How to ride Amtrak in coach across America | Amtrak California Zephyr and Coast Starlight coach tips
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Can you sleep in the coach seats on the California Zephyr / Coast Starlight / Capitol Limited? What should I pack for an Amtrak coach seats trip? What are the coach seats like on Amtrak and how far can you lean back? Would you recommend riding Amtrak in coach?
(Our trip was in January 2020, before all... you know)
As a thank you to all of you who watched my video of travelling across the USA in coach and left such nice comments, here is everything I learned that could be useful to people who are thinking of doing the same trip when it's safe again. Hello and thank you to all of you who subscribed after watching that video!
I know I am just a stupid British tourist, so my new American friends will probably be able to offer better advice. But these are things I wanted to know before going, and I made sure to get enough clips to help out other people.
If you’re new to Airbnb, you can use my referral link for up to $50 off your first booking, and it gives us some credit too: abnb.me/e/da3G... thanks!
This is my advice for riding the California Zephyr in coach seats, the Coast Starlight in coach seats, and the Capitol Limited in coach seats. A lot of my clips are from the ride through the rockies because the scenery is the best, but I honestly enjoyed seeing the snowy towns of Ohio on the Capitol Limited too.
I'll answer your questions about things to pack for the California Zephyr, what to eat on the California zephyr, booking California Zephyr tickets and booking California Zephyr coach tickets.
Let me know if the advice was helpful!
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Do you have any other advice for people who want to travel across the USA by train?
During Covid, all long distance trains are running only 3 days per week. (All but two, the Cardinal and Sunset Limited, ran daily before the pandemic.) Also, traditional dining car service has been replaced by "flexible dining" i.e. airline style pre-packaged meals system-wide for the duration of the pandemic. Let's hope for a return to normalcy and pre-pandemic service levels sometime this year!
If you're traveling with a second person, swing for a roomette. The difference in price from coach is not that much once you factor in the food/beverages that come with it. The roomette is a bit cramped for two people normally, but leaving it in the bed configuration actually frees up more space where you can sit cross-legged or lie down across from each other if you are close. Way more comfortable than sitting in the upright seats with knees against each other IMHO.
If you want to really squeeze every last dime of value out of the roomette, tip your attendant (which you should do anyway) when you get on the train, then have meals delivered to your room. Room-delivered meals come with sealed items still sealed usually. Always order with side dishes etc even if you can't eat it all and just save it in a cooler for later. Each person gets up to 3 soft drinks per meal included, so like 18 cans of soda per day that you can either drink or stash in your cooler. Order the tapioca dessert even if you don't want dessert -- it's sealed and you can stash that in your cooler too. With all the leftovers you can have enough stuff to feed and hydrate you the next day after you get off.
If you're going to/from San Francisco on the California Zephyr, the San Joaquins, or the Capitol Corridor, and do not have checked baggage, you don't have to ride the bus. Instead, get on/off at Richmond Station, and use the BART metro (which shares Richmond with Amtrak) to get to/from San Francisco. This is faster than taking the Amtrak bus and offers more connections. There are 8 BART stations in San Francisco, plus dozens of other stations across the area. In addition, you can switch to a Muni train in SF for further destinations.
The only danger is if you are taking the California Zephyr westbound and it is *VERY* late such that you miss the last BART from Richmond. It normally arrives at 3:59PM, and the last BART train from Richmond is around 11:30PM (or 9:30PM in COVID times) so usually this is not a problem. You can get around this by booking your trip all the way to SF via the Amtrak bus, and just getting off at Richmond instead - the price difference is only a few dollars. Alternatively, you can book to Richmond and save the few dollars and, in the rare event that the train is running THAT late around the time you get to Sacramento, ask the conductor to let you stay on until Emeryville and then take an uber into the city.
Out of the many times I have done this, only one time has a train ever been so late that I missed BART.
Eastbound Zephyr obviously does not have this problem and BART is super reliable, so always book from Richmond as your origin station. If for some reason you wake up that morning and BART has broken or something, you can quickly book a bus+rail ticket to Richmond in the app and get on bus at Salesforce Tower stop, or uber to Emeryville and sort it out there. (Do not book eastbound trip from SF and then get on in Richmond as you will be counted as a no-show and your ticket canceled. I made this mistake once but they let me on anyway.)
If you are taking San Joaquins or Capitol Corridor this is less of an issue as they usually do not have major delays.
The Coast Starlight does not stop at Richmond, but it does stop at San Jose, from which you can transfer to Caltrain to get to/from SF. I do not recommend this as the northbound connection is tight, and the southbound connection, while doable, is subject to the potential for Caltrain delays (typically suicides). Given the normal delays, I've found that the best way to get the Coast Starlight from SF is to book via the SF bus, then if the train is not delayed get on the SF bus. If the train is badly delayed, I get a little extra time and pay for a shared lyftline/uberpool to the train station. (They will not cancel your ticket if you fail to take the bus, only if you fail to get on the train).
