Any of you take the train from DC to NYC?

[Guest]

I'm gonna take the train from DC to the Big Apple in late September, and I notice a huge difference in the various fares. There's a Northeast Regional that leaves at 11 AM and arrives at 2:20 PM. The coach seats are $52 and the business class seats are $130. Then there's the Acela that leaves at the same time, and gets in a half hour earlier at 1:50 PM. No coach seat, but the business class seat is $158 and the 1st class seat is $277 with lunch. Are the coach seats really that bad? How do the business class seats compare on the Northeast Regional versus the Acela? The time difference doesn't seem that great. What have been your experiences?

[+ WilliamM]

What have been your experiences?

 

I live in Philadelphia, so take AMTRAK often to New York, Washington and Boston. The coach seats are fine in the Northeast Regional. The Acela is a significant upgrade, and well worth the additional money. Other people may differ.

 

One thing is certain, the price will increase as you get closer to late September. Enjoy the trip!

[+ purplekow]

i enjoyed the Acela back and forth to DC from NJ in January to meet Alec Andrews. i took it from NJ to Boston to go to a conference and took the NE Regional bsck and that seemed to take forever. The seats are fine. But there are a lot of stops. Do not think the trip from DC to NYC is that much longer are there only a few extra stops. If cash is an issue, you can get by with the NE Regional. 'You do not need first class. There is a dining car on both. In fact, the trip from DC to Jersey is so nice that I may take the train down to DC to see Alec next time he comes east.

[+ azdr0710]

if you're ok with the amount of time it takes on the train to get from DC to NYC (and I think that's not a problem at all), just go with the $52 coach seat on the NE Regional.....I took the NE Regional last fall from East Windsor, CT, to Penn Station and it was entirely enjoyable for this desert dweller who rarely gets to ride on a train!......the coach seats are spacious and much, much roomier than "coach" on an airplane!!....you can get up and walk around, visit the snack counter, sit in the observation car, etc....

[+ Gar1eth]

Last Fall I took the train from NYC to Baltimore to visit a friend. I think I was on the Acela. The trip was fine. But I love trains. I think I paid for business class but non-business would have been fine. The thing that was strange to me was that the train I was on did not have checked baggage service. I was traveling back home to Washington State later that day. It was a pain carrying all my luggage on the train. But I survived.

 

Gman

[+ ArVaGuy]

I prefer the Acela and am willing to pay the premium most of the time. Just like the airlines, off peak times can result in significant savings. My preference is the quiet car which means no cellphone use for the most part. The passengers can get pretty testy if someone pulls out a cellphone and starts chatting away.

[AdamSmith]

Seconding everything ArVaGuy said. When I lived in Boston, I never went to NYC by air shuttle, always by train. So much less hassle and more comfortable, and hardly any more time, what with schlepping out to the airport, stuffing yourself through security, flight delays, etc.

[+ azdr0710]

yes, forgot about the "quiet cars", as ArVaGuy mentions .....to me, remarkably quieter and just peaceful.....look for them when boarding.....

[big-n-tall]

Take the regular regional train and go into the quiet car (as has been suggested). I believe the snack car is open or you bring your own food/beverages.

Its about a 3 and half hour ride, give or take.

 

Although both are comfortable rides... the Acela makes just about the same stops coming and going. It's faster, true, but not by much. You pay double to triple the cost, but only get there maybe about a half hour to 40 minutes earlier.

[+ beethoven]

Believe me, the coach seats on Northeast Regional are just fine! Be sure to ride in the QUIET CAR, which is usually at the very front of the train. I've been on the Acela, and yes, it's more comfortable, but I don't think it's worth the extra money. I always take a car service to LGA and JFK, though I could take an airport bus for much less, but it's worth the extra money. Sometimes I fly first class, and it's worth the extra money. I buy the most expensive seats when I go to the theater. It's worth the extra money. The Acela is not worth the extra money, IMO.

