I tell people who are thinking about taking a long distance train by Amtrak for the first time. If you’re more concerned with getting there on time, and straightforward, then fly. If you don’t care when you arrive, or have time to kill, take Amtrak. With Amtrak, it’s about the journey, not getting there. Hence their slogan.
Coast Starlight was awesome in May, 2021. More or less stayed in the Roomette except to use the shower or bathroom - oh, and the breakfast…. It wasn’t just the Virus, by the way. Would have done breakfast in the Roomette, too, had it been possible. They’re really quiet and “chill” - which is helpful for people who have less-obvious health problems and handicaps.
As a woman traveling alone, if you are traveling overnight, the sleeper cars are SO worth the money. I took a trip to the Grand Canyon from Chicago fall of 2022. On the way out to Arizona there were no sleeper cars available so I had to sit in coach. The seats were comfortable as long as you were awake, but to sleep, it was miserable. In addition, the conductor seated me next to a man I did not know. I was incredibly uncomfortable all night long and barely got any sleep. My return trip to Chicago was in a sleeper car and I was able to catch up on the sleep I missed going west. My recommendation, spend the extra money for a sleeper car.
If you are scared of people, why did you leave your house? Unless the man next to you gave some indication that he was a threat to your safety, you are letting irrational fears control your life.
@@suddenlysolo2170I would’ve been uncomfortable sleeping next to a stranger as well. That doesn’t mean I’m letting my fears control my life. Being uncomfortable and fearful are two different things.
@@suddenlysolo2170 I said I was uncomfortable, not fearful. I’m not scared of people, nor irrational for fear of my safety. I travel all the time, but I would have been more comfortable sitting by myself and not shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh with someone I didn’t know. I would have been more comfortable talking to him, getting to know him without such close encounters. He did complain to me throughout the night about me readjusting my legs to get comfortable. I was interrupting his sleep.
The trick to these travel videos is to have the viewers feel that they are with you. You have succeeded in this aspect. Well done! Knowledgeable, entertaining and some lighthearted fun. Liked and subscribed. Keep’em coming.
The whole experience would be so much brighter if Amtrak would simply reinstate full Dining Car service on all over-night trains East of the Mississippi with real Chefs and Cooks to prepare real meals. Get rid of the micro-wave garbage and bring back the classic Amtrak dining car menu! The Santa Fe, Southern Railway, and the Rio Grand managed to pull this off for years.
2 of those routes already have it west of the Mississippi which is Sunset Limted and the Auto Train. Also one of the silver train also have a Limted traditional dining. Also one segment on the Empire builder train goes west they have flexible dinning since the train splits in two.
Really appreciate the honest review - it does no one any favours to brush over the bits that go wrong (shower/delays/etc. are all important!) Great video, glad to see you were both able to make the best of things despite the issues.
I agree. If it's on the train it should be working. Broken/non-functioning bits are a sign of neglect. Neglect is not a word you want associated with your train/bus/plane for which you have coughed up hundreds of $$$ and are trusting your life to. His description of the Indianapolis station was spot on. Shameful state.
The shower is set with a timer to conserve water. Amtrak trains are not connected to any city's water works. Amtrak uses water tanks that do empty quickly when some choose to take ten minutes showers. Splash, soap, rinse can be done within one minute... Amtrak is not going to apologize for conserving water... You are on a train, not at a hotel!
Really good video. I have tremendous anxiety about flying. I'm thinking about taking the train from Ft Worth to Chicago in June. Thanks for sharing what a roomette is.
New locomotives and regional coaches are on their way. This Viewliner II is fairly new, whereas the bi-level Superliners are showing their age, some over 40 years old. Presently the Superliner fleet is being refurbished, and the funding is in place for the new order of a fleet to replace the Superliners which most likely won't begin service until the 2030s...
My husband and I are now retired and want to start traveling on amtrak a little bit, We have been watching several videos and agree that this is probably the best and most informative video that we seen on youtube, Great job, Good luck in the future, Maybe we'll see your name somewhere else in lights!
We booked a Roomette from Trenton down to Tampa. The dining car is MUCH better than the microwaved cafe meals. Our chef was a real chef and cooked a steak for me that was seared outside but rare inside. It was moist and juicy and amazingly tender. I tasted like it came from a steak house!
The same trip taken now would be a big disappointment then. Amtrak eliminated all of their chefs and on-train cooking within the last 2 years. What is now served on the dining cars nationwide are microwaved meals. Not to be confused with the microwaved cafe meals, which offer a much more limited menu.
@@carlg5838We just did the trip this October. It was a full dining car with a chef. My steak was cooked to order, rare, and very tender. It was delicious. I think some things like the Bolognese sauce is already prepared, but for the most part the dining car meals are cooked. I think some chefs may take liberties, but the one we had was amazing.
The cakes are from Frank & Louie In Rehobeth DE. Just had some a few weeks ago when we went to the beach. Highly recommend, he wasn’t lying when he said delicious.
I gotta say those coach are actually pretty comfy I've taken the zephyr about 11 times between reno and Chicago and never once had a bad night's sleep on one of them and the delays were what made the trip worth while when you go on these long haul train you gotta expect the unexpected its an adventure and when given the chance I a l ways choose amtrak over flying
After riding in a Superliner Roomette, Viewliner 1 Roomette, and Viewliner 2 Roomettes, the VL2 Room is by far the best to travel in in my opinion. Very strange about being told you cant record when thousands of people do exactly that everyday. EDIT: Yeah you got screwed on that shower. You guys straight up got a busted up car it looks like.
I've seen videos of trip reports where people in the cafe car dont want it recorded, or dont want themselves recorded, but nothing like when youre on the platform for a fresh air break and theyre like "you cant record here!!" I am so glad that the Amtrak recording policy is on their own website. I wish airlines would do that too when people fly.
I have taken the Amtrak sleeper routes cross country many times. Those trains have regular meals and are wonderfully scenic. You can meet new people or choose to zone out. A few times I have been on trains that were 5 plus hours late. I did not email Amtrak, I called them. My complaints were listened to and I got vouchers for future travel. Two were for $300 each. Try calling them. You are correct. the microwave meals are terrible, especially for the prices they are charging.
Hoping to take one of the trains out west soon to try the traditional dining- I've heard it's great! Also, great point on the customer service. Someone else also reached out to me recommending that, and I've been told that I'll receive vouchers for the inconvenience of the delay (just waiting to receive those vouchers now).
@@Danielator36 "Traditional" dining is indeed tasty. Comparable to first-class airline food. I wasn't about to take a route with tv dinners, fuck that! Calling Amtrak is not a bad idea. Better chance of a favorable outcome.
@geofffitz1497 for some it's not necessarily all about the price. It's also about the mode of travel..I for one am vowing to slow down and that includes with how I travel. Amtrack is awesome if you're into slower chiller travel.
Over night in coach is easier with: Blanket of your own, Neck pillow, Ear plugs. Much less expensive and one can bring some. If you have access to a shower be sure to have shower shoes. BTW I will never fly again.
The world needs more humans like you and Will. I was so taken by your laid-back attitudes in spite of the delays and non-functioning equipment. Your wonderful deadpan humor was so spot-on that I watched this video from start to finish and was truly sorry when it was over. And on top of that, your final thoughts were right on the mark, yet, it didn't stop you from being as objective as possible about taking Amtrak via the Cardinal. I am now subscribed to your channel and look forward to the kind of entertainment that holds my interest without being flashy, loud, or over-the-top. Good job, Daniel. If I were your or Will's parents, I would be so proud of the kind of people you have both become. Keep it up!