Sleeper car tip: The temperature controls are really unintuitive. The temperature control does not control the HVAC. The vent in the ceiling is HVAC from the entire car and it is set centrally. You have no control over that temperature. You only have a lever on the vent in the ceiling that lets you change the level of airflow. The temperature dial on the wall controls an electric space heater in the wall. It takes time to warm up. Most people fiddle with the dial, feel the vent air and notice that it has not changed temperature at all, and conclude that the dial is broken. The side effect of this is that the dial cannot make the room any cooler than the vent air, it can only make things warmer.
If your room is too hot, the only way to cool it down is to try to block any sunlight coming in from the window, or ask the car attendant to lower the temperature on the central HVAC system. They don't like doing this because then they have to deal with all the other passengers who now think it's too cold and don't understand how the space heaters work.
Sleeping in coach on a Superliner tip: Book a lower-level seat (i.e. the bottom deck). There will be way less foot traffic going by you at night as the corridors between cars are on the upper level. The sound from the rails will be a bit louder, but there will be less swaying. Also there are much fewer seats on the lower level, so there's less risk of a crying baby being around. The view is not as good from a lower seat, but you can always go to the lounge for views.
Wow, this is amazing! As a US citizen, I have never thought about doing this, You and your partner are so inspirational, Thank you,
Our pleasure! It's all worth it when it inspires people. Thanks :)
I’m taking my first American 🇺🇸 train from CLE to CHI to DEN & then Back 2 days later
CLE to Denver & back was awesome. Doing CLE to chi to Eugene,Or then flying back since 1 way is 62 hours (which is awesome!) but Also bc flying is so cheap $176 vs $275.
A point about the roommette at $600 for two people it’s actually not that expensive when you factor in the fact that that price also includes 3 meals a day in the dining car. Which can work out to over $100 per person for the trip. That’s nearly the same cost as the cheapest economy ticket
Roomette passengers sleep in a bed, have meals, can use the showers, too, and arrive presentable rather than disheveled. Well worth it on a two-day journey.
No vegan options for breakfast and both lunch and dinner is black beans for vegans. Carnivores get a better deal...
@@TomTomLo1 Only problematic for vegans. Vegetarians have more options. Eating vegan is hard wherever you go (e.g. India where vegetarian food is everywhere but it pretty much all has butter in it).
The roomette I saw was $900 for ONE person in May! Crazy
@@sweetsongstress7398 The prices go up as availability declines. It could be a particularly sold-out day. Sometimes roomettes get sold out so heavily that the full bedrooms actually become cheaper! Check other days around that time to see if there's a better deal. There is no "last minute" penalty for rooms on Amtrak, so the price only goes up as rooms are booked. Sometimes if a train is particularly heavily booked far in advance, Amtrak will add an extra car to the train and the prices can actually go *down* at that point (I've seen that happen and rebooked my already-reserved room for a cheaper price). A normal long distance train usually has one or two sleeper cars plus the staff dorm car, but I've seen trains with 4 sleeper cars. If you book a room at the highest price it's often an extra space in the staff dorm (the staff dorm has regular bed equipment so the experience is no different, it's just further away from the lounge).
If you're buying a particularly sold-out room though for a high price, the upside is that adding a second or third person to that room (you can call to have a third person in a bedroom, but not a roomette) barely changes the price.
Again, don't think of the room as an airline seat. Think of it as a hotel room. You can save money by doubling up. (I've actually made friends with coach passengers before and had them added to my bedroom for a small fee so we could all hang out. Coach passengers are NOT allowed into the sleeping car, but the conductor can convert their tickets into your reservation for not very much money. In the cases where I have done it, the price difference was less than the money they saved on meals.)
I live in the USA and have never seen theses things. But it on my bucket list.
Your video was from a helpful prospective or a do able way no extremes. Your partner was very sweet as well which always helps.
Keep enjoying life because life is short!
During my year in Canada I used the ViaRail trains whenever possible. Had some 2 and 3 day train rides in coach and it was awesome. I always had both seats for myself and could actually lie down across them. The seats are super comfy with lots of space. I loved it and would always do it again if I have the time. The view from the dome cars was great and you meet lots of nice people.
Thanks this fab blog came at difficult time for me and was almost therapeutic
Very much, to the point(s). Thank you very much for sharing. My first Amtrak train ride was a private rail car on the California Zephyr, round trip. Second trip was a family bedroom westbound Zephyr with return flight. And now, 20+ years later we’re circumnavigating the USA, snagging two $299 USA Rail Passes, riding coach and think this might be our best ever train adventure.
We’ve completed so many different train rides across Europe, so we thought, why not the USA?
Had to take a pause at the term "star jump." I've never heard that before!
haha I was intending to say jumping jacks for my US friends, but you can't fight muscle memory I guess 😄
Denver to emery Ville 118 dollars as of this morning
I'm surprised you didn't have peanut butter. Usually people eat peanut butter and jelly or Jam.
I think the Jam/Jelly thing is true just in the sense that your average American wouldn't use the word "jam". Even if it's on the can. I've very rarely heard anyone call it jam and I'm not even sure what the technical difference is lmao. I would have called what you were putting on your bread jelly.
Thanks for explaining this. For anyone who doesn't know (I guess I didn't make this explicit in the video, to be fair), the pervasive thing in the UK is that the exact same product is called "jam" in the UK and "jelly" in the US. People on this video educating me have proved that that idea is just dead wrong!
