Amtrak

Station customer service review:
Up arriving at the train station, my wife spoke to the desk service person regarding sleeping quarters. When finished talking she proceeded into the lounge. When I arrived, she waived me into the lounge, letting me know where she was sitting.
Once inside, I attempted to ask another staff member if our tickets would include a cabin for sleeping. Before I could complete my sentence I was cut off and told I would board from a gate father away.
I poured a coffee and sat back down with my wife. At this point a 3^rd staff member (Gary) stepped in and told the 2^nd staff member that my wife and I needed to leave.
There lounge was very crowded and I was quite embarrassed, feeling as though I had snuck in or stolen something. The staff member stood extremely close blocking us from I don’t know what.
I do not appreciate being made to feel that I have broken some law or caused someone harm.
A sign or some sort of screening, indication at all to let us know we were not allowed would have been welcome. At least then we would have had the opportunity and keep ourselves out of the room knowingly.

This review is based on my experience from taking Amrak from Vancouver to Seattle.
$ 40 for an one way ride is quite a good value compares to renting a car and drive down from Vancouver with just 2 of us travelling.
I would advice the morning train if you want to enjoy the view as since it was quite dark by the time we were at the US border. The sunset though short was pretty.
The ride took 5 hours and we arrived on time. It did get a little bit boring so make sure you have some sort of entertainment as you won’t have any wifi access till you cross the Border.
The food on board is overpriced and boring. But one did get hungry and the boredom made me feel like eating too.
Compares to flying, this maybe a good option if you have a lot of luggage as there are quite a generous check in allowance and with short lines both for immigration, custom and security check.

Good choice for travelling between Seattle and Vancouver, BC; this review covers that route. We rode the 510 and 517 trains.
In the past we had a decent experience on Amtrak travelling between Seattle and Portland, OR.
And an awful experience travelling East-​to-​West from Whitefish, MT, to Seattle on a sleeper car on the Empire Builder. A few months following that voyage, in response to our complaint Amtrak kindly provided a travel certificate as partial compensation. We used that certificate shortly before it expired (after one year) for the Vancouver BC — Seattle roundtrip that is the subject of this review.
From Seattle-​to-​Vancouver we rode coach class; on the return we rode in business. Though there are fewer seats in business (1 seat + 2 seats in a row rather than 2 + 2), seat comfort was about the same. Main benefit was the shorter boarding line at the station.
PROS:
— Cheaper and easier than flying between these two cities. Stations are located right in city, so there is no need to travel to airports.
— Both the Seattle and Vancouver stations are located next to local public transit.
— Free Wi-​Fi internet on the train while in the US. NOTE: no audio or video streaming, nor large file transfers.
— Our trains were on-​time.
— Enthusiasm and friendliness of the Amtrak staff. They seemed to love trains, and sharing the experience with customers. (Much better than our experience on the East-​West Empire Builder.)
— The restored interior architecture of the King Street station in Seattle is attractive. The station has free Wi-​Fi internet access.
— When crossing into US, customs and immigration are fast and convenient. Most of the process takes place at the Vancouver station before boarding. Then the train makes a 10 minute stop at the US border; US agents board and check passports.
— Lounge car was a comfortable place to eat or «talk story» or read, etc. There were a couple of Russian immigrants on our train who provided an interesting description of riding a few days on the 14-​day trans-​Siberian train in Soviet times. Amtrak never seemed better.
— Scenery from train.
CONS:
— No regular coffee was available on our Vancouver-​to-​Seattle train, though — judging by the shared unhappiness of the crew — this was unusual. In compensation de-​caf was free.
— Amtrak doesn’t assign seats until after one arrives at the station. Thus, one must wait in line first for a seat assignment, and then again when boarding. The seat assignment line wait time is especially long for coach class.
— To exchange a paper Amtrak Travel Certificate for tickets one must go to an Amtrak station. It would be wonderful if one could reserve travel and do the exchange on-​line. The process with the paper certificate is to call Amtrak, make the reservation, and then appear at an Amtrak station within 2 – 3 days to pay using the certificate. (Apparently the certificate can also be used at authorized Amtrak ticket vendors, but I could only find one nearby; their commission was $ 35 per ticket.)

