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Amtrak Sunset Limited Route Guide & Travel Planner
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- čas přidán 16. 08. 2024
- In this Amtrak Sunset Limited route guide & travel planner video we cover everything you need to know to take your first Amtrak trip on the Sunset Limited! You'll learn what major cities the train visits, ticket options on Amtrak, what food will be available and the major sights you can see along the way. We go over the Amtrak Sunset Limited sleeper car, as well as the Amtrak Sunset Limited roomette options.
Sleeper Car options are: Roomette, Bedroom, Family Bedroom, and Accessible Bedroom.
This train travels from New Orleans to Los Angeles Union Station. This is one of the best train travel routes in the country.
There is more info on our blog about this train trip as well as other Amtrak tips and tricks:
Amtrak Sunset Limited Route Guide:
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Amtrak Food Review Video:
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Hello Allie and Rob. I see this video is 2 years old. Just to add, that the Sunset Limited use to go to from Miami, FL to Los Angeles, CA prior to Hurricane Katrina. I personally have been on it from Jacksonville, FL to San Antonio, TX after coming off the Silver Meteor from Philadelphia, PA in 1995 and 1996. Just a little tidbit there. Have a good day.
Because of your videos we had the most amazing adventure riding on the sunset Limited and the Southeast Chief and City of New Orleans. We booked our a head of time a hotel and car reservations had no problem at all I can not thank you two enough for your informative video.❤
I rode on the Sunset limited in 1957 when I was 5 from Tucson to Los Angeles. It was operated by the Southern Pacific in those days and it was my first train ride ever.
Im about to ride the Sunset line, my first train ride, in November 2023. Im so excited!
I know this is late but as for food plan on grabbing a burrito from the Burrito Lady in El Paso. You wont regret it. She is a true rail icon serving them for over 40 years.
Yes, thank you!
With information like this, I look forward to taking that round trip for 14 days on this Sunset 🌇 Limited.... ❤️
Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for the info and the hotels you stayed at. My friend and I are travelling from Australia in September and October 2023 staying in New Orleans before catching the sunset limited to Los Angeles. The prices quoted for hotels has been very expensive but your recommendation came in nearly half the price.
Glad it was helpful! The hotels keep going up here so reserve one early!
Amazeballs! Thank you!! I really want to ride a train for vacation. 🙌 It’s a must now.
You should!
I miss Amtrak I use to ride the Sunset Limited from Houston to Lake Charles a 3hr trip I remember stopping at Beaumont Texas then leaving and boy did it take off like a jet I enjoyed it but what I really miss is when the Texas Eagle would run from Houston to Dallas it was something else going through the ranch areas and a old couple would hold a sign up and waving at us it said Hello Amtrak and Southern Pacific let me tell you there was a lot to see like the Texas Aggie land college then seeing downtown Dallas Wow it was beautiful I miss it since they took it off in September of 1995 it's not the same but God Bless Amtrak employees they do a good job I give them a 100 on the rating I would rather ride the train then a Bus or Plane Keep on the right track Amtrak God Bless
People call Amtrak and Congress so they could bring Amtrak from Houston to Dallas Again instead of that Bullet Train there's no hurry to fly on a train it was better the way it was we need one to go to Galveston Texas and down South like Corpus Christi and the Valley like towards Brownsville Texas like the old days
To get to LAX, there is the Flyaway that goes directly to the airport. Also there is a subway station that goes to Hollywood, North Hollywood, Culver City and Santa Monica and other places.
12:34 the train is crossing the Atchafalaya River at Morgan City, on a drawbridge with the parallel US 90 and LA 182 bridges in the distance. The Mississippi is crossed shortly after leaving New Orleans on the combination railroad-highway Huey P. Long Bridge, with several CZcams videos available.
