Baggage - Acela or Regional NYP-BOS?

Trip planning here.

Me and two newbies to Amtrak will be traveling to the East Coast for Saint Patrick's Day festivities this upcoming March. We will be needing to get from NYP to BOS and each of us will have a full-size suitcase in tow along with smaller miscellaneous baggage. Would it be better for us to take a Regional or an Acela in terms of the ability to store baggage in the same car as we're traveling? And, for that matter, getting three seats together?

I'd love to go Acela First Class, as I've not had the opportunity to use the service before. But I'm not at all going to spend $600 to get the experience when the alternatives are between $200 and $300.

Thanks ahead of time.

It's $600 you'll never regret spending. Fact!

Other then that. At least you'll hit 150 on Acela.

There are days and times when Regionals cost more than Acela Business Class, so if you want the Acela expierence without the Very High Fares on Acela First Class, book Acela Business Class! ( it's Coach but BC sounds better!)

Assuming your carry on bags meet the Amtrak specs, both the Acela or the Regionals should have enough space to store them in the car in which you travel. Acela have airline style overhead bins and racks at the ends of the car for larger pieces. I've had no problem fitting a fill sized 55 liter backpack through the doors of the overhead bin. The Amfleet equipment for the Regionals have open overhead luggage racks that fit any size suitcase, plus racks at the end of each car.

If you need to check baggage between NYP and BOS, your only choice is to check the bag on the overnight train 66.

I'm in the camp that does not find Acela First Class worth the cost. I'd save the money for a nice dinner in Boston. As was said previously, watch the Acela Business Class fares. It is not unusual to have Acela fares in the same range as the Regional.

Much of the Northeast Regional crowd going north gets off at New York (and gets on there going south), so I would save money and take the Regional (and maybe save the Acela first class splurge for if you ever go between New York and Washington, where the Regionals can be a crowded and noisy mess).

MRD, I disagree there's only as low as 15 minutes of time savings on the Regional between NYP to WAS, to Boston it saves about 45 minutes!

The cost difference I also find to be Lower NYP-BOS than NYP-WAS.

Edit: corrected typos.

Good points about the time and cost, SubwayNut!

I was thinking only of avoiding a crowded train. But considering that the OP and his friends are going to Boston for St. Patrick's Day, it just occurred to me that crowds probably do not bother them as much as me!

Thanks for the input, everyone. We're heading back to march in the parades (NYC and South Boston) and wave at all those crowds. Since we're traveling on a Saturday and looking for a late morning departure from NYP, I'm hoping some of the crowding will be reduced. Maybe.

I'd like to ride Acela, as this will likely be my only opportunity. But I have two others who really have no interest in a 25 mph difference in travel speed, only comfort and the ability to sit together/have our baggage transported easily.

Luckily we have a lot of time to decide. But an educated purchase is valued!

There are only a few Acelas NYP-BOS, on Saturday, and the early and mid day Acelas tend to be crowded.

Check your big bags the night before you travel. They'll be put on the overnight train 66, and will be there waiting for you when you arrive the next day.

Blackwolf said:

Luckily we have a lot of time to decide. But an educated purchase is valued!

Click to expand...

However the longer you wait the more expensive your tickets are likely to cost!

peter

Mystic River Dragon said:

Much of the Northeast Regional crowd going north gets off at New York (and gets on there going south), so I would save money and take the Regional (and maybe save the Acela first class splurge for if you ever go between New York and Washington, where the Regionals can be a crowded and noisy mess).

Click to expand...

This is false. These days the Regional trains fill up very quickly on the Shoreline. It's not uncommon for them to be S/O in either direction on Friday's, Saturday's, and Sunday's. And again during peak times during the week.

I stand corrected, Acela150.

If I am traveling north on the Regional, it's usually to Mystic leaving from Trenton on a weekday early in the morning, and that seems to be when the Philly to New York commuters have taken it over. (Not too many choices for stopping at Mystic; I'd take one that was not rush hour if I could.) But I am rarely traveling in New England once I get there and haven't done so on weekends or rush hour up there, so will defer to your better knowledge.

AFAIK only the Acela has facing seating, with tables, and the NER only has an Amfleet cafe for table seating, and that can fill up pretty quick

norfolkwesternhenry said:

AFAIK only the Acela has facing seating, with tables, and the NER only has an Amfleet cafe for table seating, and that can fill up pretty quick

Click to expand...

That is not true. There are four seaters with facing seats without tables in many Northeast Regional coaches and there are two of the four seaters with tables in the Northeast Regional full business class cars.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

From my experiences, a Regional can be sold out, packed, and be standing room only (that "reserved seat" doesn't exist). It might be difficult for three people to even find a place to stand in the same car. And with that, the inherent difficulty in handling large luggage pieces in such a tight crowd.

On Acela, while the train might be full, there always seems easy to find a seat. Even with that, there are open spots in luggage racks. I would guess that the type of people who travel on the Acela, tend to not be the type lugging large amounts of luggage with them.

If you want the better chance, for a better experience, I would go with Acela, BC if FC is out of the budget.

Weekend trains are often sold out. Good luck.

Cho Cho Charlie said:

From my experiences, a Regional can be sold out, packed, and be standing room only (that "reserved seat" doesn't exist). It might be difficult for three people to even find a place to stand in the same car. And with that, the inherent difficulty in handling large luggage pieces in such a tight crowd.

On Acela, while the train might be full, there always seems easy to find a seat. Even with that, there are open spots in luggage racks. I would guess that the type of people who travel on the Acela, tend to not be the type lugging large amounts of luggage with them.

If you want the better chance, for a better experience, I would go with Acela, BC if FC is out of the budget.

Click to expand...

The best chance to get seats together on the weekend is not Acela or Regional coach. It is Regional business class.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

amamba said:

Weekend trains are often sold out. Good luck.

Click to expand...

Regional Business Class usually has space on the weekends.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Mystic River Dragon said:

I was thinking only of avoiding a crowded train. But considering that the OP and his friends are going to Boston for St. Patrick's Day, it just occurred to me that crowds probably do not bother them as much as me!

Click to expand...

If the point of your trip is the Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade, book as early as you can.

This parade draws tourists from all over the globe, and hotel rooms will also be hard to get at a good price the later you book.

For the parade stay near a Red Line station, NORTH of South Station. The Red Line stops at Broadway, or Andrews will put you close to the parade route and in an attempt

to keep crowds manageable, Red Line trains will not stop at South Station southbound before the parade. The T has a fleet of shuttle buses for this.

Ken