I started watching your videos after me and my husband got married and i started taking amtrak back and forth to see him as we live in different states for personal reasons. I love the train ride up to see him and back again. We eventually would love to take a train from where he is in connecticut all the way to california one day. I make the trip to visit him every 3 months or so. and honestly im not sure if im more excited for the train ride or to see him sometimes LOL Also want to add i have to travel with a mobility scooter due to issues walking far, and i have to say each and everytime amtrak employees where EXCELLENT in helping me on and off the train, red caps always made sure i got to my train, its been all around great experience.

We just took the California Zephyr and arrived 5 hours late to Emeryville. We missed the commuter train from Emeryville to Fremont. Amtrak called us a cab and paid for it.🤷‍♀️

Even though I have the money I ride in Coach on overnight trips just to save the money. My philosophy is that if I get a lousy night's sleep for a $100 ticket I don't care,.....if I get a lousy night's sleep and it cost me $600 that would irritate me no end.I don't begrudge anyone for upgrading to a roomette or sleeper,...but,....I just rough it and save the ''Benjamins'' for where I am going.

Great videos, thanks! One nice thing about the downstairs roomettes- 3 bathrooms right there, rather than the 1 upstairs. Not only more access in the middle of the night, but they tend to be cleaner and less worn.

Thank you for all your information. I've been binge-watching your channel for the last couple of months and have learned so much! I plan to take a one-time round trip on Amtrak (solo senior) from LA to Brunswick, Maine in April 2023. (I hate air travel, so train it must be.) You have covered a ton of stuff that will help keep me out of trouble. I truly appreciate every piece of advice.

Bedroom on the Zephyr, Denver to Sacramento, May 12-13. Looking forward to the trip.

This is something I really want to do. Ever since I road coach from Baltimore to Orlando (24hr) as a child. I remember waddling through the train (mostly just because I was bored as a kid) and the first time someone showed me a sleeper car it blew my mind. I didn't even know what a "sleeper" was or that it existed. Now I love in Vegas and I'm trying to see about going to LA and taking the Southwest Chief to Chicago and then getting on the Texas Eagle the next day to back to LA. Nice week long vacation on the rails! These tips will certainly prove useful if I can make that trip happen.

Thanks guys, us newbies to train travel need a printable check list ✅ 😉

I wish sites like this was around before the Digital Age. Before cell phones, passengers relied upon train schedules or ask on board staff the train's status. I remember many folks getting off at major stops & running for phone booths or Western Union telegraph offices in stations (remember those?) Times have changed dramatically and travelers are more aware than ever. Great advice. I've learned the hard way.

Hello, hope all is well. I'm an Amtrak rider and it's better not be in a hurry or be on a time schedule. I ride for leisure pleasure, not in a hurry. I love riding Amtrak, and I always get a roomlette. You guys I love, and love your videos too.

Thank you! You are so helpful and charming. It’s really good advice to allow buffer time if you have an event or any time restriction. I have learned to do this with flights as well. In summer it might be thunderstorms and in winter there can be blizzards. Leave a good amount of time between arrival and needing to catch the train - better to spend it having a leisurely coffee, or three, rather than have a panic attack about your connection.

The scariest unmanned station is for the Grand Canyon from Los Angeles. You get in at 2AM. The station burned down. So all there is is a SUV waiting for you in the middle of a forest. It is even worse when you leave from Grand Canyon. Same 2 AM train time. The SUV drops you off. And then leaves. Unless someone is coming in. When I left no one was coming in from LA. So dropped off and the SUV was gone. Pretty scary standing in the woods at 2 AM hoping the train shows up.

Cool deal: buy 3, get 4 free!!! Have fun!! (I know you don’t buy it that way, but it’s fun to think of it in those terms!)

