How about a 24hr trip on Amtrak; are seats as comfortable as they look in pamphlets? Is food priced reasonably? Is ride pretty smooth? Lastly, are they on time? Thanks

First, where are you traveling and where are you going to?
24 hour trip....did you book a sleeper? I usually sit in business class when I ride the train. There is more legroom and you get free coffee and packaged muffins. IMHO, the food is passable at best on Amtrak.
It's a nice ride especially if you have nice scenery on your travels.
They usually run on time but there are delays.

Thanks for reply. No sleeper, the price was like $500 more. Figure I can be as comfortable on train as on long distance flights.
Traveling from Chicago to New York.

I often take Amtrak. It seems that there are frequently delays, and the further from the train's origin you board, the longer it's likely to be delayed ... especially in the summer when they're trying to do track maintenance. If you're a "type A" personality, you will NOT enjoy the train.

That aside, if you can accept some delays in your travel, it's not bad - I sure enjoy it. The seats are comfortable enough, but after a few hours, ANY seat becomes uncomfortable, but one can always get up and walk around. I agree with mt-x about the business-class seats - and especially for night time travel, because the business section is off-limits to regular coach, thus less traffic through your car. If you do NOT get business class, consider a car as far from the snack car/dining car as possible.

If you are a military veteran, look into the special promotions on Amtrak's website about "Veterans Advantage".

Food: Snack car food is over-priced, but not expensive, just not a good deal. Try to bring some of your own snacks aboard, and maybe get into some of the bigger stations if you have a 1/2 hour stop to buy something there. Most of the rides I've been on have been quite smooth. Enjoy!

Thanks for the replies. I've been a little nervous about this trip, and this makes me feel better about it. I'm using the time on board to do some work.

Amtrak seats are W-A-Y more comfortable and spacious than any bus seat or economy-class airline seat. Rides are very smooth and pleasant. Enjoy!

I've taken that trip several times and never had a sleeper. The food in the dining car is better than you'd expect. It's basic comfort food - kind of like fancy diner food but actually pretty decent and the servings tend to be generous for the price. The cafe car/snack bar food is the usual prepackaged glop that you'd get anywhere else - best to avoid it. I grabbed a dinner to go at a Thai restaurant around the corner from Union Station and had everyone in the car lookign around to see where the delicious aromas were wafting from - it's a good option for the first leg of the trip. The seats are bigger and roomier with more leg room than airline seats and are very comfy but don't recline far enough for me to sleep easily (I'm one of those folks who just can't sleep sitting up). The train picks up lots of people along the route and the trick to getting some sleep is this: if you're fortunate enough to have grabbed a seat with no one else sitting next to you, lean over the two seats and pretend to be asleep (even if you're not truly sound asleep) when you get to a station. People boarding at night will naturally gravitate to and sit in the open seats next to folks who are awake and sitting up rather than "wake" you and ask to sit next to you. Even if you tend to fall asleep late it's advisable to do this at station stops so that when you are ready to sleep you can lean over a bit, scrucnh uo your legs and really sleep. Bringing a small pillow and blanket of your own is not a bad idea if possible. Sometimes the train has them available but there never seem to be en ough of them to meet the demand.

I think the seats are comfy but I would definitely bring a pillow if you can manage it. And a sweater would be a good idea too. I thought the train was pretty chilly.

Steve, When is your trip and how many hours is it from Chicago to NY?

I will be taking my first long distance Amtrak trip next month - Denver to Sacramento. It will be a day and half and I didn't get the sleeper either! I'm sure by the time I roll into the station, I will be more than ready to get off that train!

I'm leaving in 1 month. These replies have encouraged me. I've heard good stories and bad, but thought I'd try it, and maybe get some things done before arriving. Also, I heard the scenery is great. More people told me the sleeper is not necessary, and every cramped anyway. Hope we will enjoy our trips.