We loved our ride on the Amtrack Cascades from Vancouver to Seattle. The train is definitely the way to go when making this trek. The views from the train cannot be beat by a bus or plane. The seats are comfortable and you are able to walk around on the four-​hour journey. Another perk is the customs process. The train stops at the border and customs officers board the train to check all of the passports. Meanwhile you can see the line up of cars on the road waiting to get through the border crossing.
We purchased tickets in business class which allowed us to bypass the line and board first. Woohoo! This alone made the up-​charge worth it.
Upon checking in, we selected our seats. We chose seats next to one another, but we also had the option of seats facing each other. We were happy with our seat selection, but word to all the tall folks out there– there was a tall couple who selected the seats facing one another and were very frustrated and inconvenienced because there’s less leg room in the seats facing one another. Side by side is the way to go.
The view on the way down the coast is beautiful (see attached video). About two hours into the journey, we headed to the dining car for a snack. This is the only part of the train ride that I thought could have been improved. The food selection is not great and the line is long with one person working the counter.
I definitely recommend the train ride supplemented with snacks from the outside. :)

The Amtrak ride from Vancouver to Seattle is a must! You think you’re just in for a boring train ride, but it’s a surprisingly very comfortable and scenic one! There’s an option of business class, but the seating throughout is much all the same! If the train is not packed, you get a whole 4 leather chairs to yourself!
Throughout your ride, you get a very nice ride along the water; probably 30% of the ride you travel along the beach and ocean. Amtrak provides free wireless, which works after you cross the border into the US. There is a nice bar in the middle of the train with windows all around. I highly recommended it vs taking an airplane flight if you are on vacation.
Just make sure you don’t have to be somewhere on time as trains are often late! I would give this review 4 stars because there were always delays, but they were usually not within Amtraks control, we were on vacation, and the guy talking over the speaker phone always had something smooth to say!

The 411 for arriving in Vancouver:
–Passing customs takes forever. Plan to wait 15 – 60 minutes to pass through depending on where you are in the line (based on which car you were sitting on)
–Depending on which way you walk up or down Quebec which is the street across the way, you can end up in a really nice part of Vancouver or a really sketchy part of Vancouver
The down low for returning to the States via Amtrak 517:
–Boarding begins at 1630 for the 1745 train
–Be through security by 1730
–Get your customs declaration card filled out ASAP so you can just run through CBP pretty quickly
–Getting there early means no one is pretty rushed or annoyed and you can ask to be seated on a certain side if you prefer a certain view.
Free wifi is awesome on the trains, there’s also free ATT wifi at the station through Greyhound or something like that.

Amtrak I love you — Amtrak I do — When we’re apart my heart beats only for choochooochoooooooo!
Everyone has a preferred form of transportation — I love the train.
I travel down the BC/​WA/​OR coast a couple times a year and whenever I can I take the train. Usually the Amtrak Cascades from Vancouver to Seattle. I find the train is a more humane form of transportation.
With their new app for the Iphone — etickets — plugs next to your seats. Amtrak is definitely trying to keep up to date. Throw in the 2 free checked bags — and basically unlimited carry on. better seats than the bus/​plane, a reasonably reliable wifi connection, and a restaurant car with food and booze. You can’t beat it.

Naturliebhaber sollten den Zug von Vancouver nach Seattle nehmen. Die Landschaft ist sehr reizvoll und wunderschön.
Wir hatten das Glück in den Abend hineinzufahren und den Sonnenuntergang vom Zug aus zu erleben. Sowohl die Sicht auf den Pacific als auch das Farbenspiel im Landesinnern war ein Erlebnis.
Nebeneffekt: problemlose, relaxte Einreise in die USA

