A 'Roomette with a View'! My Overnight Sleeper Trip on Amtrak's Silver Star!
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- Hello guys and thanks for clicking on this video!
I'm taking the Amtrak 'Silver Star' all the way from Raleigh NC to Tampa FL in one of their Roomettes. My first time on one of their overnight slpper services and what an experience it was!
In this video, I'll show you the whole experience. From arriving at Raleigh Union Station, to catching the train, the facilities on board, the food, the price and we'll finally arrive into Tampa around 16 hours after departing Raleigh. It's some trip I can tell you!
As always guys, I really appreciate you taking the time to watch my videos. Please leave me a like, comment, and/or a sub. It really helps.
Cheers for now.
Mark
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📖Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:32 - Raleigh Union Station
06:08 - Boarding the train
09:31 - Cafe Bar
11:30 - The next morning
13:58 - Breakfast
16:12 - Roomette tour
21:30 - Shower time
22:44 - Arriving into Tampa
24:34 - Summary
Food Menus:
www.amtrak.com/content/dam/pr...
www.amtrakvacations.co.uk/sit...
Picture Credits:
Silver Star/Meteor Route Map: sharemap.org/public/Amtrak_Sil...
Route map: OpenStreetMap (annotated)
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I'm getting married next week and then we're taking the Silver Star to our honeymoon. My bride-to-be has never gotten the chance to ride a train before, and watching this answered a lot of her questions and really helped put her at ease. Thanks!
Cheers mate, glad it helped and may I offer my congratulations to you both 😊
What a fantastic video Mark, all the sights and sounds of the American railroad are just awesome! And what friendly informative service too eh? It's a shame there's not a bit more ceiling height in the cabin as it would be great to use the top bunk and keep the seats in daytime config, but that wouldn't leave much headroom would it!? And to be honest, I thought the food looked pretty decent, but maybe I've got low standards :D Tell you what though, I'd LOVE to do this, and trains over flights every time, you see so much more. Thumbs up!
Cheers Steve! Yep, like I said to a few others, I’d do it again maybe over to the west coast where the food would be better but it’s so so expensive coast to coast. But yep, all-in-all not too bad at all and the staff really made it for me - a great advert for the company 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Well, coast to coast is at least three nights, if not four nights, and that is if you don't have to spend a night at a hotel making connections at Chicago or New Orleans. Obviously three nights on a train's sleeper is much more expensive than one night...
@@LetsMakeaTrip You don't have to ride a route to the end of the line. You could cherry pick the best part instead, like from Denver to Salt Lake City on the California Zephyr which can be done in coach during the day in either direction thereby not buying a sleeper compartment. If you do choose to go to the end of the line, split the ticket and have a layover of one day at any small town or large city. Most of the time, splitting the route will be slightly cheaper than the full route fare. Of course doing so does involve splurging for a hotel, but I prefer to spend a night in a small town bed and breakfast to enjoy that experience. Spending a day anywhere is worth it if only at the local fishing hole... ruclips.net/video/oE3OBiFflHI/видео.html
Amtrak employees are the best! Always so nice and helpful. I've taken 10 Amtrak trips in the last few years and have always had the experience made extra nice by the crews. The crews and the views! Amtrak's such an underrated way to see the USA. It was fun to see you over on this side of the ocean! Great video as always.
Thanks Josh, appreciate the support mate. Tbh, if my Amtrak videos did well I’d be over there taking the train more often! I enjoy the trips personally and that’s the main thing isn’t it 😊
I agree. In my many years of Amtrak Travel, mainly in the last six years, I have only met one rude Amtrak employee. I find their employees to be very helpful and polite. We're going down to Florida on the Silver Star later this month for our daughter's wedding. Can't wait to be in the sleeper! I need to remember to write to my rep in support of Amtrak.
@@ScottPalmer-mp1we I have never met that one rude Amtrak employee yet, hopefully I never do. Amtrak is a great way to see America, both front and back yards, coast to coast riding in coach. In a sleeper a bit more expensive than driving, but not overly so, but when you get to your destination not nearly as tired and worn out. Instead of seeing white lines on highway pavement, you get a much better view of the scenery from a train. America is not a TINY nation like Germany or the UK, fares reflect the considerably longer train routes...
