The Worst Things You Could Do On Amtrak

[@WakandaBabe]

I just rode Amtrak from Norfolk, VA to Providence, RI and those conductors were NOT playing. I was in the Quiet Car and no, if ands or buts...they made sure there was QUIET in that car. Really appreciated. Also, "One ticket, One seat"...announcements!! And I had no seat partner the entire trip! Don't know how that happened, but it was great!

[@davichigbue1835]

I know you posted this comment months ago but as someone from the DMV who might take the AmTrak to and from Providence, RI.. How was it?

[@MikeTerry1969]

I've found that the train stations are usually in a rough part of town, so if your train arrives in the middle of the night, you may want to consider getting a cab or Uber to your hotel instead of walking there. People pulling luggage at 3:00 a.m. are easy targets for the bad guys.

[@romanm9718]

Especially in a big city like Chicago.

[@mholtebeck]

From the ones that I've been to: Chicago and New York are fine for a few blocks. Denver is busy, but I'm not walking more than a couple of blocks. LA and DC are iffy. King Station can be sketchy. Portland has a wonderful station, but the area close to the station is very sketchy. The MAX is ok during the day, but call an Uber if it's late. The rest of so isolated and industrial that there is nothing around

[@robreuler144]

You must be talking about Albuquerque, NM

[@mjsteward5508]

Chicago Union Station is a decent station for Amtrak because it connects to Metra trains. When you order your food, just take your food back to the Amtrak room area because if you sitting in the food court the bums would harassed you every 5 to 10 mins begging for money in the food court areas.

[@mjsteward5508]

​@@mholtebeck I like NYC Amtrak station but it's bigger. I also like Cleveland Amtrak station, Detroit Amtrak station, Ann Arbor Amtrak station, I like Milwaukee station including the Central Illinois Amtrak station.

[@TheOnlyLilithcat]

Also, when they say "No Smoking", they mean it. I was on the City of New Orleans several years ago when a guy got caught smoking. They warned him not to do that, but he did it again, and got put off the train at the next stop - which was one of those tiny Mississippi backwaters. I have no idea how he managed to get where he was going, but it wasn't on the train!

[@charlotteryner6583]

Hahaha! Served him right.😅

[@harryborsalino1276]

Definitely one of the best pieces of advice y'all have always given is to avoid creating a time bind for yourself. I was on the Sunset Limited when it collided with a semi-truck near Houston around mid-day; we didn't get to New Orleans until 8:30 the next morning, approximately 11 hours late. I had to cancel a hotel reservation. Fortunately, the sleeping car attendant on the City of New Orleans, the next leg of my trip, was so super nice that she made me an Amtrak believer again!

[@marysheeran519]

The fun/frustrating part of train travel is unpredictability. Two times I went to sleep and woke up in the exact same spot we'd been in when I'd gone to sleep. One was simply stalled by other trains, and the other train was stopped by tornadoes all around us. You never know. That's part of the fun unless you have to be somewhere at a particular time.

[@schex9]

We were once about 5 hours late getting into New Orleans. I helped a traveller who did not speak much English select a hotel because their hostel was closed for checkin by that time (after midnight).

[@bobkirchman197]

Great advice. Always build an overnight stay into a cruise connection, coming by train or plane. With Amtrak - it’s delays, with air, it’s delayed luggage.

[@TheFrogfather1]

When we did the Zephyr we met a couple who'd been booked on the previous day's train. They'd had trouble getting an Uber so in a panic called in favours from friends and made it to Emeryville on time. They then relaxed, had a coffee and... missed their train!

[@robertlubel734]

Back in the mid 1980’s I personally seen the Conductor on the Chief have passengers removed for doing stupid. I love your channel too!

[@frankt6794]

Great advise. Most of our trips on Amtrak have been great. The best advise you gave was “plan on being late” for your destination.

[@joepagano7598]

I have heard you give the same advice about tight connections multiple times, and after watching this video it finally went through my thick head. Going cross country this August, riding the Cardinal from New York to Chicago, then the Southwest Chief from Chicago to LA. Instead of stressing about the 6 hour window to get off the Cardinal and board the Southwest Chief I opted to change my travel dates a little bit and get off the Cardinal enjoy two days in Chicago then board the Southwest Chief. The slight increase in cost of the hotel stay far out weights the chaos of missing my train out west. Thank you for your insight and advice!

