i have a story regarding the firmness of Amtrak's personnel on board. I was traveling on the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Kansas. My seatmate was an African-American man who was also traveling from LA. We were enjoying talking about our common values as pastors, he had been one, I was a missionary on furlough. He really liked hanging out in the observation car - he even slept there the first night - and late on our second evening, he came back to our seats and told me that another man in the observation car had been loudly mistreating him, using racial epithets. He then told me that the conductor had intervened and kicked them man off the train. I felt sorry for him that he had to endure that kind of verbal abuse, but I was glad that the Amtrak personnel dealt firmly and quickly with the situation.
The conductors are great they check on u now and then they are very friendly if u have questions or concerns they look into it and the rest of the staff is also made a few friends once I find out we from same state or hometown I’ve learned what they do when off duty when there’s a shift change on board and what they do on day off they talk to the kids about different parts of train and their functions
I was on a train and a fight broke out between two gangs. Amtrak hauled it to the nearest one horse town. It was on Christmas Eve. The engineer stopped the particular train car right on the main road. Local police boarded in Ameet and interigated them . Some went to jail. Others were given the choice to get off the train or go to jail. It took an hour for this to be handled. When the train arrived in Memphis were the gangs were from, Amtrak had notified the police. There was a large police presence. Amtrak seems to have excellent communication with local police departments along it's routes. Wonderful way to travel.
I have read that if something like this happens and there's not really a station stop coming up soon, they will call ahead to the next town the train passes through and boots everyone off. Glad to read that this really does happen. I read it in a book about train travel, so I don't consider that "real world" action, but your story clearly corroborates that. On a plane you'd be stuck with them for the duration. Another reason to choose train over plane.
Our place is 100 ft from the railroad tracks.I take my pug dog Kobe our and we wave to the observation car.We count how many waves we get from travelers.Its so fun to see the reactions and people pointing at us
I’m one of the on board wavers lol I couldn’t live that close to railroad tracks having your bed shake from a passing train at 1 am would wake me up every night Lol
Thats really cool. Once like 4 years ago or maybe 3 years ago I was at Cucko Station - Really Old Town Station in CA and I waved to the Amtrak Enginer and he honked the horn 9 times in a row- I loved that but 2 officers got scared and a passenger also got scared so they don't do that many times any more.
I've been traveling on Amtrak long-distance every year, occasionally more than once a year, since 2007. I always take a roomette and like you two, never lock the door and have never had an issue. In all those years I have never heard of anyone else having an issue either. As for security concerns, the staff is all sweetness and love until you become a problem then they go all rogue cop on you. You get one warning to stop and the next time you will be taken to jail. They will stop anywhere it is safe and a cop car can get to the tracks. They don't need a proper station. We had one fellow removed from the train and turned over to the county sheriff in some rustic town in the Cascades. No station building, just a gravel patch. We were there about 10 minutes and gone. They also void the rest of your ticket. If you have a return they might refund it with the usual draconian late cancellation charges. Once you are off the crew returns to all smiles and jokes. Wonderful folks just zero tolerance for nastiness.
Hi there, I was curious if you could assist with a question or two? When you say lock your room, are you saying lock it from the outside while you are not in it? I was curious, can I lock my roomette while I’m out, maybe in the shower or cafe car?
@@adrianb1655 You can’t lock the door from outside , only from the inside when you are in it. That said, in the 14 years I have been regularly riding the long-distance trains I have yet to hear of anyone having items taken. I wouldn’t leave the curtains open and an expensive laptop in plain view but with a little common sense you should have no issue.
I so love hearing you both accurately describing the traveling life on Amtrak. It's the only way I travel. The large bedroom is the most comfortable, if available. The tiny roomette is great for one person. Go Amtrak go!!! (: ... Thank you so much for your outstanding videos. Plus, you are such an amazingly sweet couple!!!
Hi my job dram is to work for Amtrak next year, but I would like to speak out as a consumer, I mention to the company to have a check-in as they do at the airport just for the guns,knifes or any device that can put the customers in danger 🙏
In my cart, it was not ok and not much was done about it! It was nothing but noise and drama and this was my return trip that was behind so totaled 24 hrs and ppl were out of control and nothing was done. I got a $50 voucher. I didn’t get sleep, I’m getting a roommette nxt time. I pray your first experience was not like mine.
Did Amtrak long distance for the first time after several short trips in my life for Chicago Salsa and Bachata Festival in August 2021. DC to Chicago and back, 17 hours one way. Would do again.
You are spot on with this. I rode the Lakeshore one year and it had a number of college kids that were very unruly. The conductor warned them once and when they didn't the next stop they were off and the police waiting. The crew did a good job.
Thank you for all your videos. My daughter and I are taking the Empire Builder in May to Washington. It will be our first time on a train. Not knowing what to expect brought me to UA-cam and there you were teaching me all I need to know. I feel very prepared and while I know there may be something come up to surprise me I feel it will be totally minor. I am handicapped and my daughter is going along to help me so all these videos have been a treat for me knowing what to expect. Thank you!!
I travel by Sleeper car on longer trips such as the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle to my stop in San Antonio Texas from Los Angeles California, so I haven't had any problems since I started riding by Sleeper, but when I used to ride on Coach to my stop, that's a completely different story. Never again do I ride Coach anymore.
Love your videos. You are absolutely right about security, a man was assigned a seat he did not like the car attendant said the train is sold out he kept on talking rude to the attendant and also the conductor. We stopped at a crossing outside of Chicago the Amtrak police and the Chicago police met the train . Justice was swift he was escorted off and told any other problems with them( police) he was going to jail. Keep up the good work.
I've travelled across country several times on Amtrak. I've seen a few people ejected from the train. They are no nonsense and I love it. On the last leg of my last trip in 2018, I had left my phone charger in plain sight in my room and it was gone when I returned. Lesson learned. The only station that I didn't feel completely safe at was New Orleans. But, I was there during hurricane Ike and people were just stressed and a little crazy. Love your content, thanks.
Traveling via Amtrak is such a secret treasure. Especially if you can afford a room of amy size on a long distance overnight trip. I found dinner on the auto train to Florida to be surprisingly good. And the motion over night will rock you to sleep. More should use this.
Thanks for another great informative video! I can't speak to what it's like with the current COVID situation, but the usual Amtrak experience is excellent. Regarding the trains on which I've traveled (City of New Orleans, Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited), I never felt that either I or my property were at risk, nor did I hear any other passengers complaining about safety or security issues. The train staff were professional and on the ball, and if there were any problems, they kept us informed. For example, we made a brief stop in Mississippi for what at first was thought to have been a collision with an animal on the tracks in the dark. In fact, it was an air-hose uncoupling or something like that, causing the brakes to engage automatically. The sleeping car attendant told me train/animal incidents weren't unusual, though, mostly involving cattle straying out of an open gate or a broken fence; she made sure all of us knew what was up and how long the delay was likely to be. Always a "well done" to Amtrak from me!
For my uncle's birthday, we took a Greyhound since my family members' became ill and could not help drive from OKC to Denver. I wish I had thought of taking an Amtrak instead of Greyhound.
I was on probably the safest Auto Train trip from Lorton to Sanford several years ago. A bunch of K9 officers and their dogs were travelling to Florida for some event or other, and the dogs stayed with the officers in their roomettes. NOBODY was going to be causing ANY trouble on that trip. It was so cool seeing an occasional German Shepherd or other breed wander past my roomette.
