I think apart from the smell it sounded good overall! You're not the only one who has complained of smell on that ride, but I think it's a recent thing, in the past year or couple years. 🙂
@@christyc7393 indeed, on the Coast Starlight, I sometimes feel like they need a 2nd observation car! Supposedly you're not supposed to spend more than an hour there, but I guess they don't want to heavily enforce that, as it would lead to a less pleasant experience for people. 🙂
Amtrak leaves a lot to be desired. Definitely they need to update. All of the Union Stations are the same, unorganized and the trains are old and dirty. I appreciate your review because I was considering taking my mother on this for her birthday as she wants to do a train trip on the California Zephyr. I hope Amtrak update soon!!! 😊
Thanks for watching and I appreciate your kind words. I’m sure you and your mother would enjoy the trip, you just have to look past some of the imperfections. It’s a memorable trip for sure, just a shame the trains are what they are but I still enjoyed the trip and the staff are amazing. I’ve booked another trip next month from New York to Miami, nowhere near as scenic as the Cali Zep but I hoping for a cleaner experience 🤷🏻♂️
@@EBaker0129 I took my trip with my granddaughter in July of 2024 it was awful the smell was unbelievable it was the bedroom next to the stairs never again, they will never fix this problem….The Texas Eagle
Your summary was very candid and honest! #1 Passenger service that is held up by freight, which always has priority, is RIDICULOUS! Corporate service over people service. #2 Infrastructure of the train system is abysmal. It is only for freight. #3 Pasenger train maintenance is very poor. #4 Passenger level personnel, despite all the difficulties, seem to be doing a good job. #5 The scenery west of Denver is EXCELLENT! It makes up for all the other failings.
TOOK THAT SAME TRIP SAME TRAIN IN SEPT OF 24 AND IT STILL SMELLED LIKE SEWER. OTHER THAN THE BAD SMELLS IT WAS FANTASTIC. NICE PEOPLE, GOOD FOOD, GREAT EMPLOYEES.
Yeah man, the only long distance Amtrak I have taken is the Coast Starlight, and that one is amazing! From San Diego to Seattle, 36 hours. Actually, what I would really recommend for that one is to fly to San Diego, then take the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles, because that one hugs the coastline! Amazing views.....and then, on the Coast Starlight, between Oxnard and San Luis Obispo, which is another three hours, you get more amazing views of the coast! Then after that, it's forest all the way to Seattle. Southern California is a desert -- what's where we have our massive solar farms, which generate up to 18 GW and give us 60-90% solar power when the sun is up (300 days of sunshine a year in California) -- but Northern California, where I live, is a big forest. Specifically I live in "Silicon Valley" which is part of "The San Francisco Bay Area". But yeah....Coast Starlight is amazing....the first time I took it was Seattle to San Jose, as my "ride home from the Navy" (the military pays for your ride home after you have completed your last enlistment period, I just did one, 1999 to 2003, that was enough for me lol). I was on submarines, so the roommette was like officer's quarters, way more room than you get as junior enlisted on a submarine. I was on a Trident (His Majesty's Royal Navy also uses the Trident missile), and for junior enlisted, we sleep in bunkrooms, about the size of an office cubicle with nine people inside. Three stacked on top of each other amidships, three foreward and three aft. 🙂So even a roommette is spacious to me 🙂 One thing about Donner Pass, the area about 9 miles west of Truckee -- it is named after the Donner Party. In 1846, before that railroad was made, the Donner Party was making their way from the East Coast to San Francisco, and they got stuck in that area due to snow. They famously resorted to cannibalism to survive. 😲 Then in 1952, when private companies operated the passenger trains, one got stuck from a massive blizzard, around six feet (two meters) of snow.....they were stuck until the Army could come dig them out. Everybody was safe, though. 🙂It takes a lot of snow to stop trains in the USA 🙂 If it's only a foot or two (up to 60 cm), the train will just run right through it. Sorry about the smell...others have noticed that on the California Zephyr as well. I haven't heard about it being a problem on any other Amtrak train, and didn't experience on the Coast Starlight. Hopefully they can find a permanent fix for that. 😲
Sounds like you have some good stories. Funny about the roomette being big in comparison to what you were used to. I’ve heard about that trip up the west coast so I think I’ll have a look at that next. Thanks for taking to the time to comment ❤️
We tried a bedroom one way and a roommette on our return. Definitely prefer the roommette. If you have them make up the lower bed, you can sit with your feet up and watch the scenery go by in comfort. The lower bed in the bedroom takes up too much room and doesn’t afford the same view.