[@larryloveless2967]

Definitely a good idea and you get to enjoy Chicago. I took trolley tours to see a city getting such a chance. About 15 -20 years ago I rode all the AMTRAK routes west of St. Louis to see the West taking five weekend to weekend trips. There were two connections I barely made even thinking of padding about 6 hours between connections for short distance runs to Chicago and Kansas City. After a long distance trip I would always book a hotel and take the next day's train. AMTRAK shares rail with freight trains and can cause long delays. I was lucky but would take that chance for a short run. Sounds like a great trip. for you.

[@jrails46]

16:40 Its too bad that Amtrak wont let single riders purchase 2 coach seats so you can have that extra room. I was told by an Amtrak reservation agent that its not that Amtrak wants the extra fare, they want the available seat for a passenger. Great video guys, very informative.

[@rogers6168]

Your comment about security was good to hear. I always wondered about that. And the thinking you are on a train for 12 hours, but in reality a person booked a mixed use & 10 of those hours is on a bus is so wrong.

[@ManhattanRats]

I just signed up for the Amtrak Preferred. 40,000 points bonus for the next month or so. Thanks for the advice. Robert in NYC.

[@greeneggslamb9336]

Are they very hard to obtain? Someone commented that they were rejected with a 730 credit score.

[@MatthewSmith-cv7op]

As an avid amtrak rider, this is great. But I’ll add a few more. -Some people think that food on long distance trains are free for everyone. They’re not. Unless you have sleeping accommodations, expect to pay for everything. -Amtrak takes the Quiet Car rules seriously. Break them and you’ll find yourself moved to another part of the train. -Assume there is ventilation on the train. There is no AC or heating elements on the train. -Get to the station when the train is supposed to depart. I recommend getting there 30-45 minutes prior, at least.

[@CaradhrasAiguo49]

Re: ventilation, they don't necessarily do even that very well. I carry a CO2 monitor around...on Amfleets or Acela, the ventilation can't keep up when the Railcar gets above ~~ half full

[@InnerBeauty39]

Thank you for posting this helpful information! I've watched a lot of your videos, however this one makes me not excited about train travel. Perhaps, I am not understanding. So if my train is scheduled to pick me up let's say at 3:30 p.m. I should plan on it being late, perhaps by several hours. As well, during travel I should plan on a longer ride as well. However, the train does not wait a single minute for any passengers running late, which makes sense I guess since the train is already late. The passengers better not dilly dally getting on or off between trains or they'll be left behind or stuck on the train they no longer need to be on. This sounds like a lot of anxiety. Remind me of going to the doctor's office where we are required to be there on time if not early and then we sit around and wait an hour plus to be seen by the doctor.

[@MacMcintosh-w1n]

Over the Christmas holidays I was taking the Coast Starlight from Oakland to Seattle. When I got to the station I told the station agent that I have limited mobility and would need some help. He said he would help me. Usually they give me a ride in the baggage cart. The only help I got from the station agent is he carried some of my luggage. My car was at the very end of the train and I had to walk the whole distance. I wasn’t sure I would make it, but I did but needed to sit down to recuperate.

[@deltabravo1257]

Very good tip at the beginning about mixed service. Here's my experience, which will provide more advice for viewers. Back in 2006, I booked a trip from Tacoma, WA to ABQ, NM. It was Coast Starlight (mostly) and then SW Chief. The CA portion was a lot of "mixed services" (bus and other trains). I had no idea why. I later decided to splurge and go with a Sleeper Car for the Coast Starlight. I made the changes over the phone a day or so before departure. Here's why the trip was initially booked as mixed service: The online reservation system simply tried to get me from point A (Tacoma) to Point B (LAX) to Point C (ABQ) as quick as possible. It routed me on mixed service so I could hopefully get to LAX early enough in the day so I could catch the outgoing SW Chief the same day. Coast Starlight arrives in LAX 4-5 hours AFTER the SW Chief leaves, hence the reason for mixed service in CA the way I initially booked the trip. Sometimes, a person will want to book a long trip in segments rather than plugging in your start point and ultimate destination, otherwise you will end up with mixed service.

[@PaulGriffith]

Just found your channel. Train service from New Orleans to Mobile, Ala. is being restored in 2024. I think they have overcome the political barriers.

[@lelandrogers1078]

On my bucket list trip in October every train was either early or on time. I rode the City of New Orleans twice, the Empire Builder, the Coast Starlight, the San Juaquines, Throughway bus from Stockton to Sacramento, the California Zephyr. I called the 800 number as rewards member and told her which train I wanted and when and she set it up perfectly.