When booking my cruise to Alaska online, and the accompanying airfare to get to Vancouver from Florida, I discovered that it was actually cheaper to book two one-​way trips if I flew back from the Northwest out of Seattle, rather than Vancouver. I had read a lot of reviews singing the praises of the Amtrak Cascades, and the beautiful views along the oceans and between the mountains. I had actually never travelled anywhere further than 1 or 2 miles by a real train before, and those were usually at theme parks and the like. My daughter had also never travelled anywhere by train before, so with all of the factors leading us down the road, I decided to buy tickets. The online process was easy enough, if not a little cumbersome (passport numbers, identification and such — after all, Vancouver is in another country), and the price was very reasonable as well (a little less than $ 40 each with AAA discount).
On the day of our train ride, we arrived at the train station an hour early, as was recommended, at 5:30 am. The TSA area was terribly cramped, and obviously added in long after this station was originally built, so the scanners were smaller than usual, and our bags were falling on the floor at the end of the conveyor belt while we were still at the front of the line putting our bags on the belt. When I booked online, the site told me that there would not be anyone available to check our bags with because our departure was so early. To all our surprise, they did have 3 agents there just to check bags, and that made the rest of the trip much easier. By the luck of the draw — not because of any request I had made online or at check-​in — we had a window seat on «the good side» of the train, the side facing west, where all of the beautiful scenery would be best viewed. And beautiful it was; right on the ocean, between the mountains, beside span bridges, and through some forests, too. We even saw eagles hunting over the water. The seats were more comfortable than I had expected, having not paid the extra $ 70+ for business class, and the ride was also surprisingly smooth. I actually dozed a few times for 5 or 10 minutes at a clip.
When we got to the border between Canada and the U.S., about an hour into the 4 hour ride, the train had to stop, and Border Patrol agents boarded the train in order to review everyone’s I.D. For about 15 to 20 minutes, guys and a girl in SWAT gear and utility belts that would make Batman jealous went car to car, seat to seat, looking at passports and firing off questions with what felt like only a passive interest in the answers. It felt a little surreal, like movies from the 60’s and 70’s with border crossings out of East Berlin or something, but eventually, we got underway again, and hunger got the better of me. I had a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee in the dining car, which were both terrible, and pricy, too. My wife also bought something to eat that she was less than thrilled with.
Before long, the conductor announced the Seattle stop at King Street Station, and we got off, got into baggage claim, and had all of our bags in about 10 minutes. A fairly easy trip, with no real hang ups or trouble. I was a little disappointed that my daughter was more interested in her book than she was the great views out the window she was right next to, but I guess that’s kids today, not Amtrak’s doing. I’d recommend it if you’re not rushing anywhere, and although I would have preferred to leave later in the morning, I’m pretty pleased we did it.

If you’re not in a hurry, take the coastal train to Seattle. Ask to be seated on the water side. You’ll be treated to a relaxing trip with great scenery, free wi-​fi, and easy immigration to the States.

I took the Amtrak Cascades down to Portland, and developed a love/​hate relationship with the company.
I’ll start with what I hated. There was a mudslide on the tracks so we had to disembark the train in Everett, bus to Seattle, and wait 2 hours for another train before we were on our way to Portland again. This made our 8.5 hour trip take 12.5 hours!!! But hey, you know I get it. There’s nothing Amtrak can do to avoid a natural disaster, so you can’t hold them at fault. You can, however, gripe about the TERRIBLE communication concerning what was happening and where we were going. Imagine masses of people being overloaded onto buses and then asked to get off again when they realized there were no more seats. Imagine getting to Seattle to find not a single Amtrak employee in the station and wondering how and if you were going to be transported to your destination. Seriously it was about 1.5 hours of sitting in the Seattle station before any Amtrak employee showed up to tell two trains full of people how and when we’d be moving again. Meanwhile I was starving and had to pee, but was afraid to leave the station (which was under construction, so no food of bathroom in sight) for fear I’d miss whatever form of transportation they were going to put us on next. When we were finally loaded back onto the train I was forced to spend 4 or so hours listening to the LOUD music being played without headphones from the passengers behind me — shouldn’t staff have at least called them out on that???
Okay, enough complaining, here’s the good. On my way back from Portland I was offered a ride by a friend who happened to be driving back on my scheduled departure date. Obviously after my terrible experience on the way down I took him up on the offer. I logged into Amtrak to see if I could get any sort of refund on my ticket, clicked a button that said «cancel trip», and my ticket was refunded on my credit card (all but a fee of about $ 5). SO EASY — no questions asked! So if you’re a cancel-​at-​the-​last-​minute kind of traveller this is a great option.
Would I do it again though? Nah, probably not…

Great way to travel too Seattle… very comfortable. You also get off in a good part of town… close to excellent hotels. The WiFi provided was slow but free… I didn’t go for the WiFi. The food is just OK… kind of heat and eat stuff… filled the gap. Would use this service again for $ 38 one way… can’t beat it!!!

