Round trip from CHI to PVD for Necronomi-CON. Best return route?

I'm planning on attending the HP Lovecraft literary festival in Providence in August and am greatly looking forward to taking Amtrak to get there. I'm riding the Capitol Limited from Chicago to DC, and then Northeast Regional from DC to Providence. Will be getting a roomette on the Capitol Limited, as 17 hours in coach seems like it would be...trying.

However, while those two routes are my only option for getting there, I have some choices for how I want to get back. I can take the same route back with a more expensive roomette, which is the least expensive choice barring sitting in coach, but I've already done a large part of the 29 route back from Pittsburgh last year. I can also take the Lake Shore Limited, which would provide new scenery, but the rooms are MUCH more expensive ($480 for a roomette, haven't looked at other accommodations) and I would pretty much have to ride coach because...well, ouch.

So I'm wondering if I should stick with the tried-and-true Capitol Limited for the return trip, bite the bullet in coach on the LSL for different views and variety, or really bite the bullet, take up a second job and subsist on Top Ramen for a few months and book a roomette on the LSL.

Can anyone advise? Are the sights along the LSL route worth the loss of roomette comfort or the increased price for something different?

EDIT: Dangit, I Ctrl-V'd the entire line from my text document including "Subject:" Can a mod maybe remove that superfluous prefix? Should just read "Round trip from CHI..." Sorry 'bout that.

Taking the LSL in coach can be a bit much. If you make sure to get an Amfleet II, it's OK, but I got stuck in an Amfleet I once (grrrr).

If you're planning to go to the convention again next year, with new Viewliners and more roomettes arriving, the LSL roomettes may be cheaper then.

There isnt that much to see on the Lake Shore Route from Boston to Chicago and the High Buckets for the Roomettes definitely are NOT Worth it!! Check into the Cardinal from New York to Chicago (it only runs Three days a week) if you want to get some Very Good Scenery but be aware that there is only One Sleeper on this train and it tends to sell out most days and it can be Pricey also!!

All things considered the Cap is probably your best bet, you could ride the Penn (if it still exists next year?? )to Pittsburgh from NYP , you'd see the Famous Horseshoe Curve in Altoona (Business Class is available on this Train), then hop the Cap from PGH-CHI. Coach isnt that bad on the Superliner Cap for a 9 Hour Trip to CHI! (There is a 4 hour or so Layover in PGH in the less than Pleasant Station). amsnag.net would be your friend here to check on Fares if your Dates are Flexible!

Thanks for the advice. I did the Pennsylvanian route from PGH-PHL last spring and it was okay. Horseshoe Curve was cool, and the PGH station was...well, nothing to write home about. More disappointing on the way back, because by that time I'd seen the beauty of 30th Street Station and...wow.

I'll probably stick with the Capitol Limited then, unless the Cardinal runs on the days I'm looking at traveling (leaving on Monday, Aug. 26 as the convention is 23-25).

Did you try pricing it out with coach from BOS - ALB and then a roomette from ALB - CHI on the LSL?

There is only one BOS sleeper so sometimes the prices are much higher on the 449 than the 49. Worth a shot! Plus you would still get a complimentary dinner in the dining car after leaving ALB.

I'd do the Cap. The LSL is priced like it is because of the demand for a one-seat (er, room) ride between CUS and NYP, and while the Hudson Valley scenery is nice, most of the "new" stuff is in darkness anyway.
 
An alternative, if you're looking for affordable and scenic, would be to take the Pennsylvanian from NYC to PIT, and catch the Cap there... there is a bit of a wait in PIT, but the station is very near the trendy part of town, and you'd get the PA Dutch/Amish country and famous Horseshoe Curve in daylight. Get into PIT at 8ish, have a few drinks/go see some of the Pirates game if they're in town, Catch the Cap in PIT around midnight, hit the hay in the roomette, and arrive fresh in CUS


You'd have to book in 2 separate segments, as the PVD-NYP leg doesn't have sufficient lead-time for a connection to the Pennsylvanian in Arrow, but the NER runs pretty well on time during the summer, and especially the Acelas should give you plenty of connection time.

amamba said:

Did you try pricing it out with coach from BOS - ALB and then a roomette from ALB - CHI on the LSL?
There is only one BOS sleeper so sometimes the prices are much higher on the 449 than the 49. Worth a shot! Plus you would still get a complimentary dinner in the dining car after leaving ALB.

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I agree. Price coach PVD to BBY (Back Bay Boston) on train #190, coach on train #449 from BBY to ALB (Albany) then the cheaper of either #449 or #49 in a sleeper from ALB to CHI. #449 and #49 are the same train west of ALB. The only difference (besides the price - maybe) is that #449 is at the front of the train while #49 sleepers and the Dining Car are at the back of the train.

I should that I thought the scenery was really quite lovely on the 449. I have only ridden it between SPG and ALB but it was really pretty through the Berkshires.

