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Amtrak's STUNNING Coast Starlight in a Roomette
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- Опубліковано 31 жов 2019
- A review of when I took Amtrak's stunning Coast Starlight in a superliner roomette. Two days of some of the finest scenery that America has to offer!
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Date of Travel: 23 September 2019
Class of Travel: Superliner Roomette (First Class)
Cost of Ticket: $457
Other info:
As I mentioned last week, the only way to choose whether your roomette is on the upper or lower level of your car is to ring Amtrak and have them change it for you. As I live in the UK, the cost of making a call to Amtrak to have them change my roomette, would have been far higher than I would have been willing to pay just for the sake of a slightly better view!
I should also mention that this runs daily both northbound and southbound (including Sundays!)
I forgot to say in the video that we actually arrived into Seattle about 20 minutes earlier than the scheduled arrival time of 7:56pm which is unusual for Amtrak (in my experience, they usually run an hour or two late on long distance routes!)
Massive thank you to everyone for the support shown on this video. This video kind of took off in a way which I never expected so thanks!
Cool! here's a song about train travel ua-cam.com/video/EaANr0o18u4/v-deo.html
So, NOLA to Seattle?
I use a gopro hero 7 to record my videos.
Thank You for the video
Thanks alot for the trip down memory lane it's been since 1993 when I took my last train ride from Portland Oregon to Los Angeles California and I liked the trip all but the overbooking part thanks for sharing🙄💛
Thank you so much for making this! I'm an older lady and have been wanting to take a train trip but was nervous. Now I can see how to get around the rooms and the train itself. Wonderful. You have no clue how much this helped me to feel confident. Thanks you.
Thanks! Glad I could help you!
From 2001 through 2013 I took 5 cross country trips "west" of St. Louis by myself that were all around one week trips. I liked the Zephyr and Coast Starlight the best and rode all long distance trains west of St. Louis. . Also liked the Surfliner between L.A. and San Diego and the Canadian between Vancouver and Jasper. I only looked for hotela close to a train station when making connection the next day for the next day's train. It was scary at first but if the unexpected occurs AMTRAK works with you. It's a great way to see the west and strongly recommend this travel. Once the train starts rolling just sit back in the observation car and enjoy the scenery. You will also meet others on the train who enjoy this experience and some from other parts of the world. I'ts all about the journey.
Please do not hesitate to travel alone or with a friend on Amtrak. I'm nearly 70 and have been traveling on Amtrak for the last 20+ years and never had a problem. I've always felt very safe.
How can you be that old and never been on a train? 🙄
@@Neville60001 _THAT_ train. Don't know where you're from, but they do and to differ from place to place.
Watching a train journey is very therapeutic when in lockdown!
Appreciated having captions rather than chatter and music.
I disagree...I do not have a problem with captions....but you could not see half of the words at the beginning...so I moved on! Did I miss a good vid? Perhaps....
Not me! I don't care for needless chatter, but a running description would have been nice.
I can't see the white captions. Would enjoy you talking along the tour along with captions in a different color. But thanks for sharing.
I can't read the captions and enjoy the scenery at the same time. Agree that some vlogs have annoying loud music that drowns out the conversation, and it gets really frustrating when the vloggers chatter on like valley girls with pointless commentary. There is a happy medium.
@@donnalthood3102 ....not perhaps. yes.
I did this same trip in 1999 in a private room and loved it. In a room you have your own toilet / shower combo and you can have the steward bring you meals from the dining car. The stress level is practically zero compared to flying, and you can just look out the window endlessly at scenery that’s completely different from what’s along freeways. As a special treat, at extra cost, it was totally worth it. I still remember it well over 20 years later, as compared to the endless succession of plane flights in that same time span.
I do think about this mode of travel but am leery if the trail derails/ has an accident if Im in the shower!! OMG!!!
@@Lauren-vd4qe Train incidents are so incredibly rare on passenger services. You are more likely to be injured driving to the grocery store.
@@GregoryVeizades likely
@@Lauren-vd4qe Amtrak has had few serious incidents. The only thing I'd say is somewhat common is an emergency stop due to trespassers. However those aren't even that common either.
Love how you allow the scenery to speak fir itself. No spoken narration and obnoxious jump-cut edits enhance this video. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed!
no matter how many times i may have ridden this route, i will never get over how beautiful it is
I enjoyed this video very much. Nobody talking and no annoying music.
Thanks!
This bring back memories when I was working on the Amtrak Train, I stated in May 1977. Now I'm Retired, service for 28 Years. Thanks for sharing the details of your experience.
Wow! That must have been amazing getting to work on the trains!
Thank you for your service...
