<p>I am considering taking Amtrak from California to Chicago. Any experience with this type of trip?</p>
<p>When the kids were young, I took the trip from Chicago to LA as well as Chicago to the Bay area. The northern route, via Denver and Reno is an outstanding trip, and the train passes the Rockies and Sierras in daylight hours. The southern route, via Albuquerque is less spectacular, but pleasant. We never got a compartment, and took much of our own food on the train. I find it very relaxing, and a good way to spend time as a family. But then, I will sit on a train just about anytime. </p>
<p>I have friends who get compartments, and just love it. If you can be flexible, it is cheaper if purchased on the train, when they have availability. The food is not bad.</p>
<p>great lakes mom, That sounds like a great time! I could probably get this on their website but how long does the trip take from So Cal taking the two different routes?</p>
<p>We gave this trip to DD as part of her college graduation gift. She left from somewhere in the north SF bay area and took the train all the way back home to CT. </p>
<p>We paid for the sleeper for her…which also includes meals in the dining car (from CA to Chicago). She said it was GREAT. Because she was traveling alone, she had her sleeper compartment to herself. Nice big window…terrific service. There was a beverage station in her car. She happened to be on an upper level (the sleeper cars are two levels) and that was nice too. She got fresh linens when needed and her bed pulled down (she chose to sleep in the bunk so as not to have to move her “stuff” and since she was alone that was fine). She said the food in the dining car was good. </p>
<p>DD had a regular “seat” for the Chicago/CT leg of the trip…and she wished in retrospect that she had gotten a sleeper for that part of the trip too. </p>
<p>If you have the money…get the sleeper compartment from CA to Chicago!!</p>
<p>So far we’re 0 for 3 on people taking this route who’ve actually arrived within three hours of their scheduled arrival. One arrived two days later. Particularly in the winter (which has already started here in the Rockies) there seem to be problems. If you don’t have time constraints, then I suspect that it is a fabulous journey, but it would be very good to be aware of the possible delays.</p>
<p>Oh…DD was LATE for her arrival but she had absolutely NO time commitments. She barely made her train connection in Chicago. If she hadn’t, she would have had an additional day. As it was she was very late…Amtrak provided the meals for the additional time on the train to Chicago.</p>
<p>Agreed…you can’t have a time deadline!!</p>
<p>I would suggest flying back- that would be a long trip to take the train both ways. But great scenery!
( I would also get a compartment)</p>
<p>I took this trip from Chicago to Oakland last year, arriving on Dec. 26. I adore the train, so to my great disappointment, we arrived about two hours early. I agree, though, that you shouldn’t have any critical appointments on the scheduled arrival day.</p>
<p>I ADORE this trip at any time of year, as long as I have a bed. The roomette is plenty for me, I don’t need the deluxe bedroom.</p>
<p>My parents used to take the train from Chicago to Cumberland MD. Last Thanksgiving when I was picking them up I can into a colleague of H’s whose son was on the train, returning from CalTech. They were almost on time, though he might have had a fortuitous layover en route.</p>
<p>Yes…the roommette is what my daughter had. It was perfect. It’s a two full day plus trip from Oakland to Chicago.</p>
<p>Bay Area to Chicago takes the route through the Rockies; Los Angeles to Chicago takes the southern track. I’ve done both, and prefer the northern route. </p>
<p>When it’s time for meals, you get seated at the first empty seat, so you don’t end up sitting alone. This is actually a great thing about train travel, because you end up talking to all kinds of people you’d never meet otherwise. </p>
<p>Some people sleep really well on trains. Others don’t. Unfortunately, you don’t know what kind you are until you are on the train trying to fall asleep. 
And even then, just because you did fine when you were in your 20’s doesn’t mean it’ll be fine when you’re significantly older. :)</p>
<p>There’s not much to see between Chicago and Denver; the spectacular scenery is all between Denver and the S.F. Bay Area. If you’re going for the scenery, I’d suggest taking the train round trip between Emeryville, CA (the East Bay terminus) and Denver, and flying roundtrip between Denver and Chicago. I love train travel, but 32 hours at a time (Emeryville-Denver) is enough for me; that last 18 hours to Chicago across nothing but flat cornfields is something I can do without. Plus you only need to pay for the roomette for 1 night.</p>
<p>The Emeryville-Chicago route is actually the central route. There’s an even more northerly route, departing from either Portland or Seattle (your choice, the trains meet) to Chicago via Glacier National Park and St. Paul. I’ve never taken this train but people who have rave about it. Expect delays. This is at present the only train between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Chicago, and it’s routinely a few minutes to 2 hours late, sometimes much later.</p>