Tipping On Amtrak Trains

Tipping on Amtrak is optional; however, it’s a nice way to express gratitude to the staff who improve your journey. Passengers usually tip attendants, such as those in sleeping, coach cars, or food service. They rarely tip conductors and engineers unless a conductor provides exceptional assistance.

Remember that many staff members are away from friends and family for days and do a lot of work while you relax.

Grab your favorite beverage or snack, and let’s walk you through tipping on Amtrak. Thanks for checking out this article for tips and advice based on years of Amtrak travel.

A Travels with Kev podcast on Tipping on Amtrak

This episode is an overview of this article.

Is tipping on Amtrak Trains Necessary?

The technical answer is no.

Before we go too far, you should know that Amtrak does not set a protocol for tipping or offer a tip option like they do on cruises.

Passengers have developed this protocol over the years, and this article is about collecting their thoughts. As always, some may disagree on either side of the topic.

A Reasonable Look at Tipping

Unlike many USA service industry workers, Amtrak employees do not depend on tips for their income.

Tipping on Amtrak is a great way to thank them and show that you appreciate their efforts. I often do it by default, but sometimes I intentionally do not; learn why further down in the post.

If you are financially unable to tip, a sincere thank you and letting Amtrak know what a great job that employee did are appreciated. The link is at the bottom of the page. Don’t feel bad if that is the case. A treat from the café car could be an excellent and affordable gesture.

Tipping On Amtrak: When To Do It

When to tip and whom to tip is up to you.

Acela

If you are in first class, you receive at-seat service, and people often tip that attendant. Some may tip the café car attendant if you are in business class.

Many people give tips at the end or along your journey. Depending on your required services, a tip of $5 or more is appropriate.

Sleeping and coach car attendants

Usually, I tip when the attendant comes around to alert me of my stop or during one of the sweeps they make as we approach the final station. You can also do it as you step off the train.

The typical tipping range for car attendants is $5 to $20 a day, based on the level of service and your budget.

Some people prefer to tip the attendants at the start of their adventures; I am not one of them. Some believe this makes tipping feel like a bribe, which I can understand. However, that is probably not the intention of those people, though it may be for some.

For me, staff should earn a tip rather than automatically receive one, so I give it at the end. If you prefer to tip beforehand, there is no judgment here; we do what we think is best.

Dining car employees

For example, at bars and restaurants, you can tip at the end of the transaction when you pay with a card or cash. 

On occasion, if I have the same dinner attendant for the day, I tip at that day’s last meal. But that all depends on how much cash I have. Often, the standard food service rates of 15% – 25% are typical. Below are the prices charged to coach passengers so that you can use those as a base or whatever you feel is appropriate.

Sleeper reservations include meals, but there are meal prices for each meal for coach passengers.

Café car attendants

Regarding café car attendees, you have the same café for the whole trip, so you can tip as you go or on your last visit.

Station Staff

Some stations have red caps or agents to help you get to or from the train. You are free to tip them a few dollars per bag.

Something to Consider About Amtrak Staff.

Some staff stay with you the whole trip while others change out as you travel. Conductors and engineers change out as you go, and the FRA sets how long these employees can work. Often, these individuals switch out during longer smoke breaks.

Who stays with you for your entire trip?

Attendants for coach class, sleeping cars, and food service stay with you for the entire journey, with two exceptions: the Texas Eagle (Trains 421-422) changes staff in San Antonio, and the Floridian swaps attendants in Washington, DC.

How long are the staff away from home?

Amtrak employees are often away from home and family for four to six days or more. However, the situation is different if you are on a regional train; they might be gone overnight or home at night.

For instance, the California Zephyr crews have a Chicago base. They travel with passengers to Emeryville, CA, where they spend the night before piloting the return train to Chicago the next day. Consequently, most staff members are away from home for roughly a week!

What do attendants do on the train?

These employees work behind the scenes to make the trip comfortable for you and your fellow passengers.

For example, sleeping car attendants help you along your journey. They make your beds and put them away, assist with getting you off the train, help with meal reservations, provide you with the information you may need during your journey, and more. They also run and grab meals for some passengers and clean the car.

Coach attendants help keep their cars clean and assist passengers. Food service staff prepare food and serve it on a moving train, which is more challenging than you might think!

When Tipping on Amtrak Is Not Recommended.

Not everyone will agree with me on this point, which is fine. You know what is best for you; like all my articles, these are guides, and you can take from them what you want.

For the record, I follow the motto “assume positive intent,” and I try to improve someone’s day when in doubt. However, I received inadequate service several times during my travels, so I did not tip.

When I haven’t tipped on Amtrak

Over my many Amtrak trips, I had only a few poor attendants who refused to tip.

For example, once I hit the call button, the car attendant came to my room, looked at me, and then walked away, so I ended up putting my bed down. The other time, the attendant ignored me for most of my journey.

I reported them to Amtrak both times.

I let Amtrak know if they did well or poorly, but I let things go if they had middle-of-the-road service. On the other hand, if I get excellent service, I let Amtrak know, too. The link to do that is at the end of the article.

If you choose not to tip, keep this in mind.

Sometimes, we need to check ourselves. I do this to ensure my expectations are realistic and my mood does not hinder my experiences.

Do not expect the car attendant to be a personal attendant; you will be disappointed if you do!

Remember, they have a whole car to maintain. Also, if you had a different expectation of the train or things did not go your way, don’t take that out on your attendant. Train travel is not like the movies, nor is flying.

The car attendant did not make your train late, nor did they cause mechanical problems. It does take time for one person to make up twenty rooms in a full Superliner sleeper car.

Tipping on Amtrak Trains: How You Do It!

Tipping Station, Coach, and Sleeping Attendants

If you want to tip, cash works best! 

You can always ask if they accept electronic payments if you run out or forget. Packaged treats and gift cards are also lovely gestures. There are no ATMs on the train, nor can you get cash back, so bring tip money.

Tipping Café and Dining Car Attendants.

You can tip these hard workers with cash, but there’s another way.

If you pay with a credit or debit card, you can leave a tip, like at restaurants. However, with sleeper cars, your meals are part of your reservations, so if you want to tip but forget cash, you can buy an adult beverage to take back to your room or lounge car and leave your meal tip on the charge slip.

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Wrapping Up About Tipping on Amtrak Trains

It’s your choice to tip or not.

Tipping is a fantastic way to thank someone who improved your Amtrak adventure. While most attendants do not expect it, it is a nice gesture.

Don’t worry if you can’t afford to tip, but let Amtrak know about the excellent service you received.

If you want to tell Amtrak about the excellent service, you can use the yellow button below. I spoke with someone in Amtrak management, who told me the comments go to the managers, who share them with the employees.

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Safe Travels!

Kev

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