My wife and I rode the Sunset Limited from NO to Maricopa AZ last week. We were helping a friend and her husband who has ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) take a train ride. We got off at Maricopa the nearest stop to Phoenix and rented a car for the rest of the adventure. There's no ride service to speak of in Maricopa even though there's a nice Harrah's 3 miles from the station. We were fortunate to find a local guy who owns a few taxis and paid heavily($75) for a ride to the hotel. It was our first overnight train ride and we chose the roomette. Thinking about flying to Denver and going from Denver to San Francisco when fares go on sale. Your channel is/was helpful. Thanks
Thank you for your information. I want to go on a vacation, going from Chicago to New Orleans, then from New Orleans to Los Angeles, and go back on Southwest Chief. What I found most helpful was the hotel situation in New Orleans
Another great video, keeping my love of trains alive until I can ride the rails again (post-COVID quarantine, I hope)! I did a smaller scale loop trip for my introductory train adventure a few years ago: the City of New Orleans from Memphis to Chicago, Texas Eagle from Chicago to San Antonio, Sunset Limited from San Antonio to NOLA, and City of New Orleans back to Memphis.
At the time, Memphis Central Station was undergoing extensive and much-needed renovation, so I won't say much about that. Chicago Union Station is great, I fell in love with it immediately although it was intimidating to navigate that first time. It's visually amazing and has a lot of options for dining and buying souvenirs, magazines, snacks, etc. The Metropolitan Lounge is outstanding.
I kind of wish I'd gotten off and looked around Union Station in Dallas...I thought it was going to be a "smoke break" stop, but turns out we were there for a pretty good while. That's supposed to be quite a station, in the same classic mode as other big cities. Fort Worth I didn't see much of either. Most of the other stops are very brief.
Temple TX has a kind of cool old Santa Fe station that there wasn't time to check out, and Austin is just a nice little station right on the edge of downtown, near Town Lake (the Lower Colorado River stretch that runs through Austin).
San Antonio is a small, neat, utilitarian station (there's an older station that has been converted to other uses) with a small waiting room/ticket counter/baggage check in, There are a few vending machines inside, and some picnic tables outside for overflow seating; fortunately, the eastbound train leaves before the sun really gets up, so the heat and humidity (I was there in September) don't have a chance to get too bad, and the westbound is a late-night/early-morning departure. Like Memphis, San Antonio only serves one Amtrak train, in effect...the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited combo.
The Amtrak station in NOLA seems more like a bus station (which it partly is), or a small town airport, than a train station, but it was a clean, comfortable place to wait, although I've seen some remarks on CZcams train videos that Amtrak's NOLA station was dirty. That was not my experience. I spent a lot time out in the main waiting room even though I was a sleeper passenger, because the Magnolia Room is small, and it was packed with passengers from two different trains that had been delayed (one of which was mine). I did wish there was more variety in food options, as in Chicago and some other big metro area stations.
Thanks again for sharing your information and impressions in a fun video!
At one point, the Sunset Limited used to start off in Orlando FL to Los Angeles CA, but after Hurricane Katrina....New Orleans LA became it's starting point, instead of Orlando ....as it is now. I wish it would go all the way to back to Orlando like it was back before Katrina, because at one point I was thinking about going to Orlando on Amtrak, but oh well. By the way, I would always get a room in the Sleeper Cars on the Sunset Limited, because riding Coach was a bad experience for me from Los Angeles CA to San Antonio TX, due to so many people yapping away about the train running late.
It was insane. I also finding upsetting that the people who were onboard with me at the time, were not smart enough to realize that just maybe the train could run late, due to some freight train traffic along its route.
As I heard someone once used to say about the complaining passengers,.....
"If it's a major problem about the train being late,...they got 4 options to do, for them to get to where they are going...
1. Book a flight.
2. Book a rental car.
3. Hop on Greyhound.
Or the obvious,.....
4. They can walk.
Otherwise, they should just keep their mouths shut, and just get to wherever they are going when they get there."
Thankfully I had my headphones with me to tune them out while on Coach, otherwise I would have been more annoyed than I already was with the passengers' constant complaining, but thank goodness I don't deal with that anymore when traveling by sleeper car. I got as much "Me time" as I can get to San Antonio, which is good enough for me. I don't care if the train is running late or not, as long as I can still get to where I am going. That's all that matters to me when riding Amtrak. It doesn't bother me not one bit.
