Question about sleeper car on amtrak for only part of the trip?

Question

I'm taking the train from Reno to Pittsburgh. From Reno to Chicago is 46 hours and Chicago to Pittsburgh is 9 hours. I would like to get a sleeper for just part of my trip, perhaps Salt Lake to Omaha or Denver to Chicago or something like that. Do I book it as a multi city trip, but just not get off the train in that city just simply change cars? I have never travelled train before and any advice would be appreciated. I would take coach the whole way, but I will be about 16 weeks pregnant at the time of travel so I thought I should maybe get a sleeper part of the way. The sleeper the whole way is far too expensive for (+634) me right now, plus its mostly sold out the days I'm traveling. I have looked at the trip broken up and it is not sold out.

Answer 1

Eye have ridden on nearly every major Amtrak train line in the US. The Coast Starlight, the Empire Builder, the Lakeshore Limited, the Capitol Limited, the Crescent, the Sunset Limited, the Southwest Chief, the Texas Eagle, etc. I have never been able to afford a sleeper but have never felt need.

Amtrak seats are large and recline and are not too hard to sleep in. Even on my longest journeys (Los Angeles to New York) I did not feel uncomfortable, except for the desire to shower.

People that I have spoken with who have booked passage with a sleeper are of a somewhat mixed opinion. The beds are rather small, as are the showers, and the room itself.

I suggest that you book your trip in Coach---once your train leaves the station they will announce that any unsold sleepers are available at a substantial discount. If, at that time, you desire the upgrade simply notify your Car Attendant.

Rail travel is by far the most enjoyable mode of transit in my book. I have found the Amtrak personnel to be knowledgeable and most courteous. You are free of the "cooped-in" feeling you get on an aeroplane and the trains often twist through beautiful canyons and other areas you never see from an automobile.

Have a great trip!

Answer 2

i would suggest to call 800# to book this trip, see more below.

if you are booking it by yourself on the web, im not quite sure how to book it.  i would think that you just put in point-to-point cities, make sure you get the correct travel dates.  ie look up first rno-den, say 1july, book the coach, then den-chi on 2jul (remember, denver dp will be a different day, even if you are on the same train) and book the sleeper, then enter chi-pgh for 3jul for coach.  (sorry i talk in city code, rno is reno, den is denver, chi = chicago, pgh=pittsburg).

i would hope that the internet computer will price this correctly with the rno-chi ow thru fare for the rail fare, and just add the sleeper charge of den-chi.   however, sometimes the amtrak CRS computer doesnt always price wierd itineraries correctly, and the web site would be pulling the info from the CRS.

however, i am still sometimes skeptical of the web when booking travel on any itinerary, plane/train/bus/hotel, that is not simple.  i have seen and dealt with many pricing errors before, and it is harder to deal with at the ticket counter when the train is coming in 15 minutes and there is a line of people, all having problems with tickets, pricing, reservations, baggage, etc.

as a former ticket clerk and 800 res agt, i never used the web myself to book these trips for customers since i actually had the amtrak CRS computer to use.  there are ways to price reservations correctly with manual entries by the agent if the prices dont show up correctly when done automatically.   customers dont have access to this function, but amtrak clerks can use a combination of the segment numbers and connect them with S or T or both, in the 3fields in the pnr - lots of computer code that may confuse you, but theyll know what im talking about.

you can help yourself to verify after your ticket is printed by looking for a "CJ" in the fare portion of your receipt, for a conjuctive ticket, which would be on at least the rno-chi tickets if you split space over some city along the way, bcs the 1 ticket's fare is in conjunction with another ticket, and only valid with both tickets together if you need to exchange or refund tickets later.  if no CJ, then each ticket is priced separately and independent.

my suggestion would be to actually call the 800# to book this trip, that way an agent will be making the entries and will ensure the correct thru-fare and travel dates are booked.  or go to the reno depot to talk to the ticket agt and they can book it for you too.  (and you can help keep my friends employed.....lol !)  

if you book it on the web, i would suggest that you make a follow up call to 800# to have an agent review the pnr anyway on their screen, just to ensure that the autopricing worked correctly, as it sometimes doesnt.  then if there is a problem and a lower fare, it is easier to fix before you get tickets issued or start traveling.

as far as split space, you CAN make it at any city you want.  you do not have to do it a layover city.  you are able to walk THRU the train without stepping outside to walk from coach to sleeper.  so if you prefer to start using the room at glenwood springs (gsc), or grand junction (gjt), or if you want to vacate the room the next morning in iowa (say, crn, osc, or otm), that is all ok!  it is your trip, you book it the way you want!  i dont think youll get much of a price break on the room charge if you get out of room in iowa, but several years since i worked the calif zephyr route, so i havent checked.  you should compare prices of room to chicago too, just to see if it is the same or different and by how much, to see if it is worth it or not to you.

and yes, sometimes sleepers are not available all the way thru, so splitting space is a way to get a sleeper for 1 night, ie the 2nd night you can use the room bcs someone else who had it for the 1st night got off the train during the daytime somewhere.  or that a car is added, such as at denver.

OH, i forgot to mention on board sales...yes, you could just book coach and take a chance that a room will be available on board the train, and if it is, the conductor can sell it to you for the room charge, which is discounted as well.  but you run the risk of not getting a room if they are all full, or if there is only 1 empty room and there are more than 1 onboard that want to buy it. and the california zephyr train is summer is one of the most popularly booked trains, and it is extremely hard to get sleepers in summer on it unless you book months in advance.

also, frequently they will add an extra coach and sleeper at denver, so if you can not get any room out of gjt or gsc, check den to start occupying the room bcs an extra sleeper is usually added, giving an extra 21 rooms to sell.

hope this info helps.  call my ticket agent or res agent friends, they will help you out and make sure you get the right booking and prices.  

if you go to reno, say hi to the ticket clerks there for me, tell them that michael who use to work at omaha/ottumwa/mount pleasant/naperville/chicago advised you some by web, but told you to talk to them to get updated skeds and fares.  im not sure who is working there these days, but if they have worked for amtrak more than 5 yrs, they probably know who i am.

Answer 3

Yes, you can book a multi-city trip and change cars.  But make sure you plan to change at a station with a layover, as you cannot change cars without getting off the train.