Questions tagged [amtrak]

A government-owned passenger rail corporation in the United States.

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Amtrak unaccompanied minor policy

Amtrak's unaccompanied minor policy is quite clear, but I have a few questions about information that doesn't appear to be listed on their website (I am talking about their policy for 15 year olds): ...
Zo-Bro-23's user avatar
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1 answer
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Why did wife get 10% less miles than husband for same Amtrak trips?

Why did wife get 10% less miles than husband for same Amtrak trips? She's a senior citizen too. On: 08/11/2022 On: 08/11/2022 Travel Earning Travel Earning 46 41 On: 08/10/...
Dan Jacobson's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
160 views

Amtrak experience for an Irish passport holder entering the US from Canada

So, I just want to know what the customs procedure is like on Amtrak to NYC from Montréal once you reach the border. I have an Irish passport so I don’t need a visa. What happens when you reach the ...
Anonymous Vroom vroom's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
357 views

Train from Vancouver to Seattle Airport

I'm looking at options getting from Vancouver, BC to San Diego and have discovered that a) there is (or was) a train between the two cities and b) flying from Seattle to San Diego is half the price ...
Midavalo's user avatar
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10 votes
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Amtrak: checking bags before the station opens

I have a 4:32am train from a station that opens at 4am. I wish to check my bags, and the train and station ostensibly support this; however, Amtrak's stated policy is that bags must be checked at ...
kojiro's user avatar
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How much time is the shuttle run from BWI airport to BWI Amtrak station?

There is an Amtrak station nearby to Baltimore-Washington International Airport (both are code BWI in respective travel systems). There is a 2.1 mile, 41 minute estimated walk duration open-to-...
user662852's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
604 views

What does "Gate W" mean for a track assignment of an Amtrak train at Penn Station?

I know of a number of different entrances to the Track 5-6 platform from various parts of Penn Station. This site contains a set of nice maps detailing the station layout, indicating the entrances to ...
NReilingh's user avatar
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One-way flight to USA on ESTA, leaving by foot?

Summary: Can I fly into the USA on a one way ticket on ESTA, if I plan to return to Canada by foot? And does Amtrak/Greyhound share return leg with US Immigration? I'm a visa waiver national with a ...
Peter Kehl's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
242 views

pick up rental car from Amtrak station in Schenectady NY?

I've only travelled by Amtrak a couple of times. A big catch seems to be that few stations have rental car places. I'm planning a trip to Schenectady NY. Amtrak's web site talks about discounts they ...
Mark Daniel Johansen's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
307 views

Are there electrical outlets in Amtrak California Zephyr bedrooms?

How many electrical outlets are there in a bedroom on the California Zephyr? Where are they located? Any photos showing this?
Susan Doucet's user avatar
7 votes
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Is Amtrak strict on its pet weight limits?

Amtrak allows pets in their carrier up to 20 pounds. Dogs and cats up to 20 pounds (combined weight of pet and carrier) are welcome on trips up to seven hours on most routes (some restrictions ...
Azor Ahai -him-'s user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
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US Canada Border Immigration on Amtrak Train

I am on H1 visa living in Seattle and planning to go for some vacation to Vancouver by Amtrak train. I have few questions regarding immigration happening. Where would it happen at Canada Side, ...
hatellla's user avatar
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Can I Check a Hand Truck on an Airplane/Amtrak?

So I have this hand truck that I would like to bring home that I brought out in a car, but I am flying back. I figured I can't carry it on, but can I check it? It's about 50 inches tall, 21 inches ...
wheeler's user avatar
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24 votes
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Should I tip on the Amtrak train?

I've never rode on an Amtrak train before- in this case I'll be riding the Silver Star which allows for checked luggage and has a dining car. Is it customary to tip Amtrak personnel? For example- is ...
Zorkolot's user avatar
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Can I take an earlier or later train than my originally scheduled Amtrak train?

I'll be flying to Chicago (O'Hare) in a couple of months and then taking Amtrak down to St. Louis. There are two trains I could take from Union Station. One leaves three hours after my flight ...
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How can I select seats on Amtrak train?

This is my first Amtrak trip. I am travelling from Pittsburgh, PA to New York City, NY on the Pennsylvanian; and then from New York City, NY to Washington DC on the Acela Express. Both the tickets are ...
Dashamlav's user avatar
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Can a Senior sit in a Handicap Seat on AMTRAK?

