What is an appropriate amount to tip the room attendant? Also, do you give it to them personally or leave it in the room. TIA!

@@Lynn-kh5rswe give it to them personally along with a thank you card. It’s really appreciated.

@@Lynn-kh5rs I give $10 per night, and hand it to the attendant.

I always tip the dining car and snack car attendants as well

Amtrak Emergency! They are doing the 40k free points again. Get the word out ASAP deal ends 4/3/3024 Happy Easter, rail fans!

I found it completely depends on what you get. Most dinner companions were great, but one group kept "joking" that they didn't want me there. Was not great.

@@scottshaw8864 Oh no ... I wouldn't have found that group's jokes funny at all, either. Definitely wasn't an SNL skit, right? Any of them alone likely wouldn't behave that way. Now I'll have a head's up in case that ever happens to me.

My daughter went from Sacramento to Fort Morgan, CO. Her train was just under 12 hours late. Dealing with Customer Service was a NIGHTMARE!! She encountered several others on this trip with horrid experiences. In 1995, I took Amtrak from Sacramento to Southern CA, and booked a small room. I loved it so much that I have always planned on taking a long trip on Amtrak. After my daughter's experience(and hearing about others' experiences), I can't imagine using Amtrak! Other people we know have also halted their plans to vacation on Amtrak, due to her experience. Of course, the company can't guarantee that there won't be problems -- sometimes even HUGE problems like my daughter and her fellow passengers experienced -- but customer service just didn't care, and did NOT make things right!! I'm hoping that someday they get their acts together, and I feel assured that they care about their customers again, like they did back in 1995, because I'd love to take that Amtrak trip that I had wanted to take for more than 25 years!

I wonder how much Rob and Allie's stellar experiences with customer support result from being higher tier guest rewards members using the dedicated phone number and being sleeper passengers. I got stranded in Minot due to the 2021 derailment and got nothing, had to figure out and pay for my own continuing trip, despite calling several times. I think i got the portion of my ticket that i didn't travel refunded. But at the time I was lowest level guest rewards and most importantly was just a lowly coach passenger.

Sorry to hear about your trip gone sour. Whenever there have been notable issues, I've gone through the trouble of writing Amtrak letters accompanied with copies of tickets & photos supporting my complaints. It takes more effort, but they have always responded with a letter apologizing for my circumstances & a voucher for future travel which is good for 6 months. I'm old school & hate being placed on hold after telephoning businesses.

For people you like to write, what is there mailing address?

1 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001-Amtrak's Headquarters@@chrisdobrowolski2783

These videos definitely helped my initial Amtrack trip (4 trains) 4:15 to be very enjoyable.

Ur not eligible to bid with points

Hi. I took the same trip a few years ago and it was excellent. The one thing I would consider changing is the direction. Travelling south, we were in dense forest during daylight hours and along the ocean at night. If I read the schedule correctly, going north would be the opposite experience. I don't know about the more recent schedules, but it's something you might want to check.

I hope you’ll be buying a bedroom or roomette. Going coach is not very comfortable overnight. I did that trip last July with my daughter and grandson for a Disneyland trip.

I've always tipped my sleeping car attendant $5.00/day. You will typically have the same attendant for the entire trip. I did see different car attendant on the Texas Eagle at San Antonio. The Texas Eagle has the longest route between L.A. & Chicago.

No, they are not, but sometimes you can Yogi a shower from a first class passenger. Especially if they are a solo... 😊

@@anitasimmons3599 Thanks for the info! 👍🏼

That is definitely a hard one, and a concern if it's real late at night. I check for A nearest hotel of the stations before traveling

I have been in this situation. I had a reservation at a nearby hotel in LA. I could have gotten an Uber or Lift, but chose to walk. No one bothered be, but I did pull the safety off my pepper gel and had it at ready. I am an older verticality challenged woman...

