Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
continues on to Seattle, but a sleeper and one or two coaches are
detached, are hooked to a new locomotive, and head southwest
for Portland, Oregon. This all happens around 2:00 A.M., so if
you're sound asleep in one of those big coach seats, it had better
be in the right car!
Traveling in First Class
Actually, Amtrak doesn't commonly use the term “first-class”
anymore. Instead they'll say that you are “in the sleepers.” That
means you're comfortably ensconced in private accommodations
in a sleeping car. It also means that the cost of your meals in the
dining car has been included in the sleeping-car surcharge you
paid when you bought your ticket.
Once you're shown to your room, take your time and set-
tle in. The train attendant should come by within minutes after
departure to show you where everything is and how it all works.
If he doesn't, use the call button and ask for that brief orienta-
tion. You'll find things in your room to be very compact. (In fact,
first-time riders are sometimes startled at how small the accom-
modations appear.) But the rooms are well designed, very effi-
cient, and generally quite adequate.
What to Wear
In another day and time, people dressed up to travel. Cramped
spaces on planes changed all that, and today casual dress is
acceptable, if not always appropriate. Feel free to dress comfort-
ably for your train trip. That's especially good advice if you're
traveling in coach, where you'll be sleeping in your clothes. Jeans
or slacks and a sport shirt are fine for men; a skirt or slacks and
a blouse are equally appropriate for women. My suggestions are
based on personal taste, of course. You will sometimes see shorts,
Search WWH ::
Custom Search