The people asking why travel this way, would probably hate it. I love these videos and I have to plan a long trip myself in the near future. Yes its slow, maybe a little expensive. But on a vacation to me the 2-3 days you spend riding is still part of the vacation. My friends that engineer trains tell me how neat it is, all the routes they take. Places the roads don't go, or different views from the tracks. Yeah you could fly over the ocean or take a cruise ship. You cant hate the cruise ship for taking a week longer lol.
Basically every reason I took the train! See things that others don't!
If you book a sleeper accommodation the meals in the diner are included as well as coffee and water in the sleeper. If you think in terms every night on the train is another night in a hotel whether flying or driving, the train fare is reasonable.
I can see why people would hate this service type: Slower than planes, less amenities than a giant ocean cruiser and its just not cost competetive on speed. >125mph would be nice though on a long service like this as well as reliability improvements
@@wclifton968gameplaystutorials Amtrak is underfunded and runs on tracks owned by, well, anyone except them other than in the Northeast. This is the best we are going to get for a long time.
Going over 125 would be, practically impossible on these tracks. There are so many curves, and even then these cars have a maximum speed of 100mph (which not many of the routes even use).
@@Cal90208 Thats really the biggest downsides to operating passenger trains in the USA but at least the Anti-Business Interstate Commerce Commision (ICC) no longer exists since it was probably the biggest contributing factor to the decline of American Railways leading to the collapse of businesses in the 1970s only to be nationalised as Conrail and then only privatised freight rail instead of privatising passenger rail as well.
This is one of the best, if not THE BEST, videos of Amtrak train travel on UA-cam. Thank you for no talking and no music added. Very informative too!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!
I like the ones with music and talking.
I have taken this trip several times when I was a kid in the 70's. It's fantastic scenery!
The Metro in LA is great. I used to live near the Hollywood/Highland station and take the underground to Union Station and then go over to Chinatown. Thanks for the blast from my past! Cheers.
I'd love to stay up all night, sipping coffee and watching the country go by.
Put some whisky in there and count me in :D
One of my favorite parts of Amtrak travel is how quiet and comfortable it is!
Definately beats flying in that sense!
My wife and I did this same trip in 2013, only in reverse: Seattle to LA, and it was very enjoyable, we too had a roomette which was very comfortable in the daytime, but a bit cramped at night with the beds made up. One very enjoyable aspect is that if you are a couple they will randomly pair you up with other couples when you go to eat in the dining car. We had some very enjoyable conversations with complete strangers, but they were all very delightful people. A very civilized way to travel long distances, and if you compare what we spent with two one -way airfares, plus a night in a hotel, plus 5 meals in restaurants, the roughly $800 for the two of us wasn't outrageously expensive
Yeah I enjoyed meeting people in the dining car as well.
For this type of adventure via travel on Amtrak (as I am planning one in the near future) I really like and appreciate the coverage but without loud commentary just written script. Now, there is a place and purpose for commentary, but, for what I was looking for your upload was exactly what I needed to see. Thanks!
Glad you liked the video!
@@DylansTravelReports By the way, I subscribed. Happy New Year!
if you're not in a rush and really want to enjoy the ocean view, I suggest travelling by car on the Pacific Coast Highway. Best part of a sunset is being on a sandy beach, listening to the tide rolling in
My one suggestion is if you get a sleeper, book it on the West side of the train. The East side gets way more sun and it gets super hot. Besides, who doesn't want to watch the sunset?
There's no easy way to do that other than ring Amtrak directly and, as I'm from the UK, that would be an expensive call! But yes that would be nice!
@@DylansTravelReports , try online at their website ?
I tried that. Still couldn't find how to do it. May have been hidden on there somewhere?
Nice coverage of a lovely trip. Last July, I took the Coast Starlight from San Francisco (SF passengers are bused to Emeryville to begin the journey, as the Starlight can't go into the city), to Seattle.
I, too, had a roomette. That's the best of all possible worlds. You have the friendliness of your fellow passengers in the "club," and dining cars. But, there's privacy and comfort in having your own space.
In July, when the daylight hours are so extended, you see much more of the lovely scenery. It was dark when we left Emeryville, well after 10PM, but I awoke and had breakfast in sight of Mt. Shasta. Glorious!
I'm happy that I found your channel.
Thanks for your comment and glas you enjoyed!
That piano makes the whole station come to life
And the song being played was "Go Now".
I had a roomette on this same journey and one of the things an experienced friend told me was to take a roll of paper towels and a bottle of glass cleaner to clean the large window. It really helped and because I was also on the lower level at the stations I was able to clean the outside of the window as well. I really noticed a difference.
It's a shame the windows don't seem to be cleaned when at the depot though.
@@ezicarus8216 just my own window
@@ezicarus8216 I prefer to mind my own business. Some people would object to you messing outside their window. No one who saw me cleaning my window asked me to do theirs.
