My husband and I will be in Philadelphia for several days in late July and would like to take Amtrak to NYC for an extended stay. We'll have at least 2 medium/large suitcases and one or two carry-ons. Will Amtrak have room for our luggage? I've checked their website and have found several routes that specify baggage check, but not the one between Philadelphia and NYC.

Thanks in advance for any info you have! And if they DO have some sort of luggage check (or at least space next to stash bags), could anyone recommend which seating choices would be best for us?

Thanks in advance!

Wew went the other way two years ago. If I remember correctly we put the luggage overhead.

We definitely didn't check it.

We had reserved seats and didn't pay attention to them until we got on the train.

No problems.

The luggage is yours to deal with - and that may include stairs, depending n which tracks are used. I would get to the station early and try too find someone to help (perhaps) or at least get the track number in advance. If you wait until the track is announced - only about 8 to 10 minutes before the train arrives/departs you won;t have time to haul all that stuff there and onto the train.

Also, be aware that the train may be quite full and you may not find seats together - or anyplace convenient to put your luggage.

and when you get to Penn station in NYC you wil have to do it in reverse - hopefully elevator to concourse, long walk to escalator, then up that with luggage and wiating on line for a cab to wherever. (There's now way you can manage that much on the subway - which wold require several flights of stairs.)

Frankly - with that much stuff I would rent a car and drive from Philly to NYC - since it will be a problem when you get to NYC too. this may well cost less than the train as well.

Or you can take the bus from Philly to NYC, and the luggage is stored under the bus. It's only a 2 hour trip and depending on which bus, some come into the Penn Station area, and from there you can get a cab or if you are staying in the city, there are a coule of hotels right there.

Have a great time.

Re - the luggage. We had a rule which we adopted years ago - lay out everything you need for the trip, and then take half. Nowadays we don't have to do it that way. We start with half. Check how much you really need - great to travel light.

Both Philadelphia 30th Street and NYC have baggage checking facilities. North Philadelphiastation does not have checked baggage facilities. I can see from the Amtrak website that there seem to be only one train a day from Phil which has a checked baggage car, and this seems to depart just after midnight, so this may not work for you. On the return, there is a 7 am train from NYC which has a checked baggage car which may be a workable option, not sure of your schedule.

Note that if you don’t check bags, you are limited to 2 suitcases per person, plus a purse, laptop or briefcase.

One drawback is that Philly is not the starting point for the train, so if it is crowded, you might find luggage space more limited. If you have flexibility to travel mid-week and not during rush hours that would probably help. I also think that if you pay for an Acela train, you will find more luggage room in the cars, and the cars to be less crowded. (I have not taken Acela in some years, so that is just my guess based on pricing.) NYC is the originating point for some trains (but not all), so if you can’t check luggage then try to get there maybe 30 minutes before departure so you can board as soon as they let passengers on.

In both Philadelphia and NYC you should be able to find Red Cap guys to help with luggage should you need it. I agree that in NYC esp (I don’t know the Phil station very well), you will have to deal with stairs or narrow escalators (or try to find the elevator which may mean a longish walk) so having someone to help is IMO worth the small tip.

Finally you might ship at least some of the luggage ahead of you so you have less to bring on board. There is a company called Luggage Express which delivers luggage from your house to your destination. Take a look at http://www.sportsexpress.com/le/welcome/. I don't know anything about them or whether they are reliable. The cheapest takes 3 days and appears to cost $55 each bag, so not sure if this is in your budget. I believe that Marriott now allows Marriott Rewards Members to use points to ship luggage using the Luggage Club service, see http://www.theluggageclub.com/mrpoints. You can also just pay for the service if you aren’t a Marriott Rewards member. Again, I don’t know anything about the Luggage Club or if they are reliable. Their pricing seems similar to Luggage Express.

You're not going to be able to check bags between NYC and Philadelphia unless you happen upon one of the long-distance trains that happens to pass through both cities. The regular trains during the day do not have checked baggage.

Frankly, I would think twice (thrice even) about trying to take that much luggage on an Amtrak train, which can be very crowded on that particular route, especially from Philly to NYC. Either ship a few things ahead, pack less, or tack Greyhound (which will also be a fraction of the cost of Amtrak). Sadly, you won't be able to take Megabus or Boltbus with that much luggage, and they are a real bargain.

I've done that much luggage on NJTransit (which is cheaper from PHL to NYPENN) and it was a nightmare.

The aisle is about an inch wider than large rolling suitcases so unless you get a seat in the very back or front near the door, you'll be dragging it through the train to the annoyance of other passengers. If the train is crowded, a porter will yell at you to put your luggage overhead. Can you lift 50-60 pounds overhead? By the time you exit the train, not only will you be a sweaty mess but everyone else on board will hate you.

Penn Station is so luggage unfriendly that it is a nightmare. After dragging your luggage off the train, you then need to wheel it through massive amounts of people to a very tiny narrow but long escalator.

Once you manage to hoist your belongings on the escalor and wedge yourself in, you can relax. For twenty seconds.

As soon as you get to the top, depending upon where your train came in, you still have to navigate Penn Station and ALL THE PEOPLE with all your luggage.

With some luck, you'll find the exit with the up escalator. If you don't, you will be so beaten by the experience, you'll just surrender and pull your now 1000 pound suitcases up all those steps to street level and beg for a cab.

If you have to change trains anywhere, repeat first two paragraphs.