They should give each room a maintenance report card. The maintenance staff may check simple things like the lights, but not the shower. Chances are, the head is plugged, but if they don't know it they won't fix it. Showers on trains are often less than great, either because of water flow or temperature.
has to be better than on submarines. On a submarine, you turn the water on for 1-2 seconds, turn it off. Put soap on your body. Turn it on for 1-2 seconds, turn it off. Shower is over. It's extremely cold too lol. (its not deliberately chilled, but no effort is made to heat it, so if you're, ahem, "greater than 800 feet (243 m)" underwater, that potable water tank is going to be fairly cold.) Reason is that, while the nuclear reactor will happy generate a lot more potable water than this, we can only hold a little over 5000 gallons (18927 L) for each 18 hour day (three shifts). That's ALL the drinking water for 120 people. So, washing dishes, flushing toilets, drinking water, water for soda, water for juice, water for coffee....it all comes from the potable water tank. So it's roughly 41 gallons (155 L) per person each day. Sometimes we use a little too much fresh water, and the Captain has all the showers secured, so no one can take one, including him, until the water usage goes down. That only happened to me once in my four underway (at sea) periods on USS Florida SSBN-728. I have a total of 365 days underwater, says my DD-214, but the longest time I ever spent down there at one time was 87 days. 🙂 (the nuclear fuel lasts 20 years; you're mainly limited by how much food you can carry, which is normally 90 days at a time.)
If you haven't already, come take a train in Europe sometime. It's not as awesome as Japan, but getting closer all the time. A new sleeper train just opened from Paris to Berlin...
I just watched a video of a train from Paris to Milan on a Fiorefresca(sp?) route. Amazing!! The executive tickets had 8 seats per car, full menu included, and the train cruised along at 300kph (184mph). So, I then checked the prices after and thought there must be an error 'cause much cheaper than Amtrak!
Very interesting video! In a former life, my company had the catering contract out of Boston, surprisingly, the food looked better than we supplied, but still microwaved. One thing to note is that Conrail has precedence on the rails, so if a Conrail train is delayed, so are you. Delays are still a problem with Amtrak, if they want more people to "ride the rails" upgrade the service, upgrade the food, and make sure everything that is supposed to be in the bathroom is there! One last note on a purely personal note: you guys didn't spend a whole lot on your traveling wardrobe. Ha Ha! Great informative video!
Best way to travel with a child. My daughter was 5 and loved having our own space. All meals included, showers, and bathroom. When we went I had a newspaper every morning, hot coffee and water all day, and champagne for me and ice cream for my daughter at night.
Those butter cakes are surprisingly delicious! I had one on the California Zephyr last Christmas. The steak meal was pretty delicious too. I had an older roomette. It wasn't as spacious as the one y'all had. It was also cold at night. I wasn't sure if I needed to ask for the heat to be adjusted in my room since it was toasty earlier. Wifi is always terrible on Amtrak. It's probably because of the areas that the trains pass through. I downloaded videos and shows to watch prior to boarding and during long rest stops. Great video guys!
This was fun to watch! I'm an Amtrak sleeper car fan and I do them once a year. I've come to expect delays, for sure. In 2022 I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to LA. It normally takes about 48 hours and includes 2 overnights. It stops in San Antonio to hook up with the Texas Eagle. They disconnect a couple of cars from that train and connect it to ours. It normally takes about 2 hours 40 minutes for the changeover. When we arrived around midnight the Texas Eagle should have been there but was delayed about 6 hours for mechanical issues so we sat and waited. At 7 am we pulled out. Fortunately, we slept through the whole night. I was scheduled to fly from LA to Honolulu at the end and literally kept logging into the airline site and rebooking later and later flights. The good news is, they did make up some time and we only arrived about 4 1/2 hours late so it was 52 hours total. Earlier this year I rode the Southwest Chief from Chicago to LA, also 2 overnights and about 43 hours. We actually arrived 25 minutes early. These were Superliners, though. I've never done a Viewliner. I only feel bad that you missed the best thing about these trips and one of the main reasons I love them - the freshly prepared food in the dining car. As soon as they switched back to traditional dining from microwaved after the pandemic I boarded one of the first trains to resume service. It's my favorite thing about these trains. I hope you get to experience that!
Years ago I took the SW Chief from Albuquerque to LA and then another train to Seattle. The sleeperettes had minor mechanical issue on both trains but it was a great trip overall. The attendants were really helpful. It was comfy, quiet (2nd floor) and the highlights were the view car, the quiet cocktail lounge and the full course dinner with strangers in the dining car. My meals were excellent and so was the adventure of meeting new people. I often recommend Amtrak Sleeperettes to others. Was sorry to see downgraded meals in this video, I hope the dining car experience is not lost. The other thing I enjoyed was the lack of stress. Travel is often stressful but being on a train with an attendant helping guide me through reservations and stops it was a very relaxing trip, even with some delays.
I will be taking Amtrak next time I head South to see my wife. I don't care if I get there quickly. I want a somewhat relaxing trip. I've learned you can never get that from a plane.
You should have spoken to the car attendant about the issues with missing cups, poor shower pressure, etc. Most attendants are very helpful. I'm surprised that you had poor shower pressure. I've taken many trips, and the shower has always had good pressure. I think that most of the Flex meals are heated with steam, but you're right, they should upgrade these to Traditional Dining. Sometimes there are big problems with delays, but most of my trips are no more than an hour or two late, even when it's a 3-day trip. I'm retired now so a delay doesn't matter too much to me, but I can understand why it's annoying to most people. You certainly had bad luck with the delays. I wonder Amtrak is having some issues with the new cars?
That delay in Washington due to a computer glitch has occurred before. For the viewliner train set to be so new, its already tired and poorly maintained. One day the Cardinal will return to the traditional menu dining.
On numerous occasions I chose to travel by Amtrack coach from South Bend, Indiana to Pittsburgh, Pa. The trip is 7-8 hours long, in the dark. I have seen northern Indiana, a few hundred times, northern Ohio, a few hundred times, AND western Pa, at least 50 times. I figured out, I could sleep for a few hours, (Driving AND sleeping at the same time is a very bad idea) arrive in Pittsburgh early enough for my son to pick me up, get to his house, take a quick nap, and surprise my grand kids when they woke up. The price was less than a couple of tanks of gas to drive, AND less than a round trip flight. AND no security clearence to muddle thru. I LOVED those overnight train trips!
We occasionally have the same issue with our shower at home. It's caused by dissolved minerals in the water building up over time and clogging the shower head jets. The fix is very simple. The jets are made of silicone rubber - or something similar - so just rub your thumb back and forth across the jets while the water is running. This will cause the jets to flex, which should break up the mineral scale and allow the water to flow freely again.
Thanks for the info. For a NW Indiana hoosier that visits Lafayette frequently, I have been tossing the idea of taking an Amtrak journey with my folks who are getting up there in years on this beautiful planet as a new experience to spend time with them. The destination is secondary to the journey in my book.
Amen and Amen! You must know your Harry Chapin; it was he who sang "It's the going, not the getting there that's good" in his track "Go Greyhound". If your folks aren't familiar with Amtrak, I suggest you start with a shorter trip to get the feel of train travel.
I use Amtrak frequently between Grand Rapids MI and Chicago Illinois. I've always wanted to take a roomette across the country. But, what keeps me from doing this is the stories I hear of delays and customer service with Amtrak. I do love the train rides though.
It seems like you guys took the delays in stride. I would just tell anyone who encounters them, yes they suck but such is life. Delays happen, mistakes happen, don’t even let it ruin your day or your mood. Roll with the punches and you’ll enjoy your trip so much more. That’s stuff is truly inevitable so you may as well just make the best of it.
