TandyR
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 3, 2001
We really started in Portland, ME then took the bus to Boston and got the train. We took the bus rather then the train because the train from Portland to Boston ends up in Boston North Station and the train we wanted to get to NYC left Boston South Station and the bus went directly to the South Station. The bus has movies and stuff on it so my DD7 and DD4 watch the movie and colored so the bus ride was fine.
Even though we took coach from Boston to NYC, we were able to hang out in the Acela lounge in Boston since we were getting a sleeper later that day that was nice since they had free food and drinks and space for the girls to run around (we had the place to ourself) then we got a Red Cap so he could get us seat where there are two seats facing two seats...that was well worth the $10 tip we gave him. It was easier for us to look out for the girls...plus he put us on the better side...the one with the ocean view. We packed our lunch to eat on the coach part of the train, but I ended up wandering down to the cafe car two different times...once with each girl...so they could see the train and get up and strech their legs.
Once we got to NYC Penn station we went directly to the Acela lounge because Penn station was very crowded...so was the Acela lounge compard to the Boston one...but it was better then the station itself. We stayed there until they called our train and got us a Red Cap...the girls colored and helped themselves to the free snacks.
The Red Cap took us directly to our sleeper....it was about 7pm then. Our car attendant introduced himself to us and told us that he would get us into the first dinner seating since we had the girls and he said he would fold down the beds when we were at dinner. He also explained the room. We had a deluxe sleeper...it has a private bathroom, a chair, table and couch in the day time set up...the chair folds away for night time...the couch because a double bed and a twin bed comes out of the ceiling.
When traveling in a sleeper all meals are included in the price of your ticket...and boy this isn't any airplane food. The service is a bit slow with all the meals but as I pointed out to my husband...were do we have to go...nowhere...once we got that through our head we enjoyed our meals. My husband had a really good stake, I had a salad del mar...with shrimp, lobster and scallops. I think the girls both had mac and cheese. The girls were really tired so I took the girls back to our room and asked my husband to get a dessert wrapped up so we could eat them when the girls were in bed. He has cheesecake and I had a chocolate mousse cake...both were really good.
We all fell asleep with no problem the beds were a bit frim but ok.
For breakfast I had quiesh and grits, DH had eggs and grits, DD7 had pancakes with strawberries on top and DD4 had french toast. All very good.
We went back to our room. In the deluxe sleeper we had there was a little TV where they had four different movies running and some cartoons. The girls really liked that so they spent some of their time doing that and some coloring. We also walked around on the train and stopped in the cafe car just for a change of seneary...plus to get some M&Ms.
For lunch I don't remember what the rest had but I had a gardenburger which was good.
Our train got in an hour late but with my research I was planning on something a lot later then that.
Our return trip was basiclly the same but in reverse...the meals were a little different....and for the life of me I can't remember what they were right now. The sleeper that we had going back was a bit older so some things were broken...like our shower had a leak so the bathroom was a bit wet all the time, but nothing we couldn't live with.
When we got to NYC Penn station we hung out in the Acela lounge again and they got us a Red Cap again, but since the train had started in DC we couldn't get two sets of seats facing each other thing time...we ended up getting two sets of seats next to each other...which was very good and well worth the $10 tip since this train was sold out.
We made it back to Boston 30 minutes late...not bad at all and had no touble getting our bus back to Portland, Maine. So the whole trip was a really nice intro to family train travel.
Just a note on the cost of traveling with a sleeper. I bought our tickets 10 months in advance because through my research I found the prices of the sleepers go up with each sleeper sold so you really want to reserve your sleeper the first day they are avalable. Plus I had a $100 Amtrak gift certificate from cashing in points from our AmEx Blue card....it is one of the many things you can cash in points for. So we ended up paying $921 for round trip with a deluxe sleeper for the 4 of us.
Even though we took coach from Boston to NYC, we were able to hang out in the Acela lounge in Boston since we were getting a sleeper later that day that was nice since they had free food and drinks and space for the girls to run around (we had the place to ourself) then we got a Red Cap so he could get us seat where there are two seats facing two seats...that was well worth the $10 tip we gave him. It was easier for us to look out for the girls...plus he put us on the better side...the one with the ocean view. We packed our lunch to eat on the coach part of the train, but I ended up wandering down to the cafe car two different times...once with each girl...so they could see the train and get up and strech their legs.
Once we got to NYC Penn station we went directly to the Acela lounge because Penn station was very crowded...so was the Acela lounge compard to the Boston one...but it was better then the station itself. We stayed there until they called our train and got us a Red Cap...the girls colored and helped themselves to the free snacks.
The Red Cap took us directly to our sleeper....it was about 7pm then. Our car attendant introduced himself to us and told us that he would get us into the first dinner seating since we had the girls and he said he would fold down the beds when we were at dinner. He also explained the room. We had a deluxe sleeper...it has a private bathroom, a chair, table and couch in the day time set up...the chair folds away for night time...the couch because a double bed and a twin bed comes out of the ceiling.
When traveling in a sleeper all meals are included in the price of your ticket...and boy this isn't any airplane food. The service is a bit slow with all the meals but as I pointed out to my husband...were do we have to go...nowhere...once we got that through our head we enjoyed our meals. My husband had a really good stake, I had a salad del mar...with shrimp, lobster and scallops. I think the girls both had mac and cheese. The girls were really tired so I took the girls back to our room and asked my husband to get a dessert wrapped up so we could eat them when the girls were in bed. He has cheesecake and I had a chocolate mousse cake...both were really good.
We all fell asleep with no problem the beds were a bit frim but ok.
For breakfast I had quiesh and grits, DH had eggs and grits, DD7 had pancakes with strawberries on top and DD4 had french toast. All very good.
We went back to our room. In the deluxe sleeper we had there was a little TV where they had four different movies running and some cartoons. The girls really liked that so they spent some of their time doing that and some coloring. We also walked around on the train and stopped in the cafe car just for a change of seneary...plus to get some M&Ms.
For lunch I don't remember what the rest had but I had a gardenburger which was good.
Our train got in an hour late but with my research I was planning on something a lot later then that.
Our return trip was basiclly the same but in reverse...the meals were a little different....and for the life of me I can't remember what they were right now. The sleeper that we had going back was a bit older so some things were broken...like our shower had a leak so the bathroom was a bit wet all the time, but nothing we couldn't live with.
When we got to NYC Penn station we hung out in the Acela lounge again and they got us a Red Cap again, but since the train had started in DC we couldn't get two sets of seats facing each other thing time...we ended up getting two sets of seats next to each other...which was very good and well worth the $10 tip since this train was sold out.
We made it back to Boston 30 minutes late...not bad at all and had no touble getting our bus back to Portland, Maine. So the whole trip was a really nice intro to family train travel.
Just a note on the cost of traveling with a sleeper. I bought our tickets 10 months in advance because through my research I found the prices of the sleepers go up with each sleeper sold so you really want to reserve your sleeper the first day they are avalable. Plus I had a $100 Amtrak gift certificate from cashing in points from our AmEx Blue card....it is one of the many things you can cash in points for. So we ended up paying $921 for round trip with a deluxe sleeper for the 4 of us.