@@chrisdobrowolski2783 I think that trip I had a subcompact sedan, a Ford Focus. On another trip it was a mid-size sedan belonging to my travelling companion, don’t recall make or model. No issues with either car. The trip was awesome in first class/sleeper cars. Coach was okay except when I wanted to sleep. Not comfortable at all, and some idiots in our car decided to hold a conversation around dawn while some of us were still trying to get a little more sleep. I only took coach the first leg of that trip, upgraded to sleeper for the return trip and all future trips. Food is good in first class, meh in coach. Beds very comfortable. Roomettes and bedrooms both very nice. On the Auto Train there are no stops (except for a middle-of-the-night service stop), so no fresh air breaks, but because of no stops there is a smoking lounge for smokers. It’s been a few years, so additional details of my trips might be out of date now, but I’d happily take the Auto Train again.
My wife and I started a long train trip in February. St.Paul to Chicago. Chicago to L A via Texas on the Texas Eagle. L A to Portland, OR. to St.Paul, MN. 8 days straight on the trains. All in rooms. I have learned that if you are handicapped make sure you ask for a handicapped room. All of the room attendants were very nice! The same menu got sort of old fast!
You have provided wonderful and accurate coverage of journeying by Amtrak. My wife and I used Amtrak frequently during the time our daughter was living in Atlanta GA. We used the twin cabins where we had more than one night aboard and roomettes on the Crescent and Lake Shore Limited. It was a great experience and we ran out of routes to travel from the West Coast to Eastand back . I did once get food poisoning, probably from orange juice, on the Sunset Limited. The best part was the dining experience, we always found great conversation and it was a great way to get a sample of the USA, being Ozzy's got more interest.. We were on travelling out of LA when the train was delayed 3 hours by a fire in a trackside factory, we had just 3 hours to make our connection in Chicago for Washington. The train was unable to make up the 3 hours but Amtrak made arrangements for passengers with connecting trains and our connection was straight across the platform. Book as early as you can. Prices seem to rise closer to departure date and according to train capacity. We booked my wife and I on the Empire Builder and got the standard low price. We immediately booked my mother-in-law and paid a tier higher price. Unfortunately we could have got the low price if we had all booked together. If/when we come to the USA again we will definitely travel by Amtrak.
Thank you so much for your very informative videos! We took the Empire Builder from MN to Whitefish, MT to see the mountains and ski. We watched your videos before we left, and they helped A LOT! Keep enjoying your travels!
The first thing I want to say I will NEVER EVER fly again. Only a couple of times that I have traveled has my train been late. That is strictly due to the freight carrier's NOTE giving Amtrak priority!!! Otherwise the most I have been delayed is 5 or 10 minutes. The one thing you have to remember about riding the train is the sights and the people. I have never met such nice folks as on the train. In my humble opinion the only way to travel is by rail and then the only was to travel is by booking a roomette, family bedroom, if your handicapped they even have an accessibly bedroom with a toilet in the room. Otherwise I get a deluxe sleeper and the name will depend on which of the long distance trains you are taking. So to make a very long story short I always, always ride the train!! Thanks for the video.
Thank you very much for all the info! I am taking my very first solo train trip in July to my aunt's in Sacramento and it's nice to know all these important tips going in!
For years they have had K-9 units in Union Station in Chicago that are meant to detect explosives. I've seen them during the time just before boarding passing near passengers.
I love this kind of video. Very informative. I am glad to hear they are very diligent in the security. Especially if you are traveling alone. You always have good advice.
Regarding needing to show your ticket to enter the station, that depends on the station. I regularly pass through Milwaukee, Chicago, and Saint Louis, and I've only ever needed to show my ticket to get into certain parts of Union Station in Chicago, as all those stations are shared with other services. Of course, your experience will vary depending on where you board, so be prepared.
I just recently discovered your wonderful videos. Thank you so much for doing these. They are very helpful. I am a disabled senior and will be going from san diego to Denver with my friend. I am binging your videos so I can have as much knowledge as I possibly can before my trip. Its good to know we can bring a small, soft sided cooler. We plan to bring our own food, as buying food on the train really isn't an option. I guess there are fast food places at some of the stops, and my friend would be the one to go get us something to eat. I am very slow and would fear missing the train. Again, thank you for your videos. They make it so much easier to plan our trip.
I have taken Amtrak for yrs & even with my daughter being a child (she's an adult now) traveling in coach. And I guess we were pretty lucky b/c as much "stuff" we brought along, (dvd player, DVD, gameboy, etc.) we always left stuff in our seats & nobody ever bothered it. And we would walk to the lounge hang out there for awhile & walk around. I guess they figured too much hassle to try & find stuff. Now we didn't leave things out in the open either. We also would stay in a room mette & never locked it. Didn't know it could be locked.
On a Northbound Crescent in 2016, I was sitting in the Handicapped area because I had brought so many bags and coolers of special diet food and medications to last for my one week stay in NYC. So there was no way I could change seats. The passenger behind me was the most vile, trash-mouth, disgusting person it has ever been my misfortune to be near, before or since. He talked to himself, to some people on his phone, and to himself again using a string of the worst language! Directly behind him were a Mother travelling with her Daughter, and I remember at one point the little girl burst into tears, complaining to her Mom about him. I was actually terrified as the trip progressed that this disturbed individual was going to harm someone. The Attendant stopped and told him several times that he was talking too loudly, that there were complaints, but nothing stopped him. He'd stop briefly while she was standing there, but as soon as she left the area, he'd crank right back up again. The Conductor had come through once, earlier in the trip, before the man had begun his monologue. He never showed up again to say anything to him. I remember taking a candy bar to the little girl at one point to try to comfort her in some small way. I've had other wonderful trips aboard Amtrak, but your video brought back memories of that one awful exception. I've never been so happy for a trip to end -- and wouldn't you know, the guy was aboard all the way to NYC. I saw the Conductor later (I worked at an Atlanta hotel where the crew regularly slept on swap-out) and told him about the man. He apologized for the bad experience and said that if he had been notified, the man would have been put off at the next stop. So the lesson for me there was, if anything like that happens again (highly doubtful -- surely there aren't many people who act so horribly), I will personally notify the Conductor myself. They can't fix that of which they have no knowledge. I kept assuming the Attendant would summon him, but you know what they say about "assume"!! In her defense, the Attendant was a diligent worker, and very busy back and forth between/among rail cars; good about cleaning and picking up trash, so she wasn't around him long enough at a time to realize how unpleasant and downright scary he was.
I just took the C-Z, the Capital Limited, and Silver Star from San Francisco to Tampa in what was my first overnight train trip in a roommette, and now that I’ve done it, I’m bummed I hadn’t done it before now, lol. It was beautiful, the staff and other passengers were great, the scenery on the C-Z was fantastic, I slept like a baby… it was all around a great time. I’m glad I’d watched some of your videos so I was a bit more familiar. And now I’ve become an unofficial Amtrak spokesperson, recommending everyone take the train. Thanks for the info.
Thank you. We are considering returning from Chicago to Southwes Chief for 46 hours by coach. This morning, we will buy a bicycle lock because we will have medium luggage, which will be checked; thanks for the tip. Also, one backpack with electronics and another with survivor travel things, like changing clothing, two blankets, headphones, neck pillows, bath necessities, and toilet paper if we need them (something crap happens). Of course, one bag with some food. Then, we can carry the essentials and keep the rest locked in our seats while enjoying the observation car.
It makes a lot of sense for trains to not have airplane-like security on trains. It's awfully hard to hijack a train and cause trouble. The reduced security and generally reduced stress are a big part of why I take trains (the other part being the comfort).