This was a good review! I found it really makes a difference to dress nice when traveling. Wearing a collared golf shirt and slacks is easy and people treat you better and might even give you stuff. You want to look like the type of people Amtrak would like to promote as riding their trains in style. You might not have been talked down to when videoing at Washington Union Station if wearing a collared shirt instead of teeshirts, at least they would have been more polite. I went to school at WV Tech Montgomery WV for EE. I was from Vienna VA a suburb of Washington DC. I was rail fan and rode the Cardinal a few times in the mid 1980s. I looked forward to those Cardinal trips and got a lot out of them. I'd spend most of my time in the Amfleet lounge café car talking to other travelers and watching the scenery. A vista dome car is really need to see out over the coal cars and up the New River Gorge! The Amfleet car was much better at protecting its passengers from the rough tracks than the heritage fleet coach cars. From what I've watched on videos of the Cardinal the CSX tracks through the area have improved. The CSX mainline track through the area always looked very good being heavy continues welded rail and well surfaced and leveled. It's a solid rail bed with good interlocking sub ballast that really makes for good track behavior and smooth running. That's what makes the NEC ride like it does. Concrete ties also make for a smooth ride, but are subject to cracking with an off rail coal car wheel which can destroy a bunch of concrete ties while it only scares wooden ties. There are three main parts to the WV route of the Cardinal from a scenery and rail fanning standpoint. Clifton Forge VA to Hinton WV that goes over and through the Allegheny mountains with a steep eastern grade of over 1%. Hinton WV to Gauley Bridge WV through the over thousand foot high New River Gorge where the New River combines with the Gauley River to become the Kanawha River. Montgomery WV is about 12 miles farther west from Gauley Bridge and is noted as the least-used Amtrak station in the USA! Just west of Charleston WV the Kanawha river valley had the nickname "chemical valley" for all the highly volatile chemical plants especially in Nitro WV the number one marker of explosives for the USA efforts in WW1. To my mind the Cardinal main feature is it goes through the main coal and geographical features of southern WV in a comfortable passenger train. It makes good sense to use the Cardinal with a sleeper to between Lafayette Indiana and NYC or anyplace along the southern NEC. Its probably a medium walk if you are at Purdue University to the Amtrak station and there is no convenient airport with cheap flights. It would still be nice if eight hours faster. Getting delayed four hours at Amtrak's Washington DC Union Station is very unlikely due to host freight railroad issues which is what Amtrak blames most of its train delays on. A seasoned Amtrak sleeper traveler would write a complaint to Amtrak explaining their main reason for patronizing this train was viewing the scenery of the New River Gorge in daylight hours and ask for compensation. YouTuuba did that for experiencing no heat in his sleeper on the Empire builder when below zero outdoors. He got a lot of Amtrak credits he used for a future Amtrak trip. I wouldn't let that distract from your studies and interests at Purdue though. It was well worth the expense and effort and it was a once in life time experience. It would just be nice to get some credits from Amtrak to enable another sleeper trip in the future. I live in Indianapolis now. A part of the Indianapolis Union Passenger Train Station has been converted into an upscale hotel with heavy weight passenger train cars being on rails and refurbished for hotel guests to stay in along with traditional new hotel rooms fitted into the the structures of the original station. Why the actual passenger station train platforms are the worst on the Cardinal route is a bit strange. The worst experience is going down the stairs to be inside the Greyhound bus station! It's so bad looking and sketchy it almost seems like it most be made up to be a film stage for some post apocalyptic scene in a movie. Get a block away from it and the convention center hosting environment of central Indianapolis prevails and gets better. Those stairways might be cemented off to protect the passenger train platforms from the lower bus station. With less than 3 hour fast passenger trains between Indianapolis and Chicago instead of 5 hours and longer, this station could once again be brought up an hospital environment at least on the train platforms. Pitch for fast trains between Indianapolis and Chicago which includes Lafayette. The current Amtrak alignment of the rail line between these cities is largely able to provide for 110 mph fast train travel. With USA rail regulations up to 110 mph passenger train travel can be done with at-grade crossing using full blocking gates. No fencing off of the rail corridor is need which is a requirement above 110 mph. Above 110 mph to 125 mph movable crash barriers are required at at-grade road crossings which proved troublesome at a test crossing and were removed. No at-grade crossing are allowed above 125 mph. This means a good freight railroad alignment can accommodate 110 mph passenger trains with very little visible change from 79 mph top speeds that is the norm. The track between Indianapolis and Chicago was down graded in track speed below 79 mph according to Trains Magazine because the lower track speed required fewer regular track inspections and a lower standard of track structure. This track section may provide a good situation for Indiana State participation to pay to upgrade the track structures and higher up keep cost to enable 110 mph target operational speed for several state supported passenger trains traveling sub 3 hours schedules between these cities a day. That would allow 6a Indy(ET) - 8a (Chicago CT) time and a 8p (Chicago CT) - 12a (Indy ET) travel day. A long day, but the train trip should offer some rest and relaxaton.
Really informative video thank you so much. I leave going to New Orleans from Chicago this weekend and I booked a roomette so i was super curious. One question, I'm assuming there are plugs in the rooms?
This is a LONG-TIME wish of mine, to take an Amtrak sleeper train trip. As a writer, I will have my manual typewriter and laptop with me to work on stories without the distractions of home. Great review here. This looks like an affordable trip. I live in the middle-shoreline area of CT near New Haven, so I'd take the commuter train from New Haven to New York, then the sleeper from NYC to Chicago on a round-trip, staying in Chicago long enough to go the Field Museum for a day and then rent a car to drive to Waukegan, Ill. the next day, to finish a short story set in Ray Bradbury's childhood town. Thanks for posting this!
Back in the 90s, that Amtrak train used to stop in the middle of downtown Lafayette, I think right down the middle of 4th street. It was a pretty convenient way to get to Chicago; except they only ran the train on Tuesday and Thursday. It was common for trains to break down and block all east-west passage through Lafayette. Nothing like having to drag your bike under a stopped train to make it to/from West Lafayette.
I took the Amtrak Southern Crescent from New Orleans to Boston with my partner in 2000 and by myself in 2004. The roomettes were plainer but also nicer because they had their own washrooms. The meals were nicer too, freshly made and served on real plates with real silverware. The Indianapolis station? The concourse below those stairway closures was converted to a festival marketplace type of shopping mall, ugh!
Glad people actually tell about all the issues. Hopefully Amtrak will take notice. Do business people take earlier trains to help from being late? That shower and 5 hour delay would have made it my last train trip. Wonder if the train runs over speed to make up time? So sad USA doesn't have a good or even half ass train system.
I'm watching this and hobo videos and honestly can't decide which is the better way to travel by train. The roomette may be more comfortable but the freight trains have almost zero delays.
Brought back memories. I used to work in Manhattan near Penn Station and would leave work early to catch a 3:45'ish to Florida on a Friday to see my family. I loved it from the get-go and did it a few times. My only offering was a Viewliner 1 Roomette, as they didn't have any of the "new" trains on that route. I'm glad I got to have the experience. And even with some enroute delays once in a while, it was still great. Relax for an hour or 2 and then eat dinner. Relax a little more and hit the dining car for a beer or 2 and talk to the other passengers for a while. Then some more relaxing until bed. Wake up and grab a shower, then breakfast, and you are about an hour or 2 from your destination. There was always something to do every other hour or so, so you didn't feel bored at all. Good times.
I took one of these up the west coast. It smelled like train engine exhaust much of the way (especially when the train slowed down in mountain passes) because I was behind the locomotive.
We took the train from Chicago to California. We were in a handicap car. Good thing it was a larger room, the upper bunk was one of those coffin ones. We brought extra blankets, so my husband ended up sleeping on the floor. He found out he’s a little claustrophobic!
They do have the safety net on the upper bunk, some people I guess can not find it or too lazy to hook it up to the ceiling. That is why it’s best for the sleeping car attendant to set up the beds for sleeping.
You could complain about the shower head or you can do something about it. You can use a toothpick or something with a blunt edge and rubbing across and usually knocks the little salt crystals out of the little holes.
