Over the pandemic years, we (Brittany and Jordan) fell headlong into the Harry Potter series. With time at home and lots of house reno hours to put in, we flew through the audiobook series.
And fell in love with the nostalgia of train travel.
Who doesn’t want to travel on the Hogwarts Express?!?
That led Jordan to research train travel and train travel vacations. As a kid, he traveled by train from his hometown in Washington state to Iowa for Christmas with his family.
These memories, combined with a fresh wave of train fascination, bring us to today’s post topic: traveling by train from Vancouver, WA, to White Fish, Montana.
In this post, I’ll share some tips on traveling by Amtrak as well as our experience traveling from Vancouver, Washington, to Whitefish, Montana.
What is Amtrak?
Amtrak is a passenger rail line that runs throughout many of the contiguous United States.
For the official Amtrak website visit here.
Why choose Amtrak for this trip?
Amtrak travel can be cheaper than flights when traveling short distances. For longer trips, traveling by rail is more for the novelty or experience of traveling by train than for any convenience reason.
Our trip to Whitefish was the latter. We wanted the experience of train travel.
Preparing for your trip
Booking your tickets
Booking train travel is similar to booking airfare. You will go to the Amtrak booking site, choose your dates and locations, and find the times that work best for you.
When traveling by rail, the options may be fewer than when traveling by air because there are fewer trains running on each specific line.
For this reason, find your train route before making other travel plans. That way, you can plan your departure and arrival times. This is especially important as some routes only offer a single time frame.
The route we took from Vancouver, WA, to White Fish, Mt., offers one booking time. This meant we planned our trip around our departure and arrival times.
Choosing your seat or accommodation
Traveling on Amtrak offers a range of accommodations to suit different needs and preferences.
Here’s a breakdown of the three primary options: a seat, a roomette, or a bedroom.
Coach seat
- Description: Coach seats are the most economical option for Amtrak travelers. They offer a comfortable and spacious seating arrangement, ideal for shorter trips or for those who are traveling on a budget.
- Features: These seats are equipped with ample legroom, fold-down trays, individual reading lights, and power outlets. Seats can recline and have a footrest, making the journey more comfortable. Restrooms are available in the same or adjacent cars.
- Best for: Day trips, short overnight journeys, and budget-conscious travelers.
Roomette
- Description: Roomettes are private, compact sleeping accommodations located in the sleeping car. They are perfect for one or two passengers and offer a more private and comfortable travel experience compared to coach seating.
- Features: Roomettes have two seats that convert into a bed, with another bed that folds down from above. They include access to a private restroom and shower in the same car (though some trains offer roomettes with in-room toilets and sinks).
Roomettes also come with meals included in the dining car, personal service from a dedicated sleeping car attendant, and access to lounges at certain stations. - Best for: Solo travelers or couples looking for privacy and overnight trips.
Bedroom
- Description: The bedrooms offer the most spacious and comfortable accommodation on Amtrak. They are ideal for those seeking a premium travel experience, with more room than roomettes and additional amenities.
- Features: Bedrooms can accommodate up to two adults, featuring a sofa and an armchair during the day and upper and lower berths at night. They include a private en suite bathroom with a shower and toilet. Like roomettes, the cost includes meals in the dining car, personal attendant service, and access to lounges at stations.
- Best for: Couples, those desiring a higher level of comfort and privacy, and long-distance travelers.
Each option caters to different needs, from the basic comfort and affordability of a coach seat to the privacy and amenities of a bedroom.
Your choice will depend on your budget, the length of your journey, and the level of comfort you desire.
Keep in mind that all of these spaces are compact. They have enough space to make the travel comfortable, but roomettes and bedrooms on a train are not hotel rooms.
For our trip to Whitefish, we chose a roomette, as our train departed at 5 p.m. and arrived at 7 a.m. We found the roomette experience quiet and pleasant during travel time.
Once the beds were made up, we had a cozy reading before (trying) to sleep. Due to the steady back-and-forth rock of the train, new passengers coming on in the middle of the night (loudly), and the noise of the train, we didn’t get much sleep.
Our best advice is to wear earplugs, don’t turn up the heat in your roomette (it will get too hot), and be prepared to be laid back about the amount of sleep you get.
Go in with the mindset that you’ll enjoy the novelty of the experience.
For more info on amenities and different seating options, visit the Amtrak website.
What to pack
The amount of baggage allowed per passenger includes more size options and weight than airlines. Before packing, check with the train’s specifics on the number of bags and bag weight.
Jordan and I have found in our travels that the lighter we pack, the better experience we have. We have less to shlep around with us and less to worry about forgetting.
For our trip we packed our normal outfits, shoes and other gear we wanted to take, but we fit it all into small backpacking packs. This made things super easy and manageable.