I have a Senior ticket. While traveling on amtrak, am I prohibited from sitting in an unoccupied seat reserved for passengers with disabilities?
James Rollins's user avatar
12 votes
0 answers
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How safe is Baltimore Washington Airport Amtrak station at night? [closed]

I am taking Amtrak train from New York Penn Station to Baltimore Washington International Airport Amtrak station next month. I am reaching BWI Airport Amtrak station at 2AM. After getting down from ...
Dashamlav's user avatar
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What hidden benefits does business class on Amtrak Cascades offer?

The Riders Guide describes the difference on board between Coach and Business but these seem marginal. Are there any more...?
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2 votes
1 answer
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Why does Amtrak tell me that my journey will last 3 hours, but also 12?

I'm searching for a train from NY Penn station to Pittsburgh, on Saturday the 23rd of March. This one looks good, but it seems to say that the journey will last 12 hours, contradicting the times given ...
Ne Mo's user avatar
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Traveling by train from Savannah GA to Charleston SC

I am looking to travel from Savannah, Georgia to Charleston, South Carolina in February. I have done searching and found the following options: Rent a car; probably ~$100 for economy level car, plus ...
shim's user avatar
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220 views

Reliability of greyhound/amtrak from Minneapolis to Chicago

I am traveling from Minneapolis to Chicago next Saturday, and I need to be at Symphony Center by 4:45 pm sharp. My schedule is unfortunately somewhat constrained, and my travel options are as follows: ...
Joe's user avatar
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Traveling from Hartford to JFK Friday and back on Sunday Afternoon

I’m going from Hartford to JFK this Friday and coming back on Sunday leaving JFK at 2pm. I’m thinking of taking Amtrak rather than driving as I usually do. Will the train system be reliable on Sund ay ...
Nanaflys's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
888 views

Transfer time from Amtrak to EWR terminal B

My international flight (inbound, back to the EU) departs from EWR at 17:55 (on a Saturday, December 1). Taking into account usual train delays as well as time for the AirTrain and security and ...
FDMS's user avatar
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Does Amtrak verify the passport details you enter when booking an international train ticket on their site?

When booking a ticket to/from Canada on Amtrak's website, you are asked to provide passport details for all traveling passengers. In case you don't know the exact details at booking time, can you put ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
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What is the check-in time for the Amtrak bus from Vancouver to Seattle?

I've purchased a bus ticket from Amtrak to go from Vancouver to Seattle and the booking page displayed a warning about special conditions for passengers crossing the border: Passengers traveling ...
JonathanReez's user avatar
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4 votes
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762 views

Amtrak Capitol Corridor single ride tickets -- are they bound to a specific run?

So, in the not-so-distant future, we have a very short jaunt on an Amtrak Capital Corridor train as part of a larger itinerary (that, a BART ride, and a stroll are saving us a car rental here). ...
UnrecognizedFallingObject's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
6k views

In 1 inch (2.5 cm) of snow, would Amtrak be much faster than a bus?

Traveling from Boston to New York Tuesday night. Light snow forcasted. (What speed would a bus drive? MPH. What speed would a train ride? MPH)
larry909's user avatar
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Easiest/cheapest from Albuquerque Amtrak to car rental at airport

I am planning to arrive in Albuquerque, NM via an Amtrak train. I want to rent a car when I arrive, which will most likely require a trip to the airport (where I will be leaving the car anyway). I ...
Peter M's user avatar
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Amtrak Rail Pass questions

I am planning to travel the United States by Amtrak Rail Pass, however, all the info I found online about the rail passes hasn't bee sufficient and didn't answer all my questions. I would be very ...
Empty2k12's user avatar
  • 111
4 votes
1 answer
516 views

Amtrak Roomette luggage security

I am looking to taking a trip on the Southwest Chief Amtrak train and booking a Roomette. I know that I can sit in my Roomette and watch the world go by, but what I want to know about is how ...
Peter M's user avatar
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9 votes
1 answer
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Is wifi available on the Amtrak Southwest Chief?

Is wifi available if I get the cheapest ticket on the "4 Southwest Chief" train? I looked at https://www.amtrak.com/services/contentService.iblegacy.routes.southwest-chief.html couldn't find any info
american-ninja-warrior's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
202 views

Amtrak Seating NY to DC

We are traveling from NY to DC in January. Their website is confusing. Different fares listed for what appears to be the same type of seats. Can I reserve specific seats or are they first come first ...
MVG's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
542 views

Showers near Denver Union Station?

We are planning a trip for later this summer via Amtrak and are planning on stopping in Denver. But we're traveling in coach, so will not have access to the on-board showers on the train. Do people ...
Milwrdfan's user avatar
  • 462
3 votes
1 answer
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Does it matter if the name on my train ticket doesn't match my passport?