I agree that the staff are well trained in dealing with unruly patrons. I've been on a couple of trains where they have kicked people off. Once it was in the middle of nowhere and the only people greeting the train were the local sheriffs.
I traveled on the empire builder from Montana to Washington state. When we arrived in Spokane Washington there is a layover there, there was one other passenger with me on the lower level while we were waiting some creepy looking guy came on board the train, he opened the door to the car and walked to the back of the car while he he looking around. He walked back to the front of the car then exited off the train. He was scruffy looking somewhat like a drunk or homeless man. I was on alert just in case he tried to rob either one of us. Anyone can come onboard when the train is being attended to on a layover.
The only time you need a passport on Amtrak, is when you are heading to and from Canada. Example is from Buffalo to Toronto if you do not have a valid driver's license.
While traveling to Chicago from Minneapolis about 6 years ago, there was a man who had been bragging about how much money he was carrying on him - he was coming from Las Vegas and he kept talking about how much money he had won.Two other men evidently were plotting to rob him when the train got to Chicago. Someone tipped the Conductor and they took the man off in Milwaukee. The police there waiting to assist and ensure his safety. That’s the only time that I felt nervous riding Amtrak. I sleep, if you can call it sleep, with my purse straps wrapped around one arm, the bag under my armpit and my other hand covering the zipper-anything of value is way down in my bag so I feel as if it would take a lot to make not notice movement
Thanks for sharing on this subject….I’m taking my first train ride thanks to your videos , I’ll be leaving the first of September on the crescent… I’m so excited 😁
We were on a long stretch between stops in Nevada on the California Zephyr. Someone got fighting drunk. They found someone in the middle of nowhere to come arrest him. And a second cop car to take the rest of his travel group, because although they were not under arrest, they were no longer welcome on the train. Very drunk.
Women must keep their purses with them at all times when traveling on coach. Several years ago, while traveling overnight on the City of New Orleans, a woman tried to steal my wife's purse which she had left on the floor in front of her seat when she went downstairs to the restroom. Fortunately, I was awake at the time, and caught a woman trying to reach over my legs to steal my wife's purse. Boy, was she ever surprised when I intercepted her arm, told her to get away, and to never return. Although she attempted to pursuade me that my wife's purse was actually hers, she got my message loud and clear, and chose to leave. When my wife returned, I told her what had happened, and went to find and to inform the Conductor. Our return trip was in a roomette. WE have traveled on many other Amtrak trains before with never a security concern at all.
A lot of people aren't aware of it, but Amtrak has it's own Police force, they have a noticable presence at busy stations like DC, Chicago and New York Penn. Sometimes the Amtrak Special Agents will be riding onboard the trains, you'll be more likely to see this on the Northeast Corridor. It's very rare to see Special Agents from the host freight railroad at stations or onboard the train. TSA VIPER Teams will rarely show up at stations, but it does happen sometimes.
I left my checked pink bag in the car I was in and checked on it often. I put it into the luggage rack and kept an eye on it. I didn’t have any problems with that.
We encountered an incident this past weekend from Sacramento to Portland whereas a fight almost broke out between two passengers because one the passengers stole the cell phone of the other passenger while he was asleep at 3am. #Amtrak personnel never showed up to break up the altercation. The verbal altercation went on for 10-15 minutes that disrupted the passengers. Luckily it didn’t turn violent but it came very close.
I love riding Amtrak. It does not save me time from long hauls but I find it safe, as you guys said, there are many personnel and stops to handle trouble. Also, I get plenty of rest riding on it than driving even as a passenger
Greetings from Cambodia. I was very surprised to hear that Atlanta is a small station. Thanks for the information in your videos. I like watching them. I use to love traveling by Amtrak more than 20 years ago and did long trips fairly often. I just went through the process of registering on their website though (that wasn't easy either) as I anticipate a trip back to the US early next year and see the disastrous air travel situation, but I've given up on trying to navigate the site. Can't even figure out how to find out how much trips cost after a couple hours of attempts. The site was wonderfully easy back in the day with LOTS of deals and discounts clearly listed. That's how I got a $56 coach ticket on the Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago! It was even fun to navigate the website back then. Sorry to see the changes that don't seem to be for the best. I'll probably end up flying around the US, but thanks for the videos though. I appreciate the views and memories.
I've traveled alone on Amtrak , no more than a 5 hr journey. I only go to the bathroom or get food when I know we are moving for a while and not going to stop at a station.
I was on the auto train last month. I was really amazed because I got confused and I went for what I thought was my roomette and the car attendant told me that this was not my car. He knew exactly who his 8 folks are. I became very comfortable after that incident. He knew his folks. You are right about the matter fact way they deal with stuff on the train. He was very polite but firm that I was def in the wrong car!! I was impressed.
Hi there! If I travel by myself on an Amtrak roomette, how can I ensure that when I am in the observatory car or in the dining car my stuff will be safe in the roomette? Is there a locking device for the roomette door? Do I have to bring my personal locking system? This is something that worries me a lot! My best wishes for you!!! I love your videos!
Only some of the trains can be locked, most cannot. What we do is bring a small backpack and carry it with us when we go eat, with everything really important in it
Thank you for these videos. :-) I've wanted to take a vacation on the rails for the longest time, and just discovered your videos. Very useful indeed! Thank you. :-)
I've been on four trips via Amtrak, to date. On only one was I with someone else. I feel perfectly safe traveling alone on Amtrak, precisely because of the swiftness of action when there's a problem. I have heard, though, that in some cases, if there's a long bit of time between stations, they don't hesitate to stop at a major crossing in a town and leave the person there. No idea how true that is.
I'm riding on Amtrak in October, I'll be traveling from Albuquerque to Las Vegas New Mexico, so just a few hours. If I have a good experience I plan on making train my primary form of Transportation.
Listen! They do NOT play 'bout that train! I was coming from Portland to LA in a roomette on the Coast Starlight, a passenger from coach innocently stepped into the sleeper area and the conductors jumped on the poor guy so fast and made sure he knew where he needed to go, lol.
Did you feel safe traveling on Amtrak during Covid? We traveling in June 2020 and I think Amtrak was ok with sanitizing but our roomers for sure was not wiped down. We did that first thing,
I traveled with amtrak 3 months ago and I felt that they were sanitizing. But at the same time... I'm sure they fall behind and get exhausted from constantly wiping down. I bought 2 personal-size sanitizing sprays for my next trip. (Lyson and eOn Mist).
Thanks for the video! I am an Australian wanting to come to US next year and when looking at Amtrak routes in the Midwest they often depart or return at 1am or 3am etc which I thought would be dangerous to hang around the station. Sounds like it is alright though! Thank you
I travelled over 8,000 miles (7 segments over 13 days) in the summer of 2019 and never felt my belongings weren't secure nor had any fear for my personal safety. Take phones, video cameras, the obvious pilferables with you. Stations (the large ones at least) are safe -- can't say the same for the surrounds for some of the smaller ones.
Dear Two, I really love your show and how you want to show train travel in a very positive way and answering all the questions. I am Lio from France. Train is actually part of daily routine, either I have to go to Paris, London, Italy or Germany. My son is in university in Savannah doing his Bachelor of Fina Arts, and after all this covid first year, he finally managed to enter the US in Fall 2021. We plan to meet with him during spring break in Miami and bring him back to his univ by Amtrak while discovering Florida. We chose coach class 11.30 AM to 1.29 AM. Roomette was way to expensive for the 6 of us. One question: I got my Amtrak confirmation but it does not show any seats numbers, nor car numbers. Are we allowed to sit anywhere we can seat ?. Any advice on this particular trick (Miami to Savannah?) you would advise? Is there an observation deck ?. Thank you so much. - Lio
Hello, on the Miami to Savannah route, you will probably have open seating, where you can just sit where you like. If it isn't they'll give you seats together when you check in. There isn't an observation car on that train though. It is a good trip, we were on it this summer!
