Question about checked-in luggage

[steveindixon]

I'm going from Davis, CA to Boston, MA. Do I just need to check in my luggage in Davis and then pick it up in Boston? Or, will I need to pick it up in Chicago and New York? Thank you! Steve

 

[transit54]

Provided that all of the trains that you are riding on have checked baggage service, then yes, you can check your luggage straight from Davis to Boston and Amtrak will take care of the transfers. However, you might want to look at what train you are taking between New York and Boston. With the exception of the overnight Regional, most Regionals don't have checked baggage service. In this case, you could check your bag through to New York, pick it up there and then bring it with you to Boston.

I think the only LD train that doesn't have baggage service is the Cardinal, so as long as you are taking something else to NYP from CHI, you should be able to check straight through to NYP. If you're on the Cardinal, then you will need to pick your baggage up in CHI.

What trains are you planning to take?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Why are you going to New York for this? You should take the LSL to Albany, and transfer to the Checked Baggage equipped 448 LSL to boston through Mass.

 

[steveindixon]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. I'll be taking the California Zephyr to Chicago. Then I'll be taking the Lakeshore Limited to Albany, and then the same train to Boston. I looked at the amenities and it does say "checked baggage" for the Lakeshore Limited. So, I guess I check the luggage in Davis and not worry about it until Boston! Sweet!

 

[the_traveler]

Yes, in that case, the luggage will be transfered by Amtrak between the CZ in CHI and between trains in ALB.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

In this case, you could check your bag through to New York, pick it up there and then bring it with you to Boston.

Actually, you don't want to do that, because Amtrak's idea of a guarenteed connection does not include giving you time to claim your checked luggage at an intermediate station.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Why are you going to New York for this? You should take the LSL to Albany, and transfer to the Checked Baggage equipped 448 LSL to boston through Mass.

Isn't Albany in New York, the state?

 

[transit54]

Why are you going to New York for this? You should take the LSL to Albany, and transfer to the Checked Baggage equipped 448 LSL to boston through Mass.

Isn't Albany in New York, the state?

It is. I think this all based on my mistaken assumption that he meant NYC in the original post. That's a result of my tendency to interpret the meaning of anyone using the phrase "New York" or "the city" to refer to NYC, regardless of where they may be located or what geographic location they are attempting to describe. When I refer to the state, I refer to it as "New York State." This is all a result of me growing up in southwestern Connecticut.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Then I'll be taking the Lakeshore Limited to Albany, and then the same train to Boston. I looked at the amenities and it does say "checked baggage" for the Lakeshore Limited. So, I guess I check the luggage in Davis and not worry about it until Boston! Sweet!

Note that at Albany you have to get off train #48 and walk over to train #448; Amtrak refers to both as the Lake Shore Limited, but in some sense, they're separate trains, and #448 has no dining car or sleepers (but #448 does still have a cafe car).

Also note that in Boston, checked baggage service is available at South Station but not Back Bay Station.

One thing I don't have a clear understanding of: if you are going from a station that has checked baggage service to a station that has checked baggage service, but your particular train doesn't have checked baggage service, can you check your baggage and have it arrive on the next train that does provide checked baggage service?

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

It is. I think this all based on my mistaken assumption that he meant NYC in the original post. That's a result of my tendency to interpret the meaning of anyone using the phrase "New York" or "the city" to refer to NYC, regardless of where they may be located or what geographic location they are attempting to describe. When I refer to the state, I refer to it as "New York State." This is all a result of me growing up in southwestern Connecticut.

I spent many years of my childhood in southeastern Connecticut, and I could have easily made the same mistake, but I do think in some sense what the original poster originally posted is quite correct, even if it is a bit likely to be misinterpreted.

 

[AlanB]

One thing I don't have a clear understanding of: if you are going from a station that has checked baggage service to a station that has checked baggage service, but your particular train doesn't have checked baggage service, can you check your baggage and have it arrive on the next train that does provide checked baggage service?

Usually, but not always. But for example, if one was going to say LA from NYC via the Capitol Limited and the SW Chief, one would still be able to check bags in NY, even though the Regional trains don't offer checked luggage. Amtrak will instead send you bag to Chicago via the Lake Shore, and then put it onto the Chief.

There are exceptions like always, and of course if you hit the wrong employee they may be unwilling or perhaps unknowing that they can do it.

 

[the_traveler]

It is. I think this all based on my mistaken assumption that he meant NYC in the original post. That's a result of my tendency to interpret the meaning of anyone using the phrase "New York" or "the city" to refer to NYC, regardless of where they may be located or what geographic location they are attempting to describe. When I refer to the state, I refer to it as "New York State." This is all a result of me growing up in southwestern Connecticut.

