Amtrak California Zephyr: Questions We Had Before We Left
We recently had the opportunity to take the Amtrak California Zephyr from Chicago west to San Francisco and we had a blast! While we were able to gather a lot of information from TripAdvisor and the Amtrak website before we left, we still had a lot of questions we wondered about before our trip. We hope some of these questions below help you prepare for what to expect on a cross country Amtrak journey.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Do you have to stay on the train for the entire ride? Are you allowed to get on and off the train?
We had a hard time finding an answer to this before our trip. We knew that at certain stops, like Denver and Salt Lake City, there would be a longer scheduled stop because it was written into the time schedule published on the Amtrak website. We were able to get out and walk around in both of these cities, though we stayed close to the train to hear the “all aboard” call.
There are other designated stops along the way. Some are very short and some are longer. At some stops, passengers are not allowed to get off the train at all. Be sure to listen to the overhead announcements to determine whether this is a “smoke stop” where you can get off and stretch your legs or whether it’s only a stop for a minute or two letting someone quickly exit the train.
If you’re hoping to spend any decent amount of time at a particular location, your best bet is to get off the train, spend the night there, and then catch the next westbound train in 24 hours. Be sure to book your original ticket(s) accordingly.
Are there places I won’t see due to darkness? If the train travels nonstop, will there be places I miss when I’m sleeping?
No matter when you travel, there will be places you won’t see because you’ll be whizzing past them during the middle of the night. On westbound trips, the train is scheduled to pass most of Nebraska in the dark on the first night and then Salt Lake City as well as most of Nevada in the dark on the second night.
Depending on what time of year you travel, you might see more. For instance, when the daylight hours are shorter during the winter in the United States, the scenery won’t be visible for as long. If you’re really hoping to maximize your daylight hours on the train, it’s a good idea to plan a trip during the summer.
How close does the train stick to its posted schedule?
Amtrak does not own the railroad tracks it uses, which means that passenger trains are required to pull over for commercial freight trains. As a result, the train is frequently off schedule and also runs late. On the flip side of this, the California Zephyr covers a large number of miles, so it’s possible to make up time between stops whenever possible.
Is it loud? Do you hear the train horn the whole time?
It’s not exceptionally loud but you’ll hear it, especially if your room is closer to the front. If you’ve ever lived or worked in an area with train tracks nearby, you know that off-in-the-distance type train horn sound. If you’re a light sleeper, it’s a good idea to bring ear plugs. They help block out the train horn as well as other noise in and around the sleeping cars.
Do you have to go through security? Pack liquids in small bottles?
Surprisingly enough, there was no security enforced whatsoever in order to board the train. You can bring whatever size toiletries you want. Feel free to leave those 3-ounce bottles at home!
Do you have to sit the whole time or can you roam about the train?
You’re not required or expected to be in your seat the whole time. Sleeping car passengers have access to all areas of the train, including other sleeping cars, the dining car, the cafe car, the observation car, and economy/coach seating. Unfortunately economy/coach ticketed passengers are not permitted to walk through the sleeping cars, but can walk around their cars as well as the dining car, observation car, and cafe car.
Walking through the moving train takes a little getting used to – there’s constant movement and you might have to stop to regain your balance once in a while. Don’t worry, you’ll see other people doing this too, so you’re not alone.
What’s the best side of the train?
When booking online, we weren’t given a choice regarding the location of our sleeping room. It turns out that the scenery is really beautiful on both sides of the train, sometimes on both sides at the same time and sometimes only on one side. The train leapfrogs many of the rivers and canyons it follows, so it’s hard to pick a good side and a bad side – there really isn’t one.
How do you get from Emeryville (where the train ends) to San Francisco?
Amtrak has a fleet of buses called Thruway for train passengers with travel plans to reach their final destinations. The California Zephyr technically ends in Emeryville, CA which is across the bay from San Francisco. By purchasing a ticket for bus service when purchasing the Amtrak fare, you’ll be able to hop on the Thruway bus to San Francisco. Another option is to exit the train one stop early in Richmond, CA and take the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train into the city. The best choice for you depends on where you’re hoping to end up in San Francisco.
Do the windows open for pictures?
No, not even a crack. This was kind of a bummer.
Is it really possible to sleep on a train?
Well… it’s not the most comfortable regardless of ticket class. Coach class tickets include a single reclining chair with a foot rest. While these are fairly spacious, it will still be difficult to compare the sleep experience to being at home in your own bed. Sleeper car passengers have fold out beds that go completely flat, making it a bit easier to get some shut eye. Ear plugs and eye masks helped us immensely.
Would you do it again?
Definitely!
ROOMS/FACILITIES
Do you have to book an expensive room?
No, not at all. It’s possible to travel in the coach/economy seats from Chicago to San Francisco (and vice versa on the trip in the return direction) for a low cost way to see the United States.
What are the different room options?
Amtrak offers several different seating options on the California Zephyr, covering a range of prices and comfort levels. At the very lowest cost, the basic option is an economy seat on the upper or lower deck. These are the typical no-frills seats you’d find on a train, though these seem to have a little more legroom. The next tier of pricing covers the premium seating options, including the Superliner Roomette (a small private compartment ideal for one or two passengers, featuring two reclining seats that convert to two adult beds at night), the Family Bedroom (a larger private compartment with a sofa and two seats, featuring two adult beds and two child beds), and the Superliner Bedroom (a larger private compartment with a sofa and two seats, featuring two adult beds, and a private bathroom with sink, toilet and shower).
