Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• You won't need to bring a blanket, but you might want to
bring a travel pillow—one of those small down-filled kind
you can roll up and pack in your suitcase.
• Don't overdo it at dinner, even though your meals are free.
Avoid drinking anything caffeinated.
• Stay up as late as you can reading; turn out the light only
when you're really sleepy.
• You can easily darken your room, so a sleep mask isn't neces-
sary. However you might consider using earplugs.
Incidentally, do not try to prepare the bed yourself nor try to
close it up in the morning, especially if you're going to be occupy-
ing the room for another night. There's a right way to do it, and
the train attendants would much rather you left that job to them.
Tipping: Whom and How Much?
For some reason, the matter of tipping members of the train's
onboard crew is confusing to many travelers. Fear not. Here are
the ground rules:
• Do not tip the conductors.
• Do tip the train attendant. In the sleepers, a good rule of
thumb is $5 per night per passenger. Increase that appropri-
ately if you ask to have any meals brought to your room.
I'd suggest at least an additional $2 per person per meal. In
coach class, assuming you've been helped with baggage and
have received cheerful and friendly attention, my suggestions
are $1 or $2 for a one-night trip and $3 or $4 for two nights.
Most passengers tip the train attendant as they leave the train
at their final destination. (By the way, I've interviewed numer-
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