America’s sheer size can mean long and tiring drives, so it’s suprising how few Brits think to look at Amtrak, the government-owned passenger rail service.
With comfortable cabins, passengers can overnight on the train and wake refreshed to explore a new destination. Yes, they could fly more quickly, but then they would miss some of the country’s most iconic landscapes floating by the window.
For overnight journeys, recommend clients upgrade to a first-class option. Coach is fine for shorter, daytime travels: the seats are larger and have more legroom than on British trains. But sleeping in these is rather like sleeping on a plane.
The first-class cabins are much more comfortable, and good-quality meals are included. Clients can wait in a dedicated lounge at the station and board early, so they’re happily installed with a drink by the time the train leaves.
Railway sleepers
Sleeping car accommodation includes roomettes, bedrooms and bedroom suites (two adjoining cabins), accommodating up to four people. Some train types even offer four-berth family rooms. Pricier options have in-room toilets and showers.
I stayed in a roomette, where shared bathroom facilities were just down the corridor. During the day, two wide, comfortable seats face each other, with a fold-down table in between.
When you return from dinner, the guard has converted the cabin. One seat slides up and over the other to create a completely flat, roomy single. The other bed folds down from the ceiling, creating a top bunk.
The guard makes up the beds, too, so clients don’t have to fumble around with sheets and blankets – it’s all done for them.
It’s easy for all but the lightest of sleepers to get a good night’s kip on the train. There’s a certain amount of horn-blowing and rattling, but it’s not too intrusive. I struggle to sleep on flights, but got a good seven hours on Amtrak.
Toilets are like those on planes; showers are small but perfectly serviceable. There isn’t a massive amount of room for luggage in the cabins, so passengers with huge cases can take a small bag on to the train and stow the rest in the hold.
Stepping off
Tell clients not to spend more than two nights on the train in a row – by that point they’ll be ready for a hotel room, a hot bath and a chance to stretch their legs.
Besides, they’ll hardly need to spend more time than that – a two-night trip will take them two-thirds of the way across the US.
My journey was ideal in length. I overnighted from Chicago to Memphis, awaking early to disembark at the home of the blues.
A couple of days later, I took a daytime train from Memphis down to New Orleans, watching Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana slide by my window.
Clapboard houses with porches to block the Deep South sun, church billboards proclaiming ‘Jesus is Lord’, yellow buses, drive-throughs and one-dollar general stores punctuated mile upon mile of swamp. Amtrak trains are double-decker, so the views from the raised cabins are fantastic.
Fast and fun
These trains aren’t the last word in luxury – Americans also use them just for getting around – but they’re comfortable, fast and fun.
There’s a real romance to riding the rails, from heritage stations and peak-capped guards to the rhythmic rattling. Next time a client wants to book a great American journey, the rail option could well put them on the right track.
Three of the best Amtrak routes
Amtrak trains visit more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 21,000-mile system. Clients can get from coast to coast in three days, and from north to south overnight.
The City of New Orleans: From the shores of Lake Michigan down to the Gulf of Mexico, The City of New Orleans links the three musical cities of Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans. Suggest a 10-day trip to give clients the chance to make the most of each city.
Coast Starlight: Run up the west coast between Los Angeles and Seattle on the Coast Starlight. The most impressive coastal scenery is between Santa Barbara and St Luis Obispo, so recommend travelling north so clients don’t risk missing it in the dark. Further north they’ll hit the Puget Sound mountain ranges.
Californian Zephyr: This train ploughs between Chicago and San Francisco, through the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada, so snow-capped peaks come as standard. Denver and Reno are good stopover options.
How to book
It’s easy to book Amtrak tickets for your clients direct online at amtrak.railagent.com.
All you need to do is register, and then you can earn 8% commission on tickets and rail passes.
There is a ‘Contact Us’ section of the website where you can submit queries to Amtrak’s travel agency sales centre, or you can email intlhelp@amtrak.com, or call the UK-only number 0808 234 4630.
You can learn more about Amtrak services and download marketing aids at amtrakagentsupport.com.
Tickets and rail passes
Tickets
One-way, return and multi-city tickets are easily booked online. A coach price ticket is initially booked for every passenger, and then any sleeping accommodation costs are added on top. There is a flat rate per cabin per night, rather than a charge per passenger.
Rail passes
Rail Passes are also available. These are great for clients taking extended stays and for those who crave flexibility.
A 15-day travel pass costs $389 per adult and allows eight travel ‘segments’ during this period. A segment can include a variable number of stops, but is completed when the passenger disembarks the train.
A 30-day pass with 12 travel segments costs $579, while an 18-segment, 45-day pass costs $749. Accommodation charges apply on top of these costs.
