Chicago to CT

[Dan O]

Thanks for the info on the trains to Chicago. Two of us are going to Chicago and returning to LA fairly quickly. The other one, 20 year old dtr, is continuing on to CT.

I put in CHI to OSB (Old Saybrook CT) and got the following reply from Amtrak.

50 Cardinal to Wash DC leaving 5:45 PM one day and arriving in DC at 5:55 PM the next evening..bascially 24 hrs on the train. Then for the leg to OSB..

66 Regional from Wash DC at 10 PM, about a 4 hr layover in DC, to OSB arriving at 532 AM.

So about 36 hrs to get from Chicago to OSB but only one train change on the way and plenty of time on the layover if the 50 Cardinal is a bit late.

I made it a multicity request and got

30 Capitol Limited from CHI to PGH leaving at 705 PM and arriving at PGH at 530 AM

Almost a two hr layover before taking the

42 Pennsylvanian at 720 AM to NYP, arriving at NYP at 454 PM. Then take the

178 Regional service from NYP to OSB, leaving at 730 PM and arriving at 937 PM

Two train changes, arrive in the late evening rather than early morning the following day.

Is the choice I put in an unreasonable one? It makes more sense to me than the one Amtrak delivered to me. There is one more train change but the layovers seem somewhat reasonable to me...so I don't understand why my choice was not an option.

Dan O

 

[Dan O]

Oops..thought of another question. If somehow the trains don't connect, do they do much to get you on the next train out of town or what? I can just imagaine a call from my daughter in PGH to me on the train to LAX asking what to do because her train from Chicago was late? I guess it would be prudent to make sure she has a credit card to cover a night at a hotel in case something happened and she had to wait overnight, no?

Thanks again,

Dan O

 

[meatpuff]

Thanks for the info on the trains to Chicago. Two of us are going to Chicago and returning to LA fairly quickly. The other one, 20 year old dtr, is continuing on to CT.
I put in CHI to OSB (Old Saybrook CT) and got the following reply from Amtrak.

50 Cardinal to Wash DC leaving 5:45 PM one day and arriving in DC at 5:55 PM the next evening..bascially 24 hrs on the train. Then for the leg to OSB..

66 Regional from Wash DC at 10 PM, about a 4 hr layover in DC, to OSB arriving at 532 AM.

So about 36 hrs to get from Chicago to OSB but only one train change on the way and plenty of time on the layover if the 50 Cardinal is a bit late.

I made it a multicity request and got

30 Capitol Limited from CHI to PGH leaving at 705 PM and arriving at PGH at 530 AM

Almost a two hr layover before taking the

42 Pennsylvanian at 720 AM to NYP, arriving at NYP at 454 PM. Then take the

178 Regional service from NYP to OSB, leaving at 730 PM and arriving at 937 PM

Two train changes, arrive in the late evening rather than early morning the following day.

Is the choice I put in an unreasonable one? It makes more sense to me than the one Amtrak delivered to me. There is one more train change but the layovers seem somewhat reasonable to me...so I don't understand why my choice was not an option.

Dan O

Well, I'll tell you straight off that if I was taking this trip, the way I would want to go is CHI to WAS on the Capitol Limited, and then WAS to OSB on a Regional. Reasons being: Capitol Limited is pretty reliable and will get you to the East Coast faster than any other train. Then you have a layover of a couple of hours with plenty to do both in and around Washington Union Station. Then get back on a Regional train (i.e. North East Corridor, Boston-Washington), which are the fastest and most reliable in Amtrak's system, and run about every hour. So you've got a relatively quick trip up WAS - OSB, and if the Capitol Limited is really late into WAS, you're in WAS so there will be another Regional coming in the next hour that they can re-book you on.

I tried the same thing and put CHI - OSB into amtrak.com for a few months out. Some dates I put in it would let me choose the Capitol, and some days it would also only give me the Cardinal to get to WAS. Then I think I came up with a fix. I set the time of departure for 7 pm (the Capitol Limited leaves CHI at 7:05 pm), and magically the Capitol Limited appeared as an option! Try that. You didn't do anything wrong by the way, you're right that Amtrak should have offered that as a choice to begin with. Just sometimes the website is wonky.

