c. What are the offerings?..., d. what are the qualities of the offerings?... in that dining car?... and in that cafe car?... during the trip over and during the trip back from Buffalo to Boston?... e. What are the timings to keep in mind to get the best services for the dining car?... and for the cafe car?...
The offerings can be found on three menus that you can access from
this page. Personally I'd equate the quality to about a Denny's.
The Cafe offerings are decidedly less, mainly cold sandwiches and microwaved pizzas and hamburgers.
As for timings, the cafe car should open shortly after leaving South Station and should remain open until about a half hour prior to arrival into Albany. Diner in the dining car should be attempted as soon as you board the train from NY City, such that if the diner is full you can at least make a reservation. If you opt for a sleeper, then it is possible that your attendant could make a reservation for you. He/she will tell you if they did during boarding or shortly after they come to the room to explain how things work. If you opt for coach, then you are on your own to make a reservation in the diner.
By the way if you like you can get an idea of what the roomette looks like
here and the bedroom
here.
Who do you tip, what are appropriate amounts and what are GOOD tips for each person you might encounter along the round trip on this Boston Buffalo rail service ?
If you do take a sleeper, then I'd suggest tipping him/her around 3 bucks even though they probably won't need to make up the beds for you. If they do make a dinner reservation, I'd probably add another buck. If you do decide that you want the bed put down for a few hours of sleep, prior to your midnight arrival into Buffalo, then I'd up the tip to at least 5 bucks.
In the dining car you should try to tip 15%, but since you won't get a check at the end of the meal you'll have to try to calculate the amount in your head when you look at the menu. If you do ride in coach, then you'll get a check and it will be easy. In the cafe car, most people just throw their spare change into the cup, maybe giving a buck if the attendant is really nice and helpful or they buy a lot of food.
