I'll be in Washington D.C. and would like to take a side trip to New York City. Would anyone recommend either a train trip or flying. Is there a special train that makes the trip quickly and what station would it arrive in once in NYC? Thank you for your help.

Going by train will probably be quicker than flying. There is a fast train (most expensive) that makes the trip in about 2 hours and 45 minutes. The next level of service (Metroliner) makes the trip in about 3 hours. The least expensive train makes the trip in less than 3 1/2 hours. Train station in DC is in town and the station in NYC is in the midtown area.
The flight is a short one but when you factor in getting to the airport in DC and getting to NYC from the airport total time of the trip will be in the 3 hour range. For train information go to www.amtrak.com

I do believe that there are no longer Metroliners. The Acela has entirely replaced them. The Acela is very expensive.

This is the Acela website: http://www.acela.com/

Unless you are in Washington, DC, for a very long time, I do not recommend doing a side trip too NYC. There is plenty to see in DC to fill up your time. Save NYC for another trip.

New York can NEVER be a "side trip" for anything. It would take a week just to get to the "must sees" and one lifetime isn't enough to fully experience it all. So save a trip to New York for a time when you can make it the central part of your travel.

Lauren, I live in DC and I think the opposite is true -- I read in the Post that there are no more Acelas between DC and NYC, only metroliners. It doesn't matter -- Acela only saved 15 minutes on a good day. Take any train from DC to NYC, it will be 3 hours and a pleasant ride, and you will arrive directly in the heart of mid-town.

I live in DC also and both the Metroliner and Acela currently exist; the Acela Express is scheduled to replace metroliner, I think, but hasn't yet. YOu can find all these routes on Amtrak's web site, they exist and each saves about 1/2 hr in travel time (Acela Express 2-1/2 vs Metroliner 3 vs. regular 3-1/2 approximately). I never even take Metroliner as the excess cost isn't worth 1/2 hr to me, at least on leisure travel vs business travel when it's more important and because I don't usually go for less then 3 days. In one day, it might be worth it as ticket difference is only $20 between Metroliner and Acela. Anyway, I think they've done articles on flying vs train and it's sort of a tossup; flying really does get you there a little sooner but not a lot. One advantage of this flight is that these commuter flights leave almost every hour so it's not that you worry a lot about delayed planes like you do for regular flights and with no baggage, travel time is minimal (in DC, just take metro right to National airport, in NYC, take a cab or bus). I myself prefer the train, however, it is less hassle to just get out at the train station in NYC (at Penn Station) which is a short subway ride from theater district, for example.

FYI, here is an article they did in the Wash Post last April comparing all options of DC-NY on time, cost, etc; I think they came out on the side of Acela Express but said it was almost as expensive as flying, I thought it was maybe a little more, those flights aren't cheap, if it's less at all I'd really try that for fun:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...1097-2001Apr24

Taking the train is definitely the way to go. The Acela is the fastest, and thus the most expensive. Tickets around $140 one way. MetroLiner will take you exactly 3 hours, and gets you a reserved seat, but still costs $125. The regular regional Amtrak train takes 3 hours, 15 minutes and costs $62 one way. A great deal.

Pay no attention to Paul. New York is definetely worthwhile even as a "side trip". What difference does it make if you can only stay a short time? You can always return to see more. Since we live very close to NYC, we go in often for short daytrips, seeing one neighborhood or museum or show each time. Just because we don't see everything at once doesn't make it any less enjoyable or worthwhile.

We recently did a six-day trip to DC and NYC, and we went on the regular Amtrak. We paid a few extra dollars to get reserved seats, and it was definitely worth it. We went to DC on Friday, and it was standing room only. Although there isn't much in the way of scenery, we found it so much more relaxing than flying. In fact, we used the train trips to catch up on our sleep to and from NYC -- we got by on minimal sleep in NYC. It was too much fun!

If you are flying on a weeekend, you might check into the Delta shuttle; it couldn't be an easier trip. right now fares are $79 RT between DC and NY to sell weekend seats, as they do most of their business during the week. I'd check their site at delta.com.