2025 was possibly our busiest travel year to date, at least in terms of leisure travel.
I made all the arrangements for and executed three major trips: One for us, one daughter and her son to visit England and France to feed the grandson’s passion for WWII history; a trip later in the summer to show my older son and our new daughter-in-law New York City for the first time for both of them; and a trip to Christkindlmarkts in three cities in Germany and Austria for our adult children, spouses and grandchildren – a total of 13 people in all! After all of that, you’d think I’d had enough for a while.
You would be wrong.
By early January, wanderlust was gnawing at me … again.
God bless my wife, who shares my love of travel but not my level of intensity. She encouraged me to find something that I could enjoy as a solo traveler and less as a “cruise director” so I hit upon something that I’d not experienced in the U.S. since about the age of 5: long-distance train travel. Amtrak's Empire Builder would fill the bill nicely.
I made all the arrangements for and executed three major trips: One for us, one daughter and her son to visit England and France to feed the grandson’s passion for WWII history; a trip later in the summer to show my older son and our new daughter-in-law New York City for the first time for both of them; and a trip to Christkindlmarkts in three cities in Germany and Austria for our adult children, spouses and grandchildren – a total of 13 people in all! After all of that, you’d think I’d had enough for a while.
You would be wrong.
By early January, wanderlust was gnawing at me … again.
God bless my wife, who shares my love of travel but not my level of intensity. She encouraged me to find something that I could enjoy as a solo traveler and less as a “cruise director” so I hit upon something that I’d not experienced in the U.S. since about the age of 5: long-distance train travel. Amtrak's Empire Builder would fill the bill nicely.
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| The Empire Builder |
Amtrak’s Empire Builder, which runs between Seattle’s King Street Station and Union Station in Chicago, would give me the opportunity to compare and contrast the European trains we’d experienced with America’s offerings and a couple of days alone on the road to chill. With roots in Chicago, I'd also have a short time to visit some friends, family, and revisit my old stomping grounds.
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| The route of Amtrak's Empire Builder |
After investigating my options, I booked a Roomette for the 46-hour journey. Although it was $415 more than a $219 coach seat, it included a number of upgrades, not the least of which is PRIVACY.
Amtrak offers Wi-Fi on its trains, though the bandwidth is limited. With that limitation in mind, I intend to blog about my experiences while en route, so check back here periodically for updates.
I anticipate a fun adventure. I hope you’ll come along.
My Roomette, which the website says measures 6’6” x 3’6”, or 23 square feet, could sleep up to two adults. Even though the space is small, it will mean extra room over a coach seat in an open car.
My compartment - Room 12 on Car 830 – will have a First Class attendant to assist, two seats that the attendant transforms into upper and lower berths each evening, and complimentary dining in the dining car. It also includes lounge access and priority boarding at select stations. The downside is that it utilizes a shared bathroom and shower; the larger “Bedroom” offers twice the square footage, all the other amenities, and a private in-room-sink, restroom and shower for an additional $400.
Unfortunately, Seattle’s station does not have a premium lounge, so that “benefit” will not be available. However, the waiting room is fairly comfortable, if not luxurious, and should be a fine place to pass the time until the scheduled 4:45 p.m. departure.
Unfortunately, Seattle’s station does not have a premium lounge, so that “benefit” will not be available. However, the waiting room is fairly comfortable, if not luxurious, and should be a fine place to pass the time until the scheduled 4:45 p.m. departure.
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| Interior of King Street Station (Credit: Wikipedia) |
Amtrak offers Wi-Fi on its trains, though the bandwidth is limited. With that limitation in mind, I intend to blog about my experiences while en route, so check back here periodically for updates.
I anticipate a fun adventure. I hope you’ll come along.
Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.
Photo and images courtesy Amtrak.com unless otherwise noted
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