My name is Gwen and I am addicted to Amtrak trains. If there was some kind of support group dedicated to people who I want to be stuck in a tin can on land for 20 hours rather than at 30,000 feet for 4 hours, I would be a founding member.
I traveled over 100 hours on this unique journey funded by government and grants mode of transportation, primarily the California Zephyr, which runs from California to Chicago, and the Lake Shore Limited, which runs from Chicago to Boston. I've traveled alone, with a friend, with a bike for the ride, and without any of these. Now, after all those hours of train travel and many lessons learned the hard way, here are some essential tips and tricks for long train rides.
You can and should bring more
If you're like me and don't want to break the bank to get a slightly larger, more private room on a 20-hour Amtrak train, you'll be traveling in economy class.
According to the Amtrak website, Each passenger is allowed one personal item and two carry-on bags with the purchase of their ticket. For $20 each, you can also bring two additional carry-on bags, for a maximum total cost of $40 and five bags.
On one particularly ambitious trip from Denver to Chicago, a dear friend and I brought our usual suitcases, plus a bike (which we put in the luggage car) and a box full of paintings. Try carrying all that on a plane! So bring that cooler full of snacks or that misshapen bowl your friend left in your apartment when she moved out. Just make sure you can lift all your luggage over your head, or bring a stronger friend to help you.
And if you're traveling with a child under two, you can bring a stroller or other item of your choice without increasing your total baggage count.
Comfort is the name of the game
While the price of an Amtrak ticket is low, the downside is the impact on your back. The seats recline a good distance and there is a footrest, but without proper preparation, the joy and energy you had in San Francisco will harden and transform over the long hours spent in a wheelchair, and you will disembark in Denver or Boston with a huge knot in your back.
Comfort is key on long Amtrak train rides. Wear your sweatpants and sweatshirt. Bring an extra pillow and blanket if you can. I also recommend bringing facial wipes to freshen up in the morning before your trip. There’s nothing better than a coffee (although I also recommend buying your own bottled coffee before you board) and a freshly cleansed face while sitting next to the rapidly passing scenery.
Bring a book (or four)
For many stages of these cross-country train journeys (especially when the California Zephyr (The California Zephyr crosses the Rocky Mountains, then passes through Ruby Canyon, the Sierras and Donner Pass on its way to the San Francisco Bay Area) and the scenery is stunning. Endless fields of tall grass and trees stretch to the horizon. Sit in the California Zephyr's observation car and watch the morning sun glint off towering mountains interspersed with bubbling streams. It's so quintessentially American that it It really makes me want a hot dog.
However, much of the journey is more industrial than scenic, such as between Denver and Chicago. For those hours, be sure to bring some form of entertainment: the uninterrupted hours of gently rocking train travel are the perfect setting for cracking open a long book (Dune from one end of that industrial Denver-to-Chicago journey is one of my personal bests).
While there is wifi on board, it tends to be unstable and it’s best to download your favorite show in advance. Or, put on some noise-canceling headphones and listen to a podcast or two, open your newspaper, or listen to an extensive playlist you’ve created especially for this trip. And enjoy!
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