OK so this is going to be my review + tutorial on how to catch the SAM train at Americus, GA since it is NOT self-explanatory & there is NO information about it on the website, 800 number, nor at the train station.
First you have to call the business office in Cordele, GA directly (229-276-0755) to give them a head's up that you plan to travel (smart, because otherwise the train could be full & you'd never know until it was too late) & to get a quote on the different ticket prices, etc.
As of this writing (7/15/2019), the pro-rated prices for a regular daytime excursion trip are as follows:
Coach: $22.14
Premium: $32.94
Lounge/Observation: $43.74
Lunch is included for Premium & Lounge/Observation (Chik-fil-a sandwich OR hot dog, bag of chips & bottled soda = nothing fancy!) & is served to you immediately after boarding in a plastic bag at the counter when you pay for your ticket. (I paid cash & forgot to inquire about credit cards.)
Rumor has it that Coach is not air-conditioned (ahem), so during the hot Georgia months you can imagine which seats fill up first, despite the higher price.
The Sam Hawkins car contains the Lounge on one half with padded-booth type seating & tables & an "Observation Deck" on the other half - which is really just the other end of the car - & contains wooden 2- & 4-person tables & wooden chairs with arms & padded seats. (If you're imagining the kind of observation deck you would typically see on a modern Amtrak, you're imagining wrong - think more old fashioned).
The Lounge was full, so I opted for the Observation Deck & I'm glad I did. I have a neck injury, so sitting up in a regular chair is actually more comfortable for me & there's a table right in front of you & an electrical outlet near the floor below the table, so it's perfect if you have devices you'd like to use en route.
NOTE: I opted to board the SAM at Americus, because it cuts what would normally be a 7-hour trip down to 3 hours. Keep this in mind for elderly & especially when ferrying small children. I saw a lot of tired grandparents on the train trying to keep their squirmy grandchildren entertained & happy.
When the train finally arrives in Plains, GA, you get a little over an hour to explore the 1-block-long town - which is more than enough, especially if you decide not to dine at the town's only restaurant. The conductor warned us over & over again not to be late coming back to the train, because they WOULD leave us, but that particular day was so hot & humid there was a gaggle of wilting elders & children waiting outside the train before the doors even opened.
On the trip back, the kind, grandfatherly Conductor took special pains to let me know what landmarks to look for so I would know when we were approaching Americus & what to expect in terms of debarking.
NOTES ON THE AMERICUS STATION (at Jackson & Finn Streets if you need to GPS it): It's a newly-built, unmanned station in a residential area & there are NO services. There are restrooms, but they were locked when I was there (grrrrr). The train was due at 11:45 AM, but the Cordele office advised me to be 45 minutes early just in case the train ran early (I was told they would NOT stop if they didn't see anyone standing there). So that meant 45 minutes to kill at a station with (thankfully) 4 benches to sit in, but no services & nothing around but houses & a tiny church. (I like photography, so I WAS able to fill the time!) Oh yeah & there ARE electrical outlets - I didn't test them, but it's new construction, so I'm assuming they work. I felt safe waiting there during daylight hours, but I must have triggered the Neighborhood Watch, or something, because I did have a few vehicles stop to observe me for 5 to 15 minutes & they moved in & out seemingly in "shifts." I dunno, I guess waiting at a train station is suspicious behavior? But no one bothered me. read more