@@ezicarus8216 of course!
That'a a great idea especially if you take video or pictures through the window. Thanks for the tip.
A very nice report that shows the scenery and quietness of riding on the train. My wife and I took the Starlight (our second trip) a couple years ago in the opposite direction. The October weather was not as nice and the trip over the Cascades into California was in the dark. We had a full bedroom which was very nice and comfortable (but expensive). The furnishings were clean but somewhat worn. The service was good but the sleepers ran out of bottled water. Food selection was more limited than on previous Amtrak trips. Overall, it was a bit disappointing to us considering the cost. I would recommend getting an upper level room which provides a better view. I find train travel very relaxing and one meets interesting people. The Starlight's route has terrific scenery which makes it very popular and busy. Your experience may be different than ours.
If I ever do this trip again, I will do it in a roomette because coach is a nightmare but the trip is amazing!
OMG, yes. I am disabled, and Amtrak puts us lowly invalids in the back car. It doesn't have doors to the rest of the train. You have to go up stairs and over. Being disabled, that doesn't help much. On the first leg of the trip, I was back there with only two other people. No food. No water. No service. My call light was on THROUGH TO PORTLAND. Didn't see that old hag who took our tickets until we detrained due to land slides. Sad thing is, it's not uncommon. If you are alone and disabled, beware! Amtrak throws you into the proverbial basement and will forget you exist. That said, don't count on food service. I didn't have anything for twelve hours. Pack what you need and don't count on that "Amtrak welcomes disabled" bullshit. They're HORRIBLE.
Miss…failing to plan is planning to fail. Don’t depend on others. Sorry you had a disagreeable time. I always assume nothing will be available. Smooth sailing. Good luck! :-)
@@missnewbienoob I am so sorry you had that experience!
Both my sister and I are disabled. I've taken this trip to visit her many times - Washington to San Louis CA. She travels by Amtrak frequently. Neither of us have ever had your experience. True, some trips are not gloriously perfect, but in over 15 years, never a nightmare.
My late ex husband and I had our honeymoon in San Francisco in 2005, we took the Amtrak and I have fallen in love with train travel!
Thanks for the majestic views Dylan! This was fantastic! 👌🏾♥️
I took a train from Boston to Chicago with a first class sleeper around 10 years ago. I believe it was about $960 round trip. The cars that made that trip were from the 50's. I was told the newer, nicer cars would not fit under the tunnels and bridges on the east side of the country. I can't say I enjoyed it much. I expected those nice rooms you see in the movies, but my room had a seat that was pretty nice facing a toilet. You had to leave the room to put the bed down. You also had to leave the room to flip the bed up to use the toilet. The sink folded down out of the wall. All very 50's. The thing that put me off was the dining car. They always seat you with 3 other people. I was traveling in the winter and at every meal I was seated with someone that had a cold or flu and coughed all over me and my food while I ate. Even if there were hardly anyone in the restaurant, you still had to sit with typhoid Mary to eat your meal. There is something about people blowing their nose at the table that puts me off the tapioca desert. Not exactly what you see in a James Bond movie.
Back in 1982 my husband and I and our three teenagers took Amtrak from Omaha to Oakland, Ca. We really enjoyed it as did our kids. We had the best porter in our car and the food was nice. The scenery was spectacular going through the Rockies in Colorado and the kids loved the Eisenhower tunnel. It was so nice eating breakfast in the dining car as we were going through the mountains.On our way home, we had the same porter and he remembered our kids.
Came here by way of your NY to LA vid, thank you so much Dylan. Well done! I enjoy your captions, and useful commentary, and I actually appreciate that you don't add background music, because for me I think it more realistically captures your true experience. Your simple passion for train travel is joyfully infectious, and it really shines though. Also, I know you don't prefer to include shots while inside the dining car, but if you would maaaybe consider including a few more close ups of the menus/menu items, just to give a clearer idea of what one's options for eating are on these trips (ie what else is there to choose from in coach, aside from that little pizza and microwaved burger) I would really enjoy that, and perhaps others here might find it useful as well. Either way, I'm a new fan/subscriber, and I look forward to following you on your continued adventures. Cheers!
Thank you for a wonderful video. What a great way to travel. My late husband took the Coast Starlight twice from Klamath Falls to Seattle (round trips). I hope I can do it one day. Thanks again for taking us on the trip with you. God bless you.
my wife and I did this trip. round trip from LA. we did get off in san Francisco for a day and spent a day in seattle. it was a great trip as long as you're not in a hurry. the only disappointment was not being able to get fresh air. only when you stopped. you feel isolated from the outside world.
Took my family on it. Caught the Southern Star in Phoenix to LA and up the coast to Oregon. I wanted my kids to learn the joy of the trip as well as the destination. The dining car at sunset on the first night at sunset with a view of the Pacific ocean was breathtaking.
