Upper Level Coach Seat vs Lower Level Coach Seat

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cav1865

Train Attendant
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Jun 8, 2008
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Again, I am new to Amtrak. I am posting again with another question about the value-added of getting a lower-level coach seat versus an upper level coach seat. One of the obvious answers, of course, is the lower level doesn't require stairs. I am also assuming the lower level, being closer to the restroom, would be more convenient. The on-line car diagrams also seem to indicate if a passenger wants to move from one car to another (to the lounge or to the dining car) being on the lower level would be more convenient.

How about comfort of the ride? Noise level? Would being closer to the restroom mean contending with more passenger traffic?

Again, I welcome your counsel from your experiences.

Thank-you.
 
Being on the lower level is indeed closer to the restrooms, and you'll have less foot traffic going by. There will be less sway, but more noise from the track, since you're closer to the track. The view will be better from the upper level and you must be on the upper level to pass from one car to the next. You cannot do that from the lower level.

On the other hand, the upper level has more sway and less track noise, but you'll have far more foot traffic or people walking by as they pass from car to car.
 
Aloha

I am surprised how often this question comes up. And AlanB has provided a perfect answer.

Mahalo
 
Some say that Alan B has a store of canned answers to frequently asked questions and he graciously uses them as required.

On other forums, nasty folks just respond "Read the FAQ, dummy" but here Alan answers nicely.

Thank You Alan
 
RRrich said:
Some say that Alan B has a store of canned answers to frequently asked questions and he graciously uses them as required.
On other forums, nasty folks just respond "Read the FAQ, dummy" but here Alan answers nicely.

Thank You Alan
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That is true Rich, I have an MS Word document where I keep the answers to many common questions. Things like where to find the lounges, what size suitcases fit where, and so on.

And yes, I've seen forums like that where people respond like that. I don't subsribe to that type of response as first it's impolite IMHO. Second, it's never helpful to anyone. Better to just say nothing if you're not going to provide an real answer. Third, search isn't always that easy and not everyone knows how to use it properly. Besides, I've always been a firm believer that no question is too stupid to ask when one doesn't know the answer. Not asking is the dumb thing, IMHO.

You're welcome. :)
 
My favorite AlanB response is where to find the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago Union station. I know those sliding glass doors from the main concourse very well, unless they've changed the entrance in the last few months.
 
Just to provide my own opinion--I would NOT book a seat on the lower level--I would certainly NOT find it more convenient.

As Alan said, there are two main disadvantages to the lower level:

1. The view is worse--on the upper level, you'll be above most of the trees and buildings located along the tracks, whereas on the lower level, your view can be blocked by these, and even along clear areas, you cannot see as far, and

2. It is MUCH less convenient to travel between cars. The doors between the cars are on the second level (contrary to your original post), so every time you want to visit the Sightseer Lounge (which should be often!) or the dining car, you'll need to go up the stairs.

These negatives FAR outweigh, in my mind, the positives of being on the lower level, which are:

1. Easier access to the restrooms, and

2. Less traffic (as you are in a separate compartment with a door between you and the restrooms, and all foot traffic will be coming down the stairs into the restrooms outside of that compartment).

However, the traffic in the upstairs portion is really not that disturbing (especially if you take a window seat), and unless you have limited mobility, the stairs aren't that difficult to navigate if you do need to use the restroom (I visit it less often than I do the Sightseer Lounge!).

So I would recommend booking a seat on the upper level!
 
the_traveler said:
Also, despite what it looks like online, there is no price difference between upper and lower level! And even if you book on the upper level, you can chose to sit on the lower level.
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Careful there, I wouldn't want to guarantee that one could by an regular/upper level ticket and then still sit on the lower level. If all the lower level seats get sold, those people will most likely want to sit there (unless they had no choice as it was the last seat on the train available for sale). Therefore you wouldn't be able to sit downstairs unless you found someone with a lower level ticket willing to swap.
 
late to this thread, but I wanted to chime in that the lower level seats may be more comfortable for those susceptible to motion sickness, like me. My first ride on the CS last year was awful simply because I became so ill, despite having dosed myself well with dramamine beforehand (thank goodness I had a roomette at least!). This was distressing because I can't fly for various reasons. At a friend's (avid train rider) suggestion, I gave the CS another try, and requested a lower level roomette. Made all the difference in the world. ^_^
 
Personally, I kinda like the lower level. Its kinda like a real big bedroom and most of the folks aren't people that are chatting away on phones etc. Very quiet, very few people walking through and some of the best rest I got was on the lower level.

