Guide To Riding Amtrak For Beginners
We have put together our guide to riding Amtrak for beginners. In this guide we will share some tips and tricks to make your first ride smooth and fun. There are lots of things we didn’t know before we hopped on our first train in Atlanta, Georgia. Our first train was the Crescent which came in from NYC. We rode it from Atlanta to New Orleans. There were not very many people on the train. We had a great ride. Here’s what we learned.
Luggage Lessons
They are very strict on weight limit for your bag. For some reason I thought it wouldn’t matter as much like on airplanes but it was a big deal. I ended up taking a couple heavy things out of my bag and putting them in my carry on. Just like on a plane be sure your valuables are in your carry on. You don’t want to have too much on the train with you because you will end up having to carry it with you when you leave your seat, if you are traveling solo.
Food Lessons
We learned a lot about food on our first train ride. We left our hotel early in the morning and did not eat breakfast, we planned to grab some food on the train for breakfast. When we got on the train, however, we found out they could not sell food because the card machine was not working and they were not accepting cash. I was thankful our hotel in Atlanta gave us to go breakfasts to keep us going,lol. They ended up giving us boxed snacks which consisted of a cheese and meat tray with crackers and cookies. They also gave us bottled water.
I noticed on the first train that a few people had coolers with them. It was something we did not know you could do. On our next train ride we brought Subway sandwiches with us. We also brought snacks with us like chips and candy. Don’t forget to bring a refillable water bottle with you to refill on the train. Do not refill your bottle in the bathroom. There are water stations in the train, use them to fill your bottle.
Enjoy The Ride
I found the train ride to be similar to a plane ride but more comfortable. There was much more leg room in the seats. The seats were comfortable and wider than on an airplane. You can also recline the seats back to almost laying flat. They also have foot rest extension, which was nice for someone with short legs like me. If you are on a train with an observation car be sure to spend some time there to enjoy the views. This is also a great place to enjoy your meals away from your seat. All in all we loved our Amtrak experience. We learned a lot from that first ride. Tell about your first journey. Do you enjoy it?