The good... your bedroom seat was in the facing forward in the direction of travel position. BTW... PREMIUM FARE! The other half of them are opposite. The bad... you were on the south side of the direction of travel which means you get the sun's glare. The ugly... plumbing on the superliners no longer works although sometimes it does for a few short hours until they can get a quick fix. That stale french toast you experienced is on all routes as Amtrak is attempting to cut food services on its new 'reimagined dining' initiative' after covid. It is precooked then reheated. But most importantly... the rustic smell in the superliners due to plumbing issues which is something all Amtrak enthusiasts are accepting because the fleet is antiquated and there is no funding for fleet maintenance. Plumbing issues are are consistent and the staff are doing all they can to make the pax more comfortable.
It's too bad about the smell as i much preferred it to flying, that is if you have the extra time to get to your destination. I can deal with the worn out cars, but the smell is unbearable. Maybe i'm stupid, but, i'm going to do another Amtrak trip, just to see if i was unlucky on my first one.
been on amtrak 3 times in the bedroom never have been any smells and never had been able to hear people talking to the room next to me the only thing close to what you said was one little rattle by the shower door that i fixed by putting a little cloth in between the door and the shower. also the horn is such a regular thing if you get any room on amtrak youre always going to hear it and honestly most people find it calming and so do i its not even that loud its kind of like just a background sound
I had the same smell when I was traveling from El Paso TX to Chicago in bedroom I almost threw up, they tell you they are trying to fix it, but they never do! U spend all that money for and experience and u are uncomfortable and the train s are dirty make sure u bring cleaning products, they should be ashamed of themselves for letting that awful smell to keep going on they don't want to fix it, don't have any plans of fixing it either I love trains but it is not good
The conductor said Amtrak will refund us for the accommodation and they did give us $500 back but I worked out the accommodation was an extra $1500 over coach but I suppose something is better than nothing 🤷🏻♂️
I hate it when the train staff are told to lie to the passengers by management, they know which train cars that are in various stages of disrepair and will not be fixed anytime soon.
i was spoiled traveling by train back in 1967 when i was a child , the train system has gone totally down hill,i travelled from dayton ohio to california and dayton ,ohio to new york in the 1960s i had a great time ,but it has gone down hill
Amtrak is only about taking your money if there is a problem during your trip most likely it will not be corrected. If the sewage system is not working properly then this train should not be in revenue service. You should ask for some of your money back. The constant smell of poop for three days would ruin this trip for me. Once the microorganisms lay inside your nose no matter where you go on the train it will smell like sheeet!
This is America!!! We’re lucky we still have trains!,, You complain about EVERYTHING!! Funding by government is minimum. The trip is about the journey and not getting there. Traveled on Amtrak for decades. Good experiences and bad. Had worse experiences on flights. I think you aren’t going to enjoy anything in the US. The brief stops are not to explore the towns but to stretch your legs. Also, trains do not go on wrong tracks. Most likely had to go into siding to wait for freights and then back up.
Well if this is what you are going to get maybe they need to get rid of passenger trains. This has NOTHING to do with America, this is a company issue. I have been on several trains in Europe and Asian countries and Hell even when I lived in Alaska and none of the trains were this dirty and discusting. Its a matter of pride and thats why the numbers have dropped. Other countries take pride in their rail lines and companies in the U.S dont care they just want your money. I wonder when was the last time that maintenance service this train and when is the last time they've had a hazmat and health inspection.
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Do you think my trip was good or bad?
I think apart from the smell it sounded good overall! You're not the only one who has complained of smell on that ride, but I think it's a recent thing, in the past year or couple years. 🙂
@@neutrino78xWeird thing is I’d do it again, it was amazing apart from the smell 😂
I was disappointed that the Observation car was overloaded and no one moved anyone.
@@christyc7393 indeed, on the Coast Starlight, I sometimes feel like they need a 2nd observation car! Supposedly you're not supposed to spend more than an hour there, but I guess they don't want to heavily enforce that, as it would lead to a less pleasant experience for people. 🙂
@@christyc7393 The conductor had a rotation system on our trip so everyone got access
Amtrak leaves a lot to be desired. Definitely they need to update. All of the Union Stations are the same, unorganized and the trains are old and dirty. I appreciate your review because I was considering taking my mother on this for her birthday as she wants to do a train trip on the California Zephyr. I hope Amtrak update soon!!! 😊
Thanks for watching and I appreciate your kind words. I’m sure you and your mother would enjoy the trip, you just have to look past some of the imperfections. It’s a memorable trip for sure, just a shame the trains are what they are but I still enjoyed the trip and the staff are amazing. I’ve booked another trip next month from New York to Miami, nowhere near as scenic as the Cali Zep but I hoping for a cleaner experience 🤷🏻♂️
Been all over the country on Amtrak and I never smelled anything bad.
