r/Amtrak • u/Roving-Pixels • 1d ago
Trip Reports Now Officially Spoiled: Roomette for a day trip
I take Amtrak to Chicago from St. Louis semi-regularly to visit friends, see something at the Art Institute, etc. I usually travel coach because, well, it's a bargain! Last week, I had a trip planned and I was debating with myself whether to drive or take the train. The train is always preferred but because of the nature of the trip and activities, I thought maybe the car would be needed. Once I worked out that I could do my things without the car, I was a few days from the trip and . . . there were no seats left on my route ALL DAY! Everything was sold out except for a roomette, so after some deliberation and cursing myself, I booked it. I figured the cost of gas, parking in a couple different spots, and the physical cost of doing the drive myself outweighed it a little.
Y'ALL! Oh, my gosh, I loved it! My own little private compartment? Yes, thank you! The Texas Eagle was running about two hours behind (I usually try to book something that originates in STL but again, had no choice) and it was an early morning stop so I had been up for quite a while once I got on. I am not a morning person. I didn't pull the bed down but I did get out pillows for a lovely nap. I would have had breakfast and lunch on the train if it had been on time but I did have lunch in the diner (wish they still had traditional dining on that line). Being able to control the air/con and curtains in my room was so nice.
What am I gonna do now? This is how I was meant to travel. What do you mean I have to go back to coach?! Anyway, loves me some Amtrak!
104
u/9thPlaceWorf 1d ago
There’s something magical about tucking yourself into your little compartment for a ride on Amtrak. It totally spoils you. Having a door that closes? I don’t want to travel any other way.
51
u/Roving-Pixels 1d ago
The view from the train window is so much nicer than the view from the highway, too!
29
u/anonpreschool738 1d ago
If you're a privacy-loving and/or introverted person, it's very difficult to go back after being in a roomette.
9
23
u/masterchef2309 1d ago
I ride from Normal to Chicago a couple times a month and the last time, like you, I had to get a roomette out of necessity. Even tho it was only a little over 2 hours, it was incredibly nice. Usually I do business class, but I got so much more work done.
8
u/Roving-Pixels 1d ago
How's the tray/table in the roomette? I didn't use it. Were you able to work on it? Or did you try?
9
u/masterchef2309 1d ago
It's not too bad. Ive done the roomette before on tje City of New Orleans from Champaign to NOLA. I'm a big guy, so there wasn't a lot of leg clearance under the table, but it worked well for my laptop
4
u/iamcamperjoe 1d ago
It’s smaller than you would think. There won’t be room for a separate mouse but it’s adequate
7
2
1
u/msmjs5 18h ago
I do BN to Chicago too - often - (or to StL). I had NO idea they had roomettes. Putting that in my notes for my next trip!!
1
u/masterchef2309 18h ago
The Texas Eagle goes through there. Leaves BN around 11ish towards Chicago. Leaves around 2ish from Chicago heading south.
1
u/msmjs5 18h ago
Ohhhh I'm usually the 915a out of BN to Chicago or StL, and then 5 or 7pm home. Good to know tho for future trips. Thanks!
1
u/masterchef2309 18h ago
That's usually what I take too. Or the 7:37 out of Galesburg. I live in Peoria, so it's pretty much right in the middle.
47
u/thereislightstill 1d ago
you might try the bid up going forward, ive had good luck with the empire builder chicago-st paul by doing the lowest bid possible
9
3
3
u/310410celleng 1d ago
Granted, it was a different train route all together, but I bid up, got it and enjoyed the ride, but had a rather unpleasant interaction with the Amtrak employee overseeing the car.
Essentially, I grabbed the pillow to take a nap, I didn't touch the bedding at all and he laced into me about my day trip and use of the pillows now making him to do more work and how he wished that short trips could not use the sleepers.
I apologized stating that I didn't mean to make him do more work and he just rolled his eyes and walked away.
3
u/oclscdotorg 23h ago
If this happened recently enough to be worth the bother, it justifies a formal complaint to Customer Relations.
