Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Free Meals: A Sleeping-Car Bonus
While all passengers are of course welcomed in the diner, the cost
of dining-car meals is included in the price of your ticket when you
travel in a sleeping car. This can be a significant benefit for, as an
example, a mom, dad, and two kids traveling in a family bedroom.
That would be a total of 28 free meals on the California Zephyr
between the Bay Area and Chicago. Coach passengers pay the reg-
ular menu prices for their meals; however they can always bring
food aboard or purchase sandwiches and snacks in the lounge car.
Other Extras for Sleeping-Car Passengers
Coffee, juice, and bottled water are available at no charge dur-
ing the day, and a complimentary copy of a morning newspaper
has almost always been slipped under your door by the time you
wake up. There is an attendant for each sleeping car who will
provide a number of other services either automatically or upon
request. Some of these include wake-up calls, providing juice and
coffee each morning, making up your berth each evening, and
bringing food or beverages from the dining car to your room if
you request that service.
Which Sleeping-Car Room Should You Choose?
Coach seats are all pretty much alike, but when it comes to sleep-
ing-car accommodations, there will be several choices depending
upon the specific train you've chosen.
Viewliners are used on most eastern trains and include room-
ettes accommodating one or two people and larger bedrooms that
are also designed for two people. There is a washbasin and small
toilet in the roomette. The larger bedrooms have a sink, a vanity,
and an enclosed toilet, which also functions as a shower. There
is also one shower stall at the far end of the Viewliner sleeper for
passengers in the roomettes. Frankly, all the shower rooms are
small and, in my view, not worth the trouble on a one-night trip.
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