I'm a solo female traveler, too, and in the autumn of my life. I recommend always booking the nearest hotel for that first night of your stay. Before you book the hotel based on, say, Google Maps and Google Street View, call the hotel and seriously ask questions about safety in general and after dark in the area of the hotel. Ask if Uber is available and, no matter the answer, ask for the phone numbers of local taxi services *that the hotel calls for its guests*. That last point was crucial for my first and subsequent stays in Niagara Falls, NY. Prior to booking my hotel (it was and still is located close to the U.S-Canada border, but the huge park across from the hotel looks really dark at night), I asked for local taxis' phone numbers. So happy that I did! The third time that I traveled by Amtrak to the Niagara Falls, NY, station, the train arrived at 4:45 p.m. It was late December. Christmas Eve, to be exact. Already it was pitch-black in the near distance. (We're talking here about the Niagara escarpment.) The exterior of the station and its parking lot were well-lighted, though. No matter what your adult age, you should not walk from that rail station to whatever hotel you booked. Why? While the tourist areas of Niagara Falls (NY) are reasonably safe when there aren't sketch folks hanging around at night, the residential City of Niagara Falls (NY) has a high crime rate -- as in, a crime is almost certainly going to happen to you. So, after I stepped off the elevator inside the Niagara Falls, NY, rail station, I waited a brief time. I gazed out the huge window until I saw the taxi that the dispatcher had described to me. I then snapped a pic of the taxi with my phone and proceeded next to exit the station. There were two much younger women still waiting outside of the rail station -- for their Uber, they replied in unison -- but they declined when I asked if they wanted to share my taxi. We all had exited the northbound Empire Service train, and Niagara Falls (NY) was its terminus. I even offered to pay their share of the taxi fare, too, because they also were booked at Comfort Inn The Pointe. No problem ... and the air was frigid ... I saw the ladies in the breakfast room the next morning, and they thanked me for my offer. They admitted regretting not sharing the taxi. They didn't realize that hardly anywhere was open for dinner. I told them Papa John's delivers, and delivered a small pie to me the previous evening. I also told them about a nearby takeout-only Chinese restaurant, where the food is to die for and the price points quite reasonable. The ladies hadn't eaten dinner. (Prior to my first trip to the NY side of Niagara Falls, I'd done plenty of research, so I had taxi numbers on my phone, phone chargers, and packed in my luggage: a few "Hormel's Compleats" meals. lol) As regards the two women, thank goodness for that complimentary deluxe hot-breakfast buffet at our hotel.😆 Again, super video, Allie and Rob!👌🏼 Wishing you a Happy Easter, Gabby

If it’s a station with a building someone will be there since they have to get the baggage to the people. You can call Uber or Lyft, take a taxi, or have family or friends pick you up if you arrive after all public transportation shuts down for the night.

Well I am 64 and healthy and I have never ridden the train yet but thinking about it and one of the first things I thought of was to make sure I dress in a way that makes it look like I don't have a lot of money because if I dress up nice and solo I might look like a target and stay aware of your surroundings do not say personal information anyway that is the kind of things I am getting ready for is safety

Thanks @@davidwilliam9451 but my lifestyle is such that my credit cards yield cash rewards, not points.

Some hotels will allow visitors to rent rooms by the hour. It beats sitting in a station waiting room or platform.

Some hotels will allow visitors to rent rooms by the hour. It beats sitting in a station waiting room or platform.

It is best to give yourself a day in town between trains. I have stayed at some great Hostels, but some people need more privacy. There is so much to see and do near the Amtrak stations in San Francisco, LA, Kansas City, and Chicago I would not miss the chance to spend at least one night between trains and explore. Hotels and Hostels will likely hold your luggage before your room check in an after check out if you just ask. Best wishes on your upcoming adventure.

Thanks for this tip! I'll call nearby hotels far ahead of time to find out if they do this so that I'm prepared.​@@georgemcdowell8302

Yes

Definitely, yes. Also nice to have them on walking back to your room

I am happy at 2.7 cents per point.

How do you "quiet" lying? Is it, perhaps, the opposite of "yelling" lying? Sorry to other readers. I couldn't resist.