What is it about a roomette?

[pianocat]

I have had the time of my life in the last 10 days in my roomettes. There something awesome about being able to close the door pull the curtains listen to music and just escape into oneself. Certainly makes me not want to go home! But eventually one has to. I'm okay with talking to people in the diner but love my time in my room by myself. Wonder if it's from the fact that I'm used to being alone, or the isolationist that I think we all possess to some degree. Got a great book to read and hundred percent music to listen to and wondering why I need to go to the lounge car at all. I'm going to have a Northview of the trip thru Colorado - thinking I'll just stay in my car,my roomette, and be happy camper. Told the attendant to keep my bed in the down position because I like to do yoga. And take naps. How does one justify the end Of an Incredible vacation? I miss my students but I love the vagabond nature of what I've been doing. I can do it for another 16 weeks no problem. Plan is to return to Walla Walla for Christmas all of us. Probably will be two years and I can leave the Midwest area and retire out west Cannot wait! But if you have an experience about your roomette please share something so smug and nice about the space makes me want to stay here Anyone else relate to this?

 

[pianocat]

Ps. Probably out of cell phone data for a while. I'll check back later, Pianocat

 

[Bob Dylan]

Very nice! ☺

I think we've all had LD trips on a Train,where once it gets dark, its great to take a shower, put on comfy clothing, close your door and curtains and enjoy the tranquility as the steel wheels clickity- clack down the tracks

While you indulge in whatever relaxation activities you like best!

I like people and love to talk ( no-one would ever guess!) but sometimes its good to be with the person you know best,Yourself!

How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've ridden on a LD Train?"

 

[Trainmans daughter]

I always feel so safe and cozy in my roomette--kind of like being wrapped in a nice cocoon. No matter what time of day or night, I love just staring out the window and making up stories in my head of the people and places we are passing. I always imagine the people stopped at the crossings having feelings of envy for me. I feel like you at the end of my trip...kind of sad and empty, and can hardly wait till my next trip. This is a picture of my granddaughter's and my roomette on our trip which began the day after Christmas. It was fun to close our curtain and be able to hear the comments people made while walking by.

 

[JayPea]

I know the feeling. I have never taken a long distance train trip by myself. I have always traveled with my uncle, and we both enjoy our trips so much. But there are times when he is in the lounge or somewhere on the train running his video camera and I have the room to myself. The trip we're on now he has his granddaughters with him and occasionally visits their room. And I enjoy those times of solitude. This is blasphemous I know but when on the CS I almost never go to the PPC, preferring my room instead. I'm on the fifth different train on this trip and all but one have been at least an hour late. I wouldn't change a thing!

 

[JayPea]

I always feel so safe and cozy in my roomette--kind of like being wrapped in a nice cocoon. No matter what time of day or night, I love just staring out the window and making up stories in my head of the people and places we are passing. I always imagine the people stopped at the crossings having feelings of envy for me. I feel like you at the end of my trip...kind of sad and empty, and can hardly wait till my next trip. image.jpg This is a picture of my granddaughter's and my roomette on our trip which began the day after Christmas. It was fun to close our curtain and be able to hear the comments people made while walking by.

I have always wondered about the residents of the houses the train that I am on passes by. And whether they're wishing they could ride the train or if they are thinking "There's another one of those d#$*ed trains again!" I'm already having pangs of sadness and this trip isn't even over yet. And I am already planning next year's trips!

 

[SarahZ]

We call it our cave. We always keep the door and curtains shut so we can't hear (much) noise and nobody can look in. Then we sit in our cocoon of blissful solitude and look out the window, read books, play games, and send pictures to our (jealous) friends back home.

The only time we open the door is when we hear the LSA taking reservations. Then it's back to cave time.

I've taken two trips without my boyfriend, and he's taken one without me, and we agree that the roomettes are wonderful when it's just one person. We don't mind sharing, though, since we're 5'5" (me) and 5'8" (him).



(He always sits like this.)

However, it IS nice having the extra seat/bed for sprawling and storage. I was amused to hear he still slept in the upper bunk when he was by himself. He likes it up there because it's much darker, with no light bleed from the curtains.