@@EBaker0129 I took my trip with my granddaughter in July of 2024 it was awful the smell was unbelievable it was the bedroom next to the stairs never again, they will never fix this problem….The Texas Eagle
this train is absolutely dirty, do they even clean these trains or what? From what he has shown on this video, this train is discusting
Your summary was very candid and honest! #1 Passenger service that is held up by freight, which always has priority, is RIDICULOUS! Corporate service over people service. #2 Infrastructure of the train system is abysmal. It is only for freight. #3 Pasenger train maintenance is very poor. #4 Passenger level personnel, despite all the difficulties, seem to be doing a good job. #5 The scenery west of Denver is EXCELLENT! It makes up for all the other failings.
Perfect summary 👌
TOOK THAT SAME TRIP SAME TRAIN IN SEPT OF 24 AND IT STILL SMELLED LIKE SEWER. OTHER THAN THE BAD SMELLS IT WAS FANTASTIC. NICE PEOPLE, GOOD FOOD, GREAT EMPLOYEES.
Yep I agree, everything/everyone great, shame about the smell 👃
@EDWARDMALINOSKI You can complain and get your money back. At the very least they'll credit you for another trip.
Yeah man, the only long distance Amtrak I have taken is the Coast Starlight, and that one is amazing! From San Diego to Seattle, 36 hours. Actually, what I would really recommend for that one is to fly to San Diego, then take the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles, because that one hugs the coastline! Amazing views.....and then, on the Coast Starlight, between Oxnard and San Luis Obispo, which is another three hours, you get more amazing views of the coast! Then after that, it's forest all the way to Seattle. Southern California is a desert -- what's where we have our massive solar farms, which generate up to 18 GW and give us 60-90% solar power when the sun is up (300 days of sunshine a year in California) -- but Northern California, where I live, is a big forest. Specifically I live in "Silicon Valley" which is part of "The San Francisco Bay Area".
But yeah....Coast Starlight is amazing....the first time I took it was Seattle to San Jose, as my "ride home from the Navy" (the military pays for your ride home after you have completed your last enlistment period, I just did one, 1999 to 2003, that was enough for me lol). I was on submarines, so the roommette was like officer's quarters, way more room than you get as junior enlisted on a submarine. I was on a Trident (His Majesty's Royal Navy also uses the Trident missile), and for junior enlisted, we sleep in bunkrooms, about the size of an office cubicle with nine people inside. Three stacked on top of each other amidships, three foreward and three aft. 🙂So even a roommette is spacious to me 🙂
One thing about Donner Pass, the area about 9 miles west of Truckee -- it is named after the Donner Party. In 1846, before that railroad was made, the Donner Party was making their way from the East Coast to San Francisco, and they got stuck in that area due to snow. They famously resorted to cannibalism to survive. 😲
Then in 1952, when private companies operated the passenger trains, one got stuck from a massive blizzard, around six feet (two meters) of snow.....they were stuck until the Army could come dig them out. Everybody was safe, though. 🙂It takes a lot of snow to stop trains in the USA 🙂 If it's only a foot or two (up to 60 cm), the train will just run right through it.
Sorry about the smell...others have noticed that on the California Zephyr as well. I haven't heard about it being a problem on any other Amtrak train, and didn't experience on the Coast Starlight. Hopefully they can find a permanent fix for that. 😲
Sounds like you have some good stories. Funny about the roomette being big in comparison to what you were used to. I’ve heard about that trip up the west coast so I think I’ll have a look at that next. Thanks for taking to the time to comment ❤️
Lots of complaining. It's the scenery man. .
I agree the scenery is spectacular, the staff are great too, but there was plenty to complain about as well 🤣
They really need to get their maintenance up to par, and the cleaning too
We tried a bedroom one way and a roommette on our return. Definitely prefer the roommette. If you have them make up the lower bed, you can sit with your feet up and watch the scenery go by in comfort. The lower bed in the bedroom takes up too much room and doesn’t afford the same view.
Yeah i agree. However, my wife wanted the in-cabin toilet thats why we went for a bedroom
Jesus, do you ever stop complaining? I can’t keep watching
Same here i couldn't complete the video. If you go into something with a mindset to complain, then that's all you're going to do.
Dont like the complaining but to be honest when you pay over $2000 for a trip your expectations must be place much higher!@@cosmsely
The good... your bedroom seat was in the facing forward in the direction of travel position. BTW... PREMIUM FARE! The other half of them are opposite. The bad... you were on the south side of the direction of travel which means you get the sun's glare. The ugly... plumbing on the superliners no longer works although sometimes it does for a few short hours until they can get a quick fix. That stale french toast you experienced is on all routes as Amtrak is attempting to cut food services on its new 'reimagined dining' initiative' after covid. It is precooked then reheated.
