prgclb (03/25/83)
My family is considering an Amtrak trip from Chicago to San Diego in May, and we'd like to find out what the sleeping car accommodations are really like, from someone who has used them. The Amtrak reservation agent gave us three choices: 1. Economy bedroom (the modern day equivalent to upper and lower berths, apparently). Economy bedrooms come on either side of a center aisle, and by day have two facing seats, and by night convert into upper and lower single beds. The price for Chicago to LA is about $200 round trip (which I consider reasonable -- four nights total). 2. Family bedroom. This accommodation is scarce, the agent said, 'cause there's only one per sleeping car. It's downstairs at the end of the car, so you get the full width of the car. Accommodations were described as a sofa and two chairs by day, and a lower double bed and upper single bed by day. Price -- mid 300's round trip. 3. Deluxe bedroom. This is upstairs and occupies the full width minus the aisle which hugs one side of the car. Double lower bed, single upper bed, and full lavatory/toilet/hand-held shower facilities. BUT -- VERY EXPENSIVE >$600 round-trip. Now -- my situation. We have a two-year old son who could share a bed with one of us, but I'm not sure how big the beds are in an economy bedroom. Might be kinda hard to have the kid next to me all night in a narrow single bed. The family room sounds good, but it might be hard to reserve one at this time, and I'm not sure how good a superliner ride is downstairs. The deluxe bedroom is economically out of the question -- we could all fly full-fare and come out ahead. Appreciate any opinions you seasoned Amtrak travelers might care to offer. Carl Blesch Bell Labs - Naperville, Ill. IH 2A-159, (312) 979-3360 ihuxm!prgclb