I am new to your channel, and I am really enjoying it. I've only taken one Amtrak trip in the last 15 years ago (from St. Louis to Kansas City and back), but I did several overnight trips in the 90s, including a trip from Portand, Oregon to Boston and back (with a stop @ the Grand Canyon). The advice about not having tight connections is helpful. I try to have an attitude that if the train is late, you'll see different scenery. One trip north on the Coast Starlight, we had a great view of Mt. Shasta because the train was a couple hours late. I have traveled coach on long trips, and one thing I found helpful is to not have consecutive nights sleeping on the coach seats. Even just one night in a real bed helps the kinks to go away.

Thank you for all of these videos!! I've just watched a bunch to prep for our cross country train trip, leaving Sunday. One thing I thought I'd add is that if you are an adult traveling with two small kids (my situation), they will book all of you into one roomette, but you have to call in to do it. Thanks again for all the tips and help! Love the videos!

Agree 1000 % with #1; I knew I would have trouble getting to AutoTrain on time so booked the Amtrak sponsored hotel for night before departure and had a leisure breakfast and no stress before boarding next late morning. Same with #2; ended up with a suite for 4 and most expensive room (was fine tho) as it was October and everyone heads to Florida in fall to their winter homes. And DO NOT GET A ROOM ON FIRST FLOOR. Agree 1000%.

I just took a train ride to Paso Robles, from LA and it was beautiful! I definitely want to ride the rain more. All good to know, thx for sharing 🤗

I also saw a woman miss a train because she expected someone to come up to her, ask her where she was going, and take her to her seat. That was at the Tacoma station, and they make more than one announcement telling passengers where they need to be-all of which she ignored. Afterward, she said, “I have tickets for that train. How dare they leave me.” I wanted to point out to her that, no matter what mode of public transportation you are using, it’s up to the passengers to get themselves where they need to be to board.

Really appreciate your KZfaq series. It inspired me to take the Texas Eagle from Fort Worth, Texas to Chicago this past weekend. Since it was approximately 24 hour train ride I decided to take an upper deck coach seat (which worked out great). I was on the 22 train going north bound, my coach was a bit weathered to say the least (it was not unbearable). The train was definitely more crowed going north bound on a Friday. There is not observation car , which I was aware of and I brought a cooler which allowed me to have decent meals without breaking the bank. Spent a wonderful weekend with my daughter, son in law and new grandson (for his baptism) and then took the 21 train southbound on Monday. The train was definitely not as full as coming up on the northbound train. The coach car was also a bit more freshened up. So overall, thank you for your guidance and hope to see you both on the rails. Be well and stay safe.

I would agree with Amtrak being late, except for the Acela. The reason why is Amtrak owns those tracks. Where the other trains they are at the mercy of freight companies who while supposed to give Amtrak the right away, they don't.

I just checked my ticket, and it says Superliner, room 2. on the Southwest Chief, at the end of the month. I'm super excited. Thank you for the update.

Thank you! Been eyeing a trip from El Paso to Seattle. Your videos are informative and entertaining.

Outstanding tips! Pro-tips for us amateurs! Greatly appreciated.

I used to take the Coast Starlight down to LA. I loved going through the mountains from Klamath Falls and into Redding also. Although we did get stopped by snow one time and you have to time it so it's still light (quite a trick). But that was my favorite section.

I'm hoping to make a round trip from CA to Michigan. My biggest problem is understanding how to book a roomette for one and how much it will cost, best rates and times, and so on. I'm also a solo senior here. Just started watching this channel and getting lots of information is wonderful. Thanks!

Love the channel . .. Wife & I are booked on a 14-day (7 over-night trains + 7 intermediate-hotels) trip this June. The hotel-stops in SLC, Sacramento, Portland, EastGlacier and Chicago are "buffer" / sight-seeing opportunities in-between the trains. Our one tight ( CalZ at Chicago on the 2nd Day . . . I have watched your videos so many times . . . so THANK YOU!.

Thanks for providing such valuable information. We are talking our first amtrak trip this summer on the zephyr. Thanks for everything. Good day to you both.