[@sevenlouise8091]

When taking the Pere Marquette from Grand Rapids to Chicago I was lucky enough to have no seat mate! I dozed most of the trip sitting sideways on both seats, but I made sure to move and leave the seat free at every stop so that someone could sit there. But no one ever did 😊.

[@steveboverie9432]

I made mistake #2. I had never ridden a train and just wanted the experience. I saw that the return was about 4 hour wait at one stop and thought that would work well. The train was running very late and I would miss the return. I contacted customer service and they made arrangements for me to get off several stops before my destination so that I could return on time. Know this, next time I will book a hotel and travel the next day.

[@josephjuno9555]

On Alaska RR u can Literally get Off and On Anywhere along the Track! If u stand next to track in middle of Nowhere the Train will Stop for you and you can tell them where u want to get off? There are trucks, atv or snowmobile along the tracks So peep get to/from town to cabin in wilderness?

[@RobertSeale1969]

True... even on the Acela, which almost ALWAYS on time, we had a 6-hour delay because a tree fell on the electrical wires that run the train, caught fire, and broke the wires, and fell and blocked the tracks. They had to cut the power, call the fire department to make sure the fire was out, repair the broken electrical wire, repair the tracks, then re-inspect the tracks and have the fire marshal inspect and approve the work as completed. We got to Boston at 3:30 AM and lost a whole day of vacation.

[@mholtebeck]

I knew all of these tips, but that's because I've watched all of your videos and followed your advice. To newbies to train travel- my advice is to follow their advice.

[@NowBoardingVlogs]

Great tips! I hope to take my first Amtrak at some point in 2024. 🤞

[@debw8460]

Hello guys 👋 because of you two I recommended train from Ct to Raleigh, NC they had a roomette and they enjoyed all the amenities. Unfortunately it was the staff who were rude uncaring and insensitive to them. The issue was dealt with tut sweet so their second trip was wonderful, enough so other family members will enjoy the train experience. Thank you for your advice in 2022 and 2023❤

[@tessat338]

A Baltimore friend and I had a concert to go to in DC today. Instead of driving, she took Amtrak from Baltimore to DC and I picked her up at Union Station and then dropped her off after the concert was done. The worst part was the traffic in front of the station!

[@charlesmalinowski8696]

A&R: Thank you for your suggestions. We didn’t listen and played Amtrak Roulette last week. In December (?) Amtrak had a Roomette BOGO deal and it inspired us to attempt Amtrak Across America Adventure last week. We too didn’t make it. Indianapolis - Chicago - Los Angeles - Emeryville - Chicago - Indianapolis. Delays and broken equipment the entire adventure. We made it 90% then Amtrak suggested we de-train at Galesburg IL for a 4 hour bus ride to INDY. Amtrak did deliver us home safely. The Western Amtrak Equipment does struggle to perform, the on-board Amtrak Staff and corporate communications via personal calls, emails and texting was excellent. Your advice is sound regarding Amtrak. Thanks and keep those great videos coming!

[@Alastriona]

2:02 The San Joaquins is a very nice journey through the San Joaquin Valley. You get see the Delta region that you cant see from the road. Also the train goes along south bank of the Suisun Bay. The coolest thing I saw on that trip was the tide racing up the Sacramento River.

[@angelbaby4ever87]

I was 6 1/2 hours late on the Pere Marquette in December and SOOO many people had to walk at 4:15 am in Holland, MI because there wasn't any services available and couldn't contact anybody because it was so late by the time we figured out we were finishing the trip by bus.

[@patriciafuchs5970]

Great advice, thanks. Especially about relying on the train being on time or it waiting for people to board.

[@NancyBiker]

You give the best advice. I have now taken my 2nd trip and have converted others to train travel as well.

[@currentconditions962]

Important to research a lot before a long train ride. I have so far been fortunate during my Amtrak trips except for 1 time, and it was my fault. I had rode on a 9 hour shuttle from Idaho to Utah, to catch the midnight Amtrak from SLC going west. The Desk Amtrak Personnel reported that Amtrak was running 3-4 hours late. I was extremely tired and my phone was low on battery, and there were no outlets at the small SLC station, so I decided to go to a nearby hotel to get some rest, plus my anxiety level was high, because I was going to miss my connection in Sacramento CA. I missed my train at SLC because the train actually speed up and arrived in SLC a couple of hours not 3/4 hours, the good part about all this is that Amtrak reimbursement me all my money. I also, have used the Amtrak Buses to connect to other train service in CA from Portland Oregon, but only for an hour ride in order to get to Solona Beach San Diego in the afternoon, otherwise I would have arrived at 1:00 am, if I would have taken the the Coast Starlight. I have taken the Amtrak Buses 3 times, and they are very comfortable, clean, on time and the Amtrak Conductors are very nice and professional. And please, if you are a person with very little patience, the long train rides are not for you. There was a woman sitting behind me, that was upset at her man because he insisted on taking a long Amtrak ride instead of the plane , and they actually were arguing loud day and night practically from AZ to OR. They were warned until finally they were told that they will be kicked out of the train, the Amtrak police didn’t kick them off, but they kept them apart on the train until their destination. One last thing, Amtrak is not always late. From the 8 long distance Amtrak I have traveled, the train has only been late once. Be prepared, travel light, research and have lots of Patience for Train Travel or take the Plane!