But the train travels through Frisco, and the wine region at night, so the best ambiance is lost.
Dear Dylan:
In June 2019 I visited the USA, and it was better than I dreamed of. I flew in COPA Airlanes de Panamá from Rosario Argentina, my city, to Chicago with a stopover in Panama City. I rode the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle, then the Coast Starlight to Los Angeles and back to Chicago on the California Zephir. I visited the Harlley Davidson Motorcycle Museum in Milwaukee, the Boeing Aircraft Factory, the Seattle Museum of Flight, and the Tacoma Automobile Museum. In California I was at the state railroad museum in Sacramento, the San Diego model railroad museum, I also spent 4 days in Las Vegas. All spectacular, I greet you warmly from Rosario Argentina.-
Glad you also enjoyed your trip to America! The Seattle Museum of Flight is amazing isn't it!
You should use darker lettering it was kinda hard to read with some of the backgrounds.
My newer video have easier to read captions.
I think a narration would be better as you tend to miss a lot while reading ...(well i did )
If you use the UA-cam captions they can be translated into other languages.
I actually preferred it without narration - it was simpler.
@@bonniea8189 The white lettering (sometimes small) meant often rereads , In affect reading about the stunning views and vistas instead of seeing them ...
Took this train from Seattle to LOs Angeles in October. One of my favorite trips. The fall foliage was beautiful and bedroom sleeper is the only way to go.
Yes, but the loss of not seeing San Francisco, and the wine region of Northern California in sunlight kind of cheats ya. It goes through that area at night.
Kenneth Braud you can hop off at any point. Makes for a very nice adventure
These Amtrak trains always give me an industrial and 90's airplane vibe. It may be for nostalgic reasons, but i find them very appealing :)
NICE WORK HERE! I REALLY LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU LET THE SCENERY, ETC... SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES!
Thanks!
Total relief from the annoying drone like music most travelers usually add to videos
Took trip from Salt Lake City to San Francisco on Amtrak. Loved it! The seating was so roomy, we didn’t need a roomette. Very fun!
Thank you for the very relaxing video. No annoying voices narrating.
440K+ views and 1,100+ comments later, I've finally availed myself of this AMAZING travelogue. Countless, vivid reminders of what is the magnificence of the west coast of the United States. For all the years I lived there, it never occurred to me to take this particular journey... so, I thank you for allowing me to experience it virtually, at last. And the (surprise) best part? At 24:19, Dylan speaks! A cheerful "see you later" to the porter who positioned the step-assist on the platform. :) All in all, 25 very-well-spent minutes! ...and, as a side note, CONGRATULATIONS on having surpassed the 10,000 subscriber mark this weekend!
Thanks 😁 Glad you enjoyed!
Watching from the UK and love this video . No annoying music or talk ,well set out and shows so much beauty and scenery. I would love to go to the USA and do this journey , it’s a lot better than our trains 😂
Tbh our trains in the UK aren't exactly hard to beat 😂
I've done that journey in both directions. When travelling north once, as we left Oakland station the window next to me shattered. When the train conductor arrived she said "Oh, we've been shot again. It happens all the time. They sit on the bank and take pot-shots at the train. It's ok, the triple glazed glass is bulletproof." Only in America.
That's crazy!
Raider fans!
Stuff like that occurs more and more frequently here in Sweden too. So not "Only in America."
That's how protective FRA Part 221 compliant glazing is.
I took the Starlight 20 years ago. It was better then. Truly a land cruise. Sleeping Car passengers had an exclusive 2nd lounge car with cut glass partitions, buffalo wing snacks in the evening, continental breakfast in the am in addition to the included breakfast, lunch and dinner. There was a theater room in the lower level. We had wine tasting with a lecturer as we crossed wine country.
I enjoyed seeing my old Air Force Base as we passed Camirillo enroute to Oxnard. Seeing the waves crashing as we went along the coast and looking down at the clouds in Oregan will never be forgotten.
I believe they only did away with the palour car a few tears ago. Imo, there should be a seperate lounge car for sleeping are passengers as one lounge car really isn't enough.
A really enjoyable video. No music, no voice and great views. It feels like i was there. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed!
Great video. I took the same trip with my girlfriend a few years back, the only difference being that we had the top floor and that almost half a foot of snow dropped in Northern California/Oregon as the train moved along, making it an almost unbelievably beautiful trip.
For those who are considering traveling the Coast Starlight in a roomette, may I suggest that you can maximize your enjoyment of the trip by bringing with you onto the train the following items. (I brought only a few of these myself. But as we sat in our roomette, I had a lot of time to brainstorm things that I devoutly wished I had brought, and that are not available on the train.)