Traveling by Amtrak Superliner (no WI-​fi on this) took 1 hr 20 to crawl to the US border from Vancouver. Speed varied from about 65 mph at the upper end to what felt like an eternity of 20 mph slow stretches. While it took off on time, and it had lots of room for my legs and even fold out leg support for my wife’s shorter legs, I was hoping for a faster travel-​speed but did not get it much.
So it took a total of 4 hours to finally get into Seattle, and while I loved the comfort and the well-​stocked dining car (had salads and burgers, hot dogs and even beer and cocktails along with other snacks and reasonably priced food). I would have traded some time for some comfort. The price was OK, but again, I would have paid more for a zippier experience.
If you keep your expectations low, you can just relax for the duration of the trip – just don’t take this to get anywhere fast.
Oh: and I must comment on the service at the station. Walking Zombies. Living Dead. Take your pick. OK: they do not look quite as bad as a Zombie, nor do they eat your brains, but they certainly care for you with the emotions of the Living Dead (look for bite marks to make sure).
No sense of urgency. No sense of duty to move any faster than a blade of grass as it grows up to the sun.
Easy.
Does.
It.
One.
At.
A.
Time.
Any.
Day.
Now.
So this should pre-​set your expectations about how fast you should expect an Amtrak train to move from this location. So very different from their Acela train on the East Coast!

The Vancouver to Seattle Amtrak Cascade train was a pleasant. The inside of the train was much better than any other trains I have been on. The seats were very comfortable and there was free wi-​fi on the train. The wi-​fi was okay, but you can’t stream or anything… just basic. If you are going to the states, as I was, there is a desk with custom forms to be filled out before you get on the train. You have to go through the very quick and easy customs before getting on the train and then when you get to the boarder, you just have to show your identification. On the way back from the states, there was an issue with which side of the tracks to be on to get home. I was at the Tukwila station and the signs clearly marked North and South, however, the trains were coming on the wrong sides. One conductor said that they never know which side they are going to be on. I had to run across to the other platform as I saw the train approaching on the wrong side. In addition, on the way back, you do not stop at the boarder, however, the customs at the Vancouver Pacific Central Station is a little more thorough. You give the station customs your custom card. Overall, not that bad…
And as always, Have Fun!!!

Have always enjoyed my Amtrak experiences. Travel by train is delightful.
Very enjoyable and smooth transition through customs, both ends.
Dinner car offers some of Ivar’s amazing clam chowder, as well as many other delicious meals.
Looking forward to my next trip on Amtrak. Perhaps it shall be a longer adventure.

