I recently had a great experience during a day trip from San Antonio to Austin. Train was on time the way out and delayed (but we arrived in San Antonio even earlier than our original time) on the way out. Things happen, I knew it would be delayed due to freight train issue in the same area. Anyhow, I always bring my own food and drinks as I'm gluten free. Their offerings don't worry me. I was very pleased with how clean the stations were. San Antonio is cleaner than Austin staton and seems a bit more upgraded too. Nonetheless, I had a lovely time. Seats or entire sections to myself both ways and this was during August. You have your normal seat and then can venture to the scenic car with your stuff. Amazing views! Wish I had known this on the way out but I did it on the way back. read more

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They're becoming the worst form of transportation in traveling! They don't know what their passengers go through on those train rides especially when inconvenienced! No food and your stuck with hot dogs or hamburgers which got me sick the lady argued with me when I got on the train!! Think about your choices when riding Amtrak! The bathroom are very small and nasty the customer service is very rude!! And I'm just over it already time to find a different way of traveling read more

20 Oct 2023 We took the train to Austin for a day trip. We were on the upper level coach going to Austin and on the lower level coach returning to SA. I was struck by how roomy and comfortable the seats are. Wide and plenty of legroom. I like that the seats are just two abreast. You have a drop down tray and an adjustable foot rest and the seats recline. I was a bit concerned about the lack of security. Once they scan your ticket as you board, that's pretty much it. I guess the conductors are busy tending to the roomette and sleeper car people. I believe they get meals included in their deal. We in coach, get to use the cafe car, which you walk to. One guy in our car was drinking beer he brought on the train. Basically a federal offense, as no personal alcohol is allowed on board. He offered me one, I graciously declined. Our lower seating car had no overhead storage shelves. The conductor came in as we were pulling out and mentioned they were starting to be removed because people abused how much luggage they carried on. We'll be forced to check most luggage. Bummer. I admit I saw a guy with a backpack and two larger rolling suitcases. They should stop him at the door. Speaking of the cafe car, I was never sure when they were open. There didn't seem to be any set hours. They were open when we boarded, then closed temporarily to service the meal people, then they announced reopening and later announced they would be closing 'soon', whatever that means. Id like to hear 'we are closing at 7pm'. Something definitive. Overall, not a bad experience. read more

ROACHESSSSSS!!! They come out every night I counted 5 until I finally took a photo I wanted to cry and staff wouldn't move me when i asked read more

Amtrak Texas Eagle - Roaches, dirty unsanitary train - Trains Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

We were late by 45 minutes. But the ride is smooth. By complaint is Old style telephone booth toilets that was in need of cleaning. I hope the new bl- level cars have a self flushing function and a bigger stall. read more

Nothing about this rout is good. No scenery because almost the entire route has an impenetrable wall of trees lining both sides of the tracks. Food is pathetic microwaved and inedible. Experienced multiple unexplained delays. P A system not working. Plugged toilets. Almost constant loud slamming of bathroom doors. Kids running and shouting. Accommodations not thoroughly cleaned. Dusty and carpet dirty under seats. read more

Amtrak has the best service and has really good food and couches and windows to look out I recommend this train.

Never. Again. Will. I. Take. The. Train. Worst travel experience of my life. Dirty cars, nasty, loud people, delay upon delay. Id rather drive and sit in traffic until the day I die. There were a few very nice Amtrak employees specifically at Union Station in Chicago. But the once glorious travel by train idea is dead IMHO. First and last. Dreading my trip home. read more

I've loved trains ever since riding an Amtrak sleeper with my late father from Houston to El Paso in 1984. They represent a kind of past adventure which air travel tends to lack. Traveling as an adult, Amtrak has often been hit-or-miss. Nevertheless, when it comes to mid-range American trips I really enjoy the train because it's relaxing, calming and more convenient than renting a car if I don't need one at my destination. For my trip from a Kalamazoo, MI conference to San Marcos, TX I decided I wanted something different and reserved a roomette sleeper--the fact I had the free time to do so was a deciding factor. The experience was outstanding for non-luxury travel. When you get a sleeper, all meals in the dining car are included. They of course include linens, pillows as well as towels/toiletries for the shower car. If you get the deluxe room, the shower & washroom are included in your cabin. You also get unlimited coffee in the morning. For a 1350 mile cross-country trip, arriving only fifteen minutes late was fantastic. The dining car was decent--the nicest moment was enjoying sunset over the Gateway Arch while eating a steak and shrimp dinner. If I could change one thing, the plates would not be disposable. The sleeping car attendant was super helpful, even helping me retrieve my phone when I dropped it behind difficult furniture at 5 in the morning. Sure, it would be nice if the long-haul trains had Wi-Fi and the salads weren't mainly iceberg, but it was also good to decompress and disconnect and relax. It was a great trip, and I look forward to my next chance to take a cross-country trip on an Amtrak sleeper. read more

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Recently took the Amtrak to Fort Worth from San Antonio for the first time and it was a very easy process. The workers I encountered were nice and the ride was smooth. Although I will say the seats ended up being uncomfortable towards the middle/end of my 6 hour train ride. The only other thing that made my trip some what unpleasant was the smell, but I suspect that was not the Amtraks fault but rather the people on it! read more

Prepare to be LATE! They are always late! As long as you ain't in a hurry, or waiting to pick someone up, it's fine.

