Upgrade to bedroom on TE #422

[cpotisch]

Hello!

A couple months ago I booked a roomette for my dad and I on the TE #422 from Pomona, CA to Chicago.

As you all know that is a 61+ hour ride. I'm 5'10", my dad is 6'1". We have taken the Superliner Roomette once before (on the Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago), and while it was cozy, it wasn't exactly spacious. I've grown a bunch since, and have been wondering if an upgrade to the bedroom would be worth it. The upgrade would cost around $400, and I'm pretty torn.

Things to know here:

• We generally like to watch a movie on the bottom bunk (the bedroom's bottom bunk is a foot wider)
• The in-room sink and toilet would be great, since I don't really want to walk down the hall every time I have to wash my face or use the bathroom.
• I sometimes get a little claustrophobic (I'm thinking of the roomette's "coffin-bunk")

Any help is greatly appreciated! I usually wouldn't even consider spending that kind of premium for the bedroom, but this is the longest route in the U.S, and I think the added comfort would go a long way.

 

[PVD]

Everybody will have a different opinion, but only you know what your circumstances (and your father) are as regards to physical condition, financial circumstances, and desire for convenience.

 

[cpotisch]

Everybody will have a different opinion, but only you know what your circumstances (and your father) are as regards to physical condition, financial circumstances, and desire for convenience.

We are both very fit, and so ease of access to the top bunk is not really a factor. Since we do a trip like this once a year or less, price isn't a huge factor either. All things being equal, no one wants to flush $400 down the toilet, but on such a long trip, comfort will likely make a big difference. I would appreciate input from anyone who has taken both the SL bedroom and roomette long distance with a companion. Since I've never done so in the bedroom, I don't have much to go on.

 

[pennyk]

I always get a Superliner bedroom because I like the convenience of having a private toilet close by (whether it is a one night or two night trip). However, I am a middle-aged woman, so obviously, my circumstances are different than yours.

 

[Bob Dylan]

As a veteran of many LD trips in Superliners by myself and with a companion,mostly in Roomettes but also many trips in Bedrooms, I say go for it!

$400 more for the 3 Nights on this Route in a Bedroom for 2 is a Good Deal!

 

[Palmetto]

I have never slept in an upper bed in a SL bedroom, but I traveled with someone who did. He found it very claustrophobic up there.

 

[Lonestar648]

I travel in the Roomette by myself and sometimes with a granddaughter, but I have also traveled in the bedroom. The bathroom is nice, but the shower part, not so much. I would still use the downstairs shower. The lower bed is between a single and a full size bed so I easily put two teen girls there. Upper bunk is the same as the roomette. The long couch is nice, but if both want to sit and look outside, then one has to sit in the chair. $400 for three nights, is not much of a difference. I have to watch my money, but the $133 per night for the space and convenience is doable.

 

[willem]

The Superliner bedroom lower bed is 40 inches wide, according to a 2016 paper system timetable. This might technically be between the 39 inches for a single and the 54 inches for a full, but I would call it a single.

According to the same timetable, the bedroom upper bed is 28 inches wide and the roomette upper bed is 24 inches wide. Some might consider those the same, but that four inches is significant, even dramatic, to me.

In the bedroom, two people have a choice of facing each other or sitting side-by-side. In the roomette, not so much choice.

I think the bedroom wins in every category but price (and, infrequently, it wins there).

 

[niemi24s]

. . . have been wondering if an upgrade to the bedroom would be worth it.

Good heavens, YES!!! There's nothing quite like sitting on the throne and (with the door open) watching the scenery roll by.

 

[Railroad Bill]

I would agree with the majority here who favor the bedroom. You will enjoy the extra space, the private bathroom, the easier access to the top bunk...ladder makes it so much easier than in a roomette... and because of the more open format, it does not seem as claustrophobic as the roomette upper. The seating is nicer with the couch and chair. I would agree to do the shower downstairs to avoid the dampness in the bathroom *although it does seem to dry up rather quickly with the ventilation in the room. For the $400 for three nights, it is a smart choice.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

I have traveled in both and enjoy the bedroom occasionally but actually prefer the roomette as a single traveler. Just two things I would alert you to be aware of -- 1) the single chair in the bedrooms is stiff and very uncomfortable for me and does not recline and 2) the sofa will face either forward in the direction of travel or backwards since every other bedroom they face the opposite direction. The good thing about traveling on the Eagle for me was that since they reverse the direction of the sleeper in SAS you actually face forward for part of the trip and then face backwards for the other part of the trip. If that's confusing, it simply means that they reverse direction in San Antonio when they hook on the sleeper to the Sunset Limited and when they take it off to put it on the Eagle from SAS to CHI.