Thanks for the info. Haven't booked anything just yet (have some other expenses to sort out, just want to get them out of the way) but was looking at the Amtrak site again and noticed a peculiarity - Acela runs between Washington DC and Providence RI, but there's no Acela option for a CHI<-->PVD round trip. I can book a ride on the 30 to and from DC, and there are Acela trains that fit the schedule, but I'd have to book each leg of the trip individually.

So, 2 questions:

1. Why is this?

2. Would it be a monumentally bad idea, for some reason I haven't considered, for me to do this? I'd like to ride the Acela, having never done so before, but if it's better to take the NER then I can stick with that plan.

Generally speaking, LD trains don't offer connections to the Acela - you can book it as two separate reservations, though if you miss the connection it's on you.

Personally, if you have the time I'd go for it, planning for the longest possible layover to in DC to account for delays. Worst case, you get some time to sightsee in DC.

If you really want to try acela, you could do it just southbound from PVD - DC. The acelas are generally on time and that way you wouldn't worry about missing the connection from the LD train.

The disadvantage of booking each separately is that you lose the Regional thru-fare connection discount. An Acela may cost like $2xx or more WAS-PVD. By combining the CL and a regional, the WAS-PVD segment may cost something like $1x more than just the CHI-WAS segment! :excl:

the_traveler said:

The disadvantage of booking each separately is that you lose the Regional thru-fare connection discount. An Acela may cost like $2xx or more WAS-PVD. By combining the CL and a regional, the WAS-PVD segment may cost something like $1x more than just the CHI-WAS segment! :excl:

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Excellent point.

It is interesting because some of the silvers were offering a through fare on acela from PVD - points in Florida - but the fare was substantially more expensive than the one with the regional connection.

I concur about the beautiful ride on 449 across western Mass.

Interesting. About how late does the Capitol Limited run getting into DC?

Leaving on Aug. 21, the 30 departs at 6:10 PM and arrives (or is scheduled to) in DC at 12:40 PM the 22nd. There's an Acela that leaves at 4:00 PM and gets to PVD at 9:47. If the 30 isn't more than 3 hours late that could work.

Coming back on the 26th, there's an Acela train that leaves at 9:50 AM and arrives at 3:45 PM. The 29 then leaves at 4:05, which only leaves me 20 minutes to get from track to track. That's cutting it a little close. Suppose I could take an earlier Acela train and leave myself more time. Looks like the 4:05 29 is my only option so I absolutely have to be there by 4:05 (or, well...3:45 at the latest).

Otherwise, I do rather like the idea of taking the Acela from PVD-->DC. That way I get to experience two new routes instead of just one, and save some cash.

I've heard that the Acela only gets up to its top speed on one short(?) segment. Will I be onboard for that part or will I miss out? Also, is it worth it to fork over the extra dosh for first class on the Acela or is there not that much of a difference?

Thanks for all the input. You've made this budding railfan's day many times over already.

You'll hit the top speed of 150 MPH just after leaving PVD headed south.<br /><br />As far as First Class, for a once in a while treat, it's awesome. Significantly better than business class, you get free booze and 2 meals between PVD and WAS.<br /><br />I would take the Acela on the way home, her timekeeping is a heck of a lot better than the Cap's. That said, I wouldn't count on 20 minutes. If you can leave PVD at 8:00 (7:50, really), I'd take 2155. Get you into DC at 1:45. Since you have a sleeper ticket, you can wait for the Cap in the Club Acela, or leave your bags there if you want to step out of the station for a bit and see some of the sights. You don't have to0 much time, but if you walk out the front of the station you can walk 3 blocks up Capitol Hill and see the Capitol, Supreme Court and Library of Congress. Take a couple of pictures and then head back to the station to wait for your train.<br /><br />That's what I would do, anyhow... I'm sure others will have different suggestions...

If you are going all the way to DC and this is your first acela experience, I would definitely consider springing for FC. the upcharge is only a little more than the upcharge for going to NYP and you will get two meals and unlimited drinks from PVD - DC.

That being said, 20 minutes is a little too short of a layover for comfort for me. If you can take the ealier acela (2155), that would certainly be ideal. You should get breakfast and lunch on that routing. It departs NYP at 11 am, though, so your lunch would be on the early side (probably will eat around 11:30 or 11:45 am). Just to put the pricing in perspective, it costs $112 extra over the BC fare for a FC seat from NYP - WAS. It costs $125 to add that first class seat from PVD - WAS, so only $13 more (or $126 from RTE - WAS).

The one last thing I will mention is AGR points. I am not sure if you are a member, but you get 750 AGR points for a FC seat between "select city pairs". Now, PVD is not part of ANY city pair. What that means is you will get two points per dollar spent on a booking from PVD - WAS. Do the math. If the price of the ticket is more than $375, buy from PVD - WAS. If it is less, book your trip from RTE - WAS to get the 750 point bonus.

Thanks for all this. I'll be renting a car in Providence and staying around the area so I'll probably be departing from PVD (unless RTE is really close by). I'm thinking I'll do the 30 to and from CHI - not much choice there - and then once I get to DC, take the Northeast Regional up to PVD and the Acela back, springing for BC on the Regional and FC on the Acela.

