Very nice video! I'm currently gearing up for my very first trip on Amtrak (for The Southwest Chief, coincidentally), and I've been very anxious about it since it's the first time I've ever traveled somewhere on my own. This video helped ease my anxiousness for it, and I can't wait to see the same sights you've seen here for myself.
@@TravelwithMark I couldn't afford to get the roomette nor the bedroom, so I had to settle for the coach. I'm traveling from the LA Union station to Kansas City's station, so it's only a day and a half-almost two day trip for me
Hello I'm also about to take a train from LA to kansas city how was your experience with southwest cheif coach class?? It's 33 hour ride...this video helped
It can be challenging at times. Also bear in mind that this video was during a time when passenger volumes were lower than normal due to the pandemic. I had a lot of space, and I believe there is less now
I rode the SWC from Chicago to LA back in 2016. My first real experience with Amtrak. I had sleeper accommodations for that trip. Ended up sparking a love of rail travel for me. I’ve since ridden the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago. Ridden the Cardinal a handful of times. A couple trips on the Pacific Surfliner. ❤️ Amtrak!
Glad to see the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge looking more alive compared to when I was there a few months ago. Back then they had no snacks, drinks, anything. They do have a shower though, which was a nice refresher before my ride. The New York lounge really is the gold standard now.
Hi Mark--I wish you could have gotten off the platform in KC and seen the inside of Union Station. Renovated in the late 90s, it is one stunning example of Beaux Arts architecture.
Hi Jeff, I missed that. I think if I was a little more expert with Amtrak I could have timed it and gotten in there to have a look. I was a little paranoid about the train taking off without me. Maybe next trip I’ll stop there.
Thank you for making this video on coach. Couldnt find any on it until i stumbled on yours. We are sending a family off via coach so this is very helpful information. Got to see the various cars. BTW I did read that the dining car is now available to coach as well now.
I did the same trip back in 2006 - however in a sleeper with my own shower/toilet. The view was the same but the level of comfort was very different (so was the price!). However, if you can try doing a sleeper train trip that provides the traditional dining, it is unique as is the opportunity to meet & talk to fellow train travelers.( along with the use of the lounge rooms in the major cities). AMTRAK long-distance trains with the Observation car make the journey a very memorable one. We have nothing like it here in Australia (pity). It was a very enjoyable video.
You got me giggled at the end where you said it was gluing & felt of an achievement !! Lol.😂 😅I'd love to do this travel on a coach seat ,but taking my mom w me & she's disabled right now ( showing significant improvements ,though ! Finally !! Knock on wood ! ) ,so,I don't think coach class rides would be a good thing ! But,this was a very simple & honest video that I felt like I was on that train w you ! 👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚈🇺🇲💕💞
Hey folks I'm Joe from Scotland, I rode the Southwest Chief last year ,done two nights Kansas city ,two nights Albuquerque then couple of nights LA , Also rode City of New Orleans from Memphis to the Big Easy ,twice , I won't be over this year down to inflation and interest rates , but in my opinion Amtraks the way to go , I met a couple of friends on my journey last year and still keep in touch , Love to do the Empire Builder ,Next year though ,Anyway thanks to Amtrak and all the Lovely Americans I've been fortunate to meet ,Love and best wishes from Bonny Scotland .
I’m taking the Southwest Chief to Flagstaff from Chicago. I’m excited for this one. Also the practice of allowing coach passengers pay to eat in the dining car is back on this train and many others!
You must have taken that trip in summer/spring, since you crossed the river in daylight. I took that same trip in November 2017 and it was full dark by the time we got to the river. I only rode as far as Kingman Arizona, as I was going to Las Vegas. I also rode coach and was unable to sleep either night despite trying very hard. Still it was a fantastic trip.. Would do it again in a heartbeat, were it not that I'm semi-handicapped and doing those tiny stairs is a non-starter. Was hard even in 2017.
It's a long trip, take a break. If you can find 2 free seats together, there's a fold out section under the seat and, depending on your stature, you may be able to sleep curled up, but flat. Do think about breaking up the trip. It's long!
I fly out to LAX, twice a year to see my son. I'm thinking of taking AMTRAK next time. Two nights is doable. Three probably not. I'm thinking of picking up the train in Naperville, instead of taking an uber into the city, since I'm halfway there. Should I bring a small blanket for sleeping, or do they supply one?
This trip was taken a couple of years ago when service standards were affected by Covid, so i'd caution that things have changed. I don't believe they supply a blanket. The trains may also be a little more crowded.
Why was the dining car closed to coach riders? I've traveled from New London, CT to Denver, Co (Roundtrip) and New London, CT to Dallas, Tx (roundtrip) and both trips I had my meals in the dining car.
