Ridin' Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor

And, even if the Acela is delayed, you at least do things like take out your telephone to call someone, use your computer the entire trip, etc.

It's worth it, especially since you're dropped right into the center of NY.

I usually take the Acela trains, but when the only train available is a regional, I will sometimes take coach and sometimes upgrade to business. For Thanksgiving, I bit the bullet and paid more for business, because I figured that the day before Thanksgiving, the trains would be full of screaming, tired kids whom I'd be less likely to encounter in business class. And it worked!

During the peak hours, sure, that's true for the regional. I sometimes have to ride it due to schedules (making it back from NY/Philly/DC late or very early), I've often been ridden a split business class/lounge car.

The seating is two-seat on the left and single-seat on the right in the forward half, with the lounge in the rear. Much more comfortable for sleeping, even better than the Acela Express if you can snag a single seat!

That's it? Why, back in the olden days...

During the mid-nineties I commuted weekly to NYC for my job, and made the decision early-on that Amtrak was the way to go. This was pre-Acela -- the business paid for Club Class (now branded Business Class), which was two-and-one seating, and originally included an hors d'oeuvre course, hot entree and dessert, served at one's seat. The quality and presentation were equivalent to airline medium-haul first class meal service of the time.

Then in '96/'97 they dropped the first course. I haven't ridden since that job ended in '97, but I take it things have gone downhill from there...

I am worried about the driver of the 4pm NYC-Boston train exceeding the speed limit on the segment between Providence and Rte 128. It is a running joke among the porters that he is always in a hurry to get home. I have now seen this happen several times on that train.

Last week, when I took it (Dec 1), you could actually smell the asbestos in the back car as he had to jam on the brakes before going over one of the bridges.

I hope someone looks into this before the NTSB has to do so as part of an accident investigation.

I was going to mention this option, and I'm glad someone else did, too. I'll add that, IF someone is in the "Quiet Car" and using a cell, the train personnel are only too happy to tell them to please move to another car.

I had that experience. That is, someone was yapping away on a cell two seats up from us. I waited a reasonable length of time for her to complete her call, but it became apparent she never would. So, I got up and went over to her and informed her that it was a car where cells were not allowed. She looked me up and down, then said, with a look of disgust, "Do you work for the railroad?" After I said no, and she said, "Then why should I listen to you?", I went and got a conductor. He informed her, in no uncertain terms, that if she didn't hang up immediately, he would put her off at the next station. She gave me one last dirty look before exiting the car and moving to one where she could bleat to her heart's content. And we in the Quiet Car all lived happily ever after (or at least until we got to NYC.)

Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com

If you want peace and quiet...but also want to keep your cell phone on, leave the ringer on vibrate and if you get a call, walk between cars or into the next car and take the call...then return to your seat when you're done. That's what I've seen a lot of people do and realized how they were getting the best of both worlds.

There are few things worse than having the Quiet Car your in turned back into a regular car. Six hours from Wilmington, DE to Boston with nonstop yapping made me lose my flipping mind a while back.

Very expensive. I ended up flying. :(

We just got coach seats -- and it was rather fun (and easier than driving -- which is what our family of five usually winds up doing).

I thought about taking the Lakeshore Limited to the Empire Builder. Theoretically, I could get from my home to my dad's house entirely by bus and train that way.

Then I looked at the stats for the Lakeshore Ltd. It is rarely on time. There are several train changes between Boston and Chicago. It might not make the 4 hour window to pick up the Empire Builder, so I would have to plan to stay with a relative if I wanted to try it.

If I could depend on it being on time and it didn't have the middle of the night equipment shift, I might try it some day. It would be a fun coast-to-coast adventure. The reality is that it is too ridiculous to contemplate.

I've taken it to Ohio probably half a dozen times, and once all the way to Chicago. It's crowded, never on time (blame CSX), bumpy as hell on the rough rail between Syracuse and Erie or so--and absolutely enjoyable.

When my girlfriend (now wife) went with me we would rent a sleeper, which is just kind of prohibitively expensive as a single traveller (its a flat rate that is indifferent to whether both beds are filled). On my own i would go coach all the way, which is not a great night's sleep, but still its not bad. The food isn't great, decidedly downgraded from when i first traveled on it 4 or 5 years ago (and they don't use real plates and silverware anymore) but it is still my preferred mode of transportation. Its a cool community on board, full of people that travel by train by choice, so the type of people who will sacrifice speed or comfort for views and company. Weirdos like me, i love it.

Requires an accomplice with a cell phone: Have him go down one level to the arrival area. When the train comes in, he'll call you, standing upstairs, with the track number, so you can get in position before the thundering hordes.