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Alternative Amtrak journeys
We will be in the USA next year from late May to early July - tourists from
Australia - and have a choice (to fit available time etc). #1. Amtrak from Los Angeles to San Antonio (Sunset Limited) - late May. #2. Amtrak from Denver to Sacremento (California Zephyr) - early July. Which would you recommend (please ignore if you don't like Amtrak - we like trains - just which to know which of the above is the better in your opinion!)? Thanks. |
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On Oct 17, 3:35*am, " A Mate" wrote:
We will be in the USA next year from late May to early July - tourists from Australia - and have a choice (to fit available time etc). #1. Amtrak from Los Angeles to San Antonio (Sunset Limited) - late May. #2. Amtrak from Denver to Sacremento (California Zephyr) - early July. Which would you recommend (please ignore if you don't like Amtrak - we like trains - just which to know which of the above is the better in your opinion!)? Thanks. #2 no question, if not purely for the historical interest. If you are looking for reading material before your trip, try "Nothing Like It in the World" by Stephen Ambrose. |
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#1. Amtrak from Los Angeles to San Antonio (Sunset Limited) - late May.
#2. Amtrak from Denver to Sacremento (California Zephyr) - early July. I haven't done #1, but #2 is definitely more scenic than the three other Amtrak routes I've taken through the Rockies, so it's the one I'd recommend. You should book early for this one, particularly if you want sleeping-car accommodation. If they haven't changed since the last time I used one of these trains, the sleeping cars each have: * 5 "bedrooms" (formerly called "deluxe bedrooms"), comfortable for two people and with a toilet and a small shower, on the upper deck of the car. These occupy most of the width of the car with just a on the other side. * About 14 "roommettes" (formerly called "economy bedrooms'), compartments on one side of the central aisle with a single seat facing forward and one facing backward, converted to beds at night. These are comfortable for one person and, ah, *a bit cozy* for two. I think 9 of these are on the upper deck of the car and 5 on the lower. They have no plumbing; I think the cars have one toilet on the upper deck and several more on the lower deck. * On the lower deck of the car, one "family bedroom" and one handicapped-accessible bedroom. I don't know about these in detail. There is coach seating too, if you want to sit up all night. Individual seats are not reserved. I always want to be on the upper deck, as you can see out better. You enter the train from the lower deck but you walk between cars on the upper deck. If you have a sleeping car room, you will probably spend much of the daytime in the upper deck of the lounge car, with high windows for viewing the scenery. Be prepared for the possibility that the train will run substantially late no matter which route you take. -- Mark Brader, Toronto | A driver I know is getting uncomfortably close to | earning the nickname "Crash". --Lee Ayrton My text in this article is in the public domain. |
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Alternative Amtrak journeys
"PeterL" wrote in message ... On Oct 17, 3:35 am, " A Mate" wrote: We will be in the USA next year from late May to early July - tourists from Australia - and have a choice (to fit available time etc). #1. Amtrak from Los Angeles to San Antonio (Sunset Limited) - late May. #2. Amtrak from Denver to Sacremento (California Zephyr) - early July. Which would you recommend (please ignore if you don't like Amtrak - we like trains - just which to know which of the above is the better in your opinion!)? Thanks. Having read a lot about them previously: California Zephyr. It's on my list of 'things-to-do'. http://www.vacationsbyrail.com/usa/a...hyr/index.html I had read that the SCENIC part is Denver to Salt Lake City, so that's all I planned to do. Perhaps consider going to Emeryville ? http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/2...san-francisco/ Which side to sit on ? Check out http://www.trainweb.com/routes/route_5.htm for the answer, as well as a slide show, stop-by-stop info etc. |
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one mo
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractio...alifornia.html "- Bobb -" wrote in message ... "PeterL" wrote in message ... On Oct 17, 3:35 am, " A Mate" wrote: We will be in the USA next year from late May to early July - tourists from Australia - and have a choice (to fit available time etc). #1. Amtrak from Los Angeles to San Antonio (Sunset Limited) - late May. #2. Amtrak from Denver to Sacremento (California Zephyr) - early July. Which would you recommend (please ignore if you don't like Amtrak - we like trains - just which to know which of the above is the better in your opinion!)? Thanks. Having read a lot about them previously: California Zephyr. It's on my list of 'things-to-do'. http://www.vacationsbyrail.com/usa/a...hyr/index.html I had read that the SCENIC part is Denver to Salt Lake City, so that's all I planned to do. Perhaps consider going to Emeryville ? http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/2...san-francisco/ Which side to sit on ? Check out http://www.trainweb.com/routes/route_5.htm for the answer, as well as a slide show, stop-by-stop info etc. |
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Many thanks to all. The Denver to Sacramento trip wins by acclamation. I'll
book it right now. "Mark Brader" wrote in message ... #1. Amtrak from Los Angeles to San Antonio (Sunset Limited) - late May. #2. Amtrak from Denver to Sacremento (California Zephyr) - early July. I haven't done #1, but #2 is definitely more scenic than the three other Amtrak routes I've taken through the Rockies, so it's the one I'd recommend. You should book early for this one, particularly if you want sleeping-car accommodation. If they haven't changed since the last time I used one of these trains, the sleeping cars each have: * 5 "bedrooms" (formerly called "deluxe bedrooms"), comfortable for two people and with a toilet and a small shower, on the upper deck of the car. These occupy most of the width of the car with just a on the other side. * About 14 "roommettes" (formerly called "economy bedrooms'), compartments on one side of the central aisle with a single seat facing forward and one facing backward, converted to beds at night. These are comfortable for one person and, ah, *a bit cozy* for two. I think 9 of these are on the upper deck of the car and 5 on the lower. They have no plumbing; I think the cars have one toilet on the upper deck and several more on the lower deck. * On the lower deck of the car, one "family bedroom" and one handicapped-accessible bedroom. I don't know about these in detail. There is coach seating too, if you want to sit up all night. Individual seats are not reserved. I always want to be on the upper deck, as you can see out better. You enter the train from the lower deck but you walk between cars on the upper deck. If you have a sleeping car room, you will probably spend much of the daytime in the upper deck of the lounge car, with high windows for viewing the scenery. Be prepared for the possibility that the train will run substantially late no matter which route you take. -- Mark Brader, Toronto | A driver I know is getting uncomfortably close to | earning the nickname "Crash". --Lee Ayrton My text in this article is in the public domain. |
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Alternative Amtrak journeys
On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:52:27 +1000, " A Mate"
wrote: Many thanks to all. The Denver to Sacramento trip wins by acclamation. I'll book it right now. Close by the Sacramento railway station is the California State Railway Museum, definitely worth a visit, as is the adjoining Old Sacramento. http://www.csrmf.org/ http://www.oldsacramento.com/ -- ************* DAVE HATUNEN ) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * |
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Alternative Amtrak journeys
Yeah! Thanks Dave - we haven't been to the Railway Museum since the early
1980's (took our children - now themselves parents) - in fact haven't been to Sacramento since then. Looking forward ro renewing our experience. "Hatunen" wrote in message ... On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:52:27 +1000, " A Mate" wrote: Many thanks to all. The Denver to Sacramento trip wins by acclamation. I'll book it right now. Close by the Sacramento railway station is the California State Railway Museum, definitely worth a visit, as is the adjoining Old Sacramento. http://www.csrmf.org/ http://www.oldsacramento.com/ -- ************* DAVE HATUNEN ) ************* * Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow * * My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * |
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