[@KC3YCU]

I rode the Cardinal back in 2021 right when Amtrak eliminated capacity limits. They kept saying that every seat would be needed, but i never got a seatmate. I would absolutely not rely on this, however, as I've had a seatmate more often than not

[@littlee4620]

I remember one time there was a guy putting his unaccompanied minor son on the train at a station in Pennsylvania (the guy was not traveling with his son) and the train left the station before he could get off. Had to have someone pick him up at the next station stop.

[@trishoconnor2169]

Did he end up having to buy a ticket for himself?

[@littlee4620]

@@trishoconnor2169 nope, the Amtrak staff were really cool about it and they all had a good laugh

[@amandaregis313]

Hubby and I are traveling on the Maple Leaf the day before our cruise from Brooklyn and staying overnight at the same hotel before heading home, as well as staying in Niagara Falls before and after (traveling from Barrie by Go Train). We'll likely prebook a cab the night before to get to Penn Station.

[@aloysiusfee1687]

That's true I was coming into Union Station(Washington D.C.) waiting for it to transform into electric went downstairs to the food court almost missed the 🚆 coming never again too close of a 📞. Smh.

[@Susan-kz8dd]

Good tips especially about making sure that you're on the platform

[@surveyorma]

I was in Denver waiting for California Zephyr the train doesn’t back in all the way so you can see the train They do not make announcements in the station Spook to conductor boarding the the train told him I had been there for 4 hours and he said I probably didn’t have push notifications on Still can’t believe they didn’t have a PA system

[@ricardoredis1381]

Melhor vídeo que eu poderia ter visto. Já desisti de viajar de trem pelos EUA com a família. Obrigado.

[@donhorvat1931]

Welcome advice. You mentioned you’d post hotels near stations in major cities (favorite or otherwise) this would really be helpful. Thank you….

[@eliaomg]

I’m going to D.C and The Hyatt House/The Wharf is pretty cheap. close to downtown and the main attractions. A cheap price (about $750 for 4 nights). About 10-15 mins from union.

[@drbcrb]

Look up the train station on google maps. Nearby hotels restaurants etc will be on the map.

[@schex9]

Holiday Inn New Orleans is not far from the NOL train station. Definitely a budget option. The Hyatt is nicer and closer, but more expensive.

[@greeneggslamb9336]

They said the info is on their website. 😊

[@ryancaldwell9463]

I got on a NE regional originating in DC. Can’t remember if it was a weekday or a weekend. But the to board was loonnggg, and yep, once we were boarding they announced that it was full full full, there would be zero empty seats for people to spread out into.

[@Lirrmike]

Im going to Whitefish, MT from New York in August. Im staying in the Chicago area overnight both ways for the exact reasons. I did the same thing last year going from NY to Colorado.

[@jameskelly1680]

Bringing an outlet strip should be a #1 priority whenever you travel. Even at the airport, you will be very popular if you share your plug-ins with other travelers who need to charge up or run a laptop.

[@catreader9733]

Agreed about having an outlet strip or a multi-port charger. When airports started sporting places where you could plug in directly with a USB or Lightning cable, it seemed very convenient, but it is possible for data hijacking to occur if someone tampered with the station. But if you are connected directly to line power, one avenue for data hijacking is eliminated.

[@JenStander]

100% When friends ask me about train travel the main things I tell them are to bring a power strip, not expect to arrive anywhere near to on time and to get a sleeper for overnight rides

[@FrankCarroll_Nevada]

Having traveled in Europe the past few summers and extensively used the rail system there, one becomes quickly used to moving with purpose, the train crews are quite used to older people moving slower; the train work diligently at maintaining the schedule, and other passengers are used to the "un-trained" Americans not being familiar with "train courtesy" and tolerate us.