The silver star is such a wonderful service! It was my first Amtrak long-distance trip and my first in a sleeper too and I loved every minute of it. Raleigh Union Station's new building is really nice looking too, I love the industrial / modern look and I had no idea it was a former warehouse structure. I like that elements of the former structure were worked into the Great Hall of the new station, it gives it a very pragmatic look that's still sleek and the seating + lighting looks comfortable and clean.
Loved this. 06:28 - the sound of the USA. I’ve always found Amtrak staff to be incredibly helpful and friendly which really adds to the experience. Very informative and thanks for taking us along.
Cheers mate. Such a good travel experience with Amtrak. OK the food on the east coast ‘ain’t great but apart from that, it’s just a memorable experience. I might do the coast to coast again one day. Not cheap mind!
Amtrak staff are definitely top notch, always friendly and helpful and do a great job keeping the wheels turning and enhancing the experience.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Flexible dining is just microwaved preprepared frozen food by the waiter/waitress. No need for a chef or a dishwasher using plastic. Amtrak saves at least two employees, if not three with flexible dining... However, all their passengers desire the return to traditional dinning with a chef preparing meals freshly on a grill... The former Delta Airlines CEO showed Amtrak how to cut staff with preprepared food...
Yet another great video. Sleeper trains are a very civilised way of travelling i think. It wasn't cheap but with food and some free drinks i dont think thats too bad.
Cheers Neil - it was certainly a great experience. I’ve done it before on the Californian Zephyr a much longer trip but I didn’t have much money in those days and had to sleep in the seats. It was such a memorable trip though and that’s what travel is about. I still feel that now, 30-odd years later 👍
those Amtrak staff are a credit to the company that is what you call customer service and they take pride in the work they do fantastic!!!!
They are. I totally agree. I wished more people watched this video then maybe it would get back to Amtrak. I did mention them in a tweet, but Amtrak never responded to that either. Oh well, I’ve done my bit but zero engagement from the company unfortunately.
Thank you so much for information my girlfriend and I are planning a trip back to New York City. We haven’t been back there in 15 years. She’s retiring from the IRS and I have moved from Arizona to Tampa so we’re gonna go back to the great borough in Bailey before I went to college and she went to work for the IRS. Really looking forward to this trip. Thank you so much again and have a wonderful wonderful day.
Hi, many thanks for the comment - so glad you found the video useful. Certainly an outsiders perspective tbh but I really enjoyed it and will definitely be trying a few more when I get the chance. Have a great trip! 😊👍
Mark, you make some amazing journeys, and this was great one, together with another well put together video. Wishing you well. D
Hi David, thanks mate. I did really enjoy this experience and yep, a tad costly, but I’d definitely recommend it if you’re ever round that way 😊👍
When travelling overnight with a bed, you are essentially getting transport and lodging for one price. Had you stayed in a hotel and flown, you would have required one night's lodging, a taxi to the airport on both ends, plus the cost of the flight. I think it's a good deal. When I was in northern Europe, I learned to bundle the costs by taking the overnight ferry services in the Baltic. It saved me money by not requiring a hotel stay each night I sailed from Baltic city to Baltic city.
Yep, there’s probably not a lot in it when you look at it this way but I still think Amtrak onboard accommodation is comparatively expensive. Lot less hassle then getting to/from the airport though and I would do it again. Agree, ferries are definitely a good overnight option as an alternative 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Amtrak employees are union railroad employees who earn income to live in New York City or Chicago, not so much to live in the rural Mississippi delta... Most of the cruise ship and ferry employees are third world non union employees... A huge difference...
Absolutely excellent video that trip looked great fun 👍thanks Mark
Thanks James, it was a great trip mate - not the cheapest sleeper I’ve ever taken(!) but I would definitely recommend it. 😊👍
midway through this month took the train from NYP down to WPB and stayed in the same room you did, room four was a good room for the quick trip.
