Recently I hopped on Amtrak from Washington DC to New York and wow, I was impressed. From start to finish, the process was easy, clear and affordable. Plus I could get some work done on the train.
The Amtrak website is very user friendly and I booked my ticket about a month before my travel date for just $38 one way. Trains ran frequently on that route even though I was traveling on a Thursday. After I purchased online, the system immediately sent me an email with my electronic ticket. In fact, the system followed up with a series of emails asking me if I would like to upgrade my ticket, reminding me that my trip was just a few days away, giving me helpful tips and finally giving me my gate information. So helpful.
At Union Station which was beautiful by the way and full of shops, restaurants and even a Starbucks, I easily found my gate. There was a staff member directing the crowd to line up. And 15 minutes before departure time, the staff member opened the doors and directed the crowd towards the train. There was another staff member closer to the train directing the crowd to the cars.
With my coach ticket, I was able to choose any seat in the front cars. I noticed there were some quiet cars, a cafe car and business class cars. Inside the car, the seats were plush, there were electrical outlets in each seat, luggage racks and most importantly, air conditioning.
The train left on time and arrived three hours later at Penn Station in New York City. Amtrak offers a rewards program and though I probably won't ride enough to rack up many points, it's always a good idea to join and take the rewards. Also use your Capital One Venture X card to buy your Amtrak ticket and then erase it with points. Yay!
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