- The train is run by Amtrak (http://www.amtrak.com/) and goes from Seattle to Los Angeles (and vice versa) daily.
-It takes about 33 hours and runs pretty well on time most of the time - but not always. Freight trains have priority on the rail line and sometimes this means the Coast Starlight is delayed. (If people are picking you up, make sure they call Amtrak to find out if the train is on schedule. Or get them to check their email/text messages and keep them informed).
- There are actually FOUR Coast Starlights on the track at any given time. One at each end of the route, two in-between (one travelling north, the other travelling south). When I made the journey, we passed brother/sister Coast Starlights three times.
-There are ten complete rail crews.
- 27 stops. The route map on the Amtrak website shows them clearly. Most of the stops are only for about five minutes or less, but there are longer ones in places like Portland.
-You can make reservations on line. The Amtrak website is user-friendly. However, it will not give you the layout of the carriage so you can select from available accomodations/coach seating. For this, you need to either work through a well-informed travel agent or phone Amtrak directly. 1-800-USA-RAIL.
-Prices can vary a lot, depending on what time of year you travel and how far ahead you book.
-If you are booking a sleeper accomodation, you only pay for it once, however many people there are in the room. Two people in a roomette is only a few dollars more than one person in a roomette. (The cost of the basic fare, before the room is added).
-Your on-line reservation is not a ticket. You need to either get them to mail you your ticket, or pick up your ticket at the rail station, (There are very good automated machines that will print off your ticket if you don't want to stand in line).
- Look at the ticket to get accurate information on your reservation. For sleeper cars, car 1430 is nearest the dining room and other amenities. Followed by 1431, etcetera. If you have a bedroom accomodation, it will be identified as A, B, C, D. Roomettes are numbered 1-14, and be aware that those numbered 11-14 - while somewhat cheaper - are on the carriage's lower level. They are handy to the shower (also on that level), but they are noisier than the upper level roomettes. You can hear and feel the wheels right under you when you are sleeping. Upper level seats/bedrooms have a better view and are more private when you are passing through train stations.
- Generally, though, the train is remarkably well sound-proofed. With your door shut, you aren't bothered by the noise of people in the corridor or in the next room.
-If your luggage is big, it will either be checked through in the baggage car or put in the luggage rack in the lower floor of your carriage. Pack a small bag with everything you will need during the trip. Clothes, toothbrush, books, chargers, glasses - etcetera.
- The Coast Starlight has been in operation for nearly forty years and had several previous incarnations, when the west coast rail service was provided by different carriers (the Union Pacific, the Southern Pacific, the Burlington). One of the nice things about these passenger services being unified under Amtrak was that it enabled a continuous route. Previously you had to get off and change trains in a couple of places.
-Conductors are changed several times in the course of the journey, but not your Coach Attendant (in the old days called a "Porter"). He/She stays with you for the entire journey and soon gets to know your name, face and room number, if he is as good as mine was. (Cruz. He's been an Amtrak employee for 27 years and a Coach Attendant for twenty of them. He keeps winning good service awards).
-There are three places to get meals: the dining room, the cafe, and the Pacific Parlour Car (which is for sleeping car passengers only). The food is mostly pre-prepared in Amtrak kitchens that are not on the train, but things like omlettes and pancakes are cooked fresh in the train kitchen (right under the dining room),
- A lot of people seemed to love the train food. I found it processed and bland. (But if you have a sleeper car accomodation, all your meals are free - one breakfast, two lunches and two dinners). The menu in the Parlour Car tends to be spicier and more eclectic: For example, on the first night there was a curry dish. On the second night there was a spicy Buffalo meatloaf.
-The train has a rich history. It is worth googling Coast Starlight history and seeing what comes up.
No comments:
Post a Comment