Carry ons for the train

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>Next week, I’m going to take the train to Tuscaloosa to meet son and drive home with my car (yeah!). I want to bring some empty suitcases to fill up dirty clothes, linens, jackets, to bring home for the holidays, and I’m not familiar with what size the carry ons for trains can be. The Amtrak site says I can bring two carry ons. Are these generally plane size carry ons, or do you think I can bring on maybe a couple of medium sized suitcases? It took me a large suitcase just to get the linens home for Thanksgiving, so hoping to bring something a little bit larger. Want to bring the suit and nice shoes home for the holidays, too, in case we have some place dressy to go.</p>

<p>I’ll be on the train that goes from NOLA to New York, so wondering if any of you on the board have ever taken this train and have experience with luggage on this train. I think it’s the Crescent.</p>

<p>So excited for the trip, as I’ve got a couple of good books to read, and looking forward to some Bama Christmas shopping while son is taking his finals!</p>

<p>PS. Why do I have a green box under my name?</p>

2

<p>Apparently we are all on “the distinguished road”. Hover your mouse over the green button.</p>

<p>Can’t answer your suitcase questions but “Have a nice trip, Montegut”!!</p>

3

<p>can you just take garbage bags? we pack in a lot of garbage bags for coming home. as long as you have a car to toss it into, that will be a lot easier than dealing with suitcases.</p>

4

<p>^^^Yes, I probably will bring along a pack of garbage bags. But want to have at least one suitcase for the nice clothes, plus my overnight stuff. You’ve got to remember, I’m talking about a football player sized guy, so even a few outfits is a lot!</p>

<p>And here’s an even stupider question. What about packing food on a carry on on a train? I make PB sandwiches for the road trip home, so we don’t have to stop, and actually put them in my checked luggage, but since I won’t check luggage on the train, I was wondering if there’s any kind of screening for food for train carry ons, like there is at the airport.</p>

5

<p>There is a new “thing” on cc. I will find the link and post for you.</p>

<p>This is the explaination for the green box and the scales under your name:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/community-forum-issues/1425170-say-thanks-helpful-cc-member.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/community-forum-issues/1425170-say-thanks-helpful-cc-member.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>^^^^We took the Crescent from ATL to NOLA several years ago for the Sugar Bowl. You can bring food onto the train. Some people brought small coolers! We didn’t and ate in the dining cars for the 12 hour trip. The food is expensive and not that great. Have you thought about checking your 2 medium suitcases? I believe that you get 2 bags checked for free.</p>

<p>This website tells you the Carry On sizes.
<a href=“http://www.amtrak.com/baggage-policy[/url]”>http://www.amtrak.com/baggage-policy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>Not the Crescent, but D2 & I took an Amtrak train from Providence RI to NYC in the Spring. We took the luggage that we checked for our flights into the train compartments. There are framed areas near the doors where you store it. We bought lunch in the dining car, but agree it wasn’t great. There didn’t seem to be any restrictions on bringing outside food in.</p>

<p>Have fun! I love train travel. It’s the most relaxing form of long distance travel for me.</p>

8

<p>D has taken the train from CT to Maryland both of the past summers, and was able to take one regular size suitcase, plus two carry on bags. It may be more a question of what you can manage on your own, because you have to get the stuff on and off the train, but it may be worth calling and asking directly. No problems with taking food with her, though since you have a car, wouldn’t it be simpler to pick up a loaf of bread and jar of PB once you’re there?</p>

<p>As for empty bags, I would pack duffles or something that can collapse and fit inside your other bags, so you’re not trying to juggle multiple empty bags. If you take a garment bag or something similar for his good clothes, pack your clothes in that for the train, and then pack them in one of the collapsible bags for the car.</p>

<p>How will he be going back? Will he have to car to go back? If not, you might want to take that into consideration in terms of what he brings home, and what he will want to take back with him.</p>

9

<p>Thanks for the suggestions!</p>

<p>Son has my car, which we will drive home on Saturday morning. He has the last exam on Friday, ending at 6 pm, and I’m not up for the five hour drive home that night, so I’ll spend the night in the hotel. (Love those Marriott free rooms!). </p>

<p>The train arrives early afternoon on Friday, so I’ll get a rental car from Enterprise on Skyland (thank you AL34 for that tip!) and do some Christmas shopping while son is taking his exam. I’ll transfer the stuff to the trunk of his car and drop off the rental car on the way out. </p>

