I’m sitting here in Chicago about to leave the hotel and walk the three blocks to Union Station and board Amtrak’s ‘Empire Builder’ train to Seattle. Three days and two nights, and yes, I have booked a sleeper…
I’ve never ridden a train here in the US, but I have ridden many trains in the UK, I used to catch one for school back in the day - and yes, they were steam trains. I even took a sleeper from London to the west of Wales, but I honestly don’t remember much about it.
One big difference over here is if you have a cabin with two bunks, they are yours even if you are travelling alone, but not so in Europe. You buy the bed, not the room, so beware - you can find yourself listening to the stentorious rumblings of a total stranger for the entire journey…
Time to head for the Train Station. Let the fun begin.