You are correct that this is the perfect overnight trip for new Amtrak train travelers. My wife and I took the Coast Starlight as our very first Amtrak train trip. All entire staff on the Coast Starlight was hard working and their level of personal service was outstanding in our experience. As you point out, the views along the coast are exceptional. Additionally, the train is routed through Vandenberg AFB so, as a Coast Starlight (or Pacific Surfliner) traveler, you will see 15-20 miles of views along the remote Pacific coastline that are completely inaccessible to the general public.
You guys are the best for finding out and understanding Amtrak. I found you just randomly but after watching your channel and then others, yours is 10000x the best. Thanks so much.
I absolutely love the videos you guys make. I have always had this passion for travel. In my much earlier years, traveling across the globe was the only thing I wanted to do. But it was always something that I put off until "later". I managed to go to a couple Sandals resorts when I was in my young thirties..but work, kids, and family had to come first. Now that I'm 54 years old, kids are busy with their families, AND I was diagnosed with a very active and chronic form of MS. So that later is NOW for me. I still walk, but only short distances, I have other issues that act up as well...I know sometime in my not so distant future I will be confined to a wheelchair, so say my neurologist. Amtrak seems like the absolute perfect way to travel across the country as much as I can before that happens! I'm just trying to convince my hardheaded husband to go along with it. Clear back in our early 20s we did a low budget, pathetic 3 day cruise on some liner I don't even remember the name of...it was horrible! But you get what you pay for and it was free in exchange to sitting through a timeshare pitch. My husband is convinced it will be like that horrible cruise experience. Anyway, thanks for all of your great videos! I never really considered Amtrak when thinking of vacations. I randomly came across one of your videos and was hooked! I'll for sure be riding the rails, preferably with my husband but I'll go without him if that's what he chooses. I'll take my granddaughter. 😊 One more covid-19 shot and I will breath a little easier...and travel. Thanks for making these
I plan on taking a week and a half off. Riding this AMTRAK route LA to Seattle. Usually I'm cheap. I'm good at planning and having my own food and drinks supply.
You forgot Business Class on the Coast Starlight. I will be taking the Pacific Surfliner and the Coast Starlight up to San Luis Obispo from San Diego. I'm going Business Class on both trains.
I've been on Coast Starlight many times for years as I love it because I used live Bayarea now I live about one hour from Truckee since retired from my job. I go to Truckee Amtrak station too. I can't wait to have a real food in dining car for now covid all entrees came from frozen and served from microwave. As you know alongside the ocean is 113 miles then at Cascade Oregon in middle of nowhere is also another 113 miles what a beautiful. Plus a huge horseshoe curve train in San Luis Obispo too. 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 places and a beauty by looking views passing different areas too. And I'm using mostly sleeper car is the best! I used take Southern Pacific (SP) Peninsula Commuter trains for years. SP ran between San Francisco and San Jose and now it's called Caltrain extends to Gilroy (south of San Jose). For now covid and I will resume traveling again. For you guys taking a short trip to see if like the trains before taking long trip. Enjoy!
One little tidbit that I made the mistake of doing is take both cash and a debit card 💳. The time I went(December 2018), I was hungry and had no cash and the cafe was only taking debit/credit cards at that time. I was able to get something to eat like a hot dog 🌭 or cheeseburger 🍔 but I didn’t take any food or drinks like you had mentioned in another video. Thanks for this channel. I ❤ you both!! 🤗🤗🤗🥰🥰🥰
Greetings Allie and Rob. My husband and I are going to be on the Empire Builder Train #27 in November. We were planning on getting a Roomette for the amount of $878. We were offered by Amtrak the accessible room for $828. What a savings, so we took the Accessible room.
If you start your CS trip in Portland OR, there is a Metropolitan Lounge there. Small, no snacks, but they do serve drinks (including locally roasted coffee).
FYI, checking this out as I've booked us on the 14 LAX to PDX. Something that would be worth mentioning in a "how-to" video would be Amtrak's "bid up" to upgrade. Odd because "results" don't appear until shortly before the departure date. Thanks for all your videos, a delight while waiting for our trip.
This channel is outstanding. Other than the occasional trips from Philly to NYC or DC, I've never been on a long distance Amtrak. Doing SAN-PHL by Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, and the Pennsylvanian over the summer (with a few stopovers along the way). The practical advice you give is outstanding, and makes me better prepared for 3600 miles by train.
I will be taking a bucket list trip this October. I leave from Memphis on City of NO to CHI and then the EB to Seattle with 1 night there and the Coast Starlight to Emmeryville. Then the San Juaquine to Stockton for a 3 day stay. A Throughway bus to Sacramento to catch the CZ back to CHI and the CNO back to Memphis. Cost will be around $5,000 total. I can't wait!
Thanks for infor on riding coach overnight. We will be overnight in coach on City of New Orleans from Memphis to Chicago round trip this fall. Best way to get to Empire Builder trip planned. Sleeper car just didn't justify cost for a short trip overnight 10-11 hours max.
That means you will no access to the showers or dinning car, you will only have access to the cafe car which you have to purchase with most likely a credit card- but some people say they are accepting cash now but no gurantees, or you can bring your own food on the train.
I'm going on my first train trip and I've been trying to make sure I'll be as prepared as possible! Your videos have been incredibly helpful and have helped me decided on taking the Coast Starlight! Thank you!
Excellent info. Love train travel and want to do more after Covid. This video was excellent ... will check out the Embassy Seattle, sign up for Amtrak member, and shall follow yoou guys.
Thank you for the very informative videos. Planning a first for my sister, sister-in-law and myself. Thinking of booking a couple nights on each end of trip, you gave me some great pointers and things to think about.
