The NYC-Boston Amtrak travel adventure

I took the plunge and gave Amtrak a try. Living in the densely populated areas of the North-East, it was only a matter of time. I needed to travel from North-East Pennsylvania to Boston. New York City, a ground transportation hub, is right on the way. To Boston, it was about 5 hours by car, longer by plane (no direct flights). I was about to drive, but December is not the best time to be on the roads in that part of the world. It is also a busy time of year. Driving is tiring, especially if roads are bad, and on a train, I knew I could get some work done.

The Amtrak Acela Express at the Boston South Station

I have traveled by train plenty in Europe, having grown up there. All in all, the Amtrak experience is not very different from any train travel. I boarded a train at Penn Station in NYC to Boston South Station, then back.

Penn Station, NYC

Boarding an Amtrak train

I arrived at Penn Station way early (that's how the bus-train connection worked out) so I was happy to find that Amtrak has a waiting room for ticketed passengers.

Amtrak waiting area at Penn Station

The Amtrak website says to arrive at large train stations an hour in advance, but if you purchased your ticket in advance, I really don't see a reason for that. If you are unfamiliar with the train station, 30 minutes is plenty. If you know the train station or it's small, then 20 minutes.

Penn Station (and also Boston South Station) have a system that I have seen in some large train stations in France. Tracks are announced as the trains pull in. Many European train stations have set schedules and displays where you can find out the tracks ahead of time. You can then go and wait for the train right along the track. But not so at Penn Station. So when the train arrival time approaches, it is best to move to the main hall and watch the displays for the track announcement.

Main hall at Penn Station

I was puzzled to find a large crowd waiting near a track gate, when there was no announcement yet of what train that was going to be. It turned out to be a train to Washington D.C. I figure they were week-end commuters (this was a Sunday afternoon) who knew the usual gate. It gave me the idea that I should place myself strategically to be able to read the displays and quickly get to the correct gate as soon as the track was announced.

What follows was something I have experienced in France multiple times, but never before in the US: flocking. That was a little unnerving, but years of experience kicked in and I did not panic, nor got injured. And I found a seat on the train before it left the train station. Boarding on the way back was a lot more relaxed, as Boston South Station is not nearly as large as Penn Station and it is an end station, or a beginning of the line station coming back.

Onboard the train

Aside from the adventure boarding at a large train station, the experience was very positive and familiar. The train was on time both ways. There are power outlets at each seat, leg room galore, clean, large restrooms and free Wifi. If you have a laptop, tablet or smart phone, you can follow the path of the train real time, and easily pull up the scheduled stops. There are announcements and the old fashioned way of printing a schedule ahead of time too so a device that gets you on the internet is not a must.

No doubt the reason for the awesome comfort and legroom is because I was riding in business class (Acela Express trains do not have coach cars).

Conclusion

I overcame my fears of riding Amtrak (I had heard that their schedules were completely unpredictable) and I will definitely do this again. At least in the North East United States, it is the best way to get around medium distance. When my family visits, I would love to take them on an Amtrak to Boston adventure. I just wish there were the option to pay extra to reserve specific seating, like on European trains. When traveling with family on busy lines and on long train rides, it's worth the extra money. As far as I can tell, that is not an  option on Amtrak. One can make reservations, but that only guarantees a seat somewhere on the train. Hence the mad flocking I experienced at Penn Station.