The Café Car is generally located on the upper level in the middle of the train, though some trains may have a lower-level Café Car. If you're on a train with a lower-level Café Car, look for California Café signs near the stairwell.
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Sitting in the café car for the entire ride is totally acceptable. If you purchase sleeping accommodations (roomette, bedroom etc.), your meals are in included in your ticket.
If you're traveling in coach on some of Amtrak's long-distance train services, you'll now have the opportunity to use the dining car onboard. Coach passengers will now be able to enjoy full-fledged meals for an additional cost in the dining car, which was a beloved service removed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an exclusive, complimentary offering for customers traveling in First Class private rooms, traditional dining service is provided in the Dining Car on the Auto Train, California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle (between San Antonio ...
Most Amtrak routes offer Café service, with a variety of meals, snacks and beverages for sale. Customers in all classes of service are invited to the Café and service is available from early morning until late at night.
In almost all cases, Amtrak seats are not assigned. The exception is Acela Express route seats and business class seating on the Northeast Regional, Carolinian, Palmetto, and Vermonter. Otherwise, Amtrak has a first-come, first-serve seating policy for coach seats.
You're allowed to walk about the train as often as you'd like. Just make sure to watch where you're walking onboard the train between cars. The safety plates often shift and pinch when the train is in motion. You don't want to be the victim of a freak accident while trying to enjoy your bucket list vacation.
Amtrak Business Class offers many amenities over coach class including extra legroom, complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and a 25% point bonus through Amtrak Guest Rewards.
Specific features vary by route, but Business Class includes extra legroom, a wide and comfortable seat, and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages (not offered in Acela Business Class).
The most comfortable seat is the one all the way up front in the locomotive. Yes, some of Amtrak's trains are Superliners, and they do indeed have two levels. However, only the upper levels connect between the cars. A reserved seat is not an assigned seat.
When choosing a seat on a train, try to get one in the center-most car, or one of the central cars. This will put you as far as possible from the most common points of issue for collisions or derailment, namely the front and end of the train.
Amtrak Acela's business class tickets offer more plusher, wider seats than you'll experience in coach, but do not include a meal or in-seat service like first-class, roomette, and bedroom accommodations do.
Back in the fall of 2019, Amtrak announced that it was getting rid of the classic dining car —the ones with china and flatware on a white tablecloth—in favor of pre-packaged options. This was before the pandemic, so they couldn't use health and safety as an excuse to stave off the inevitable firestorm of criticism.
A dining car (American English) or a restaurant car (British English), also a diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant.