Solo senior in sleeper questions

[01piglet_patinas]

I have some questions for you whenever you have the time. I am going April May 2023 on several LD trains-can we ask for fruit instead of the sweet desserts? As a solo senior traveler I use the bathroom at least twice a night-I will be in a roomette (all I can afford) on SL which will mean a hallway journey. Have you had to do that at night? Any other options? What tech and accessories do you find you need to carry?

 

[pennyk]

I travel as a solo senior. I save up my money and points so I can afford a bedroom with a toilet. I would say that most women (and men) of a certain age have to use the restroom overnight. It all depends on your comfort level. My comfort level is low when using a community toilet on a moving train. However, most on this forum seem to be OK using the community restrooms in the sleepers.

The dining car menus are set and rarely are you able to substitute. At one time, Amtrak offered sugar free pudding as a dessert option, but, in my many years of traveling, I do not recall seeing fresh fruit being offered as a dessert.

With regard to what to bring with you, the following is a thread on that topic:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/things-to-take-with-you.22488/

 

[TheCrescent]

If you want fruit, or any particular food, bring it yourself, as ridiculous as that sounds.

 

[PVD]

If you get a lower level roomette you will have 3 toilets nearby. Upstairs there is only one for the roomettes.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I’m a senior lady who travels solo. I have no issue with going down the hall in the middle of the night. I try to be a quiet as I can since the bathroom is next to the attendants room. How well I do at keeping quiet is hard to tell because I don’t put my “ears” on when I go to use the bathroom.

 

[oregon pioneer]

I'm also a senior lady who travels solo in a roomette. I bring a tent-like opaque gown and hard-soled slippers on my trips, which make the wee-hours trips down the hall quite tolerable. The hallway lights stay on all night, so there is no issue with safety.

They used to have a bowl of apples and oranges in each sleeper, but I think now if you want one you have to bring your own. Dessert is always optional, and I sometimes skip it because there is plenty of food.

 

[Barb Stout]

Because you are staying in a sleeper, you get access to the various Metropolitan lounges in the big cities where you might be changing trains. Before the pandemic, there were bowls of fruit available for free (at least in the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge), but they stopped with unpackaged food during the pandemic. I'm not sure if they have restarted the fruit availability or not, but if so, you could grab one or two for your train trip.

 

[BrianR]

...I'm not sure if they have restarted the fruit availability or not, but if so, you could grab one or two for your train trip.

I haven't seen fresh fruit in CHI's Metropolitan Lounge the several times I've been there this year, including just a month ago. I don't know about other lounges elsewhere.

 

[Northwestern]

I'm also a senior who travels alone. Although more expensive, I usually book a bedroom rather than a roomette. The Viewliner roomette has a toilet but the Superliner roomette does not. The Superliner bedroom does have a toilet. I don't like to have to get up and leave a sleeper, in the middle of the night, to find a toilet. It may be on the same level as your roomette or you may have to travel down the narrow stairs to the toilets on the level below. Also, after a day's use, some of those toilets can be filthy.

Also, as an old person, I need to take drinks of water during the night. The bottled water on Amtrak can be marginally palatable. Maybe the bottles have sat around for too long. I like to take a thermos full of fresh water and have it in easy reach of my bed.

 

[AmtrakFlyer]

Back in the day (2018) on the SWC I’d ask for fruit instead of chips with lunch. They were happy to substitute whatever fruit they had from breakfast. More than a few times I was given a bunch of grapes on the vine. I would say it depends on A, what’s on the current breakfast menu at the time of your travel and it’s supply and B your server. As others have said though don’t count on it, if they can make it happen score it a victory.