Amtrak to Philadephia
 

We are flying to Newark from Seattle in order to get to Philadelphia. Has anyone had any experience with the transfer from a flight to a train they would like to share? Particular interest is the train from Newark to Philadelphia.

From the airport, take the AirTrain to get to the Newark International Airport train station for Amtrak/NJTransit. $5 and just a few minutes. You can buy your ticket before you board the train at your EWR terminal, or you can wait until you get to the Amtrak/NJT station.

Amtrak is fast, takes about an hour, but costs a lot. $47-61 for most trains.

Or, you can use NJTransit to get to Trenton ($14, just over an hour); then switch to SEPTA trains to get to Philly. ($7, 50 minutes).

The NJ Transit/Septa connection at Trenton is pretty easy and setup for the transfer (the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor schedule even includes the Septa R7 times for going on to Philly). It will take you a little longer than Amtrak, and Amtrak is a little more comfortable than the Septa/NJT trains (which have no bathrooms or dining cars) but if you don't want to pay the extra premium for Amtrak, the commuter trains are fine.

http://www.septa.org (look for R7)
http://www.njtransit.com (look for NE Corridor line - note not ALL trains stop at the Newark airport, don't confuse Newark Penn Station with Newark airport.)

Andrew

Even though the NJT/SEPTA option is much cheaper than Amtrak, I'd recommend the Amtrak. You'd already had a long day - getting to Seattle airport, then flying x-country to Newark. The NJT/SEPTA option requires an extra 1 hour in travel time and an extra stop with change on train (in Trenton).

Even though I've taken NJT/SEPTA many times to/from Philadelphia and NYC, I have certainly got "stuck" in Trenton for over an hour due to train delays. Not worth the $ saved, IMO, especially after a long day of traveling already.

Amtrak is most definitely a more comfortable option - nicer trains and faster travel time. But Amtrak is often late too, and you can't always find a seat (once stood the entire way from PHL to Newark airport).

Andrew

AMTRAK's NE Corridor trains are fairly reliable, and most trains are "reserved", meaning if they sell you a ticket, then you should have a seat. A conductor on board usually will help you find that empty seat if the train is very full.

There are a zillion discount codes for Amtrak. I found a long list at flyertalk.com. There are also AAA and senior discounts that are sometimes combinable with the codes. When I have a little time, I'll try to track down the link.

The earlier you buy your tickets the cheaper they will be, so you may want to buy them on-line before your trip. I'm not sure what the consequences would be if your plane were to arrive too late to make the train that you're ticketed for. You might have to pay the difference between your discounted fare and the normal fare for the route. Maybe some of the Fodor's Amtrak experts will advise you.

I put dinner on hold. Here's the link to the codes:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=460735

If the OP is by chance flying Continental, they are an Amtrak partner meaning the train can be one of your connections - so if you miss it, Amtrak or Continental is obligated to get you there one way or another. The airport code for Philly 30th Street Station (Amtrak) is ZFV. Sometimes the fare to ZFV is actually cheaper than your fare to EWR in my experience, so you could get Amtrak for free or cheaper as part of the deal! But you may have to search for flights to ZFV specifically when using Continental's website. Sometimes they show up when searching for PHL, sometimes not.

Andrew

Thanks to all who replied