We were beyond excited to finally get to ride in a Superliner Amtrak Family Bedroom. A Superliner Family Bedroom is designed for two adults and two children, it has two upper and lower bunks (berths). A Family Bedroom is a sleeper car accommodation. It can only be found on long haul train routes and specialty routes. While riding during the day the seats are up and at night the seats become the bottom bunks while the top bunks are simply folded down.
What Does A Family Bedroom Look Like On Amtrak?
The Superliner Amtrak Family Bedroom is a bit more spacious than the roomette. It is one of the best options for families traveling with children. The bedroom consists of a long couch and one seat on the main level. This couch folds our into a bed at night. The top bunks are stowed above for more head room during the day. There is a small closet in the room but you will not have a bathroom or shower like in a regular bedroom. The extra space is used up by the extra beds.
Which Amtrak Trains Have Family Bedrooms?
Families looking to travel cross country with their kids will find family bedrooms on several Amtrak train routes. All of these routes are long haul trips. You can book a Superliner Amtrak Family Bedroom for the Texas Eagle, California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Auto Train, Capitol Limited, Southwest Chief, Empire Builder and Sunset Limited. As you can see there are lots of train routes to choose from if you are wanting to book a family bedroom for your next train trip.
What Do You Get With A Family Bedroom On Amtrak?
Your meals are included with your sleeper car accommodations, as well as your drinks and even one alcoholic beverage per ride (not per day). If you want additional meals you can always purchase meals or snacks at the cafe. You also get an attendant for your car to help you with anything you may need during your journey. They will also make the beds for you if you have trouble doing it on your own.
Amtrak is serving traditional dining on most of the long haul routes and flexible dining on the shorter east coast routes. Traditional dining is the more popular and better of the two options.
One of the things you will not get in a family bedroom is your own bathroom. There are other accommodations with a bathroom but the family bedroom is not one of them. The extra space is taken up with the extra seating and beds.
What Is The Difference Between A Bedroom And A Family Bedroom?
There are quite a few differences between a bedroom and a family bedroom. There is a price difference between the two. A bedroom is more expensive than the family bedroom because you get a shower, toilet and sink in your bedroom, while in the family bedroom you share those with your car mates. The seating and bed layout is similar in the two accommodations with the exception of the folding seat in the family bedroom and the extra child bunk (berth). You get meals included with both of these accommodations and you also get an attendant with both.
Tips For Riding In An Amtrak Family Bedroom
There are several things to consider when riding in an Amtrak Family Bedroom. You want to be sure you don’ t bring too much on board for your carry on items. There is some storage under the couch in the Superliner Family Bedroom, a bit more than you might expect. You don’t need to bring a towel with you if you plan to shower, those are provided. The attendant provides a great service, you should consider tipping them. We usually tip at least $5 per person per night, sometimes more if warranted. Your meals are provided but you can bring snacks with you if you like to snack in between meals or late at night when the dining car and cafe are closed. We also encourage you to tip your dining car attendant, at least $5 per day.
