by mrtwug
Hello all,
This site has been recommended to me as a place to get answers to some specific questions I have regarding travelling on the California Zephyr Amtrak service. Basically, I've never used Amtrak for anything other than short trips (under 4 hours) and I'm not sure what to expect from longer trips.
I've read the Amtrak page on Zephyr service but I still have a number of questions about what to expect regarding the service.
1. Does this service tend to fill up fairly far in advance? If I wanted to book a Superliner Bedroom for June of next year (the site shows 3 available), are they likely to be booked before the end of this year?
2. What other train cars will I have access to if I book one of the various rooms (Roomette, Family or Superliner Bedroom) and is that access scheduled or is access first come, first served?
3. Are the bathroom facilities (shower, toilet) kept clean so my family and I would actually feel comfortable using them? Is access to showers scheduled or first come, first served?
4. We would be travelling from Chicago to Emeryville. Are there rental car agencies at the Emeryville station or should we expect to make use of the Amtrak shuttle into San Francisco? Do those shuttles drop riders off at their hotels or do they drop them at a station? Are rental car agencies available at that station?
5. On-time performance over the last 12 months is 55%. Are we talking a couple hours or are very long delays to be expected?
6. We may be travelling with another couple who will be making their own arrangements. Would there be a car where it would be possible to sit with them across a table and play cards?
7. Am I forgetting to ask important questions? If so, what should I be asking?
Are there any suggestions or more info that you could share that would give me a better idea of what travel would be like on the Zephyr?
I appreciate any insight and experiences that you could share.
This site has been recommended to me as a place to get answers to some specific questions I have regarding travelling on the California Zephyr Amtrak service. Basically, I've never used Amtrak for anything other than short trips (under 4 hours) and I'm not sure what to expect from longer trips.
I've read the Amtrak page on Zephyr service but I still have a number of questions about what to expect regarding the service.
1. Does this service tend to fill up fairly far in advance? If I wanted to book a Superliner Bedroom for June of next year (the site shows 3 available), are they likely to be booked before the end of this year?
2. What other train cars will I have access to if I book one of the various rooms (Roomette, Family or Superliner Bedroom) and is that access scheduled or is access first come, first served?
3. Are the bathroom facilities (shower, toilet) kept clean so my family and I would actually feel comfortable using them? Is access to showers scheduled or first come, first served?
4. We would be travelling from Chicago to Emeryville. Are there rental car agencies at the Emeryville station or should we expect to make use of the Amtrak shuttle into San Francisco? Do those shuttles drop riders off at their hotels or do they drop them at a station? Are rental car agencies available at that station?
5. On-time performance over the last 12 months is 55%. Are we talking a couple hours or are very long delays to be expected?
6. We may be travelling with another couple who will be making their own arrangements. Would there be a car where it would be possible to sit with them across a table and play cards?
7. Am I forgetting to ask important questions? If so, what should I be asking?
Are there any suggestions or more info that you could share that would give me a better idea of what travel would be like on the Zephyr?
I appreciate any insight and experiences that you could share.