@@thornton I see. That makes sense. Yeah, we will label them accordingly but colloquially, it's mostly all jelly to us.
Tom, thank you. Thank you because, although professionally produced, your segments contain zero artifice and overly theatrical content, making them easy and enjoyable to watch. Best wishes for your success in the future.
A tip for anyone taking the California Zephyr: unlike a plane you can bring your own food and drinks on board. Load up a small suitcase or backpack with food and bottled water for the trip. If you're in Union Station in Chicago you can also get hot food at a number of restaurants in the food court there.
What do you mean "unlike a plane, you can bring your own food and drinks on board". As far as I know you can bring your own food and drink on a airplane. At the airport you can go the Subway, load up on sandwiches and beverage and board the airplane. Where have you been traveling?
@@ellisjames7192 You can only bring your own drinks if you purchase them in the airport after security. Or they are smaller than 2 ounces.
@@ellisjames7192 You can't bring any beverages on a plan.
@@EMVelez-qb1zu of course you can but I think they just worded this tip incorrectly. You can only bring stuff you buy at the airport after you have already passed through security. A train has an advantage because you can go to target, sams club, Costco etc……. To load up on snacks and drinks and personally I typically buy the big sub sandwiches or pack PBJ sandwiches. I’m sure we can all agree the prices on an airplane and train are expensive.
@@reggiehampton2685 Just plain wrong... I usually buy a coffee in the airport and bring it onboard with me for early morning flights which I take every couple of months.
Of course we have jam!
Here in America jam and jelly are different (but similar) things. Jam is made from whole fruit and sugar, while jelly is made from fruit juice and sugar. So strawberries? Usually jam. Grapes? Usually jelly.
Not to mention "preserves" which... is I guess just chunkier Jam.
@@notednuance And marmalade, which is citrus jam
Where I grew up in the mid-west (Missouri and Kansas), my family used jelly to refer to both. “You want strawberry jelly?” “Yes please, but I’ll take the chunky strawberry jelly.”
This may not to common to other families!
@@WalkerCarey108 Fellow Midwesterner here. It's just your family.
ROFL yes, as a fellow Midwesterner, it’s just your family 😝
Accidentally discovered your video last night on New York to California by train. Reluctantly clicked on it and after 5 minutes you and your girl friend had me hooked. You have a very easy going polished style of narration, no gimmicky music thank God, and good video/editing skills. And kudos for not introducing political views into your video like so many youtubers feel compelled to do and it always ruins the immersion for me, regardless of viewpoint. New subscriber. Cheers from L.A. (Lower Alabama:)
Thanks Pete, we both just read your comment and it made us smile so much. Maybe next time we can hit the south, any recommendations? Best wishes from Europe.
@@thornton Thanks! I don't know how conducive it would be via Amtrak, because some of the best highlights aren't covered on train routes. The big bucket list points would have to start with the Smokey Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee. As for the southern beaches I'm partial to the Florida panhandle and Alabama coast lines, Panama City to Gulf Shores and Mobile, and then on to New Orleans; that area is so laid back compared to the more bustling and crowded south Florida area. The uncrowded sugar sand beaches and aqua waters have to be experienced. Of course if you just gotta visit Disney World it's easy to find:)
@@pete49327 I live In AL and agree! Orange Beach, AL is quieter than FL but has great white sand and calm waves. And the Blue Ridge Mountains/Smokies in NC/TN are breathtaking with tons of good hiking trails. Tom, your videos about Amtrak are so well done. You are a gifted videographer and storyteller. My family took this same trip when I was a kid. I remember nothing about LA, but the train ride to get there was the most memorable vacation I’ve ever been on!!
pete49327 this "review" of this review makes me want to watch even more!
@@thornton great series of US travel videos- the west is spectacular to be sure, however I’ll also recommend trying a South/Southeast US journey at some point. The Blue Ridge Parkway is brilliant as noted, however for the Amtrak tie in, my current hometown of Raleigh, NC opened a brand new station a couple years ago, with easy connections to the rest of the city via rental bicycle and greenways. Lots of good affordable vegetarian food here as well.
Your crossing America video is THE BEST Amateur UA-cam travel documentary video I have ever seen. Not even close.
Arturo thanks so much!! I was inspired by all the amazing filmmakers on here so I now feel 10 feet tall after your comment. And of course a beautiful country like the USA makes my job very easy.
@@thornton My pleasure Tom. Many of those places you visited were special to me, including Monterey and Pacific Grove, and the area around Truckee and Donner Lake on the train. Also that dog and cat segment in DC warmed my heart.
As an alternate transportation advocate, I have traveled +100,000s miles on Amtrak. Your video on your American train journey is one of the best on UA-cam. The style, the narrative, the editing-all top notch. High marks!
Thanks so much!! It really means a lot. I’ll be making another video about doing this trip on a budget, if you’re interested.
@@thornton Very much interested; good luck with that production!
ou , ima go watch that one now
I agree.
Amtrak service is likely to see some major improvements in the next few years. Its biggest advocate just moved into the White House.