Definitely! Comfy enough for me and sleeping laterally was something I found better than across-ways. All-in-all, a good trip 👍
Cracking video that mark you definitely made me put a trip on amtrak on my bucket list
Cheers Paul. It really is worth a trip if you’ve got the money. Food-wise, may be better heading west though 👍
Raleigh Union Station is one of the newest and cleanest on the Eastern Seaboard. Amtrak's North Carolina-by-train runs six trains daily between Charlotte and Raleigh, each direction, making for an easy day trip. I thoroughly enjoyed my day trip to our state's capital.
I live in Charlotte. Raleigh's station puts Charlotte's station to shame. We need to up our game 😂
We took Amtrak from CT to Florida with a side trip to the Charlotte area and back. Every train ran on time without a hitch. I've been on Amtrak a lot and know that doesn't always happen, but they are a great outfit in my opinion. We're going down to Florida later in the month.
I was really impressed with Raleigh, not just the station but the staff as well AND I met some decent locals in the bar down the road. Shame I was only there a couple of hours tbh.
A very interesting and informative video. The breakfast looked OK. Thanks very much Mark. 👍
Cheers mate, yep breakfast was better than lunch tbf 👍
Wow! What a journey, Mark. Having worked as a train driver here in the UK, I must say the service you received was excellent.
Cheers Adam, yep, made the trip for me the service - especially at Raleigh. 😊👍
As rail isn't a very big option in the states these days it was nice to see this review. Well done
Thanks Mike, it’s nice to have a record of it. 😊👍
I’m planning to go from Ny to Orlando in October and I will get a roomette.. THANKS FOR THE ADD videos like this help me get over me fears so I can check off my items on my bucket list ☺️
Hi, no problem at all, thanks for the comment. Glad I could help 😊👍
Looks like a great journey and doesn't it make a difference when the staff are friendly and want to help you, I could tell you a few stories of surly staff. Hope you are staying safe and well and I am looking forward to your hovercraft trip, all the best and cheers.
Cheers Simon, yes the hovercraft will do much better than this too! The staff were great actually, made the trip for me. Thanks, as always, for watching 😊
Brilliant job as always 👏
Cheers Craig and thanks for the comment mate 😊👍
Another excellent video. When you got to Jacksonville I was expecting a bit of Lynyrd Skynyrd! The trip seemed expensive, but with the USA for long distance travel heavily reliant now on transport other than trains, then I guess it does not work out as the cheapest way to get around.
Or Ryan Adams 👍 I’d do it again because overall it was a decent experience apart from some of the food I guess. Staff were great. But yep, can see why so many fly!
@@LetsMakeaTrip I would have liked to see how you would fit two in the roomette!
Amtrak has finally moved back over to “Traditional Dining” on the eastern Long Distance trains, which is cooked on board.
Well that is good news 👍
Brilliant video Mark! It's so interesting to see how different train travel is in USA compared to here! The fact there were just 2 trains from 9pm for the rest of the night is nothing compared to even some of the romotest British stations! Definitely a different way of life out there
Cheers Danny, yep and of course freight trains are the priority too in the US and delays of several hours very common. A great way to travel though, I did it coast to coast once in the seats when I was younger. Not sure I’d manage it now but a great experience all the same. 👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Wow bet that trip was amazing as a child - albeit perhaps tiring being on seats for a while!
Great video Mark enjoyed this one
Cheers Daniel, glad you enjoyed it 😊👍
Fantastic video that one mate really enjoyed! .. As Always, Cheers for now 😉
Cheers Gareth, me too. I wish more people watched my Amtrak stuff but that’s RUclips for you 😂 and I’m glad I did it and recorded it for posterity if nothing else 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip keep up the great work mate 😊
At most other Amtrak stations, you would have to ask a "Redcap" for help with boarding (free service, but they do accept tips). I wonder if the platforms at Raleigh were a considerable distance from the station proper?
Yes I think they were. Great experience though - I’ve never been driven to a train before!