 

[bratkinson]

As a single traveler for many years, my preference has always been a roomette. Other than cost ($400 for the upgrade? TAKE IT!), I always like sleeping parallel to the rails. In other words, 'feet first'. I also make the bed into a chaise lounge arrangement due to digestive issues. The wider bed in a bedroom is a big attraction, as is the private toilet and shower. Being retired and on a limited budget these days, roomettes are my only choice...using AGR points, of course!

 

[CAMISSY55]

. . . have been wondering if an upgrade to the bedroom would be worth it.

Good heavens, YES!!! There's nothing quite like sitting on the throne and (with the door open) watching the scenery roll by.

Wow!So tickled to know that I am not the only one who values that feature!!!

 

[CAMISSY55]

I always get a Superliner bedroom because I like the convenience of having a private toilet close by (whether it is a one night or two night trip). However, I am a middle-aged woman, so obviously, my circumstances are different than yours.

I definitely think that is more important to us women. I even prefer the shower in the room. You have to work out a system, but the luxury of not having to hurry because of being concerned that someone is waiting, along with rolling along in your undies while doing hair and makeup and feeling fresh at your destination is well... fantastic!

 

[ehbowen]

I have slept in the uppers in both Roomettes and Bedrooms and the Bedroom upper is much more comfortable. That extra 4 inches of width really does make a big difference. So far I've been too cheap to book a Bedroom overnight with cash (two AGR1 trips only; AUS-CHI-WAS [bustituted from PIT] and HOS-LVW-CHI [and return]), but if I was traveling with a companion and had the budget to afford it I'd grab the upgrade in a heartbeat.

 

[tricia]

Another alternative: Two roomettes are sometimes less expensive than one bedroom. If you book by phone, you can arrange to have them directly across the hall from each other. Traveling with my elderly dad over the years, we found this to be more comfortable than a bedroom.

 

[willem]

If booking two roomettes, be aware of the pairs that are opposite: 3 and 4; 5 and 6; 7 and 8; and 9 and 10. I once had an agent tell me that 6 and 7 are opposite. To me, it would make a big difference of the two were truly opposite rather than just on different sides of the train.

 

[Shortline]

Even as a single traveler often, I go for the bedroom when it's not terribly different in price. I greatly prefer them. I will even check prices of the family room or H room right before departure, and swap to one of those if the price drops for it. I like the space.

 

[cpotisch]

It turns out that it's actually $530 to upgrade to the bedroom, so I'm not gonna upgrade for that. However, I can take the Southwest Chief (in a roomette) instead of the Eagle for $94 extra. I originally booked #422 for the extra time on the train, but should I consider the Chief for it's scenery and full-fledged diner? Another option is to take the Sunset all the way to New Orleans and the Crescent up to NY. I love Viewliners, so the extra 12 hours on the Crescent (compared to the LSL) is enticing. This is all veering away from the original question, but I'm in a bit of a zone where I'm wondering about all the possible changes. Thanks again!

 

[Bob Dylan]

I don't see why you'd pay extra to ride the Chief in a Roomette, unless you've never been on that Route,considering that the Equipment on both are Superliners. ( the CCC on the Eagle serves the same National LD Menu).

The Sunset to NOL,then the Crescent North after a layover, sounds like a lot better idea than the LSL.( keep in mind the Crescent won't be running between NOL and ATL most Week days in Jan and Feb due to trackwork)

MODIFY your,Reseevation, don't CANCEL it!

 

[the_traveler]

If you go thru NOL, you also have to factor in the overnight cost for the hotel. (Amtrak will not pay for it, and it is not included in the fare.)

 

[cpotisch]

I don't see why you'd pay extra to ride the Chief in a Roomette, unless you've never been on that Route,considering that the Equipment on both are Superliners. ( the CCC on the Eagle serves the same National LD Menu).

The Sunset to NOL,then the Crescent North after a layover, sounds like a lot better idea than the LSL.( keep in mind the Crescent won't be running between NOL and ATL most Week days in Jan and Feb due to trackwork)

MODIFY your,Reseevation, don't CANCEL it!

I was interested in the Chief for the improved ambience of the full diner (namely tablecloths) and the scenery. I was just clarifying that the $94 merely switches me to the Chief, as opposed to it switching me to a bedroom on the Chief.

 

[cpotisch]

If you go thru NOL, you also have to factor in the overnight cost for the hotel. (Amtrak will not pay for it, and it is not included in the fare.)

I figured that Amtrak wouldn’t comp the hotel, but I would think that that would be a relatively negligible cost in the grand scheme of things, maybe $80 or $90? Additionally. I could get a bite in NOL the night I get in on #2, which would be nice.