My family did coach from Seattle to Chicago and back in 2018. First to Chicago took 52 hours instead of the 46 with a broken restroom pushing fumes through the car. Second to Seattle, 57 hours instead of 46. Broken heater that stayed on continuously in July. Commissary closed for all but 4 hours throughout the trip which also ran out of most items, literally. To make up for the trip issues to Seattle, a Subway ham sandwich and 8 oz. bottle of water. That was the "best" they could do. The crew was nice and it was clear they were not being supported and the only reason there wasn't more trouble than there was. If you have to take Amtrak, bring a cooler with more than you'd expect. Flying cargo in a C-130 was marginally better but it also didn't take nearly as long.
For 2 people traveling together, it’s best to do separate bookings for the roomette, even if you’ll be spending most of the time together in one of them. Separate bookings will give you double the space and the fee is the same whether w people in one roomettte or a roomette each.
Believe it or not, I'm actually ON AN AMTRAK RIGHT NOW WATCHING YOUR VIDEO ABOUT AMTRAK 😂!!! Don't ask me why for I can only offer a reason of curiosity and wonder what the real trips are like, and continue to dream about taking one out west at some point in my life! For now, it's back to Ft. Lauderdale from Tampa and more of your vids.
I took the one that runs between DC and Sanford FL back in November. On the way up, I took coach because I'm poor. For a 17 hour trip, it wasn't bad. The seats were comfortable, but I was bummed my dining options were limited as well as an extra charge, but was pretty good. On the way back, my girlfriend sprang for a roomette for me. I had a porter that would set the bedroom up for you while at supper and back again while at breakfast. Also the top bunk folded down instead of lowering like yours did. The food for that was actually very good and was included in the room cost. It came with wine or beer as well. I had the steak with port wine sauce. While it was pretty pricey for one person, my girlfriend and I are thinking about taking the girls up to DC and getting one of the bedrooms. It works out per person to about the same as coach.
This was my experience, me and my son. Roomette, same size as this one, I guess they all are. The best part is we could order our meals to be served to us in our roomette by our porter who checked on us throughout our trip to see if we needed anything. We also ate in the dining car that wasn't too roomy so tables were shared with others which was ok. Food was not bad. Dining car also had ala carte service, hamburgers and such made to order. Shower basically same, I just recall it being so cold in there, but there was enough water and it was hot/warm. Sleeping - the most miserable night of my life, thank goodness it was only one night there and one back, New Orleans to Chicago. Overall, it was a positive experience and that's why we chose the train. It was fun. If I ever go by train again, I will choose a larger sleep room. Thanks for sharing!
You both did a great job...loved your take and opinions. As a kid in grade school I got to take an old train across my state in Montana that no longer exists to our church camp on a lake, it was an all night and next day affair and we had a car to ourselves and we went to the snack dining car and at each stop more kids and counselors and guitars and singing and incredible trellis ride in mountains. They are talking about them more in Montana now,,getting more going, I lived in NW and really enjoyed them there often from Portland to Seattle and Portland to San Francisco...it is fun watching young guys enjoying it all even with the quirks...it is just something that slows you down and gives you way more to see and time to contemplate it all than when driving and more stressed and kind of gets you ready for trains in Europe if you ever want to go. Thanks for doing this.
fav way to travel.....nothing better than having breakfast as you roll past people stopped at r/r crossings on their way to work.........also bring a guitar to the club car....always someone who can sing along....and the crew always likes Johnny Cash tunes
Did you get to sit In the office observation car and did you eat in the dining car? My wife and I traveled from Chicago to Arizona in an older sitty. We both slept like babies with the motion of the cars. The top bunk folded down with no window. We enjoyed the trip. The trip back to Chicago went smoother because we knew what to expect.
I was at your age when I venture into China in the eighties on train rides from Guangzhou to Beijing, Beijing to inner Mongolia, then to Shanxi, Shanghai, Nanjing.
Just a heads up...the porters will gladly set up the sleeping arrangements. Oblivious indeed! Never told to not film at stations! I go from Boston to DC back to Chicago and back to Boston 2 times a month. I am in my 50's and don't quite understand your difficulty. Especially that you are not traveling for work.
Hope it was helpful! Even with all the issues, it was still a cool experience, and definitely one worth having some time. If you have the option, though, I'd try to stick to one of the routes with traditional dining.
I have only taken the Autotrain over the last 10 years. The roomettes are okay but if you get the Amtrak credit card, it's easier to upgrade to a bigger room depending on the season. Naturally they are going to bonk you during Snowbird season. The dinner is decent and the attendants work hard to help you. On time performance can be iffy depending in any issues with freights on CSX and NS. However, if you don't want to deal with traffic on I 95, it's worth it.
Just want to say thanks for not being a douchebag by making everyone read text while trying to watch a video! I hate channels that are too ignorant and lazy to narrate their videos. So, again, thanks! It's nice to be able to actually watch the video instead of trying to read descriptions!
You should go back to Indianapolis station and really look around. It's turned into a hotel and what's cool is that there are 13 railroad passenger car that are hotel rooms. Each is named after a Hollywood Celebrity.
One of the best videos on the subject of train travel in the USA. So well edited and thoroughly explained. Good job, guys.
So pleasant to watch. Both young men are well spoken and polite.
Sure is odd to see. Obviously their parents are decent people (Not definitely but likely 🙂)
Yes!!! The Butter Cake. I'm so glad you mentioned it. It is delicious!
I tell people who are thinking about taking a long distance train by Amtrak for the first time. If you’re more concerned with getting there on time, and straightforward, then fly. If you don’t care when you arrive, or have time to kill, take Amtrak.
With Amtrak, it’s about the journey, not getting there. Hence their slogan.
Some of the ones out west are really great.
Or drive
Coast Starlight was awesome in May, 2021. More or less stayed in the Roomette except to use the shower or bathroom - oh, and the breakfast…. It wasn’t just the Virus, by the way.
Would have done breakfast in the Roomette, too, had it been possible.
They’re really quiet and “chill” - which is helpful for people who have less-obvious health problems and handicaps.
I agree - I want to try it for the experience. I don't even need an actual destination!
Then their prices should reflect the service and dependability.
As a woman traveling alone, if you are traveling overnight, the sleeper cars are SO worth the money. I took a trip to the Grand Canyon from Chicago fall of 2022. On the way out to Arizona there were no sleeper cars available so I had to sit in coach. The seats were comfortable as long as you were awake, but to sleep, it was miserable. In addition, the conductor seated me next to a man I did not know. I was incredibly uncomfortable all night long and barely got any sleep. My return trip to Chicago was in a sleeper car and I was able to catch up on the sleep I missed going west. My recommendation, spend the extra money for a sleeper car.
it doesn't look clean or sanitized
If you are scared of people, why did you leave your house? Unless the man next to you gave some indication that he was a threat to your safety, you are letting irrational fears control your life.
@@suddenlysolo2170I would’ve been uncomfortable sleeping next to a stranger as well. That doesn’t mean I’m letting my fears control my life. Being uncomfortable and fearful are two different things.
Roomettes are a cozy way to travel.
@@suddenlysolo2170 I said I was uncomfortable, not fearful. I’m not scared of people, nor irrational for fear of my safety. I travel all the time, but I would have been more comfortable sitting by myself and not shoulder to shoulder, thigh to thigh with someone I didn’t know. I would have been more comfortable talking to him, getting to know him without such close encounters. He did complain to me throughout the night about me readjusting my legs to get comfortable. I was interrupting his sleep.
The trick to these travel videos is to have the viewers feel that they are with you. You have succeeded in this aspect. Well done! Knowledgeable, entertaining and some lighthearted fun. Liked and subscribed. Keep’em coming.
Awesome voice over! 👌🏽💯
The whole experience would be so much brighter if Amtrak would simply reinstate full Dining Car service on all over-night trains East of the Mississippi with real Chefs and Cooks to prepare real meals. Get rid of the micro-wave garbage and bring back the classic Amtrak dining car menu! The Santa Fe, Southern Railway, and the Rio Grand managed to pull this off for years.
