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    California Zephyr

    3.6 (56 reviews)
    Closed 5:30 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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    Beautiful Colorado mountains
    Ron P.

    What a fantastic trip starting out in Chicago and we will end in San Francisco. We had a sleeping room with private toilet and shower. Beautiful views throughout Colorado and the train went through over 30 tunnels. Food was very good and service was excellent.

    Rockies
    John M.

    As a life experience FIVE glorious stars. The opportunity to experience the History, Beauty, and Scale of this country over the rails is an experience well worth having. Food is decent, service is decent, comfort and reliability of service not so decent. For long overnight trips such as this going with the roomette upgrade, at minimum, is crucial. Being able to view the passing country while your meal is delivered is indeed special - the cattle car coach not so much. But it is what it is and an experience I will treasure.

    Perfectly cook steak
    Jennifer K.

    From beginning to end this was a wonderful journey. The scenery was spectacular. The food amazing. The service from all the employees aboard the train was top notch. The shower aboard the train was even hot. I look forward to taking another Amtrak rail journey.

    Bernie M.

    We rode from Denver to San Francisco. Absolutely marvelous scenery! We booked a Bedroom for the two of us. Pros: -Gorgeous scenery through the Rockies. -A excellent car steward who brought our meals to us in our bedroom. Cons: - the lower bed is too small for two average sized adults (5'3" and 5"5", both slender). Compare the pictures I've attached. The top hald is the official Amtrak image. The bottom half is my real world picture. Notice the two Amtrak pillows fitting nicely on the bed in the top official picture. Then examine my own picture with the two Amtrak pillows hanging off the bed. Real pillows, even their own, do not fit on the bed. Neither did we. That bed measures 3' 4" across. But what it doesn't show is that the round tubular cushions on the backrest of the "couch" hang down over the end of the bed, nearly grazing your head, making sleeping impossible. We even tried sleeping with one head next to the other's feet. That didn't work either. One of us had to sleep on the chair. If a good night's sleep is important to you try before you buy. Measure out the 3'4" mattress size on your own bed and see how comfortably you fit. - insufficient tables in the dining car for the large number of riders. For example, the first dinner seating was at 6 PM and the last at 9 PM. Despite lack of sleep for one of us we enjoyed the ride. The scenery made up for the lack of sleep. I've also posted a picture of the toilet/hand-shower combination, uh, closet. We realized that if you used the shower the floor would remain wet, so we did without. That room does have a door. Also, and this may be yucky, the toilet paper is the thinnest I've ever seen. It almost dissolves in your hand. The next time we book an Amtrak trip it will be with two roomettes across from each other so that both of us can sleep. I do recommend the trip because of the scenery. However, I cannot recommend the bedroom for two adults.

    Colorado
    Sandeep K.

    I went to to Chicago from California by air. On way back home my daughter gave me an idea to take train while coming back, since she knows I love trains. First I thought 51 hours is too much to ride from Chicago to Martinez California. But then I thought, sure, you can but you miss a lot of really special landscape. Seeing the little towns and cities really was a privilege. The landscape transforms from plains to dry and rocky mountains to desert to lush green mountains then again to farming land. Rocky Mountains,Sierra Nevadas Moffat Tunnel Colorado's Gore, Byers and Glenwood Canyons. The train cuts through many parts of the country that aren't around roads and can't be seen while driving. Some of them so remote, that you have to be on the train to see them! So, I took route through the Rockies, called the California Zephyr, a decision I do not regret. The train is a really comfortable way to travel. I was surprised by the sheer size of the coach seats. Seriously! It was a class unrivaled by any domestic airline or regional rail service. The seats basically turn into recliners because of how much they can recline. They have lifting leg rests and the lot too. Being that I spent three days in one of these, I have no complaints whatsoever. As far as the ride goes, it is comfortable for the most part. Going through farming land, crossing Mississippi river, entering Iowa, Nebraska, Rocky mountains in Utah & Colorado, riding along Colorado River almost whole day, very spectacular. Another thing about the train is meeting people. A lot of people meet up in the Observation/Lounge car playing card games and drink. Amtrak's Observation car with lots of windows and places to sit. People are pretty social in this car and like to enjoy the view with each other. It offers a nice panoramic view of the countryside. The observation car sits right about the Café car, so snacks were plenty close by. Amtrak staff were great ONBOARD only. At Union Station Chicago staff was very rude. I was surprised to walk onto the train to a kind, helpful coach-car attendant, made my three days pleasant. I asked car attendant about Wi-Fi onboard, she said on Zephyr route no. It was little upsetting, but after half an hour I forgot that I need Wi-Fi or signals from my mobile carrier. Overall I would say 51 hours passed like a short distance car ride. My personal recommendation, don't miss this train. Love it

    Sightseeing car
    Fran W.