Just had my first Amtrak long distance ride on the California Zephyr route. Views were amazing and made up for the crappy food I had (except for the brownies). I'm glad I brought my own salad kit after seeing the sorry looking salad they offer based on the videos. Thank you guys you are an inspiration. All the best always.
You guys are great! Your videos cover so much important information. I'm hoping to be able to take a trip within the next six months. If I do, I hope to see you on the rails!
I have traveled on the Coast Starlight numerous times. Something to note about Union Station in Los Angeles is that it is the last of the stations of that era built. I love hanging out there and walking around. There are lily ponds and gardens with tables to sit at and relax. Across the street his historic Olivera Street. Plan on three hours to wander around and enjoy Union Station. I went to an amazing Christmas party there one year. You can’t rush Union Station I used to like it when my son was young bc they had a childrens car with toys and entertainers. Do they still do this?
I know most long-distance trains don't have wifi but out of all of them you would think Coast Starlight would be the one that does, at least for half of it. Cascades has wifi for several trains per day as well as busses and most of that route is shared with CS so you would think they would also have it for one extra train per day.
You forgot that the Coast Starlight also has Oakland's Jack London Square as one of its major stops as it shows on the schedule, as well as Emeryville. I happen to live by both stations which are both easy for me to get to, and sometimes I catch the Coast Starlight sitting at Oakland, which is the same amount of time I would see it sitting at Emeryville as the schedule says the trains would be sitting at 2 of the 4 major scheduled stops along the way to either Los Angeles, or Seattle.
You can try and request one on the west side but no gurantess since the west side can be the east side if they switch the sleeper cars around and they do not know that till the employess board the train that day/night. If you are on the wrong site you can always go to the observation car for the correcct side.
Hello! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I have been binge watching for a couple of weeks now, and cannot WAIT to take my first train ride! I was wondering, though, if the price of the roomers is per person or does it include the price to ride the train also? For example, would one need to pay more if 2 people stayed in the roomers versus just 1? When you mention your BOGO deals, I wasn’t sure if that was what you were referring to or if you were referring to making 2 reservations on different trips for one price. (I.e. one trip to Seattle, WA and get trip on another train to Chicago or somewhere similarly priced.)
Good question, the price we refer to is for 2 people. So our roomettes are usually $400-$500 for the entire trip for 2 people if you get them on the BOGO.
Thanks for all this info! Im looking forward to some amtrak travel soon! Tell me...how's the coffee on the train? It's ready at 6 am I hear...? Gotta have my java! also, if I can't sleep at 2am, can I go to the observation car? Thanks for these Amtwack vid's! =)
What roomette should I request to be able to see the ocean? We were assigned room 2 on 1430 car…I know that I should be on the west side, but is the west side odd or even numbers? Going north to Seattle…😀 love your program…
The Coast Starlight used to have pretty good Internet connectivity but they shut it off. They also used to let business class passengers dine in the dining car but no more. Service on the Coast Starlight has severely declined in the past few years.
On southbound train 11 they have thrown me out of the dining car as a business-class passenger. I used to be able to dine in the dining car on train 11 but no longer.
Excellent videos. Congratulations. My question is, on the Coast Starlight, which side of the train are the roometes on? I mean, can you see the ocean from the room or do the windows face the opposite side? If so, the only way to see the ocean is to go to the Observation car? What can you see within the states of Oregon and Washington from the room? Thank you very much
The roomettes are located on both sides of the cars on all Amtrak sleeper cars. If you Google "Amtrak sleeper car layout" you can see how the sleeper cars from the various trains are configured, for example the Superliners (2 levels) vs the Viewliners (a single level train. The layouts will also show you shower / restroom locations.
I believe that they changed the dining car to BOTH business and sleeper cars. However, for business you have to pay 45 dollars per adult or 25 per children. However, no coach passengers can go to the dining car. Just an FYI :)
This is good to know! I'm planning my first Amtrak vacation. I am no where near narrowing down where I want to go, to many choices of awesome places! I live about 40 miles west of Columbus. Cincinnati would be the station closes for me to leave out of. But I have also been looking at other stations. Just driving straight to Chicago is also on my plate of options. If I ever figure out where I want to go! I've been back and forth changing my mind for two months now. I just need to spin a wheel and go..
@@ThetrippyLilHippie The trains come into Toledo in the middle of the night. subway is closed before the first train of the night gets in. The EB capitol limited arrives at 11:49 pm. The eb lakeshore limited arrives around 3 am. the wb trains the cap limited a little after 5 am and the lakeshore at 6:15 am If I'm travelling westbound I normally get a ride up to Ann Arbor and take the wolverine to Chicago. That cuts the Chicago Layover and Im not at the train station in Toledo before the city buses start running.
@@tazz378 The trains out of Cincinnati Union Station are also in the middle of the night. But maybe that's because of covid-19? I have never been inside the Cincy station but it's a huge building I have drove past on numerous occasions. I just recently, a couple months ago, started looking at Amtrak. Maybe with the money I believe they are getting out of this recent stimulus that will change. It appears to be a gorgeous station and I'm sure at one time it surely had to have more trains moving in and out.
Only from the inside, so not when the room is empty. The tip I've seen is to draw the curtain on the door when leaving so it is not obvious your cabin is unoccupied.
I'm taking my first solo trip on the Coast Starlight as far as Salem. It's not a pleasure trip unfortunately for me. But I'm choosing the roomette simply for the privacy. On the Coast Starlight are there roomettes on the upper and lower portions of the trains? I'm not disabled but do have some difficulties climbing stairs while carrying luggage. Are the stairs hard to traverse? The doors on the roomette do not lock when you leave your room do they? I was on a train from San Diego to San Jose not long after 9/11 and we had a roomette and I recall that I was as bit uneasy just leaving my belongings in the room with the door not able to lock. Also we were not able to go to the observation car nor the dining car or Cafe as the entire USC Trojan band was also on the train so we didn't get to enjoy any of those, so that's something else that you may not be aware of when you book a trip. But I am getting a lot from your videos and have been taking notes feverishly. Thank you both so much for everything you've done to help other Amtrak travelers.