I've booked an international train trip from the US to Canada on Amtrak. My Amtrak frequent rider account is in a nickname, while my passport is in my real name. The nickname is an extremely common ...
cpast's user avatar
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14 votes
1 answer
75k views

Map showing what parts of an Amtrak route are traversed during daylight

I remember seeing a map of individual Amtrak routes that showed which parts of the train route were traversed in daylight for each direction. I've looked on Amtrak's website and checked the schedules ...
Jeff B's user avatar
  • 1,438
4 votes
3 answers
6k views

Luggage storage / luggage check details at Vancouver, BC train station

I will likely be taking a train trip soon from Vancouver, BC to Seattle, WA, and I'd like to know some details about the luggage storage facilities at the Vancouver train station: Is there luggage ...
Eugene O's user avatar
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11 votes
4 answers
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Can I bring a bear spray from the US to Canada?

While hiking in the US, I bought a bear spray. However, I never used it. Now I'm taking an Amtrak train from the US to Canada and I'd like to take the bear spray with me. Am I allowed to do that? ...
RoflcoptrException's user avatar
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

Does Amtrak send passport information to the CBP so exits from the US can be recorded?

I am considering flying to New York, spending a week there, and then going to Montreal or Toronto for a week before flying home. For those who don't know, when entering the US by air, the CBP (US ...
Crazydre's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
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Can you stretch a Coast Starlight ticket over multiple days?

In September myself and a friend will be travelling from LA up to San Francisco via train, stopping at San Luis Obispo (to see Pismo beach mainly) and later at Salinas (to travel to Monterey and ...
Alex Saad's user avatar
  • 185
5 votes
1 answer
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Amtrak - Why can she not buy two tickets for herself?

I know this has been discussed for airlines. But on Amtrak (the American passenger rail system), I was traveling Cascades from Portland to Seattle, and the woman in front of me had purchased two ...
Mikey's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
112 views

Overnight from San Francisco to Fresno, CA

I was wondering if anybody had any ideas on how to get from San Francisco at 10pm to Fresno, CA? Does not really matter how far off of being a direct route but no layovers longer than 30 or 45 minutes ...
cflies1121's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
297 views

Planning a trip to Niagara Falls on US side only (Amtrak)

We will be taking the train to visit Niagara. Following is the plan which we have created. We will be taking the Empire Service from New York Penn to reach Niagara Falls. If, the train reaches on time,...
Soumya's user avatar
  • 313
15 votes
3 answers
60k views

When does Amtrak assign reserved seats?

I just booked my first Amtrak ticket ever for a trip in mid-September, and the email I got says I have "1 reserved coach seat," but I don't see a seat number or anything to give me a unique seat ...
user24601's user avatar
  • 295
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Amtrak Code-share with United Airlines [closed]

I just read this blog post which describes a scenario where booking a flight at United's web site offers a connecting "flight" which is actually an Amtrak train. Although the itinerary starts at DAY (...
Tom Harrington's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
55 views

Where is the Capitol Corridor bus stop for the Moscone Center located?

The Amtrak map online says it is at 747 Howard St in San Francisco, but I am looking around and I don't see any bus stop indicators.
Kevin Burke's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
117 views

Alternate routes to travel from Houston International airport to Lafayette, Louisiana

I have a flight reaching Houston International airport at 14:00 hrs. I have a connecting flight within 1hr and 30 mins. If I miss this flight due to immigration and customs delay, I would like to know ...
Abhijeet's user avatar
  • 127
4 votes
2 answers
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Trying to bring a bike on amtrak?

I'm hoping to bring my bike with me on Amtrak from Syracuse, NY to the Albany, NY station. I feel like I have seen bike cars on Amtrak before but according to this article, bikes aren't allowed (http:/...
Margaret Lin's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

How early can you check in your luggage for Amtrak at Washington union station?

I'm arriving into Union station early in the morning, departing at 10pm I know I can check my luggage for the journey, but can't find an earliest time, the latest is 45 mins. This was the page ...
Martin Jevon's user avatar
  • 4,793
12 votes
2 answers
3k views

Will Amtrak honor a saver ticket from an earlier station when other saver tickets are sold out?

I'm buying a train ticket on the long-distance Amtrak Empire Builder train that runs Chicago-Milwaukee-...-St. Paul-... I'm traveling from Milwaukee to St. Paul. All the saver tickets are sold out. ...
Carl's user avatar
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