[Kevin Slater]

Just to ad my voice to the chorus, the cheap train between DC & NY is perfectly enjoyable. The cheapest fare possible is just fine. The fare goes up either 2 weeks or 15 days (I forget which) prior to departure. Acella shaves a few minutes off, but is used mostly by business folk who aren't paying the fare themselves. The few times I have take Acella, I always had a seatmate next to me. On the cheaper trains, usually not. But the train in the northeast corridor is a luxury.

 

Kevin Slater

[thickornotatall]

I take any train that is available...I love sitting and looking out the windows....never want to sit near the bathroom....or the doors between cars...I always bring a book...mp3 player and a bagel with butter and cream cheese/coffee....I'll take the train to Brighton Beach to shop in the Russian grocery stores...a train lover....

[+ WhamIAm]

Ditto to all of the above. I live in DC, but many of my clients and all of my family are in NYC. But, I haven't driven the Jersey turnpike (a/k/a the 7th Circle of Hell) or taken the Delta Shuttle in about 10 years. Frankly, I tend to pay the extra cash for the extra 30-40 minutes of my life I gain on the Acela. If time is not an issue for you, the NE Regional is just fine. Seats are perfectly comfortable, and, frankly, it's not as brightly lit as the Acela, where the cars tend to be lit in hospital florescents. Flip side, in my experience the NE Regional tends to be a bit more unreliable, but still has a much better record than the NJT or the shuttle. If you're really flexible on time over money, look at the Bolt Bus. The fares are insanely cheap - $15 to $40 depending on how early you book. Drive time is 4 1/2 hours. Of the two round-trips I've taken, only one bus has been significantly (45 mins) late (buses have a dedicated lane through the tolls all the way up, which cuts a significant amount of time off driving yourself.)

[+ ArVaGuy]

Here's a frequent traveler hack that can make the trip on any Amtrak even less of a hassle. Use the Red Cap Service for your bags. They will early board you and carry your bags to your seat. They get early notice of arrivals and are staged and ready. I've boarded 20 minutes or more before the first boarding call. My usual tip is $5 to $10 depending on number of bags. Usually I've only got a small carry on, but the Red Caps will gladly take it and place it in the overhead.

[+ Charlie]

Aside from the time advantage, the one thing the Acela offers you is a guaranteed seat. Unlike coach on a plane, the regional train can sell more coach tickets than it has seats. If you have a seat, however, the slower pace of the regional gives you a chance to see the scenery. Long before the Acela trains were invented--long before Amtrak, in fact, when it was still the Penn Central--I used to commute between NYC and Philly on the regional trains every day ($60 for a monthly pass!), and I met many interesting fellow passengers as we rolled through New Jersey's cities and countryside.

[+ WilliamM]

Long before the Acela trains were invented--long before Amtrak, in fact, when it was still the Penn Central--I used to commute between NYC and Philly on the regional trains every day ($60 for a monthly pass!), and I met many interesting fellow passengers as we rolled through New Jersey's cities and countryside.

 

I am glad you mentioned the interesting people one meets on the train. Several Christmases ago, I was stuck in Albany because of a bad snow storm. On both the Montreal-NewYork ride and the New York-Philadelphia ride there was a party atmosphere. Everone had something in common, the snowstorm. It certainly does not always happened. But, I am very grateful when it does, in good weather and bad.

[Lankypeters]

The Acela, which I often use, is as close to adeluxe European train as any American train gets. (Not all that close, but still...) The quiet car is sublime, the interior soothing, the ride quiet and comfortable. I find it worth the extra fare. I wouldn't, however, recommend this train because it's faster. Delays on Amtrak's eastern corridor are fairly frequent. If you encounter one, you'll lose the time your were supposed to have saved by taking the Acela.