Greetings! Your videos are super helpful. Can you tell me what there is to do for the 5 hour wait in Emeryville between the Zephyr and coast Starlight? I'm a single senior traveling lady and plan to use Amtrak a lot.
Yes it would take the minium of 3 trains to do it. The best options are eithe take the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, than the Crescent to New York and then you can take the Palmetto or Silver Star to Raleigh NC, or if you want to go through Chicago, then you can take the Southwest Chief to Chicago and then the LakeShore Limited or The Cardinal to New York and then either Palmetto or Silver Star to final destination. If you have longer time to do it, you can take 2 extra trains but it would be the best trains- take Coast Startlight up from LA to Emeryville, then take the Zephry to Chicago. After that follow the dirrections above in this message from Chicago to final destination.
By "airline food", do you mean a little bag with 3 tiny pretzels in it? It's been a while since I had hot food on an airline. It's a pretty low bar to beat. lol!
I am taking the Coast Starlight from LAX to Sacramento on July 2nd & am curious to know if masks are still mandatory or are they optional? Plus the cafe is open to Coach but the dining car is not still. Thanks in advance you two are superhelpful!
I think it is a 3 course meal with traditional dinning for lunch and dinner- appetizer, entree, and dessert and they are big portions, but you have unlimted soft drinks and possible coffee till they close it down around 10:00 p.m. I will give the links for both flexible and traditional dinning here, I will start with flexible dinning- www.amtrak.com/flexible-dining and here is traditional dinning - www.amtrak.com/dining-car
no as of right now only sleeper passengers have access to the dinning car and possible Business Class, Coach passengers only have access to the observation car and cafe car which you have to purchase food from with most likely a credit card, or you can bring your own food and non-alchoic drinks on the train and eat at your coach seat or possible observation car (but if you eat there you might smell some food from the dinning car since some people in sleeper cars decide to eat there meals or some of them in the observation car but I could be mistaken).
Question! Which I couldn't get answered from Amtrak over the phone: My husband & I have reserved a roomette and will carry on two backpacks, but we would also like to carry on (NOT check in) ONE LARGER piece of rolling luggage which won't fit in the roomette (it would be about 22"-29" high). But is it possible to put them in an ACCESSIBLE luggage area somewhere near our roomette?
If you are on a superliner there would be plenty of luggage space on the lower level. If you are on a viewliner, there is room for one piece of luggage above the top bunk in the wall. So either way you should be fine with one suitcase. 22 to 29 is a big difference though, I'm not sure the 29 inch would fit in a viewliner.
@@GroundedLifeTravel Is the Coastal Starlite a Superliner? Because we have at least one large piece of luggage that we want to have close by - but I don't think it will fit in the roomette. Thanks for your quick Reply, by the way!
@@inspire4009 Yes it is a Superliner train car. All the Viewliner train cars go to New York either from New Orleans, Chicago, Florida- those are the starting points for them or the end of the trip. Also the Viewliner are I and II and the Viewliner I roommate has a toilet right next to the bed/seat but the Viewliner II 2 does not have a toilet in the roommate but both have a sink in the Viewliner Roommates.
I love your videos but I think that the Amtrak website is the most frustrating website I have ever been to. I just want to go cross country round trip from Utah over to California, up to Washington, over through upstate New York and back again to Utah going a different route to see more country. I cant get anything like a trip itinerary. Also if I call it is all automated and just as frustrating an unhelpful as the website. Any suggesti8ons would be helpful. P.S. We want to stay on the train the whole time in a bedroom. Thanks
Yes, it is really hard to put together a multiple leg trip like that on the website. But, you can book them all individually, which is what we did on our 14 day trip. For your trip I'd suggest the California Zephyr from Utah to San Francisco (Emeryville is the station), then the Coast Starlight from Emeryville to Seattle. Then take the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago followed by the Lake Shore Limited to New York. Coming back I'd take the Cardinal from New York To Chicago and then you could take the California Zephyr and see the part you didn't see originally and also the best part to finish the trip. So: California Zephyr Coast Starlight Empire Builder Lake Shore Limited Cardinal California Zephyr that would be an amazing trip!
@@kathybee801 You may also have to stay at a hotel for a night or two if the trains do not connect or miss the connection due to amtrak being late. If you took the trains already how was it?
Flex dining wasn't for me. After watching yalls videos I road amtrak for the first time on a whim and had a good experience but getting the flex meal was the disappointing part. I got the salmon and it was super dry. I got pancakes in the morning and it was pretty dry as well surprisingly. It's just a cheap microwave meal :/
Hi guys! Thanks for all the info! Question, if I were to catch a train from Philadelphia to Chicago, once I got into California from Chicago could I transfer to the Starlight into Fresno?
I'll be going to Seattle from LA on the CS very soon in a roomette. I heard in this video that there are 2 levels ( up and down) for the roomette. Is one level preferable than the other? Which level? Also what side of the train has the better view (going northbound)? Thanks!
You'll want to be on the West side or the left side going north to get the best views. If you end up on the other side you'll still get views of the mountains. You should be on the top in a roomette, which is preferable for better views.
When living in CA I went Coast Starlight many times Coach Class. During those days the dining car was available to Coach passengers. I am disgusted it no longer is and has made me rethink travel by Amtrak in the future. Also I slept fine in Coach class seats because they were so roomy and comfortable and usually I had the two seats to myself to spread out in. But.no dining for coach class means I will no longer travel Amtrak.
