hi! i hope everyone had a great weekend. i myself was back east for a long weekend. i had a family wedding and then i headed north to boston for a few days to see my friend m and do a little fall fun stuff. i took the amtrak from stamford to boston, something i’ve never done before, and was surprised at how easy it was. i’ve done trains across europe and england/scotland, but there were some differences and for the most part everything went seamlessly.
i know many of you have taken trains through europe or the british isles, and i’ll definitely talk about both. the biggest difference i noticed was my amtrak wasn’t as crowded as my scottish trains. it was a sunday morning, so that may have had something to do with it, but train travel in the states just isn’t as popular as train travel in europe. when i compared the airports i dealt with to the train station, wow! the train stations were not crowded at all! cost-wise, it was cheaper too. although, i do know that for some of the longer trips, flying is less expensive. amtrak specifically has high prices, cheap food and outdated cars. but… hey. i didn’t have to deal with airports.
another big difference i noticed was that there were no reserved seats. yes, i had a ticket that said i had a “reserved” seat but i could pick any seat i wanted. that was nice; in the uk, if you reserve a seat, you are given a particular seat (and i highly recommend actually reserving a seat over there!) it is worth noting that on most european trains, they tag the reserved seats and note the starting and ending points, so if you see an empty seat that’s reserved for a city after you depart the train, you can sit there.
so what tips do i have for you, now that i’ve traversed the northeast corridor via train? some of these can be applied to other forms of travel, like planes and car trips, but some are specific to trains. read on…
pack snacks. in some european trains, cafe cars are non-existent. in others, you may find that if you’re not first class, you can’t access the dining car. my amtrak had a small cafe car, but it was all pre-packaged foods that i could have bought at a grocery store for cheaper than amtrak was selling them. my trip was only 3.5 hours, so i didn’t need a ton of food, but come prepared. you can read my picks on travel snacks if you need some ideas!
make sure your devices are charged. on some short-distance trains, or in some cars, outlets are nowhere to be found. i got lucky on my amtrak: there were two outlets at my seat. but on my last train through the scottish highlands? nope.
pack light. yes, you could argue that since you’re traveling via train and not dealing with airline personnel and tsa, you can pack whatever you want. but are you sure you want to lug your bags up and down station stairs and up and down tiny train aisles while you find your seat? i didn’t think so. in general, just keep it light. however, trains do have luggage racks near the doors, so that is a perk, and they have the overhead racks (but if you’ve loaded your bag down with your entire shoe collection, it’s gonna be too heavy to pick up and toss overhead.)
that being said, keep an eye on your bags. i’ve attached bag handles to the luggage rack, for example, but when i leave my bag at the luggage rack at the end, i make sure that i grab a seat facing that luggage rack (and train door.)
splurge on a sleeper. or reserve a compartment for your entire party. nothing sucks more – and we all know this, since we’ve all done overnight airplane rides – than slouching in a tiny seat, cramping your legs, for extended periods of time. on a train, this is compounded: you’re trying to keep an eye on your bags (since there are multiple stops,) you’re trying to catch a few zzz’s, and you’re not at all comfortable. i’ve slept on overnight trains through europe when i was a poor college student, and now i would definitely get a sleeper.
pay attention to where you are sitting. by this i mean, are you in the quiet car? there were several women on my amtrak who did not seem to grasp the concept of the quiet car, and chatted away until someone finally shushed them. along with this, especially in foreign countries, pay attention to local customs. i once had a train conductor in spain ask me to take my feet off the seat: it’s considered rude to show people the soles of your feet in southern spain.
sit by a window. i know there were some good views on my trip, like the gorgeous eastern seaboard and some pretty awesome views of the rhode island coast, but i couldn’t see them. i did get onboard in stamford, and the train had come from nyc, so i will say that it was unlikely i would get a window seat, but still.. get to the station early and snag a window seat.
on long journeys, you can find other travelers to talk to, especially in the cafe cars. you’ve got all this time, why not? i used it to catch up on books or crossword puzzles, but sometimes you need some human interaction. ask about their patch on their backpack, where they bought their scarf, etc. you can have a short conversation and then head back to your seat.
you can also use the time to learn about your destination. also, it’s a good idea to know what station you need to get off at. ask, if you’re not sure.
bring a sweater. i was SO cold on my train, and everything i have read from other travelers say the same thing: their train was frigid. ward off a chill by being prepared: a big scarf, heavy sweater, or jacket will keep you nice and warm while your train crawls through the alps.
i hope you enjoyed my tips on train travel. have you ever crossed a country by train? leave your tips in the comments below!
you might also like:
my picks: travel snacks
travel tips: what to do before an international trip
travel tips: road tripping on the other side of the road