Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
mail-order catalog some years ago, and I bring it along on every
trip. The contoured, inflatable kinds are OK too, but they don't
work as well with another pillow.
Boarding Your Sleeping Car
As a sleeping-car passenger, you've been assigned a specific room
in a specific car. The room and car numbers will appear on your
ticket. Each car's number will be visible from the platform in
a little window next to the car entrance. In any event, the first
member of the train crew you see on the platform will be able to
direct you to your car.
Your train attendant will be at the car entrance with a mani-
fest listing all passengers assigned to that car, and he or she will
be expecting you. The attendant will also carry your bags into
your room if you need help doing so.
Finally—and this may seem obvious—make sure to board
your train at the station stop showing on your ticket. A friend of
mine once held tickets for sleeping-car accommodations between
Miami and Washington, D.C., on the Silver Star.
At the last min-
ute he had to change his plans and board the train in Orlando
instead, some 250 miles north of Miami. He didn't change his
tickets or bother to notify Amtrak, however, thinking that his
bedroom would be waiting for him no matter where he boarded.
Nope! Once the train left Miami, he was considered a no-show,
and the conductor sold his bedroom to a coach passenger who
had asked for an upgrade.
Coping with Baggage
While the rules are not always strictly followed, each passenger
is allowed to bring two pieces of luggage onto the train, with a
50-pound limit for each. Additional items, such as tote bags or
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