We are driving from wi to California is there parking for our car? If we do the star light trip I’m guessing we have to pay for both ways to get back to our car correct?
We are catching the Coastal Starlight midway, from Sacramento to Seattle, so it's a shorter trip (only 7 night hours). Now I'm beginning to think my husband & I might be comfortable enough sleeping sitting up, putting our one 29" luggage in the upper bunk. Do you know if anyone has tried this? What is your opinion?
I'll be traveling from Seattle to San Jose. Is there business class? Also, is there room in either coach or business class for a 90lb service dog next to my seat?
Hi there can you tell me how long does it take to get from Emeryville California to Los Angeles California we are planning a trip from Lincoln Nebraska to San Francisco on the California zephyr and then stay there a week or two and then we’re going to take the coast starlight from San Francisco to Los Angeles to catch the southwest chief back to Newton Kansas thanks for your help
Planning for a trip that is over a year a way yet (folk won't fly, greyhound is gross...and I don't necessarily want to drive the 28 hours myself)... But noticing that on the return trip from Seattle to Newton, KS... it's the dreaded mixed (two buses) back to LA before catching the Southwest Chief. I've tried every day of the week.. One of the layovers is 8 minutes. Should I count on that connection just not happening?? :-) Any reason why the Coast Starlight north is one train all the way to Seattle but on the way south...it is two buses and two trains. One train is the Coast Starlight.. to start the journey and then... bus, San Joaquins, bus ... and then the Southwest Chief.
It's because the system is designed to get you on a train the same day you arrive, and the Coast Starlight gets into LA after the SWC has departed, so it puts you on busses to catch the Coast Starlight as they are faster. The way around it is to just book the Coast Starlight by itself all the way to LA, which gets in at night, then book the SWC the day after you get in, and spend a night in a hotel in LA. You just have to book each leg separately.
@@GroundedLifeTravel THANKS! That makes sense. But it also made me think we might return through Chicago with a controlled overnight stay. And such beauty. One benefit of using the Newton, KS station in this instance.
You are correct that this is the perfect overnight trip for new Amtrak train travelers. My wife and I took the Coast Starlight as our very first Amtrak train trip. All entire staff on the Coast Starlight was hard working and their level of personal service was outstanding in our experience.
As you point out, the views along the coast are exceptional. Additionally, the train is routed through Vandenberg AFB so, as a Coast Starlight (or Pacific Surfliner) traveler, you will see 15-20 miles of views along the remote Pacific coastline that are completely inaccessible to the general public.
Love your new pop-up info graphics in the first half of the video. Nice polished, professional look to them
Glad you like them! Thanks!
You guys are the best for finding out and understanding Amtrak. I found you just randomly but after watching your channel and then others, yours is 10000x the best. Thanks so much.
I absolutely love the videos you guys make. I have always had this passion for travel. In my much earlier years, traveling across the globe was the only thing I wanted to do. But it was always something that I put off until "later". I managed to go to a couple Sandals resorts when I was in my young thirties..but work, kids, and family had to come first. Now that I'm 54 years old, kids are busy with their families, AND I was diagnosed with a very active and chronic form of MS. So that later is NOW for me. I still walk, but only short distances, I have other issues that act up as well...I know sometime in my not so distant future I will be confined to a wheelchair, so say my neurologist. Amtrak seems like the absolute perfect way to travel across the country as much as I can before that happens! I'm just trying to convince my hardheaded husband to go along with it. Clear back in our early 20s we did a low budget, pathetic 3 day cruise on some liner I don't even remember the name of...it was horrible! But you get what you pay for and it was free in exchange to sitting through a timeshare pitch. My husband is convinced it will be like that horrible cruise experience.
Anyway, thanks for all of your great videos! I never really considered Amtrak when thinking of vacations. I randomly came across one of your videos and was hooked! I'll for sure be riding the rails, preferably with my husband but I'll go without him if that's what he chooses. I'll take my granddaughter. 😊 One more covid-19 shot and I will breath a little easier...and travel. Thanks for making these
I plan on taking a week and a half off. Riding this AMTRAK route LA to Seattle. Usually I'm cheap. I'm good at planning and having my own food and drinks supply.
You forgot Business Class on the Coast Starlight. I will be taking the Pacific Surfliner and the Coast Starlight up to San Luis Obispo from San Diego. I'm going Business Class on both trains.
Perfect timing. This is the train my sister and I will be taking out of Seattle. Thanks for the tip about the hotel so close to the King station.
I've been on Coast Starlight many times for years as I love it because I used live Bayarea now I live about one hour from Truckee since retired from my job. I go to Truckee Amtrak station too. I can't wait to have a real food in dining car for now covid all entrees came from frozen and served from microwave.
As you know alongside the ocean is 113 miles then at Cascade Oregon in middle of nowhere is also another 113 miles what a beautiful. Plus a huge horseshoe curve train in San Luis Obispo too.
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 places and a beauty by looking views passing different areas too. And I'm using mostly sleeper car is the best!
I used take Southern Pacific (SP) Peninsula Commuter trains for years. SP ran between San Francisco and San Jose and now it's called Caltrain extends to Gilroy (south of San Jose).
For now covid and I will resume traveling again. For you guys taking a short trip to see if like the trains before taking long trip. Enjoy!