I agree that the eastern section of the Sunset Limited route (from Nola to Orlando) is sorely missed. Today, to ride Amtrak between those two cities: If I am reading my Amtrak route map correctly, you have to go all the way up to almost Washington DC (I think Alexandria VA is the closest transfer point) to transfer between Silver Service and Crescent.
The problem with a lackadaisical "get there whenever" attitude is that the train is never the entire journey; the train station is only a transfer point: either for another train, or for some form of local transit. Train connections require some semblance of prompt arrivals, and all long-distance travelers require reliable local transit services, to plan an enjoyable and well-planned journey.
Have a heart, Uber drivers and one-train passengers. Do you really want someone's journey to end by getting stranded at an Amtrak station (or airport, or bus station) for lack of a reliable connection?
Interesting comment. One comment about what you wrote. When I was younger the bus was saying. Leave the driving to us. But recently when I tried to be a driver the class first safety if late stay late. Class was at Richmond va 20 yrs ago. Scheduled us rail trip middle of Sept 2021 but not sure with virus yours truly evans w Robinson
Jacksonville to Los Angeles was the last Florida to California route before Katrina
You could still get form LA to Florida with 3 trains which are the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, then the Cresent to either New York or Washington DC, then take the silver star, or silver meteour to Florida.
Thanks for the video.. Thanks for explaining the bedroom and roomette differences.
Another great video. Thanks again!
I enjoy watching your videos so much. I can relate to your account of crossing the Mississippi River and how cool it is. When my husband and I went to Iowa in 2010 and 2012, we made sure to bring a CD of Charlie Pride and play Roll on Mississippi as we crossed each time. LOL! I agree with Allie about the nostalgia of the river because it is like a "spine of America" and it has played such a pivotal role in the history of America. I would love to take a cruise down the Mississippi some day.
You guys are doing a great public service for people looking to travel by amtrak....thank y'all! Also, I live in Lafayette, Louisiana. I'm sure I can board there correct?
Thank you! Yes, you can board the Sunset Limited train there!
I'm from New Iberia, Louisiana and you can also board there
I would like to thank both of you for all the Amtrak information. My friend and I are taking the train Fr Chicago to Seattle, Seattle to San Francisco and back to Chicago on the Zephyr. 6 nights hotel and 5 nights on train, we have the roometts
We are leaving 4/30/21. It was because of the two of you that we are taking this trip. Thank You., I am a traveler so any of your information is helpful on your travels. AAA gave us a fantastic price for all eleven days with all tours, meals, hotels and trains. $1,975 per person the hotels are the Hyatt.
Dud you take the train and how was it?
On this Amtrak run, you’re also skirting the border when in Del Rio, Tx. Including the crossing of our precious Lake Amistad!
Thanks for the info
Very good ideas, thank you! We are traveling coach from Phoenix to LA, then bedroom from LA to Chicago two weeks later, next year. We had this trip planned twice, but due to Covid have had to cancel. Hopefully this next trip will be okay. I have a corn allergy so will have to bring food on the train. The subway idea is great, thanks! Have watched all of your videos, you do a wonderful job! God bless and stay safe!
That's the trip that me and the wife want thanks so much
thanks! this was very informative...and super helpful! I'll definately take this trip!!
Awesome, have a great trip!
The Sunset Ltd. has always been a laid back train route long before Amtrak's takeover. This train has been notoriously late. With that in mind, I have always by choice had a 2 night layover in New Orleans if making a connection onto the Crescent. The Sunset Ltd. was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans at approx. 8-9PM but would not actually arrive until 2-3AM. Amtrak once had Transcontinental Heritage Sleeper cars originating in L.A. or N.Y. which would subsequently be added onto the Northbound Crescents or Westbound Sunsets/w an attendant allowing thru car passengers to stay on board overnight in New Orleans without the need of sitting in the waiting area or renting a hotel room which was a huge convenience for those traveling cross country by train. So much has been eliminated through the years, but I still enjoy riding trains.
