I am bringing this up again b/c we are going this month - any new info from anyone who has done it within the past couple of years? thanks again!

my husband and i took the train a couple of years ago in november to celebrate our anniversary.
since we had such a great time, we took it again as a large group to celebrate a birthday. both were luncheon rides.
the one for the birthday was in the 'gourmet express'. very mediocre food and indifferent service. if this had been my first experience, i would have felt ripped off and never returned.
the first ride for the anniversary was in the vista dome.
what a difference!
the service is impeccable, the food although traditional (i prefer eclectic) was very good as were the wine accompaniments. it felt like we were in a fancy restaurant on wheels.
best of all, at the end of the meal, we were given special 'happy anniversary' truffles that were out of this world.
the scenery is also better in the vista dome as you are seated higher than the rest of the train with large 'vista' windows.
the colours are so beautiful this time of year.
hope you have a fun experience.

Just a strategy suggestion: if you are going to be in Napa 6 nights you'll have time to check out the drive between Napa and St. Helena along Hwy 29, which without traffic would take about a half an hour. It's 17 miles, which isn't especially pretty, especially on the side of the train right on the highway.

Are reservations cancelable? Are they hard to come by? Maybe schedule it for later in the trip.

It does look fun to have a meal on the train, so depending on how your budget is allocated, it may be a nice experience to drink and talk with friends without worrying about the drive.

http://winetrain.com/

I notice the website has very few pictures of views from the train. You'll be spending at least 3 hours looking at 17 miles (twice).

from abranz it sounds to me the difference is worth the $30 upcharge for the domecar - thanks so much for the info! going to see what our friends want to do