Empire Builder Amtrak train Chicago to Seattle
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Anonymous
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Doing some long range trip planning for next spring/summer. We have 9 year old twins and relatives in Chicago, and relatives and friends in Seattle.
Here's my idea. Drive to Chicago. Have dinner and sleep with Chicago relatives. Next morning get ride to Amtrak station in Chicago, then take Amtrak's Empire Builder line which goes from Chicago to Seattle. We'd get two of the "roomette sleepers" and put kids in one and us in the other at night. Total trip is about 48 hours, all meals in the dining car (not snack car, but with tablecloths and menus) are included with the sleeper room tickets. The scenery is supposed to be quite lovely, and I like the idea of us just "hanging out" reading, playing board games, watching movies, etc. Obviously it takes longer than flying, but again, the idea is that this would be a trip that's as much about the journey as the destination. I know Amtrak sometimes has delays, which is why I thought it would be good to have relatives with homes at both the Seattle and Chicago ends, so we can stay with them if there is a major delay. If I decide to do this now, I can make sure we have enough work leave saved up to take a nice long trip with plenty of time in Seattle. What do you think? Anyone with long distance Amtrak experience out there? (Price difference between this option and flying is minimal.) |
Anonymous
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I would love that trip. But not sure about 9 year olds in their own sleeper. At 9 that would have creeped me out.
I've done Chicago to New Mexico and it was fun. Why drive to CHI that part doesn't sound fun. Southwest tix to CHI, Amtrak to SEA, then southwest back to DC. |
Anonymous
| Couldn't you get the train to Chicago and then on to Seattle? |
Anonymous
| I think it sounds great but I second the PP about having the 2 kids alone in their own roomette. I once looked at taking the Autotrin to Florida and there was a sleeper car that could sleep 4 people -- I'd feel more comfortable with that arrangement. If you do go, please post back -- would love to hear how it goes!! |
Anonymous
| Hmmmm, this kind of sounds awful to me. I don't think the sleeping cars on Amtrak are supposed to be all that nice. Nor is the food all that great from what I have heard. I think I would be itching to get off the train... |
Anonymous
| I just did DC to Montreal on the train. It was all right, but they run out of food in the cafe and the train single-tracks a lot. Not sure about Empire. I have a feeling, however, that the experience may not be as romantic as you suspect. |
Anonymous
| This will be a great adventure for you and your kids. Consider making some stops and getting back on the train 2 or 3 days later. Glacier National Park is a must see, with vintage buses to take you around and historic lodges. |
Anonymous
This. One parent with one child in each sleeper. |
Anonymous
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Thanks for the replies, everyone! Just to be clear on the sleeping arrangement it would be fluid--more the idea of having some times during the day/night the kids could hand out in their room watching a movie, and parents would be in room right across the hall doing our thing.
I'm still debating about flying vs. driving to Chicago. One advantage to driving would be that wouldn't have to pack for a plane ride. No zip-loc quart bags! 
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Anonymous
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Gosh, I'd just fly to Chicago and buy whatever you don't want to put in plastic bags when you get there. This is a long, long trip and I think the train ride will be enough adventure for you all.
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Anonymous
| I took Amtrak from Chicago to New Orleans (The City of New Orleans) with an 8-year-old in a roomette. It was just the two of us. Much shorter trip than you are talking about (it was maybe 24 hours start to finish), but great fun! We downloaded movies on the laptop for bedtime and enjoyed the dining and observation cars. I would totally do it. But I would fly to Chicago. |
Anonymous
| I've done an overnight with my 6 year old a couple of times, and it was great. He wants to travel everywhere on the train now. The food in the dining car is not gourmet, but it is much better than the usual cafe car, and actually quite civilized. Not exactly "North by Northwest," but with tablecloths and served by uniformed stewards. The porters in the sleeping compartment are very helpful. The top bunk can be difficult to get in and out of, so I wouldn't put a kid up there without an adult in the cabin. I would look into a "roomette," which is bigger. |
Anonymous
Is it safe? What if they wander out of their room and down the hall? Or someone fools them into opening the door and does something to them? |
Anonymous
| I think it sounds fun and a good way to see a lot of the landscape of the US, but I would second the idea of breaking up the trip a bit. Can you pick two or three cities along the way and do a day stopover. I don't know the route, but I bet there are some great sites that are close to the route. |
Anonymous
Good lord, the paranoia on this site is just staggering sometimes. People are basically good, you know? |