Thanks for the video, if you have cell service you could get a hot spot and then you would have wifi. Not sure enough for streaming but would get you enough for most folks needs.
Mara-copa😊
MAR-I-COPA ;)
Unless it has stop running due to COVID, there was a street car that runs from Canal St to the train station via Loyola Ave. which is about one block from the Troubadour. When we were in New Orleans a couple of years ago, I stayed overnight at Union Station for several nights (another story for another time) and we took the street car to the Quarter and back frequently.
I like your mention of playing ed and food.very njce
Playing "Ed and food"? Is that a game, or a typo or something?
I was talking about maps and list of places. I really enjoy your pods. It’s nice to get the whole picture. Sorry I can not type!
Flyaway bus service direct to/from LAX from Union Station.
Don't take this! I guess it might not be so bad going to the airport, but then again you might miss your flight--I think my nephew took it once and said never again (he's a pilot). My experience was the other direction--I missed my train where I had to connect somewhere else further down the line and so I missed that connection as well, and it set me back two days. Once I got to LAX I was dropped at the first of the loop, and they drive around that trying to gather passengers up, then by the time they finally take off, they stop the bus at the end before they get on the freeway to tell you that it's quicker to pay through the app on line instead of after the trip where you have to wait in line to pay your bill, but no one had any luck doing that, so we all had to wait in line once we got to the train...your outside the strain station at this point in the back, we were suppose to stand in another line to pick up are luggage and show our luggage ticket. I just went and picked up my luggage and passed by holding up my ticket. They tell you it's 30 minutes, but that is only the travel time they estimate on the freeway, and I would say that is if there is no traffic, which is rare in L.A. I would say quicker to take the Green line on the metrolink. If you have had better luck that's great. I was a frequent train traveller not going a great distance, so I just allowed my normal time, if you are on a long haul you might allow for hours and be ok?
@@uhn-nohn4272 I think you missed the point. Ubers and taxis aren't always willing to go to the Amtrak station to pick you up. I believe that the suggestion was that you take the flyaway bus service to LAX, because you can find Ubers and taxis there 24/7.
@@richardeshom4985 Well then I think you neither of you must be very familiar with LA, Or this person if you are suggesting you would take this bus all the way to LAX just to catch a cab ;-D from the train station in downtown L.A. Very small stations in other areas may be different, but you are talking Union Station Downtown L.A. which is the financial district, there is also a metro station located there with commuters who need to get to work. I moved a few years ago, but there is a taxi rank there with taxi's lined up, even when i took the last train and got in late at night, I took a taxi home. There are no problems taking a train or Uber from this station, and I think you don't realize how far LAX is from the train station (thats ok most people who have lived in L.A. don't even know where the train station is, or have even been downtown--you have to know how big L.A. is...how spread out. I wouldn't even take this service if I was going to catch a flight after arriving at the train station, I don't think either of you are understanding what you are saying in this instance, If you are familiar with L.A, Union Station, or this service, I wouldn't take this service for what it's intended for, because I have taken it and known others who have taken it. As I said in a comment I have crossed the street to a hotel from my work to get a cab at a taxi rank, rather than call an order one during a busy part of the day, like after work, because lets just say your cab might be a little slower getting to you, or you have to call and remind them, and this was on occassion, so the idea of just crossing the street where taxis are already waiting can be a good idea, but in the scenerio you are talking about, trust me it makes zero sense for so many reasons, even if you are trying to get to Inglewood ;-D
This. The Flyaway Bus from the Station to LAX or vice versa is the best deal going. Inexpensive, clean, safe, and frequent! It's how I go.
Great info. Thanks!
Thanks, again. I love your Amtrak videos.
I definitely want to do a "loop," but I'm not sure which one. I've done Emeryville to Seattle several times, so I might go "California Zephyr," to Chicago, then "City of New Oleans," and "Sunset Limited."
