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I needed to travel from NYC to Washington DC, specifically without driving. Sounded like a perfect case for Amtrak. Turns out flying was both cheaper and faste

I needed to travel from NYC to Washington DC, specifically without driving. Sounded like a perfect case for Amtrak. Turns out flying was both cheaper and faster.

amelius 1y ago
You have to add comfort to the equation. And don't forget about TSA checks which can be stressful.
- Uvix 1y ago
  And the stress of whether or not the airline will let your luggage on board with you.
- decafninja 1y ago
  For a flight that lasts less than an hour, I didn’t find comfort or the TSA screening really much of a drag.
MathMonkeyMan 1y ago
I took the Acela from NYC to DC to visit a friend. It was expensive, but I wanted to try it. The interior of the cars was old and beat up. The tray in front of me didn't work. The bathroom door was borked and there was this persistent hint of a foul smell. The woman across the isle was bombed and clearly going through something, but before long she fell asleep and when she woke up was docile as a lamb. I've read that the main advantage of inter-metropolis rail travel is that you enter and exit in the middle of town. This helped for NYC and DC -- I took a short subway ride to Penn Station on the NYC side, and then walked from Union Station to my friend's house on the DC side. Rail is the most comfortable way to travel by far. If only it were cheaper and faster.
- decafninja 1y ago
  The first half of your post seems to contradict your conclusion in the last sentence. Your first half would describe a pretty miserable trip for me. I’d gladly take TSA over what you described.
  - MathMonkeyMan 1y ago
    That gives you an idea of how much I enjoy buses and airports. I complained, but it wasn't that bad. Mostly I was pointing out that the "premium" line is in disrepair. This is why they're replacing them. I've ridden plain old Amtrak many times before, and it can be hit or miss but is invariably better than a bus or a plane, in my opinion. Big seats, plenty of room to walk around, a dedicated lounge car, big windows, no TSA. If the train shows up, that is.
  - queenkjuul 1y ago
    I'm taking torn seats over TSA 10/10 times
  - rsynnott 1y ago
    Old and beat up train would still handily beat economy class in any plane, comfort-wise.
- queenkjuul 1y ago
  The new acela trains will improve the first part but i honestly feel like the regional is the better train. It's basically the same speed as acela south of Philly anyway
jonstewart 1y ago
I live in DC and go to NY a couple times a year, for a decade+. It can be a little faster to fly, sometimes it can be a little cheaper (but that depends a lot on when you book), but AmTrak wastes less of my time. Living in DC proper, it's faster for me to get to Union Station. Once there, maybe I'll grab a coffee and then it's time to board the train. I get on, I sit down, I plug in, and I have three hours of no hassle quiet work time. Then I come into Penn Station, catch the A train downtown, and I'm at the NY office. There's way less standing in line, dealing with security, being shutdown due to taxiing, waiting in traffic, etc. The Acela is useful if I'm trying to make a tight time window. However, I prefer the café car booths on the Regional.

I needed to travel from NYC to Washington DC, specifically without driving. Sounded like a perfect case for Amtrak. Turns out flying was both cheaper and faster.

amelius 1y ago

You have to add comfort to the equation. And don't forget about TSA checks which can be stressful.

Uvix 1y ago
And the stress of whether or not the airline will let your luggage on board with you.
decafninja 1y ago
For a flight that lasts less than an hour, I didn’t find comfort or the TSA screening really much of a drag.

MathMonkeyMan 1y ago

I took the Acela from NYC to DC to visit a friend. It was expensive, but I wanted to try it. The interior of the cars was old and beat up. The tray in front of me didn't work. The bathroom door was borked and there was this persistent hint of a foul smell. The woman across the isle was bombed and clearly going through something, but before long she fell asleep and when she woke up was docile as a lamb. I've read that the main advantage of inter-metropolis rail travel is that you enter and exit in the middle of town. This helped for NYC and DC -- I took a short subway ride to Penn Station on the NYC side, and then walked from Union Station to my friend's house on the DC side. Rail is the most comfortable way to travel by far. If only it were cheaper and faster.

decafninja 1y ago
The first half of your post seems to contradict your conclusion in the last sentence. Your first half would describe a pretty miserable trip for me. I’d gladly take TSA over what you described.
- MathMonkeyMan 1y ago
  That gives you an idea of how much I enjoy buses and airports. I complained, but it wasn't that bad. Mostly I was pointing out that the "premium" line is in disrepair. This is why they're replacing them. I've ridden plain old Amtrak many times before, and it can be hit or miss but is invariably better than a bus or a plane, in my opinion. Big seats, plenty of room to walk around, a dedicated lounge car, big windows, no TSA. If the train shows up, that is.
- queenkjuul 1y ago
  I'm taking torn seats over TSA 10/10 times
- rsynnott 1y ago
  Old and beat up train would still handily beat economy class in any plane, comfort-wise.
queenkjuul 1y ago
The new acela trains will improve the first part but i honestly feel like the regional is the better train. It's basically the same speed as acela south of Philly anyway

jonstewart 1y ago

I live in DC and go to NY a couple times a year, for a decade+. It can be a little faster to fly, sometimes it can be a little cheaper (but that depends a lot on when you book), but AmTrak wastes less of my time. Living in DC proper, it's faster for me to get to Union Station. Once there, maybe I'll grab a coffee and then it's time to board the train. I get on, I sit down, I plug in, and I have three hours of no hassle quiet work time. Then I come into Penn Station, catch the A train downtown, and I'm at the NY office. There's way less standing in line, dealing with security, being shutdown due to taxiing, waiting in traffic, etc. The Acela is useful if I'm trying to make a tight time window. However, I prefer the café car booths on the Regional.