I’m between my annual medical and dental appointments. So … I’m killing time on Amtrak. I purchased a USA Rail Pass. The cost was $499. I’m allowed 10 ride segments, in coach, over a 30-day period. What the pass doesn’t give you (and what Amtrak does not tell you) is an automatic seat. Amtrak sets aside a particular “number” of seats for rail pass holders. This means, although seats are “available” for passengers purchasing a ticket, there are no longer seats available for you, the USA Rail Pass holder. And … once you start using the pass, you only have 30 days to finish your 10 segments. Plan ahead … if there are particular routes you want to take.

The USA Rail Pass can only be used in coach. To make sure that you get a seat, plan early. If there’s a nearby Amtrak station, go there with a list of where you want to go. Go early or on a weekend. The ticket agent will be more than happy to assist you. If you must call Amtrak, an automated message will tell you that it’s a ten-minute wait. My last call took 35 minutes, for the agent to respond. Then, he couldn’t help me book the train I wanted, because it was “sold out” for rail pass holders. I hung up, went on the Amtrak App, and then booked the same train, using my Amtrak rewards points. I normally save them for access to Amtrak lounge areas, in major train stations.

Eating during your train journey will also need some planning. Some trains announce if seating is available, in the formal dining car, for those traveling in coach. Meals run $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch, and $45 for dinner, (which includes one alcoholic drink). If you’re traveling solo or at a party of less than four people, you will be seated with other guests. If you’re traveling on a budget, there’s a small café in coach. The prices are pretty much $4 to $10 for whatever you want to buy. You are allowed to bring food on the train. But, the café is not allowed to heat up any personal food items.

If you’re traveling solo, you have no control over who is seated next to you. You will also have little control over how much of that space you’ll actually get. Some passengers are bigger than others. Every seat has a footrest. The chairs recline and there’s a pullout feature for your lower legs. So, technically, you “could” recline into a sleeping position. Good luck sleeping. The nighttime lighting on the train is very bright! You will need something to cover your eyes. Most trains dim the lights and stop making announcements between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am. So, if you’re a smoker, be prepared for a long night. Amtrak will remove any passengers found smoking on the train.

And … speaking of sleeping, taking a seat in the front row might sound like a good idea. There’s enough space to use your suitcase as a foot rest. But …. The automatic doors in front of you make noise, with every entry and exit. If you’re near a restroom, people often stand and talk while they’re waiting. Plus, … the ceiling light, above the exit area, is very bright! If you’re a light sleeper, pack your eye mask and your headphones. Speaking of that, you will be amazed at how many people are on a train … without headphones. They play movies, watch TV shows, and/or listen to music … without headphones! You’ve been warned!

But … if you have the time to kill and want to see America, there’s no better way than to do it by train. On long haul trips, like Chicago to Los Angeles or Emeryville, California, you will be greeted with the most beautiful views imaginable. And, the connections you can make, with people you will never see again, are profound. I once met a man on his way to Montana to die. He didn’t want to be a burden on his family. He said he used to rodeo and could always find work. Our train was late and the Men’s shelter in town was closing. I almost got off the train to book him a hotel. He wouldn’t let me.

Roomettes on Amtrak are just different from coaches. In coach, you’re part of a family. The guy without the headphones, who refuses to turn down his music, reminds you of your cousin. The auntie who makes him turn it down, reminds you of your grandmother or “that” aunt! In sleeper cars, you’re part of a gang! You watch over each other. You offer to go to the end of the car to get coffee. You keep your cabin door open and have amazing conversations with the guy in the roomette across from you. Plus, after having three meals together, over a two or three day period, everyone knows (or has heard) about each other.

On some trips, the party starts in the lounge or dedicated area for sleeping car passengers waiting to board the train. People exchange names and hometowns. If you have Amtrak points, you can buy your way into the official lounge area, even if you’re traveling in coach. I normally use Amtrak points to purchase ten lounge passes and use them when I travel with my USA Rail Pass. In Chicago, coach pass holders can only enter the Metropolitan lounge three hours before departure. Still, it’s a good way to chill and grab some snacks for the night.

For all that’s good and bad, train travel can be a lot of fun. It forces you to just “Let it go” and learn to go with the flow. Amtrak doesn’t own most of the rail lines in the USA. So, if a commercial train needs the tracks, your train has to wait. This can be a few minutes up to what feels like forever. Learn to go with the flow! I remember one time in Vietnam. I booked a sleeping car, from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City. Although the train started out in Hanoi, the bedding was never changed, when passengers got off and new passengers got on. My sleeping sack came in handy, as I learned to go with the flow!

The highlight of that trip was when Uncle came by with our dinner. I saw the cart and wondered what could possibly be in the bucket. The local woman, in the bunk across from me, said yes. So, I did the same. I still have no idea what I ate. But, this is why I travel. Train travel can’t be an adventure, if you keep saying no to the adventure. XOXO—GGT