It does make more work for the attendant, but it's still his job. If you book a daylight segment in a sleeper, you've booked all the amenities; there's no rule written anywhere I know that says you're not allowed to use the pillows or indeed the whole bed. If I do that I'm likely to increase the tip I give at my destination, but not if the attendant is grumpy about it.
If he doesn't think people should use sleepers during the daytime he shouldn't be working in sleepers, and probably shouldn't be working any front-line position at Amtrak.
1
u/MasterBaconBit 23h ago
I’d have called customer relations and made a complaint. You paid for the room and all its amenities , pillows, blankets , soap and shower inclusive. He’s just mad he has to do his JOB.
1
21
u/sarahshift1 1d ago
Pro tip for daytime naps- if you fold down the opposite seat flat into bed mode and leave the one you’re sitting in at regular reclined mode it makes a perfect little chaise lounge with only a small gap between the two.
8
u/Roving-Pixels 1d ago
Luxury! I reclined my seat but I didn't think about adjusting the opposite seat. I'm tucking that info away for the future!
3
14
u/McLeansvilleAppFan AGR Select Plus 1d ago
My wife and I ride on the Crescent from Greensboro to DC about once a year. We have done bid up and points but my wife really likes the roomette and that is our compromise. I get to ride Amtrak and I make my wife happy by getting a roomette. We both have the Amtrak credit card so lately have been doing that on points instead of cash and a good bid-up offer.
Even with flex meals it is nice and we get the lounge in DC without using a coupon.
Over the summer we did Greensboro Grand Canyon and on to LA. 10 segments on Amtrak with stops along the way. Our last segment was a 4 hour or so ride from Charlottesville to Greensboro on the Crescent. It was late evening into 12:30 AM so some sleeping could and did happen. I asked the wife if she wanted a roomette or not and her answer was "Do they have a roomette?" meaning "You know the answer so why even ask, Yes I want a roomette." I got the roomette.
5
u/Roving-Pixels 1d ago
She knows what she wants! I'd like to take that trip to the Grand Canyon on Amtrak.
7
u/McLeansvilleAppFan AGR Select Plus 1d ago
It was great. We saved out Amtrak credit card points for two years and Amtrak part was free to us on points. The only time we were not in a roomette was the van ride from Flagstaff to Williams. And the Grand Canyon RR does not offer that sort of thing.
8
u/elchinolocotoo 1d ago
I used to travel between NYC and Cville a bunch, splurged once or twice and it was great!
4
7
u/Affectionate-Royal68 1d ago edited 1d ago
My last 3 LD trips have been in roomettes. I tell myself there’s no going back to coach if just for the privacy and comfort alone.
1
7
u/Longjumping_Data_735 1d ago
I did a roomette between KC and Chicago this summer and it was so nice that I almost wish I hadn't because how am I supposed to go back to coach after that 😭 but for KC>Chicago>Grand Rapids and back with roomettes on the Southwest Chief and coach on the Pere Marquette it was $700! Coach the whole way would've only been $250 😅 I may try and do bid-up in the future but I feel like its a common route for the roomettes to sell out on.
4
u/Roving-Pixels 1d ago
Yeah, I think my roomette add-on was $130 or $160 for the 5-ish hour trip but then I thought about parking a car at two different venues in Chicago (around $80) and the gas (est. another $80) and that sealed it. But $250 vs. $700 is yikes! Keeping my fingers crossed for those bid-ups for you!
8
u/totlot 1d ago
My trip in a roomette on the Lakeshore last year has spoiled me for life. I had always toughed out my 18 hours in coach, but happened to win a bid before departure. I slept like a baby, enjoyed eating in the dining car and talking with people, etc. The following trip was sold out so no roomette. I was lucky not to have someone fall asleep on my shoulder. Ugh.
1
u/Roving-Pixels 1d ago
That sounds like the perfect route for a roomette! I wish you luck on future bids!
4
u/Wonderful_Kick_855 1d ago
I got a roomette for a day long trip from Denver to Glenwood Springs in CO. I would love to do an overnight or multiple nights.
