An Amtrak 4-day trip spent working remotely: I wouldn’t waste PTO, but underestimated how difficult it would be
Planning to work aboard
The traveler and their spouse set out on their longest Amtrak journey yet, traveling from Washington, DC, to Vancouver over four days. With limited vacation time, the traveler arranged permission from their boss to work remotely throughout the trip.
They checked whether trains offered WiFi and prepared a phone hotspot as backup. Their packing list included a laptop, portable monitor, chargers, cords and a paper planner.
Power and space challenges
The couple booked a roomette on two of the three train rides. The small room had two facing seats that became bunks at night. The DC-to-Chicago roomette had two outlets, while the Chicago-to-Seattle one had just one, so the couple took turns charging devices.
The roomette could feel cramped, prompting the traveler to work in the café car. With no outlets there, work lasted about two hours before the laptop and phone needed charging back in the room, interrupting the workflow.
Spotty signals disrupted work
Only one of the three trains had stable WiFi, so the traveler relied on a phone hotspot for much of the journey. By the third day, cellular service became unreliable in rural areas, making the hotspot less useful.
The traveler worried about saving documents directly to the computer, which was not permitted at work, but said it was the only option without a consistent connection. For the Seattle-to-Vancouver leg, the couple traveled in coach rather than a roomette.
Station lounges offered relief
When trains were delayed, the traveler worked in Amtrak station lounges. Seattle’s station had an upper-level sitting area and small art gallery that provided a comfortable place to get work done.
The traveler said the trip was challenging but still enjoyable, citing the views and the opportunity to see new places instead of sitting at a desk. They would like to do it again.
Key points
- The four-day journey from Washington, DC, to Vancouver involved three trains.
- The traveler worked remotely to avoid using limited PTO.
- Weak signals, few outlets and cramped quarters made working difficult.
- Station lounges provided productive spaces during delays.