I'm giving two stars for two employees that were helpful, otherwise I would simply leave one star. We decided to take the Amtrak from our home in Mineola to San Antonio in order to visit my wife's family and have a fun family adventure. Normally we fly or drive but since our family car was at the dealership having warranty work performed we thought it might be fun for us to experience a trip by rail. Our boys are 6 and 7 years old and have a fascination with trains as I do to this day. Everything at the Mineola station was great! They are proud of their depot and it shows with warm hospitality and comforting amenities. However, once aboard the train the atmosphere and attitude drastically changed. There were no open seats available on the two train cars that would accommodate one adult sitting with one child. It smelled terrible and trash littered the isle. We made our way to the concession car and took a seat in the booth hoping that when we arrived in Dallas we would be able to find seats in the car. We seated ourselves and bought some drinks and snacks for the ride and decided to play an Uno game. One gentleman, the conductor I believe, came by and joked with our kids and us as he was extremely pleasant. Then, 5 minutes later, came a lady that seemed to be having a rough day, telling us we had to move and find seats. We explained that there were no open seats for us to sit with our boys. She didn't seem to believe us and left only to return a minute later telling us that we could sit there until Dallas but then we would have to find seats. I understand the rules and this was something we already had worked out, but her decorum and manners were lacking to say the least. She then turned her attention to the husband and wife in another booth that came in for some coffee and appeared to be enjoying their time. She made them move to the back and it irritated me, not because they were made to move, but rather the manner in which they were told. The couple remained nice and courteous but were taken aback by the rudeness in which they were instructed to move. They did not protest the move but the employee kept on telling them they had to move without an explanation or giving them an opportunity to say yes. She just found 15 different ways to say the same thing over and over again, even as they were getting up to leave. Once in Dallas we were able to find open seats but they were disgusting. I work as an ER nurse and I've seen some nasty things but this train car appeared to have not been adequately cleaned in some time. There were discarded beer cans and cheap cigar butts littered in the two areas that were open for seating. My wife and I were cleaning them up but this seemed to annoy the lady that had previously told us to move from the concession car. All we wanted to do was throw away the beer cans and cigar butts then wipe down the seats with our own supplies my wife brought. Thank goodness we brought them because the employee had no intention of providing a trash bag. The rest of the trip was spent in disappointment due to these interactions. The other complaints I have is the restrooms being filthy with caked on urine remnants and the oder of disappointment and despair. It seems to be the place where dreams go to die. I also went to the concession car to buy a coffee but as I stood at the window the employees just looked at me from a booth without saying a word as to whether they were closed or could help me. I just left to never return. All in all, there is a positive. We booked a family car for a weekend trip to see the Lincoln Library and home in Springfield for next month. I'm glad I got the insurance so I can cancel that trip. If we were treated this way on a 10 hour trip to San Antonio I can't imagine what spending the night on the train must be like. read more

Many of the employees seemed visibly agitated. It was difficult to get a straight answer regarding boarding/deboarding the train. Normally I enjoy riding the train but on this trip, the Amtrak employees are leaving a lot to be desired. I will surely reconsider using Amtrak for my return trip. read more

I'm curious what responsibility the Texas Eagle staff has for behavior on their trains. Any at all? I don't live in Texas, but I took the Texas Eagle from Austin to San Antonio earlier this week. The train arrived more than two hours late- apparently because of numerous delays by letting freight trains pass. That was aggravating but not their fault. The staff is fine at checking tickets, directing passengers to the appropriate cars, and safely letting them off the train at their stops. What about what transpires during the rides? There was an extended family in front of me with several small children. They were on the train when I got there, so if my ride was exhausting, I can imagine how theirs was. The youngest child would not stop yelling. By midnnight the kids were up and down the aisles. I wa trying to sleep and the (dad?) told me if I didn't like it, I could move. I was on two planes and two buses during my stay in Texas. I've been on hundreds of train rides. I've never seen kids so out of control so late at night, and such defensive parents. Where were your conductors? Don't they have some level of responsibility to ensure that other passengers have some peace at midnight? I shouldn't have to drag my luggage around because this guy mouths off at me. Monitor your trains! Thank you! read more