I would then have to link up to the "Coast Starlight," back to Emeryville.
Depending on what time the "Coast Starlight," leaves from Union Station, I might want to plan to spend a day in Los Angeles.
Your videos make me see options.
Amtrak travel between Chicago and California has several options you did not mention, including Empire Builder (via Seattle or Portland OR), Southwest Chief (via Kansas City and Los Angeles), and Texas Eagle (via San Antonio and Los Angeles). It really depends on what other cities, stations, and (of course) scenery you want to experience.
That Sounds like a great and long trip. You could also do it in reverse order to, whatever works better for your schedule.
That would be a great trip, you could do it differently too, somewhat backwards you can take the Coast Starlight to LA. Sunset Limited to New Orleans, The city of New Orleans train to Chicago and Zephry back to Emeryville. A different trip I would recomend is taking the Coast Starlight down to LA, Southwest Chief to Chicago, if you want to see new york or Washington DC you can take the Cardinal or Capitol Limited that is if you have not decided Washington DC or New York, if only new york than you take the lake shore limited, if you do not want to visit those cities I recomment taking the Empire Builder to either Portland and then take Coast Starlight back to Emeryville.
Thanks for another great video -- the "route guide" idea is brilliant. Trying to decide between a Sunset Limited and a Southwest Chief trip this summer and this is really helpful.
Oh, but there are so many routes! I can't wait until they get to mine!
my first train ride on the sunset limited will be on July 9th that's a week from Friday in coach on the upper level departing station is Houston Texas and my destination is Lafayette Louisiana that's 5 hours on the sunset limited and my ticket cost was $32
Have a great trip!
I appreciate hearing about the vegan options! What about tipping the attendants? I know you went coach on this trip, but I am interested in doing it properly. Thanks for the good videos.
Great info.
Unfortunately the tiny Target in marathon was demolished in Dec 2020. 😢
I'm not going to ride Amtrak til they return dining room to coach passengers. That being said...i HAVE purchased some great food at restaurants or convenience shops in the major train stations like Chicago. . LA doesn't have anything like that tho. That might be something you could explore in some of your travels which would be a great service to your followers who travel by coach.
In the cafe they used to have a cheese tray, crackers, possibly salami style meats, and you can buy an apple, roll and some wine. Years ago I use to take short routes in business class, so in the morning they served sweet rolls coffee and juice, and then at noon you went to the cafe car and they gave you a bowl of fruit and a plate or tray of cheese, meats crackers, and I think you had a free glass of wine or something, but then they started giving you that little box of snacks that I didn't like so much. I do like that half bottle of wine, they had some for a cafe train wine, pretty good wine. They had La Crema, it's a screw top--I like these bottles, and i would save a few bottles because when you're at home and you can't drink the whole bottle of wine, I would decanter into these 1/2 bottles, so I don't have a bottle of air messing up your wine.
Wow, sorry for typos and bad grammer ;-D
You guys really make me want to jump on the next train. Also, I think that I heard your say before that if you're in coach, there are no showers accessible. Is that correct? I love your videos. Great content
Yes, that is correct, and thanks!
You can buy a pass for the metropoliatn lounge in Chicago, I think it is between $35 to $50 for coach passengers, I do not know the exact price and they have showers there. You will have to leave your id at the desk inside the metropolitan lounge to get the code for the shower access.
You do realize the Sunset Limited use to go all the way to Orlando, FL. Hopefully service will return soon.
Historically, when it was run by Southern Pacific, it only went as far as New Orleans, I believe.
Probably not since the hurricane destroyed thoses tracks. If they rebuilt them and a hurricane destroys the tracks again it would be very costly for Amtrak.
Hello. I love wathcing your channel. We are heading out on the Sunset Limited next week. I have a Macbook Pro and I thought that I recalled you showing the plug in the sleeper car that was difficult to use to charge with the square charger. Do you recall if you can charge a Macbook somewhere else on the train?