2 of those routes already have it west of the Mississippi which is Sunset Limted and the Auto Train. Also one of the silver train also have a Limted traditional dining. Also one segment on the Empire builder train goes west they have flexible dinning since the train splits in two.
I agree
Love that idea
Really appreciate the honest review - it does no one any favours to brush over the bits that go wrong (shower/delays/etc. are all important!) Great video, glad to see you were both able to make the best of things despite the issues.
I agree. If it's on the train it should be working. Broken/non-functioning bits are a sign of neglect. Neglect is not a word you want associated with your train/bus/plane for which you have coughed up hundreds of $$$ and are trusting your life to. His description of the Indianapolis station was spot on. Shameful state.
Thanks! Glad to hear that it was helpful
The shower is set with a timer to conserve water. Amtrak trains are not connected to any city's water works. Amtrak uses water tanks that do empty quickly when some choose to take ten minutes showers. Splash, soap, rinse can be done within one minute... Amtrak is not going to apologize for conserving water... You are on a train, not at a hotel!
Really good video. I have tremendous anxiety about flying. I'm thinking about taking the train from Ft Worth to Chicago in June. Thanks for sharing what a roomette is.
His words on breakfast are scholarly what a gentleman!
It’s about time Amtrak updated some of its trains.
New locomotives and regional coaches are on their way. This Viewliner II is fairly new, whereas the bi-level Superliners are showing their age, some over 40 years old. Presently the Superliner fleet is being refurbished, and the funding is in place for the new order of a fleet to replace the Superliners which most likely won't begin service until the 2030s...
The old sleepers with toilets were better if you are female traveling alone. Also a real dining car was better.
THIS IS WELL DONE, a well-balanced video, great editing and voiceovers. Plus, you taught me a lot. New subscriber. Thank you. Keep 'em coming!
Nice video! Thanks!
That looked like a fun adventure to me, having never traveled by train. Thanks for sharing, guys.
Travel by train is really fun and relaxing if you aren't in a hurry to get there.
Thank you for info!
Good job, guys. Thanks.
Cool, you got the Love sign and Caboose in Manassas.
My husband and I are now retired and want to start traveling on amtrak a little bit, We have been watching several videos and agree that this is probably the best and most informative video that we seen on youtube, Great job, Good luck in the future, Maybe we'll see your name somewhere else in lights!
Thank you for acknowledging the beauty of West Virginia. I’m sorry the extended delay in D.C. kept you from enjoying your travel through our state.
We booked a Roomette from Trenton down to Tampa. The dining car is MUCH better than the microwaved cafe meals. Our chef was a real chef and cooked a steak for me that was seared outside but rare inside. It was moist and juicy and amazingly tender. I tasted like it came from a steak house!
That sounds great! Hope to try that sometime soon
The same trip taken now would be a big disappointment then. Amtrak eliminated all of their chefs and on-train cooking within the last 2 years. What is now served on the dining cars nationwide are microwaved meals. Not to be confused with the microwaved cafe meals, which offer a much more limited menu.
@@carlg5838We just did the trip this October. It was a full dining car with a chef. My steak was cooked to order, rare, and very tender. It was delicious. I think some things like the Bolognese sauce is already prepared, but for the most part the dining car meals are cooked. I think some chefs may take liberties, but the one we had was amazing.
Took the Crescent in 02, great food from the dining car. Angus steak was excellent!
I've taken the Southwest Chief twice and both times got great steak in the dining car
Thanks for a realistic review and leveling my expectations.
The cakes are from Frank & Louie In Rehobeth DE. Just had some a few weeks ago when we went to the beach. Highly recommend, he wasn’t lying when he said delicious.
I gotta say those coach are actually pretty comfy I've taken the zephyr about 11 times between reno and Chicago and never once had a bad night's sleep on one of them and the delays were what made the trip worth while when you go on these long haul train you gotta expect the unexpected its an adventure and when given the chance I a l ways choose amtrak over flying
I like the idea of this, to see a country in true time.
Yeah, it's definitely a cool experience!
After riding in a Superliner Roomette, Viewliner 1 Roomette, and Viewliner 2 Roomettes, the VL2 Room is by far the best to travel in in my opinion. Very strange about being told you cant record when thousands of people do exactly that everyday.
EDIT: Yeah you got screwed on that shower. You guys straight up got a busted up car it looks like.
every now and then you will cross paths with a amtrak employee that has their butt up on their shoulders 🙁
I've seen videos of trip reports where people in the cafe car dont want it recorded, or dont want themselves recorded, but nothing like when youre on the platform for a fresh air break and theyre like "you cant record here!!"
I am so glad that the Amtrak recording policy is on their own website. I wish airlines would do that too when people fly.
I took the train from San Francisco to Seattle in the roomette and loved it.
Will did a great job of showcasing the amenities in the room! Nice job guys!
I have taken the Amtrak sleeper routes cross country many times. Those trains have regular meals and are wonderfully scenic. You can meet new people or choose to zone out. A few times I have been on trains that were 5 plus hours late. I did not email Amtrak, I called them. My complaints were listened to and I got vouchers for future travel. Two were for $300 each. Try calling them. You are correct. the microwave meals are terrible, especially for the prices they are charging.
Hoping to take one of the trains out west soon to try the traditional dining- I've heard it's great!
Also, great point on the customer service. Someone else also reached out to me recommending that, and I've been told that I'll receive vouchers for the inconvenience of the delay (just waiting to receive those vouchers now).
That price. I could fly back and forth three times or a one way roomette price. For the price: Amtrak ALWAYS disappoints.
@@Danielator36 "Traditional" dining is indeed tasty. Comparable to first-class airline food. I wasn't about to take a route with tv dinners, fuck that!
Calling Amtrak is not a bad idea. Better chance of a favorable outcome.
@geofffitz1497 for some it's not necessarily all about the price. It's also about the mode of travel..I for one am vowing to slow down and that includes with how I travel. Amtrack is awesome if you're into slower chiller travel.
@@debbest8546😊
Good job kids - very American experience
Over night in coach is easier with: Blanket of your own, Neck pillow, Ear plugs. Much less expensive and one can bring some. If you have access to a shower be sure to have shower shoes.
BTW I will never fly again.
I always travel with ear plugs. I sleep so much better with them.
it about the train
The world needs more humans like you and Will. I was so taken by your laid-back attitudes in spite of the delays and non-functioning equipment. Your wonderful deadpan humor was so spot-on that I watched this video from start to finish and was truly sorry when it was over. And on top of that, your final thoughts were right on the mark, yet, it didn't stop you from being as objective as possible about taking Amtrak via the Cardinal. I am now subscribed to your channel and look forward to the kind of entertainment that holds my interest without being flashy, loud, or over-the-top. Good job, Daniel. If I were your or Will's parents, I would be so proud of the kind of people you have both become. Keep it up!
Thank You! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the video- hope to make more like this soon!
Good to know that packing some favorite foods would be a good idea on these longer trips. Make sure you have something you know you will like.
Thanks for reviewing Amtrack. Your review changed my mind about EVER using them.
Exactly. I'd drive before being subjected to train schedules and delays.
They should give each room a maintenance report card. The maintenance staff may check simple things like the lights, but not the shower. Chances are, the head is plugged, but if they don't know it they won't fix it. Showers on trains are often less than great, either because of water flow or temperature.
I've showered on the Zypher and the water pressure was decent.
has to be better than on submarines. On a submarine, you turn the water on for 1-2 seconds, turn it off. Put soap on your body. Turn it on for 1-2 seconds, turn it off. Shower is over. It's extremely cold too lol. (its not deliberately chilled, but no effort is made to heat it, so if you're, ahem, "greater than 800 feet (243 m)" underwater, that potable water tank is going to be fairly cold.)