As a senator, "Amtrak Joe" was famous for doing the 90-minute rail commute from Wilmington, Delaware to DC every day for over 40 years instead of flying or buying a DC home as most legislators do. He hosted barbecues for railroad workers at his home and announced his first presidential run from Wilmington Station which is now named after him. Love him or hate him, it'll be exciting to see what's coming for our lackluster passenger rail system.
That's fantastic, I had heard that name for him but I didn't know the story. What a guy. I know he's still mega rich but taking the time to commute like the rest of us seems very endearing to me. What changes are you anticipating? Do you think there could be a tax on airline fuel? Or more tracks laid that are solely owned by Amtrak? I'd love to know your thoughts. Thanks for educating me.
@@thornton Well, today I just scrolled past a headline that he's travelling to the Gulf Coast with his nominee for Transportation secretary. That sounds to me like it may have something to do with the Sunset Limited line, which used to run from LA to Orlando/Miami and was the only single ride that went coast-to-coast (without a change in Chicago like you had to do.) The Gulf Coast section of the line (close to half of it) was badly damaged and abandoned after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, cutting off everything east of New Orleans. Since then a number of quite large and very economically depressed cities in that region have been without service.
There's likely very little he can do with the stroke of a pen. Amtrak is a quasi-private, quasi-government run corporation whose relationship with Congress, the Executive and the multitude of freight carriers who own the trackage is so hideously complex it would take a law professor to fully understand it. But I'm hoping for restoration of old services, maybe a few extensions to better service rural areas, better maintenance of facilities and renegotiation of deals with freight companies, if possible. I'm hesitant to get my hopes too high for major expansions or miles of new exclusive tracks as Congress never has the appetite for things like that. But there are plenty of existing plans that have been gathering dust for years awaiting local approval or funding that might get a new lease on life.
@@thornton That's also because it would take longer for him to fly than take the train, so it's not that big of a deal to take the Acela from Wilmington to DC, especially if he goes first class, which is much better than flying.
I truly hope this happens because the USA is so behind with their rail system. Most developed countries have first class rail systems, like Japan's bullet train. This would also be huge for the green movement.
@@thornton US Senators make a decent salary but by no means the height of luxury. From Wilmington DE to the US Capitol is 157 miles (252 km) and there is some killer traffic in between (the Beltway & North Capitol St.) Joe Biden had first two, then three kids at home and he wanted to keep them in their schools irrespective of whether he was in office or not. Amtrak makes perfect sense for that commute for people who live here. One can get work done on the train, which is impossible while driving. I used to take a commuter train in from Maryland to my office in DC until I moved to Arlington VA and then I took the Metro.
My best friend and I spent a month traveling around the US via Amtrak and hostels. This was 20 years ago, and it’s still one of the best trips I’ve taken. I remember coach seats being just as you’ve described, and I also met some great people in the lounge cars.
I can say from experience; rail travel is wonderful and as comfortable as you describe here. But I would underscore as I quote others; If you can afford it, coach is a false economy over roomettes for what you get. At my age, showers are paramount. Coming from a day when airports were fun, flying sucks anymore- a bus with wings.
Amtrak runs sales on tickets several times a year. Look around Valentine’s Day for the buy one get one free tickets for couples. A great way to do something special and get away with your sweetheart. Train to a bed and breakfast or a Broadway show. Lots of options if you are creative.
Thanks for the tip! Really good insight. :)
Or around my birthday in the first week of December. No one travels after Thanksgiving and before Christmas it seems but me.... You won't believe how low the prices of cruises, airlines, trains, and hotels are during the first week of December...
It's a shame that Route 66 isn't really a thing anymore. Driving that would have been the best way to see a slice of Americana, which is also rapidly disappearing.
Route 66 is from before freeways and a vast interstate highway system. If there no longer traffic on a road there is no income for local businesses and towns die. It is a ghost road. Why go?
@@olyvoyl9382 Right. Like I said, it is not really a thing anymore.
Driving, if one prefers not to drive is definitely the second best choice to travel very long distances in the US. To see the country and not clouds, Amtrak is by far the best option.
In some states Rte 66 is marked with signage. Illinois is especially good for that. Rent a car from Springfield, Illinois to St. Louis and there's good train service at both ends of the drive.
@@mikevale3620 Yeah, but there's something to be said for the great American "road trip". Especially out west.
If you ask at the front desk, most US hotels and hostels have a room to store luggage. Not ideal to return to the hotel after 11am check out but it does enable you to secure them for a solid few hours of hands free sight seeing before you need to move on. Next time.
Tom your commentary was so good. I was sitting indoors doing my year end accounts and heard your commentary in the background. It sounded so interesting I put down my pen and calculator to listen to you properly. You've just inspired me to book my ticket. Hopefully this year 🤞🤞🤞🙂
Brilliant and clear. Great video.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thank you, send me another message on here if you go, I would love to hear about your trip!
I take the Amtrak almost every time. I only fly if necessary. My trip usually take me from Sacramento to Denver. It really is my favorite method of travel. Taking a portable DVD player gives me plenty of time to watch a few good movies, plenty of time to write letters, eat the food I brought along. My morning devotional is not rushed. Being vegan also makes my trip quite easy. People find it a bit strange when I take out a can of kidney beans and squeeze a lemon into it but ( c’est la vie.) in Colorado, I saw a bald eagle in her nest, right by the track, wild horses runny in a distance. The conductor told us to look at them. What a sight.. the best part is how the train slows down your life from this high speed stressful world we now live in. Thanks for your presentation.