    On my recent tour of the US I wanted to try a little of everything, including taking the train. I chose to take the Amtrak California Zephyr for the leg from Denver to Chicago. The trip was approximately 19 hours in total. I boarded in Denver at 19:30 and arrived in Chicago at approx 15:30 the following day. It cost me about the same as it would have for a flight plus a nights acommodation so there was no additional expense by choosing the train. As it was an overnight journey I chose to go a roomette. This little room provides a bit of added comfort and privacy. The two reclining seats fold down flat to make a bed and there is a fold down top bunk should you be travelling with some one else. Dining was pleasant and provided an opportunity to meet fellow travellers. There was ample opportunity to get up and wander around. A sightseeing car and cafe provided the chance to get out of the room and watch the world go by over a cup of coffee. For our journey the train ran on time and we pulled in to Chicago at the scheduled time. I'm glad I chose the train. It's a form of transport that is being used les and less frequently these days. I can recommend making the effort to adding a train leg to any journey. It's a great way to see the country!

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    Ask the Community - California Zephyr

    Review Highlights - California Zephyr

    The observation car was tough to get a seat in at times and people were saving seats.

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    Chicago Union Station - Union Station

    Chicago Union Station

    3.5(507 reviews)
    0.0 miWest Loop, Near West Side

    Union Station (Chicago) is famous for the movies that were filmed there as well as being one of the…read morebusiest stations in the country. It's the main artery for Amtrak serving the midwest. Tons of platforms (close to 30 I think) and several places to choose from to grab a bite to eat. Each time I have traveled in and out of this station has been a decent experience. Though, I do still sometimes get lost. It's an older building but it's pretty well maintained and clean. Folks working there are actually more than willing to help out. That's petty refreshing. I absoluely love the architecture of the station and its Deco nod. Not to mention the grand architectural elements within the interior. Traveling in and out of Union Station is nostalgic; like being in a 1940s romance film.

    Union Station has some very beautiful areas that make you feel like you're taking a step back in…read moretime! They do a lot of work to keep it that way in both the interior and exterior. Some of of the waiting areas feel luxurious; if you have a while to wait it's certainly not gloomy! It's definitely a large, busy station with people coming and going so if you haven't navigated it before it's wise to get familiar with the building. There are some nice food options so it's nice to relax with a Jamba Juice. Kind, efficient staff. The Amtrak trains at Union Station have always been very reliable and there's just something so charming about traveling by train! When I went to college in downtown Chicago, I'd take the Hiawatha train back to Milwaukee every weekend and it was always a great experience. The key is definitely picking the train times that it's not going to be a zoo of foot traffic inside. Consider taking the train for a unique experience and enjoying a walk around a beautiful building with a lot of history!

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    Chicago Union Station - Inside of the station

    Inside of the station

    Chicago Union Station - 待合ホール。

    待合ホール。

    Chicago Union Station - Metropolitan Lounge

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    Metropolitan Lounge

    Ogilvie Transportation Center

    Ogilvie Transportation Center

    3.8(186 reviews)
    0.2 miWest Loop, Near West Side

    Why oh why does the sign on the Madison St entrance of this building say "Accenture Tower" when…read moreit's really just the retail front of Ogilvie Transportation Center?! That confused me so much the first time I came here that I went across the street to Union Station by mistake thinking I had gone to the wrong place, and I missed my train. Please make better signage indicating that this entrance is also for the train station, as Google maps is getting less and less accurate (it put the marker in the middle of the intersection between the two stations). Other than that, the station is fine. Plenty of ticket machines and display screens showing the train schedules. There are escalators up to the track area for disability access as an option besides stairs. Just expect a huge line for the bathrooms. The retail shops and food items are price gouging to the extreme, like an airport would be.

    Last week was my first time taking a train into the city while visiting Great Lakes. I was…read moretraveling alone and a little nervous about getting into the city and unsure about the area that the Ogilvie Transportation Center is in. Reviews made it seem like a confusing place to navigate. I boarded the Union Pacific North Train Kine from Great Lakes just outside of the Navy Training Center. I purchased my ticket on the Ventra App and I boarded the train and took a seat. There were several stops along the way and the Ogilvie Transportation Center was the last stop. The Conductor visited the car I was riding in just a couple of stops before ending at Ogilvie to check and/or sell tickets. The Conductor was polite and patient. When I exited the train at Ogilvie, I just followed the crowd to the stairway into the station and then just chose to exit the building at the Canal Street exit whit turned out to be just perfect for starting my journey into Chicago for the day. At the end of the day, when I returned to Ogilvie, it took me a few minutes to figure out the train schedule and locate the right stairways onto the loading platform. They have large screens at each loading platform stairway entrance that shows where each train travels to and what time they leave. There are stairways on each side of the train station to get you to the train. One important thing to note is that for some stops, the first cars of the train, the doors do not open. So it's best to find a seat towards the back cars or make plans to walk through a couple of cars quickly to get to the exit doors that open. The Ogilvie Transportation Center was easier to navigate than I had thought.

