Amtrak Assistance
 

My husband and I are flying into New York in May, then taking the train to Boston, then Philadelphia, then Washington DC.
The train system seems to work much differently in the US than it does in Canada, and I was wondering if anyone has any advice.
Should we get the tickets online beforehand, or can we just get tickets at the station when we want to go? Is either way chaper?
Any other help/advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

I don't think there is a price difference unless you find an online special. You can get tickets online way ahead, the day before, or the day of or at the station.

Are you flying into NY and flying out of DC?

Can you fly into Boston instead?

If cost is an issue (there are rarely any discounts on the Amtrak NE route), there are other much cheaper options of getting between these NE cities.

There are plenty of bus companies that run along (or part of) the Boston-NY-Phila-DC route and due to the competition, very cheap fares can be obtained by buying way in advance.

Some of these bus companies are: BoltBus and Megabus, but there are plenty more others.

For example, I'm taking MegaBus from Boston to NYC later this week. My bus ticket cost is $1.

If you plan to take the train on either side of a holiday weekend--like Memorial Day in May--you might want to get the tickets online in advance in case some trains sell out. This doesn't happen very often, but it is always best to plan for the worst case. I take the train between DC and NYC a fair amount, and I usually get my ticket online and then print it out at one of the e-ticket computers at the train station. You can also purchase tickets at these computers too, and this is usually faster than waiting in line.

We are flying into NYC first to coordinate with Yankees (and then Red Sox) home games.
We hadn't really thought about busing it (its not normally a pleasant experience here), but for a buck, its definitely worth checking out!
When is the Memorial day weekend? Out holiday is on May 18, and that is when we are tavelling...

There is quite a big price differential if you buy tickets in advance, and on these routes, the pricing structure is about to change to make it significantly cheaper to buy non-refundable tickets in advance. If you plan carefully, this can save much money. You can also save money by traveling at off-peak hours.

Unfortunately, the trains between NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, and DC often sell out, particularly at popular times. Some of these trains are all-reserved, assigned seating Acela trains, and the tickets are pretty pricey.

You really need to go on the Amtrak web site and check prices for your probable dates of travel. This is a particularly busy time of the year to travel to Boston (many college graduations), and the trains to and from Boston will sell out.

Amtrak does sell advance-purchase tickets that are completely refundable, up to the very moment of travel. While these won't save you any money, they will ensure that you have a seat. Also note that some trains are "reserved" but don't have assigned seats. That means that there is occasionally standing-room only, or at the very least that you may not be able to sit with your travel husband.

Because of the competition, the buses that serve the NE corridor are pretty decent, not the filthy greyhound bus that one normally associates with. I think all of them offer wifi as well. I have taken the MegaBus between Boston/NYC before, and it was pleasant enough that I'm taking it again this week.

Some of the bus companies are run by Chinese, so they serve the NY Chinatown. I avoid those because NY's Chinatown is not as coveniently located as Penn Station, which is served by MegaBus and BoltBus.

Are you planning to go directly from Boston to philadelphia, or will you be stopping in NYC in between?

If going Boston/Phila directly, look into flying. The Bos/PHL flight shuttles run frequently, and very often the fares match those of Amtrak. Since Boston/Phila is a fairly long distance, I would consider flying. Besides, the Boston and Philadelphia airports are pretty close to town and are easy to get to (both by taxis and by public transportation), unlike the NYC airports.

Memorial Day here is May 25, so you should be okay traveling on May 18.

I think we've decided to rent a car from Boston to Philly and see the sights along the way.
But we are travelling to DC on the Memorial Day weekend, so we should definitley get our tickets beforehand, just to be safe :)
Thanks for all the input!

There are some discounts for age (if you qualify) and family traveling together.

Since there is no problem with refunds, there's no harm in getting tickets in advance. When you go on the Amtrak site, you will see a variety of prices (including $99 Acela tickets on that route if bought in advance). The most expensive days are Fridays and Sundays, because of demand. If you avoid early morning and late afternoon/early evenings, you can usually get reasonable prices. Check the senior citizen or AAA discounts.

Despite what people have explained, all trains are reserved which means that you should get a seat (although not necessarily together) even though one isn't assigned. At NYC and DC, getting seats are easier since so many are getting on/off.

The express buses are not well suited for tourists. They are great for weekenders who have a lot of savvy about the trip, but not as great for tourists. They don't run as often, are more prone to traffic congestion, and just have more basic hassles than the train, IMHO.

Right now, Amtrak is running a $79 deal on Acela Express trains between NYC/Boston, good through June. However, you have to purchase your tickets 14 days in advance, and the tickets are NON-refundable.
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conten...c1b&WT.mc_r=90

Hi ruckus

Having taken VIA Rail Canada extensively and Amtrak extensively, I'll say that riding Amtrak in Northeast corridor is quite similar to riding in the Toronto-Montreal corridor in logistics, except that there are more Amtrak trains running in the Northeast.

You CAN buy the ticket when you get to the station at a QuikTrak machine; it tends to be more expensive when bought at the last minute like this (as in Canada). I've often done had to purchase at the last minute for a variety of reasons; trains are frequent in the Northeast Corridor and usually I'm able to get on a train within an hour of when I desire (for the NYC-DC corridor).

You could purchase online in advance for significant savings and pickup at the QuikTrak machine with your credit card used for purchasing and confirmation number (although these machines seem to recognize my credit card these days when I put my card in, so confirmation number has been unnecessary of late). There are QuikTrak machines in all stations you're planning on using (Philadelphia, NYC, Boston). (I believe there are similar kiosks in at least the Montreal/Toronto stations, although I've yet to use them.)

If intimidated by the machine (you shouldn't be), you can always pick up your ticket from a person at the station, as in Canada.

Happy travels.

There is another option between NY and Boston:

http://www.limoliner.com/

Be sure to understand that a ticket guarantees you a seat - but not a specific seat. If the train is crowded and you want to sit together you ned to be one of the first to get on. I would get a red cap to bring your luggage down to the platform by elevator - since they'll know the # in advance. Otherwise they announce the track # about 10 minutes before departure and everyone grabs their luggage and runs down the stairs to try for a desired seat.