I applied for the Mastercard for the 20,000 points and it’s on the way 05/2024 ( we already booked our trip to New York) but that’s ok we will build up the points for the next trip! Planning on using the lounge coupon( in New York )on this trip!!!

Thank you both for the excellent information! We appreciate it! ☀️

I’m going to take my first Amtrak trip in early August riding the Cardinal from Cincinnati connecting to the Zephyr and finally the Coast Starliner to LA. Your travel guides have been most helpful and thorough covering everything I’ve wanted to know to be prepared for my trip. Your presentations are casual yet professional. Thank you for making these videos!

I so enjoyed watching you both in this video. I love your style, your personalities, and especially how you do it all in sync. So beautiful and informative. Thank you.

Not sure how this is going to work, but I bought those plastic bags that you pack and roll out the air to see if I can get away with not having so much luggage since we are limited. Going to Austin in May from PA. Taking 3 different trains. Thankfully in Pittsburgh we can check our bags, but from Johnstown to Pitt, we carry all our luggage with us.

To both of me and my wife, the biggest Amtrak mistake is to take the Amtrak. After watching a lot of videos from your channel and other about Amtrak, we booked our 1st Amtrak trip from San Diego to Chicago a year ago. We were so excited when the day finally came last week. Sadly, our excitement turned out to be a total disaster. We were on the coach seats on the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angles and it was actually pretty nice and comfortable. After switching to the Texas Eagle for the rest of the 3 night ride to Chicago, we were in a roomette. The room was smaller than we expected. There wasn't enough space even for our carry-on suitcases and we had to place them onto the end of our beds, which made sleeping uncomfortable. We are mid/small size person and we still find it very difficult simply on changing our clothes without having the upper bed lifted. The room was so hot, it averaged at least 85F during whole day except nighttime. The restroom on our upper deck had no ventilation at all. The toilet also won't flush after the 1st day and a half. The bathroom was so tiny that turning around inside was almost impossible. Only one to two of our meals had the quality of food as we had expected. We did not experience the kinds of hospitality from our room attendant as described by you guys in your videos. Overall, it's an extremely disappointing and terrible experience. We even considered leaving the train after the 1st night. Over a thousand dollars cost, this is our most regrettable trip. We would not do it again even being presented with a free voucher! I also had my Amtrak credit card, which I had it solely for the purpose of earning Amtrak points, cancelled immediately as I am definitely sure I won't need it anymore.

Monday, April 4th I start my 6518 mile trip by train across the United States. Train 125 from Baltimore to Washington DC, Train 29 to Chicago IL, then Train 5 the famous California Zephyr. I arrive in Oakland Ca Thursday, April 7th spend a night at the Oakland Marriott, then back on the California Zephyr to do the trip back home. My only concern is the Chicago connection to Washington DC. there is 4 hours between trains and the #6 has been running 3-4 hours late. and my roomette is downstairs # 12 and 13

I don’t entirely agree with your statement about the Coast Starlight train only being great views on the Southern California stretch. Yes, the coastal part is beautiful and breathtaking, especially if you can get dinner as sunset time (southbound). However, the mountain stretch and passes through the upper portion of the trip, mostly through Oregon, are just as breathtaking, especially during the late winter. And when it’s springtime, it’s equally beautiful as there are several streams and waterfalls along the route, best seen on the northbound trip. Just make sure to be on the west side of the train for the best views. And of course, the time of year also has an impact on the scenery as it gets darker earlier during the winter. Southbound in the summer makes for a nice late dinner as it will still be light out as you pass along the coast. Unfortunately, there is no lounge at Seattle. We did enjoy the lounge in LA. And the food was great throughout. Hope to see you sometime during my travels.

These videos are an excellent guide for first time passengers THANK YOU

The master card no longer exists as of December. Sadly BoA pulled it after news came out in October Amtrak was considering switching. Such a shame as the sign on bonus was very tempting.