If I were you I would choose CHI-WAS-OSB instead of CHI-PGH-PHL-OSB or CHI-PGH-NYP-OSB. For two reasons: the equipment (i.e. coaches) are nicer on the Capitol Limited than on the PGH-PHL train, and because in the latter cases you have to change trains at 5:30 am, and sit for two hours in a dingy train station in PGH. I would pick the first routing because of this even if it's an hour or two longer, and also because a two hour layover in WAS in mid-afternoon can be nice. You are right to avoid the Cardinal unless your friend (or daughter, dtr=daughter?) is a railfan; it has it's own charms as you can read about on this forum, but most people have no use for the extra six hours in the schedule to CHI-WAS.

One last thing: if you book it as a multi-city trip on amtrak.com, the connections are no longer guaranteed. Make sure to book it as a single trip that the Amtrak reservations system produces for you, so that the connections will be guaranteed. Then, if a train runs really late, Amtrak will switch reservations or book you a hotel even at no extra cost to you in order to get you to your destination.

HTH. Let us know what you decide or if you have any other questions!

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I think it you don't give Amtrak's online reservation system a departure time, it assumes that you wanted an early morning departure and didn't care how long the trip is. If that's true, this is a somewhat odd user interface choice, but it's undoubtably easier to program than something that delivers the most sensible routing that departs at any time on that day.

I'm curious whether taking the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to Springfield, MA (which requires changing trains in Albany, NY), and then transfering to the Regional would make any sense. It looks like the Lake Shore Limited is scheduled to get to Springfield too close to the departure of the last southbound Regional for the day for a connection to be possible, so with Amtrak's current schedule, staying overnight in Springfield would be necessary, and then changing trains at New Haven would be necessary to get to Old Saybrook. But the Chicago to Springfield trip is only about 21 hours, and Springfield to New Haven is under two hours, and that sounds a lot shorter than the 36 hours going via Washington DC.

It looks like the Capitol Limited gets into DC at 1:30 PM; on the weekdays, train 94 departs at 2:05 PM and arrives in Old Saybrook at 8:00 PM, but that 35 minute connection may be too close to be bookable. On weekends, train 168 departs at 3:25 PM and arrives at Old Saybrook at 9:07 PM. On weekdays, train 178 departs at 4:05 PM and arrives at Old Saybrook at 9:37 PM. [Assuming that things haven't changed since the Fall / Winter 07-08 timetable, which is no longer the latest.]

The original poster didn't provide any background on whether New London and/or New Haven might be reasonable alternatives; New London is 18 miles from Old Saybrook, according to the timetable, and on weekdays 2172 departs Washington DC at 4:00 PM and is a rare Acela Express that stops at New London, at 9:04 PM.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Here's how I would do this, were I you. I'd suggest a different route entirely. I'd take train 48, the Lake Shore Limited, to Poughkeepsie, New York. I would connect with a Metro-North train to Grand Central Terminal. This will avoid the really confusing and annoying twists and turns of the wreckage of Penn station. I'd then spend the night in GCT, and take Metro-North's New Haven line to New Haven Union Station, and connect with Shore Line East to Old Saybrook. This will also be a LOT cheaper than Amtrak's NEC service.

 

[meatpuff]

Here's how I would do this, were I you. I'd suggest a different route entirely. I'd take train 48, the Lake Shore Limited, to Poughkeepsie, New York. I would connect with a Metro-North train to Grand Central Terminal. This will avoid the really confusing and annoying twists and turns of the wreckage of Penn station. I'd then spend the night in GCT, and take Metro-North's New Haven line to New Haven Union Station, and connect with Shore Line East to Old Saybrook. This will also be a LOT cheaper than Amtrak's NEC service.

No, it wouldn't be cheaper. Low-bucket fare CHI-WAS is $78. CHI-OSB reserved as a single trip is $80. $2 more. Cheaper than just the Metro-North fare.