Now, the question that's been nagging at the back of my mind and causing me a fair amount of anxiety: what about TSA? They're 95% of the reason I'm taking the train instead of flying and while my trip to and from Philadelphia last April was blissfully free from any TSA interaction at all, I'm going through different stations this time and so can't count on a repeat of the pleasantness of the last journey. For that matter, I've heard they rear their ugly heads at 30th Street Station more often these days anyway.

What kind of security (APD) or security-theater (TSA/DHS) presence can I reasonably expect at DC Union Station and Providence? Is there a recommended way to avoid them and/or be left alone? I don't do well with confrontation, and I do even worse with the prospect of strangers touching me. Obviously my odds are far better on Amtrak than with flying, considering I'm talking about "odds" at all versus a 100% guarantee of TSA interaction. I've heard that at PHL, boarding from ClubAcela gets around them completely when they're there. I'll be getting a roomette on the CL and springing for upgrades on the NER and Acela, so I'll be able to use the Metro and ClubAcela lounges in Chicago and Providence. Does the same hold true where I'll be going or should I try to get a scrip for Xanax or something just in case?

Hi friend. I live in PVD, so when I suggesting purchasing the ticket originating in RTE, I was suggesting doing that but still boarding in PVD.

Now, for that matter, I'm not so sure that you even need a car in PVD. It depends on what you are doing....but this is a pretty small city, we have zipcars and great taxi/bus/trolley service in the city. But obviously that is up to you!

As for the PVD station - there is no Club Acela there. You will only find a clubAcela in WAS and CHI out of your city pairs. There is no lounge at all in PVD. It is a small station but the tracks are underground (kind of) so you have to go down a level from the station to the platform. There is a large, round waiting room on the main station level with a Solari Board and a ticket counter and baggage room and benches, along with free wifi in the station. There is also a small coffee shop called Cafe La France where you can buy coffee, drinks, sandwiches, and MBTA commuter rail tickets.

Now for the bad news. For a while they were doing some ridiculous security theater in PVD. They would have teams of amtrak police agents stopping everyone who was going down the escalator or stairs to the amtrak platforms and swabbing bags with a little device that was checking for explosives. This took maybe 3 minutes - max 5 minutes if there was a line. It was annoying, but they weren't searching bags, opening bags, or touching people or patting them down in any way. Just swabbing bags for explosives.

They did that everyday for a while, but I haven't spotted those guys near the station in months. My H rides amtrak daily from BOS - PVD so he always reports back to me. I don't think he has seen them at all in calendar year 2013, so I wouldn't be too worried about it at this point. If you do a search on this forum I know I posted a few times about seeing them.

Exterior bag swab is really the worst you're going to run into. Since Savannah, I've heard not one word of anyone trying to grope down as a condition of travel.

*huge sigh*

Thanks for that, I feel a lot better.

Good to know about not needing a car, too. I have some time (obviously) so I'll look into the public transit situation. Not sure where I'm staying yet - the Biltmore was fully booked by more devoted Cthulhu cultists than I ("ia, ia, fh'tagn" works equally well as a Christmas Story Dad style curse) but I may end up staying at a Best Western just over the Massachusetts border. Shall have to see about the best way to get to and fro. Main interests include:

-Necronomi-Con conference (duh)

-Food (anyplace I should make sure not to miss?)

-Other noteworthy sights, historical or otherwise.

Aside from that it's pretty much just to and fro between the convention and whatever hotel I end up in, so bus/light rail/cab/etc. might work just peachy.

JoeBas, you mentioned in my TUG thread something about a Kindergarten Walk. Can you or someone else describe what that is? Something to do with security or security guards?

At some of the bigger stations, they restrict passenger access to the platform until just before (or even after, in some cases) the train arrives, usually by closing a gate across access to the platform. This causes what some call the "Kindergarten Walk" when the sleeper passengers are walked down in a line to the train, or a huge cattle rush of coach passengers when the general platform access is opened.

Some stations are pretty militant about it, but like I said last time I was at WUS I just went out the back entrance of Club Acela when the door attentdant/guard's attention was elsewhere, and watched stuff from the platform for about 40 minutes until the train arrived.

So from what I'm reading here and elsewhere, the Kindergarten Walk is an either/or proposition with Red Cap service. i.e. I can either board on my own via the KGW, or find (and pay/tip) a Red Cap to board separately.

Do I have that right?

Celticwhisper- There is no kinderwalk in Pvd and no fed caps. Just board from the platform when the train pulls in.

So for a pvd hotel try the renaissance, hotel pvd, or the westin. All are within walking distance of the Biltmore. There are awesome restaurants in pvd - its known as a foodie city if you are a foodie I can recommend the following places:

Cook and brown

Al forno

Chez pascal

New rivers

Bacaro

Cafe novo

Farmstead

No real KGW from the CA in WAS either.