They are:
- small power outlet strip (to increase number of electric outlets in roomette)
- clothespins (to hang washrags, hats)
- pillowcases (if you care)
- wall hooks that can be stuck to the wall and then removed without damage
- wire clotheshangers (bend into hooks to hang lamps and humidifiers from ceiling)
- camera with battery charger (for scenery)
- multihook to hang from wall hook (I'm telling you, you will need more hooks)
- small electric water-cup heater (very useful)
- small flashlight with velcro (the hook side) stuck to it (so you can hang the light on the fuzzy lining on the wall)
- footies (to wear instead of shoes)
- comfortable pants with elastic waist
- blanket
- garment bag (for used clothing)
- noise-canceling headphones
- spare batteries for all your devices (not available on board!!)
- refillable handheld water spritzer
- tiny portable humidifier
Also, the most beautiful scenery in California are:
- Vandenberg AFB coast
- Cholo coast (near San Luis Obispo)
- Mt. Shasta
- Upper Klamath Lake (just north of California/Oregon border.
Thanks!
Two years ago I took the California Zephyr (alone) from Martinez Ca. all the way to Chicago and was smart enough to get a "roommette." I was on the train for 57 hours and having my privacy with a roommette was worth every penny...and then some! I could nap out, change clothes, and have my own little bedroom to sleep without being next to another traveler. It was $406 one way. Food was included as well as the shower. Don't travel coach...you'll regret it.
I hv seen this train many times as we pick up our loads in California (we are truck drivers from Oklahoma) this was a very nice video.. very educational on the train accommodations and the scenery... Thank you...
Another super video - thanks for just captioning .. no talking, no stupid music .. just sounds of the train [rather soothing to me at least]. And thanks for showing how I will be getting into the top bunk when I travel the Auto Train in April - I have watch a LOT of videos trying to find out - yours is the first to show the steps .. I am guessing most people posting videos must be traveling alone and don't think it is important to show the way to top berth! I was thinking maybe I was going to jump up like when I was a kid [just kidding - I assumed it was a ladder of some sort]. Thanks again for an excellent video.
Thanks!
Best way to see America’s backyard! Nice video and editing! Beautiful stations, too!
Thanks!
To clarify the ticket prices using the numbers in the video, the coach is ticket is $98 and the roomette is $359 for his total of $457. The way it works with rooms is each passenger pays the coach fare and then there is a single fee for the room itself, no matter how many are in it. So in this case if there had been two people in the roomette it would have cost $98 + $98 + $359 = $555.
Correct, you would get the roomette to yourself as you will have paid for the full roomette. You may have a traveling companion but they will never ask you to share with a stranger.
That is one thing I don't like about Amtrak's ticketing price??? Why be charged for an additional coach fare when you are purchasing a roommette???? The first and only time I purchased a sleeper, I don't remember it being that expensive; granted, I did an upgrade to a sleeper the day of my departure... not sure if that made a difference. I am looking forward to my next Amtrak ride, but the price of a sleeper is holding me back, and I really need a sleeper traveling long distance.
I enjoyed your thorough coverage of the Cardinal and the Southwest Chief, two trains I have ridden. You have done another fine job for the Coast Starlight, which is next on my list to ride. The schedule seems to have the better scenery in daylight northbound, as you have shown.
The lounge car is more crowded since the current Amtrak regime, its bean counters from an aviation background, took out of service the Pacific Parlour Cars (yes, spelled the British way). They were separate lounge cars for sleeper passengers only.
My wife and sons and I have savored Amtrak rides in the roomettes, including Empire Builder, California Zephyr, Lake Shore Limited, and Capitol Limited. Having sleeper car accommodations lets you toggle between the privacy of the room and socializing in the dining and lounge cars. Most Americans don't understand the appeal of watching the authentic country go by, or don't have the attention span. They think this is boring, but they can sit on a beach for days. If you consider the ride part of the vacation, it is not a waste of time or money.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Thanks!
Back in 1993,while in the army, I took the train from Fresno to Los Angeles , then Sunset Limited from LA to El Paso, in a roomette, loved sleeping thru the desert. Btw, back in the day, the lower level of the observation car was the smoking area. Met a lot of cool people, all smoking cigarettes in a cloud. Did that outta LA, late 1100pm departure, , then smoked my brains out in roomette for rest of trip. I was a kid. Couldn't really afford it, but loved trains since I was a toddler.
Nice to see that Seattle's King Street Station has been restored. I used to be sooooooo gloomy.
It's beautiful! When I was there I tried to imagine what it was like during the 2nd War and all the years up to air-travel...large crowds, the speaker system reporting train arrivals and departures, people sleeping on the benches and the floor when the benches were full, using their coat for a pillow, the sweethearts giving a tearful goodbye...
