Rider’s guide

A friendly-looking man wearing a hat with the Amtrak logo on it smiles at the camera.

Pre-Boarding

  • Arrive early—it’s a good idea to arrive 30 minutes before your train is due to depart especially if you are checking baggage.
  • Please arrive one hour early if you will be crossing the United States/Canadian border.
  • Check in at the ticket counter to arrange for pre-boarding if you need assistance with wheelchair access, Business Class upgrade, checked baggage, or bicycles.

Baggage

ONE FREE Personal Item
TWO FREE Bags

Two people carrying decorative backpacks step aboard a train. The open door to the train has the word Coach painted on it.
The top of a building that is displaying the Canadian and American flags. Printed on the building are the words "Brethren dwelling together in unity."

Travels to Canada

Documentation is required for cross border travel. Make sure you have what you need.

Bring your bike

We know how much you love bicycling — it’s just part of the Pacific Northwest culture. That’s why we’ve made it easy for you to take your bike along on your next trip aboard Amtrak Cascades.

A person wearing bicycle gloves lifts his bicycle up to hand it to a person standing inside a train car.
A child runs through the grass to greet an older person who is sitting in a wheelchair. The older person is leaning forward with their arms spread ready to give the child a hug.

Accessibility

Everyone can travel on Amtrak Cascades. Our goal is to provide safe, efficient, and comfortable service to all of our passengers. We are pleased to provide additional services to passengers with disabilities. Each Amtrak Cascades train has space for at least four mobility-impaired passengers. Braille signage is available throughout the train and audio and open captioning for travel information is provided on all overhead monitors. Amtrak Cascades is one of the most accessible passenger trains in the world with features accommodations for four mobility-impaired passengers on each train.

Onboard Experience/Menu

Thirsty? Hungry? Check out our menu. Enjoy your electronics but shhh. Check out some onboard safety tips.

Two people sit at a table in a train car. They each have a beverage in a glass bottle and a lunch in front of them.
A cute dog holds the handle of a small suitcase it its mouth and looks at the camera.

Pets

You can take your small dog or cat with you on Amtrak Cascades trains. Now that Rover can come over, we hope to see you and your pet onboard.

Traveling with Kids

Make memories and save money when you take the kids on a journey they’ll never forget. They’ll experience the wonder of the train, while you enjoy a trip without baggage fees or traffic.

A young child walks down the center aisle of a train car.

Safety and Security

Rail is a safe and efficient way to move both people and goods. Moving goods via freight trains reduces the number of large trucks on our congested highways. Riding a train is more than 23 times safer than traveling by car.

Seating

Amtrak Cascades offers Coach seating and Business seating.

Never a middle seat!

A person sits next to a window inside a moving train. They are wearing sunglasses, listening to headphones, and are looking at their mobile device.