Amtrak

Our first time train trip (6 hours) from Tucson to El Paso was an unexpectedly great, fun, relaxing experience that ended in this grand, unfortunately empty (of traveler’s services like rental car, restaurant/​café, gift shop, etc.) train station.
The 4-​star rating is for the wonderful trip with a star deducted because we left Tucson 3 hours late.
No Airport TSA BS so we arrived 30 minutes before departure with no fuss. Good food options while on the train. 1^st Class leg and head space on coach upper seats. Great views on a smooth track.
We’ve been on ships, flights, cars of course, and now the rails. For us, train travel is tied for 1^st with cruising for travel!

Amtrak Sunset Limited stops at this very cool station. It looks good but the inside is empty. No stores, no place to get a newspaper or food, nothing. But it is pretty.

Depending on whether you are eastbound or westbound, this will either be your first stop or last stop in Texas. The first thing you notice when your train (the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle) pulls into the Amtrak Station in El Paso is – well — Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on the other side of the razor wire-​topped fences.
This is kind of a scary place compared to most Amtrak stations. They have sniffer dogs and border patrol who board the train and check to make sure everybody and every bag is what it professes to be. But considering the war that’s going on at the deep border these days — it’s not surprising. It’s a short stop (thank goodness) and I suspect they keep it as short as possible for that very reason.
The surprise here is The Burrito Lady.
:D Yep. Home-​made burritos peddled on the platform by a wonderful woman who makes them by hand every day. And these are not Del-​Taco-​Bueno-​Bell-​Mojo burritos. These are real, honest to Dios food wagon burritos. And oh my. Buy 2. Or 3. Red or Green. Hot or mild. Bean and cheese, beef… Just try some of everything. At $ 2 each, this is the best and cheapest meal you’ll get anywhere near an Amtrak station or train. If it’s near lunch or dinner when your train gets there — get yourself a real taste of the border. The smile will last all the way to LA (or NOLA).

I’d love to give Amtrak 4 maybe even 4.5 stars but this trip forced me to give them a three. I honestly want to give them a 2 but my desire to support the rail system is swaying me. The train station in El Paso is beautiful. I have no complaints about it. Everyone was courteous and welcoming. Getting in the tai was quick and easy. It’s the trail itself that really bummed me out.
There’s something romantic about taking the train. It definitely isn’t the quickest way to travel and its not the least expensive either but the experience really makes up for the differences. I secured a roomette which is essentially a private room with 2 extra large seats. They fold into a single bed and above there is a shelf styled bed that creates a top bunk. The room is small but pretty much what I expected.
I threw my stuff in the room which has no lock. Didn’t like that part. Went to the observation deck. This is a really cool idea but the delivery is lacking. The seats are not comfortable and the area between the seat and the window is tiny. Anyone. Over 5′ 6″ will have no leg room. When booking my travel I was told the dinning car would be open till 3pm for lunch. When we boarded the train before 2 we were told the car was closed till dinner 3 hours later.
We went to the «café» downstairs where they advertised hot sandwiches burgers and wings. What they didn’t tell us was the microwaved part. I would have rather had a fresh sandwich and not nuked it.
After 3 hours of trying to find a comfortable spot to sit our dinner reservation came around. You’re seated at a table of four and they fill the table with four people no matter your party size. Personally I don’t mind eating with strangers but I could see how this could be odd for some. Fact is to process the amount of people on the train it’s a necessity and to a bad one.
Dinner was served promptly and the meal was good. I would have better comments but my steak was prepared medium well instead of medium rare. Not just mine but everyone at the table. The wine was good and the salad was tiny but fresh.
We stopped in Tucson for a pick up and drop off that seemed to last to long. Tis meant the «Sunset» part of the Sunset limited was limited to a view of the train station. Not cool.
The observation deck kept the lights on even after sunset so mstead of seeing the nights sky or the lights from the towns we’d pass we saw reflections of ourselves. Again not cool.
After looking at myself in the mirror for an hour or so I decided it was time to head to the sleeps car. The roomette was as I left it but hot and musky. I attempted to call the attendant but the button worked as well as the climate control dial. After about 15 mins I finally. Gave up and went to find the attendant. He was nice but less then compassionate. I quote «let’s just hope we get to L.A. soon» not cool for the third time.
I wish I could say that the trip was everything I imagined and for most parts it was. The problem is that the areas that didn’t work we’re really bad. Enough for me pull out my iPad and write this review in the heat of my room. I’m sitting here with beads of sweat forming.

I’m a fan of amtrak… it was easy and cheap cheap cheap. I rode from El Paso to Burbank CA, via LA, for approximately $ 89 each way. The ride was pretty uneventful, especially after dark.
Seats: I bought coach seats, which were pretty comfortable until after dark. a blanket certainly would have been good for the fall ride.
Food: The snack bar car is pretty decent. Coffee, sandwiches, coffee, beer, etc. Expect to pay ¼ to ½ more for each item than you would expect at a supermarket. Dinner on the dining car was nothing fantastic, and certainly overpriced. the cheapest item, pasta and salad, ran $ 13ish.
Schedule: I had luck with the schedule, but several individuals did warn me that freight trains have right of way and it is possible to have an 8 hour delay. The train also crawled much of the way, a sign of aging tracks.
Final verdict: If you have time, remember the glory days of travel.