Have done this many many times from Portland to LA (then a commuter train to Anaheim) for Disneyland trips! We either get a “roomette” or a “family room sleeper”. Love that it includes all of your meals and a special parlor with wine & cheese tasting included!
Isabelle, That sounds wonderful!
Unfortunately the Parlour Car has been replaced with a "regular" Sightseer Lounge. The Parlours were getting too expensive to maintain because they were so old.
Fabulous video Dylan which brought back many happy memories of my trips to the west coast. Unfortunately never got to ride Amtrak but did that trip several times by road stopping at various places along the way and the scenery is just fantastic. Santa Barbara is a lovely place to spend a couple of days as is my favourite city of San Francisco which is so colourful and diverse. Keep up the good work my friend.
Dylan, thank you for an excellent review video. I agree with others about not having annoying music and verbal commentary - your captions are very good (just maybe change the color for better contrast). Amtrak roomettes are an excellent way to travel in the USA, as long as you have a bit of time - you get to see stuff very difficult to view otherwise, and by the time you add in the (very good) restaurant meals and sleeping accommodations they are quite inexpensive. I spent a great 2 days in an Amtrak roomette traveling between Seattle and Chicago and I am always telling people how good the trip was. Your review tells me I need to take some other long distance train rides in the USA.
Thanks! My newer videos have captions that are easier to read.
this is a journey I'd love to make.
Niceeeee I love this finally someone made a complete boarding and travel video 💙
Glad you enjoyed!
I've taken the Coast Starlight SF to LA a few times, always a pleasure.
Took the Zephyr to Chicago, on the way to DC, and the passage over the Sierras and the Rockies, is simply amazing.
Absolutely amazing. I believe if you want to truely see a country, take the train as you surf through the changing landscapes, you truely appreciate the diversity and get a true essence of a feeling that the journey is more beautiful than the destination...
I'm from Australia and have been on the Amtrak South West Chief Train twice...2007 and 2012. It goes from LA to Chicago and then we caught another sleeper train down to New York both times. Amtrak customer service was excellent and we stayed in the roomette style rooms you show on your video. The scenery is stunning in your video as it was on both trips I've done. Can't speak highly enough of the staff on board. Great video! Can't wait to go back and do the trip again and maybe go elsewhere. Oh and it was great to see Union Station LA again! I've spent many hours there. It's a beautiful building. Craig - Geelong, Australia
Have you been on the Indian Pacific in Australia Craig?
As someone born in L.A, that compliment made my day
Have you ever thought about how pleasant and peaceful life can be in the absence of incessant human chattering and mindless pap. Thank you for this calm and serene video. :-)
With my smartphone and smartwatch I'm _never_ out of reach. What a pain in the...
I’ve found your channel during the pandemic and it has been therapeutic for me. I share your love of travel, especially train travel. I am going through your old videos and getting plenty of ideas for when we are free to travel the country again. Keep up the great work!
I'm glad you're enjoying the videos 😁
My wife and I took the train from Seattle to LA. We had the full-size room with toilet and shower. It was a great trip. It’s all about the view. We plan to do the opposite direction, so we can see the sites that we missed last time due to darkness.
Also be glad you guys still have diners out west with traditional train seating and service. It's been yanked on the east coast to pre-made boxed food.
BIG disappointment, coupled with BAD decisions to eliminate the dining cars on eastern trains! Write a letter (not an e-mail) to Richard H. Anderson, Amtrak's President and Chief Executive Officer!
How does that work; do you buy it out of a machine and microwave it? Do you have to eat it in your room?
@@SFVnative they now have a choice of boxed meals. You can either have them delivered to your room by your car attendant or you can eat it in the diner with your fellow sleeping car passengers. Coach passengers are no longer allowed in viewliner diners. Shame too because of the brand new diners that have just been built for these routes.
@@TrainMike2013--Amazing they would treat people differently in different parts of the country. I wonder if the passengers in the East pay the same fares per number of miles. :/
@@SFVnative the plan, from what I've read, is to roll it out across the entire network. Fares generally tend to be the same within reason based on distance.
Go an hour earlier , get a sandwich and drink and sit in the beautiful quiet garden at Union Station before you get on the train.
I honestly don't know why I didn't think to do that!
No No! Walk across to Olvera St. Stand in line at El Cieolitos and get Taquitos and Chile Rellano with beans, then go sit in the Garden
@@comfeefort Definitely, best taquitos (a rolled taco) in L.A. And that guacamole sauce. OMG!
Or, go across the street from Union Station and get a delicious dipped roast beef sandwich from Philippes The Original and experience heaven or Olvera St is great too
@@ns4869 Thanks I will ! California Dreaming here in the Snow , Manchester ,England.