I have always liked how Alan B. responds to questions. I love this Amtrak forum for its simplicity and most of the time graciousness. There's other forums where you need to read a book the size of an encylopedia to know the rules etc.
 
Gina said:
are the seats the same
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Yesthe seats are identical on both levels as far as I know. Just that lower level has very few rows of seats while the upper level has seats stretching all the way across the length of the car.
 
This forum attracts new members on a regular basis and as a result, the same questions keep coming up. I make a motion that we start a FAQ post and pin it for reference purposes. Then allow those who regularly travel by rail to contribute answers/opinions.
 
dlagrua said:
This forum attracts new members on a regular basis and as a result, the same questions keep coming up. I make a motion that we start a FAQ post and pin it for reference purposes. Then allow those who regularly travel by rail to contribute answers/opinions.
Click to expand...
IMO the first post should be AlanB's Word document. I'm surprised we don't have a thread like this already.
 
But if you create a FAQ, you'd get nasty people like me telling the newbies to read it. AlanB's method is far more pleasant and civilized.

I've never sat in the lower level, in all of the dozens of times I've been in a Superliner coach. Even when I've had lower-level tickets, I've been directed upstairs.
 
I think it is great that everyone takes the time to respond nicely to newbies.

I think it's a little impolite to tell people to search for similar topics, etc. This forum is generally warm and welcoming and i think it's nice. Let's keep it that way.
 
No value added with the Lower Level Coach seats. If anything they are at least equal.

BTW, you ID suggests that you're a cavalry fan. Am I correct?
 
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An added perspective on lower level seats from two who ride them often, but in short bursts :giggle:

We always get the LL seats on the Capitol between CLE and TOL since we must make our AGR exchanges from coach to sleeper in Toledo. :eek:

We can jump on the train, walk over to the area of the LL Seats, and rest comfortably in a quiet environment with just a few people.

The conductors have let us sit there even when we didnt have a LL ticket, but now we reserve a LL Ticket to make sure.

Restrooms are close and its a quick entry and departure without climbing the stairways with carry on luggage. :)

But if we were riding for more than two hours, we prefer upper level seats for the view and convenience. :)
 
dlagrua said:
This forum attracts new members on a regular basis and as a result, the same questions keep coming up. I make a motion that we start a FAQ post and pin it for reference purposes. Then allow those who regularly travel by rail to contribute answers/opinions.
Click to expand...
We have an entire forum dedicated to FAQ's & first riders.

Besides, as I've mentioned many times before, the entire reason that this forum was started was so first timers could come and ask questions and hopefully get answers.
 
Is the upper level really an issue for those prone to motion sickness? My teenage daughter has difficulty sitting in the far back seat of our minivan, and gets sick on any type of boat. We are doing college visits and I considered a train ride from Pittsburgh to Washington, D>C but all of the lower level seats are sold out. I wonder if I should drive myself?
 
Instead of taking the Capitol Limited which is all Superliner, you may want to consider the Pennsylvanian/Northeast Regional which is single level Amfleet equipment. However that becomes an all day trip and is a bit more expensive.

Unless she is extremely prone to motion sickness, riding upstairs on the Superliner really should not be a problem.
 
If I were intending to sleep overnight in coach, the lower level of a Superliner would be the best bet. There's the lack of people walking along the aisle. The downstair coach section is about on-third the length of the upper, so there's one-third the chance of getting stuck with some loudmouth. If you sit in the first row downstairs, there might not be any light sources shining in your eyes.

And for the motion-sick folks, sitting lower down will reduce the movement you'll experience when the track dips towards one side or another. It's the same reason that your SUV rides rougher than your car.
 
as a former librarian

who fought pointing and saying "it's over there" my entire professional life

it think AlanB's approach is not only correct

but very user friendly,,,

makes a guy want to hang out around AU
 
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