Thank you for the video. It is timely, in my case, as my spouse and I are planiing a trip early in 2024 that will include a roomette on the Silver Star from Washington DC to Tampa. I did some checking on Amtrak's web site before watching your video, and Amtrak lists Traditional Dining (cooked on board, rather than reheated) for the Silver Star. I don't know whether a change has been made since your journey or whether the web site is in error.
I know traditional dining was still in place in other areas but maybe they’ve brought it back on the longer distance east coast trains. Worth messaging them to confirm I would say. Cheers 😊👍
WOW, you do get around mate! I enjoyed the journey down to Tampa, but my Sporran tells me that the cost was a wee bit high; especially when the meals were somewhat average. I much prefer the rail services in the UK; especially with a non consecutive rail pass, I was able to get the Highland Chieftain from Kings Cross to Inverness for a fraction of the cost. It has been a while since I was on the Chieftain but the food was good; I won't forget the look on the chap selling drinks on the train, when I asked him to pack the cup of Coke with ice. I had forgotten that in the UK we never had ice with our drinks, but the Aussies knocked that out of me. It is great to travel. I was in the States back in 2015, when I went to California (San Francisco) to visit my sister who was dying of cancer. I had a good look around California but crikey; the meal I purchased at Los Angeles Airport en route home to Aust, was massive. I could not finish the steak which did not cost much. Have a safe trip my friend. Catch you on the net trip. Kindest Regards.
Cheers Angus - enjoyed reading that. Yep, the price was a little high but I enjoyed it (mostly) the staff in-particular being excellent! I did go to Emeryville, CA once, all the way from Boston (via Chicago). I was young and poor in those days so just slept in the seats for cheap. Could I do that now? No chance 😂 All the best, Mark
Wonderful review mate. Thanks for sharing it .. We did a three day Amtrak trip from Texas to Miami. Beats Northern from Manchester to Leeds any day.! Cheers
Cheers John, yes I agree it probably does beat Northern (and TPE if they bother to show up!) 😂 Bit more expensive mind!
Another awesome video
Thanks zuuu1, appreciate the comment 😊👍
More Amtrak, will look forward to watching this.
Thanks Paul, appreciate your support 😊👍
Brilliant!
Thanks 😊
Great video mate!
Cheers Craig, I really enjoyed it 😊👍
Yo my man. I have done that trip full lengh end to end, plus the Zephyr & am looking at doing the longest one in Nov the TE. Nice to see the Star has food included now as well, although it was always cheaper without, that options seems to have gone nowadays. Anyhow I shall watch through.Enjoyed it pal, good vid'
Cheers mate. Yep, I did the Zephyr once - a long time ago when I was young and poor just sleeping on the seats and spending the day in the observation lounge. I’d travelled up to Chicago from Boston on the Lake Shore Limited so all-in-all it was around 3 days and 3 nights solid. A great trip though. Good luck on the Texas Eagle - sounds epic! 👍
Great video!
Cheers mate, thanks for watching 😊👍
Really enjoyed that trip and what a great attendant! Looked comfortable enough but I would pass on the food😂.
Thanks Sheila. Yep, great staff. I believe food is much better over in the west!
@@LetsMakeaTrip Traditional dinning prepared freshly by a chef over a grill is superior to microwaved frozen preprepared food... No doubt about it... Unfortunately the previous Amtrak President was the former CEO of Delta Airlines who showed Amtrak how to cut staff using preprepared food and axing the chef as well as the dishwasher...
Great review.
Cheers mate 😊👍
that Florida weather looked really lovely... and the "slightly roomierette" seemed a pretty good way to spend a night. I do wonder if lying along the direction of travel is better or worse than the usual in the UK where you lie crosswise. I suppose with the $300-odd price, you do get food and a bed for the night thrown in. And it is possible that you start and end the journey nearer where you want to be without a bus or taxi to the airport. For those reasons, I'd certainly give it a go!
Excellent video as ever.
