Amtrack Train ride (advice,tips)

poppomgirl · December 2012

Okay, so i just can't stand being away from Aspen anymore, so I have decided to take a 3 day trip back home, to my mom and sister. I am taking an Amtrak train, I will be leaving here were i live, really late, ride like 6 hours then i will have to get off in Portland, Oregon wait like 7 hours, get on another train ride like 13 hours, get off again in Sacremento, CA wait a few hours then ride another like 20 hours to my home town. I have never rode a train or a plain, and we can't afford a plane at this time anyways, so a train is our only option. Has anyone rode an Amtrak alone under 18 before? or has anyone rode it at all? I just have some questions, cause i am super nervous cause i never do anything alone. So i would love to hear anyones experience, if anyone on here has any? Thanks!

Alabama · December 2012

I rode one when I was about 20 from Nebraska to Washington state. I'm not sure about riding by yourself under 18, I know with airlines, you can ride by yourself at 16, but don't know about trains. My suggestion would be bring lots of things to do and try to sit near the ticket agent in the depot and in the middle of the train when traveling. My own experience was pretty boring. Had just one train swap, then slept a good part of the 3 days on the rails.

poppomgirl · December 2012

Well my mom already called and everything, and you just have to be over 15, Which I am so that won't be a problem. Im nervous about like falling asleep and not waking up at the station were im suposed to get off, or like getting off/on the wrong train.

SirPopcorn · December 2012

I don't know about your trains or anything but I know with our domestic plane flights if you're a minor they will assign someone to look after you if requested. So... yeah I don't know how that will work with a train but it could be worth asking? Try not to show anything expensive like a wallet or phone and if someone sits next to you when there's plenty of spaces elsewhere, MOVE. Keep all bags firmly zipped up/shut and even lock or cable-tie them if you're not going to be using them. Sit with the bags under your legs or loop a strap around your arm or leg, especially when sleeping. Avoid using earphones when on the platform and when on the train, just listen during the middle of your ride. Wear comfy clothes with shoes that you could run in if you had to. If someone tries to talk to you, be polite but don't give away ANY information. DON'T say where you're from, where you're going or what train you're catching next. If they keep insisting, just say excuse me and walk away to a bathroom or towards other people. Don't be afraid to ask someone of authority at the train platform about what train you have to catch next. I don't know what you have in your country but here we have little waiting rooms joined onto the ticket sales so I would advise waiting in there in full view of the ticket sales person. Always have a bottle of water on hand; keep your fluids and food-intake up! I've done many flights as a minor by myself but only ever short train trips but those are some tips I've picked up.. I've had some bad experiences like someone trying to rob me and being verbally abused BUT 99% of the time I've had pleasant trips. Also the only time I've gotten on the wrong train was when my boyfriend only looked at the first couple of stops and decided that was our train -.- we ended up 2hrs away from home. So just make sure that YOU triple check the stops and stuff. Hope this helps and good luck!

poppomgirl · December 2012

oh man, now im just a little more freaked out haha. Thanks so much for the tips! And ya im gonna just try to stay out of every ones way, and be quite.

SirPopcorn · December 2012

poppomgirl wrote:

oh man, now im just a little more freaked out haha. Thanks so much for the tips! And ya im gonna just try to stay out of every ones way, and be quite.

Aww I didn't mean to freak you out! I'm sorry

You'll be just fine

poppomgirl · December 2012

lol ya im sure i will

and don't worry about it! Do you know if they have a place to like charge your phone?

Alabama · December 2012

I wouldn't worry too much about missing your train or sleeping through. Set the alarm on your watch or phone or ask the conductor person to remind you for your stop. You've got hours before your next train when you get off, so just ask a ticket agent or train official there. As for the strangers, it's more or less common sense. Don't let your valuables out of your possession and don't flash expensive stuff to the public. Try to stay in public areas and stay close to an official. My daughter flew by herself twice a year from the time she was 13 with a chaperone and from 16 to 18 by herself and never had a single "bad" experience, even the time her plane was cancelled and had to get a hotel room wasn't bad.