This has been a horrendous experience thus far. We departed 1 1/2 hours late...hoping there are no more delays as we are in the verge of missing the Cotton Bowl in Dallas as it stands right now. :( We arrived early as instructed. When told (after the scheduled boarding time) to begin boarding, the gruff agent scanned our pass, then walked away without providing further instructions. When she returned a few minutes later, she moved onto the next person. We were able to figure out that we needed to proceed to the next gentleman down the train. He told us to head to the sleeper car, the last car on the train. When we arrived there, we discovered our car was not on the train, and we were not on the manifest. Nobody seemed to know what was going on. The two gentlemen in that car were very kind, but nobody knew what was happening. Meanwhile...we were stuck waiting outside on one of the coldest mornings of the year...for about an hour. Eventually, the crew decided to add a sleeping car from another train. We then boarded the new car and settled in. All of the bedrooms were a bit untidy. Ours had at least one pillow with boogers on it (I took a picture--nasty) and the trash was overflowing as it hadn't been emptied. The next one over had trash strewn all about. On the other side, the genltman was asking the attendant to have it serviced. Next came breakfast. We'd been left in limbo about it...but they finally told us it would indeed be served. Had we been told even 5 minutes earlier, we could have started walking. Instead, we had to sit and wait for roughly an hour as we were behind the rest of the train, remember...we were in the LAST car. What a cluster. After getting very little sleep, this has to be in the Top 10 worst travel experiences thus far...and we were looking forward to it being one of the best. Never again at this rate. We could've been in Dallas one hour from now based on when We woke up this morning...and We're not even to San Marcos. What a freaking joke. 1 out of 5...if that read more

Hour late departure with no communication or even water to buy and no air conditioning. The on train staff where apathetic at best and just lazy. It was actually sad to watch people that unhappy with there job that they self fulfill they're own daily customer service debacle and make everyone around them hate life. I can barely choke this out but I would rather fly American than get on this rolling dumpster fire again. read more

Hello. I wanted to first say that I enjoyed my trip riding on the 22 line to St. louis on October 1-2 nd. The train was a couple of hours late, but I understand delays happen with Amtrak. My room attendant for that day was excellent. She told us it was her last trip (which was unfortunate), but her customer service skills did not waver. That whole crew was friendly and helpful. Now, the trip on the 21 line coming back to Austin on October 2nd-3rd was in stark contrast to my experience on the 22. To start the day, the dining car server on the morning of October 3rd was rude to everyone at breakfast. He yelled at a senior dining at our table that she could not have the kids meal. She's a senior for christ sakes. These smaller meals are often designed for BOTH children and the elderly. But that was nothing compared my room attendant. I had an unforgettable experience with a rude room attendant on the day of October 3rd. I asked the dining car attendant if I could have my meal in my room as I was not feeling well. He said that was fine. I ordered the lighter risotto meal. The room attendant lady asked me to confirm that I was having my meal in my room. I said, yes. She proceeded to huff and puff and storm away, ignoring me completely when I asked if there was an issue with that. So, she comes back to my room with a meal, and it's the wrong meal. I tried a couple of bites to try to make the most out of a bad situation. As I mentioned, I was not feeling well, so this incorrect meal was going to be too heavy for me. I tried to keep the peace, and told the attendant, "hi, I can't eat this, it is the wrong meal, but that's ok. I'll just go buy a sandwhich". She then proceeded to yell at me. I mean literally shout at me, " why did you eat any of it then?!" I told her I was trying to make the best out of it, and see if I could eat the meal. Again, I had offered to just buy my own sandwhich out of my own pocket even though my ticket included a meal. She eventually came back with the correct meal after I had already purchased the sandwhich. The entire crew that worked on the 21 line (L.A. bound) on the day of October 3rd is outright HOSTILE to passengers, it goes beyond simple disdain. To top it off, this train was a full EIGHT hours late. I understand there are delays with trains, but this was outrageous. I really enjoy train travel, so this has not deterred me, but I am reconsidering ever going on a long distance overnight excursion again. I understand you want to switch to boxed meals in an effort to lower prices, and lure more customers to rent these roomettes. But honestly, a customer service audit would go further. Price is not an issue to me, but being treated with basic respect is. read more

I am so in LOVE with the Texas Eagle from San Antonio to Fort Worth and back! The pricing is super affordable great sight seeing of the country side. No stress having to make the drive and if you eat in the diner they seat you with other passengers so you meet people. read more

Roomy, comfortable seats, and a relaxing pace. You get to see a bit of the country and you get some time to yourself, and you don't feel like you're squashed into a little death box. There are delays, sure, but there are delays on planes, too. Trains are the only way I travel cross-country anymore. I've probably traveled a week and a half on trains, altogether by this point. I see people complaining about conductors, but if you had to look after six busloads of people you might be grumpy too. They don't get paid a lot and they basically work all day on their feet. I've always been polite and done what they asked immediately, and I've never had a problem. They've got a lot of work to do. read more

Stright shitty. Train was about an hour & half late to arrive then during the trip they stoped so much I ended up being 3 hours later than my normal arrival time. It took me 7 hours to get to Chicago from alton il never again will I use texas eagle. Worst train ever!!!! read more