Travel in Washington State

[Boogs]

Hi.

My wife and I need to get from Seattle to Mount Vernon in order to meet some friends. I have looked at the Amtrak site and see I could use the Cascades service if the trains left at a time suitable to us. The other alternative seems to be a "coach" servce also advertised on the Amtrak site.

The number 5600 service is the best time for us but as we have never travelled on Amtrak before I need to know more about this service before deciding to use it.

Can someone please advise if this service is actually operated by Amtrak or by a local company in conjunction with Amtrak? Is it a reliable service? When I enter my proposed travel date the coach service indicates there are no checked baggage options and all bags must be retained by the passenger, how does thie work?

My wife and I are UK based and will be touring the US using Amtrak from NY. The holiday will take us a few weeks so we will have large suitcases with us, one of them at least is above the size guidelines published by Amtrak. How rigidly do they enforce the size rule for luggage on this coach?

The way I read their guidelines each of us can take 2 bags each up to 50 ibs in weight and up to a certain size, we will each only have one case, they are very likely to be under the weight restriction but as I say one of them will be above the height restriction. Does anyone know if I am likely to have an issue with this case when we arrive at the station for the coach?

Any advice/help/detail of other options will be gratefully received.

Regards.

John

 

[gn2276]

The reason that there is no checked baggage is that Mount Vernon is not staffed, if your friends could pick you up in Bellingham you can check your bags on the train. If you go by bus the bags are put under the bus and you pick it up from under the bus. The train is a much more senic trip then the bus.

 

[fairviewroad]

It is a reliable service. If the time works best for you, then I'd book it with

no hesitations. It's a relatively short ride. You will carry your suitcase to

the side of the bus and the driver will put it in the hold underneath. I've

never seen a driver measure the suitcase so I wouldn't worry about a few inches

here or there.

Yes, the train is more scenic but if you are touring the whole US by Amtrak then

I wouldn't worry about this particular stretch. And depending on how you arrive

or leave from Seattle, you'll see that stretch by rail anyhow.

 

[fairviewroad]

One other note...I'm pretty sure this run is contracted out, but it is a dedicated

service meaning it's only bookable through Amtrak. There's a chance they'll hold the

bus if the morning train up from Portland is delayed (in order to maintain the

connection), but most of the time that is not an issue.

 

[Boogs]

Many thanks for the advice. Because of the times of the bus and the train our best option is the bus service. The case will only just be over the size limits and as you say unless the driver is having an off day he is unlikely to be able to tell just by looking at it.

We will mke the necessary arrangements ASAP and then we can tick that part of this epic trip off our list of things to do.

Many thanks once again.

John