One little tidbit that I made the mistake of doing is take both cash and a debit card 💳. The time I went(December 2018), I was hungry and had no cash and the cafe was only taking debit/credit cards at that time. I was able to get something to eat like a hot dog 🌭 or cheeseburger 🍔 but I didn’t take any food or drinks like you had mentioned in another video. Thanks for this channel. I ❤ you both!! 🤗🤗🤗🥰🥰🥰
Greetings Allie and Rob. My husband and I are going to be on the Empire Builder Train #27 in November. We were planning on getting a Roomette for the amount of $878. We were offered by Amtrak the accessible room for $828. What a savings, so we took the Accessible room.
Thanks for the video! Glad they have vegan options! I'm vegan and will be looking into those for my next trip.
If you start your CS trip in Portland OR, there is a Metropolitan Lounge there. Small, no snacks, but they do serve drinks (including locally roasted coffee).
FYI, checking this out as I've booked us on the 14 LAX to PDX. Something that would be worth mentioning in a "how-to" video would be Amtrak's "bid up" to upgrade. Odd because "results" don't appear until shortly before the departure date. Thanks for all your videos, a delight while waiting for our trip.
Thanks, we hope to one day
Well done! This video is a great help in make a go-no-go decision on the Coast Starlight. (GO!). Safe travels.
Thanks! Have a great trip!
This channel is outstanding. Other than the occasional trips from Philly to NYC or DC, I've never been on a long distance Amtrak. Doing SAN-PHL by Pacific Surfliner, Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, Capitol Limited, and the Pennsylvanian over the summer (with a few stopovers along the way). The practical advice you give is outstanding, and makes me better prepared for 3600 miles by train.
Now I am a Guest Rewards Member. Thank you for your suggestion!!
Awesome, you'll be ready for that next sale!
This is exactly what I am looking for now. Thank you for sharing!!
You are so welcome!
Great video!!! I really want to take the train from LA to Seattle for the scenery. Trying to convince my hubby.
I will be taking a bucket list trip this October. I leave from Memphis on City of NO to CHI and then the EB to Seattle with 1 night there and the Coast Starlight to Emmeryville. Then the San Juaquine to Stockton for a 3 day stay. A Throughway bus to Sacramento to catch the CZ back to CHI and the CNO back to Memphis. Cost will be around $5,000 total. I can't wait!
I will be on this exact route in August. Good show!! Can't wait. Good tips;💙😁♥️🚃in a roommette.
Ooh, I didn't know that you can sign up, in advance, for the BOGO sales. Thank you!
Any time!
Informative video! I am looking forward to rail service to Canada opening back up.
Thanks for infor on riding coach overnight. We will be overnight in coach on City of New Orleans from Memphis to Chicago round trip this fall. Best way to get to Empire Builder trip planned. Sleeper car just didn't justify cost for a short trip overnight 10-11 hours max.
That means you will no access to the showers or dinning car, you will only have access to the cafe car which you have to purchase with most likely a credit card- but some people say they are accepting cash now but no gurantees, or you can bring your own food on the train.
You two are great at helping make an Amtrak vacation plan. Thank you. Keep traveling.
Thank you! Look forward to going on an Amtrak trip soon, and your videos are so helpful.
Glad you like them!
Terrific guide! Please so SOUTHWEST CHIEF next .. .. Getting on it in three weeks!!
Awesoem! We are planning on it!
Great video! Thanks for sharing a few landmarks to look out for on this trip. Knowing there won't be wi-fi is also super helpful.
I'm going on my first train trip and I've been trying to make sure I'll be as prepared as possible! Your videos have been incredibly helpful and have helped me decided on taking the Coast Starlight! Thank you!
I sure wish Cincinnati and Ohio and midwest had something like that. MAN!!!
This is the first train trip that I want to take. Thanks so much for the wonderful information.
I am new subscriber and am so happy I found your channel! I can't tell you how much I enjoy your videos :) !!
You guys are great. Could you talk about boarding the train in rural areas. Thanks!
Great suggestion! Thanks!
Excellent info. Love train travel and want to do more after Covid. This video was excellent ... will check out the Embassy Seattle, sign up for Amtrak member, and shall follow yoou guys.
A beautiful video, a beautiful virtual walk, it's very relaxing. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the very informative videos. Planning a first for my sister, sister-in-law and myself. Thinking of booking a couple nights on each end of trip, you gave me some great pointers and things to think about.
Have a great time!
Just had my first Amtrak long distance ride on the California Zephyr route. Views were amazing and made up for the crappy food I had (except for the brownies). I'm glad I brought my own salad kit after seeing the sorry looking salad they offer based on the videos. Thank you guys you are an inspiration. All the best always.
Love your vlogs, plan to take City of New Orleans for a cruise when they start up again. Thanks for all the information.
As always, wonderful video. This video is informative and interesting. Thank you. Bless you.
You guys are great! Your videos cover so much important information. I'm hoping to be able to take a trip within the next six months. If I do, I hope to see you on the rails!
Very informative, and Thank you!
Our pleasure!
Exactly the video I've been wanting ~ all the way up!
Perfect! Thanks!
Grounded Life Travel you're welcome!
Love your channel! You two have such a great approach in these videos! The new graphics are a great addition! Look forward to your upcoming travels!
Have you ever thought about sponsoring an on-off train tour. Maybe coast to coast?
I have traveled on the Coast Starlight numerous times. Something to note about Union Station in Los Angeles is that it is the last of the stations of that era built. I love hanging out there and walking around. There are lily ponds and gardens with tables to sit at and relax. Across the street his historic Olivera Street. Plan on three hours to wander around and enjoy Union Station. I went to an amazing Christmas party there one year. You can’t rush Union Station
I used to like it when my son was young bc they had a childrens car with toys and entertainers. Do they still do this?
Great tips, it is a beautiful station
Oregon. That sounds BEAUTIFUL. That's my next Amtrak trip, maybe even relocation.😊
I am hooked on your channel. Any plans you guys will be sponsoring group trips?