I spent many years of my childhood in southeastern Connecticut, and I could have easily made the same mistake, but I do think in some sense what the original poster originally posted is quite correct, even if it is a bit likely to be misinterpreted.

I grew up in New York State, and got this all the time!

Oh, you're from New York? I wish I went to the Statute of Liberty! You must have gone there many times!

NO! I've never been there in the 34 years I lived in New York State! In fact I lived 180 north of New York City - in the real New York. (I actually lived closer to Canada, and even to Montreal, than to NYC!)

About the only time I went to NYC was - of course - to change trains! :lol: (And at the time, all Amtrak trains from NYS went to GCT, and all other trains went to Penn.)

 

[AlanB]

I grew up in New York State, and got this all the time!

Oh, you're from New York? I wish I went to the Statute of Liberty! You must have gone there many times!

NO! I've never been there in the 34 years I lived in New York State! In fact I lived 180 north of New York City - in the real New York. (I actually lived closer to Canada, and even to Montreal, than to NYC!)

About the only time I went to NYC was - of course - to change trains! :lol: (And at the time, all Amtrak trains from NYS went to GCT, and all other trains went to Penn.)

Hey, I've lived within sight of NYC (if not in NYC) all of my life, and I've yet to be inside the Statue of Liberty. I've been to the base of it, and then only because my wife's best friend from Canada wanted to see it, but the wait was over two hours to get into the statue so we just took a few pictures at the base and left.

And you must have been north of Albany then the_traveler, if you were closer to Montreal, than NYC.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I assumed it wasn't the city, since if I was going to change trains in Denver, I'd say Denver, rather than Colorado.

 

[AlanB]

I assumed it wasn't the city, since if I was going to change trains in Denver, I'd say Denver, rather than Colorado.

But you didn't say New York City, so therefore in light of your response quoted below, what you said above makes no sense at all.

Why are you going to New York for this? You should take the LSL to Albany, and transfer to the Checked Baggage equipped 448 LSL to boston through Mass.

Albany is in NY, so you must have meant NYC.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

*confused*

OP asked if he was going to need to pick it up in "New York". Since he refereed to it as such, I assumed he meant NYC, since when I name a place I am stopping in such a situation, I mention the city, rather than state. Thus prompting my question, "Why are you going to New York [City] for...

I said wasn't in my last post? Why did I say wasn't? I don't know why I said wasn't. I meant "was".

 

[the_traveler]

And you must have been north of Albany then the_traveler, if you were closer to Montreal, than NYC.

Yes, it was Glens Falls (or more importantly Amtrak station FED ). IIRC, it was 180 miles to NYC and 175 miles to Montreal (and about 150 miles to Canada)!

 

[AlanB]

And you must have been north of Albany then the_traveler, if you were closer to Montreal, than NYC.

Yes, it was Glens Falls (or more importantly Amtrak station FED ). IIRC, it was 180 miles to NYC and 175 miles to Montreal (and about 150 miles to Canada)!

Ah yes, Glens Falls. I've driven by there many, many times while on my way to Upper Saranac Lake, Killington/Sugerbush Vt, and Montreal. It's about 195 miles, depending on just where in NYC you leave from to Glens Falls, and about 170 to 175 to reach Montreal, again depending on just where you want to land in Montreal.

But I know the good ol Adirondack Northway, voted America's most scenic highway a few years back, quite well.

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

All this dialog about New York City and New York Sate makes me :lol: over those that don't know Hawaii is a State without trains between cities and the "blue" between Oahu and Maui is a freeway? Well maybe now the Super Ferry fiasco woke those up.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Of course, Hawaii has a similar problem: there are maps that people from the mainland sometimes refer to that seem to think that the southernmost island is named ``Hawaii'', whereas a local who refers to Hawaii always means the state, and will mention ``the big island'' if they need to refer to the southernmost island.

(And Rhode Island has a similar problem, although there the island that Newport is on is sometimes referred to as Aquidneck Island.)

 

[the_traveler]

(And Rhode Island has a similar problem, although there the island that Newport is on is sometimes referred to as Aquidneck Island.)

Technically, Rhode Island only refers to Aquidneck Island (Newport and the surrounding area). The technical name of the state is "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" - although there is a bill in the Capitol to change it just to "The State of Rhode Island"! (Who said we're slow - it only took 200 years! )

Most people (including many locals) do not know that Aquidneck Island was originally called Rhode Island.