How to Make the Most of Your Amtrak Connection

You’re on a long-distance Amtrak adventure and have some time before catching your connecting train. What do you do? Make the most of it, of course! We’ve got some tips below for making sure time in between your Amtrak adventures is well spent.

1) Stow your luggage
Nothing’s worse than hauling your bag all over town. We’ve got good news: sleeper car passengers have access to our station lounges, the perfect place to store your bags while you roam about the city waiting for your next train to depart. For non-sleeper car passengers, our stations often have baggage storage facilities available for rent. Check the Amtrak app stations section to see if your station offers baggage storage.

2) Check out your station
You may already be in one of the city’s most famous historic landmarks – your Amtrak station! Whether it’s the romantic Spanish Colonial Revival station in Glendale, or the grand Beaux-Arts Washington Union Station, Amtrak’s careful restoration of some of our nation’s architectural treasures may be right under your feet (or above your head). Many stations have mini-museums inside or displays featuring their restoration efforts.

3) Use apps to geolocate top restaurants or sight-seeing recommendations
On a recent trip to Chicago aboard the Capitol Limited, one Amtrak employee had only a few hours to make the most of her connect in Chicago before heading to Grand Rapids on the Wolverine. Being a foodie, she searched Yelp and found the famous Lou Mitchell’s, an 85 year-old Chicago diner that serves up homemade pies and delicious Eggs Benedict. Only steps from Chicago’s Union Station, she was able to sample local fare without stressing about her connect. Who knows? Your connecting city may have a similar gem!

4) Search your connecting city on Instagram using hashtags
Have time in Chicago between getting off the Lake Shore Limited and jumping on the California Zephyr? What about in Seattle after hopping off the Empire Builder and boarding the Coast Starlight? Simply search using hashtags such as #Chicago or #Seattle to see what pictures people are snapping nearby. Speaking of Instagram…be sure to follow us and tag your ‘grams #Amtrak.