Train travel from New York city
Aug 9th, 2007 | 06:14 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 57
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Train travel from New York city
Advice please
Can I just turn up and travel from NYC to Albany or do I need to book tickets and reserve seats in advance?
We will be travelling around the middle of the day on 20th August from NYC and returning on 30th August
Can I just turn up and travel from NYC to Albany or do I need to book tickets and reserve seats in advance?
We will be travelling around the middle of the day on 20th August from NYC and returning on 30th August
Aug 9th, 2007 | 06:25 AM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,469
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fiomar, you already posted this earlier and got one response. To find earlier posts, just click on your name once you've signed in to Fodors. You just haven't gotten many responses since you only posted 2 hours ago!
BTW, I've never taken the train to Albany, but I'm one of those people who likes to have tickets in advance if I'm sure of the travel dates. From the response you've gotten on the other post you made, it sounds like you probably won't have a problem midday on the 20th, but who knows? Maybe some large group is traveling that day and for some reason the train is very full...
BTW, I've never taken the train to Albany, but I'm one of those people who likes to have tickets in advance if I'm sure of the travel dates. From the response you've gotten on the other post you made, it sounds like you probably won't have a problem midday on the 20th, but who knows? Maybe some large group is traveling that day and for some reason the train is very full...
Aug 9th, 2007 | 06:47 AM
#3
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,265
Likes: 0
Yes, you can just walk up and buy a ticket. However, I think to do so you will have to stand in an long line.
Even if you do so just a few hours ahead, I find it easy to reserve a ticket online or over the phone. Then when you get to Penn Station, you just print out your ticket at one of the ticket machines--much faster. I'm not sure if the machines will sell you a ticket if you haven't already reserved.
You may have better chance of walk-up tickets if you don't ty to take a train that passes through Saratoga Springs. August is racing season so the few trains that stop at Saratoga tend to be crowded.
Do check the schedule--some trains on this route are all reserved so might fill faster. Even if you reserve ahead for any train, you don't actually have a reserved seat position--you just look for an empty seat when you board.
Even if you do so just a few hours ahead, I find it easy to reserve a ticket online or over the phone. Then when you get to Penn Station, you just print out your ticket at one of the ticket machines--much faster. I'm not sure if the machines will sell you a ticket if you haven't already reserved.
You may have better chance of walk-up tickets if you don't ty to take a train that passes through Saratoga Springs. August is racing season so the few trains that stop at Saratoga tend to be crowded.
Do check the schedule--some trains on this route are all reserved so might fill faster. Even if you reserve ahead for any train, you don't actually have a reserved seat position--you just look for an empty seat when you board.
Aug 9th, 2007 | 06:56 AM
#4
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,265
Likes: 0
Yes, you can just walk up and buy a ticket. However, I think to do so you will have to stand in a long line.
Even if you do so just a few hours ahead, it's easy to reserve a ticket online or over the phone. Then when you get to Penn Station, you just print out your ticket at one of the ticket machines--much faster. I'm not sure if the machines will sell you a ticket if you haven't already reserved.
You may have better chance of walk-up tickets if you don't ty to take a train that passes through Saratoga Springs. August is racing season so the few trains that stop at Saratoga tend to be crowded.
Do check the schedule--some trains on this route are all reserved so might fill faster. Even if you reserve ahead for any train, you don't actually have a reserved seat position--you just look for an empty seat when you board.
Even if you do so just a few hours ahead, it's easy to reserve a ticket online or over the phone. Then when you get to Penn Station, you just print out your ticket at one of the ticket machines--much faster. I'm not sure if the machines will sell you a ticket if you haven't already reserved.
You may have better chance of walk-up tickets if you don't ty to take a train that passes through Saratoga Springs. August is racing season so the few trains that stop at Saratoga tend to be crowded.
Do check the schedule--some trains on this route are all reserved so might fill faster. Even if you reserve ahead for any train, you don't actually have a reserved seat position--you just look for an empty seat when you board.