No offense, but this is a terrible idea for most people. This is expensive, takes part of three calendar days, three transfers, and involves spending a night in a train station. I understand this may be right for you, but probably not the 50th percentile.

 

[Rafi]

Here's how I would do this, were I you. I'd suggest a different route entirely. I'd take train 48, the Lake Shore Limited, to Poughkeepsie, New York. I would connect with a Metro-North train to Grand Central Terminal. This will avoid the really confusing and annoying twists and turns of the wreckage of Penn station. I'd then spend the night in GCT, and take Metro-North's New Haven line to New Haven Union Station, and connect with Shore Line East to Old Saybrook. This will also be a LOT cheaper than Amtrak's NEC service.

No, it wouldn't be cheaper. Low-bucket fare CHI-WAS is $78. CHI-OSB reserved as a single trip is $80. $2 more. Cheaper than just the Metro-North fare.

No offense, but this is a terrible idea for most people. This is expensive, takes part of three calendar days, three transfers, and involves spending a night in a train station. I understand this may be right for you, but probably not the 50th percentile.

Agreed.

Dan, there are a lot of different views on the best way to get to Old Saybrook because there are a lot of different routings as you're finding out. I think your best bet, frankly, is to NOT book via Amtrak's website for getting to Old Saybrook, and to call reservations, because the website just isn't spitting out the "easier" routings.

For my part, I think your best, most convenient routing is going to be to head out of Chicago on the Capitol Limited all of the way to Washington, which is a nice double-decker superliner train ride. Yes, you can transfer in Pittsburgh to the Pennsylvanian and save some time, and there's nothing wrong with that if you're okay with a very early morning transfer to a train that lacks sleeper accommodations, a full dining car (Pennsylvanian only has a cafe car with microwaved food), and a single level train without a sightseeing car.

Going to washington will delay your arrival into Old Saybrook by an hour and a half (9:30 PM as opposed to 8:00 PM), but that extra hour and a half buys you the convenience of not having to wake up early to make the transfer in Pittsburgh, a dining car for breakfast, and the best scenery on the Capitol Limited in West Virginia and MD.

Keep in mind that as long as everything is booked on one reservation with guaranteed connections (which is why I suggest calling reservations to do this, because the website isn't suggesting all of the best routings all of the time), Amtrak will take care of putting you up in a hotel if you miss a connection because of a delayed train. In the case of getting from Washington or from Philadelphia to Old Saybrook, a hotel will probably not be necessary, as train 66 departs late at night and heads to OSB overnight. (Not a fun ride since there's no sleeper, but it gets the job done).

Anyway, again, my advice is to head to DC on the Capitol Limited and connect to a train from there to OSB. But I'd call reservations to actually make the plans.

-Rafi

 

[PRR 60]

...I'd then spend the night in GCT, and take Metro-North's New Haven line to New Haven Union Station, and connect with Shore Line East to Old Saybrook.

Grand Central is not open overnight. It is cleared and locked from 1:30am to 5:30am.

Two postings involving sleeping in train stations in a week. A new record.

 

[had8ley]

...I'd then spend the night in GCT, and take Metro-North's New Haven line to New Haven Union Station, and connect with Shore Line East to Old Saybrook.

Grand Central is not open overnight. It is cleared and locked from 1:30am to 5:30am.

Two postings involving sleeping in train stations in a week. A new record.

I guess the public library will be next...there's always the bus station if all else fails; except in New Orleans where they share UPT.

 

[AlanB]

Dan,

If I were you, the most logical choice IMHO and the safest in terms of connections is to book the Capitol Limited to DC, then connecting to Regional #178 to Old Saybrook. This is a guaranteed connection, which makes it Amtrak's responsability to get her to Old Saybrook. Unlike the transfer in Pitt, if the Capitol is too late to connect to #178, then Amtrak will put her on #66 the overnight run. In Pittsburgh, while Amtrak will take care of her, she'd either be put up in a hotel for the night or perhaps bussed to catch up with the Pennsylvanian.