That's been a change since covid, and I believe on the eastern trains with "flexible" dining before then. They are currently testing business class access to the diner on the Coast Starlight, but it's difficult with the staffing and covid shortages.
@@TravelwithMark great! im a qlder and ill be in the states for the next 2 years for uni! thanks for the video, stoked to be taking the train! better than NSW TrainLink i reckon
I gather that other than the stop in Albuquerque where you got some snacks you didn’t eat the whole trip. It’s sad coach class passengers aren’t allowed in the dining car. Seems cruel to me. Good video
I’ve ridden the Chief in both directions 3 times. Have had bedrooms, roomettes and even the family room once. That room is the width of the car so you have a window on each side but a downside it is right over the wheels. Rode coach once between Chicago and Boston on the Lakeshore Limited….didn’t care for it at all.
It’s back now on the Chief, restored about this time last year. Supposedly, coach passengers access to the dining car could become system wide on the long distance network.
Hi Betsy, some people prefer rooms, some prefer the lower cost of a coach seat. IO'll be taking a room on the Zephyr next month, and will be sure to post about it.
@my93vr4 I agree with your sentiment that the US is behind in rail. That said, there are some mitigating factors, IMHO. First, US does not have $850B in debts piled onto the US rail system. Amtrak does lose money, but they would need to operate for 1,000 years to lose as much money as China on the railways. However railways are a strategic priority for China and so it may well be worth it. Europe is displacing airlines with rail, and so obviously there is more investment there. You should probably consider both airlines and rail together in their efficiency
It’s certainly a nicer experience having a room of some sort, however it’s a choice each has to make on whether they want to spend the money. The rooms are quite expensive.
See my other posts. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t! As the train was only 30% full during this pandemic period, there was ample room in Coach, and it only cost $299 for the special they had on the pass! So I’d estimate this segment cost $99 max 😀
2 DAYS in coach? You must be a masochist! At least get a Roomette; the extra cost includes your meals. FWIW, you don't hit desert until AFTER Albuquerque....
It was a long stretch @Alex Clement. Would I do it again? Possibly, but life is short. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss my upcoming First Class on Acela trip 😀
This video brings back memories of riding the Southwest Chief in the early 2000s! Thanks for sharing! 👊😊👊
Glad you enjoyed it
Glad you enjoyed, thanks for sharing! 😃
The Mighty Mississip @10:28. What a work of Nature.
It certainly is!
Very nice video! I'm currently gearing up for my very first trip on Amtrak (for The Southwest Chief, coincidentally), and I've been very anxious about it since it's the first time I've ever traveled somewhere on my own. This video helped ease my anxiousness for it, and I can't wait to see the same sights you've seen here for myself.
It’s a much more pleasant trip in a roomette or bedroom I believe. Traveling in Coach is a bit more of an adventure though. How will you be traveling?
@@TravelwithMark I couldn't afford to get the roomette nor the bedroom, so I had to settle for the coach. I'm traveling from the LA Union station to Kansas City's station, so it's only a day and a half-almost two day trip for me
Well you’ll just have to take your sense of adventure. It will be fun!
Hello I'm also about to take a train from LA to kansas city how was your experience with southwest cheif coach class?? It's 33 hour ride...this video helped
It can be challenging at times. Also bear in mind that this video was during a time when passenger volumes were lower than normal due to the pandemic. I had a lot of space, and I believe there is less now
I rode the SWC from Chicago to LA back in 2016. My first real experience with Amtrak. I had sleeper accommodations for that trip. Ended up sparking a love of rail travel for me. I’ve since ridden the California Zephyr from Emeryville to Chicago. Ridden the Cardinal a handful of times. A couple trips on the Pacific Surfliner. ❤️ Amtrak!
I’m currently in a sleeper on the Zephyr, going almost all the way to Emeryville from Chicago. New video soon!
Glad to see the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge looking more alive compared to when I was there a few months ago. Back then they had no snacks, drinks, anything. They do have a shower though, which was a nice refresher before my ride. The New York lounge really is the gold standard now.
Hopefully they’ll follow through with an upgrade to the other lounges over time
NY is the gold standard except for no showers! :(( really a lifesaver when doing LD coach.
Hi Mark--I wish you could have gotten off the platform in KC and seen the inside of Union Station. Renovated in the late 90s, it is one stunning example of Beaux Arts architecture.
Hi Jeff, I missed that. I think if I was a little more expert with Amtrak I could have timed it and gotten in there to have a look. I was a little paranoid about the train taking off without me. Maybe next trip I’ll stop there.
Thank you for making this video on coach. Couldnt find any on it until i stumbled on yours. We are sending a family off via coach so this is very helpful information. Got to see the various cars. BTW I did read that the dining car is now available to coach as well now.
This was done a while back, and I think a few things have changed. Hopefully it is still relevant. Thanks for watching.