Sea Oats · December 2012

Yay, I'm relevant! I actually took an almost 8 hour Amtrak trip to see our very own Anastasia back in March. I'm not a minor, but it was definitely an experience nonetheless. Most of the Amtrack trains that run for long routes have wifi and electric outlets you can plug your things into to charge them. They have paper maps of the route you're on, and if you have a laptop you can watch where your train is online at any given time, so you can tell how many stops are between you and where you're getting off, and they announce the next stop in 5 minute intervals for the last 15 minutes before you get there to get your things packed up, and it's very loud so you shouldn't have any problem hearing it. There will be someone coming around to stamp and check tickets at every drop off/loading so there's not much chance you'll miss your stop. The bathrooms aren't much fun, but you're obviously gonna have to use them at some point since you'll be on the train for so long, so I would try to use the bathroom on the train when it stops for drop offs (because it's easier to not touch as much when the train isn't moving), and they also have extended stops every few stations to let people off to get snacks and use the restrooms in the station, but I was too afraid of getting left so I just used the one on the train. Which is another point! PACK SNACKS. It's not like an airport where they check your bags and you're not allowed food or drinks, so definitely pack food so you're not stuck eating vending machine Pop Tarts the whole way. As Clo said, if someone sits next to you on an almost empty train, move. But someone will eventually sit beside you in that time, because the train will eventually fill up. I got on in my city at 5:45 AM and there were only a handful of people in my car and by about 9 it was full and I had two or three different people sit beside me that got on and off in a couple stops, and it stayed full till I arrived at the station where Ana lives at 2 I think it was. Overall I had a pretty good experience. I downloaded movies onto my computer to watch and took a couple books to read and I was just fine both ways.

poppomgirl · December 2012

Thanks! Ya sadly I do not, have a laptop of my own so i won't be watching movies. Lol the one I use now is my dads and i know he won't let me take it, he doesn't even know im leaaving yet, and hes gonna be pretty mad/sad... I just don't know how to tell him. And my mom has to buy the ticket by tomorrow. The first train I get on here in this town is at 11:59 so There probably won't be many people that time, but the next train i get on is at like 2 something so there will probably be more that time. Lol I don't even have any books of my own here, I just have my music on my phone and that is it, lol which that and sleeping will probably keep me occupied. I think im more nervous about the time were i have to get off at the stations and wait hours, all alone. Least the times that i do have to wait are in the morning instead of like the middle of the night.

â™¥Andreaâ™¥ · December 2012

A lot of the advice people are giving is really valid, but if you really want to deter people, look confident! Even if you have absolutely no idea where you're going, pretend you do. Act like every move you make is deliberate. This can be hard if you're shy at all (like me!) or if you're not really used to it. But so many women/girls become targets just because they don't look like they could hold their own. It really has nothing to do with being small or being young, it has to do with attitude. If you carry yourself as if to say "I know exactly what I'm doing, don't mess with me" it sends a totally different message to possible predators than acting confused or scared or nervous. Nobody is likely to mess with you, but if you need help, you're best asking someone who works on the train or in the stations. As for waiting at stops, find a spot, get your stuff secured around you, and entertain yourself with music or something. I have waited in train stations alone in dodgy areas from 12am-4am before and people looked, but were warded off by my evil eye. Lol. You'll be completely fine, just remain alert and look confident!

poppomgirl · December 2012

haha great advice! which really won't be hard for me because i just come off with an attitude to most people that don't know me anyways lol so that will be easy

and ya The only people im going to talk to is just the people that work there. Luckily my train stops I have to wait at are during day time, lol idk if i could have handled it being night lol, thanks again everyone!

Frostbight8 · December 2012

If you're going to listen to music I'd recommend only doing it during the middle of your ride so you're not so busy rocking out that you miss an important announcement.

poppomgirl · December 2012

Just so everyone knows, I lived through the train ride!

It wasn't scary at all! Thanks everyone for all your help and advice

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Amtrack Train ride (advice,tips)

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