<p>This works out cheaper than what I did for Thanksgiving, where I flew in and took a shuttle from the airport. Fortunately, this time, I can get away early enough to take the train rather than fly.</p>

<p>Anyway, as for the PB sandwiches, that’s for the five hour drive home. I make them up, put them in the carry on, and we snack on them as we make the drive, only needing to stop for gas and restroom.</p>

<p>I do intend to eat on the train. We did the NOLA to ATL ride when we were younger and enjoyed eating on the train, so I’m looking forward to that. I just haven’t been on a train since 9/11, so I didn’t know if there were a lot of screening issues like there is at the airport. Anyone who has ever had a bottle of water knows you have to dump it at security. Don’t want to waste time making sandwiches only to have them thrown away.</p>

<p>I know there are measurements for carryons, and rather than bring two airline size carry ons, if I could bring a medium regular sized suitcase, that would be good for the nice clothes and shoes. The rest of it, I take the other advice, throw it in trash bags and wash it when we get home.</p>

<p>I’m really looking forward to the trip. Been wanting to do this since son started Bama, but the logistics of the train schedule have never worked for me before. Can’t wait to curl up with my book and head to the dining car when it’s time for breakfast or lunch!</p>

10

<p>It’s been a number of years since we took a cross country train tip but it was after 9/11. I do, however, see people every day taking the Amtrak as I pass through Union Station in Chicago. I’ve seen some monstrous suitcases along with all kinds of crazy things being toted. I would not stress out over trying to take on an extra suitcase.</p>

<p>Tip - the seats near the outlets always go first.</p>

11

<p>why don’t you get your son to leave the car at the train station. then you don’t have to get a rental.</p>

12

<p>I have taken the “Crescent” several times. Amtrak has very lenient rules about what you can carry on, and as I recall no one bats an eye if you bring on a cooler. It seems as if the rule is; if you can carry it on… you’re good to go. There really is no screening of you or your carry on luggage. Do they x-ray your checkin in luggage? I am not sure. But it is very easy to check in your luggage, and they will retrieve your checked in bags from the train for you. You just go and pick them up, like the airport. The conductor will try to assist you with your carry on bag. If you need assistance, and they are available they will try to help. However, they are very busy at each stop, so let them know in advance. Of course, what I mean by assistance is helping lift the bag down the steps, not carrying items from your seat and out the door. Don’t forget to have several dollars with you on the train for tipping; the conductor, the waiter and the attendant. In my opinion, it is easier to carry on as little as possible. The ride from NOLA to Tuscaloosa is relatively short and the restaurant car fills up quickly. Unless it is a slow day you may not even get into the car. They take reservations and the first to be seated are those with rooms. The wait can be long and they often run out of food. Since it is such a short ride (five hours or so) I would just take a small bag of pretzels (snack) and a water bottle to make do. We often drive to NOLA from Tuscaloosa and I cant ever recall stopping for food, just a rest stop. I would think at the prices they charge on the train, for somewhat inferior food, i would just wait till I was in New Orleans to eat. Oh, how I miss that food. Good Luck and enjoy, it is a pleasant experience.</p>

13

<p>* I want to bring some empty suitcases to fill up dirty clothes, linens*</p>

<p>If you’re going to do his laundry, then why not do the laundry WHILE you’re in Tuscaloosa? Why schlepp it all back to NOLA? You can either do it in the dorm laundry or to a local laundry.</p>

14

<p>*The train arrives early afternoon on Friday, so I’ll get a rental car from Enterprise on Skyland (thank you AL34 for that tip!) and do some Christmas shopping while son is taking his exam. I’ll transfer the stuff to the trunk of his car and drop off the rental car on the way out. *</p>

<p>It’s much cheaper to just take a taxi to your son’s dorm, get his car and use that.</p>

15

<p>^^^Taxi to the dorm and pick up his car. Hum, I didn’t think about that. He may want to go out with friends on that last night, though, and I’d want him to have the use of the car. But, thanks, mom, that’s a good suggestion, and I’ll ask him about it. He may have committed for rides already, so I’ll keep the rental reservation just in case and cancel it if I can use his car. The rental is only 30 bucks, and I’m not sure what a cab ride is from the train station to the campus. I’m sure it would be less than 30 bucks, though.</p>

