site https://railforless.us/ is a good tool for searching for the lowest fare over a range of dates.

Here's one thread of several on bidding: https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/bid-up-questions-and-experiences.80709/

I personally would want a confirmed reservation for a room, and not gamble on a bid. I might Bid Up for an upgrade from Roomette to Bedroom.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Bring warm clothes, it can be cold that time of year in PDX and it will almost certainly be wet. And the train could be cold too since it can be really cold in North Dakota and Montana. Weather can affect on-time performance too, so I'd be prepared for that, bring some hearty snacks. And sunglasses, if there's fresh snow and then sun then the glare can be intense. If it's Xmas/NY then the train should be full and I'd want that roomette locked up, otherwise it shouldn't be as full. Get to the Sight Seer Lounge early if that's of interest, it tends to fill up. Enjoy your trip, it can be a beautiful time of year.