TRAINS:

My experience with trains thus far is here in the United States via Amtrak. I have taken Amtrak several times across the country, and the majority of my experiences have been good. I would say this is probably the most comfortable way for me to travel.

​

Amtrak does have an accessible sleeper car. The very first time I rode Amtrak, I had a slight anxiety attack once I saw the size of the sleeper car. The website makes the sleeper car look bigger than it actually is, so please keep that in mind if you have a larger size wheelchair like me. In order to have enough room for my friends to help me out of the wheelchair and onto the bed, we kind of had to Tetris everything. 

​

Another thing to keep in mind is the train will turn off power several times during a long trip. So if you use life saving devices like powered oxygen or a ventilator, make sure to have extra battery backup. 

​

Also keep in mind the rest of the train is inaccessible, such as the diner car or the observation car. A sleeper car attendant will check on you regularly and ask what you want for your breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

​

Amtrak can also be expensive when having a sleeper car. I was able to get a discount on several occasions when I explained that I cannot use the bathroom in a regular coach car. However, this was not consistent and sometimes I would get a discount and sometimes I would not. 

The last bit of advice is to remember that not all stations are wheelchair accessible to the platforms. Be sure to check out the website to see which platforms are wheelchair accessible.

One of my bucket list items is to ride the trains in Europe. Hopefully one day soon I will get to do that and bring that experience to you.