I did the same trip back in 2006 - however in a sleeper with my own shower/toilet. The view was the same but the level of comfort was very different (so was the price!). However, if you can try doing a sleeper train trip that provides the traditional dining, it is unique as is the opportunity to meet & talk to fellow train travelers.( along with the use of the lounge rooms in the major cities). AMTRAK long-distance trains with the Observation car make the journey a very memorable one. We have nothing like it here in Australia (pity). It was a very enjoyable video.
The Ghan and the Indian Pacific are definitely tourist trains. I wish they’d start a regular service on those lines
Great .. i love the voice over .
Good video. I'm planning on taking that train from San Bernardino CA to Chicago on coach in November.
Have fun!
My parents and I are just taking a 3-day Amtrak train from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles on multiple trains on October 2024.
I’m sure you’ll have a blast Stephen. It’s a great way to travel, and a long trip like that is a true adventure
Thank you for this video, it's very well done. It actually convinced me NOT to take this route, so it was very helpful.
Hi Barry, and that’s OK! I’m not a sales guy for Amtrak. I just try to tell it as it is. Thanks for the kudos on the video
@@TravelwithMark Just know I had a GREAT time on the Zephyr, so thanks again. I'll do this Southwest Chief another time.
You got me giggled at the end where you said it was gluing & felt of an achievement !! Lol.😂 😅I'd love to do this travel on a coach seat ,but taking my mom w me & she's disabled right now ( showing significant improvements ,though ! Finally !! Knock on wood ! ) ,so,I don't think coach class rides would be a good thing ! But,this was a very simple & honest video that I felt like I was on that train w you ! 👍💜🥁🐉🎤🎶🚈🇺🇲💕💞
Hey folks I'm Joe from Scotland, I rode the Southwest Chief last year ,done two nights Kansas city ,two nights Albuquerque then couple of nights LA , Also rode City of New Orleans from Memphis to the Big Easy ,twice , I won't be over this year down to inflation and interest rates , but in my opinion Amtraks the way to go , I met a couple of friends on my journey last year and still keep in touch , Love to do the Empire Builder ,Next year though ,Anyway thanks to Amtrak and all the Lovely Americans I've been fortunate to meet ,Love and best wishes from Bonny Scotland .
Welcome Joe!
I’m taking the Southwest Chief to Flagstaff from Chicago. I’m excited for this one. Also the practice of allowing coach passengers pay to eat in the dining car is back on this train and many others!
Hope you have a GREAT trip! I loved the Southwest Chief!
Great video! I have also taken this same trip on the Southwest Chief.
Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome Regina
You must have taken that trip in summer/spring, since you crossed the river in daylight. I took that same trip in November 2017 and it was full dark by the time we got to the river. I only rode as far as Kingman Arizona, as I was going to Las Vegas. I also rode coach and was unable to sleep either night despite trying very hard. Still it was a fantastic trip.. Would do it again in a heartbeat, were it not that I'm semi-handicapped and doing those tiny stairs is a non-starter. Was hard even in 2017.
Yeah, those stairs are pretty bad. Seems like there should be a better design that could be more accommodating for people with mobility issues
You could get the accessible bedroom, they’re downstairs but of course cost a lot more than the coach
you could have got seats down below in the couch,
Amazing to see the crossing of the Mississippi
It’s a mighty river for sure
I’m doing the same trip on the rail pass in August but I’m coming from Boston.. any tips or tricks you picked up during your travel
It's a long trip, take a break. If you can find 2 free seats together, there's a fold out section under the seat and, depending on your stature, you may be able to sleep curled up, but flat. Do think about breaking up the trip. It's long!
I fly out to LAX, twice a year to see my son. I'm thinking of taking AMTRAK next time. Two nights is doable. Three probably not. I'm thinking of picking up the train in Naperville, instead of taking an uber into the city, since I'm halfway there. Should I bring a small blanket for sleeping, or do they supply one?
This trip was taken a couple of years ago when service standards were affected by Covid, so i'd caution that things have changed. I don't believe they supply a blanket. The trains may also be a little more crowded.
Minor note: That was Missouri, not Kansas, in Day 1 you were traveling through with the wheat fields before you had the stop in Kansas City, MO. :-)
I do apologize Michael. I thought I’d straightened out the timeline
How did you get a pass in the Lounge ????
Amtrak Guest Rewards Lounge Pass
42 hours coach....Yikes!! 🤯😵. You should do a video, "How to survive Amtrak coach for a week"
I think I’ll “compare and contrast” to long trip in a bedroom. Stay tuned for my upcoming trip in a bedroom on the Zephyr
The bedrooms are not 'slightly larger.' The bedrooms are twice the size of a Roomette.