Reason is that, while the nuclear reactor will happy generate a lot more potable water than this, we can only hold a little over 5000 gallons (18927 L) for each 18 hour day (three shifts).
That's ALL the drinking water for 120 people. So, washing dishes, flushing toilets, drinking water, water for soda, water for juice, water for coffee....it all comes from the potable water tank. So it's roughly 41 gallons (155 L) per person each day.
Sometimes we use a little too much fresh water, and the Captain has all the showers secured, so no one can take one, including him, until the water usage goes down. That only happened to me once in my four underway (at sea) periods on USS Florida SSBN-728. I have a total of 365 days underwater, says my DD-214, but the longest time I ever spent down there at one time was 87 days. 🙂 (the nuclear fuel lasts 20 years; you're mainly limited by how much food you can carry, which is normally 90 days at a time.)
@@neutrino78x I have to give you submariners a lot of credit. I could never, ever, serve on a submarine. Claustrophobia would get to me right away.
If you haven't already, come take a train in Europe sometime. It's not as awesome as Japan, but getting closer all the time. A new sleeper train just opened from Paris to Berlin...
I just watched a video of a train from Paris to Milan on a Fiorefresca(sp?) route. Amazing!! The executive tickets had 8 seats per car, full menu included, and the train cruised along at 300kph (184mph). So, I then checked the prices after and thought there must be an error 'cause much cheaper than Amtrak!
I think your assessment was spot on. I think you need to take a train for the experience of taking a train trip.
Very interesting video! In a former life, my company had the catering contract out of Boston, surprisingly, the food looked better than we supplied, but still microwaved. One thing to note is that Conrail has precedence on the rails, so if a Conrail train is delayed, so are you. Delays are still a problem with Amtrak, if they want more people to "ride the rails" upgrade the service, upgrade the food, and make sure everything that is supposed to be in the bathroom is there! One last note on a purely personal note: you guys didn't spend a whole lot on your traveling wardrobe. Ha Ha! Great informative video!
Best way to travel with a child. My daughter was 5 and loved having our own space. All meals included, showers, and bathroom. When we went I had a newspaper every morning, hot coffee and water all day, and champagne for me and ice cream for my daughter at night.
Those butter cakes are surprisingly delicious! I had one on the California Zephyr last Christmas. The steak meal was pretty delicious too. I had an older roomette. It wasn't as spacious as the one y'all had. It was also cold at night. I wasn't sure if I needed to ask for the heat to be adjusted in my room since it was toasty earlier. Wifi is always terrible on Amtrak. It's probably because of the areas that the trains pass through. I downloaded videos and shows to watch prior to boarding and during long rest stops. Great video guys!
This was fun to watch! I'm an Amtrak sleeper car fan and I do them once a year. I've come to expect delays, for sure. In 2022 I took the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to LA. It normally takes about 48 hours and includes 2 overnights. It stops in San Antonio to hook up with the Texas Eagle. They disconnect a couple of cars from that train and connect it to ours. It normally takes about 2 hours 40 minutes for the changeover. When we arrived around midnight the Texas Eagle should have been there but was delayed about 6 hours for mechanical issues so we sat and waited. At 7 am we pulled out. Fortunately, we slept through the whole night. I was scheduled to fly from LA to Honolulu at the end and literally kept logging into the airline site and rebooking later and later flights. The good news is, they did make up some time and we only arrived about 4 1/2 hours late so it was 52 hours total. Earlier this year I rode the Southwest Chief from Chicago to LA, also 2 overnights and about 43 hours. We actually arrived 25 minutes early. These were Superliners, though. I've never done a Viewliner. I only feel bad that you missed the best thing about these trips and one of the main reasons I love them - the freshly prepared food in the dining car. As soon as they switched back to traditional dining from microwaved after the pandemic I boarded one of the first trains to resume service. It's my favorite thing about these trains. I hope you get to experience that!
Years ago I took the SW Chief from Albuquerque to LA and then another train to Seattle. The sleeperettes had minor mechanical issue on both trains but it was a great trip overall. The attendants were really helpful. It was comfy, quiet (2nd floor) and the highlights were the view car, the quiet cocktail lounge and the full course dinner with strangers in the dining car. My meals were excellent and so was the adventure of meeting new people. I often recommend Amtrak Sleeperettes to others. Was sorry to see downgraded meals in this video, I hope the dining car experience is not lost. The other thing I enjoyed was the lack of stress. Travel is often stressful but being on a train with an attendant helping guide me through reservations and stops it was a very relaxing trip, even with some delays.
You guys are going to do well! Nice.
I will be taking Amtrak next time I head South to see my wife. I don't care if I get there quickly. I want a somewhat relaxing trip.
I've learned you can never get that from a plane.
Thanks guy's, I really love train travel.
Happily subscribed!🫶🏼
I took Amtrak coach from San Diego, CA to Richmond, VA. 4 trains, 72 hours. Someday I plan to do the trip in a roomette or bedroom.
The roomette is the only way to go on a long trip with Amtrak. I’ve taken the coast starlight many times and love it.
Do wish the west coast trains were as decked out as east coast trains and have the car carrier feature
You should have spoken to the car attendant about the issues with missing cups, poor shower pressure, etc. Most attendants are very helpful. I'm surprised that you had poor shower pressure. I've taken many trips, and the shower has always had good pressure. I think that most of the Flex meals are heated with steam, but you're right, they should upgrade these to Traditional Dining. Sometimes there are big problems with delays, but most of my trips are no more than an hour or two late, even when it's a 3-day trip. I'm retired now so a delay doesn't matter too much to me, but I can understand why it's annoying to most people. You certainly had bad luck with the delays. I wonder Amtrak is having some issues with the new cars?
cool video showcasing how things can go wrong on amtrak. the video was fun and informative, and you guys are good looking, so hope to see more!
That delay in Washington due to a computer glitch has occurred before. For the viewliner train set to be so new, its already tired and poorly maintained. One day the Cardinal will return to the traditional menu dining.
One day the Cardinal will have viewliners and run seven days a week. Dream on.
There used to be stores under there. They closed down long ago. The crown plaza hotel above the train station is nice.
On numerous occasions I chose to travel by Amtrack coach from South Bend, Indiana to Pittsburgh, Pa.
The trip is 7-8 hours long, in the dark. I have seen northern Indiana, a few hundred times, northern Ohio, a few hundred times, AND western Pa, at least 50 times. I figured out, I could sleep for a few hours, (Driving AND sleeping at the same time is a very bad idea) arrive in Pittsburgh early enough for my son to pick me up, get to his house, take a quick nap, and surprise my grand kids when they woke up. The price was less than a couple of tanks of gas to drive, AND less than a round trip flight. AND no security clearence to muddle thru. I LOVED those overnight train trips!
We occasionally have the same issue with our shower at home. It's caused by dissolved minerals in the water building up over time and clogging the shower head jets. The fix is very simple. The jets are made of silicone rubber - or something similar - so just rub your thumb back and forth across the jets while the water is running. This will cause the jets to flex, which should break up the mineral scale and allow the water to flow freely again.
Great video, thanks for the thorough review.
I took a 3 day trip from Chicago to Phoenix on Amtrak in Coach. Those seats are actually quite comfortable, and the blankets are very soft and warm.
Great review and commentary! I’m new to your channel. I look forward to seeing more! Nice work and safe travels! 😊
If I'm not in a hurry, I prefer train. The sceneries are memorable in contrast to an airplane. Good narration and good video 👍
Thanks for the info. For a NW Indiana hoosier that visits Lafayette frequently, I have been tossing the idea of taking an Amtrak journey with my folks who are getting up there in years on this beautiful planet as a new experience to spend time with them. The destination is secondary to the journey in my book.