As someone who rode coach from Chicago to New York twice back in the 90s, I can also vouch for the Coach seats. I hate airplane flying, not just for the terror of takeoff landing and turbulence, but also the fact that you have nowhere to go but between your seat and the toilet. On a train you can get up and walk around, you can meet people (well, in pre-Covid times) and you actually see the country you're passing through. I look forward to traveling by train again, more than likely still wearing a mask, hopefully by the end of this year.
Hey! Just found your channel and really like your video style...keep up the good work! My wife now wants to travel across America like you two (and “you both are so cute!” my wife adds) Subscribed and will pass it on.
Welcome to the channel, we're really glad to meet you!
Thank you. I love Amtrak and take it everywhere. My family and fr8ends think I’m crazy. John from New Jersey.
That's the spirit John, be crazy like us. Glad you liked the video.
I am a 62 yr old woman in USA in Missouri. I truly enjoyed your video and also the video of you and Molly going cross country. Thank you for such a nice video and I am so happy that you enjoyed your visit to America. It's a bit crazy here right now. You both be safe and be well and I will look forward to more videos. :)
I wish we had Amtrak near Maryville then. When a college student in 82 thru 86 from Southeast Asia
About a week ago I went to a nearby city by train for the first time in my life. It was in Russia and it was an overnight train, get on in the evening and get off in the morning kind of thing (12 hour ride). I was in what's called a platz cart which is just one bottom and one top bunk in the isle, and a luggage storage under the ceiling. Aside from the fact that I couldn't get into the top bunk by myself and had to be hauled in by very helpful passengers (how embarrassing 😂😭) I absolutely loved the experience! I think what you get on those train trips is this feeling of community and camaraderie, and maybe I just got really lucky this first time, but everyone was really friendly. Also they served tea in those cool Soviet cup holders that I adore.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I really enjoyed your videos
Most informative video from a coach perspective
You’re great man, hope you’re channel grows exponentially this year. 🍺
You and me both! Much appreciated, Carl.
When I was 8, we took the train from California north to Spokane and then across to Chicago with stops at Glacier National Park, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. We took the California Zephyr on the return. One of my best memories from the trip was a massive lightning storm while we were crossing Nebraska at night. I loved traveling by train! I loved the pace of train travel, the scenery, and meeting lots of people. More than anything, it gave me a sense of the scale and variety of the US that you simply cannot get when you fly.
I didn't realize so many people hate Amtrak. I've taken the Amtrak train from NC to Maryland and wouldn't hesitate to do it again or even longer trip.
Wonderful seeing the US thru a visitor's eyes; many thanks for sharing and so well done. Next trip, please visit the south including my home town in Savannah, Georgia, New Orleans and then over to Arizona and New Mexico. You're a terrific ambassador for train travel.
I've ridden lots of long distance US trains (I live here and I like train travel). I think you're geniuses for bringing the duvet! Best I ever did was a very large scarf. As soon as I can I'm going to ride them all the time! One thing--it's very common in the US to ask about leaving your bag at the place you stay after you check out. I think you stayed in an AirBnb in SLC? You might have been able to do that. You can always do it at a hotel.
Haha, "Americans call jam jelly!" For those interested, in America jelly, jam, and preserves all have various amounts of fruit in them. Jelly has none (basically juice, sugar and gelling agent), Jam has some (maybe some seeds and small amounts of fruit), and preserves has whole pieces of fruit in it. I've never heard of the cubes in a jar thing. That's weird even for an American.
I've been on the Train between Colorado and Washington DC, and would highly recommend it.
Thanks for making these videos!
Yep. Jam is jam, containing mooshed fruit, jelly is jelly, strained, just the juice and preserves have pieces of the fruit. Marmalade has citrus peel.
I'm a 65-year-old American who has ridden on Amtrak only once in my life... 45 years ago. Now considering the possibility of taking the train from Kansas City, Missouri to Oakland, California, I wanted to know if riding coach for 51 hours would be doable. After watching your delightful and informative video, I think the answer is yes. As a native Californian who grew up in Pacific Grove, it was really nice to hear familiar city names--San Francisco, Emeryville, Monterey... And yes, Salinas. (There really is nothing to do in Salinas, except catch a bus.) One final comment: The difference between jam and jelly in the US is not a mystery. Jam contains chunks of the cooked fruit, while jelly is clear, having all the solids strained out. Both condiments require pectin to thicken them. I subscribed to your channel and am looking forward to learning much more about your travels in my country. Cheers!
Thank you for such an upbeat, helpful and positive video.
Hi Tom! I just messaged you on Instagram. I’m loving your content! My husband and I did a Amtrak trip similar to yours back in 2016 and it was the trip of a lifetime. Thanks for sharing your insight!
I have grown up 5 minutes from a train station near Los Angeles my entire life, and have only ever taken the train twice. I am furious at myself for letting all these years pass by without taking advantage of the train. Thanks for the videos!
Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Less than two percent of Americans have ever rode a Amtrak intercity train, not a metro commuter train... Compare that very low figure to the fact that eighty percent of Americans have flown at least once.
Take a day trip to San Diego
You're a great story teller Tom (inspiring even)! Hope Amtrak maybe gives you couple a free tix for this video (well deserved). Thx
Did this trip for my graduation present with my mom. Best time of my life, including the food, delays and everything in between. Can't get that on a plane
Really good to hear!!
Yes, this video is a huge help in planning my bucket list trip from NYC to LA, with the highlight being the California Zephyr. Thank you!
As a NYer, I grew up using the trains, beautiful Hudson Line, which is Amtrak to Montreal.
I did take Amtrak NY to Boston, and it was a great experience to be "car-free" I had the best time. It's very relaxing, stress free with wonderful ocean views. Cheers!
Loved the video, it's always amazing when people from other countries come visit US and demonstrate how beautiful our country is! Cheers mate!
I'm a 52 year old American, jelly is jelly, jam is jam.
jam has seeds and less preseservation. Jelly is filtered and shelf stable.
Hiya Tom, are you on Twittet or Instagram. I am really loving your content and was looking to see if you were posting anywhere else.
We are taking the Zephyr round trip from Chicago to Reno in October and found your video very helpful. Thanks for the tips.
Glad it was helpful! Reno sounds like a great stop. Maybe next time.
All the times I have taken Amtrak, they gave me pillows when I asked for them.
Good tip for others! Thanks :)
You've added the California Zephyr to my bucket list! Now my partner and I are obsessed with the idea but we are thinking it's probably a good idea to do it when our kids are adults so we can go by ourselves :)
I'm planning a cross country trip, Chicago to LA on the Southwest Chief! Great video, thank you so much!
Great synopsis. Thanks so much. On my way to Colorado. I hear they do not have an observation car any more. But oh well.
Wonderful video. Thanks for sharing!
Tom I've been considering a cross country trip via Amtrak and this video answered all my questions, including some I hadn't considered. Great video.
I am so so happy I stumbled onto your channel. I plan to binge on all your videos. Lol. Thank you!
I love traveling by Amtrak and do so regularly. Just so you know, big hotels will happily allow you to check luggage for a small price - even if you aren’t a guest.
I've done that trick when the check-in line was too long.
Great video, mate. I waited more than 48 years to make my cross-country trip NYC-CHI-SEAttle. I had a room and roomette for different parts of the journey. I thought of coach, but I had the money for reserved trip.
End of March I'll be traveling the Southwest Chief. Reserved. But your vid was very enlightening. Thanks.
And the first part of the video you reminded me of Geddy Lee!
About salt lake city, you could tipped 10$ to a concierge in some nice hotel and they will take your bags
Thank you for your non-theatrical and practical review! Makes me want to take one of these trips. The fossil fuel and automobile industry lobby literally shackled rail travel in the US. We are decades behind Europe and Asia as far as mass transit is concerned.
I used to travel to Japan several times a year for business - until this pandemic. The comfort, efficiency and punctuality of the Shinkansen high speed rail system is such a wonderful experience. I suppose we Americans just love our cars and freeways!
Hey Tom, really great job with the film! it's so well done and informative. I've recently moved to the US and am planning to see as much of the country as I can. The video has given me so many travel ideas. I would have never known how beautiful Salt Lake city is!
Awesome! I hope you can travel soon, there’s so much to see. Definitely would recommend SLC 😍
Thank you for your wonderful video! I have always wanted to visit some of the places that you traveled to (especially Utah and Monterey, CA!) but I honestly never considered traveling by train. I’m thinking about planning a trip once it’s safe to travel again. Thank you for inspiring me!
On another note, your filmography and editing was really enjoyable to watch. I appreciate your calm narration and how sometimes you let the beautiful scenery just speak for itself.
If you ever come back to the U.S., I highly recommend visiting in Autumn, especially in the Northeast!
Thanks Jessica, I really appreciate your comment and I hope you are able to stay safe and well until you can do that trip, it sounds great. We would absolutely love to see New England in autumn, it’s definitely on the list 😊
Really enjoyed your crossing the country video. Well done.
Is there a way to heat water if you bring your own ramen, coffee, or tea?
I've traveled on Amtrak tons of times from SFC to SLC 3 times, Staples, MN to Syracuse, NY, NYC to Montreal, and all over the Northeast Corridor.
Some tips:
(1) If you're on a double deck train like the California Zephyr, you can book your ticket for the upper level or lower level. If you're going to be on the train overnight, choose the lower level. The pass through from car to car is the entire upper level. This means that you'll have all of the foot traffic as people move about the train to get to the dining car, the cafe car, and the viewing car. When booking the website will have upper level as the default. This means that the upper level is usually much more crowded and the lower level usually only has 5 to 6 people for an entire car, which makes it much quieter. To make things even better, there is a door that separates the lower passenger cabin from the rest of car (restrooms, luggage area, stairwell) and muffles almost all of the noise from the train.
(2) Also, the lower level has an area in front of the first row of seats on the right side of the train that is open without any seats. If you can get those front seats, you can bring a small camping mat and sleep there for the night rather than in a seat. You can also get the last row and sleep on the floor crossing the middle isle if the car isn't crowded and those seats aren't taken.