Upgrades from coach to first or roomette video might have value.
Wil the dinning car ever return to the old style instead of the current dinning list? I remember being told of great steaks and such.
I remember when they used to have real China, silverwear and glassware instead of this plastic stuff
@@tinamcclure7984 My kind of service
@@tinamcclure7984 Me too. I remember taking a train ride when I was three, and I remember they had REAL silver or silver plate, china, and the white linen table cloth...yes that's the kind of three year old I was ;-D I remember they used real silver not just silverware, but I would be happy with silverware today instead of a plastic fork.
@@tinamcclure7984 They do now have traditional dinning on all trains going west from Chicago and San Antonio plus the auto train but only for sleeper car passengers, coach are not allowed to buy or enter the dinning car but they can buy some other food from the Cafe under the observation car.
I took the Sunset Limited back in 2002, and back then we could use the dining car when in coach. Disappointed to see that change now.
It is about to go back to that very soon
They have to change the menu first since Coach passnegeers will have to pay for the food for the dinning car- right now there are no prices on the menu do to sleeper car passengers the meals are included in their fare. Second of all they have to load more food onto the train in the dinning car so Coach Passengers will have access to it but I think it would be after all dinning patrons from sleeper cars be served first. So it might still take some time.
I'm surprised they currently have snacks again in the metro lounge..so many do not these days... also when you say. you couldnt find a "cab" in new orleans...do you mean taxi or rideshare like uber or lyft?
Thank you for sharing
Does this train have assigned seats or we can sit anywhere we like
You can sit anywhere
What do you think about Saint Louis to La( Texas eagle)LA to Emeryville (coast starlight),Emeryville to chicago (California zephyr),Chi to stl (Lincoln service)
Sounds like a great circle trip!
Uber in lieu of taxi?
Just a question: when do you expect when the route would go all the way to Florida on the Gulf Wind route
thanks for your reviews really helping out. question, Do big Amtrak station like the station in Chicago have Carts to help out on luggage ? thanks for the help
Great information! I'm wondering if you've tried any non-Amtrak routes in the US? I saw someone else's video on the Denali Star which goes from Anchorage to Fairbanks in Alaska. It looked like a fantastic trip!
We did the trip from Anchorage to Denali to Fairbanks with Holland America
Also another trip from Denali to Anchorage. It is a great trip they have observation cars on the second level and dining room and restroom on the lower level.
This sounds interesting... Is there a rail link (which I guess would have to go through Canada) between the Denali Star and Amtrak's 48 continuous states service, or do you need to get there by air or cruise ship?
@@richardeshom4985 The video I saw on the Denali Star was posted on a CZcams channel called Simply Railway. It looks like it's run by Alaska Railway. I was wondering too how the best way to get to either of the end points would be. Sorry, I haven't looked into it!
I thought Coach passengers can go to the dining car, but they have to pay for the meals. Did that change?
It did change, they can't go at the moment. Only the cafe.
Have they upgraded the Wi-Fi on The Sunset Limited since this video was posted?
Can you order food to be delivered to you when you stop at various stations? If you get bored of eating the cafe food? Are there services that cater for a quick sandwich/salad drop for when the train is the arrive?
Thank you
There are some at various stations, usually longer stops. You could order food if you knew you had a really long stop, but you'd have to wait to make sure it didn't change. Albuquerque usually has someone selling food.
We’re leaving on an Amtrak trip circling the U.S. after snagging two USA Rail Passes for $299/each. We each will carry a backpack with all of our “stuff.” Do you recommend that we take our backpacks with us to the observation car? We won’t be checking the backpacks.
Yes you should if anything valuable is in them
@@GroundedLifeTravel Appreciate the quick reply - as you could tell, at the time I wrote the comment, I had not watched the end of the video. You both have provided valuable insight during the many videos I’ve watched. Thanks!
Did you go through LA Station before or after the 2071 awards program? They had the movie ACADEMY Awards there in 2071 which really changed it from when I was there in 1980s.
