Overnight in Coach in Winter~ New Orleans to New York

[user 6862]

A couple of years ago we travelled end to end on The Ghan train in Australia during the last of their summer, and considering we were travelling through the hottest part of Australia were surprised by the insistence of quite a few people to buy a blanket or better still a low cost sleeping bag for the night sections of the journey. It was all down to the Air Con system which runs pretty cool and so it transpired, we were so pleased we had listened.

We were even advised on which large supermarket chain to buy the bags, all advice was spot on.

We've travelled Amtrak coach a number of times but either in warmer parts of the country for shorter (say 10 hours) daytime journeys and don't remember being cold at all, but this year it's a 30 hours on the Crescent going northwards in the 4th week of March so expect NYC to be fairly cool at least.

Do we need a blanket or light sleeping bag to feel comfortable overnight? we don't tolerate cold or very cold without the correct clothing too well anymore.

We'll be travelling very light on this journey and want to keep it that way, so a not too expensive blanket or sleeping bag bought in NOL that we can donate to somewhere or someone near New York Penn would be ideal, any opinions?

It's very strange but earlier in the same trip we'll have travelled the Trans Siberian to Vladivostok and will dress accordingly. We know the train cars are kept hot, but the outside temperatures are fairly certain to be cold. As we arrive in Taiwan on our way to the US we will mail whatever winter clothing that has any value back to the UK as it wont be needed in Taiwan, LA or NOL.

Thanks

 

[Bob Dylan]

Take lightweight fleece blankets and travel pillows with you. They're cheap,easy to tote and you can give them to homeless people that hang out in New York when you arrive.

The alternative is to buy the Amtrak Travel kit that is sold on the trains and works fine in overnight Coach travel!

 

[user 6862]

Thanks Bob, didn't know about the Travel Kits. Who do we speak with, the car attendant or the conductor and what sort of money do the kits cost.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Thanks Bob, didn't know about the Travel Kits. Who do we speak with, the car attendant or the conductor and what sort of money do the kits cost.

The travel kits are sold in the lounge car with the cafe food. If I remember correctly, they cost about $10.

 

[PerRock]

Thanks Bob, didn't know about the Travel Kits. Who do we speak with, the car attendant or the conductor and what sort of money do the kits cost.

The travel kits are sold in the lounge car with the cafe food. If I remember correctly, they cost about $10.

Per the menu, the "Passenger Comfort Kit" is $10. https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/522/899/National-Cafe-Menu-0816.pdf

They contain:

Well, yesterday was the day that the pillows went away and you could go buy a comfort kit from the cafe car. IIRC, the kit includes: blow up pillow, blanket, eye covers & ear buds all wrapped in a nice little duffle.

peter

 

[caravanman]

Sounds like the Amtrak kit might do the job. I used to buy a cheap blanket from the "drug store" chains like Walmart, etc, around $7 or so. I liked to get the most garish and tasteless I could find, like lurid green. I felt it gave me more street cred as a hobo type in coach class.

I tend to find the air con is too cold for me even in mid summer, so I bring a wooly hat, which keeps my bald head warm.

Envious of your great sounding trip, I hope you will at least share the highlights in a trip report!

When do you set off?

Ed.

 

[user 6862]

Promise the last questions on the Comfort Kit. Are they usually in stock on the trains and in particular on the Crescent? Do the stations sell these kits as we then have the 4 options from LA onwards to buy them.

Wouldn't ever have thought of looking on a café car menu to find them, but on second thoughts it's the obvious place to sell them.

Ed you made me laugh our loud picturing you with a woolly hat, lurid green blanket and every body else sweating, hope we do meet up one day somewhere on the rails or somewhere.

We set off on a Monday morning the 27 February at 04:38 from Brentwood, Essex heading for London St Pancras International, from there Eurostar to Brussels then our second change for Cologne an ICE train. At Cologne we change for a second ICE train to Berlin where we stay for the evening until the next train Tuesday morning... I'll write a full itinerary and post it on the Trans Siberian thread over at Travelogues.

Thanks all for your help, always appreciated

 

[Devil's Advocate]

In my experience Amtrak is often uncomfortably (and sometimes unbearably) hot in the winter time thanks to the heater being cranked up to Florida retiree temps. Not sure what to recommend about that.

 

[user 6862]

Great! it's a bit like our house

 

[daybeers]

Promise the last questions on the Comfort Kit. Are they usually in stock on the trains and in particular on the Crescent? Do the stations sell these kits as we then have the 4 options from LA onwards to buy them...

I personally would try to buy something before you get to the station. It's possible the train might be sold out of the Comfort Kits, even if you're getting on at the initial station. That would really be a bummer to the start of the train trip.

 

[StriderGDM]

I bring my own down sleeping bag and if I remember it a travel pillow. I really need two pillows, one for the small of my back and one for my head. A fleece usually works for one.

 

[William]

I would certainly buy a light blanket before you board. It is entirely possible that the train would be out of the travel kits even at the origination station. I find that the trains are always on the cold side at all times of the year.

Definitely bring your own sleep gear, as Amtrak doesn't supply anything to each passengers.

 

[GaSteve]

My experience is that the coaches tend to be cool regardless of the season. You may have to bundle up, but folks usually travel better in a cool car.