In my experience Amtrak is safe they have security on board u never know they are there till something happens like a drunk passenger gets on board or become drunk while on board they will kick u off at the next station and authorities are already waiting I witnessed it one year NJ to Florida a guy had too much to drink and was being rude and obnoxious making passengers uncomfortable so when we stopped in South Carolina the local police was waiting whatever personal belongings he had with him was taken off with him and if he had luggage it never left train because we pulled off once he was off
I will be on a superliner for the first time in a few weeks. I also was pleased to hear that you may be able to padlock the door closed from the outside so that I could leave valuables (like a laptop) while walking around the train. I could see from several videos that the internal locks look good to protect yourself while inside but it didnt look obvious that there was a way to secure the door while you are away. Of course we could argue that placing a lock on the door is a way to advertise that there is something of value inside, you cant win!
My boyfriend and I will be riding for the first time in May. We will lock ours. My boyfriend has a CPAP machine. Not sure who would want it but it's very valuable to him
@@mollysmith1226 Thanks Molly, would you mind reporting back on your experience with locking the bedroom door. May need to talk to the attendant about it too to ensure they are ok with this approach :)
Hello your videos have peaked my interest and so my question is how and when should I be looking out for the roomette discounts for the Zephyr train to San Francisco in 2022? I will have to fly to Chicago but as a senior who prefers not to drive I enjoy adventurous and scenic train rides.
What is Amtrak's policy about passengers who are on prescriptions and need to maintain access to them? I'm thinking of going on a solo trip later this year to visit family in-person for the first time. I'm on three prescriptions and the family is in the South.
Planning on a trip from Portman to Chicago and then when we get to Chicago do you want to Chicago back to Portland what is a layover in Chicago when we want to go back to Portland
I had a non room paying man open my room he was looking for a room to sleep, I think he got kicked off as he was found in a room . plus on one of my trips my phone screamed tornado eminent if in car get out now go to ditch cover your head sky was very dark …. Train kept going
Yes, I’m concerned about derailment too…and other vehicles 🚗 on the tracks because drivers ignoring railroad crossing safety. Derailment is my first safety concern, I felt safer riding European rail system.
During long layovers where can you secure your baggage in the station while waiting on you next train, and what are the costs if any? I do not want to walk around Chicago wheeling my large bag.
When I was last in Chicago a few years ago there was a room at union station that had numerous lockers available that were somewhere around $2 an hour IIRC.
if you are in the sleepers you will be in the metropolitan lounge at chicago, ny, dc etc. you can leave your baggage in there near the checkin desk. i walked around dc during my layover. there is a walmart several blocks away. if you need something.
I am wondering how someone was allowed on the wrong train? Anyway I happened to drop my wallet on my last trip and found it an hour later in the bathroom sans $80 But I was just happy to have my wallet and ID back.
In 1991, I was taking the train from Chicago to New York. A very atrracive dancer was sitting next to me and we proceeded to find the bar car, eat together and generally have a good time. A tall angry man was constantly staring at her from afar, and attempted several times to talk to her. He then started confronting me. I was unaware of what level the problem had come to, but fairly soon after the trouble started, the Engineer (not conductor) found me and said that they had removed the angry man
I have a better idea than leaving a passenger off at the next station if they're misbehaving. Just stop the train, and leave them off right then and there, no matter how remote. Once passengers find out the new policy, no more misbehaving passengers. :)
I'm a 76 year old woman and will be traveling alone. I realize basic sensible caution should be taken to protect personal items - don't leave things unprotected, but what about being alone on the train? any issues?
When used Amtrak I was relocating from New Jersey to Albuquerque NM. I was on the Southwest Chief 3 from Chicago heading to NM. I had just met some wonderful folks during football season. I experienced a young lady seated next to me trying to pickpocket me. She had the window seat and I had the aisle and train moved from DC to Chicago she tried to pickpocket me and later several other men and women while they were asleep. We got her reported and she was arrested in Chicago in the morning. The other incident were three men in observation car smoking cigarettes and cigars while totally disregarding everyone. They were kicked off which look like middle of nowhere promptly. Amtrak police and local police work together’
Can you bring and use a CPAP Machine on board if you reserve a roomete-sleeper room? Can you reserve distilled water to use for it? Or do you have to bring the distilled water with you?
i have a story regarding the firmness of Amtrak's personnel on board. I was traveling on the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Kansas. My seatmate was an African-American man who was also traveling from LA. We were enjoying talking about our common values as pastors, he had been one, I was a missionary on furlough. He really liked hanging out in the observation car - he even slept there the first night - and late on our second evening, he came back to our seats and told me that another man in the observation car had been loudly mistreating him, using racial epithets. He then told me that the conductor had intervened and kicked them man off the train. I felt sorry for him that he had to endure that kind of verbal abuse, but I was glad that the Amtrak personnel dealt firmly and quickly with the situation.
Bill Osborn, So happy that the Conductor kicked that rude passenger off the train. BRAVO!!
The conductor's are great! I've had a couple run-ins with unpleasant people, they always take action quickly and efficiently.
Thanks for your story, they have always been great!
I guess it goes without saying that nobody wants to be that person put off the train. :^)
The conductors are great they check on u now and then they are very friendly if u have questions or concerns they look into it and the rest of the staff is also made a few friends once I find out we from same state or hometown I’ve learned what they do when off duty when there’s a shift change on board and what they do on day off they talk to the kids about different parts of train and their functions
I was on a train and a fight broke out between two gangs. Amtrak hauled it to the nearest one horse town. It was on Christmas Eve. The engineer stopped the particular train car right on the main road. Local police boarded in Ameet and interigated them . Some went to jail. Others were given the choice to get off the train or go to jail. It took an hour for this to be handled. When the train arrived in Memphis were the gangs were from, Amtrak had notified the police. There was a large police presence. Amtrak seems to have excellent communication with local police departments along it's routes. Wonderful way to travel.
Wild,Wild WEST
Thanks for sharing that, it is great to know they are going to handle whatever comes up!
I have read that if something like this happens and there's not really a station stop coming up soon, they will call ahead to the next town the train passes through and boots everyone off. Glad to read that this really does happen. I read it in a book about train travel, so I don't consider that "real world" action, but your story clearly corroborates that. On a plane you'd be stuck with them for the duration. Another reason to choose train over plane.
Wow!
Kick em out in the nearest forest!
Our place is 100 ft from the railroad tracks.I take my pug dog Kobe our and we wave to the observation car.We count how many waves we get from travelers.Its so fun to see the reactions and people pointing at us
I’m one of the on board wavers lol I couldn’t live that close to railroad tracks having your bed shake from a passing train at 1 am would wake me up every night Lol
Thats really cool. Once like 4 years ago or maybe 3 years ago I was at Cucko Station - Really Old Town Station in CA and I waved to the Amtrak Enginer and he honked the horn 9 times in a row- I loved that but 2 officers got scared and a passenger also got scared so they don't do that many times any more.