If you are sitting in a coach, keep a small bag with you that you can keep in your seat. Larger luggage gets put into the luggage coach, and you probably won’t have access to these bags.
Meals on the train
When you are booking your ticket, read the descriptions carefully to see what you are purchasing.
Many train travel options include meals in the dining car, and often, the roomettes will include en-suite meals delivered by the attendant.
However, depending on your line and whether your train has a dining car attached, you may end up being directed to a snack bar or alternative dining situation for meals.
During our trip, we were served an en-suite dinner.
We were directed to the dining car for breakfast so the attendant could clean our room for the next guests. We had a hot breakfast in the dining car before arriving in Whitefish.
On our trip home, we were directed to the snack bar, where we could choose from a variety of breakfast options—oatmeal cups, breakfast sandwiches, bagels, and yogurt, among others—to take back to our roomette.
The Journey from Vancouver, WA to Whitefish, MT
Departing from Vancouver, WA
Parking at the station
There are often parking options at the train station – this will depend on the station. You will pay per day to leave a car.
We decided to forgo this option and got dropped off at the station for our trip.
Editor’s note: Brittany and Jordan actually hiked the 2.3 miles to the train station because no one was in town to take them. This is what happens when you hang out with a bunch of avid travelers! I did pick them up when they came home cause I’m a good mom editor.
Checking in/security
The check-in process is nearly non-existent. You can check at the front desk to ensure there isn’t a check-in necessary and to get directions to your boarding platform.
Otherwise, you can sit at the train station for your train or wait on the boarding platform outside.
Onboard amenities
We traveled on the Empire Builder, an Amtrak train running from Seattle to Chicago. This train offered meals, free Wi-Fi, and coffee, and it had public restrooms for coaches and roomettes and private bathrooms for bedrooms.
Scenic highlights along the route
One of the main reasons we chose to travel from Vancouver to Whitefish was to travel through the Columbia River Gorge by train.
The timeframe of our trip sent us through the Gorge as the sun was setting. We had a unique, gorgeous view of the river, waterfalls, and landscape of the Gorge.
The roomette we were in was on the back side of the train so we walked up to the observation car to get the views.
If you find yourself staring at bleak scenery or unable to see the view you were hoping for, try out the observation car – it has seats and couches you can enjoy while viewing your surroundings.
Stops along the way
The train makes stops at each station it passes along the route. If you are traveling a long distance, the number of stops you will experience will increase.
During these stops, you can walk to an exit to stretch your legs and get a breath of fresh air. Stops vary in length, so stay close, as they don’t take attendance before leaving the station.
Arriving in Whitefish
The Whitefish Train Station
The Whitefish train depot was a fun, old-fashioned-looking building reminiscent of the train’s golden years.
The waiting benches are probably the originals. On our arrival at Whitefish, we didn’t spend much time in the train station, so we walked straight into town from there.
But, on our trip home, the train was delayed. We spent a quality few hours curled up on those benches waiting.
What to do in Whitefish
Food and drink
Whitefish hosts a variety of great restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and other foodie stops for the food travel enthusiast.
Don’t forget to stop by Sweet Peaks Ice Cream shop for a delicious themed ice cream adventure.
There are lots of other great places; these are just a few that we tried.
Our favorite restaurants in downtown Whitefish:
Jeremiah Johnson Brewing Company
Hiking and skiing
We chose Whitefish with the hope of spending some quality outdoor time near or in Glacier National Park. However, due to the season and a train malfunction, we weren’t able to take the train into the Park.
But we did take a shuttle up to the Whitefish Mountain Resort and hiked in the deep snow around the lodge. Once we got too cold, we found a spot by one of the large fireplaces in the lodge to sit and read for a while.
Of course, if you are a skier or snowboarder, this is a great spot for both of those activities. We are not skiers, so I can just say to look at the lodge info here for more information on ski passes and the like.
There is a shuttle that runs through Whitefish and up to the lodge. You can ask at your hotel or find signs posted around town for the specific pickup locations.
Shopping
Downtown Whitefish has lots of cute shops, bookstores, art galleries, and beauty salons. If you like to hit the shops while on vacation, check out the downtown area.
Stumptown Art Studio
This was one of our trip splurges, but it ended up being so fun! The Stumptown Art Studio is a ceramic studio and creative space offering classes and walk-in ceramic painting.
If you aren’t in Whitefish for very long, they ship pottery to you once it’s kilned (it usually takes about a week, they told us).
We chose our blanks and had a blast painting them. The variety of ceramic pieces was very appealing, and the studio layout was quite pleasant to paint in.
Would we take the train again?
Taking the train can be a unique way to travel to your destination.
Whitefish, Montana, has a lot to offer for those desiring a relaxing time or visiting the lodge for snow sports.
You can build a vacation around a unique experience like riding the train.
So yes, I think we will try to travel by train again. It was a relaxing and unique experience.