I’ve been commuting between Vancouver and Seattle fairly regularly for the last 4+ years and over time, my choice transportation became Amtrak Cascades. I’m torn between rating Amtrak a 3 or a 4, because I’ve gotten to know it’s pros and cons very well, and am probably not your average rider. It’s also two services: the train and the bus. Either way, I do have a wealth of sitting-​on-​a-​train-​for-​inane-​amounts-​of-​time-​experience I can share.
Storytime. I used to go down to visit my now ex every week or two, and to catch US flights out of Seatac Airport. Neither of us are car owners, so we took an assortment of Quickshuttle buses, Greyhound buses, Amtrak buses, Amtrak Cascades trains, carpools with friends/​strangers, car rentals, Zipcars, and even a handful of overnight cruises. If only those cruises were comparably priced, they’d probably take the lead. Alas Amtrak won, each of us now boasting 40+ Amtrak Cascades train trips under our belts. And probably a dozen or so trips on the Amtrak buses.
The average VAC/​SEA traveller on the Amtrak train seems to be tourists. And rightly so, it’s a scenic, relaxing, amenity filled ride taking you from city CENTRE to city CENTER. Read: SLOW. If you’re a car owner who commutes to Seattle regularly, however, I say: Your car (coupled with Nexus) wins. I strongly recommend against Amtrak in that scenario. I am not sure if driving or Amtrak is cheaper with rising gas prices and the cost of owning a car, but my guess is it’s comparable. The $ 38-​$ 63 regular* price tag one way is not insignificant. (rises as the train fills up. *Savings can be had with their loyalty reward program). A round trip for a family will be pushing $ 400. It’s expensive. And it takes a really long time. Our average Amtrak Cascades trip is 6 hours door to door, and easily more if you don’t live within 15 mins from the train stations like we do.
There are two trains departing Vancouver and Seattle daily, one in the morning, one in the evening from each city. The listed time for the trips 4 hours and 4 hours 20 mins. I would say add at least 45 mins for a truer estimate if you consider customs/​immigration, cut off times, etc. Add another 30 mins if you have checked luggage.
Leaving Vancouver, you’ll need to get your ticket, get your seat assignment, fill out your declaration form and line up for US Immigration while hauling your luggage. Doors close 15 mins before departure so don’t cut it that close. The trip south is also a touch longer as you make an extra stop at the Peace Arch border to clear US Customs, in addition to the US Immigration at Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station. Leaving Seattle, coming back north, there isn’t a 15 min door cut off and you don’t make an extra border stop with Canadian Border Patrol, but when you do get to Vancouver, you do detrain one car at a time, ever so slowly, thus still the extra time door to door. While it’s super sucky to anxiously wait your turn to deboard, it is better to wait inside rather than in the cold. I usually end up waiting 20 – 40 minutes, the worst was just over an hour, but that’s only happened once. Best case was about 10 minutes.
Renovations were recently made, about a year ago, to the customs agents’ stations but think they need to seriously consider having a fully sheltered waiting area if it has to be outside, and heat lamps. People are on their holidays with their families (or coming back from one) — it has been pretty brutal waiting in the rain and snow when it’s nearly midnight.
Your commute to your final destination from your home will be about 6 hours by train while driving should only be 3 hours. Time is the biggest con for me, but I don’t drive so I make the most out of my time and am a time killing machine. I do as I would at home, catch up on email, watch a movie, take a nap, have a beer/​coffee and a bite — thanks to the free wifi and food/​booze cart. (Don’t get me started, I could do an itemized review of the entire menu. Basically, it’s half-​decent. About what you’d expect from a microwave. It could be so much more, but alas!)
As for business class, the biggest pro is saving time when you’re going northbound into Vancouver. Consider what your time is worth because you get to detrain first, saving you on average 30 mins. I don’t find the seats more spacious, they seem identical to the economy seats, and find it eerily quiet on the business class car. Generally it’s quite quiet anyway all over. The $ 3 food voucher is well, $ 3. With economy, there’s a good chance I get two seats to myself, on a quiet weekday, as well.
If you’re a Vancouverite or Seattlite just visiting for a weekend, I think Amtrak is great once in a blue moon because it’s a nice (long) ride, but it is unlikely to be cheaper than driving.

I have taken the train now 4 times — once to Portland one way and now 3 times from Seattle. If you are looking for good WiFi service think again. The service keeps kicking you out and you have to sign back in many times during the trip. It is also quite slow. When I pass into Canada I go back to 3G to get regular service. Food is not bad and the business class seats are comfortable.
Overall if you want quick and think taking the train will allow you to be online and do some work, think again. If you don’t want to drive and are a tourist/​leisure traveller, then it is a good option.

1^st experience on an Amtrak and it wasn’t bad. Went from Vancouver to Seattle… a little over 4 hour trip. seats are comfy, leg room is spacey… I would say better than an airplane… There are compartments on top to store your bags or you can check it in also. We waited last min, the day before to purchase our tickets so we weren’t able to get any discounts (AAA or students, 10−15%). One way tickets were $ 36 which wasn’t too bad. and there’s a train/​bus leaving to Seattle from Vancouver twice a day. Mornings and evenings. Very convenient. and once we passed the border to WA, the border patrols came in to check our passports and collect our forms.

I used to take the bus/​train from Vancouver to Seattle during the weekends to visit some friends. You can purchase a ticket online to save you time, but buying a ticket at this location is no problem either. Just make sure you buy it at least an hour before hand.
I took the bus at 530am to go to Seattle, but the ticket counters weren’t open yet. You can, however, purchase a ticket from the bus driver — CASH ONLY, $ 40 one way.
The rides are usually 4 hours long, and makes 2 stops before crossing into the USA. Always on time, and never had any problems.

