acela express

[bpettis]

from washington,dc to providence,ri on the acela express train #158, is this train usually on time? do you recommend 1st class or coach?

 

[PRR 60]

from washington,dc  to providence,ri on the acela express train #158, is this train usually on time? do you recommend 1st class or coach?

I suspect you mean train #2158 leaving Washington at 9:00am.

The primary advantage of First Class is the complimentary meal (or, in your case, meals: breakfast and lunch) served enroute. The on board food on Acela is pretty good. However, that privilege will set you back an extra $88 per person. Plus, First Class passengers have access to the Club Acela lounge at the Washington station. That is a nice perk, but one that unless you get to the station really early you will not have much time to enjoy.

The Acela Business Class (actually Coach, but Amtrak calls it Business Class) provides a seat and nothing else. But it is a nice seat, and there is food for purchase in the Cafe car. With seven of you traveling, I think the savings of $616 over going First Class will pay for a sandwich or two.

Others are far more enthusiastic about Acela First Class than I am, so I will defer to them to sell you seven First Class tickets.

Train 2158, like most Acelas, has a pretty spotty record for on-time arrivals north of New York. But in the NEC, late is measured in minutes not hours, so unless you have very tight timing and a critical arrival need in Providence, you will be OK.

 

[AlanB]

Others are far more enthusiastic about Acela First Class than I am, so I will defer to them to sell you seven First Class tickets.

I'm one of those who goes first class all the time, in fact I think that I've only taken one ride in business class on an Acela and I average at least 10 rides a year on Acela. Often more.

However, I would tend to agree with my friend PRR60 that it may not be worth it to you to book first class. The extra cost is substantial.

Plus since I don't know the ages of your children, I'm not sure if they'll like the decidedly more adult menu that is offered. Things like salmon salad, Tapais, bean salad, braised short ribs for dinner. There will be no cheese burgers, potato chips, or macaroni and cheese in first class. On the other hand, I have seen Philly cheese steak sandwiches for lunch from time to time.

The menu does change about every two months and they even offer different menus on different trains, so there is no way to predict what you would see. But they only offer 3 choices for lunch, one is always Tapais (lighter fair, crackers, small bead salad, cheese, and such), the second is usually salad orientated with either chicken or fish, and the third is generally a sandwich.

Now, just to level the playing field, I'll tell you what you do get in first class. Personal service at your seat from the attendants. You don't have to get up for anything but the bathroom. Everything is brought to your seats. No lines to stand in.

You'll usually be offered a free newpaper on boarding and if you're not, just ask. Your meal will be served on a plastic tray, don't know why they do this. But the food itself will be in glass bowls or on glass plates. You'll also get real silverware with a cloth napkin. Unlimited drinks, be it soda, coffee, tea, juice, or liquor and/or any combination of the above. They carry wine, beer, hard liquor, and even a few mixed drinks. There is no extra charge for the alcohol.

So if that level of service appeals to you, you don't mind the extra cost, and you think that the kids will be able to find something that they like to eat, then I'd highly recommend first class. But otherwise business class will still make a nice trip from DC to Providence.

Hope this helps.

 

[battalion51]

Something strange I notcied inreading Alan's reply is that Acela doesn't charge for alcohol, but Long Distance trains do. Strange.

 

[AlanB]

Something strange I notcied inreading Alan's reply is that Acela doesn't charge for alcohol, but Long Distance trains do. Strange.

That is correct. Neither the Metroliner nor the Acela Express service charges for alcohol in first class. LD's however do charge, with one exception. First class on the Auto Train includes wine with dinner for free. I'm not sure if beer is free and AFAIK they don't serve hard liquor in the sleeper diner. I have no clue what happens in the coach diner(s), since I've never done the AT in coach.

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

Another exception to free alcohol in first class (unless they've changed it in the past couple of years) is a free bottle of wine with the cold supper on the Portland section of the Builder. The last time I rode sleeper out of Portland, the car attendant came around with bottles of wine after she had finished serving the suppers.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Another exception to free alcohol in first class (unless they've changed it in the past couple of years) is a free bottle of wine with the cold supper on the Portland section of the Builder.  The last time I rode sleeper out of Portland, the car attendant came around with bottles of wine after she had finished serving the suppers.

There were some magic years a few years ago when Amtrak got really serious with its First Class package, and included a small bottle of wine in every sleeping car room, along with other snacks, soft drinks, free newspaper, etc.

Comer to think of it, I believe this was the time that meals began to be included in your sleeping car fare, and I think that was 1986.

Some of that kind of disintegrated. But for awhile it was highly consistent and highly advertised.