I know most long-distance trains don't have wifi but out of all of them you would think Coast Starlight would be the one that does, at least for half of it. Cascades has wifi for several trains per day as well as busses and most of that route is shared with CS so you would think they would also have it for one extra train per day.
True, we wish it did
It's important to point out that Business Class is available on this route. It includes increased legroom, Wi-Fi and access to the Dining Car.
Good to know. Thank you.
I've heard it's no longer available 😢
Very informative video. I got interested.
Nice explanation!!! thank you
You forgot that the Coast Starlight also has Oakland's Jack London Square as one of its major stops as it shows on the schedule, as well as Emeryville. I happen to live by both stations which are both easy for me to get to, and sometimes I catch the Coast Starlight sitting at Oakland, which is the same amount of time I would see it sitting at Emeryville as the schedule says the trains would be sitting at 2 of the 4 major scheduled stops along the way to either Los Angeles, or Seattle.
Thanks for the info!
@@GroundedLifeTravel You're welcome. Safe travels.
Are you able to choose which side your room or seat is at and which side is the best?
Great question. I was wondering the same thing. Thank you.
You can try and request one on the west side but no gurantess since the west side can be the east side if they switch the sleeper cars around and they do not know that till the employess board the train that day/night. If you are on the wrong site you can always go to the observation car for the correcct side.
I want to take this trip.
You should go for it! We loved that route
@@GroundedLifeTravel I'm scheming and planning as we speak!
Hey guys love your videos. Can u guys do a Amtrak ride from New York City to Buffalo New York? Thanks
Hello! Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. I have been binge watching for a couple of weeks now, and cannot WAIT to take my first train ride! I was wondering, though, if the price of the roomers is per person or does it include the price to ride the train also? For example, would one need to pay more if 2 people stayed in the roomers versus just 1? When you mention your BOGO deals, I wasn’t sure if that was what you were referring to or if you were referring to making 2 reservations on different trips for one price. (I.e. one trip to Seattle, WA and get trip on another train to Chicago or somewhere similarly priced.)
Good question, the price we refer to is for 2 people. So our roomettes are usually $400-$500 for the entire trip for 2 people if you get them on the BOGO.
Thanks for all this info! Im looking forward to some amtrak travel soon!
Tell me...how's the coffee on the train? It's ready at 6 am I hear...?
Gotta have my java!
also, if I can't sleep at 2am, can I go to the observation car?
Thanks for these Amtwack vid's!
=)
It's decent coffee, not the best, but not the worst. Yes, you can go to the observation car at 2am
@Bradley Bradshaw I agree; great questions. I want to know if you get unlimited coffee ☕ 😉
@@GroundedLifeTravel thanks for your answer! Could I bring along a coffee maker in my room?
@@barrybridgwood8404 you will not have room for one though.
More memorable... The zephryl or coastal route? Both look amazing.. Great vids! Thank you!
We think the Zephyr!
What roomette should I request to be able to see the ocean? We were assigned room 2 on 1430 car…I know that I should be on the west side, but is the west side odd or even numbers? Going north to Seattle…😀 love your program…
It switches, so unfortunately you can't really tell until you get on. Sometimes they put the cars on backwards.
The Coast Starlight used to have pretty good Internet connectivity but they shut it off.
They also used to let business class passengers dine in the dining car but no more.
Service on the Coast Starlight has severely declined in the past few years.
According to Amtrak, they still let business class passengers dine in the dining car. I had asked them.
On southbound train 11 they have thrown me out of the dining car as a business-class passenger. I used to be able to dine in the dining car on train 11 but no longer.
Great video, thank you.
Excellent videos. Congratulations. My question is, on the Coast Starlight, which side of the train are the roometes on? I mean, can you see the ocean from the room or do the windows face the opposite side? If so, the only way to see the ocean is to go to the Observation car? What can you see within the states of Oregon and Washington from the room?
Thank you very much
The roomettes are located on both sides of the cars on all Amtrak sleeper cars. If you Google "Amtrak sleeper car layout" you can see how the sleeper cars from the various trains are configured, for example the Superliners (2 levels) vs the Viewliners (a single level train. The layouts will also show you shower / restroom locations.
I believe that they changed the dining car to BOTH business and sleeper cars. However, for business you have to pay 45 dollars per adult or 25 per children. However, no coach passengers can go to the dining car. Just an FYI :)
Thanks for sharing the info!
Great info. Thanx
Any suggestions on where to stay in Chicago? Thinking of Empire from PDX to Chi- Solo trip.
Yes! We have some info on hotels on our Empire Builder blog;
www.groundedlifetravel.com/amtrak-empire-builder-route-guide/
Toledo Ohio station actually has a subway restaurant in it. which is amazing if Seattle doesnt have a restaurant
This is good to know! I'm planning my first Amtrak vacation. I am no where near narrowing down where I want to go, to many choices of awesome places! I live about 40 miles west of Columbus. Cincinnati would be the station closes for me to leave out of. But I have also been looking at other stations. Just driving straight to Chicago is also on my plate of options. If I ever figure out where I want to go! I've been back and forth changing my mind for two months now. I just need to spin a wheel and go..
@@ThetrippyLilHippie The trains come into Toledo in the middle of the night. subway is closed before the first train of the night gets in. The EB capitol limited arrives at 11:49 pm. The eb lakeshore limited arrives around 3 am. the wb trains the cap limited a little after 5 am and the lakeshore at 6:15 am
If I'm travelling westbound I normally get a ride up to Ann Arbor and take the wolverine to Chicago. That cuts the Chicago Layover and Im not at the train station in Toledo before the city buses start running.