I've travelling on Amtrak train even before Amtrak merged private Railroad Company for over 52 years. I hopped once or twice a year acrossing in any part of USA as I love it and no matter if the train is delays or on time because trains travel is a blast with a wonderful socially different people from all over the world and a beauty by looking a view passing to different areas too.
Very nice video. I worked at the Amtrak construction plant in 1979. Hammond, Indiana. The Government was pushing train travel over driving cars to save fuel.
They should start doing that again with climate change and all that.
I was on this last August. Thank you for the happy memories.
the trip I took was the southern route the Southwest Chief. Most hospitable they even covered the coach lights at night with blue post it notes. no club car though. Was mooned at the US- Mex boarder.the food was delish. After I picked up my husband from Norfork Naval Base we went on to The grand canyon by way of New Orleans and Chicago on a roomette for two nights. Seem small and it is but we used our suitcase to extend the bottom bed to fit the both of us. Not sure that would work now we older now. I kiked the first leg of the trip more because the stops were far apart for a good nights sleep. Was my happy place for a long time. That was 25 yrs ago. Have dreamed of going again.
Train Gals took this trip 3 years ago. We went coach both ways. I have learned that when we go again long distance to get a roomette and fly home! It would of been fine for younger people, we are all in our 60’s and 70’s.
Congratulations. I am now convinced that I too, am going to take one of these Amtrak trips!....Your camera skills are some of the best I have seen. Thanks for this wonderful, scenic video!
Glad you enjoyed!
Spectacular scenery.....plan on a trip like this someday...
Definatly should!
Man, that train is so new, clean and beautifully shined...my last Amtrak was a much older, grungier version on the CA Zephyr.. Would love a spanking new set of cars...
Undortunatly, I don't think they'll be getting new cars anytime soon!
Great video. As others have said, appreciate having captions and no music or talking. It does a great job letting me see the experience for what it really is.
Thanks 👍
I love the format that you and other channels like Simply Railway and others just use captions and no talking and music ❤️
Thanks! PS I enjoy Simply Railway's videos too 😁
WOW! I felt like I was on the train actually.... I have been planning to go to Portland to visit the special Steam engine there. I really loved the video. Thanks so much!
Glad you enjoyed
Ridden on Amtrak several times . Enjoyable way to travel .
I have reads tons of Amtrak reviews on TripAvisor and have watched many video reviews. Yours are the best videos, even if they're not quite as detailed as some of the others. As for TripAdvisor, I am amazed so many of its reviewers HATE Amtrak, while so many of those who comment on your videos LOVE Amtrak. Maybe your reaction depends on your expectations. TripAdvisor people are probably spoiled by luxury Class A RV's (the big bus type) and first class air travel, while those who comment here are probably car and bus travelers when not on the train. Anyway, thank you for another excellent video. It was great fun to watch!
Thanks! If you're taking Amtrak after having done little research and expecting it to be a luxurious experience then you're going to be disappointed. That said, if you know what you're getting yourself into then it should be a really enjoyable experience.
Hi Dylan. Thank You again for taking me on your journey, I loved every bit of it!! As a retired Flight Attendant after 29yrs of svc. my want for travelling a different way other than flying is highly welcomed. Looking forward to doing some train travel, Thanks to you!!
You're welcome 😁
Well done sir. Another brilliant upload👍 I’m moving straight on to the Southwest Chief now 😀
Thanks!
I've lived in Oregon, California and Washington, you've captured just a little of their beauty. Thank you. Sadly, the federal government is going to end the Coast Starlight, it (like almost all Amtrak trains) is losing millions of dollars a year.
Wow! That's horrible yo hear.
I live in the same states.
Am thinking about going train, rather than air.
Hopefully the govenment see sence and don't pull Amtrak long distance trains as, not only is it a fantastic experience to take one, they are vital to rural communities!
It figures! 🙄🤯🥺
I thoroughly enjoyed this tour, especially since I've only been on the Washington and Oregon stretches of the Coast Starlight. I've had the economy room sleeper berths on both the Empire Builder and The City of New Orleans and enjoyed both immensely. I traveled both in the 80s, when these cars were new (and dining car amenities were a wee bit more than today) and as recently as 2015 ( some of the cars are beginning to show their age now). The crews and service have always been excellent. I actually prefer the downstairs room for there is less traffic passing the door and the bathrooms and shower (for those not in one of the bedrooms located upstairs) are near at hand. The inclusion of meals and complimentary beverages in the sleeping cars add up to value, in my opinion, and I'm not jumping through hoops required when flying. This is FAR more relaxing. Thanks for sharing! :)
Glad you enjoyed!
never change your format...we can't live vicariously through you if a narrator is yakking (like some travel videos) or some odd music is in the background...I love to hear other travelers' voices!