👍
Cheers JH. I did wonder about the bed being in a different direction to normal and I think, for me, I preferred it. I did get a much better sleep than I do on UK/Euro sleepers AND it was wider than most I’ve been on. Overall, I’d probably do it again and I certainty would choose a roomette again if I was on my own. 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip Roomettes were very popular in America especially with single businessmen/women back during the railroads heyday. Great for single riders desiring privacy and a quiet location to sleep...
@ronclark9724 I like the roomettes and the bed is parallel to the window which I find gives me a better sleep.
Love your vlogs.thanis fella.
Thanks Dennis, appreciate the support 😊👍
The cups are probably for brushing your teeth so you don’t have to use your hands to rinse! I don’t know if maybe this was a popular thing in the us a long time ago, but my great grandmother always had cups for rinsing her mouth lol
Yep, you’re probably right - didn’t think of that 😊👍
Dixie cup dispensers are found in many American bathrooms not only for rinsing your mouth but to swallow water after taking some pills, whether vitamins or prescriptions... Americans sinks usually have a medicine cabinet with a mirror above them... Dixie cup dispensers were a thing long before the roll of paper towels...
Reminded me of the orange blossom special.
I had to google this tbh but yep, it did look rather special!
Another great video. By the way what do you do about tipping aboard this train? as I've near been to the States.
Tipped the server in the cafe bar approx 10% and the cabin attendant at the end of the journey. It’s expected 😊👍
@@LetsMakeaTrip I tipped $2 with every meal in the diner and $10 for every night on the train for the cabin steward...
food on a train is terrible. Thank you for sharing
Cheers Jim. Yep, food’s not great but everything else I really enjoyed.
Do you remember when you went on the Berry’s Superfast - last Thursday I went on it for the 1st time and on the way up we had the same thing that happened to you happen to me. Only difference the so called catering service was provided however it was just a man with a basket of crisps. When waiting for the return journey one of the actual double deck buses was on another superfast route however I had this wierd Vanhool bus in the Berry’s Executive livery. It was nice but still no usb ports or table. This morning at this bus garage in Bridgwater I saw one of the newer berry’s superfast Plaxton Panorama buses in the garage so that might be why I didn’t get a double decker.
I remember it well Fred - for all the wrong reasons! Was that it, some crisps!? Any drinks? Thing is, they advertise this stuff and fail to deliver. That’s a problem. Never again!
I think they may of had some drinks, but only basic beverages and no healthy snacks like sandwiches.
Stayed in a "roomette" from Lorton Va to SanfordFl ( Auto Train) a few times. Like you I found it a pretty nice trip
Yes Brian, absolutely fine for 1 person, personally I wouldn’t need anything bigger and the newer ones are definitely better if you get lucky with one of those (as I did). Cheers for the comment.
@@LetsMakeaTrip Roomettes are tight for two, two well acquainted people...
Thanks for the video nice to see a different angle food did not look good
Cheers Sean. The food, well, it wasn’t terrible, just not the best. You’d certainly be fed up with it after a few days I’d imagine!
It is as dining on heated Stouffers frozen entrees... If you are desiring Gordon Ramsay's five star cuisine, book a cruise ship...
It's a crap shoot if you can get the newer roommettes. I rode this same train on the way back from Miami to Raleigh and was hoping to get the newer one. No I did not, I got the older roommette with the toilet in the room and older/used chairbed (blue). I asked the conductor how do they determine who gets the new roommettes and who gets the older version, he just laughed at me and said it's a crap shoot. 😮. I will be taking this train again at Christmas returning from a cruise, I'm hoping I get the new roommette. Going down to FL I always take coach.
Yes I guess I just got lucky then. I did book it quite a bit in advance (don’t know if that makes a difference) but otherwise, maybe they would be better off not mixing old and new on the same train?
Nice video
Cheers John 😊
Glad you got the Viewliner II as these are newly built and do NOT have the toilet in the room.
Yep, sink only!
On the other hand I am a senior citizen that has to get up during the night to relieve my bladder, and like having the toilet in the roomette... Not having to get dressed just to go to the rest room...
@@ronclark9724 Perhaps in the future there could be a roomette or two that was designated as having toilet en-suite?