You have to watch your back wherever you are 🙂
I've been traveling on Amtrak long-distance every year, occasionally more than once a year, since 2007. I always take a roomette and like you two, never lock the door and have never had an issue. In all those years I have never heard of anyone else having an issue either. As for security concerns, the staff is all sweetness and love until you become a problem then they go all rogue cop on you. You get one warning to stop and the next time you will be taken to jail. They will stop anywhere it is safe and a cop car can get to the tracks. They don't need a proper station. We had one fellow removed from the train and turned over to the county sheriff in some rustic town in the Cascades. No station building, just a gravel patch. We were there about 10 minutes and gone. They also void the rest of your ticket. If you have a return they might refund it with the usual draconian late cancellation charges. Once you are off the crew returns to all smiles and jokes. Wonderful folks just zero tolerance for nastiness.
Yes, they really do act quickly!
Hi there, I was curious if you could assist with a question or two? When you say lock your room, are you saying lock it from the outside while you are not in it? I was curious, can I lock my roomette while I’m out, maybe in the shower or cafe car?
@@adrianb1655 You can’t lock the door from outside , only from the inside when you are in it. That said, in the 14 years I have been regularly riding the long-distance trains I have yet to hear of anyone having items taken. I wouldn’t leave the curtains open and an expensive laptop in plain view but with a little common sense you should have no issue.
@@jamesthompson3099 Thank you, I do appreciate your thoughts.
I so love hearing you both accurately describing the traveling life on Amtrak. It's the only way I travel. The large bedroom is the most comfortable, if available. The tiny roomette is great for one person. Go Amtrak go!!! (: ... Thank you so much for your outstanding videos. Plus, you are such an amazingly sweet couple!!!
Thanks so much! Really glad you like them too!
Hi my job dram is to work for Amtrak next year, but I would like to speak out as a consumer, I mention to the company to have a check-in as they do at the airport just for the guns,knifes or any device that can put the customers in danger 🙏
👏👏👏👏🙏
@@nomada6789 Or spot checks with a metal wand and table to look at suitcases and bag- sometimes they do those checks random at greyhound stations.
Going on my first Amtrak adventure in August 2021. Thank you for all the first hand information.
Glad it was helpful!
enjoy and try not to get to excited
In my cart, it was not ok and not much was done about it! It was nothing but noise and drama and this was my return trip that was behind so totaled 24 hrs and ppl were out of control and nothing was done. I got a $50 voucher. I didn’t get sleep, I’m getting a roommette nxt time. I pray your first experience was not like mine.
Did Amtrak long distance for the first time after several short trips in my life for Chicago Salsa and Bachata Festival in August 2021. DC to Chicago and back, 17 hours one way. Would do again.
How was your trip now that it's Dec 2021?
You are spot on with this. I rode the Lakeshore one year and it had a number of college kids that were very unruly. The conductor warned them once and when they didn't the next stop they were off and the police waiting. The crew did a good job.
I just want to say, thank you so much! Your channel has helped with planning and easing my anxiety. Ya'll are the best! Keep doing what you're doing!
Thank you for all your videos. My daughter and I are taking the Empire Builder in May to Washington. It will be our first time on a train. Not knowing what to expect brought me to UA-cam and there you were teaching me all I need to know. I feel very prepared and while I know there may be something come up to surprise me I feel it will be totally minor. I am handicapped and my daughter is going along to help me so all these videos have been a treat for me knowing what to expect. Thank you!!
Have a great trip!
I travel by Sleeper car on longer trips such as the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle to my stop in San Antonio Texas from Los Angeles California, so I haven't had any problems since I started riding by Sleeper, but when I used to ride on Coach to my stop, that's a completely different story. Never again do I ride Coach anymore.
Love your videos. You are absolutely right about security, a man was assigned a seat he did not like the car attendant said the train is sold out he kept on talking rude to the attendant and also the conductor. We stopped at a crossing outside of Chicago the Amtrak police and the Chicago police met the train . Justice was swift he was escorted off and told any other problems with them( police) he was going to jail. Keep up the good work.
Yes, they are swift. Thanks for sharing your story!
Considering taking a solo trip this summer with the USA rail pass. This was very helpful! Thank you!
I've travelled across country several times on Amtrak. I've seen a few people ejected from the train. They are no nonsense and I love it. On the last leg of my last trip in 2018, I had left my phone charger in plain sight in my room and it was gone when I returned. Lesson learned. The only station that I didn't feel completely safe at was New Orleans. But, I was there during hurricane Ike and people were just stressed and a little crazy. Love your content, thanks.
Thanks for sharing that input, and we agree, don't leave anything in plain sight, but generally it feels really safe.
Traveling via Amtrak is such a secret treasure. Especially if you can afford a room of amy size on a long distance overnight trip. I found dinner on the auto train to Florida to be surprisingly good. And the motion over night will rock you to sleep. More should use this.
Thanks for another great informative video! I can't speak to what it's like with the current COVID situation, but the usual Amtrak experience is excellent. Regarding the trains on which I've traveled (City of New Orleans, Texas Eagle, Sunset Limited), I never felt that either I or my property were at risk, nor did I hear any other passengers complaining about safety or security issues. The train staff were professional and on the ball, and if there were any problems, they kept us informed. For example, we made a brief stop in Mississippi for what at first was thought to have been a collision with an animal on the tracks in the dark. In fact, it was an air-hose uncoupling or something like that, causing the brakes to engage automatically. The sleeping car attendant told me train/animal incidents weren't unusual, though, mostly involving cattle straying out of an open gate or a broken fence; she made sure all of us knew what was up and how long the delay was likely to be. Always a "well done" to Amtrak from me!
Thanks for your input and sharing that info! We agree, love the way Amtrak has handled things in our travels
I always get a sleeper car; never had a problem. I have also been on an Amtrak bus; 1000% better than a Greyhound.
Thanks for that info!
For my uncle's birthday, we took a Greyhound since my family members' became ill and could not help drive from OKC to Denver. I wish I had thought of taking an Amtrak instead of Greyhound.
I was on probably the safest Auto Train trip from Lorton to Sanford several years ago. A bunch of K9 officers and their dogs were travelling to Florida for some event or other, and the dogs stayed with the officers in their roomettes. NOBODY was going to be causing ANY trouble on that trip. It was so cool seeing an occasional German Shepherd or other breed wander past my roomette.
That's a great story, thanks!
How was the auto train trip and what car did you take on to it.
@@chrisdobrowolski2783 I think that trip I had a subcompact sedan, a Ford Focus. On another trip it was a mid-size sedan belonging to my travelling companion, don’t recall make or model. No issues with either car.
The trip was awesome in first class/sleeper cars. Coach was okay except when I wanted to sleep. Not comfortable at all, and some idiots in our car decided to hold a conversation around dawn while some of us were still trying to get a little more sleep. I only took coach the first leg of that trip, upgraded to sleeper for the return trip and all future trips.
Food is good in first class, meh in coach. Beds very comfortable. Roomettes and bedrooms both very nice. On the Auto Train there are no stops (except for a middle-of-the-night service stop), so no fresh air breaks, but because of no stops there is a smoking lounge for smokers. It’s been a few years, so additional details of my trips might be out of date now, but I’d happily take the Auto Train again.
@@jancatperson8329 Thanks for the information and happy that you have a great time on the Auto train.
My wife and I started a long train trip in February. St.Paul to Chicago. Chicago to L A via Texas on the Texas Eagle. L A to Portland, OR. to St.Paul, MN. 8 days straight on the trains. All in rooms. I have learned that if you are handicapped make sure you ask for a handicapped room. All of the room attendants were very nice! The same menu got sort of old fast!
Thanks for sharing your story!