Do not book a connection to any other train in DC, especially Acela 2172 mentioned above, as those are not guaranteed connections and cannot be made guaranteed connections. If you were to book 2172, it would be up to her to cancel the reservation and book something else. Amtrak won't take care of her.

Ps. Even with guaranteed connections, it's probably not a bad idea just to give her a credit card anyhow just in case an emergency crops up, be it an Amtrak one or something else.

 

[AlanB]

I think it you don't give Amtrak's online reservation system a departure time, it assumes that you wanted an early morning departure and didn't care how long the trip is. If that's true, this is a somewhat odd user interface choice, but it's undoubtably easier to program than something that delivers the most sensible routing that departs at any time on that day.

It's not just about what's easier to program, it's about giving people the train closest to their requested departure time. Perhaps Amtrak should pop up an error if you don't select a time, rather than just assuming that no choice means the earliest possible departure time. But nonetheless the system is providing people with what they requested, even if they don't realize just what they requested.

Also remember that in this case we're seeing the flaw, since there are only a few choices of trains. If one is traveling between cities with lots of service, this isn't a problem at all.

 

[the_traveler]

Do not book a connection to any other train in DC, especially Acela 2172 mentioned above, as those are not guaranteed connections and cannot be made guaranteed connections. If you were to book 2172, it would be up to her to cancel the reservation and book something else. Amtrak won't take care of her.

I hope OP does not book AE 2172, especially since 2172 does not stop in OSB!

I agree the best choice of routing is the CL to WAS and then a Regional up to OSB. I'd much rather stay on a Suuperliner until mid afternoon to have meals in a dining car, than to get off in (very) early morning and sit around for a couple of hours without eating (or getting "quick food") and then sitting on an Amfleet train and having only cafe food as an option for food. (Not to mention the extra connection.)

 

[AlanB]

Do not book a connection to any other train in DC, especially Acela 2172 mentioned above, as those are not guaranteed connections and cannot be made guaranteed connections. If you were to book 2172, it would be up to her to cancel the reservation and book something else. Amtrak won't take care of her.

I hope OP does not book AE 2172, especially since 2172 does not stop in OSB!

Thanks, I knew that. But it was suggested further up to Dan that perhaps he might wish to consider 2172 to New London where it does stop, as an alternative to OSB. I was simply pointing out that this was a bad idea for many reasons, not the least of which is that it doesn't really get his daughter where she needs to be.

Yet another reason not to book an Acela is the fact that one pays full fare to ride on Acela, whereas when connecting to a regional train one gets a substantial discount on the regular fares that one must pay to ride the NEC.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

I was glad to see AlanB in an earlier post comment about the person traveling to Old Saybrook being a young girl. I suspect since Dan is considering his teenage Daughter to travel alone she must be fairly mature. But still a young woman is vulnerable while waiting in a station for the next train, especially in early or late hours of the day. The number of connections is important. Am a little surprised that there isn't a route from Chicago to NYC or Philadelphia that is shorter, but still the Station in DC is probably safer than NYC or Philadelphia.

It way to long ago for me to have travel suggestions from that area, But I still feel anxiety when my daughter travels and she is old enough to almost want to forget her age, yet when she was 4 she traveled with me to 16 cities as I worked for Ice Capades. I new who she was with when she was out of sight. She even got skating lessons from Dorothy Hamill during this tour.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

An even better idea, then, would be to book your daughter onto the LSL to NYP, and the 66 to OSB. The 66 leaves around 3 AM (but gets in before 2) and reaches OSB at 5:40 AM. Single connection, and less time on the train. And let me tell you, NYP is a pretty safe station- there are huge crowds of people there all day, all night, every day, every night. I've slept over at NYP numerous times when I missed the last NJT train out.

 

[meatpuff]

An even better idea, then, would be to book your daughter onto the LSL to NYP, and the 66 to OSB. The 66 leaves around 3 AM (but gets in before 2) and reaches OSB at 5:40 AM. Single connection, and less time on the train. And let me tell you, NYP is a pretty safe station- there are huge crowds of people there all day, all night, every day, every night. I've slept over at NYP numerous times when I missed the last NJT train out.