What is a family bedroom

Hi can you please do a video of possible food items to take in a cooler for overnight coach, several days trip? Since there is no microwave, thank you, love your videos

I just added your website to my bookmarks. Your videos are so informational and enjoyable to watch; thank you so much for doing all you do. I love to travel and often do solo traveling so when I saw your website I kinda did a happy dance. I'm eagerly planning some trips again!

Love your videos. Talking about dinner times, on our trip from Chicago to Flagstaff (Grand Canyon), they postponed dinner during the maintenance stop in Albuquerque. This was on the return trip but just something to think about. It was about a 30-45 minute stop. So all lunch/dinner reservations were moved back. Thanks for all your information!

Also I'm a 'Guest Rewards' member and I enjoy the points system.

Discovered your superb channel when we started looking into LA to Chicago. REALLY like your insights for us novice Amtrak travelers - especially the onboard accommodations. We're picking up a rental car in Chicago for our local transportation to use for a 2 week vacation. Maybe we'll grab a room in town and like you say, just enjoy the ride!

Thanks for all your Info i did a ride from NYC to Tampa. watched your videos on roomettes really helped with our preparations .

wonderful thank you

Great information I think to use for 1st timers or folks who do not get to travel often by AMTRAK 😊.

You guys are a great couple! Thanks for the great info ❤️

I will watch this one again. 👍

When I hear stories like the one you recounted at the beginning of the video, it frustrates me to no end. Companies really should be more accommodating for situations like these where through no fault of the customer, they are forced to go elsewhere to get their car. It is in the system that you were booked for a reservation at x location and they can verify the train delay. My husband works for a national motel chain and he related a situation where a customer had booked a reservation more than a year in advance for a certain rate, but then went online and made a change to the room type. The original reservation was not cancelled and re-booked, just a change to an existing reservation. This caused the rate to be changed to the current price which was 4 times higher.

Love the video! Someday I'll be able to use these great tips :-). Just a thought or two: It may confuse people to learn Burbank CA has two stations, the Burbank Airport Station and Downtown Burbank. Most people will want the Airport one. Amtrak shares these with the LA Metro line, but unless something has changed, Amtrak does NOT always stop at the Downtown station. Ironically, Downtown has more parking. The airport station has two tiny lots along that stretch, but yeah, it's pretty tight. I totally agree on the lack of signage and not knowing which track is used.

You guys are terrific. THANK YOU 😊

I think this was one of your best videos. Thank you!

Thank you for the information! I am traveling this month, but I will get Chicago a day before to avoid any problem to get the California Zypher. Also I booked a hotel in San Francisco that has 24 hours front desk service and notified them my late check in, thinking about Amtrak delays 😅

great advice guys! Would love to do an Amtrak trip when my daughter is much older, the distances blow my mind sometimes - it takes me longer to get to Edinburgh from the Highlands than it does to get to London from Edinburgh (120miles vs 400miles!)

Best channel ever! There are many channels about travelling, but the WAY you tell stuff is super interesting. Every time I want to "take a quick look", I stay for the entire video 😁

Thats great and all, the denver to Cali part... But im just trying to get from cincy to denver, so that's what I got to do.

So much good information in this vlog.

I can't wait less then 3 weeks from my trip on Zephyr. Denver to San Fran. Heading out on the 24th.

Can you tell me what side of the Silver Meteor is best view? Also, any advise as to how to take a sponge bath in coach? I feel disgusting when I don't have a morning shower, this is the draw back I'm having about my trip on the train, and i can not afford to upgrade to a roommette.

I love to meet up on a train. Thank you for all your valuable tips. I would be the one missing the train because no one told me to get on. Lolololo

I am going on my first Amtrack ride. Thank you for your great ideas and suggestions. It’s helping a lot to get ready for my trip. 4 days, 3 nights🚂

Any suggestions for hotel accommodations near the stations? What about a video on that topic? I want to plan a trip from Arizona to Tacoma, Wa, starting in Maricopa, Az, and I think I should plan to stay the night in LA before boarding the Coast Starlight the next day. It would be great to know what hotels you have stayed at, and your thoughts-can you walk to them, take an Uber, etc.