[@teambandicoottransit0824]

I purchased the train ticket for me and my grandmother. Well, we were heading from Bowling Green, KY, until November 1, 2023 and there's no Amtrak or Greyhound Bus that serves Bowling Green, KY so I had my mother drop us of at Cincinnati, OH to Catch the Train at Cincinnati, OH by 3:37 AM EST heading to Philadelphia, PA and The 3 AM is the only one that is available for Amtrak Cardinal Train from Cincinnati to Philadelphia and was $185 for 2 Seats coach class 2:18

[@BETTERWORLDSGT]

Never rode Amtrak, but rode a lot of Greyhound Buses years ago. Have rode Trains in Europe and Asia and always enjoyed it!

[@phylliskress2296]

Another thing is to not call ahead to a pharmacy if "you" are taking certain prescriptions (that can be a pain in the posterior, waiting for the prescription and the train has left the station!)

[@youngchu1638]

There is a way to know to see if there will be another passenger will sit next to you: the tags above the seat. And it reads with station/city code that traveler/passenger is traveling to. It's just sad that Cardinal doesn't offer Business Class anymore (2019 was final year).

[@ericaF79]

We have taken Amtrak to Florida a few times, from NYC. The 1st trip, we were 4 hours late. The 2nd trip about 2 hours late.....that trip was for a cruise but we got in the day before because we knew it wouldn't work any other way. The 3rd trip, surprisingly arrived 15 mins early. The most stressful part for me, and it may be due to my eyesight (I'm legally blind) is waiting to board because we board in NYC and the amount of people, noise and tracks is too much to handle, lol. These are great tips. I didn't even know that there's a chance that you'd have to ride a bus, thanks for that

[@louiseclark7967]

You guys are so knowledgeable and informative! All the pitfalls people would never think of! Thank you!

[@MargretRoberts]

Allie and Rob, thank you so very much for all of your wonderful advice! I neede to change my itinerary for my upcoming trip to Savannah GA and the Amtrak rep was AWESOME!

[@Ilovemesomemj1]

Happy New Year. Thank you for the knowledge about the bus/train information.

[@valeriereed5401]

Thanks for the advice. I'm thinking of going to Toronto this year on Amtrak. I was planning to ride coach since my departure will be from NY Penn Station. 😊

[@patrickcatpop]

I appreciate you often telling people to sign up for Amtrak Guest Rewards. I have a limited budget and don't get to travel much. I am in the San Francisco Bay Area and travel via coach or roomette to Reno or Winnemucca, or down to Los Angeles, once up to Seattle. I just barely earn enough points before they expire to get a free roomette each time. It has been nice. Oh! My last trip, I got myself a free roomette for one leg of a trip and on my return I got a coach seat. I then experimented with the new BidUp system and scored a roomette for much lower than usual. So I scored big that trip.

[@lindabaker667]

My gosh! I thought flying was stressful. I thought about taking a train trip, but I'm not so sure after this video!

[@PeggyEscobar-v8j]

It’s not stressful. You just have to understand and pay attention when your stop is. I sat behind a woman who was told by the conductor that her stop was coming up. The name of the station was written prominently on the wall of the station visible through the window. She sat through the fifteen minute stop the train left with her not getting off. I don’t know if she expected an invited escort. It was weird.

[@jec6613]

As the highest tier flier on AA, Amtrak is much less stressful.

[@whothou]

i dunno, besides maybe getting through airports flying is pretty stress free. ​@@jec6613

[@kathleenhudson8429]

I was going from Reno, Nevada, to Los Angeles. The first option would have gotten me there in 17 hours, but it included a bus from Reno, as well as two more buses and one short train ride. Instead, I took the train from Reno, spent the night in Martinez, and then went to Los Angeles from there. Much more comfortable! Also, it’s important to plan to get places early even on a plane. Several years ago, my friend and I were meeting in Seattle on a Friday so we could be sure to make our Saturday 3 p.m. prepaid ferry to Victoria. While I took the train, she was flying in from New Jersey Friday afternoon. We found out a couple of hours before her plane left that it was canceled. Fortunately, she was able to book an early Saturday plane, which got her there just in time for us to have lunch and then catch our ferry.