But most importantly... the rustic smell in the superliners due to plumbing issues which is something all Amtrak enthusiasts are accepting because the fleet is antiquated and there is no funding for fleet maintenance. Plumbing issues are are consistent and the staff are doing all they can to make the pax more comfortable.
Was thinking about taking Amtrak back east and now Will just fly. Maintenance lacking appears to be issues?
It's too bad about the smell as i much preferred it to flying, that is if you have the extra time to get to your destination. I can deal with the worn out cars, but the smell is unbearable. Maybe i'm stupid, but, i'm going to do another Amtrak trip, just to see if i was unlucky on my first one.
Yep me too, I will either fly or road trip in my RV
been on amtrak 3 times in the bedroom never have been any smells and never had been able to hear people talking to the room next to me the only thing close to what you said was one little rattle by the shower door that i fixed by putting a little cloth in between the door and the shower. also the horn is such a regular thing if you get any room on amtrak youre always going to hear it and honestly most people find it calming and so do i its not even that loud its kind of like just a background sound
Yeah the horn is something you get used to, you dont have much choice but to 😂
I had the same smell when I was traveling from El Paso TX to Chicago in bedroom I almost threw up, they tell you they are trying to fix it, but they never do! U spend all that money for and experience and u are uncomfortable and the train s are dirty make sure u bring cleaning products, they should be ashamed of themselves for letting that awful smell to keep going on they don't want to fix it, don't have any plans of fixing it either I love trains but it is not good
The conductor said Amtrak will refund us for the accommodation and they did give us $500 back but I worked out the accommodation was an extra $1500 over coach but I suppose something is better than nothing 🤷🏻♂️
I hate it when the train staff are told to lie to the passengers by management, they know which train cars that are in various stages of disrepair and will not be fixed anytime soon.
@@PorkChopJones yeah I agree they definitely know before you do
Amtrak never seems to have a back up plan. I know people who have no sense of smell, but I'm not one of them... lol My gag reflexes would kick in.
has being in the observation car been a problem for people to have limited time
Not really
COST!!! 2k for chicago to cali, way too much.
i was spoiled traveling by train back in 1967 when i was a child , the train system has gone totally down hill,i travelled from dayton ohio to california and dayton ,ohio to new york in the 1960s i had a great time ,but it has gone down hill
The good old days 🙌 hopefully Amtrak bring it back 👌
Amtrak is only about taking your money if there is a problem during your trip most likely it will not be corrected. If the sewage system is not working properly then this train should not be in revenue service. You should ask for some of your money back. The constant smell of poop for three days would ruin this trip for me. Once the microorganisms lay inside your nose no matter where you go on the train it will smell like sheeet!
We got $500 back from our $2000 ticket price
Absolutely agree
Nice . 👍 😅
How were the tracks...I hear its a pretty rough trip
Yeah its a pretty rough ride, nights are rough trying to get any sleep :(
ive taken amtrak from sac to fresno and santa clara to sac.
i love truckee!!!!!!!!
Theres alot to like about the place, wish we could have stayed longer
@@leestravelss colfax is cool too.
Huh? How on Earth can a train end up on the wrong route and no one realizes it for half an hour???
There must be more to it than that...
It was the middle of the night, maybe that was their excuse 😂
I cannot stand filth AND sewage smells!
This is America!!! We’re lucky we still have trains!,, You complain about EVERYTHING!! Funding by government is minimum. The trip is about the journey and not getting there. Traveled on Amtrak for decades. Good experiences and bad. Had worse experiences on flights. I think you aren’t going to enjoy anything in the US. The brief stops are not to explore the towns but to stretch your legs. Also, trains do not go on wrong tracks. Most likely had to go into siding to wait for freights and then back up.
Alright chill my friend, i love america, just not so much the nasty smells on Amtrak
Well if this is what you are going to get maybe they need to get rid of passenger trains. This has NOTHING to do with America, this is a company issue. I have been on several trains in Europe and Asian countries and Hell even when I lived in Alaska and none of the trains were this dirty and discusting. Its a matter of pride and thats why the numbers have dropped. Other countries take pride in their rail lines and companies in the U.S dont care they just want your money. I wonder when was the last time that maintenance service this train and when is the last time they've had a hazmat and health inspection.
tell them about the smell!!!
I mentioned it on the train and the conductor said i'd get a refund for the accommodation, which was $500
@@leestravelss yeah i just saw that. maybe they need to take that car out of service and revamp it.