I took the Amtrak train from Vancouver to Seattle on a Friday evening. Departure was at 5:45 PM. This was my first time on a train so it was an experience for me.
First of all if you are booking on line you need to make sure you book a Train and not a bus. The only Trains are at 5:30 AM and 5:45 PM departing Vancouver. The trains are very spacious and really clean.
The ride was enjoyable but a bit boring because it was dark so you can’t see any scenery, so I suggest your bring an iPod to pass the time!
Before boarding the train you go through US customs and then when you reach Blaine the Train stops and CBP officers board the train and ask each person questions. We were at the border for only 20 minutes.
The train makes stops along its journey picking up passengers. No more than a 2 minute stop at each station. We arrived at the Seattle station at 10 PM, actually ahead of schedule!
There is a Bistro car where you can purchase food and drink. Although I did not buy anything I brought my own food. The train was a good experience and I would definitely do it again! Plus it only costs $ 50 and is much better than a bus.

* What a joke *
Let me sum this up: Amtrak is an embarrassment! I actually felt bad seeing some international tourists on board the train. I could just wonder what they thought when comparing it to trains that work well overseas!
I love trains. I really do. Give me a JR Pass in Japan or a Eurail Pass in Europe and I’m a happy camper for the entire duration until it expires. There is something romantic about train travel. Call me nostalgic!
Ok, so for a quick getaway to Portland it seemed like a good idea to take the train down the coast for a relaxed leisurely ride. I wouldn’t do it again.
To make it clear why, let me compare this to my last long distance train trip which was on a Shinkansen in Japan:
Amtrak: The early morning train left 15 minutes late with no explanation, and continued to lose time as the trip progressed to eventually be about 45 minutes late. No explanation or apology ever offered.
Shinkansen: I saw a passenger at the station resetting his wristwatch based upon what time the train pulled into the station.
Amtrak: Found a metal fork sitting on the seat. Clearly the train hadn’t been cleaned from the night before when it pulled in.
Shinkansen: Teams of uniformed cleaners come through the cabin after each trip to do a thorough clean.
Amtrak: One washroom had a sloppy handwritten sign «Out of order», another was stinky small and cramped with garbage all over the place.
Shinkansen: Clean good sized washrooms that I saw train staff cleaning regularly during the trip.
Amtrak: The train is SLOW! It is scheduled to take 2 hours just to get from Vancouver to Bellingham (which would be less than a 1 hour drive). It was scheduled for 8 hours to get to Portland (and took about 10 on the return trip!).
Shinkansen: It is called a bullet train for a reason. Towns swish by quickly. Just as a comparison at the speed the shinkansen goes you could be from Vancouver to Portland in about 2 to 2.5 hours. Amtrak is scheduled for 8! Yikes!
Amtrak: They have TV screens to play movies. But on the trip down they made an announcement that due to technical difficulties of the «VCR being broken» they wouldn’t show the movie. On the trip back 2 days later they announced exactly what movie they were going to show and then a bit later announced that due to technical difficulties they wouldn’t be showing it. 2 days later and they hadn’t replaced the VCR (it was the same train — I recognized some of the stains and scratches in the car!). Silly!
Shinkansen: No movies. But the trip is fast enough that you don’t need them!
Amtrak: The bistro car serves nasty frozen and microwaved food. On the trip down I got a sandwich. It was labeled as «made fresh daily» but it was made in Seattle. The train left Vancouver at 6:40am. So that «made fresh daily» sandwich must have been from a previous day. «Made fresh daily» doesn’t mean made on the day you are eating it. The roll it was on was just stale and the lettuce was wilted. Blech!
Shinkansen: They load fresh food regularly and come through the car selling it in a very professional manner. They even load regional specialties as you pass a station that is famous for a particular food. And don’t get me started about how wonderful some of the eki-​bento are that you can purchase in the station before boarding the train — fresh unagi donburi is a favourite treat for me on the train!
Amtrak: Amazingly even though the train is so slow it still rocks back and forth so that sometimes it is difficult to walk without holding on to something.
Shinkansen: You can leave a drink sitting on the windowsill and it won’t spill.
Amtrak: The professionalism is just not there. Lack of delay announcements on the delays. Stopping for extended time in tunnels and filling up the car with fumes! A conductor came through after another conductor had already taken tickets. Do they communicate with each other at all!!! The conductor forgot to give customs forms to 2 entire cars on the way back into Canada until they were requested as we were arriving! Just one silly thing after another!
Shinkansen: The staff bows every single time they enter or leave a car. Everything runs smoothly. A delay of even just a minute is apologized for.
While there was a nice view along part of the trip and while I love train travel I don’t think I’ll be taking Amtrak anytime again soon! It is just a bad joke!