Thanks! I'm glad you like the format as it's here to stay 😁
very good video / we are taking train 14 in a roomette in 2020 and looking forward to it / we are upstairs and on the ocean side . We made our reservation many months ago .
Hope you enjoy your trip!
Dude I’m so glad I saw this I’m taking the coast starlight to Oregon day after tomorrow, thank you so much
Hope you enjoy your trip!
So jealous, the scenery was beautiful.
I've been thinking about traveling from Philadelphia to LA via Amtrak, and I must say you put together a GREAT video of the coach, suites roomettes, station lounges, the roomettes (I might consider getting), but the views of different states, plains, mountains, forest, rivers/oceans are great, and no annoying music, or narrations, just simple views, and now we need to plan, again thanks for the video. GREAT JOB DUDE
Thanks!
Wow beautiful scenery and that looks like one fantastic trip,getting one of them rooms totally worth it,thanks for sharing,Love ur video.
Thanks 😁
We travelled regularly on the Coast Starlight in First class. The First Class Lounge Car is gone. It had a bar, swivel chairs, and a movie theater downstairs. First Class passengers were offered free wine and cheese tasting. That is all gone now, and the bedrooms are often old and needing repair. First Class travel is not what it used to be and that is sad.
It's a shame the palour car is a thing of the past now!
Al M that’s a shame
I guess it was removed because not enough people were taking first class and it proved to be unsustainable. It’s a shame, though.
When was this?
@@SFVnative just recently. Not sure when, but sometime in the summer of 2019.
Google keeps pushing this on me so what the hell I'll give it a go.
Oh my stars!!! (as Bewitched would say). I so wanna' get on a train and travel across country. Took my first long distance trip last year but wasn't clued in to a lot of things -- like when it got dark, people started pulling out pillows and blankets. Uh, that never occurred to me. Also didn't know you could BYOB on Amtrak. Thanks for uploading your trip. Really a nice relaxing video!
Thanks!
Thank you so much for this video! I did LA to Seattle in 2017 and only took pictures. Your video brought back wonderful memories and I saw sights I missed in Washington because our train was late and we pulled into Seattle around midnight.
Well you my good sir have a new subscriber. This is right up my alley being I'm a huge railfan myself. Being from what I've seen of your channel it mostly composed of train trips. I've taken Amtrak multiple times in the past and I have multiple trips in various stages of planning right now. Right now I'm homeless in a nursing home which should end soon possibly in January or February (right on time for Chicago Winter lol) so I should be able to do more trips around at first Chicago then. I even make videos on stuff that I liked and trains are among them. On my main priority for my trips is The South Shore Line to South Bend Airport and back being I tried to make a video of it in 2012 (I think) and unfortunately the phone didn't save my videos onto the micro sd card (if you know why that would happen let me know because I'm still confused about why it didn't save even though I had plenty of space on the micro sd card) and then in 2013 my mom were diagnosed with diverticulitis so I had to delay my trip multiple times. But now I've had enough I'm doing it in 2020 no matter what.
Thanks for your comment!
Firstly, micro SD cards are a bit of a pain (they sometimes don't record footage for what would appear to be no reason!) I'd reccomend formating your micro SD card. This will delete all files on it but ensure that it works better for your device.
Lastly, I'd like to wish you all the best in sorting out your situation in regards to being homeless (although it's good to hear you have some form of accomedation sorted!)
Thanks again for subscribing!
Kind regards,
Dylan.
I took this from Albuquerque to Los Angeles as my first solo trip. Had a great time.
I took one from Los Angeles to Lamy, NM outside of Santa Fe. The food was absolutely nasty.
You took the Southwest Chief.
I took this same train. Got off at klamath falls to transfer instead going on to Seattle. Beautiful
Excellent video. Quiet with
Just faint train sounds which
Is very relaxing. Scenery is
Beautiful from the windows.
Describing each city was
So well done. Giving a tour
Of the train and all the
Amenities Amtrak provides
It’s customers was excellent.
Thank you. I look forward
To traveling with you again.
Thanks!
I don’t think I have ever watched a train video with no talking. I almost fell asleep (in a good way, it was very relaxing to watch). I wonder how prices and amenities compare between Amtrak and Europe? Time for more videos!
I LOVE AMTRAK!
24:34 I assembled my bicycle here after arriving from Boise, Idaho at around midnight. I traveled coach, it was very comfy. That was in the late 80s. Now I can't take the train to Seattle or Portland, or anywhere, it was taken away from Boise in 1997. I would love to pop over to Portland on the train!
Thanks for allowing us to Ride the Rails with you! I've taken the Coast Starlight before, but only to Santa Barbara for the wineries! Yeah! Great way to travel and drink - by the time I got back to L.A., I had sobered up - somewhat!