Amen and Amen! You must know your Harry Chapin; it was he who sang "It's the going, not the getting there that's good" in his track "Go Greyhound". If your folks aren't familiar with Amtrak, I suggest you start with a shorter trip to get the feel of train travel.
I use Amtrak frequently between Grand Rapids MI and Chicago Illinois. I've always wanted to take a roomette across the country. But, what keeps me from doing this is the stories I hear of delays and customer service with Amtrak. I do love the train rides though.
It seems like you guys took the delays in stride. I would just tell anyone who encounters them, yes they suck but such is life. Delays happen, mistakes happen, don’t even let it ruin your day or your mood. Roll with the punches and you’ll enjoy your trip so much more. That’s stuff is truly inevitable so you may as well just make the best of it.
Thanks for your review. Hopefully a representative from Amtrak will see your video. Many of the problems are fixable and should be addressed
.
This was a really nice calming watch! Thank you for filming your adventure. hope you and your friend have many more!
Thanks for the share. I was contemplating a trip of my own on Amtrak only from KC to LA. I’ll have to let you know.
Well thought out, filmed, edited and presented.
This was a good review! I found it really makes a difference to dress nice when traveling. Wearing a collared golf shirt and slacks is easy and people treat you better and might even give you stuff. You want to look like the type of people Amtrak would like to promote as riding their trains in style. You might not have been talked down to when videoing at Washington Union Station if wearing a collared shirt instead of teeshirts, at least they would have been more polite. I went to school at WV Tech Montgomery WV for EE. I was from Vienna VA a suburb of Washington DC. I was rail fan and rode the Cardinal a few times in the mid 1980s.
I looked forward to those Cardinal trips and got a lot out of them. I'd spend most of my time in the Amfleet lounge café car talking to other travelers and watching the scenery. A vista dome car is really need to see out over the coal cars and up the New River Gorge! The Amfleet car was much better at protecting its passengers from the rough tracks than the heritage fleet coach cars. From what I've watched on videos of the Cardinal the CSX tracks through the area have improved. The CSX mainline track through the area always looked very good being heavy continues welded rail and well surfaced and leveled. It's a solid rail bed with good interlocking sub ballast that really makes for good track behavior and smooth running. That's what makes the NEC ride like it does. Concrete ties also make for a smooth ride, but are subject to cracking with an off rail coal car wheel which can destroy a bunch of concrete ties while it only scares wooden ties.
There are three main parts to the WV route of the Cardinal from a scenery and rail fanning standpoint. Clifton Forge VA to Hinton WV that goes over and through the Allegheny mountains with a steep eastern grade of over 1%. Hinton WV to Gauley Bridge WV through the over thousand foot high New River Gorge where the New River combines with the Gauley River to become the Kanawha River. Montgomery WV is about 12 miles farther west from Gauley Bridge and is noted as the least-used Amtrak station in the USA! Just west of Charleston WV the Kanawha river valley had the nickname "chemical valley" for all the highly volatile chemical plants especially in Nitro WV the number one marker of explosives for the USA efforts in WW1.
To my mind the Cardinal main feature is it goes through the main coal and geographical features of southern WV in a comfortable passenger train. It makes good sense to use the Cardinal with a sleeper to between Lafayette Indiana and NYC or anyplace along the southern NEC. Its probably a medium walk if you are at Purdue University to the Amtrak station and there is no convenient airport with cheap flights. It would still be nice if eight hours faster. Getting delayed four hours at Amtrak's Washington DC Union Station is very unlikely due to host freight railroad issues which is what Amtrak blames most of its train delays on.
A seasoned Amtrak sleeper traveler would write a complaint to Amtrak explaining their main reason for patronizing this train was viewing the scenery of the New River Gorge in daylight hours and ask for compensation. YouTuuba did that for experiencing no heat in his sleeper on the Empire builder when below zero outdoors. He got a lot of Amtrak credits he used for a future Amtrak trip. I wouldn't let that distract from your studies and interests at Purdue though. It was well worth the expense and effort and it was a once in life time experience. It would just be nice to get some credits from Amtrak to enable another sleeper trip in the future.
I live in Indianapolis now. A part of the Indianapolis Union Passenger Train Station has been converted into an upscale hotel with heavy weight passenger train cars being on rails and refurbished for hotel guests to stay in along with traditional new hotel rooms fitted into the the structures of the original station. Why the actual passenger station train platforms are the worst on the Cardinal route is a bit strange. The worst experience is going down the stairs to be inside the Greyhound bus station! It's so bad looking and sketchy it almost seems like it most be made up to be a film stage for some post apocalyptic scene in a movie. Get a block away from it and the convention center hosting environment of central Indianapolis prevails and gets better. Those stairways might be cemented off to protect the passenger train platforms from the lower bus station. With less than 3 hour fast passenger trains between Indianapolis and Chicago instead of 5 hours and longer, this station could once again be brought up an hospital environment at least on the train platforms.
Pitch for fast trains between Indianapolis and Chicago which includes Lafayette. The current Amtrak alignment of the rail line between these cities is largely able to provide for 110 mph fast train travel. With USA rail regulations up to 110 mph passenger train travel can be done with at-grade crossing using full blocking gates. No fencing off of the rail corridor is need which is a requirement above 110 mph. Above 110 mph to 125 mph movable crash barriers are required at at-grade road crossings which proved troublesome at a test crossing and were removed. No at-grade crossing are allowed above 125 mph. This means a good freight railroad alignment can accommodate 110 mph passenger trains with very little visible change from 79 mph top speeds that is the norm.
The track between Indianapolis and Chicago was down graded in track speed below 79 mph according to Trains Magazine because the lower track speed required fewer regular track inspections and a lower standard of track structure. This track section may provide a good situation for Indiana State participation to pay to upgrade the track structures and higher up keep cost to enable 110 mph target operational speed for several state supported passenger trains traveling sub 3 hours schedules between these cities a day. That would allow 6a Indy(ET) - 8a (Chicago CT) time and a 8p (Chicago CT) - 12a (Indy ET) travel day. A long day, but the train trip should offer some rest and relaxaton.
Really informative video thank you so much. I leave going to New Orleans from Chicago this weekend and I booked a roomette so i was super curious. One question, I'm assuming there are plugs in the rooms?
There are electrical outlets, if that's what you're asking.
Subscribed to help get you to 2k! Thanks for the tour!
Those butter cakes are from my hometown.
This is a LONG-TIME wish of mine, to take an Amtrak sleeper train trip. As a writer, I will have my manual typewriter and laptop with me to work on stories without the distractions of home. Great review here. This looks like an affordable trip. I live in the middle-shoreline area of CT near New Haven, so I'd take the commuter train from New Haven to New York, then the sleeper from NYC to Chicago on a round-trip, staying in Chicago long enough to go the Field Museum for a day and then rent a car to drive to Waukegan, Ill. the next day, to finish a short story set in Ray Bradbury's childhood town. Thanks for posting this!
Back in the 90s, that Amtrak train used to stop in the middle of downtown Lafayette, I think right down the middle of 4th street. It was a pretty convenient way to get to Chicago; except they only ran the train on Tuesday and Thursday. It was common for trains to break down and block all east-west passage through Lafayette. Nothing like having to drag your bike under a stopped train to make it to/from West Lafayette.
I took the Amtrak Southern Crescent from New Orleans to Boston with my partner in 2000 and by myself in 2004. The roomettes were plainer but also nicer because they had their own washrooms. The meals were nicer too, freshly made and served on real plates with real silverware.
The Indianapolis station? The concourse below those stairway closures was converted to a festival marketplace type of shopping mall, ugh!
Thank you for sharing your journey, very cool! Your friend Will really resembles a young Sting from the rock group Police.
Glad people actually tell about all the issues. Hopefully Amtrak will take notice. Do business people take earlier trains to help from being late? That shower and 5 hour delay would have made it my last train trip. Wonder if the train runs over speed to make up time? So sad USA doesn't have a good or even half ass train system.
