We Stayed In The Most Controversial Room On Amtrak

Not to put too fine a point on it, some people need an immediate access to a toilet either due to their disability or to age.

I took a View Liner 2 from Ft Lauderdale to Philadelphia. I specifically asked what accommodation would suit me best with a very large walker. I got the accessible room. Personally, as a solo traveler, I loved having the toilet in the room! Very convenient in the middle of the night.

I am service disabled with a VA card and a vehicle hang-tag, but my conditions do not require a wheelchair (yet). It’s apparent to me why Amtrak requires a personal wheelchair to trigger the discount. To be blunt, it’s to filter out the “fakes”, like the people bringing their pets on planes as service animals wearing vests they bought from Amazon, to avoid paying a fee. Canes and walkers are cheap, and anyone can ask for a free wheelchair at the train station (or airport). Buying a wheelchair is not cheap, and most people will not take on the expense and hassle of dragging a wheelchair around with them if they don’t need it. If the accessible bedrooms are booked months in advance with the personal wheelchair requirement to trigger a discount, it would be ludicrous if anyone with a hang-tag could book a discounted room. I support their policy. People who really need a wheelchair have one of their own and deserve a break. Traveling in a wheelchair is really difficult. When my wife broke her foot a couple years ago, we had to fly and navigated 3 airports with wheelchairs and luggage. For us it was a temporary inconvenience, for others it’s a real hardship.

Thank you guys so much! I’m disabled and because pain and fatigue play such a role, little things can become big things. Being able to see, and then learn about pros and cons is priceless and greatly reduces my anxiety. You two - on top of being the cutest couple ever - are the absolute best train reviewers. Much love to you both, and safe travels! 💚🙏🕊

My husband and I had an accessible room when we traveled from New York to Orlando. We were quite happy with the room but the toilet situation was quite awkward, lol. We ended up just telling the other to go sit in the dining car for a few minutes, lol. My husband is legitimately disabled but we were told when we booked the room that anyone, disabled or not, can book the room if the trip is less than two weeks away. My husband did not travel with a wheelchair but we still got the discounted rate (I called and made our reservation over the phone). We were told that the handicapped tag we used in our car (and that we brought with us for the rental car) would serve as documentation of his disability but nobody ever asked us to show it.

I stayed in an accessible room coming from chicago on the city of new orleans.....i didnt have a shower but there was a room-width curtain to close off the toilet. This room was a Godsend....i had a roomette on the way up to chicago....the stairs were a huge challenge for me...

Definitely one for we who are disabled and have troubles with the standard roomette's tiny toilet/shower. The standard 'bathroom' for the roomette is not easy for some of us to use. I'm also including those who use wheeled medical devices like a rollator, wheelchair, walker.

When I was a kid, my grandpa retired from the railroad. One of the station agents told him to take me somewhere overnight since railroad employees didn’t have to pay for the coach ticket where their railroad used to run and they got a discount on rooms. They suggested getting the accessible room and making me stay in the upper bunk. So, you can bring a grandkid if you want/need their help.

Being in my mid 70s I would love the toilet handy.

My wife & I have ridden the So.Cresent sev. times, but none since I lost my rt.leg. Of all their listed impairments, this is the one that makes it almost impossible to ride Amtrak anymore. I sometimes need my ewheelchair, but cannot easily climb stairs anymore. Also, even just walking with my prosthesis would be scary with the way the trains lurch about while moving fast. Thanks for your thorough and comprehensive report on this "controversial" room!

the pricing is amazing for this room especially considering the rental cost of an accessible vehicle. thanks for your review, I really like this information both as a nurse and as someone who struggles with the upper bunk for neurological reasons.

I recently traveled in Florida from West Palm Beach to Orlando. The Amtrak attendant used the Accessible Room as a staging room for departing passengers. I was moved from my Roomette to the Accessible Room just before my arrival station. It definitely saved time.

The toilet 🚽 in your quarters is shall we say interesting! However rather convenient for when you need to go no waiting for the previous occupant to vacate!

The toilet has to be there. Caregivers and those with walkers couldn't access the toilet if it were in its own cubby.

A few things: - Allie said the VL1 Accessible Room (H-room for short) does not have a shower. It does have a shower in the bathroom, just like the regular bedrooms, but the bathroom is much larger than in the bedroom. - In the VL2 H-room, if you don't plan to use the shower, the shower makes for very convenient luggage storage. - IMO, the VL2 H-room is the noisiest room on the train. It's directly above the wheels, and all the track noise comes up thru the shower drain, and of course there is no door on the shower. There is also an air vent on the room door, and any noise or conversation in the vestibule comes into the room. I had one trip where the room attendant and the conductor were having an extended loud and boisterous conversation about their personal automobiles right outside the door at 11pm.

It's nice for someone who needs it but I think I'll keep making my plans for the bedroom with shower/toilet and the extra seat. Love how u make everything so understandable, thank yoi ❤

My sister and I stayed in an accessible room twice; both rooms had a toilet, one had a shower but the bed/seats were like on the other side of the room. It was good having the shower in the room. The one thing was the hard rocking but that happened every now and then 😊😊❤

I had booked a Roomette on the City of New Orleans from Champaign to Chicago, and the attendant said the Roomettes were not available and he put me in an accessible. This room didn’t have a shower, but it did have the out there toilet.

It's great they have an accessible room, I'm sure the people that need it are glad it's there even if those of us that don't need it don't like it.

You sold me with the door open button. That's something I would NOT want!