Egad, I think I need another option! Our plan was simply this: fly to Philadelphia, stay for 3 or 4 days, take Amtrak to NYC, stay 3 or 4 days, then fly back home. It sounded so easy!

Is there an alternate means of transportation between Philadelphia and NYC that would work for us? Flying seems like an awful lot of trouble (especially for me - I'm the world's worst white-knuckle passenger).

Susan, what about a car service?

Hi

Maybe I misunderstand but I don't get many of the responses here. I've (one person) gone on Amtrak with one medium/large suitcase and one or two carry-ons many a time; they're two people with two medium/large suitcases, so that's the same thing, no? You just put your luggage overhead; if you can't lift it, someone inevitably will help you. Sometimes there's even an area near the front seats where you can put your luggage.

If you meant two medium/large suitcases EACH (which is not what I understood), on an off-hour (non-rush hour or non-pre-holiday rush) train such as early afternoon weekdays, early Sunday or most Saturdays, often the trains have NOT been full in my experience, so it wouldn't be an issue then, as you could find a second nearby overhead compartment to put your luggage. Even in rush hour, many businessmen/day travellers don't have much in the way of luggage, so even THEN, I think you'll find space, although you might have to look around a bit more. I've never checked luggage.

My ultimate thought is that you'll manage.

Daniel

May I ask why you feel you need three or four pieces of luggage for a one-week trip?

When I read "for an extended stay" I assumed 2 medium/large EACH. I believe that I misread and misunderstood.

It's not really a problem to take Amtrak with 1 bag a 1 carry-on each. But the combo of SEPTA and NJ Transit is much cheaper and still do-able if you avoid rush-hour. I agree that flying is a huge waste of time and money.

I'd still recommend no more than a relatively small bag for 1 week, as in about 22 inches. No problem with that and a small carry-on. Why would you want more?

It's possible I'm losing my memory...but aren't there racks at the end of the cars for luggage on the Amtrak trains? I'm pretty sure there are, kinda near the doors.

I've done northeast corridor service on Amtrak going into Boston, New York, Philly, Baltimore and DC, with luggage, and its not that big of a deal. That said, I try to stick with nothing bigger than my 21" roller, and a laptop or camera bag. It IS a zoo rolling it through Penn station, but its not so bad as people make it sound. I think you could do it with a 24 inch bag, as long as its not so heavy that you can't heft it from time to time.

And as Daniel mentions above, if you avoid the rush hour and holiday trains, they are often not full, and also a little cheaper.

I love taking the train on the northeast route. It's way more relaxing than driving or flying. Susan, stick to your plan, just try to pack as light as you can.

GoTravel - that may be a perfect, and much easier option for us. Do you have a car service recommendation or any idea how much it might cost?

Daniel - You're correct, we'll each have one suitcase and neither will be the giant sized ones. I'll have a carry-on, too, and not sure whether my husband will have his PC.

bspielman - Sorry, I didn't do a very good job of making myself clear. We'll have a total of 2 suitcases plus whatever carry-ons we have. I normally pack very light, but this is a combination business/pleasure trip so we'll need to lug both casual and dressier clothes.

I use Dial 7 with regularity but I'm not sure if they have Philly service.

I'm sorry but one suitcase and one carryon was a nightmare for me. I will not even do the Airtrain from Newark to Penn Station.

Why not take the bus instead? Both MegaBus and Boltbus runs Philadelphia/NYC route. They're fairly cheap and decent. The best thing about these buses, is that they drop you off on the street corner in NYC. I believe it's 34th/8ave for Bolt; and 28th/8Ave for Megabus. Both options avoid the problem with walking inside Penn Station.

Also, as others have mentioned, the driver/employee is the person who loads and unloads your suitcase for you. The suitcases are stored in the underbelly of the bus. Therefore, unlike the trains/Amtrak, you DO NOT need to lift anything ONTO the bus, no lifting of suitcase to overhead racks, and it's safe too.

30th Street Station is really not bad for luggage-rolling (nowhere near the zoo Penn Station is), and there is only a single, not terribly steep, flight down to the tracks. And there are Red Caps if you need 'em, which you probably don't. Nor is that crazy luggage to take on an Amtrak train. My last trip I had my purse, a small tote, a large rolling suitcase, and a winter coat I was carrying (since I was travelling from central Florida to Philadelphia in February), and I had no issues bringing it onto the train, and getting it disposed of under and top of myself. My seat-mate, who was on her way home on leave before being stationed in Korea, had easily twice as much, and had no trouble getting her luggage on, either.
I would not take the luggage on the Septa/NJ Transit combo, however, as those are commuter trains, and it will be inconvenient, to put it mildly. Bolt and Megabus would also not be my choice with all of that (they are a great bargain, but they're not terribly convenient either, especially on the New York end). Greyhound is fine, if a little gritty (although that's one of their least gritty runs).

A car service from Philly to NYC doesn;t make sense - it woud probably be in the area of $250. A car rental would be much cheaper.

If you take an off-hours train you should be able to find aplace for your luggage overhead (but you do have to lift it). Penn Station is a zoo at any time except the middle of the night. If you can get your luggage easily onto and off of escalators you should be able to manage it.

I'm getting a train from Philly to Boston (heaps cheaper than flying and don't need to change trains) but booked in business class. Given what I've read above about there not being seats sometimes, I assume all will be fine as the business class seats say they are "reserved seating". Has anybody tried Amtrak business class and did they think it was worth the extra $?