I'm watching this and hobo videos and honestly can't decide which is the better way to travel by train. The roomette may be more comfortable but the freight trains have almost zero delays.
probably not going to lose a leg or arm on Amtrak tho, but you do you.
Pretty good review.
Brought back memories. I used to work in Manhattan near Penn Station and would leave work early to catch a 3:45'ish to Florida on a Friday to see my family. I loved it from the get-go and did it a few times. My only offering was a Viewliner 1 Roomette, as they didn't have any of the "new" trains on that route. I'm glad I got to have the experience. And even with some enroute delays once in a while, it was still great. Relax for an hour or 2 and then eat dinner. Relax a little more and hit the dining car for a beer or 2 and talk to the other passengers for a while. Then some more relaxing until bed. Wake up and grab a shower, then breakfast, and you are about an hour or 2 from your destination. There was always something to do every other hour or so, so you didn't feel bored at all. Good times.
I took one of these up the west coast. It smelled like train engine exhaust much of the way (especially when the train slowed down in mountain passes) because I was behind the locomotive.
Sorry to hear that! I'll have to keep that in mind when choosing which car to sit in.
Tay Zonday! The legend himself ❤😄
Did you see any chocolate rain?
We took the train from Chicago to California. We were in a handicap car. Good thing it was a larger room, the upper bunk was one of those coffin ones. We brought extra blankets, so my husband ended up sleeping on the floor. He found out he’s a little claustrophobic!
3:30) IN Germany, the upper bunks have a safety net.
They do on older Amtrak cars as well. I wonder why they don't on these newer ones. Maybe they don't actually offer any protection?
They do have the safety net on the upper bunk, some people I guess can not find it or too lazy to hook it up to the ceiling. That is why it’s best for the sleeping car attendant to set up the beds for sleeping.
18:16 I saw the last car of the train for the first time.
Is this the combination car of the roomette and baggage?
Yep!
@@Danielator36
Thank you for reply.
That's a good idea to cut costs.
You could complain about the shower head or you can do something about it. You can use a toothpick or something with a blunt edge and rubbing across and usually knocks the little salt crystals out of the little holes.
My family did coach from Seattle to Chicago and back in 2018. First to Chicago took 52 hours instead of the 46 with a broken restroom pushing fumes through the car. Second to Seattle, 57 hours instead of 46. Broken heater that stayed on continuously in July. Commissary closed for all but 4 hours throughout the trip which also ran out of most items, literally. To make up for the trip issues to Seattle, a Subway ham sandwich and 8 oz. bottle of water. That was the "best" they could do. The crew was nice and it was clear they were not being supported and the only reason there wasn't more trouble than there was. If you have to take Amtrak, bring a cooler with more than you'd expect. Flying cargo in a C-130 was marginally better but it also didn't take nearly as long.
For 2 people traveling together, it’s best to do separate bookings for the roomette, even if you’ll be spending most of the time together in one of them. Separate bookings will give you double the space and the fee is the same whether w people in one roomettte or a roomette each.
Great, very useful and balanced review.
Believe it or not, I'm actually ON AN AMTRAK RIGHT NOW WATCHING YOUR VIDEO ABOUT AMTRAK 😂!!! Don't ask me why for I can only offer a reason of curiosity and wonder what the real trips are like, and continue to dream about taking one out west at some point in my life! For now, it's back to Ft. Lauderdale from Tampa and more of your vids.
The Coast Starlight between Seattle/Los Angeles is an awesome trip.
Very well done Gentlemen, Excellent vid
I took the one that runs between DC and Sanford FL back in November.
On the way up, I took coach because I'm poor. For a 17 hour trip, it wasn't bad. The seats were comfortable, but I was bummed my dining options were limited as well as an extra charge, but was pretty good.
On the way back, my girlfriend sprang for a roomette for me. I had a porter that would set the bedroom up for you while at supper and back again while at breakfast. Also the top bunk folded down instead of lowering like yours did. The food for that was actually very good and was included in the room cost. It came with wine or beer as well. I had the steak with port wine sauce. While it was pretty pricey for one person, my girlfriend and I are thinking about taking the girls up to DC and getting one of the bedrooms. It works out per person to about the same as coach.
This was my experience, me and my son. Roomette, same size as this one, I guess they all are. The best part is we could order our meals to be served to us in our roomette by our porter who checked on us throughout our trip to see if we needed anything. We also ate in the dining car that wasn't too roomy so tables were shared with others which was ok. Food was not bad. Dining car also had ala carte service, hamburgers and such made to order. Shower basically same, I just recall it being so cold in there, but there was enough water and it was hot/warm. Sleeping - the most miserable night of my life, thank goodness it was only one night there and one back, New Orleans to Chicago. Overall, it was a positive experience and that's why we chose the train. It was fun. If I ever go by train again, I will choose a larger sleep room. Thanks for sharing!
You both did a great job...loved your take and opinions. As a kid in grade school I got to take an old train across my state in Montana that no longer exists to our church camp on a lake, it was an all night and next day affair and we had a car to ourselves and we went to the snack dining car and at each stop more kids and counselors and guitars and singing and incredible trellis ride in mountains. They are talking about them more in Montana now,,getting more going, I lived in NW and really enjoyed them there often from Portland to Seattle and Portland to San Francisco...it is fun watching young guys enjoying it all even with the quirks...it is just something that slows you down and gives you way more to see and time to contemplate it all than when driving and more stressed and kind of gets you ready for trains in Europe if you ever want to go. Thanks for doing this.
fav way to travel.....nothing better than having breakfast as you roll past people stopped at r/r crossings on their way to work.........also bring a guitar to the club car....always someone who can sing along....and the crew always likes Johnny Cash tunes
I love how calm this makes me feel 😊 greet job!
Did you get to sit In the office observation car and did you eat in the dining car? My wife and I traveled from Chicago to Arizona in an older sitty. We both slept like babies with the motion of the cars. The top bunk folded down with no window. We enjoyed the trip. The trip back to Chicago went smoother because we knew what to expect.
Unfortunately, this route doesn't have observation or dining cars. Meals are either served in your room, or in the standard cafe car.
I was at your age when I venture into China in the eighties on train rides from Guangzhou to Beijing, Beijing to inner Mongolia, then to Shanxi, Shanghai, Nanjing.
Travel by Amtrak is so much better than riding a bus for days. I've done both. I do wish they had a smoking car, though.
Used to be that the lounge car was for smoking.
Just a heads up...the porters will gladly set up the sleeping arrangements. Oblivious indeed! Never told to not film at stations! I go from Boston to DC back to Chicago and back to Boston 2 times a month. I am in my 50's and don't quite understand your difficulty. Especially that you are not traveling for work.
Still on the fence about doing one of these long train trips. Thanks for your realistic report!
Hope it was helpful! Even with all the issues, it was still a cool experience, and definitely one worth having some time. If you have the option, though, I'd try to stick to one of the routes with traditional dining.
Great information. Very well done Thanks
I have only taken the Autotrain over the last 10 years. The roomettes are okay but if you get the Amtrak credit card, it's easier to upgrade to a bigger room depending on the season. Naturally they are going to bonk you during Snowbird season. The dinner is decent and the attendants work hard to help you. On time performance can be iffy depending in any issues with freights on CSX and NS. However, if you don't want to deal with traffic on I 95, it's worth it.
Just want to say thanks for not being a douchebag by making everyone read text while trying to watch a video! I hate channels that are too ignorant and lazy to narrate their videos. So, again, thanks! It's nice to be able to actually watch the video instead of trying to read descriptions!
You should go back to Indianapolis station and really look around. It's turned into a hotel and what's cool is that there are 13 railroad passenger car that are hotel rooms. Each is named after a Hollywood Celebrity.
That was a good review. Thanks.