HA HA HA 2071 did not happen yet, do you mean 2017 or 2007.
Hey do you get to stop and see the cities on this train ride?
Hello we currently live in Albuquerque and would like to take Amtrak for the first time any suggestions on which way we should go? To LA? Or back home to the east? Thank you
Is it cheaper to buy one time round-trip ticket or to buy 2 one-way ticket? Thanks.
Ok Union Station LA I know very well. There is the red line metro service, you access it over by the lost and found, the side where the bus service runs. I don't know if they have changed that. This lines has stops downtown, in fact Pershing square that would take you directly across from the Biltmore hotel that I also know very well, this line also runs to Hollywood Blvd, so if you are staying in that area, you can take it, or it runs on to Universal Studios area if you are staying over there. The metro link has different lines, I think the silver line runs all the way to Santa Monica, The Blue line to Long Beach, And the Exposition line runs to Culver City area, I did take this when I lived in Venice Beach area, the Green Line goes to LAX, but not direct for some reason, I don't know if they fixed this, but there is service to the airport, whatever you do, don't take that that shuttle bus that runs between the train and the airport, unless you have hours to spare--they tell you it takes 30 minutes, they don't tell you you are going to circle the airport a million times, or you have to wait in line to pay your bill at the end and then another to get your luggage, the metro is better and quicker in this case. There is also a metro line to Orange County all the way down to Oceanside, it runs further during the Del Mar Race track season, if you're going all the way down to San Diego or just prefer a train to the metro as I do, take the surfliner, but if you want to pay half the cost you might want to take the metro, there is a metro to Pasadena area--the Gold line, Also to The Inland Empire area/Riverside, or up to Lancaster Palm Dale area, or to the Burbank airport--directly there, and on up to pass Oxnard area, but ends before Santa Barbara, of course I prefer the train to the metro, but their timing and frequency is different, and of course the cost, so there may be a reason to look into them. Also anyone interested in going up to the Sierras, like Mammoth Mountain/Mount Whitney Lone Pine Area, there is a shuttle from I think it's Palm Dale or Lancaster not sure which? It runs three times a week? I have tips for L.A. Union Station, but this is so long already I'll wait and include it later in another comment--some of the metro lines like the gold line is off the other the side of the concourse, and others at the end down the escalator/elevator.
Availability of the metro service probably depends on the time of day. Does that Red line metro service run in the wee hours of the morning? (I think the Sunset Limited is scheduled to arrive around 5:30AM.)
Yay!
mare - eh - cope - ah
New to the channel, watched a few videos, subscribed for the US train content. Curious: I don’t see a subscriber count listed beneath your channel name?
No wifi is a bummer
Yes, you do lose connectivity for several hours
How about doing something about tipping $$$ the various staff on the train --- who -- how much --- what about when crew changes ???
I think most of the people you would normally tip either stay on the train from its origin to the termination point, or never board the train at all. This would cover your sleeper car attendant if you get a private room; the dining car server if waited upon there; perhaps also a "red cap" porter if they serve you at the station; or a baggage handler if you check your bags. The changing onboard crew members are typically maintenance and operations personnel that are not specifically related to "personal service" (which is what gratuities are intended to cover).
@@richardeshom4985 So how large $$$ say dining --- 10% -- 25% ?? Sleeper att'n $5 /$10 porter 2/5 per bag I'm 82 have some health problems
@@paulwilliams9683
FOOD TIPS
1. For traditional dining, eating in the dining car with a cloth tablecloth, real china, and stainless steel utensils: about 15-20% of the cost of the meal on the printed menu (like for a waiter in a restaurant) comes to roughly $5 per person per meal. ...and tipping in this context is probably expected, even if the meal is included in the cost of your sleeper room or first-class ticket. I would try to hand the tip to your server, before you leave the dining car. I try to avoid leaving cash on the table.