(3) All of the restrooms are located on the lower level on the other side of the stairwell from the passenger cabin.
I loved the jam comments. Wonder where that idea originated. Love me some jam.
Hi Tom, great film of your trip, and this one very useful also. I've done Inter-Rails and driven Route 66, so coast-to-coast across the USA on trains & buses has also been a long-term objective; hopefully when everything's returning to normal. Luckily you just beat the pandemic! Like you, I am a 'travel nerd with a long-standing interest in American culture' - perfect description.
My train record is 36 hours from Athens to Vienna through the old pre-break-up Yugoslavia... great journey but definitely not as comfortable as the Zephyr.
My question - when you leave your seat for stops and exercise etc., did you feel that it was safe to leave your stuff in your seat? (obviously not real valuables) In Europe I was always nervous about doing this to the point of paranoia, the USA in general would be safer I think but I'd be interested to hear your experience.
Thanks Stephen, good to meet you. Your trip across Europe sounds amazing, I would love to do a similar route, maybe broken up with some stops if it's not that comfy! When we got off the train, we would always take phone, passport, wallet and my camera with us, after that, if anybody wants to steal my jam and dirty socks then that's up to them! We never had any problems but I appreciate they can happen anywhere, same as in my country.
Make this a career. You two are THAT good at this! Enjoyed every minute.
Loved this! Thinking about it already!!
This is so good, so useful, and such a massive relief to this cheapskate! (We're moving to a town in the USA with Amtrak service, and we are ridiculously excited about the prospect of having train travel available--almost like living in a developed country. :) )
Great review. Is there a microwave available for you to heat your own food or is microwaving only allowed for food purchased from AmTrak? Thanks.
Grape jelly, strawberry jam.
These videos were perfect! Me and my partner were planning on going from Chicago to Portland on the empire builder sometime later this year or in 2022! This was super helpful, especially the coach seats cause I'm very picky about falling asleep in chairs lol.
That sounds so good, the Empire Builder is on our list too. Hope you have the best trip when it’s possible again, and thanks for your comment 😁
I have ridden coach on the Coast Starlight a few times. The seats are very comfortable and sleep very well. Beats the best airline seats by miles. But bring a small pillow and some sort of blanket. One trip my traveling companion didn't bring either and almost froze in the mountains on No. California going into Oregon.
I love this. I would be the person talking to you across the aisle or table. I am still in contact with people I met on the five hour train from Kings Cross station to Edinburgh in 2019. Love meeting people wherever I am. Definitely doing this post coronavirus.
Hi David, thanks for your nice comment! We rode the Caledonian Sleeper too and it was such a privilege. We actually have a video about that too. Would love to sit with you watching Colorado or Scotland roll by and share some drinks. Thanks again and best wishes from Europe!
This is probably the most random thing I've seen as a suggested video on youtube. But I'm actually pretty glad I got to see this because it's actually pretty interesting. :)
Glad you enjoyed it! Have you been planning a trip like this? :)
@@thornton Not at all. In fact, I've never been on a train in the US. I'm glad you're having a blast here though. I've been in quarantine since March, and seeing you having so much fun brings joy into my life~
IT's just wow!! Now you made me want to travel the US by train! How long in advance you booked those tickets? Before you got to US?
Hi Laura, we actually booked them pretty last minute, some before we arrived and some while we were there. It’s definitely best to get them as early as you can, since there’s only a limited number of the cheapest tickets available on each service. I’m doing another tips video with details of how much we spent in total and how to keep costs down, if you’re interested, and it might be out next week 😁
@@thornton awesome! 👍😁
Hi Laura, I just released that video breaking down our budget! Turns out I have a lot to say on the topic of budget travel, haha, but if you have any more questions after watching that I'll be sure to answer :)
Thank you for your tips Tom. I have always wanted to do Amtrak across America.
You make me want to take another trip!
Did you know that Amtrak adds long-distance coaches to some intercity trains routes for business(first) class to use as a quiet car.
Highly recommend the Southwest Chief, I took it several years ago and it was a beautiful, unique slice of Americana. Old west mixed with old colonial Mexico, seemingly frozen in time. Not as dramatic scenery as the CZ, but gorgeous in its own right.
I Looooove the Southwest Chief, before Covid, I rode the Chief from Chicago to Flagstaff in October , the journey was beautiful.
The desert views are great.
I'm glad you had such a great experience on Amtrak and here in the US. Amtrak may not be perfect, but it's ours and we love it all the same. There really is no better way to see America than from a big comfy seat on a train, with a cup of coffee or a beer, a big window, and a good book. There's something undeniably peaceful and magical about riding the train.
Most hotels will hold your bags after you checked out. I've done this in the US and in Europe. They are happy to oblige.
My daughter had her bags stolen in New Orleans years ago. Safety is not always guaranteed.
@@olyvoyl9382 Yikes! That's awful.
Great content, very informative! Thanks for sharing, stay blessed and safe, welcome to USA
And yet we have Elon Musk wanting to build underground hyper-loops across America that would get you from point A to B in half the time without seeing ANYTHING much less stopping. I prefer the old school way.