[@jeffreyhall5307]

One thing I found to be the worst mistake I could've made (but didn’t do it), just from down my roomette (#7) on the door of the adjoining baggage car (doors don't match and would be locked, but it's a great place to view where we've been, not available on the observation car) a plastic Dr. Pepper bottle had been left, wedged into the brace that's part of connecting hardware (when they can). I showed our attendant. She didn’t notice it before. Said it was unusual, but it's not really a critical issue. Remember taking a video, but it must be on another device. BUT the worst mistake I could've made, was to see, if I could see it from the outside during an extended clean air break. A worker checking the tracks was quite concerned about my even getting close to it. 480 volts AC⚡️🤯

[@michaelbruchas6663]

Years ago - when the Northbound Crescent rolled into Charlotte - the train would have a 20 minute slot to re-fuel, but often either Charlotte/Mecklenburg Police or Amtrak Police would run a K-9 through the train. It would arrive between midnight and 1am. It was a “smoke stop” but often kind of panicky folks would be exiting the coaches as we were trying to get on. It wasn’t unusual to start then stop the train for somebody who had gotten off and suddenly realized the train was leaving..

[@perfectstormpress]

Hi, love your broadcasts. You mentioned a list of the best hotels closest to train stations, but I don't see a link for that list. Can you please add it? It would be most helpful to me. Thank you, and happy trails.

[@greeneggslamb9336]

They stated that it was on their website.

[@timbacchus]

Hey thank you so much for this information. I have not seen anyone else give out this information. Again thanks have a safe and happy new year.

[@carolclevenger3707]

My favorite view on the Lakeshore Limited is Sandusky Bay at night. There is invariably someone on board who wants to know what ocean that is. I guess a Great Lake really is a Great Lake!

[@darrellsadler2848]

More valuable advice from you two...thank you.

[@tamaracheeseman183]

So ironic. After watching your videos for a year. I was paranoid about missing our train on the Zephyr EB from Emeryville. The station staff was not helpful. We found another couple in our car and stuck to them until boardin!

[@michaelschmitt7662]

We are planning on a some kinda trip out west. You guys have helped us out a lot. Thank you!

[@paulbjorlin2807]

You mentioned traveling by Amtrak to catch a cruise, this is how we get to the majority of our cruises is by Amtrak. We have learned that to make sure we get to our cruise on time that when taking Amtrak we try to head to the port city at least 3 days in advance and even then it has been cut close due to train shutdowns. We prefer traveling by train but even with a 3 day gap we have had to switch to a plane to get to our destination. I will say that we live in Minnesota so it is rare we have a straight route to our port with the exception of using the Empire Builder to Seattle and even that you cannot count on nowdays.

[@carolyngreen1673]

Great info. If your traveling across country can you change your destination stop if say you decide you what to visit an area for a longer time and continue your trip later?

[@gtjgtj8334]

Again, another great video.We just love you guys keep up the good work!

[@moniquebutler8572]

Excellent tips! I love riding Amtrak. Thank you very much!

[@whoviating]

While it certainly is wise to assume a train will be late, that is, to build in delay time for connections or whatever, I think saying Amtrak is "often six to eight hours late" is way off. I expect I haven't ridden Amtrak as much as you have, but I've logged by conservative estimate over 50,000 miles and I've had delays that long precisely four times, only one of them unexplained - the others being due to UP refusing to clear the line, a medical emergency in the Nevada desert, and a tornado. If it's a case of "get there or get left," such as a cruise, yeah, plan for the next day. But "often six to eight hours late" is way over the top. On another point, the overhead storage area is significantly better than you indicated. Heck, in the image you showed, you could have easily fit another of the larger bags in simply by turning the one there. And you should have at least mentioned that the Superliner cars have baggage storage on the lower level.

[@glenn9057]

you both are awesome. im a newbie to Amtrak. i had no clue what "mixed service" meant. i thought maybe it meant multiple trains. i dont want a bus

[@steveolive9991]

Walking in downtown Chicago at 3 a.m. is not a safe move.

[@michaelliszewski5776]

A lot of good advice here. I will say, the San Joaquins line was actually a pretty nice trip the time I got stuck taking it instead of the Coast Starlight like I had planned. I overslept in San Diego so I wasn't going to make it LA in time to at the Coast Starlight but the ticket person in SD was great and got me booked on the San Joaquins. The bus from LA to Bakersfield was comfortable and only about half-full. Got to Bakersfield with enough time to grab lunch in town without rushing. The San Joaquins had some of the friendliest staff and one of the better cafe cars I've experienced on Amtrak (it had a slightly more expansive menu and the prices were a little cheaper than typical). Got to see some scenery of inland California that I never would have seen otherwise and arrived in Oakland before the CS I was supposed to take. Not a bad day considering how I woke up in a panic. I can't imagine the day turning out as well as it did if I had missed a flight instead of an Amtrak.

