Midwest to Vancouver - nonflier

[lrwl2006]

We are booked on Apr 24, 2011, Circle Hawaii from Vancouver. We live in Midwest but do no fly. We have driven cross-country many times but weather is very iffy (late spring snow storms and tornados) in April. We are looking at taking Amtrak Empire Builder train from Chicago. Anyone have experience with this?

[Druke I]

It has been a few years, but I have taken the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle. Nice scenery on the western portion of the trip.

 

Amtrak food somewhat iffy - but edible.

 

Not sure about the connections from the Builder to the Cascades, for Vancouver BC.

[mearsfansinboise]

No help on the Amtrak....but we don't fly either. Although we're in Idaho so the drive to Vancouver, BC is only a day. Your only weather issue I think would be getting out of the midwest. The farther west you get, the biggest thing would be rain.

I was looking at that cruise too - - want to go to Hawaii, need to leave from Vancouver, BC and come back there. Of course we haven't even got our first cruise under our belt so I'm not even sure how I'm going to do with freaking out like I do on a plane - LOL

[waterrat1]

For train travel, you have a couple of choices. As previously mentioned, Amtrak, the Empire Builder to Seattle. You can then transfer to the train for Vancouver, the ride will end (not in the best part of town, but nothing to worry about) not far from the cruise terminal - I'm not sure if the direct bus from Seattle is still available through Amtrak - you might check (it is a pleasant ride) Taxis are plentiful in Vancouver and the hotels near the cruise terminal are generally very nice. I have done this trip (return) twice and enjoyed it. I have heard that the food has improved recently.

 

The alternative would be to get to Canada and take the marvellous VIA Rail train across the prairie, through the Rocky Mountains and the spectacular scenery ending at the same train station in Vancouver. Food and service is terrific. Since I live in the lower mainland area of British Columbia, we don't generally stay at hotels, but I could give you some ideas, if you wish. There is a hotel right at the cruise terminal and another just across the street if convenience is important. Everything from the usual international chains to the costly boutique-type accommodations and low-moderate (but not recommended by me) is available.. If you have time, a tour of Vancouver which includes Stanley Park would be an interesting way to spend a day if you have time. BTW there are some wonderful restaurants in Vancouver - the Olympic propaganda was absolutely correct.

 

Good luck

[PennyAgain]

If you can get to it, the Canadian train is much better than Amtrak. If you do Amtrak, but the accommodation that includes the full meal plan. Eating will help you pass the time.

 

There is Amtrak service from Seattle to Vancouver, but sometimes it is a bus rather than a train. Check on the Canada part of Ports of Call on CC.

[May4]

We are booked on Apr 24, 2011, Circle Hawaii from Vancouver. We live in Midwest but do no fly. We have driven cross-country many times but weather is very iffy (late spring snow storms and tornados) in April. We are looking at taking Amtrak Empire Builder train from Chicago. Anyone have experience with this?

 

We've taken the Empire Builder a time or two, but not for almost 20 years.

The trip is quite lovely actually. Here's my suggestion, though. The trains run late at times, at least they did way back when. Sometimes we would reach our destination as much as 10 hours late for various reasons. I would pad your schedule with at least one extra day just in case if you are traveling all of the way from Chicago.

 

And do get a nice roomy cabin to sleep in. You'll agree that it's well worth it after the first night without one.:) Believe me, I know.

[Kors]

We are actually going to take the EB in July for our cruise. My husband is disabled and can't fly, so we have to take the train. It is a wonderful way to start out a vacation. We have only taken the EB from Chicago to Winona, MN but we are excited to take it the whole way. We have gone from Chicago to AZ twice and loved it. I would recommend a roomette or bedroom, and it includes all your meals. The food on the EB is better than some of the routes as it is Amtrak's "Flagship" route. They have a wine/cheese tasting for the sleepers and great service. My advice is to book early as Amtrak uses bucket pricing for the rooms.

 

If you have any other questions, let me know!