I would NOT recommend this routing over CHI - WAS - OSB. Time on the train is 5m less but there is about four more hours laying over, half a night spent in a train station, arrival prior to 6 am, and the connection may not be guaranteed.

But to each his own.

 

[Rafi]

An even better idea, then, would be to book your daughter onto the LSL to NYP, and the 66 to OSB. The 66 leaves around 3 AM (but gets in before 2) and reaches OSB at 5:40 AM. Single connection, and less time on the train. And let me tell you, NYP is a pretty safe station- there are huge crowds of people there all day, all night, every day, every night. I've slept over at NYP numerous times when I missed the last NJT train out.

I would NOT recommend this routing over CHI - WAS - OSB. Time on the train is 5m less but there is about four more hours laying over, half a night spent in a train station, arrival prior to 6 am, and the connection may not be guaranteed.

But to each his own.

Just to clarify for Dan, you mean you would recommend against the CHI-NYP-OSB routing and would instead recommend CHI-WAS-OSB.

Rafi

 

[the_traveler]

An even better idea, then, would be to book your daughter onto the LSL to NYP, and the 66 to OSB. The 66 leaves around 3 AM (but gets in before 2) and reaches OSB at 5:40 AM. Single connection, and less time on the train. And let me tell you, NYP is a pretty safe station- there are huge crowds of people there all day, all night, every day, every night. I've slept over at NYP numerous times when I missed the last NJT train out.

I would NOT recommend this routing over CHI - WAS - OSB. Time on the train is 5m less but there is about four more hours laying over, half a night spent in a train station, arrival prior to 6 am, and the connection may not be guaranteed.

But to each his own.

I too would NOT recommend CHI-NYP-OSB as an option. It would leave you arriving into NYP at 7:35 PM - with ONLY ONE option to connect at 3 AM! At least with the CHI-WAS-OSB routing, you arrive into WAS around 1:30 PM - and have numerous departures at reasonable hours should the CL be late! (And even if you have to take the same train as you would from NYP, you depart at 10 PM instead of 3 AM!)

 

[AlanB]

An even better idea, then, would be to book your daughter onto the LSL to NYP, and the 66 to OSB. The 66 leaves around 3 AM (but gets in before 2) and reaches OSB at 5:40 AM. Single connection, and less time on the train. And let me tell you, NYP is a pretty safe station- there are huge crowds of people there all day, all night, every day, every night. I've slept over at NYP numerous times when I missed the last NJT train out.

I would NOT recommend this routing over CHI - WAS - OSB. Time on the train is 5m less but there is about four more hours laying over, half a night spent in a train station, arrival prior to 6 am, and the connection may not be guaranteed.

But to each his own.

I too would NOT recommend CHI-NYP-OSB as an option. It would leave you arriving into NYP at 7:35 PM - with ONLY ONE option to connect at 3 AM! At least with the CHI-WAS-OSB routing, you arrive into WAS around 1:30 PM - and have numerous departures at reasonable hours should the CL be late! (And even if you have to take the same train as you would from NYP, you depart at 10 PM instead of 3 AM!)

Just to be clear, while I still highly recommend the routing via DC, there are not numerous departures at resonable hours. Amtrak will not book anyone to connect with train #94, even though it leaves just about a half an hour after the scheduled arrival of the Capitol Limited. The next train to Old Saybrook is #178, which is what Amtrak will book anyone connecting from the Capitol to the NEC on. After that, the next train that makes a stop in Old Saybrook is train #66, the overnight run. Those are the only two options, but two is better than one. And personally I would think that waiting in DC is not only safer, but more comfortable even if one has to wait for the later train.

I would not recommend making the connection in NY off of the Lake Shore Limited. Better to be asleep in your seat shortly after leaving DC, than wide awake until 2:00 AM, only to have to get up at 5:30 AM to get off the train. And I think that a 20 year old female would be safer on the train, by comparison to hanging out in NY's Penn Station.

