Amtrak Basics, 12 Things You Might Not Know
Travel tips

Amtrak Basics, 12 Things You Might Not Know

We’ve been lucky to call ourselves America’s Railroad for nearly 50 years. As experts on getting you where you need to go, we are here to answer any questions you might have about taking the train.

With train travel you have the freedom, time and convenience to enjoy the ride the way you like. If you’re new to Amtrak read on and see if a train adventure is for you. And if more questions pop up after you finish, just find us on Twitter and we’ll be happy to answer them.

  1. Need a ticket? No problem. You can purchase your tickets on our app, on our site, at the station, or if it’s #ThrowbackThursday by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL. Just kidding, you can call 24/7.
  2. We have everyday discounts and deals that help customers keep some green in their pocket. The first step in planning an Amtrak trip should start with seeing if a discount or deal applies to you.
  3. When you travel with us you can carry-on two free pieces of luggage. Let us repeat. You + two bags = no extra charge! Each item should not exceed 50 lbs. (23 kg) and needs to be 28 x 22 x 14 inches in size.
  4. If you’re trying to find the closest Amtrak station to you, just head here. Put in your city and state and we’ll do the rest.
  5. You get to pick your seat because there are no seat assignments, and there are no middle seats. SCORE!
  6. There are two outlets at every seat pair. It’s located near the window. Aisle seat lovers, if you need some juice for your device, kindly tell your seatmate before you reach over to use it. Also, don’t be that person that hogs both outlets. No one likes that person, trust us.
  7. Every seat pair has a big window, and it looks like this.
  8. There is a café car on the train. Head there for snacks, candy, and drinks (even the fun adult beverages). Here’s are some sample menus.
  9. The dining car is a sit-down restaurant with waiters and tasty food. It is only available on our long distance routes.
  10. Sitting in the café car for the entire ride is totally acceptable.
  11. If you purchase sleeping accommodations (roomette, bedroom etc.), your meals are in included in your ticket. If you’re in coach you can still use the dining car but you will have to pay for your meals.
  12. The observation car is has windows on the ceiling, but only travels on our long distance routes (#AmtrakAdventure anyone?).
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