[@mholtebeck]

My advice is to take the Surfliner to SLO and then the bus to San Jose or Emeryville. You get the best part of the route of the Coast Starlight. The Starlight is better, but Surfliner has wifi.

[@PeggyEscobar-v8j]

I took the San Joaquin’s to Yosemite and the staff was marvelous. We had concerns about our luggage and the extremely busy conductor solved it while carrying out her other duties. The views were lovely and an interesting part of California. The train was very full though.

[@feverishpinkmama]

I was trying to get down to where my parents live in Florida, but I would’ve had to take the bus back up from Tampa I believe that was a silver star in the silver meteor or something

[@feverishpinkmama]

Yes, I was looking at that too when my parents lived down in Florida

[@stephaniechapman1781]

Good morning thank you both for the information.

[@5thman677]

Very informative. I don't give a lot of thumbs up, but this one got a thumbs up.

[@MA-yh2ko]

That outlet situation in coach is sooo aggravating. Not only do u have to have a conversation with the window seat occupant about charging, then there's the CORD stretched over said window passenger. Ugh

[@alanwilson4431]

Love your videos...Happy New Year from England 🇬🇧

[@mileswinslow7553]

Thanks. I should have watched this before. I am taking The City of New Orleans to New Orleans. I get in at 3:50 PM. I'm seeing the Eagles at the Smoothy Center, essentially across the street from the Amtrak Station 🚉. The concert starts at 7:00 with Steele Dan opening up. My hotel is about a ten minute walk from the Station. If I'm late, maybe I'll have to get a locker at the station, go see the concert, and then double back to the Station and grab my bag, and then head to my hotel. My concert is insured by Alliance, as is the Amtrak sojourn. I always bring the extra power 🔋 source for my phone 📱. I have a Roomette on The City of New Orleans. I embark in St. Paul and I have a coach seat 💺 on The Empire Builder. I end up flying back to MSP via Delta a few days later.

[@lindamiller1921]

At about 10:00 in your video, you were discussing about being at the right place because. If you are supposed to be in coach, only that door may be open. At an unmanned station, there is no one to ask. How do you know where to stand so that the train doesn’t leave you?

[@richardnasluchacz3227]

Some other things. Arrive at a manned station least an hour before departure to be able to check your bags. And yes, you do something wrong on a train, there will be consequences. On one trip someone stayed the room next to ours. But they didn’t pay to stay in a room, they had a roomette in the lower deck and decided to take an unpaid upgrade to a full room. We stopped for a couple to get on the train and they were surprised to find the squatters in their room. There were at least 4 train personnel there right away, getting the offenders out of the room, doing a quick deep clean of the room, and escorting the offenders to their roomette to gather all their belongings. They were ejected, along with friends staying in a separate room they actually paid for, at the very next station. And don’t forget to bring antacid. With the motion of the train, the ability to eat without much physical activity, and the fact that you can’t buy it on the train, a episode of indigestion on a long trip can be very uncomfortable. And I agree, avoid mixed traveling arrangements. It wasn’t planned, but due to a track closure, I had to take a train, to a bus, to another train. The bus portion was incredibly uncomfortable, especially as I had paid for a room for the trip. The only upside was that I was able to call and get a hefty credit back to use on a future trip. But you have to call or email them, they don’t just give it to you.

[@miragexl007]

Fun to watch again...finally my wife is going on a trip with me...the Zephyr, just to Colorado from Michigan/Chicago. Good tips, good refresher. Power strip vs your adapter, is my recommendation along with double sided tape/or velco to secure it mid window at the base. Easier to plug multiple things. Looking into more trips (sleeper trips). kind of cool...Just Still expensive. Hopefully I'll learn more about getting deals/specials, utilizing CC an/or points etc. Did the Deal of 40K points special...nice, maybe a Sleeper car one ways worth?. Wish there was a direct route form Chicago to Florida...Ughh.

[@marcbramhall814]

My local station is Berlin, Connecticut. It's unmanned. The worst thing about it is there's no place to go to the bathroom. Pre-pandemic (2019) there was a port-a-crapper. When i traveled again in 2021 it had been removed. The other annoying thing is the automated announcements. The train can be arriving 10 mins late but the automated announcements will still play at the "scheduled" time.

[@davidhearrell5598]

If one, or both , can't climb up to the upper berth in a roomette, consider two roomettes, on opposite sides of the train. More individual room, different views. I enjoy your travels.

[@PeggyEscobar-v8j]

My husband and I do that and love it.