 

[sweet tea]

weighing in here, as a young woman (no longer quite that young, but still small and young-looking):

i live in nyc -- not in a fancy neighborhood -- and am not afraid of the city. but penn station at 3 am...ugh. even penn at 9:30 pm, no longer full of commuters, is kind of a drag. especially the women's bathroom, which has the WORST layout for safety i have ever seen. (basically, anyone who sees you go in can make it very hard for you to leave, blocking you in the very back part of the bathroom, not near the door. creepy.)

would i hang out in the station at 3 am? if absolutely necessary, yes, but it would not be pleasant, as i'd have to stay very awake and aware the whole time. i'm reasonably sure that i'd be safe, but it would take effort and smarts on my part. (finding a safe bathroom buddy, sticking within sight of police, fending off potential admirers of the sort who probably aren't rapists but also aren't charming conversational partners.)

all that said, i traveled long distance by train alone when i was your daughter's age (and since), including overnight and even transfers at WAS, and never felt unsafe. maybe tired of making conversation with whatever young man the yente-coach attendant decided i'd like to sit with, but not unsafe, ever. (that was before i lived in cities, too, so i wasn't even particularly street smart then.)

yes to WAS over late night at penn, YES to an emergency credit card, YES to checking in via cell phone when she makes her connection, YES to some reminders about common sense (if your daughter is the type that needs reminding), but NO to worrying excessively. she'll be fine, and will probably enjoy an adventure on her own.

 

[iron mountain]

Thanks for the info on the trains to Chicago. Two of us are going to Chicago and returning to LA fairly quickly. The other one, 20 year old dtr, is continuing on to CT.
I put in CHI to OSB (Old Saybrook CT) and got the following reply from Amtrak.

50 Cardinal to Wash DC leaving 5:45 PM one day and arriving in DC at 5:55 PM the next evening..bascially 24 hrs on the train. Then for the leg to OSB..

66 Regional from Wash DC at 10 PM, about a 4 hr layover in DC, to OSB arriving at 532 AM.

So about 36 hrs to get from Chicago to OSB but only one train change on the way and plenty of time on the layover if the 50 Cardinal is a bit late.

I made it a multicity request and got

30 Capitol Limited from CHI to PGH leaving at 705 PM and arriving at PGH at 530 AM

Almost a two hr layover before taking the

42 Pennsylvanian at 720 AM to NYP, arriving at NYP at 454 PM. Then take the

178 Regional service from NYP to OSB, leaving at 730 PM and arriving at 937 PM

Two train changes, arrive in the late evening rather than early morning the following day.

Is the choice I put in an unreasonable one? It makes more sense to me than the one Amtrak delivered to me. There is one more train change but the layovers seem somewhat reasonable to me...so I don't understand why my choice was not an option.

Dan O

Dan O,

I became curious as to the CHI to OSB trip and checked out the Amtrak Reservations site. I will simply concur with the sensible suggestions already offered , that is , the CL to WAS and a Reginal to OSB. That was actually $15 cheaper than the CL to PGH to NYP to OSB. Only drawback is that the arrival in OSB is about a half an hour later than by the other route.

I have never ridden the LSL or the Cardinal but have read some negative reports about traveling on them. I have ridden the Capitol, twice and it was early both times into CHI and PGH. And everything else was was fine on the train. I got off at PGH and rode the Pennsy. The layover eastbound wasn't bad (2 hours) but it would be a lot better to sleep later and have a nice breakfast in the diner on the CL. According to the Amtrak Reservations site the layover in WAS waiting for a train to OSB wasn't bad either. Should be a good trip.

 

[Dan O]

Hey,

To all that have replied. Thanks for the suggestions. I am bookmarking this thread for further reference. From what I have read I am leaning towards Capitol to Washington DC and then have her catch a train to OSB from there, gettting a guaranteed connection by booking via Amtrak on phone.

Thanks for all of the safety and other suggestions. I am not terribly worried about her as she is 20 and can take care of herself. Then again, she's my daughter so I don't want to assume all will be okay and throw caution totally to the wind.

Thanks again.