Amtrak in New York

Name: Amtrak in New York
Uploaded: 2021-01-04T10:32:43Z
Duration: 5 min 2 s
Description: Amtrak in New York is a railroad company with train connections between almost all major cities in the United States.

Amtrak in New York is a railroad company with train connections between almost all major cities in the United States. For example, if you want to take a train from New York to Washington DC or Boston, you can use Amtrak. Amtrak tickets are available in a variety of price ranges, and trains depart from Manhattan’s Penn Station.

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Taking Amtrak in New York

Amtrak stands for ‘America’ and ‘track’. It is in fact the Canadian National Railway, although the distances covered by the trains are a lot longer. Amtrak carries tens of millions of passengers every year between nearly all US states. Amtrak’s New York home is the Moynihan Train Hall in Penn Station. Trains depart from this former James A. Farley Post Office Building to places such as Philadelphia, Washington DC and Niagara Falls.

Amtrak NY tickets

Amtrak New York tickets can be ordered online. In most cases you book tickets for a fixed date and time, so you are guaranteed to travel on this specific train. Amtrak ticket prices are flexible and may increase as the departure date approaches. Just like with flights, different classes can be booked. Usually, there is a choice of coach class and business class. On some routes, there is also an extra luxury first class. Sometimes different types of trains are used for each route. For example, you can choose between a fast and slower connection, with prices adjusted accordingly. Due to the different trains, ticket types, booking classes, etc., booking tickets for Amtrak can sometimes be a bit confusing.

Eric’s Tip: “Taking the train is a more comfortable and convenient way to travel than renting a car in New York. Tickets for Amtrak are more comparable to plane tickets than to a regular train ticket. Therefore, I recommend, just like with airline tickets, not to wait too long before buying the tickets. Do not delay purchasing the tickets until a few days before departure, but book longer in advance to be able to book for a relatively favourable price. There is very little last-minute availability and tickets can be very expensive.”

The trains

Amtrak uses different types of trains depending on the chosen route. There are trains with sleeping cabins, with a restaurant and trains that can even accommodate cars, but on many of the routes, the trains are more regular. In addition, there is often wifi available and many trains have a restaurant or bar where you can get coffee or even have dinner. At the bar is often a ‘dome car’, a train with a semi-circular glass roof. From this spot, you have a beautiful view of the passing landscape.

Amtrak routes

There are several Amtrak routes to and from New York City. All Amtrak lines have their own imaginative name. For example, the route to Canada is called ‘Maple Leaf’ and there are also ‘Southwest Chief’ and ‘Texas Eagle’ among others. From New York, you can take Amtrak to Washington DC to discover the American capital for one or more days. Other popular Amtrak destinations from New York include Boston and Chicago. It is also possible to take a train to Philadelphia, but in this case, a Philadelphia day trip is a faster and cheaper way to explore the city.