Amtrak questions.......

[TinyDancer]

I have some questions regarding the train. Not the AutoTrain, we took that and loved it, but the regular train. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

- Does Reserve Coach mean I will be assigned a seat or does it mean I am guarenteed a seat, ie that they don't overbook the train?
- Is there a microwave, or at least hot water, available?
- Are there outlets in the lounge car?
- Can I sit in the lounge car without purchasing from the snack car?
- What are the approximate prices in the snack car, primarily for coffee?

That's all I can think of right now, thanks in advance!!!!!!

[DixieBri]

I've never taken Amtrak to WDW but I frequently take it to/from college (four years, 5-6 round trips/year). To answer your questions...

Reserved coach means you are guaranteed a seat but not assigned a seat. Only business class has assigned seats. Amtrak trains get extremely full from my experience and it can be hard to find a seat immediately, nevermind 2 or more seats together. If you are traveling alone, I suggest grabbing the first available seat you can find when you board. If you are traveling with family, I would suggest upgrading to business class to ensure that you can sit together if that is a concern.

I'm not sure about the microwave but I'm sure if you go to the dining car they should be able to provide hot water.

On about 95% of amtrak cars, there are outlets at each seat. Out of all the times I have been on amtrak, there may have only been once or twice that there weren't outlets. No need to even go to a lounge car -they are right at your seat.

I'm not sure about sitting in the lounge car without purchasing food. I have never been in the dining car myself.

Prices are high for anything on the train. I'm not sure specifically what coffee costs but they know that while the train is moving, the only place to buy food is from them and they definitely use it to their advantage.

Hope this helps!

[Janmac]

The answers to some of your questions depend on your location. Trains and what they offer vary from west coast, long distance western, and east coast trains.

Amtrak's website has some nifty videos and floor plans and bunches of train and route information. Highly recommend browsing the website.

You could also call Amtrak and ask a person. You'd want to know your particular route and train to get specific questions answered, such as outlet locations.

It's so great to hear of someone else who loves to take the train!

Jan