I thought there was a connection to Vegas and the Grand Canyon somewhere in there off this train
Well it stops in LAs Vegas, New Mexico :-) If you want to go to Las Vegas Nevada, you'd need to change at Kingman for a Thruway bus.
Why was the dining car closed to coach riders? I've traveled from New London, CT to Denver, Co (Roundtrip) and New London, CT to Dallas, Tx (roundtrip) and both trips I had my meals in the dining car.
Seems to be a recent policy Timothy. It’s probably Covid related.
Why can't coach passenger eat in dining car? I've been riding trains since the 40's and coach passengers were always welcomed in the diner.
Hi @Sam Jennings, I have no idea. I don’t work for Amtrak. I don’t think it’s right either!
That's been a change since covid, and I believe on the eastern trains with "flexible" dining before then. They are currently testing business class access to the diner on the Coast Starlight, but it's difficult with the staffing and covid shortages.
I don't think I could stay in coach for 2 days. I would want a room with all the amenities. The food looks good on Amtrack.
*Amtrak. Food in the dining car is reasonably good. It’s the whole dining experience though that makes it so enjoyable
Some people break down the trip in 2 so you can get a good night's sleep and a shower in a hotel plus explore an additional city
Are coach passengers allowed to go to the sleeper cars now? It wasn’t allowed about 5 years ago. Just curious.
Nope
Glutton for punishment going this far in coach. Double the fun and do return trip on Greyhound.
@Velvet Jones it was a little arduous. Just finished a CZ in a bedroom…much nicer, video coming soon
are you aussie by any chance? get that from your accent. im travelling this same route next month, super keen!
Hi Dawg, originally from Tassie.
@@TravelwithMark great! im a qlder and ill be in the states for the next 2 years for uni! thanks for the video, stoked to be taking the train! better than NSW TrainLink i reckon
I gather that other than the stop in Albuquerque where you got some snacks you didn’t eat the whole trip. It’s sad coach class passengers aren’t allowed in the dining car. Seems cruel to me. Good video
@Jonathan Lewis there was a cafe on the train to buy snack food. All pretty unhealthy. They had wine, and that helps
Coach fare is dirt cheap compared to rooms.
I’ve ridden the Chief in both directions 3 times. Have had bedrooms, roomettes and even the family room once. That room is the width of the car so you have a window on each side but a downside it is right over the wheels. Rode coach once between Chicago and Boston on the Lakeshore Limited….didn’t care for it at all.
It’s back now on the Chief, restored about this time last year. Supposedly, coach passengers access to the dining car could become system wide on the long distance network.
Rooms are well worth the price.
Hi Betsy, some people prefer rooms, some prefer the lower cost of a coach seat. IO'll be taking a room on the Zephyr next month, and will be sure to post about it.
in Europe or China same distance would take few hours . US called world lone superpower way behind developed world in trains
@my93vr4 I agree with your sentiment that the US is behind in rail. That said, there are some mitigating factors, IMHO. First, US does not have $850B in debts piled onto the US rail system. Amtrak does lose money, but they would need to operate for 1,000 years to lose as much money as China on the railways. However railways are a strategic priority for China and so it may well be worth it. Europe is displacing airlines with rail, and so obviously there is more investment there. You should probably consider both airlines and rail together in their efficiency
@@TravelwithMark us has the best rail freight in the world
I always get a roommete at least no matter where Im going on the train.
It’s certainly a nicer experience having a room of some sort, however it’s a choice each has to make on whether they want to spend the money. The rooms are quite expensive.
No security searches or procedures ? Whhhaaa?
Nope.
What app are you using to measure the speed?
Speedometer on my iPhone. Works most of the time
How do you get a pass to the lounge?
Either a sleeper or First Class (i.e. Acela First Class) ticket, or Select Plus Rewards status.
You can also purchase a day pass
Why would anybody go anywhere overnight on coach.. Dude you need to try at least a sleeper
See my other posts. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t! As the train was only 30% full during this pandemic period, there was ample room in Coach, and it only cost $299 for the special they had on the pass! So I’d estimate this segment cost $99 max 😀
Notice that Amish use Amtrak for much of their long distance travel.
I was quite surprised the first time I took a long distance Amtrak that half the passengers in my car were Amish bot Mennonite!
2 DAYS in coach? You must be a masochist! At least get a Roomette; the extra cost includes your meals. FWIW, you don't hit desert until AFTER Albuquerque....
It was a long stretch @Alex Clement. Would I do it again? Possibly, but life is short. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss my upcoming First Class on Acela trip 😀
At least take a plane. It is a four and half hour flight. Yes. masochist is right.
@@TravelwithMark If you did that again in coach, you would be a masochist!. LOL
A roomette could be $1K-$2K.
@@ellisjames7192 I'd take 2 days in coach over 4 hours on a jet.