[+ Gar1eth]

Aside from the time advantage, the one thing the Acela offers you is a guaranteed seat. Unlike coach on a plane, the regional train can sell more coach tickets than it has seats. If you have a seat, however, the slower pace of the regional gives you a chance to see the scenery. Long before the Acela trains were invented--long before Amtrak, in fact, when it was still the Penn Central--I used to commute between NYC and Philly on the regional trains every day ($60 for a monthly pass!), and I met many interesting fellow passengers as we rolled through New Jersey's cities and countryside.

 

About 4 years ago, there was a concert I wanted to see in Philly. I flew to NYC the day before. The next day my niece, who lives in NYC, took the train to Philly for the concert. We stayed overnight. She took the train back the next day for work. I flew home from Philly. The whole trip was a nice experience.

 

Gman

[AdamSmith]

The Acela, which I often use, is as close to adeluxe European train as any American train gets. (Not all that close, but still...).

 

Agreed. I'll pay the cost of Acela just from having experienced one or two NE Regionals that had gotten fairly nasty with age.

 

How is it that in Europe things age into character and comfort, while in America they get ratty and tatty?

[Lankypeters]

I take the 3:15am train back to NYC sometimes usually $86 and an empty train.

 

What a romantic image, something fit for Edward Hopper -- Killian leaning back in tight jeans and T, legs spread open across two seats and a secretly appreciative conductor smiling and reaching for Killian's ticket.

[+ Gar1eth]

What a romantic image, something fit for Edward Hopper -- Killian leaning back in tight jeans and T, legs spread open across two seats and a secretly appreciative conductor smiling and reaching for Killian's ticket.

 

Ticket-hmm haven't heard it called that before.

 

Gman

[+ WhamIAm]

What a romantic image, something fit for Edward Hopper -- Killian leaning back in tight jeans and T, legs spread open across two seats and a secretly appreciative conductor smiling and reaching for Killian's ticket.

 

. . . conveniently laid across his splayed thighs . . .

[Justice]

If you're a AAA member you might be able to get a discount on the fare.

 

I've taken both the Acela and the Northeast Regional (which back in the day was called the Metroliner).

 

I prefer the Northeast Regional and not just because of the price. Delays are common (at least on the New Jersey portion of the line -- I ride NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor train between Newark and Trenton, NJ every day to get to/from work; NJ Transit and Amtrak share the Amtrak owned tracks) and they don't offer any fare adjustments when that happens. The worst was several years ago when a group of friends gathered in Washington on Presidents Day. We all planned on taking the same train. Some of of us got in in Boston, others in New Haven, I got on in New York and still others got on in New Jersey and Philadelphia. It was bitter bitter cold. The train stopped in the New Jersey Meadowlands for over fours. The crew's explanations were vague and Amtrak offered no fare adjustments. The friends who were supposed to get on in NJ and Philly wound up taking a Northeast Regional (again with no fare adjustments) when Amtrak couldn't given them an estimate of when the delayed train would arrive.

 

Several years later, I was on a Northeast Regional train to Boston that was delayed for a several hours. Part of that delay was caused by an accident involving a gasloine tanker truck on an overpass in Westchester County, NY. They had to shut the power off while the accident was being cleared. (Totally understandable. Better to be delayed then caught up in an gasoline fueled explosion.) The crew did a very good of keeping us informed. We were delayed again just outside of New Haven because the engine kept stalling at the point where the electrified portion of the line used to end. (They used to have to switch engines.) The engineer kept backing up and trying to move past whatever kept making the engine stall. I wound up getting to Boston several hours late. Again Amtrak offered no fare adjustments. (They couldn't do anything about the accident; I'm not sure about the stalling.)

 

I've taken the Acela since. Both to/from Boston and to/from Washington, DC. Sometimes the schedule is more convenient. I prefer the Northeast Regional because I don't stress about the lack of a fare adjustment if I get delayed.

[Lankypeters]

I've never been able to apply the AAA or senior discount to an Acela fare.

[Guest]

I take the 3:15am train back to NYC sometimes usually $86 and an empty train.

 

I feel a song coming on....