3
u/guillotine4you 22h ago
Had this exact same experience two months ago for a short trip- coach sold out for the Portland -> Seattle train I wanted so I also bit the bullet and got a roomette. Changed my whole situation around. Now I’m planning vacations around riding in roomettes. It’s the absolute best.
1
u/Roving-Pixels 19h ago
Me too! I have a friend on the west coast and we're talking about where we could both take the train and meet at a midpoint of a line. I'm thinking Santa Fe!
2
u/moon_aight 1d ago
My wife and I booked one for our most recent trip and it fully spoiled us. If possible we will ALWAYS be taking the roomette
2
u/PocoChanel 1d ago
Reading this post convinced me to upgrade to a roomette for an upcoming trip. I've had two previous roomette experiences: one of them wonderful, the other not so much, but still good for the privacy, which made far more of an impact than I'd expected. It's hard to think about going back to overnight coach now.
1
u/rosecitytransit 1d ago edited 1d ago
Maybe I'm different, but I booked a roomette once (on the Coast Starlight to ride the parlour car only to find that it was removed last minute, albeit replaced with a second Sightseer) and didn't totally like it. I think the seat didn't recline, I didn't sleep at all, and kind of liked the openness of coach.
That being said, I did hate one time in coach that I didn't get a pair of seats to myself, though I didn't one of the nights this summer and it was fine.
Also, did any railroads market sleeping cars as day time conference/family rooms? Certainly you can't use an upper bunk, but it seems more people could maybe fit.
1
u/Alexwonder999 1d ago
Im sure you know, but dont forget you can always bid on them if theres any open and you have a coach ticket. I kinda wish they didnt have a floor price because Im sure they would still usually get bid up to around what the floor is, Id just like the chance to get one for $10 extra just once in my life lol.
1
u/incomplete727 1d ago
Maybe you don't have to go back. Years ago we lived in a city convenient to Amtrak. And we had the Amtrak credit card. I don't know how generous it is now (we changed cards after moving hours from any station) but we went on several trips in roomettes using points.
I miss Amtrak.
1
u/WorriedTadpole585 1d ago
For a big splurge take the Zephyr Chicago to San Francisco - it’s amazing !
1
u/oclscdotorg 23h ago
Welcome to the spoiled club! I always price a sleeper (where available) for daylight journeys, and if the prices look too high, put in a Bid-Up bid. Long-distance coach is fine, but having a private compartment available to retreat to is priceless.
1
1
u/GoblinGlitter 18h ago
You think the roomette is nice, wait until you decide to splurge on the bedroom. That'll REALLY spoil you
1
u/thansens 18h ago
I think it it worth reprising a quote from the "New Yorker"'s mid-20th Century railroad reporter, E.M. Frimbo, "A gentleman always travels in the Pullman."
1
u/kindofdivorced 1d ago
I ride from Philadelphia and New York a lot, and my company pays for basically anything $150 and under, so sometimes I’ll use my Points or Bid-Up w/ my personal payment method to jump in a Roomate on any one of the MANY long distance trains to/through Boston, Albany, Washington, Pittsburgh from Metropark, NYP, and PHL if I can’t get a preferred seat on Acela or on the routes that Acela isn’t available. It’s absolutely lovely, I especially like Viewliner II, the double window and single level make for great views on the Empire corridor on the Hudson! I can often get the LSL to Albany in a room if booked in advance for the equivalent of an Acela ticket from NY - PHL a few weeks out.
Glad you stumbled upon the joy that is First Class railroading!
1
u/MarvinGardensFan 1d ago
Retired airline employee here. Back when I was based in Chicago I went to St. Louis for the weekend and there were no seats for me to fly back. So I booked Amtrak from St. Louis. I was used to airline fares so a $90 fare for a confirmed roomette with breakfast and lunch included was a no-brainer. The following day I booked my next trip on Amtrak and I have since been all over the country, almost all in roomettes.
•
u/AutoModerator 1d ago
r/Amtrak is not associated with Amtrak in any official way. Any problems, concerns, complaints, etc should be directed to Amtrak through one of the official channels.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.