How long do you have to wait for the bathroom? Were they full a lot?
Before we left, we had these visions of one bathroom per sleeping car with people waiting all of the time. Luckily this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Our sleeping car had two bathrooms with showers on the upper level as well as four additional bathrooms (with toilets and sinks only) on the lower level. There was never a single time during our trip when all were in use at the same time.
Do you have to reserve the shower?
The showers operate on a first come, first served basis. We didn’t have any issues using the shower when we wanted. Other passengers were respectful of their bathroom use time and kept it short and quick, so we also returned the favor. If they’re busy, consider showering at an off peak time, such as late morning or mid-day.
TECHNOLOGY
Will I have cell phone service for the whole trip?
Cell phone service is widely available for the most part, especially when the train passes through major cities and hugs I-80 from Salt Lake City to San Francisco. That said, there are definitely parts of the trip where there will be no cell service whatsoever. The train travels through a number of tunnels limiting reception and through the Rocky Mountains there are long stretches without cell service. Be sure to plan accordingly.
Is there Wi-Fi on board?
There is no Wi-Fi on the California Zephyr. In addition, the route travels through many remote parts of the United States where there is very little access to any internet, including cellular data.
How can I charge my phone/camera/electronic devices?
Each superliner roomette has one outlet to charge electronics. We noticed that in the economy/coach seats, there was an outlet at each seat.
FOOD/DINING
What are the meals like?
We found the food to be pretty palatable and overall it was much better than what you get on a plane. That said, will the food onboard taste like your favorite restaurant or meal at home? No, probably not. Keeping expectations in check is probably the key to success as far as the food goes.
How do you know when each meal is served? Do you go to the dining car whenever you want? Do you need reservations?
The overhead announcement system will be your friend on this trip. If you’re planning to eat in the dining car, there will be clear instructions regarding how each meal will be served via the announcements. On our trip, the dinner times were reserved in advance. We booked these with a gentleman who walked around to each room in the sleeping cars. Be sure to be in your room at this time otherwise you may get missed. For breakfast and lunch, the dining car attendant made an overhead announcement about the hours and when the dining car would be open. Once the car was full, he started a waitlist. You would add your name to the waitlist and then your name was called once a table became available.
What if I get hungry?
The California Zephyr has a dining car on board serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For sleeping car passengers, three meals a day are included in the price of a ticket. Food is *not* included for coach passengers, however, coach passengers are welcome to eat in the dining car and pay for meals out of pocket if space permits. There’s also a cafe car located on the train selling both hot and cold snacks to all passengers. In Colorado, there are two stops (Denver and Grand Junction) with small stores nearby to purchase snacks as well.
Should I bring snacks?
While meals are served on board and there’s also a cafe car to make purchases, it’s a good idea to bring some snacks to have on hand. Amtrak employees don’t staff the food areas 24 hours a day (hey, they need to sleep too!) so there are times when you’re out of luck if you’re hungry and you don’t have any snacks of your own.
LUGGAGE/PACKING
Where do you put your luggage? Is there a luggage size limit for the roomette?
There are a couple options for storing luggage.
If you have a large bag and you won’t need to get anything out of it until you reach your final destination, you can check the bag. This goes into a separate baggage car and you’ll be able to pick it up at the end of your trip.
If you have a large bag or other carry on, you can bring it in the sleeping car with you and put it in an unlocked/unmonitored storage area. This allows you to access to the bag when needed but it also technically allows anyone else access to it as well, so consider this option carefully.
While there’s not really an enforced luggage size limit for the roomette, if you’re traveling with two people, there’s just not enough space to store large bags and sit comfortably. A small carry on suitcase or duffle bag will likely be able to fit next to one of the seats. A lighter backpack type carry on can be hung on a hook in the roomette.
Do you have to bring a pillow or blanket?
Pillows, sheets, blankets and towels are all provided for sleeping car passengers, so unless you’re really picky about what kind of pillow you like, there’s no need to pack an extra one.
Anything you wish you would have packed?
If you have more than one electronic device to charge, plan on bringing a power strip because there’s only one outlet in the room. Also, passengers are not allowed to walk around the train barefoot, so bring along some sandals or other footwear that’s easy to slip on and off. And at the risk of sounding extremely nerdy, maybe a small pair of binoculars?
SAFETY
Do you get a key for your room?
The roomette doors lock from the inside but not the outside, so there’s no key provided. Consider keeping valuables on your person as you walk through the train.
Did you feel unsafe? Were you worried about your stuff at all?
We felt safe the whole trip. Other passengers were easy to talk to and friendly. As for our stuff, we kept our valuables (wallets, cell phones, etc.) with us as we walked around the train. We left items like clothes and toiletry bags in the room without locking the door. The rest of our carry on luggage was stored in the open public space. We did not have any issues.
Does the room have a safe?
While a lot of hotel rooms have safes, the rooms on the train do not, so be sure to either carry your valuables with you or leave them at home.
Want to read about our trip on the California Zephyr? Check out our trip report here!
