Amtrak sleeper cars are more than just your typical transportation, they are a family experience. Private rooms, designed for comfort and family bonding, with the possibility of reaching multiple destinations across the country.
Amtrak sleeper cars are growing ever more popular, though they can still be confusing. Down below we will be giving you all the information you might need to know and keep track of, this is your ultimate family guide to sleeper car travel.
Check-In
First things first, you aren’t going to be able to head anywhere if you avoid your check-in. When you show up at the station, Amtrak makes it easy to get everything sorted immediately. They allow you to get ahead of the curve with your journey, giving you the option to purchase parking early and wait in a very cozy staging area before stepping onto the train.
Nobody wants to spend extra time/effort just to get checked in, otherwise, you could be stuck spending a significant amount of time just getting yourself through the door. If you’ve ever been on vacation before, extended check-in times can kill the mood early on in the trip. There is no place for a frustrated family in this experience though, which is why Amtrak tries so hard to keep things easy.
Delays
Unfortunately, delays are inevitable for transportation such as this. While they are never fun to deal with, it is always best advised to prepare yourself in the case that it happens. Each family will be entirely different, but it could be enjoyable to prepare different forms of entertainment to keep occupied as you await your ride. Perhaps you can prepare yourselves by bringing a few card games to kill time, or maybe you’ll just have a few great table topics that you all can discuss.
Whatever your family ends up doing, just be sure that you take a moment to prepare in case this happens in order not to get caught off guard and put into a disappointing situation. Sometimes, these delays just can’t be avoided, no matter how hard anybody tries.
Luggage
Amtrak provides you with a few specialized options to try and clean up what could oftentimes be a messy and “unpredictable” luggage experience. There is no “perfect” way to pack your luggage, but there is a way to pack it efficiently and effectively. Amtrack even provides the option for you to opt in to free luggage check-ins if necessary.
All in all, prepare yourself for the journey ahead with all the necessities you may need. Don’t be afraid to get creative with the way that you’re organizing/packing all of your stuff. You want to get a solid middle ground without overpacking or underpacking.
Related: The Ultimate Packing List for Family Vacation
Complimentary Items
Now that you’re prepared to get on board, let’s talk about all of the complimentary features that your family will get to experience. You can safely expect a few meals that do offer some form of variety in terms of your choices. This goes for all three meals of the day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You will also be able to get lounge access, giving you some extra space to kick back and relax while also taking in some refreshments.
Amtrak wants to give families a journey that they will never forget. One that will bring them closer together by the time it’s all wrapped up. It’s not easy to find a similar experience.
Dining on the Rails
Speaking of offered meals, this brings us straight into your dining experience on Amtrak. There is a specialized dining car that offers microwaved (yet enjoyable) meals for the whole family. This is a rather simple car on the train, though it is one of the most important in the entire experience. It doesn’t need to be further hammered home that prepared meals are one of the most important parts of an experience like this. They help take some of the pressure away when it comes to food while on board and allow everybody to relax a little more. The time you will save claiming the good meals that Amtrak offers on the cars will all go right back towards more family time. And who doesn’t want that on a family trip?
Travel Hygiene
Maintaining your hygiene on a family vacation is crucial; this experience makes it easy for you to do just that. They offer practical bathrooms and showering facilities to keep you feeling fresh and looking at your best. Nobody wants to head out on a vacation and have no bathrooms available to tidy yourself up, remaining at your most comfortable. That’s why Amtrak specifically designed their bathrooms to benefit every guest.
Related: How To Stay Healthy On Vacation
Sleeping Arrangements
There are a few different sleeping arrangements that are worth mentioning here. For those with smaller families, you might be heavily interested in taking up a roomette. These roomettes are the perfect size for a couple of people and are accompanied by upper AND lower beds to fit everybody.
If your family is a little larger, then you can look a little further and find the bedrooms and the bedroom suites. These are not only larger rooms in terms of space, but they also have additional features such as a full-fledged bathroom. Of course, these bathrooms include everything that you can typically expect such as a sink, restroom, and shower.
Finally, there are the family rooms, the last and largest option in the sleeper car experience. They’re described as spanning the width of the car and are usually perfect to fit families with around four people. The other rooms have standard sizes but aren’t able to fit many comfortably.
Roomettes are usually the best option for families that are on a budget and looking for privacy. One step further you’ll get into the aforementioned bedrooms which are around double the size of a standard roomette with a sofa and bathroom included as well. The bedroom suites are a bit larger than that as well, taking about two bedrooms and smashing them together to create it. Lastly, there are the family rooms which Amtrak claims are the best when traveling with children. All of these rooms have space where you can sit back and relax while simultaneously converting that into full beds later on in the night.
It also helps that there will be a first-class attendant helping you out with anything that you might need along the way.
Why Try It?
You might have been reading all of this, wondering to yourself why this might be of interest to you. Well, the reason is fairly simple. Sleeper cars offer families a chance to bond like never before. They aren’t just a straightforward mode of transportation; they take you on a unique journey that you’ll all remember for a lifetime.
Also Read: 8 Great Weeknight Date Ideas for Parents