If you’re new to Amtrak, starting your journey can seem overwhelming. From booking your ticket to understanding onboard procedures, there’s a lot to learn—especially if you’ve never traveled by train before.
After taking more than 800 Amtrak trips and traveling over 200,000 miles since 2012, I have gained valuable insights into what truly matters when planning a trip (and what doesn’t). This page guides you through the process step by step, with simple tips to help you plan your journey with confidence.
Whether you’re taking a short ride or a cross-country journey, this is your starting point.
My Amtrak story and experiences
Over the years, I transitioned from asking questions to answering them for people like you.
My first Amtrak adventure took place in 2012. During that time, I struggled to find any websites about Amtrak beyond the official Amtrak site, at least none that felt engaging. I did come across an Amtrak forum that is still active today. While it is useful, I found it somewhat discouraging at times; even one or two negative trolls can ruin the fun.
In 2013, I took my first long-distance train journey and fell in love with Amtrak travel. That year, I traveled coast-to-coast in Amtrak coach class on two separate trips. I couldn’t get enough of train travel, so I began riding the rails every week! I would take short trips to places like Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, MO, and Battle Creek, MI, just for lunch.
In March 2014, I climbed onto the 421 Texas Eagle sleeper into roomette number 14 and found my happy place!
Through my regional travel and learning to use Amtrak’s program, I earned several complimentary roomette rides. One of those trips was from Charleston, SC, to San Francisco, CA, on the Silver Meteor, Capitol Limited, Texas Eagle, and Pacific Surfliner, with an Amtrak connection service on a single ticket.
Instead of hoarding my experiences, I want to share them on this website, offering a positive yet honest take on Amtrak travel. At this point, I have over 200,000 miles on the rails and over 800 trains; I have experienced most things.
Planning your Amtrak trip
This section could be great if you want to plan an Amtrak adventure but don’t know where to start. Alternatively, if you have a specific question, this section may help you locate the relevant topic more quickly.
A few topics to explore
- Amtrak’s Long-Distance Route Guides
- Get an overview of all the long-distance routes, along with links to more detailed information.
- Amtrak Regional & Long-distance schedules & guides
- Learn the basics of each route and get timetables and schedules.
- Printable Long-Distance Route Schedules Or Timetables
- If you are looking for stop times for your next Amtrak Long-Distance trip, this page lets you download the schedule to store on your device or print it.
- How to Print Out Amtrak Schedules
- Learn how to print out a route or custom schedule.
- Amtrak’s Acela
- Acela is Amtrak’s high-speed service in the Northeast Corridor, which runs between Washington, DC, and Boston.
Amtrak Planning Trips
- Amtrak Schedules or Timetables can be great planning tools!
- What you need to know when Amtrak trains have multiple route numbers
- If you plan a trip on the Texas Eagle, Lakeshore Limited, or Empire Builder, and are unsure what train section you should book, this article will help you sort things out.
- How to save money on Amtrak tickets
- This page provides tools to help you save money on your next Amtrak adventure.
- Amtrak gift cards
- This article covers purchasing and using Amtrak gift cards.
- Accessible travel services on Amtrak
- If you need info on accessible travel, this link will take you to Amtrak’s website.
- How to track Amtrak trains
- You can start tracking trains when booking using the Amtrak app, website, and third-party sites.
- Amtrak Points & Cash Program
- You can now book with cash if you don’t have enough points for your next trip or for any other reason listed in the post.
- Amtrak Coach Fares Options
- Learn the difference between Sale, Value, and Flex Coach fares.
- Amtrak and Daylight Saving Time
- Daylight Saving Time affects Amtrak train schedules twice a year.
- Why does Amtrak run empty or lightly-used trains?
- Some trains operate nearly empty, and there’s a reason for this.
- Learn how to lock the door of your Amtrak sleeping accommodation.
- While it isn’t difficult to lock the doors on Amtrak sleeping accommodations, it can be tricky the first time. Plus, learn what to do when you leave your room.
- Amtrak and Extreme Heat: What You Should Know
- Discover how Amtrak manages extreme heat conditions.
- Traveling with Amtrak during the holidays.
- Traveling during the holidays can be pretty stressful, but this guide can help you organize your plans effectively.
Things you should know before your first Amtrak trip.
- Entertainment on Amtrak Trains
- Amtrak offers views, but you may need to bring your own entertainment. Find out a few of Kev’s questions.
- Amtrak Service Alerts and Notifications
- Amtrak’s resource for service alerts, weather impacts, passenger advisories, station advisories, plus links to Amtrak service-based Twitter handles.
- Boarding Amtrak Trains
- You booked your tickets, packed your bags, and are now ready to board the train. This article will help you prepare for your trip.
- Amtrak Connecting and Thruway Services
- Sometimes, Amtrak cannot take you to your desired destination by train.
- Nowadays, Amtrak may charter a bus or van, or book you with another transportation company as part of your reservation to ensure you arrive at your destination.
- Smoking, Vaping, & Marijuana on Amtrak Trains
- This article covers the basics you need before your next trip.