You have provided wonderful and accurate coverage of journeying by Amtrak. My wife and I used Amtrak frequently during the time our daughter was living in Atlanta GA. We used the twin cabins where we had more than one night aboard and roomettes on the Crescent and Lake Shore Limited. It was a great experience and we ran out of routes to travel from the West Coast to Eastand back . I did once get food poisoning, probably from orange juice, on the Sunset Limited.
The best part was the dining experience, we always found great conversation and it was a great way to get a sample of the USA, being Ozzy's got more interest..
We were on travelling out of LA when the train was delayed 3 hours by a fire in a trackside factory, we had just 3 hours to make our connection in Chicago for Washington. The train was unable to make up the 3 hours but Amtrak made arrangements for passengers with connecting trains and our connection was straight across the platform.
Book as early as you can. Prices seem to rise closer to departure date and according to train capacity. We booked my wife and I on the Empire Builder and got the standard low price. We immediately booked my mother-in-law and paid a tier higher price. Unfortunately we could have got the low price if we had all booked together.
If/when we come to the USA again we will definitely travel by Amtrak.
Thank you so much for your very informative videos! We took the Empire Builder from MN to Whitefish, MT to see the mountains and ski. We watched your videos before we left, and they helped A LOT! Keep enjoying your travels!
That is awesome! Thanks!
The first thing I want to say I will NEVER EVER fly again. Only a couple of times that I have traveled has my train been late. That is strictly due to the freight carrier's NOTE giving Amtrak priority!!! Otherwise the most I have been delayed is 5 or 10 minutes. The one thing you have to remember about riding the train is the sights and the people. I have never met such nice folks as on the train. In my humble opinion the only way to travel is by rail and then the only was to travel is by booking a roomette, family bedroom, if your handicapped they even have an accessibly bedroom with a toilet in the room. Otherwise I get a deluxe sleeper and the name will depend on which of the long distance trains you are taking. So to make a very long story short I always, always ride the train!! Thanks for the video.
Thanks for your comment!
Thank you very much for all the info! I am taking my very first solo train trip in July to my aunt's in Sacramento and it's nice to know all these important tips going in!
For years they have had K-9 units in Union Station in Chicago that are meant to detect explosives. I've seen them during the time just before boarding passing near passengers.
Thank you I was wondering about this.
I love this kind of video. Very informative. I am glad to hear they are very diligent in the security. Especially if you are traveling alone. You always have good advice.
Thanks!
Regarding needing to show your ticket to enter the station, that depends on the station. I regularly pass through Milwaukee, Chicago, and Saint Louis, and I've only ever needed to show my ticket to get into certain parts of Union Station in Chicago, as all those stations are shared with other services. Of course, your experience will vary depending on where you board, so be prepared.
I appreciate this info. It gave me peace of mind...because I'm working on my dad's bucket list while he's still okay to travel.
As usual another great video, thank you for all the information
Our pleasure!
I just recently discovered your wonderful videos. Thank you so much for doing these. They are very helpful.
I am a disabled senior and will be going from san diego to Denver with my friend. I am binging your videos so I can have as much knowledge as I possibly can before my trip.
Its good to know we can bring a small, soft sided cooler. We plan to bring our own food, as buying food on the train really isn't an option. I guess there are fast food places at some of the stops, and my friend would be the one to go get us something to eat. I am very slow and would fear missing the train.
Again, thank you for your videos. They make it so much easier to plan our trip.
I have taken Amtrak for yrs & even with my daughter being a child (she's an adult now) traveling in coach. And I guess we were pretty lucky b/c as much "stuff" we brought along, (dvd player, DVD, gameboy, etc.) we always left stuff in our seats & nobody ever bothered it. And we would walk to the lounge hang out there for awhile & walk around. I guess they figured too much hassle to try & find stuff. Now we didn't leave things out in the open either. We also would stay in a room mette & never locked it. Didn't know it could be locked.
Have traveled nearly 100,000 miles on Amtrak. A great way to see America
On a Northbound Crescent in 2016, I was sitting in the Handicapped area because I had brought so many bags and coolers of special diet food and medications to last for my one week stay in NYC.
So there was no way I could change seats.
The passenger behind me was the most vile, trash-mouth, disgusting person it has ever been my misfortune to be near, before or since. He talked to himself, to some people on his phone, and to himself again using a string of the worst language!
Directly behind him were a Mother travelling with her Daughter, and I remember at one point the little girl burst into tears, complaining to her Mom about him.
I was actually terrified as the trip progressed that this disturbed individual was going to harm someone.
The Attendant stopped and told him several times that he was talking too loudly, that there were complaints, but nothing stopped him. He'd stop briefly while she was standing there, but as soon as she left the area, he'd crank right back up again.
The Conductor had come through once, earlier in the trip, before the man had begun his monologue. He never showed up again to say anything to him.
I remember taking a candy bar to the little girl at one point to try to comfort her in some small way.
I've had other wonderful trips aboard Amtrak, but your video brought back memories of that one awful exception.
I've never been so happy for a trip to end -- and wouldn't you know, the guy was aboard all the way to NYC.
I saw the Conductor later (I worked at an Atlanta hotel where the crew regularly slept on swap-out) and told him about the man. He apologized for the bad experience and said that if he had been notified, the man would have been put off at the next stop.
So the lesson for me there was, if anything like that happens again (highly doubtful -- surely there aren't many people who act so horribly), I will personally notify the Conductor myself. They can't fix that of which they have no knowledge. I kept assuming the Attendant would summon him, but you know what they say about "assume"!!
In her defense, the Attendant was a diligent worker, and very busy back and forth between/among rail cars; good about cleaning and picking up trash, so she wasn't around him long enough at a time to realize how unpleasant and downright scary he was.
In our experience the conductors will take action very quickly
planning to take the Amtrak from Birmingham, AL to Washington, DC and these videos have been so helpful!!
Glad it was helpful!
Great content. I've enjoyed many of your videos.
Awesome, thank you!
I just took the C-Z, the Capital Limited, and Silver Star from San Francisco to Tampa in what was my first overnight train trip in a roommette, and now that I’ve done it, I’m bummed I hadn’t done it before now, lol. It was beautiful, the staff and other passengers were great, the scenery on the C-Z was fantastic, I slept like a baby… it was all around a great time. I’m glad I’d watched some of your videos so I was a bit more familiar. And now I’ve become an unofficial Amtrak spokesperson, recommending everyone take the train. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for sharing
Thank you. We are considering returning from Chicago to Southwes Chief for 46 hours by coach. This morning, we will buy a bicycle lock because we will have medium luggage, which will be checked; thanks for the tip. Also, one backpack with electronics and another with survivor travel things, like changing clothing, two blankets, headphones, neck pillows, bath necessities, and toilet paper if we need them (something crap happens). Of course, one bag with some food. Then, we can carry the essentials and keep the rest locked in our seats while enjoying the observation car.
It makes a lot of sense for trains to not have airplane-like security on trains. It's awfully hard to hijack a train and cause trouble. The reduced security and generally reduced stress are a big part of why I take trains (the other part being the comfort).
I agree that the staff are well trained in dealing with unruly patrons. I've been on a couple of trains where they have kicked people off. Once it was in the middle of nowhere and the only people greeting the train were the local sheriffs.
Agreed, in our experience they will do what they need to do!