Just recently found your wonderful videos and fantastic over all information. It really is very helpful with all you go over so clearly! So, with the train being late a lot of the times as you said, what do you do about renting a car? Don't rent ahead of time and wait till you arrive at your destination? I signed up for the guest rewards account. The question I have about the Amtrak Master Card, one gets reward points for all things they charge with it including items not related to using Amtrak? Everyday type charges I mean gas, groceries, restaurants etc. Thank you for your fun and great videos!

Hi! I love your channel and it’s been very helpful!! We are planning our first Amtrak trip … to Disney! I was hoping you could give your opinion on which station to choose… Orlando or Kissimmee:) thank you!!!

How easy is it to manipulate a wheel chair around a train

Thanks for all the recommendations. From Chicago to the Westcoast witch train you recommend and if it is less tired to do it in segments with stop overnight in big cities and only use the roommates accommodation for overnight travel

This is super useful, I'm taking the Coast Starlight and then the Sunset Limited all the way from Seattle to Houston in August and I just checked and my Sunset Limited roommette is room 14 so I'm going to call to see if they can change it. Thanks!

Question: You say the trains are often late. But they still show up, right? I have a coach ride booked for next month for a short 1-2 hour ride to see a concert. I was supposed to see the same a couple weeks ago and the Greyhound bus never showed up. I canceled next months Greyhound trip that night -- after waiting in the damn station for 11 hours! -- and went to the Amtrak station the next day. I'm hoping Amtrak won't screw me out of several hundred dollars -- motel, show ticket -- like those fraudsters at Greyhound did.

First timer here and I wish I knew about purchasing sooner rather than later. The price increased $200 for my trip! 😔

Hello, Allie and Rob. Thank you for your posts, and the helpful information. I am officially retiring, in August, and will be a full-time traveler. I was looking for where I could ask a question on your website, but was unsuccessful. I wanted to ask if you a home base? I pretty much have everything complete except determining if I need to establish a home base. Do you stay in Airbnb‘s when you are not traveling? Thank you for answering my question. I truly appreciate it.

Which coach section of pacific starlight is best to choose if there are three sections? Someone commented one may be quieter than another.

Y’all are just sooooo helpful, I’m sooo glad y’all share all your knowledge and secrets with us newbies! Thanks again for all your videos….😊❤️

We're going on the Silver Star north in April and returning in May. Silver Meteor still suspended. We have done this route twice and checked bags without problem, but have your ever had problems with your checked bags not getting on or off the train? I was panicking in somewhat small Winter Park, FL but the bags were removed and we got them. And impressed that the agent checked the ticket to be sure we were taking our bags and only our bags, something the airlines don't do at all!! Thanks for the info. Hoping to see you on the rails.

I am so glad I found your channel. It is so interesting, and really makes me want to just jump on and travel all over the country on a train. My best friend and I are considering taking a train from Charleston WV to Chicago, more than likely mid to late Sept. My best friend and her husband took a train from Charleston to CA and back, stopping a couple places for a couple days, and had an amazing time, so she suggested we take a train, rather than driving. I have a bad back (2 herniated discs) and traveling by car for long distances is hard. Wondering if you have any suggestions for me? We want to get a roomette on the way there, because it will be night, but thinking coach on the trip home, because it is cheaper, we will both be awake so we could enjoy looking out both sides of the train while saving money. Any tips you have would be appreciated.

If I understand the process it’s valuable to book your entire trip on one ticket or a multi train ticket ( not separate independent legs),so if one train is late (missed connection) Amtrak will take care of you via rebooking or hotel stays

Love your channel! Traveling from Marshall, TX (Texas Eagle) to Chicago, Chicago to Pittsburgh (Capitol Limited) in a few weeks. Any advice or views to be on the lookout for?