<p>As for the laundry while there, first off, he’s got to sleep on the sheets Friday night. That’s the big load. Plus, I’ll have three weeks to do the laundry, and heck, he may be the one doing it while he’s off. One can hope, can’t they? Seriously, though, I’m happy to do his clothes with mine and husband’s when he’s home. No need to waste water and soap powder for a special load.</p>

<p>Robtmom, thank you so much for the food tip. I should probably put a sandwich or two in my carryon tote, along with a couple of water bottles. I didn’t even think about the dining car filling up. Train station is an hour drive from my house, have to get there before the crack of dawn, so probably won’t have time for breakfast. Big reason why I’m doing carry on rather than checked, because you have to get there yet another hour earlier for that. No thank you. I’ll pack some snacks and water bottles, as you suggested, in case the dining car is full. As I remember our Atlanta trip, it was not very filling food, so I’m sure I’ll have room for a nice meal once I reach Tuscaloosa. Wish I could take son to lunch, but he’ll be taking an exam and getting ready for another one. Bless his heart.</p>

16

<p>The taxi from the train station to campus is very inexpensive. The last taxi I took cost me about five dollars from the station to campus (probably a few dollars more now). I did tip well as the driver had to schlep my bags.</p>

<p>Personally, I would just do the laundry on campus, fold and leave. So much easier. It is nice of you to do the laundry, but dragging bags to campus to bring laundry home, and then transporting it all back to campus is probably more work than necessary. Also, if you are not doing check in for your luggage, you won’t want to carry all those bags.</p>

<p>Rental car specials start at a low rate, but then add insurance, gas and surcharges and Boom…the price goes up. Enterprise is notorious for add ons. If your son is going out that evening, it is probably cheaper to let him take a cab then for you to rent a car. Of course, it is up to you.</p>

<p>Definately skip the train meal if you are bringing a lot of items on board. When you travel by yourself and you go to the restaurant car, who will watch your stuff? Your bags will be in one car and you will be elsewhere. You have to pick up all your personal belongings when you leave your seat. I never leave anything unless I am traveling with a companion. Your bags are probably safe but I still lock my luggage. However, if there is a stop someone can pick your bag up and walk off. I am extremely cautious.</p>

17

<p>Personally, I would just do the laundry on campus, fold and leave</p>

<p>Right.</p>

<p>Even if you wash the sheets on Friday, remake the bed, and he sleeps on them on Friday night, what’s the big deal? That just means that when he comes back his sheets will have been slept on one time.</p>

<p>How many days will you be there? </p>

<p>Taxi ride from train to Bama is less than $10, including tip.</p>

<p>If you find out from your son whether he’s using the car Friday night to go out with friends, then you can determine whether a rental car is needed. He may find that his friends will be leaving prior to that. Many kids head out of town right after their last final…even if it’s earlier in the week. Or, maybe if he is going out, one of his pals has a car that they can use so you’ll have the car to drive.</p>

18

<p>Wow, great points about the luggage. I’m trying to get a visual on the baggage situation. If there is an overhead bin, like you have on an airplane, that should be fine, as far as security for the luggage. But, if the suitcase is stored away from my seat, I could see where someone could possibly grab my bag and go. They’ll be sorely disappointed to find PB sandwiches and garbage bags. I’m basically bringing an empty suitcase to bring home the sheets and nice clothes and the little laundry he’ll have. But I do lock my suitcase always, no matter what’s in there.</p>

<p>The laundry is really no big deal, and I appreciate all your advice. I like the idea of the mattress having a chance to air out for the three weeks he’ll be gone, and frankly, he wears his school clothes while at home. </p>

<p>Sounds like, for security’s sake, I should skip the dining car, but glad they have one in case I do want to grab a bite. </p>

<p>Husband really likes the idea of the cab to the parking lot to pick up the car, and unless son has a date after exams, it might be an option. Since there’s no chance of Hell freezing over anytime soon, I’m guessing the car will be available that evening.</p>

19

<p>There is an overhead bin, but that is for smaller items like a briefcase or small cooler(perhaps for those on long trips), you really can’t put large suitcases up there. It would be too difficult to lift them up. I am pretty sure that they wouldn’t fit anyway(think overhead bin in an airplane), if I remember correctly, there is a bar that prevents items from falling out, so that also makes fitting large items in the overhead difficult.The large bags are placed in a little area near the door. Note: it is just an open area in the car, not closed off in any way. There is no under seat storage, because there is a footrest.</p>