- Amtrak Red Caps
- Amtrak Red Caps help you get to and from your trains at select stations.
- Printing Amtrak Tickets
- Find out if you need to print them out and more.
Accommodations: coach and sleeping cars
For comprehensive information on Amtrak sleeping accommodations, start here.
- Coach Class
- The article covers the basics of coach class for your next regional or long-distance train adventure.
- Coach-class passengers can access a Quiet Car on select trains.
- Overview Of Amtrak Sleeping Accommodations
- If you’re traveling on Amtrak’s long-distance trains, this page provides a quick overview of what to expect and links to help you find the information you need.
- Viewliner Roomette
- The Amtrak Viewliner Roomette is a cozy accommodation in Amtrak’s sleeping cars. This article provides the basics and offers a few helpful tips.
- Superliner Roomettes
- The Amtrak Superliner Roomette is a cozy accommodation in Amtrak’s Superliner sleeping cars. This article provides the basics and offers a few helpful tips.
- Amtrak Bedrooms – Superliner & Viewliner
- Explore Amtrak’s sleeping accommodations.
- The article covers both Viewliner and Superliner sleeping cars.
- Amtrak Accessible Bedroom
- This room could be ideal for individuals with mobility issues.
- Amtrak Family Bedroom
- A great room for those traveling with wee travelers.
- General Questions on rooms (sleeper cars)
- An overview of Amtrak rooms and the top 21 most-asked questions answered.
Onboard experiences riding Amtrak
Wi-Fi on Amtrak
Amtrak Wi-Fi is available on many regional and long-distance trains. This article will inform you about which trains offer Wi-Fi and what you can expect from it.
Showers on Amtrak
Sleeping cars on long-distance trains offer several nice perks, including privacy, the ability to sleep horizontally at night, and showers. This article covers everything you need to know to stay fresh while traveling.
Eating on Amtrak
Eating on Amtrak can be a fun experience, and knowing what to expect can help you decide what snacks to bring and how much money to set aside as you travel.
Eating on Amtrak Long-Distance Trains
Sleeper car passengers on the Auto Train and those trains that run for two nights use Amtrak’s traditional dining. The remaining long-distance trains offer sleeping-car passengers Amtrak’s Dining.
Amtrak offers a cafe car for coach and sleeper passengers who wish to purchase food, snacks, or drinks.
Food On Amtrak Regional Trains
Many regional trains offer food on board. Short routes, such as the Hiawatha, do not provide food or beverage services. The cafe car is where you can find food on regional trains. This article covers the basics you need to know, including the menus.
Amtrak stations: getting to the train
The Amtrak system features various station types, ranging from a platform with a sign next to a cornfield to a beautiful station that is a relic of the glory days of rail travel.
These articles will prepare you for whatever station starts or ends your Amtrak adventure. You could encounter different types on a trip.
- Train Stations (General overview)
- Unstaffed Stations
- Platform Station
- This article also covers Amtrak Connecting services.
- Staffed station (coming at some point)
- Amtrak Flag Stops
- Flag stops include unstaffed or platform stations.
No matter what station, you need to know how to board Amtrak trains, and this article will help.
Amtrak lounges
Some Amtrak stations have passenger lounges. Do you qualify to go into an Amtrak lounge? Discover which stations offer them, what you can expect, who has access, and more!
Riding Amtrak’s long-distance trains
This page is an excellent starting point for learning about each train route. It includes articles I wrote about each route; if I haven’t written about a particular route yet, I link to Amtrak’s instead. You can also get schedules and route guides.
Riding Amtrak’s Auto Train
The Auto Train runs along the East Coast, eliminating the need to drive on I-95. This train travels from the great DC area to the great Orlando area.
The Auto Train lets you ride comfortably and bring your car along. You do need a car to ride on this train.
Two articles are available: the first is “Auto Train Basics,” and the second provides an overview of where to find your room on the train.
More tips for riding on Amtrak
- Entertainment on Amtrak
- How to prevent your Amtrak points from expiring!
- If you have traveled on Amtrak before and earned points, learn when they expire and how to save them.
- Find Out Why Passenger Train Lights Go On And Off
- Amtrak route guides
- Amtrak previously provided passengers with route guides for train travel, but they no longer offer them.
- Route guides can enhance your trip by providing fun trivia and historical information about the various stops and towns you pass through.
This page is growing!
More stories and articles are coming! Thank you for stopping by. I hope you’ll find something new about riding Amtrak.
Safe travels!
Kev
Do You Love Train Travel?
Want more insider Amtrak travel tips, route guides, and travel updates? Join my free Travels with Kev newsletter to get my Quick Reference Guide to Amtrak Long-Distance Trains, covering train equipment, dining options, and more. It comes out every Thursday!
It is a simple way to start planning smarter, smoother train trips.
If this guide helped you, you can also support my work through my Support Page or by joining me on Patreon. Your support helps keep Travels with Kev going, and paid Patreon members receive a postcard from my travels each month.