Fun fact: Jacksonville is the largest city in the USA.
In terms of square feet?
I like the train want to ride it
You should - it was a very nice ride all-in-all 😊👍
Great video. How much do you have tip the attendant?
I think it’s up to you really but I wouldn’t do less than $20.
I tip $10 a night for the steward... I have never had any issues with any steward with this amount...
What GoPro do u used
I don’t. Currently using a DJI Osmo Action 4.
Seems like a nice trip. Train food seems to be microwaved. Oh well. You sound a little like Ringo.
Yep, not a bad trip and no, you’re not the first person to say that about Ringo (can’t see it myself tbh 😂)! Yes the food n this train was cooked by ‘chef Mic’.
@@LetsMakeaTrip During the pandemic Amtrak had problems with retaining healthy crews as well as maintaining ridership. Something had to give. Unfortunately the former Amtrak president at that time was the former CEO of Delta Airlines who showed Amtrak how to cut staff with preprepared food and by furloughing most of the diner staff, including the chefs and dishwashers. Presently Amtrak is training new staff to replace those that were furloughed that haven't returned... Many found better jobs when they were furloughed... Not everyone desires to work Amtrak's weird shifts, spending days on the road like truck drivers...
$322 for a Roomette with two meals provided for a single person is maybe a bit more than what you would pay if you drove the distance and slept one night with two meals at a hotel... Amtrak for a single person maybe $50 more expensive with gasoline around $3 a gallon, a push with gasoline around $4 a gallon, a winner with gasoline around $5 a gallon... However, if you join Amtrak's club and receive notifications for promotions, deals which are difficult to ignore, Amtrak would win even if gasoline is around $2 a gallon... Much depends upon the price of gasoline... However Amtrak sets its fares with a coach seat/s, the number of meals provided, and the sleeper compartment. Two riders would pay for two coach seats, two meals each, but for one compartment if they share the compartment, resulting in significant savings in the overall picture as the sleeper compartment is the most expensive fare item...
Do you think it’s worth joining the club Ron? If I was planning a trip from one side to the other, what do you reckon?
@@LetsMakeaTrip I encourage everyone that wish to ride Amtrak to join the club if only to receive the notifications for promotions. I have saved thousands over the years. While the promotions don't involve most holidays, usually just for the dull slow times during the year, if you are retired as I am I can travel at any time. America is large and sleeper prices are significantly more expensive than European one night sleeper trains. It's three nights at least coast to coast. Of course three nights is more expensive than one night. Every night riding Amtrak is one LESS night at a expensive hotel whether driving across America or flying over America. Its been my experience you spend more days there, wherever that is, if you fly...
Suppose cost for any trip is based on mileage. So for this one cost was low.
You do get a nights accommodation and hotels aren’t cheap in the US right now. I think, overall, I’d probably do it again.
Staff at Raleigh seem quite anxious about you being & staying exactly where they want you! Any idea why?
Not really, I think it was more about trying to help and they were fantastic tbh 👍
Raleigh is a very cordial and friendly city.
It’s effectively normal service. Many (if not most) esp 50+ Americans would expect that level of detail.
Seems cheap to me, I have taken the auto train few times, full bedroom with own bathroom, over a grand one way, of course that includes car hauling as well
That doesn’t seem too bad itself if you’re taking the car too 👍
With Amtrak the fares are based on your coach fare, the distance, as well as the sleeper compartment, the standard bedroom being about twice as expensive as the roomette, plus the number of meals on your journey... Two riding in a shared roomette although more expensive is a better value than one not sharing a roomette...
I just got back from a coach overnight trip on the silver star. Definitely do not recommend.
First 🤪
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Thanks Derisley 🚄🚄🚄🚄🚄🚄🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🥂🥂🥂☕️☕️☕️☕️
Prices for food and drink are ridiculous.
Yes I do tend to agree. I know we’re onboard but compared to the UK, it is pretty costly.
Nice video but you move too fast and too much. Try go slow so you can film it better but cool video and thanks for the report... Did you try book the bedroom?