@@tazz378 The trains out of Cincinnati Union Station are also in the middle of the night. But maybe that's because of covid-19? I have never been inside the Cincy station but it's a huge building I have drove past on numerous occasions. I just recently, a couple months ago, started looking at Amtrak. Maybe with the money I believe they are getting out of this recent stimulus that will change. It appears to be a gorgeous station and I'm sure at one time it surely had to have more trains moving in and out.
@@ThetrippyLilHippie Cinci trains are also middle of the night. have been for years. most of the cinci station is a museum.
@@ThetrippyLilHippie you might want to consider using the connorsville indiana train station
With the rooms, are you able to lock the doors?
Only from the inside, so not when the room is empty. The tip I've seen is to draw the curtain on the door when leaving so it is not obvious your cabin is unoccupied.
Are you able to order multiple dishes for lunch/dinner, or are you only limited to one per person?
We've never tried, but I think it is one per meal, and you could get something else from the cafe too.
Hi there! I'm going on the Silver Meteor in about 4 weeks. You think you can do a review from New york to West Palm Beach?
Thank you very informative
hi...I was wondering. if me and my partner want to Sleep together, the Family bedroom is the best option. This will be our first AMtrak trip.
I'm taking my first solo trip on the Coast Starlight as far as Salem. It's not a pleasure trip unfortunately for me. But I'm choosing the roomette simply for the privacy. On the Coast Starlight are there roomettes on the upper and lower portions of the trains? I'm not disabled but do have some difficulties climbing stairs while carrying luggage. Are the stairs hard to traverse? The doors on the roomette do not lock when you leave your room do they? I was on a train from San Diego to San Jose not long after 9/11 and we had a roomette and I recall that I was as bit uneasy just leaving my belongings in the room with the door not able to lock. Also we were not able to go to the observation car nor the dining car or Cafe as the entire USC Trojan band was also on the train so we didn't get to enjoy any of those, so that's something else that you may not be aware of when you book a trip. But I am getting a lot from your videos and have been taking notes feverishly. Thank you both so much for everything you've done to help other Amtrak travelers.
Greetings!
Your videos are super helpful.
Can you tell me what there is to do for the 5 hour wait in Emeryville between the Zephyr and coast Starlight? I'm a single senior traveling lady and plan to use Amtrak a lot.
Have you taken a train from Los Angeles to Raleigh NC
We have not, it would take 3 trains to do it I think
Yes it would take the minium of 3 trains to do it. The best options are eithe take the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, than the Crescent to New York and then you can take the Palmetto or Silver Star to Raleigh NC, or if you want to go through Chicago, then you can take the Southwest Chief to Chicago and then the LakeShore Limited or The Cardinal to New York and then either Palmetto or Silver Star to final destination. If you have longer time to do it, you can take 2 extra trains but it would be the best trains- take Coast Startlight up from LA to Emeryville, then take the Zephry to Chicago. After that follow the dirrections above in this message from Chicago to final destination.
By "airline food", do you mean a little bag with 3 tiny pretzels in it? It's been a while since I had hot food on an airline. It's a pretty low bar to beat. lol!
I am taking the Coast Starlight from LAX to Sacramento on July 2nd & am curious to know if masks are still mandatory or are they optional? Plus the cafe is open to Coach but the dining car is not still. Thanks in advance you two are superhelpful!
When dining, can you order all you can eat ? Love your videos
I think it is a 3 course meal with traditional dinning for lunch and dinner- appetizer, entree, and dessert and they are big portions, but you have unlimted soft drinks and possible coffee till they close it down around 10:00 p.m. I will give the links for both flexible and traditional dinning here, I will start with flexible dinning- www.amtrak.com/flexible-dining and here is traditional dinning - www.amtrak.com/dining-car
Whats the cost for 2 weeks...2 people n everything u did we'd also need? Food, etc.
Do you know the reason why the Coast Starlight doesn’t offer WiFi? Thank you
We will be riding on this train in July 2022. Will we be able to eat in the dining car? We will be going Coach and will have two elderly with us.
no as of right now only sleeper passengers have access to the dinning car and possible Business Class, Coach passengers only have access to the observation car and cafe car which you have to purchase food from with most likely a credit card, or you can bring your own food and non-alchoic drinks on the train and eat at your coach seat or possible observation car (but if you eat there you might smell some food from the dinning car since some people in sleeper cars decide to eat there meals or some of them in the observation car but I could be mistaken).
Can you book your trip in sleeper class in either roommettes or bedrooms
Yes you can
Question! Which I couldn't get answered from Amtrak over the phone: My husband & I have reserved a roomette and will carry on two backpacks, but we would also like to carry on (NOT check in) ONE LARGER piece of rolling luggage which won't fit in the roomette (it would be about 22"-29" high). But is it possible to put them in an ACCESSIBLE luggage area somewhere near our roomette?
If you are on a superliner there would be plenty of luggage space on the lower level. If you are on a viewliner, there is room for one piece of luggage above the top bunk in the wall. So either way you should be fine with one suitcase. 22 to 29 is a big difference though, I'm not sure the 29 inch would fit in a viewliner.
@@GroundedLifeTravel Is the Coastal Starlite a Superliner? Because we have at least one large piece of luggage that we want to have close by - but I don't think it will fit in the roomette. Thanks for your quick Reply, by the way!
@@inspire4009 Yes it is a Superliner train car. All the Viewliner train cars go to New York either from New Orleans, Chicago, Florida- those are the starting points for them or the end of the trip. Also the Viewliner are I and II and the Viewliner I roommate has a toilet right next to the bed/seat but the Viewliner II 2 does not have a toilet in the roommate but both have a sink in the Viewliner Roommates.