    Photos
    Ogilvie Transportation Center
    Ogilvie Transportation Center
    Ogilvie Transportation Center

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    CTA - Clark/Lake - Need the Brown, Come on down.

    CTA - Clark/Lake

    3.1(59 reviews)
    0.7 miThe Loop

    クラーク駅はオヘア空港に向かうブルーラインの駅です。 空港に直通で便利ですが1時間はかかります。…read more地上にはシカゴ名物のループの駅もあります。 シカゴの真冬はミシガン湖の風も相まって射すような寒さ。 駅すぐのリバーウオークは真冬には川に流氷が現れます。 冬以外は観光船で大賑わいです。 昔の話ですが、地下鉄は冬でも暖房はなかったです。 真冬のある日、私は空港に行くため朝4時に地下鉄に乗ると、 男性がベンチに横たわって寝てました。 車両には他に男性ふたり、私は少し離れて座りました。 次の駅で身なりの良い40代位の男性と、 中学生位の男の子が乗ってきました。 確実に親子だとおもいます。 3つ先の駅で降りる寸前、父親は寝てる男性のズボンのポケットに いくらかのお札をねじ込んで降りていきました。 息子は父の姿を見て無言で後ろについて降りていきました。 当然、寝てる男性は気づいてます。 でも、それから1時間近く終点の空港まで微動だにしませんでした。 空港到着、皆が降りていきます。 彼はどうするのだろう。私は最後まで座席にいました。 すると、彼は身体を動かすでもなく、顔を動かすでもなく、 寝たままポケットのお金をだして、 片目で確認するとそのままポケットに戻し目を閉じました。 夜が明けるまで 地下鉄で往復して過ごすのだと思います。 このふたりの男性、住む世界は天と地ほど違うと思うけど、 私は二人に共通する人間の奥にある何かを感じずにはいられませんでした。 帰宅して夫に話すと、そうだねと一言。 昔のことですが、今も鮮明に残っている光景です。 私は数年前から夫に次いで年金生活者になりました。 結婚時からお金は葬式代と僅かなものを残すだけでよいと 若い頃からふたりでたくさん旅に出ました。 歳を重ね、夫と旅の思い出を語る時間が本当に幸せです。 これからも旅に出て、(今は夫はお留守番、土産話聞き役となる) この世を去る寸前まで、この素晴らしい世界を見て行きたいです。 WBC観戦、4年後また絶対に行きます。 その時はシカゴから長距離列車でマイアミへ。 目標ができました。 おしまい。

    Clark and lake is one of the superstations where you can transfer to multiple lines. The station…read morecan get pretty crowded on a weekday during rush hour but it looks like they have improved on headway so there are more trains. Looks like they upgraded some of the signage and are currently upgrading one of the entrance under the Thompson center. Curious to see how that ends up though

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    CTA - Clark/Lake
    CTA - Clark/Lake
    CTA - Clark/Lake

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    Chicago Architecture Center

    Chicago Architecture Center

    4.8(811 reviews)
    1.1 miThe Loop

    Chicago Walking Tour - Elevated Architecture Downtown 'L' Train…read moreWe have previously taken the CAC boat tour and one of the surface walking tours (both of which were great), but this time we wanted something with a slightly different perspective while staying downtown. We chose the Elevated Architecture Downtown 'L' Train tour led by Andrew, our CAC docent. As no one else had signed up for the tour that morning, it became a private tour. Andrew was not only very knowledgeable about the architecture and friendly, but also, given that he works in planning at the Chicago Metro, was able to take us on an even deeper dive concerning the "L", its history, and some of the current challenges. As we were about 35' about street level for the tour, we were also treated to a different perspective of the building and their design/decoration, something that cannot be readily observed from street level. Thans again to Andrew for an information and entertaining tour above the streets of downtown Chicago-truly a unique experience.

    If you're in Chiago you have to do the Architecture tour at least once. If you're in Chicago…read moreduring the Summer as I was you can seek sanctuary in the air conditioned lower level. I wish the audio was a little bit louder on that level due to the sound of the fans and people talking. If you like my reviews, consider "following" my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area . Why "follow" someone? It causes the person you follow's reviews to tier to top when you pull up a business. I find this very handy when researching venues. Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews)

    Photos
    Chicago Architecture Center
    Chicago Architecture Center
    Chicago Architecture Center - Amazing right?

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    Amazing right?

    California Zephyr - trains - Updated May 2026

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