[@michaelbankston7430]

The trains arrive twenty minutes or so before departure. For this reason, I recommend arriving at the station at least half an hour before departure. If you're getting your ticket at the station, however, try to arrive at least an hour before departure. Like you said, setting up an Amtrak account comes with benefits. I took my first train ride last year; I established an account the very day I went online to book my ticket. Now I get $100 deducted from my fare.

[@susanb1394]

LOVE your videos! Always good info, thank you!!!

[@AnnThrockmorton]

I wish Security would have been a little more serious last time I took the Crescent. There was a man sitting directly behind me who raved, cussed and ranted mostly the whole way. His offensive speech (some of it to ppl on his cellphone) continued until the little girl, sitting with her Mom behind *him* (who began the trip giggling and playing with her toys) finally dissolved into tears. I gave her some candy, at one point, that I had, in an effort to convince her that we others aboard the train, weren't all monsters! The Steward came by several times on her busy duties back and forth, and would try to shush him, to no avail. As soon as she left our immediate area, he'd crank right back up. I spoke to the Conductor later about this, and he said if he had been made aware, the man would have been put off the train at the next stop. From the, "If you see something, say something" Dept.! (I was thinking the Steward would let him know.) BTW this was many years ago. Due to the increase in incidents since then, Security has probably been tightened.

[@toddinde]

Always tell the conductor. They’re in charge of the train.

[@MargretRoberts]

Love this segment! Used to the trains in Europe. Why do they not open all doors?

[@ferencercseyravasz7301]

Also: if you're not an American citizen, and your route takes you anywhere within 100 miles of the border, make sure to have all your papers (passport, visa, legal residence) with you. My wife and I have been dragged off an Amtrak train in Buffalo NY by border guards at 5 AM, kept in holding cells for hours until they made sure that we're not illegal immigrants and then threatened with huge fines before being released.

[@pauldavis8418]

Great video,thank you for much needed info. My question is,I will be traveling to San Francisco on the Zephyr in April. From there I will be taking the Coastal Starlight to LA. My question is should I have booked a roomette instead of going coach? The trip is close to twelve hours and leaves early AM and gets in after eight PM. Should I upgrade to a compartment?

[@mjsteward5508]

I like Amtrak better. Some places you would have to take the Amtrak bus to different parts of Wisconsin like Green Bay, Appleton and Oshkosh.

[@TassieEV]

Thanks guys for a good video about Amtrak. The rewards program though what happens if your coming in from overseas do you think it's worthwhile as it could be a one off and it's not like you can use the points when you go back home where there is no Amtrak.

[@slf994]

Great info. Thanks You folks are to cool

[@dianestrauss9699]

I so enjoy your channel. Thanks sincerely for all the tips!

[@brucebelcher4995]

I have two questions: 1. I'm going to sign-up for the Amtrak Credit Card. They currently offer 20,000 bonus points. Should I take that or wait for something better? 2. Once I reach an Amtrak status level will I remain there, or do the status points reset to zero at the beginning of each year? I've seen evidence of Amtrak Security. Once dogs came through shortly after we left Colorado, and that was shortly after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana. Another time, a couple of passengers were arrested; other passengers told me that those passengers were caught transporting illegal drugs. I've taken many trips, and security kept a low profile every other time. All of your advice was good. Making time between the train trip and another event such as a cruise is just like having a good insurance policy. One doesn't know if the extra time or the insurance policy is needed, but it can prevent a catastrophe.

[@chrisdobrowolski2783]

The points reset every January I believe.

[@MindfulMinutesExplore]

How do you keep your credit cards and rewards programs organized? It certainly makes sense to optimize rewards and I might forget what I have and when to use what. Thanks.

[@HighHolyOne]

CONFUSION: Amtrak personnel, and even station announcements, refer to trains by number. I can't keep numbers straight, maybe because of my age. But I know im taking the Lake Shore Limited, or the Pierre Marquette. Fine if you use the numbers, but use the names too!

[@cherylsemrau7100]

Thank you for the information.

[@miragexl007]

I think you've done it before, and nothings is definite but a Tips and Tricks and expectations/How often, times of the year, days of the week for specials etc. would be great...again.

[@kskssxoxskskss2189]

How much of that Surfliner mixed nose is due to track erosion after the storms? Different kind of problem from intentional mixed mode. Also, that's a reminder that one of the worst things you can do is to neglect advocacy with your member of Congress, or assume someone else has it covered effectively.

[@mattguey-lee4845]

For some reason there's always someone on the train when I travel through Connecticut to New York that can seem to get off a the right stop. At least on that line there are multiple trains a day.