Once in a while, I run across some Facebook posts that are very critical of Amtrak. Usually the complaint comes from someone who is an infrequent Amtrak traveler and is upset because his train ran late. Veteran travelers take that in stride . . . plan for it, in fact. The other day there…
On one of my first long-distance trips—I think it was the Zephyr—my wife and I were sitting in our bedroom shortly after leaving Chicago when a 40ish man, impeccably dressed in a snappy navy blue blazer, knocked at our door. He introduced himself as the chief of on-board services and explained that he was there…
I’m asked a lot of questions about train travel. Among the most common ones, even among people who have taken long-distance train trips, is “How much should I tip the sleeping car car attendant?” I’ve written about this previously, but it sure seems to bear repeating. As a basic rule of thumb, and assuming…
Chicago was cold again Friday morning: 39 degrees made worse by a gusty wind swooshing in between the buildings and cutting right through my feeble attempt to dress for the cold. The second leg of my rail journey began when I checked in at the Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago’s Union Station. The Capitol Limited…