Like Jim, I like to take a shower after dinner and put on comfy pajamas. Then I sit on the bed with the lights off and watch all the little towns go by. Every time we pass a crossing, I wonder where people are headed, especially if it's late at night. I also like seeing lights on in houses, wondering what people are watching on TV or eating for dinner... maybe they're reading in bed... maybe they're talking on the phone... That sort of thing.

If Brent is with me, we call it "camp", because sitting on the bottom bunk in the dark reminds us of being at camp.



(This was right before I told him to get his boots off the bed.)

We usually have juice and snacks, which adds to the "camp" atmosphere. I tend to get sleepy before him, so he climbs up to the top bunk with a book and book light, and I fall asleep listening to him turning pages. That makes it feel cozy, not small. Big difference.

 

[Steve4031]

I'm in a roomette now. And you all are right on. It it is my favorite place in the world.

 

[seat38a]

Its like the fortress off solitude. Your in no hurry to get anywhere and you can catch up on your thoughts and let your brain unwind. I like the train because of the ability to lock myself away for 1 or 2 days without having to really "think" and let my brain rest a bit. When you think about it, none of us take the LD trains because we are in a rush and have to get somewhere on time. We go with the expectation that anything "8 Hours Or Less" late to your destination is On Time.

 

[neroden]

I've taken two trips without my boyfriend, and he's taken one without me, and we agree that the roomettes are wonderful when it's just one person. We don't mind sharing, though, since we're 5'5" (me) and 5'8" (him).

I'm your height and my fiancee is even shorter, making it even more comfortable...

 

[PRae_Train]

Through Arizona or New Mexico a few years ago, open window curtains at night, dark skies showed me the millions of stars I had forgotten about.

Gotta look at joining or at least supporting organizations that promote Dark Skies.

 

[caravanman]

I often wonder to myself why I like to travel so much... there are a few theories floating around in my mind, but the jury has still to decide:

Being away from "home base" allows me to be as I choose to be, not to feel confined by my everyday commitments.

I have been lucky to have shared some very long trips with partners, and lucky also to enjoy my solo adventures. I seem to carry my invisible private space around with me, like a buffer*, so can feel quite happy in coach or in a roomette... I get that same feeling of travel contentment in both. I like to have the curtains and door open in my roomette to increase the chances of meeting someone interesting, and at other times I close both for an afternoon siesta.

Ed

* Possibly my "invisible private space" is enhanced by my weird appearance...

 

[Steve4031]

For me it seems that I have to keep moving. If I don't gave a trip planned or booked, I get restless.

 

[benale]

I can relate. For many years I would plan vacations solely to take Amtrak. When I could afford sleepers, I would book a roomette and escape into my own world. Once in a while I would sit in the Sightseer lounge and always go to the Dining car for meals, but I enjoyed my solitude in my sleeper. Most people I know have never taken the train, and they can't understand my fascination. As other posters have stated, it's a time to unwind, watch the world go by from the privacy of your room and you cannot be in a rush. The last several years I've been traveling with my girl friend and I'm very glad she's a train person. Next spring I'm using AGR points to take the longest possible journey. Only train people could understand why I would go from Toledo to LA via The Empire Builder and back to Toledo using The Texas Eagle, We are spending a week exploring California by rental car and we have some great plans,but the Train portion is the draw for me.

On my last big solo trip in 2006 I flew to Seattle from New York to save time and visit a friend. On the return I took The Coast Starlight to LA, The Sunset Limited to New Orleans and The Crescent back to New York all in roomettes. The trip took me seven days and it was one of the greatest weeks I ever spent. Only time I was off the train was to overnight in New Orleans before catching the next morning's Crescent. I didn't want the trip to end.

Amtrak used a slogan at one time "There is something about a train that's magic". A week in a roomette on a "moving hotel" with meals included and the sound of the rails is about as magical as it gets for me.

 

[Rail Freak]

Amtrak used a slogan at one time "There is something about a train that's magic". A week in a roomette on a "moving hotel" with meals included and the sound of the rails is about as magical as it gets for me.

DITTO Brother!!!!

 

[Shanghai]

I prefer a roomette when I'm traveling alone, but when my better half is traveling with me,

we go for a bedroom. We don't fit in a roomette!! I also like to stay in my roomette and

enjoy the scenery from the window and work (or play) on my computer. I rarely go to

the lounge car.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

My next LD trip is less than 2 months away and I'm already investigating one or two possible trips for next year.