2. I might go a little less with the flexible dining meals, because the crew is neither cooking food to order, nor providing clientele with a suitable level of ambience. They are simply fetching and reheating stuff that was previously "prepared" before it was brought on board, and serving it in disposable plastic containers, with paper napkins, plastic eating utensils, and no tablecloth whatsoever. In my mind, that's a completely different level of service. For me, maybe half of the traditional dining tip.
3. If eating in my room (e.g., due to covid or mobility issues), I would probably give the food service tip to the sleeping car attendant, rather than the dining car staff, since they're the one actually keeping me happy. If mobility is the issue (can't get to the dining car), then I might upgrade this to the amount of a traditional dining tip (even with flexible dining), because room service on the train is pretty vital for people of limited mobility.
4. If purchasing food and/or drink in the cafe' or lounge car, I probably wouldn't tip at all. That would be like tipping the cashier at an overpriced fast food restaurant. What you get is essentially vending-machine food, and I don't generally tip vending machines. (If I did, they'd look so funny, lying on their side. :^) Yeah, OK, now I'm just being a smart aleck. If you want to be a generous individual and tip everyone, I do not object; I am just telling you my perspective.
5. If I am consuming my own food and drink, then sorry Amtrak, your policy of not assisting in the preparation of my food in any way, prevents me from even considering tipping you for this enforced lack of service.
SLEEPING CAR ATTENDANT TIPS
Some have suggested $5-10 per night for the sleeping car attendant (over and above what you give them for food service); but for me, this is only a guideline, which really depends on how much stuff they do for me while I am on board. The attendant experience seems to vary widely.
1. If they're asleep when you board in the middle of the night, and the beds in your room were not turned down; they never introduce themselves; they are invisible, never offering to see that your food, beverage, snack, or information needs are met; or they take more than a half hour to answer the call button every time you trip it; then they should be lucky to get a nickel from you.
2. If, however, your attendant is Johnny-on-the-spot, fetching you coffee, tea, water, and coca-cola during the whole trip; deep-cleaning your toilet just about every time you use it; offering to take you on a personal tour of the entire train; personally making sure that your feet are steady every time you get up from your seat; and giving valuable information as if you were the only person on the train that they cared about; then that would of course be more valuable than just turning down the beds when you're ready to sleep.
3. There are all sorts of gray areas in between. They do (usually) have other passengers to which they also have to attend, so they will probably be distracted quite often. Guidelines are fine, but some point, you just have to judge for yourself how much your attendant has been worth to you during your journey.
BAGGAGE HANDLER / RED CAP TIPS
I haven't used red cap service since I was a youngster, when the standard was a dollar a bag. Also, my wife and I have long since learned to pack much lighter than the average couple, and we seldom need red cap service. Nonetheless, these days, I am sure that they expect at least $5-10 per person whose luggage they are carrying about. If you're only carrying one or two light bags, they will not seek you out, because they won't expect you to appreciate their service (and they'd often be right). If they see you limping through the door, struggling with three huge suitcases (and if they are on duty at the station when you arrive), then they are likely to take the initiative, walk up, and offer to assist you. Unless you're tipping for your whole family, or you brought a huge rack full of luggage, I would think $25 might be too much.
Is there a certain time of year when they usually do bogo ?
All I see is a picture of a couple sitting on a cruise ship balcony. Where’s the Amtrak video?
You may have to push the play button to play the video.
The Target was torn down by the owner near Alpine :-(
I thought Alpine is in Califronia. They are talking about the tiny Target in Texas which is not a store just an art instaltion.
I can’t believe you guys actually had to walk from the hotel to the station! 😂
I use to work downtown L.A, when I called a cab to take me to the train station no one would ever show up because of the reason mentioned here, so I always walked across the street to the hotel to the taxi rank where they couldn't refuse me ;-D.
@@uhn-nohn4272 see and I don't understand that, who actually calls a cab anymore? With Uber or Lyft you can schedule rides in advance.
it is MARICOPA (MAR-Y-KOPA) not Marcicopa..
It's M a r i c o p a, not M a r c i c o p a.