Is there any such thing as too much train time? (NYC-Montreal RT)

I'm trying to plan a little vacation in May. That's too-short notice to get a good cross-country roomette fare on the Zephyr or Chief, my real dream, so I'm thinking of doing a little jaunt to Montreal instead.

Has anyone done such a round-trip, there and back with only 3-4 nights in Montreal? It's a 10-hour trip, and though I know this forum consists of passionate rail fans, is that just too much train time in a relatively short period?

Is that route crowded in May? I'm guessing that it's less crowded than during fall foliage season.

For context: I regularly take the train between Washington (my base) and Pittsburgh, an 8-hour trip, and I find myself getting restless towards the end, though mainly during the last few dark hours.

(And if you wonder why I didn't plan ahead and book my dream trip, well, my cat just died. I couldn't know when that would happen, but also didn't want to travel during her final months.)

On as amfleet 1 equipment it is a longish trip imho. If you are lucky enough to get seated in an amfleet 2 coach which has seating with more legroom for overnight travel then that is more comfortable. That being said you have no idea which kind of cat you will be seated in.

The other issue with the Adirondack is that all Montreal passengers are seated in one car. Try his means it might get crowded.

You might get s good fare on the crescent to New Orleans.

Another option is to fly west and take the train back. I like flying into slc and then taking the CZ back east.

Actually typically two cars for Montreal, but the rest of the comment holds good. It can get crowded.

As a matter of cat if the entire Montreal lot fits in two cars they typically get the Amfleet II Cars. But if the Montreal crowd is bigger than that it is Amfleet I.

The Adirondack has some good scenic areas (although not the entire trip), and it is not that busy a train save for August (racing season at Saratoga), and Fall Foliage time.

Montreal is a fun city to explore, that said I enjoy Toronto a whole lot more.

The train itself is pretty basic, coaches and a cafe car.

New York State pays for the operation.

Remember to have your "papers" ready, to cross the border by land, you'll need either a passport, passport card, enhanced drivers license, or a trusted traveler card like NEXUS.

Of all those options a traditional passport is recommended (to fly to and from Canada , you have to have the traditional passport book, and they are stamped in Canada).

Ken

Thank you, thank you, and merci beaucoup for all the answers, including alternative suggestions like Salt Lake or Toronto.

It's interesting that even a forum of self-identified rail fans find 10 hours on a train a bit much. I'll weigh that.

Luckily I noticed in February that my passport was set to expire in August, and have already renewed. So I'm ready.

Take the Adirondack! It is a beautiful trip, especially from Schenectady on north. There, it is mostly single-track railroad, and you ride on the shores of Lake Champlain. I agree with other commentators that it can be crowded, but the Montreal passengers are seated in the two rear Amfleet 2 coaches which offer leg rests and more leg room. Also bigger windows for viewing the scenery! You'll want to snag a window seat on the right-side of the train going to Montreal. It is a long trip, but I think it is worth every penny! There is also a lounge car on board where you can buy quick meals and snacks. Montreal is a very fun, cosmopolitan city that is easy to navigate. Most of the people speak French, but you can hear dozens of other languages as well. There are a wide variety of ethnic cuisines to choose from. So, by all means, go to Montreal on the Adirondack!

Many of us say that 10 hours is too long, because the Adirondack is like a glorified Regional! Yes it does have Amfleet II's in the consist, not just Amfleet I's, but it just has a café car for meals, not a real dining car.

Be sure to sit on the left side northbound for the shore of the Hudson River between NYP and ALB. Then switch to the right side - between Whitehall and Plattsburgh you go along the shoreline of Lake Champlain.

My condolences on the loss of your cat

(Original poster here) Just to clarify...there's no observation car in the Adirondack? Bummer.

(Original Poster here, again) And thanks for the condolences on the death of my cat. She was a sweet girl, and I don't regret not having traveled for a few months.

I like being on the train, and I like Montreal, so I think doing a round-trip with only a few days in Montreal is very pleasant. I've done it once (from NJ) and hope to do it again. I've also done it straight-through by car, which is really mind-numbing and exhausting as the sole driver. I much prefer the train.

Montreal is a nice city, and feels much more "foreign" than just over the border.

I'm sorry about your cat.

Trollopian said:

(Original poster here) Just to clarify...there's no observation car in the Adirondack? Bummer.

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. Correct the train is pretty basic it has a cafe car and coaches. During the foliage season some runs have the Great Dome between Albany and Montreal, but that is not an absolute.

To me 10 hours on a train is too long unless it's overnight when you can sleep through it. It's not ideal to sleep on a coach seat but the alternative is spending an entire day on a train is you just lost a whole day. Essentially a 20 hour overnight trip to me is equivalent to a 10 hour day trip in terms of lost time (you gotta sleep anyway). That being said, from Washington I'd think Chicago and Florida are good destinations with about the same time commitment as your trip to Montreal.

With Amfleet 2 cars it's fine. Ditto on left side New York Albany and right side Albany Montreal. After claiming your seat in New York, the conductor will give you a seat check. Just take that with you when you change seats in Albany.

You will find that if you can travel mid-week the train will be less crowded than F-Sa-Su.....

Speaking for myself, there is no such thing as too long a train ride, unless it's commuter rails.

I just looked at the consist thread and noticed that the Adirondack has Amfleet II cars at the end and the NYC to Albany seasonal car by the engine. Wouldn't it make it harder to reconfigure at Albany?

Chessie said:

Speaking for myself, there is no such thing as too long a train ride, unless it's commuter rails.

I just looked at the consist thread and noticed that the Adirondack has Amfleet II cars at the end and the NYC to Albany seasonal car by the engine. Wouldn't it make it harder to reconfigure at Albany?

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Locomotive change at alb most days

Correct.

At ALB, they just remove the locomotive and NYP-ALB coach combined and put on the new diesel. When the Ocean View is used, in ALB they remove the AC/DC locomotive and put on a P42 with the Ocean View already attached.

Chessie said:

Speaking for myself, there is no such thing as too long a train ride, unless it's commuter rails.

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I'll second that emotion!

anuenue said:

Montreal is a nice city, and feels much more "foreign" than just over the border.

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My cousin & her husband, who are inveterate North America travelers, say that going to Montreal is as close as they will get to Paris (or France in general) without traversing a body of water.

On an Amfleet II with nice scenery and a decent cafe car it should be fine. On anything less, it's too much.

Speaking of scenery, I'm heading to Montreal tomorrow from NYP. I would like to sit on the left side up to Albany and then switch to the right side. How can I find out if the 2 cars will be full by the time we get to Albany?

I've been on quite a few Empire Service and MNRR trains. So sitting on the right side all the way up won't be too terrible.