I traveled overnight in coach for last year and I was ok with that...especially since I had two seats to my self until the next morning. In that regard, I like the roomette because I don't have to be concerned about disturbing my seatmate whenever I want to get up and move around (assuming I have a window seat, which is my preference).

And, since I've been told I snore, I'm sure my fellow coach riders would prefer I sleep in a roomette. Maybe I can get the coach riders on the 1st leg of my upcoming trip to pool together enough $ to send me to a roomette.

 

[sniegowskim]

My Fiance and I both love to take the train and we also get a roomette and I agree that it is a great time. We are both tall I am 6'1 and she is 5'11 and we have no problem sleeping in the room. We are going to New Orleans from Chicago in two weeks and we have upgraded to a bedroom this will be the first time we have had the bigger room. We try to schedule our trips to take the train and like most people we hate when it ends. I can't wait for our trip this is our third one.

 

[Pgl]

I just completed a trip in my first-ever sleeper accommodation (roomette!).

It was just awesome. I loved the space, the view, the ability to soak in the scenery. And, while the train is a social mode of transportation I loved having "alone-time" when I desired it.

I was traveling solo and can't imagine a better way!

However....

If my wife was with me, I suspect the experience would not have been the same for her :-(. I know her well enough to know that sleeping and lounging inches from the toilet would be a distraction. So this may remain my own personal escape....

However, I came home already thinking about taking my family of 4 on the Zephyr. We live in NC and while we have travelled extensively on the east coast (by car and plane), we've never been "out West". I suspect full bedrooms will be the way to go for such an adventure!

 

[PRae_Train]

Pgl, do you know that west of Chicago the roomettes do not have the toilet in the room? There are several restrooms and a shower in the sleeper cars.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I just completed a trip in my first-ever sleeper accommodation (roomette!).

It was just awesome. I loved the space, the view, the ability to soak in the scenery. And, while the train is a social mode of transportation I loved having "alone-time" when I desired it.

I was traveling solo and can't imagine a better way!

However....

If my wife was with me, I suspect the experience would not have been the same for her :-(. I know her well enough to know that sleeping and lounging inches from the toilet would be a distraction. So this may remain my own personal escape....

However, I came home already thinking about taking my family of 4 on the Zephyr. We live in NC and while we have travelled extensively on the east coast (by car and plane), we've never been "out West". I suspect full bedrooms will be the way to go for such an adventure!

Or two roomettes across from each other. The western trains (superliners) do not have toilets in the roomettes. There is one bathroom upstairs and a few more downstairs, plus a shower.

 

[CoachSlumber]

Growing up in New York in the '70s, I used to go down to Penn Station, just to see the Broadway off to Chicago. Back then, the porter would let us on the sleeping cars to look at the rooms. I so longed to ride in one. They still cooked on logs in the famous double diner then, so the smell was amazing. Then one summer, my best friend got to ride in the Slumbercoach to Chicago (with his dog). A month later I finally got to do the same, by myself, age 14. It was heaven as the train slipped away from Penn at 4:55 pm and under the Hudson, me reveling in my little room.

 

[Chelle]

I'm not a "people person" and I love trains. That makes a roomette one of the most enjoyable experiences on earth. I've never had one to myself but in a few weeks I'm going to, on a train I've never ridden but wanted to for many years. I am **so** looking forward to it, being in the comfort of my cocoon, watching a very beautiful part of the world go by.

Interesting what

I have always wondered about the residents of the houses the train that I am on passes by. And whether they're wishing they could ride the train or if they are thinking "There's another one of those d#$*ed trains again!" I'm already having pangs of sadness and this trip isn't even over yet. And I am already planning next year's trips!

I always wonder about those people too, and wonder what it's like to live in some of the towns the train passes through. I used to live in a small-ish town with an Amtrak station and used to envy the people on the train. I envied the people who lived in a house in view of the train and I always felt a melancholy ache when the whistle blew, calling me to the train when I couldn't go.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Waking up in your berth in the middle of the night and taking those few seconds to realize where you are. Suddenly you remember you are on the train and happily go back to sleep.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Waking up in your berth in the middle of the night and taking those few seconds to realize where you are. Suddenly you remember you are on the train and happily go back to sleep.

...after a trip down the hall to the bathroom.