PLANNING YOUR OWN TRAIN TRIP - All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide - page 38

the most fundamental way: Cruise ships focus on a wide variety
of onboard activities because most of the time there's nothing to
see but ocean out there beyond the railing. Trains, on the other
hand, offer constantly changing scenery outside the window and,
for the most part, leave passengers to create their own activities
and diversions.
A Few Things to Know Before You Start
First, and probably most important, do your planning as far in
advance as possible. Your first priority should be deciding on
specific dates for your train travel. Most long-distance trains,
especially the sleeping-car accommodations, sell out very quickly.
That's particularly true during the busy summer months. But no
matter when you travel, it's a very good idea to make your train
reservations at least 90 days in advance (ideally sooner than
that).
Most trains operating east of the Mississippi River are com-
prised of single-level coaches and Viewliner sleeping cars, while
long-distance trains running west of the Mississippi are equipped
with Amtrak's bi-level Superliner cars. Superliners are also being
used on the Capitol Limited, the City of New Orleans, and the
Auto Train in the East. (For detailed information about the dif-
ferences between these two types of railcar, see chapter 9, “Pas-
senger Train Equipment.”)
On all long-distance trains, regardless of equipment, Amtrak
offers its passengers a choice between two distinct types of ser-
vice: coach or sleeping car (usually just called “sleepers”). Food
and nonalcoholic beverages are included in the fare for sleeping-
car passengers.
All-coach trains run in the Northeast and in parts of Illinois
and California. These are shorter-haul trains operating mostly
during daylight hours. Most of them have one car designated as