Always informative; always enjoyable
I traveled on the empire builder from Montana to Washington state. When we arrived in Spokane Washington there is a layover there, there was one other passenger with me on the lower level while we were waiting some creepy looking guy came on board the train, he opened the door to the car and walked to the back of the car while he he looking around. He walked back to the front of the car then exited off the train. He was scruffy looking somewhat like a drunk or homeless man. I was on alert just in case he tried to rob either one of us. Anyone can come onboard when the train is being attended to on a layover.
The only time you need a passport on Amtrak, is when you are heading to and from Canada. Example is from Buffalo to Toronto if you do not have a valid driver's license.
Thanks for the information. Hope to see you some time on the train.
It would be our pleasure!
While traveling to Chicago from Minneapolis about 6 years ago, there was a man who had been bragging about how much money he was carrying on him - he was coming from Las Vegas and he kept talking about how much money he had won.Two other men evidently were plotting to rob him when the train got to Chicago. Someone tipped the Conductor and they took the man off in Milwaukee. The police there waiting to assist and ensure his safety. That’s the only time that I felt nervous riding Amtrak. I sleep, if you can call it sleep, with my purse straps wrapped around one arm, the bag under my armpit and my other hand covering the zipper-anything of value is way down in my bag so I feel as if it would take a lot to make not notice movement
Thanks for sharing on this subject….I’m taking my first train ride thanks to your videos , I’ll be leaving the first of September on the crescent… I’m so excited 😁
We were on a long stretch between stops in Nevada on the California Zephyr. Someone got fighting drunk. They found someone in the middle of nowhere to come arrest him. And a second cop car to take the rest of his travel group, because although they were not under arrest, they were no longer welcome on the train. Very drunk.
Women must keep their purses with them at all times when traveling on coach. Several years ago, while traveling overnight on the City of New Orleans, a woman tried to steal my wife's purse which she had left on the floor in front of her seat when she went downstairs to the restroom. Fortunately, I was awake at the time, and caught a woman trying to reach over my legs to steal my wife's purse. Boy, was she ever surprised when I intercepted her arm, told her to get away, and to never return. Although she attempted to pursuade me that my wife's purse was actually hers, she got my message loud and clear, and chose to leave. When my wife returned, I told her what had happened, and went to find and to inform the Conductor. Our return trip was in a roomette. WE have traveled on many other Amtrak trains before with never a security concern at all.
Thanks for sharing your story. You do have to keep an eye on those valuables
Better than worry about purse safety. Opt for a belly pack,, u r wearing it. Perfect.♥️🚃👩🦱
Good information and thank you for explaining a few things for me.
Glad it was helpful!
A lot of people aren't aware of it, but Amtrak has it's own Police force, they have a noticable presence at busy stations like DC, Chicago and New York Penn. Sometimes the Amtrak Special Agents will be riding onboard the trains, you'll be more likely to see this on the Northeast Corridor. It's very rare to see Special Agents from the host freight railroad at stations or onboard the train. TSA VIPER Teams will rarely show up at stations, but it does happen sometimes.
You guys are terrific, keep up the good work, love all your videos!
It's almost always alcohol related. Some prohibited items will include pressurized gasses, camping stoves etc...
They also have undercover Marshalls on every train. So be aware. You don't see them- they see you.
How do you know they at least have one undercover Marshall on the train.
I left my checked pink bag in the car I was in and checked on it often. I put it into the luggage rack and kept an eye on it. I didn’t have any problems with that.
👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾another interesting and informative video. Thank yyyyyou 💜💜yes. I am binge watching 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
We encountered an incident this past weekend from Sacramento to Portland whereas a fight almost broke out between two passengers because one the passengers stole the cell phone of the other passenger while he was asleep at 3am. #Amtrak personnel never showed up to break up the altercation. The verbal altercation went on for 10-15 minutes that disrupted the passengers. Luckily it didn’t turn violent but it came very close.
I love riding Amtrak. It does not save me time from long hauls but I find it safe, as you guys said, there are many personnel and stops to handle trouble. Also, I get plenty of rest riding on it than driving even as a passenger
Yes, so much more relaxing than driving
Thank you, just love you guy's. Thank you for all the great details, you went through.
Thanks for watching!
Greetings from Cambodia. I was very surprised to hear that Atlanta is a small station. Thanks for the information in your videos. I like watching them. I use to love traveling by Amtrak more than 20 years ago and did long trips fairly often. I just went through the process of registering on their website though (that wasn't easy either) as I anticipate a trip back to the US early next year and see the disastrous air travel situation, but I've given up on trying to navigate the site. Can't even figure out how to find out how much trips cost after a couple hours of attempts. The site was wonderfully easy back in the day with LOTS of deals and discounts clearly listed. That's how I got a $56 coach ticket on the Empire Builder from Portland to Chicago! It was even fun to navigate the website back then. Sorry to see the changes that don't seem to be for the best. I'll probably end up flying around the US, but thanks for the videos though. I appreciate the views and memories.
Great primer on security. Thanks!
I've traveled alone on Amtrak , no more than a 5 hr journey. I only go to the bathroom or get food when I know we are moving for a while and not going to stop at a station.
New subscriber- enjoying all the detailed info! 🙂
Awesome! Thank you!
Thank you both… you 2 present well ❤❤
I was on the auto train last month. I was really amazed because I got confused and I went for what I thought was my roomette and the car attendant told me that this was not my car. He knew exactly who his 8 folks are. I became very comfortable after that incident. He knew his folks. You are right about the matter fact way they deal with stuff on the train. He was very polite but firm that I was def in the wrong car!! I was impressed.
That is a great story, actually makes you feel better as you say
Hi there! If I travel by myself on an Amtrak roomette, how can I ensure that when I am in the observatory car or in the dining car my stuff will be safe in the roomette? Is there a locking device for the roomette door? Do I have to bring my personal locking system? This is something that worries me a lot!
My best wishes for you!!! I love your videos!
Only some of the trains can be locked, most cannot. What we do is bring a small backpack and carry it with us when we go eat, with everything really important in it
Thank you for these videos. :-) I've wanted to take a vacation on the rails for the longest time, and just discovered your videos. Very useful indeed! Thank you. :-)
Glad it was helpful!
I've been on four trips via Amtrak, to date. On only one was I with someone else. I feel perfectly safe traveling alone on Amtrak, precisely because of the swiftness of action when there's a problem. I have heard, though, that in some cases, if there's a long bit of time between stations, they don't hesitate to stop at a major crossing in a town and leave the person there. No idea how true that is.
They do not really mess around! Thanks for your input!
I'm riding on Amtrak in October, I'll be traveling from Albuquerque to Las Vegas New Mexico, so just a few hours. If I have a good experience I plan on making train my primary form of Transportation.
I’ve been traveling on Amtrak for 35 years, never had an issue ever with safety
Thanks for sharing
I when to Philadelphia in January Playoff with 49ers Gear. I Enjoy the Trashing Talking from Amtrak to the Hotel ❤
You are a true fan!
Listen! They do NOT play 'bout that train! I was coming from Portland to LA in a roomette on the Coast Starlight, a passenger from coach innocently stepped into the sleeper area and the conductors jumped on the poor guy so fast and made sure he knew where he needed to go, lol.
Did you feel safe traveling on Amtrak during Covid? We traveling in June 2020 and I think Amtrak was ok with sanitizing but our roomers for sure was not wiped down. We did that first thing,
I traveled with amtrak 3 months ago and I felt that they were sanitizing. But at the same time... I'm sure they fall behind and get exhausted from constantly wiping down. I bought 2 personal-size sanitizing sprays for my next trip. (Lyson and eOn Mist).