[Mingus]

If you can get to it, the Canadian train is much better than Amtrak. If you do Amtrak, but the accommodation that includes the full meal plan. Eating will help you pass the time.

 

There is Amtrak service from Seattle to Vancouver, but sometimes it is a bus rather than a train. Check on the Canada part of Ports of Call on CC.

The Amtrak website shows whether the trip is by train (Cascades) or bus (Thruway). There are usually lots of choice of departure times and be sure to choose Vancouver, B.C. and not Vancouver, WA......otherwise you'll be going in the wrong direction :eek:

[Koshlong]

We drove cross-country (US there, CA back) to do an Alaskan cruise in August. (Think seven days of blazing heat with the Sturgis motorcycle rally in the middle.) (Then think 7 days of pouring rain onboard and another week of it driving home):eek:

 

I think I'd rather risk the April weather; since your're from the midwest you can probably handle it!

 

We've done the VIA rail trip from Toronto to Vancouver a couple of times and it IS fantastic! And expensive. We looked at taking it for our cruise, and the fare would have been as much as the cruise fare for a verandah stateroom on the Zuiderdam. If money is not an object, the trip is truly a lifetime experience.

 

Marnie

[RetiredMustang]

We have taken the Empire Builder several times in the past few years. We live in the D.C. area, and our sons are "back home" in the Seattle area. DW refuses to fly if there is any other way to travel, so she often takes the train to Seattle while I fly one or both ways. For example, she is taking the Capitol Limited from D.C. to Chicago, matching up with the Empire Builder, to arrive Seattle the morning I fly in before the July 4 weekend.

 

The Empire Builder leaves Chicago in the afternoon, passing through Milwaukee, Wisonsin Dells, etc., with night travel (depending on time of year) from about Winona, MN to Devils Lake, ND. The second day is spent across North Dakota and Montana, through Minot, Williston and Havre, arriving near Glacier Park at around dusk. The second overnight is through the Rockies, Idaho and eastern Washington, arriving Wenatchee, WA about breakfast time. The day trip is up and over the Cascades to Everett, and then down the Sound to Seattle, with a scheduled arrival of about 10 a.m.

 

The emphasis here is "scheduled". Amtrak trains can lose a lot of time, and although they also put some padding time in the timetable, you can't guarantee arriving in Seattle on time. So, I would not plan to arrive the day the ship sails. I would arrive Seattle at least the day before, and possibly one more day early, just to make sure the connection to Vancouver is not a problem.

 

We have not taken the train to Vancouver, so I can't offer any info on that. If you do book Amtrak, I would recommend you book as early as possible. The Empire Builder usually has two sleeper cars, a dining car, a lounge/snack bar car, and then several coach cars. Each sleeper has five regular "bedrooms", a dozen or more mini-sleepers, and one family room as well as one room designed for mobility-limited passengers, such as those who use a wheel chair. The earlier you book, generally the cheaper the sleeping accommodation will be.

 

The sleepers are not cheap, but they do include all meals and usual drinks (sodas and alcohol are extra -- much like on cruise). Sleeper passengers get priority for dining reservations for dinner (breakfast and lunch are first-come, first-served).

 

We find the train relaxing and far more comfortable than flying, but it is NOT a cheaper alternative if you get a sleeper of one sort or another; we just can't see spending two nights sitting in a coach car, so we book a bedroom.

 

The bedroom has a couch-like seating area that becomes a 3/4 size bed at night. A top bunk folds down as well, so two can sleep comfortably. There is also an armchair, and a combination bathroom/shower. There is a sink on the outside of the shower stall, across from the seating bench.

 

The mini-sleepers are two arm chairs facing each other that slide to make a bunk at night; another top bunk folds down. Two can use a mini-sleeper, but it can be tight. A family room has two adult bunks and two child bunks, but no toilet/shower. The handicap rooms are roomier and designed for a mobility-impaired person and a helper. I can't remember for sure, but I believe there is a toilet as well. There are toilets and showers available for those in the family/handicapped/mini-sleepers, and even if you have a shower in your bedroom, you could use one of the ones downstairs, which are bigger than the ones in the bedrooms.

