Talk:California Zephyr

I am especially interested reading personal experiences from people that have been on this trip. —The preceding comment was added by Anewlovejoy (talk • contribs)

Perhaps someone will reply on this talk page, but what is it that you want to know? If you can formulate a specific question, you could try the Wikivoyage Tourist Office. Ikan Kekek (talk) 00:20, 6 August 2014 (UTC)

"Links" section

Per external links, external links sections are a violation of site policy. Moreover, one of these links is to another travel guide, and that would appear to violate external links#what not to link to. However, one or more of the official links should probably be put elsewhere in the article, so I'm moving this section here for now:

Links

• California Zephyr, Amtrak
• CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR ® ROUTE GUIDE, Amtrak
• Across the USA by Train for Just $213

Ikan Kekek (talk) 19:20, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

Good catch. I had the same thought but somehow did not act on it... Hobbitschuster (talk) 20:36, 17 October 2015 (UTC)

Hi,

According to external links, it's okay to add one to two primary sources such as:

• "The official website for a museum, park, or other attractions"
• "an official visitor's guide"

It's exactly what I did. (I deleted the link to the blog article).

A455bcd9 (talk) 07:40, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

I realize that the first two links are official, but they can't be in an "External links" section. The first URL should simply be linked to the title of the article, and is. The second link has to be integrated into the article in some other way than in a "Links" section. Ikan Kekek (talk) 08:22, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

I've taken care of this. Please note the third sentence in the external links page: There should be no external links section in any article. [bolding original] Ikan Kekek (talk) 08:26, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

Thanks! A455bcd9 (talk) 17:13, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

You're welcome. Thanks for adding the content in the first place. Ikan Kekek (talk) 11:13, 4 November 2015 (UTC)

Status

How would we get this to usable status? Hobbitschuster (talk) 23:02, 12 January 2016 (UTC)

By analogy with Route 66, some brief descriptions of all the towns where the train stops would be helpful. The article also needs photos and a route map. Ikan Kekek (talk) 01:39, 13 January 2016 (UTC)

Map

How can we give this a map? Hobbitschuster (talk) 22:46, 13 July 2017 (UTC)

What is needed?

I'll be riding the California Zephyr in a few weeks. What kind of information of photographs does the article need? - Kosboot (talk) 00:46, 12 October 2022 (UTC)

One thing that comes to mind is what side of the train you should be on for beautiful views and more detail about where the scenic areas are that you can view during daylight hours. Also practical things like what kind of food and drink are currently available and prices for same. Ikan Kekek (talk) 05:43, 12 October 2022 (UTC)

Thanks Ikan Kekek. I've read on two websites that the southern side of the train is better for views and that once the train enters Colorado is where the views become more engaging. But I'll document my own views and eventually enter them here. I'll also note eating availability (I'm in coach so I believe my eating options are pretty much junk food - I'll be bringing my own). - Kosboot (talk) 00:05, 13 October 2022 (UTC)

So I have returned - great trip - and yes, definitely the southern side of the train is generally the best especially on the 2nd day (in Colorado). There are some interestng sights on the north side on the first/last day when the train leaves/enters Chicago, but the southern side really has the best views overall. - Kosboot (talk) 14:35, 9 November 2022 (UTC)

One thing I didn't think of: I'm a seasoned user of the Northeast Corridor. The "café" options on these trains are better than all other Amtrak trains, with a wider variety of food options included heated sandwiches. I was expecting something similar on the California Zephyr and it was nothing more than a snack bar. Same with the Coast Starlight. Then when I got to the Maple Leaf (Toronto to NYC) it was again the better quality café car (i.e. Northeast Corridor). I hope to add some pics (at least to Commons) by the weekend. - Kosboot (talk) 14:35, 9 November 2022 (UTC)

Delays

It was funny on my trip where I took 5 Amtrak trains and 1 Via Rail (Canada) train: ALL of them were delayed and 3 of them were delayed the same amount of time, 3 hours (one was delayed only 2 hours). I was thankful they gave me a 7-hour layover between trains - but less so when I found out that the train I was transferring to was also delayed 3 hours. I think it needs to be said that it's not a toss-up between passenger and freight trains: Freight trains ALWAYS get priority (both in the US and Canada). I would guess that a non-delayed train is a rarity. Kosboot (talk) 20:32, 9 November 2022 (UTC)