Thanks for the video! I am an Australian wanting to come to US next year and when looking at Amtrak routes in the Midwest they often depart or return at 1am or 3am etc which I thought would be dangerous to hang around the station. Sounds like it is alright though! Thank you
I travelled over 8,000 miles (7 segments over 13 days) in the summer of 2019 and never felt my belongings weren't secure nor had any fear for my personal safety. Take phones, video cameras, the obvious pilferables with you. Stations (the large ones at least) are safe -- can't say the same for the surrounds for some of the smaller ones.
Thanks for your input!
When you 2 ever going to stay in Denver? Denver is an amazing city and a awesome Union Station here.
Had the best wait in Chicago. A group of sailors came in too. They were hungry to talk to a civilian.
Awesome
Thanks for the info..I've wanted to travel but thought people were being confined to their seats..
Dear Two, I really love your show and how you want to show train travel in a very positive way and answering all the questions. I am Lio from France. Train is actually part of daily routine, either I have to go to Paris, London, Italy or Germany. My son is in university in Savannah doing his Bachelor of Fina Arts, and after all this covid first year, he finally managed to enter the US in Fall 2021. We plan to meet with him during spring break in Miami and bring him back to his univ by Amtrak while discovering Florida. We chose coach class 11.30 AM to 1.29 AM. Roomette was way to expensive for the 6 of us. One question: I got my Amtrak confirmation but it does not show any seats numbers, nor car numbers. Are we allowed to sit anywhere we can seat ?. Any advice on this particular trick (Miami to Savannah?) you would advise? Is there an observation deck ?. Thank you so much. - Lio
Hello, on the Miami to Savannah route, you will probably have open seating, where you can just sit where you like. If it isn't they'll give you seats together when you check in. There isn't an observation car on that train though. It is a good trip, we were on it this summer!
Like your videos. Hope to travel soon. The sleepercar hallway looks very narrow. Only 1 person pass at a time ??? Stay safe .
Yes, it is pretty narrow, if you have to pass you might be able to duck into an empty room, otherwise you just wait for the other person
In my experience Amtrak is safe they have security on board u never know they are there till something happens like a drunk passenger gets on board or become drunk while on board they will kick u off at the next station and authorities are already waiting I witnessed it one year NJ to Florida a guy had too much to drink and was being rude and obnoxious making passengers uncomfortable so when we stopped in South Carolina the local police was waiting whatever personal belongings he had with him was taken off with him and if he had luggage it never left train because we pulled off once he was off
Is it the superliner or viewliner that you can padlock from the outside? I’ll definitely look for this on my next trip. Great videos.
I will be on a superliner for the first time in a few weeks. I also was pleased to hear that you may be able to padlock the door closed from the outside so that I could leave valuables (like a laptop) while walking around the train. I could see from several videos that the internal locks look good to protect yourself while inside but it didnt look obvious that there was a way to secure the door while you are away. Of course we could argue that placing a lock on the door is a way to advertise that there is something of value inside, you cant win!
My boyfriend and I will be riding for the first time in May. We will lock ours. My boyfriend has a CPAP machine. Not sure who would want it but it's very valuable to him
@@mollysmith1226 Thanks Molly, would you mind reporting back on your experience with locking the bedroom door. May need to talk to the attendant about it too to ensure they are ok with this approach :)
Yes I'll report back and that's a good idea to the attendant. We will
Jim & Molly, please don’t lock your doors, as I have been waiting to upgrade my laptop & c-pap! 😉 😂😂
We were not allowed to use the lock we brought on our bedroom door. They cited safety concerns in case of emergency.
I would imagine so.
Hello your videos have peaked my interest and so my question is how and when should I be looking out for the roomette discounts for the Zephyr train to San Francisco in 2022? I will have to fly to Chicago but as a senior who prefers not to drive I enjoy adventurous and scenic train rides.
It is impossible to say when they will run another sale, but just keep watching, they come unannounced out of the blue
First amtrack ride in a few days
What is Amtrak's policy about passengers who are on prescriptions and need to maintain access to them?
I'm thinking of going on a solo trip later this year to visit family in-person for the first time. I'm on three prescriptions and the family is in the South.
Planning on a trip from Portman to Chicago and then when we get to Chicago do you want to Chicago back to Portland what is a layover in Chicago when we want to go back to Portland
I had a non room paying man open my room he was looking for a room to sleep, I think he got kicked off as he was found in a room . plus on one of my trips my phone screamed tornado eminent if in car get out now go to ditch cover your head sky was very dark …. Train kept going
Very valuable information. Everybody should watch this.
Trains derailing due to maintenance issues on the leased tracks are my main concern, but it's not bad considering the risks of a plane crashing.
Fright trains derail on there own tracks also not just Amtrak.
Yes, I’m concerned about derailment too…and other vehicles 🚗 on the tracks because drivers ignoring railroad crossing safety. Derailment is my first safety concern, I felt safer riding European rail system.
During long layovers where can you secure your baggage in the station while waiting on you next train, and what are the costs if any? I do not want to walk around Chicago wheeling my large bag.
When I was last in Chicago a few years ago there was a room at union station that had numerous lockers available that were somewhere around $2 an hour IIRC.
if you are in the sleepers you will be in the metropolitan lounge at chicago, ny, dc etc. you can leave your baggage in there near the checkin desk. i walked around dc during my layover. there is a walmart several blocks away. if you need something.
What are tips for traveling from a sleeper car on the Amtrak system
I am wondering how someone was allowed on the wrong train? Anyway I happened to drop my wallet on my last trip and found it an hour later in the bathroom sans $80 But I was just happy to have my wallet and ID back.
In 1991, I was taking the train from Chicago to New York. A very atrracive dancer was sitting next to me and we proceeded to find the bar car, eat together and generally have a good time. A tall angry man was constantly staring at her from afar, and attempted several times to talk to her. He then started confronting me. I was unaware of what level the problem had come to, but fairly soon after the trouble started, the Engineer (not conductor) found me and said that they had removed the angry man
I have a better idea than leaving a passenger off at the next station if they're misbehaving. Just stop the train, and leave them off right then and there, no matter how remote. Once passengers find out the new policy, no more misbehaving passengers. :)
the big station in DC has nice places to go for food
I've gone on the down eastern a bunch but only 3 stops. I always just bring a backpack. It's the easiest way to travel for that Amtrak.
I'm a 76 year old woman and will be traveling alone. I realize basic sensible caution should be taken to protect personal items - don't leave things unprotected, but what about being alone on the train? any issues?
Avoid a purse,. Use belly pack,. Back pack. Any travel,. I am 65 yrs. NO purse to lose,. Stolen,. Etc
When used Amtrak I was relocating from New Jersey to Albuquerque NM. I was on the Southwest Chief 3 from Chicago heading to NM. I had just met some wonderful folks during football season. I experienced a young lady seated next to me trying to pickpocket me. She had the window seat and I had the aisle and train moved from DC to Chicago she tried to pickpocket me and later several other men and women while they were asleep. We got her reported and she was arrested in Chicago in the morning. The other incident were three men in observation car smoking cigarettes and cigars while totally disregarding everyone. They were kicked off which look like middle of nowhere promptly. Amtrak police and local police work together’
Thanks for sharing! Yes they do take care of people
Can you bring and use a CPAP Machine on board if you reserve a roomete-sleeper room? Can you reserve distilled water to use for it? Or do you have to bring the distilled water with you?
U can bring both
❤️ Amtrak and I've seen several incidents on the train. It happens everywhere though
What can you tell me about the safety of Peachtree station in Atlanta. The train doesn't leave until 11:30 pm. I'll be going there soon.