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Has Anyone travelled amtrak from Niagara Falls to New York City ?
I would request to give your personal opinions on this as i am planning to do this.
Take the amtrak on a sunday morning (7 AM i guess) which says that it will reach at 4:50 PM.
How is the experience and are there any delays that usually happen or the train is usually on time ?
Yes, I've done this trip several times. It's a very pleasant and very scenic ride (it is especially scenic south of Albany along the Hudson River). Average on-time performance for the Empire Service has been 92.6% for the past 12 months. There are sometimes delays along the way because of having to wait for freight trains to pass, etc., but often the train makes up the time (i.e., some expected delay is built into the schedule).
Sit on the right side heading to NYC for the best view of the Erie Canal, Mohawk River, and Hudson River.
The Empire Service trains only have a snack car that serves cold sandwiches or microwaves burgers, hot dogs, etc. You can bring your own lunch if you want. It's a long trip, so bring a book or a laptop and DVDs. Every seat has a power outlet, and the Empire Service now has free Wi-Fi onboard. This is new since the last time I traveled by train, so I don't know how reliable or fast it is. You could possibly also get Internet access by tethering a cell phone to your laptop. And of course, another nice thing about trains is that you can get up and take a walk to stretch your legs any time you want.
The train that i am planning to take is 7 AM from Niagara Falls station and as per the schedule it is supposed to reach Penn Station at 4:50. What realistic time i am expecting to reach Penn station ?
Realistically, there is a good chance you will be at Penn Station at 4:50 PM or even a few minutes early. The OTP for that train has been over 90% for the last 12 months, which I *think* allows for up to 15 minutes later, so you are very likely to be no later than 5:10. There is of course a small chance of a much longer delay, but that would be just as true if you were flying.
Mark, the train is $60 each way from Niagara Falls to NYC, and there is a 10% discount if you are a member of AAA or the National Association of Rail Passengers.
Amtrak has a very generous cancellation policy. You can cancel for a full refund as a voucher towards future travel or as cash with a 10% refund fee, right up to the day of travel.
Is that $86 one-way? The fares go up as the train seats fill up and demand increases. There is a "bucket" system where they sell the cheapest fares first, then the next cheapest, etc. So you always get the best price by booking as far ahead as possible.
For $86 one way, would a flight be about the same or cheaper?
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