We used Amtrak Vacations and we're so disappointed!! Never again will I book anything from them again. We have travelled extensively and I have never had such a poor experience. Amtrak Vacations are NOT affiliated with Amtrak, but paid to use the Amtrak name. They are strictly a travel agency.
We booked a tour to Glacier National Park and were told that our room at the lodge would have two queen beds. When we opened the door to our room (102 Glacier Park Lodge) we were shocked to see one full bed.
Also, we had signed up for a red bus tour at 9 am. Promptly at 9 am, two of the red jammer buses pulled up in front of the lodge and the drivers called off names from their lists. Afterwards, there were still about 15 people who hadn't been called. After much confusion, it turned out that there was a third red jammer bus coming at 9:30 and all of the remaining people, who all booked with Amtrak Vacations, we're on the third driver's list. So, in the end, there was a group of people who were upset because Amtrak Vacations had the wrong time listed for the jammer tour!
Finally, I discovered that if we had booked the train, hotel and red jammer bus tour by ourselves, we would have saved almost 1500 dollars!!
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
9518 posts
I can tell this was a very disappointing experience for you. I’m sorry. Were you able to enjoy Glacier in spite of the mistakes?
Posted by
Chicago, IL
93 posts
As a frequent Amtrak rider, I have heard that Amtrak Vacations is to be avoided and to book things yourself. I am so sorry you experienced this.
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
35550 posts
what's a jammer tour? I don't know the word "jammer"?
Posted by
WestCentral MN
414 posts
It's a historic "bus" used for tours in Glacier National Park.
Posted by
Duluth🌲
10131 posts
Finally, I discovered that if we had booked the train, hotel and red jammer bus tour by ourselves, we would have saved almost 1500 dollars!!
I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but the situation above is true of just about every tour. Figuring out a travel plan for yourself without a tour takes research and organizing ahead of time, and it's certainly not Amtrak's fault that you booked their tour instead of doing the research and booking it yourself.
Traveling on your own will almost always be cheaper than booking a tour. Next time hopefully you will know, and can avoid the additional cost of a tour; especially one as disappointing as that was for you.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
15910 posts
I'm so sorry you didn't find this forum BEFORE you booked Amtrak Vacations! NOT that the group's expertise is really vacations in the US but plenty of us are on Trip Advisor as well and the Train Travel forum there is littered with folks who have experienced disappointment after booking with this travel agency.
At least you weren't stuck in a fleabag motel somewhere in an unsavory area of a town.
I too, hope you enjoyed Glacier....it's a magnificent park, isn't it?