Never traveled Amtrak before we are looking to travel Florida to Pittsburgh. We have a choice for a layover in Philadelphia or Washington D.C. One is a 3 hour layover the other is a 8 hour layover. If I chose the shorter layover will I run the risk of missing the train if mine comes in late?

Good tips! I've only been on one Amtrak trip but plan to do more, especially the western routes. My one trip Charlotte to NYC, I arrived an hour early (expecting a line and boarding early) but the train was 2+ hours late!. I arrived in NYC 2 hours late and fortunately didn't pre-book anything but did have to change my plans. One question: Is the multi-route pass ever coming back?

Are the family bedrooms typically noisy? Got a family bedroom superliner later this month and I've never taken a train trip

Thanks for this info about the upper and lower levels. Recently I got an email from Amtrak that my roomette on my upcoming trip was changed from #1 to #19, so after watching this video I went searching for some diagrams to see where I would be. I think I'm still on the upper level? In a transition sleeper car? (Southwest Chief) It's my first long train trip on Amtrak so I won't know any different. I'm excited!

I'm planning a trip on the California Zephyr in June and your channel has been so helpful in preparing. We have bedroom B reserved. Will that be upstairs or down? Also, you indicated that we'll want to be on the 'south side' for views. If going from Chicago to Emeryville, is that the left or right? Thanks again for your expertise!

Question. First train ride coming up very soon. I get on at Gainesville, GA. Which is unmanned, and locked after 9:30. My train doesn’t arrive until 12:24am. I’m leery to wait on the platform at this time of night by myself. Any suggestions?

Amtrak no longer offers Guest rewards Mastercard. They ended their partnership with BoA in Dec. To bad, I missed out on collecting Amtrak points.

I just made reservations for my sister to go from Chicago to Floridia. They gave me one price a day ago, I call back to finalize her ride and it was more money. Is that how it works, she was going to leave on the fifth of this month and we called back to make it the eighth. It had went up two hundred dollars more. We're novices at this, is this common???

Does Amtrak offer specials on roomettes or sleepers? Or is it just economy/business? Thanks

Hello, I just started watching your videos and got a lot of good advice. I want to travel from Toledo, Ohio to Seattle, Washington soon with 2 of my grandsons but I'm still not sure what train I would be catching here in Toledo and which rooms should I get, a roomette or bedroom or family bedroom. Any suggestions?

What do you think? Will I have enough time for this connection? We're taking the Southwest Chief from LA to Chicago, arriving at 2:50 PM, and connecting to the Lake Shore Limited which is scheduled to depart at 9:30 PM. We're traveling in August. Is 6 hours enough time for this? I know you can't predict the future, but in your experience?

Provo Utah is an unmanned station

Are tickers refundable? Can you ask for the bottom? Is there a rail on the steps up into the train?does the cell phone on the train?

Do you have the link for the Mastercard?

How clean is it really in roomettes? Especially those with toilets inside the room. I am kinda sceptical...

Thanks for sharing as a tourist to the US which trip do you suggest is best for a 1st time train trip also are the trains safe

Can you share a link for signing up for the credit card? Trying to get to Florida but like you said book early everything is booked coming back on the auto train up here in VA

We have a trip booked Chicago to Emeryville, Texas Eagle to L.A. and continue on the Coastal Starlight, with 4 1/2 hour in between.. Should I worry? With only one train a day, what happens if we miss the the Starlight that morning.. I assume since Amtrak made the reservations all the way to Emeryville there wouldn’t be a problem.. Thank you for your help…

How often do y'all travel on trains?

Does the train record when they are late, how much they are late? It would help to know how often on that particular route the train is late, to get a better idea of what to prepare for.

Can I upgrade a regional amtrak ticket to Acela?

How would you know ahead of time if you will be at a manned or an un-manned station?

Does it make sense to stretch your legs at the 15-20 minute stops at larger stations?

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