Such a shame isn't it! Imagine the improvements to the service/coverage if all that money was being invested into Amtrak instead.
You should see some of the hyperloop debunking videos. They'll never be practical, and even if they were, they'd be deadly.
Great info for coach train travel planning! Your "jam rant" was everything!! Happy you enjoyed the USA!
Thank you for this. I booked the Silver Meteor (I know, not quite as scenic) to go from NYC to Orlando (I'll be riding the Emprei Service from Roch to NYC, which I'll enjoy the Great Lakes and hudson region!)... This will be my first train ride and I'm excited (trip is in Aug)... When I've told coworkers, family, friends I keep getting asked "Why not fly"... well, I've always wanted to take the train, and just the thought of the restrictions of what I can bring on the plane gets me anxiety. NOt to mention I did fly once to Florday and as you said, it was boring, get on, a few hours later you get off with no scenery. And the security you have to go through is ridiculous. I'm looking forward to this trip, relaxing for a couple days (so I will be on the train a total of four days, two going, two coming back)... and watching the scenery and reading, writing in my journal. I'm taking this time as an electronics detox as well!
Your Amtrak trip was the inspiration for my very first solo cross-country trip that I’ll be embarking on next week. Cheers, Tom :)
Amazing! Bon voyage 😁
how did it go?
The trip was life-changing. It had its ups and downs, and at some points I was pretty fed up with the lack of a personal restroom, but the experience will forever be a critical moment in my life.
I’ll write a more detailed account of my journey in the near future.
Jelly = artificial flavored jello stuff
Jam = jam
Preservers = jam with pieces of fruit in it
Must be jelly 'coz jam don't shake like that.
Jello and jelly are different. Jelly is made with fruit juice, and it's shelf stable. Jello gets watery when it's warm.
Make a Career of this. Yes, you two are THAT good! Enjoyed every minute.
Thanks,very informative,I planing to take the trip to new York to Miami,first time on Amtrak.looking Forward
I need to travel to the Bay Area last minute, and airplane tickets are very expensive right now. Looking at different travel pages, I randomly found Amtrak tickets for half the price than the cheapest flight I could find for the days I need to be there. I have never traveled via train long-distance in the US, and was a bit worried about the experience. But your video has been very reassuring, and now I just got my tickets for a mini Amtrak adventure in less than a week! I'm actually boarding in Utah, so this is just a fraction of the trip, only about 18 hours, and sadly not the nicest views. But we're pretty excited about it, and are already thinking that in the future we need to do the other side, from here to Chicago!!
I love your enthusiasm and sense of adventure!
Brilliant. Thank you Tom and Molly. Again. Watched the trip video and the tip video. Really enjoyed them both. If I go, I'll tell you about it.
I have stayed coach many times, and in the morning walk to sleeper cars and enjoy a fresh shower. They provide soap and towels. SSHH, I think this frowned upon.
I'm planning to travel slow and get off the train to stay in places for days or weeks. Is it difficult to book train tickets on-the-go, or are we talking multi-month queues?
Hey Tom I’m transfixed by this travel documentary and it instantly inspired me to consider a similar trip for myself. Looking at the coach seats I’m curious if you wouldn’t mind telling how tall you are? Seems like somebody very tall would be quite uncomfortable. Anyways I loved your video and thank you so much for making it. Cheers!
awesome! Thanks, chuck :) Yes I'm a flat 6ft0, I felt like I had plenty of room to stretch out but probably if you're much taller, that would run out pretty quickly
@@thornton I’m very glad to hear that because we’re similar in height. Thanks for convincing me to see my own country :)
@11:23 - Go from NY to New Orleans. Spend 2-3 days there, then head to Austin. New Orleans is the hub in the South for getting to the Southwest. Stop in Austin for 1-2 days, then head to San Diego. Then go North to Seattle.
Exactly. New York City- New Orleans - Austin is a good one
13:40 We have both Jam and Jelly. Jam tends to have a lot of extra added sugar compared to Jelly. If there was a sliding scale it would go Jam, Jelly, Preserves.
Very good. I am surprised how many people think more money you spend the better time you have. Recall going to Hawaii for a weekend total cost was 8.00 dollars and had a good time. Yours Evans w robinson
I'm glad you enjoyed you USA train trip,..it is beautiful. I enjoyed you video on the trip. I'm American from California and have often thought of using the train to travel east to see family instead of flying or driving. 🏝🏝🏜🏜🛣🏔🚝🚃🚃🏞🏕🏜🏔🏙🏙
Regarding the "jam/jelly" thing. This can probably be attributed to the PB&J sandwich, which is typically peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) and grape "jelly". But in our house, we almost always have it with strawberry, peach or apricot "jam", sometimes even honey, yet we still called it a "peanut butter and 'JELLY' sandwich" just like every other American. It's one of those quirky American things that will probably never change. It's part of our culture. Wishing you the best on your next adventure.😃😊
Unfortunately I broke my back and can not sleep unless I'm horizontal. My back spasms for days if I sleep in other position. Trains are my favorite way to travel. They are really relaxing, though, not very high speed, in America - yet. Jets are faster, but the increase in stress is something to avoid. 😃
Get a roomette you can have one guest included in the price