 

If you are interested, I recommend you spend some time on the Amtrak site looking at the various info about accommodations, meals, etc. A good resource also is trainweb.com (kind of like CC, but not as large a group of enthusiasts).

 

Hope this helps,

Dave

[Putterdude]

From Seattle to Vancouver Amtrak currently operates 2 trains in either direction each day. People and particularly cruisers enjoy the service a great deal and it does save line ups at the border.:)

[fqtvguy]

While Amtrak does run two daily trains to/from Seattle, they don't actually connect to the long-haul trains (Empire Builder and Coast Starlight). The thruway bus connects better to these trains.

[Gablin]

I dream of a cross country train trip some day. My second most recent train excursion was a round trip from Tacoma to Salem, which I enjoyed very much. The dining car menu was somewhat limited, but we managed to find things we wanted to eat. I like the leisurely pace.

 

Last September a family group took the train to Seattle from Vancouver. It was fine, except for the hassle of getting enough cabs in Seattle late in the evening.

[rafinmd]

Amtrak and VIA (Canada) do not own the tracks on which they run and have often been second class citizens on the tracks causing severe delays. With the recent condition of the economy Amtrak, at least, has had far less competition from freight traffic and the Empire Builder seems to be consistently early in Seattle, but things happen, so just as with flying, arriving at the last minute for your cruise is not a good idea.

 

Both the Empire Builder and the Canadian are very pleasant experiences, although the edge goes to the Canadian. Both Vancouver and Seattle are also beautiful cities.

 

You might consider going one way on one train and returning on the other. You could take Amtrak to Seattle and either continue to Vancouver with Amtrak (their bus does have better connections than their trains) or spend a night or two in Seattle and go continue to Vancouver the day of the cruise, and return on VIA. There are bus connections from Winnipeg to Grand Forks (3/12 hr), Minneapolis (12 hr) and Chicago (over 20 hr). My choice would be Minneapolis since it's all daytime travel with a chance for a hotel in Minneapolis. You could then return to Chicago by either train or bus.

 

This would all require a bit of planning since the Canadian runs 3 days a week and the bus to Winnipeg 4 days a week.

 

Good luck with your planning.

 

Roy

[lrwl2006]

Thank you all so much for your helpful replies. I have been a "lurker" here for four years but have never posted; I have learned so much from you as I planned my previous three HAL cruises. This topic I had never seen before. We have a son in Portland so will stay there before and after our cruise. We definately will go to Vancouver a day early either by train, bus, or car rental. I have done a lot of research about the Empire Builder train but found very conflicting reports. We definately will reserve a bedroom; the cost is high but four nights traveling from Ohio to West Coast comes up to about the same. I know the train will be noisey and bumpy but my greatest concern is cleanliness; I am not a clean freak, but I had read some reports from other sites that conditions were filthy. From your previous posts, I think it will be all right.

Kors - Please report back after your trip!

With this first successful post, I now feel part of the CC community!

Kathy

[rafinmd]

Welcome Kathy to posting status on Cruise Critic.

 

You may already know this, but I'll point it out anyway. The Empire Builder splits in Spokanne with half going to Seattle and the other half to Portland. If that fork sounds like a better fit for your plans. The dining car goes to Seattle but there will be some kind of meal service through a lounge car if you go on to Portland. I have not actually used that option, but have been on a discontinued train which follows the Columbia River from the other side and it was a very nice portion of the trip.

 

By the way, I'm doing a small ship Alaska trip this summer and will be taking the Canadian to the West Coast and the Empire Builder back home. I'll be posting reports for that trip on Cruise Critic's sister site "The Independent Traveler" on this thread:

 

http://boards.independenttraveler.com/showthread.php?t=19041

[lrwl2006]

Thanks for the Independent Traveler link. I didn't know it existed. I will look forward to reading about your trip in September - We have already cruised inside passage to Alaska but your itinerary sounds wonderful!