Reply to AMTRAK BIKE BOXES AND COSTS

Three of us are biking to DC in July and ticketed to come back to Pittsburgh on AMTRAK. We would like to bring the bikes along. In DC, where does one get the boxes to bring bikes along back and what is the cost?

Get your box right at the Amtrak ticket check-in. $15.00 for the box and $10.00 for checking it in. Be sure to take tools to remove your handle bars and pedals, tape and a black marked for the box. Buy your ticket more the 24 hours before leaving or the price goes way up. All the info you need is at http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak
Have a nice trip.

Stillriding--Thank you. Very helpful on the details tape, tools and all. We already have our tickets, so we'll need to pay an additional $25 per bike on boarding. Until AMTRAK does the take bike on board policy, we'll go with this.

I'm pretty sure you pay for the bike and box at the ticket counter, but you get the boxes, and check the boxed bike at the baggage department. It is around the corner from the ticket counter, facing the departure gates.

Also, I've never had to remove threaded stem drop bars, just loosen them and rotate them parallel to the bike. It's the threadless stem mt/hybrid handle bars that stick straight up in the air when you rotate them, and you have to let them dangle loose in the box.

We are doing this very thing next month. Buying the boxes from AMTRAK, etc does anyone know if the information we got is accurate in that we do have to remove fenders and racks? This will make a big difference in our approach. We are bringing loaded touring bikes w front & rear panniers.

The boxes are 70 inches x 41 inches x 8.5 inches As the saying goes, if it fits, it ships. Can't be over 50 pounds. Here is the Amtrak web page for all the information. Hope this helps. http://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard

Thanks for the link Stillriding. While we can read their stock answers, when it comes down to the day of, I know from my travels, it's who you are looking at face to face who can & will make the final determination.

We will measure. We were told we cannot put our panniers or any luggage inside the box, so hence the question, it sounded to me they were micromanaging what you can add to a box, so logically we are curious about our bike touring fixtures. I would love to really hear from someone who has done this very thing.

Bluebearee I understand your concern and hope someone with more info does a comment. I am doing this ride in May and taking the train from Pgh. to DC. You should go on youtube as they have a few videos that show riders boxing up there bikes with the racks still attached and some panniers going inside the box. I plan on doing the same thing but I also am using an old suitcase to hold everything else that don't fit in the bike box. You are allowed one free bag. When I get to DC. I plan on giving the suitcase to a homeless person or throw it away. If you don't already have an old suitcase just go to a local flea market and pick one up. Just a suggestion and hope it helps.

Thanks - I had a typo in my OP : we were told we did *not*have to remove fenders and racks. Box size seems ample. Plan is to bring gear and flattened panniers inside a duffel which we'll stuff into our panniers and carry back. Or else give to my husband's cousin who we have convinced to pick us up @ 11:45pm!

What goes in the box depends a lot on the mood of the guys at the baggage station. I tossed in the pannier with all my tools after I took off the pedals and detached the handlebars. Racks and fenders stayed attached and went in with no trouble. The baggage guys had tape and markers and a $5 tip for their help made everything pleasant. I thought Amtrak was a strict about the two item carry-on bit from the website until I watched people bringing many garbage bags worth of stuff into the coach, so three panniers (or even four if I hadn't tossed it in the box) didn't cause a stir at all.

Can you get your boxes from Amtrak in advance, then pack'em(under 50lbs) and take them to the train station?

Yes and sometimes they have good used ones that are free.

Since I appear to be the Amtrak veteran here (14 nights in a sleeping car in 2013 and 8 already in 2014 as of May 31) I would like to qualify a few of the comments.

"Buy your ticket more the 24 hours before leaving or the price goes way up." Not necessarily. Amtrak uses what is known as a bucket system, with about 5 buckets, whereby each bucket contains a certain number of tickets at a given price. When the lowest bucket is empty, you move up to the next higher bucket and so on. So if the train is almost sold out on the day of travel, your comment is correct. If it's almost empty, then you could be getting low bucket. In recent years, Amtrak has gotten smarter, On certain routes at certain times, if it thinks it can sell out, it doesn't place any tickets in the lower buckets. Then, if it doesn't sell well, it puts some in the low bucket, effectively lowering the price. Also, when someone cancels, the price call also drop. If your travel plans are flexible, check out amsnag.net to find the best deal. It also has a fare watch option that notifies you if the price drops.

" We were told we cannot put our panniers or any luggage inside the box, so hence the question, it sounded to me they were micromanaging what you can add to a box, so logically we are curious about our bike touring fixtures. I would love to really hear from someone who has done this very thing." This sounds like the ticket agent/baggage handler was making things up as they went along. There is nothing that says you have to pack the box within the agent's sight. Usually, they are too busy to pay attention to what you are doing. As long as you tape it securely and don't go over the weight limit (I've never seen them weight bikes (checked baggage, yes), you should be good to go.

" You are allowed one free bag" Checked baggage: 2 Bags - 50 lbs. — 75 Linear Inches, Additional Bags — $20 Each. Carry on: 2 each not to exceed 50 lbs. (23 kg), 28 x 22 x 14 inches (700 x 550

Looks like there is a character limit per post. So I'll finish here.

" You are allowed one free bag" Form Amtrak.com. Checked baggage: 2 Bags - 50 lbs. — 75 Linear Inches, Additional Bags — $20 Each. Carryon: 2 each not to exceed 50 lbs. (23 kg), 28 x 22 x 14 inches (700 x 550 x 350) plus laptops, purses, etc. The real rule for carryon luggage is that if you can schlepp it on without creating a ruckus, you are good to go. With the exception of Viewliner sleeping cars, there is plenty of luggage space.

" I thought Amtrak was a strict about the two item carry-on bit from the website until I watched people bringing many garbage bags worth of stuff into the coach" Absolutely. The only time I've had a problem was when I tried to board a superliner coach on the California Zephyr in Chicago with a folding bike inside an "airline legal" suitcase. Problem was someone had gotten a red cap to board 3 oversized tupperware tubs that took up the whole community luggage rack and the coach attendent refused to let me put it in the large empty space in the front of the downstairs seating area. The conducter gave me a hard time. The total linear inches of my bag was 2" less that Amtrak's limit, but one demension was 2" to wide, not that he knew that. But both the conductor and attendent went on to more important tasks and soon I was able to put the bag on top of a pile of junk which in the meantime had filled the open space.

Finally:

For quite a while Amtrak hasbeen promising the GAP crowd roll-on, roll-off bike service on the Capitol Limited when the new Viewliner II baggage cars go into service. Due to technical difficulties (lack of qualified stainless steel welders?) or cash flow problems, the producion order continues to be delayed. Finally, one baggage car emerged from the factory and has been sent to the New York area for testing; and if all goes well, they should begin seeing service this Fall. But who knows which trains will get the first ones.

I did see a picture of one still in the factory.

http://history.amtrak.com/archives/viewliner-ii-baggage-car-interior-2013

I hope the bicycle in the picture is an indication of things to come, not just a factory worker finding a nice place to stash his ride.