Best route to go from Boston to Toronto by train?

My title says it - what are the options to travel from Boston to Toronto?

D.

D,

Unfortunately, not many if you want to travel only by train. You can get from Boston to Buffalo pretty easily, but not northwest to Toronto. Here's why:

-Boston has only one train a day heading west to Albany, Buffalo, and then Chicago (the Lake Shore Limited, train 449).

-Amtrak only has one train that serves Toronto, the Maple Leaf, which runs New York-Albany-Buffalo-Niagara Falls-Toronto.

The problem lies in the fact that the Lake Shore Limited hits Albany and Buffalo well after the Maple Leaf, so you can't change trains from the LSL to the Maple Leaf without an overnight stay in a city like Albany or Buffalo.

Your best bet, honestly, is to drive to Albany, park there, and catch the Maple Leaf out at 10:00 AM. Arrives Toronto that night at 7:47 PM.

-Rafi

The only other option that is completely by rail is via New York City (taking the Acela or a regional). But then you have some ugly timing / overnight at NYP.

You might be better off picking up a $100 flight (on US Airways or JetBlue - there are about eight total a day) from Boston to Buffalo, and then either take the train (slow), a bus (also slow), or rent a car and drive across. The drive from Buffalo to Toronto is less than two hours, while the bus will run about three, and the train about four and a half (at best).

If you willing, you can take NE Regional 67, the 9:45pm out of Boston, which arrives in NYP at 2am, 5 hours before the Maple Leaf. That is the only option besides the ones listed above.

cpamtfan-Peter

Thanks for all your responses - there are a few options. It's a hypothetical trip at this point - but I have been reading some interesting stuff about Toronto, and I have a cousin that lives there - so let's see if the idea germinates

I'd actually be originating in Maine -

D.