I love your videos but I think that the Amtrak website is the most frustrating website I have ever been to. I just want to go cross country round trip from Utah over to California, up to Washington, over through upstate New York and back again to Utah going a different route to see more country. I cant get anything like a trip itinerary. Also if I call it is all automated and just as frustrating an unhelpful as the website. Any suggesti8ons would be helpful. P.S. We want to stay on the train the whole time in a bedroom. Thanks
Yes, it is really hard to put together a multiple leg trip like that on the website. But, you can book them all individually, which is what we did on our 14 day trip. For your trip I'd suggest the California Zephyr from Utah to San Francisco (Emeryville is the station), then the Coast Starlight from Emeryville to Seattle. Then take the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago followed by the Lake Shore Limited to New York. Coming back I'd take the Cardinal from New York To Chicago and then you could take the California Zephyr and see the part you didn't see originally and also the best part to finish the trip. So:
California Zephyr
Coast Starlight
Empire Builder
Lake Shore Limited
Cardinal
California Zephyr
that would be an amazing trip!
@@GroundedLifeTravel Oh my gosh! You dont even know how much this helped! Thank you so much!
@@kathybee801 You may also have to stay at a hotel for a night or two if the trains do not connect or miss the connection due to amtrak being late. If you took the trains already how was it?
So the prices you quote. Is that just one way from LA to Seattle? Do you pay that both ways or is that a round trip?
Flex dining wasn't for me. After watching yalls videos I road amtrak for the first time on a whim and had a good experience but getting the flex meal was the disappointing part. I got the salmon and it was super dry. I got pancakes in the morning and it was pretty dry as well surprisingly. It's just a cheap microwave meal :/
Hi guys! Thanks for all the info! Question, if I were to catch a train from Philadelphia to Chicago, once I got into California from Chicago could I transfer to the Starlight into Fresno?
i think you will have to take a different Amtrak train for that but a commuter one but others can comment if that is true.
@@chrisdobrowolski2783 Thank you for answering my question! I will look into commuter trains in that area.
I'll be going to Seattle from LA on the CS very soon in a roomette. I heard in this video that there are 2 levels ( up and down) for the roomette. Is one level preferable than the other? Which level? Also what side of the train has the better view (going northbound)? Thanks!
You'll want to be on the West side or the left side going north to get the best views. If you end up on the other side you'll still get views of the mountains. You should be on the top in a roomette, which is preferable for better views.
@@GroundedLifeTravel Thank you so much. Very helpful. ❤
I think you mentioned business class on the video, but I am not seeing that unless I select multiple trains. Do you know if that is still offered?
Can 2 people sleep in a handicap room
Yes, they can
When living in CA I went Coast Starlight many times Coach Class. During those days the dining car was available to Coach passengers. I am disgusted it no longer is and has made me rethink travel by Amtrak in the future. Also I slept fine in Coach class seats because they were so roomy and comfortable and usually I had the two seats to myself to spread out in. But.no dining for coach class means I will no longer travel Amtrak.
It may be coming back in the future, but nothing firm
We are driving from wi to California is there parking for our car? If we do the star light trip I’m guessing we have to pay for both ways to get back to our car correct?
It depends on the station, they are all different. You can look on their website and it'll tell you.
do these trains stop in these cities for enough time for you to explore? How does that work if you wanted to spend some time in these cities,
You have to get a new ticket each time, for each segment of the trip.
We are catching the Coastal Starlight midway, from Sacramento to Seattle, so it's a shorter trip (only 7 night hours). Now I'm beginning to think my husband & I might be comfortable enough sleeping sitting up, putting our one 29" luggage in the upper bunk. Do you know if anyone has tried this? What is your opinion?
The Coast Starlight will have big luggage racks on the bottom level of your car. You can put it there no problem.
Can just anyone purchase the accessible bedroom? Even if they don’t have a disability?
Hi. Is it possible to do stops along the route?
I'll be traveling from Seattle to San Jose. Is there business class? Also, is there room in either coach or business class for a 90lb service dog next to my seat?
Hi there can you tell me how long does it take to get from Emeryville California to Los Angeles California we are planning a trip from Lincoln Nebraska to San Francisco on the California zephyr and then stay there a week or two and then we’re going to take the coast starlight from San Francisco to Los Angeles to catch the southwest chief back to Newton Kansas thanks for your help
It takes about 12 hours if my memory serves me. Going from LA to Emeryville it isn't an overnight trip, but I haven't gone in reverse
Is there a-lot of going over water between LA and Hope Arkansas? 😟
Are these trips round trip?
You can but we only rode one way
Planning for a trip that is over a year a way yet (folk won't fly, greyhound is gross...and I don't necessarily want to drive the 28 hours myself)... But noticing that on the return trip from Seattle to Newton, KS... it's the dreaded mixed (two buses) back to LA before catching the Southwest Chief. I've tried every day of the week.. One of the layovers is 8 minutes. Should I count on that connection just not happening?? :-) Any reason why the Coast Starlight north is one train all the way to Seattle but on the way south...it is two buses and two trains. One train is the Coast Starlight.. to start the journey and then... bus, San Joaquins, bus ... and then the Southwest Chief.
It's because the system is designed to get you on a train the same day you arrive, and the Coast Starlight gets into LA after the SWC has departed, so it puts you on busses to catch the Coast Starlight as they are faster. The way around it is to just book the Coast Starlight by itself all the way to LA, which gets in at night, then book the SWC the day after you get in, and spend a night in a hotel in LA. You just have to book each leg separately.
@@GroundedLifeTravel THANKS! That makes sense. But it also made me think we might return through Chicago with a controlled overnight stay. And such beauty. One benefit of using the Newton, KS station in this instance.
How many days is this type of trip?
Sorry, I see you already put this info in your video 7:08. 😆