I HATE having to make choices...all 4 sound intersting, all 4 give me ample time in Chicago to see Wrigglyville and such and all are about same cost....ugg...;-)
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Which return train should I take
- Thread starter dn4192
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russianrail
Train Attendant
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- Mar 14, 2012
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I would go the CL route, but that is just me.I HATE having to make choices...all 4 sound intersting, all 4 give me ample time in Chicago to see Wrigglyville and such and all are about same cost....ugg...;-)These are good problems to have.Okay I have done some looking and it looks like I have 4 options:
Option 1: Empire/LSL/Hoosier
Cost $124
I take NJ Transit from my friends house into NYC Penn Station and catch the Empire at 2:15pm, then trade trains in Albany and take the LSL at 7:05pm to chicago getting in around 10am, then catch the Hooiser south to Indy leaving out around 5:45pm
Option 2: LSL/Hoosier
Cost $124
Again take NJ transit into NYC and just hop the 3:45 LSL to chicago getting in around 10 am and then taking the Hoosier 5:45pm to Indy
Option 3: Penn/CL/Hoosier
$106
Take Penn out of Trenton at 11am to Pitts/change trains to the CL at midnight get into Chicago around 9am then hop Hoosier at 5:45 to Indy
Option 4
$107
Take NE Reg out of Trenton to DC the Hop CL to Chicago and then Hoosier to Indy
From comments it seems all seem like good choices. To take option 1 or 2 means a ride into NYC via transit and that means more money. Opetion III isn't bad, but not sure what I would do in Pitts from about 8pm till Midnight so that is a draw back. Option 4 has a very quick layover so kinda worried if train runs late....this is going to be a tough decission...
Amtrak on-line puts you on the 12:28 NE Regional out of Trenton to connect with the CL in WAS. If you have the time to catch the Pennsylvania out at 11:00, you probably should be able to get a ticket agent to put you on the 11:30 RE out of TRE, which will give you an extra hour in DC.
Happy travels.
russianrail
Train Attendant
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2012
- Messages
- 31
If I go with the LSL route, what is gained by taking the Empire to Albany then jumping the LSL there? Don't they run the same tracks? Is it just a better train?
Nothing is gained with the Empire to Albany - exact same route and both trips are in the daylight. You probably have a better chance of getting a decent seat out of NYP then ALB on the LSL. Also, you can have dinner as you travel up the Hudson on the LSL. No diners on the Empire Service.
Well I just checked and if I chose to take the Penn/CL option adn the layover in Pitts, there is a chance if the walk isn't to bad I could grab me a bite to eat at place called Primanti Bros which is a Pitts landmark and not quite a mile from the train station...now trying to find out what the area is like and how safe it would be to walk down, but this chance increases the odds of taking this option.
There is no advantage to taking the Empire Service to ALB to then catch the LSL; however there is in fact a disadavntage, that being that the Amfleet I cars used on the ES have smaller windows than the Amfleet II cars used on the Lake Shore.
As for the Capitol Limited out of DC option, you can take an earlier train out of TRE if you're worried about the connection. Amtrak recommends 95/195 out of TRE, but you can also book 141/143 which get there an hour earlier.
As for the Capitol Limited out of DC option, you can take an earlier train out of TRE if you're worried about the connection. Amtrak recommends 95/195 out of TRE, but you can also book 141/143 which get there an hour earlier.
...or you can book any Regional train that day from TRE-WAS using the multi-city trip option on the website or from a telephone agent. TRE-WAS-CHI is a through fare, meaning that you get a discount over individual segments, and you're allowed up to 24 hours for the connection. (Any longer and you lose the through fare.) You can therefore book a much earlier Regional and have 3-6 hours of prime daytime sightseeing in DC if you'd like. There are subtleties, specifically fare bucket availability.As for the Capitol Limited out of DC option, you can take an earlier train out of TRE if you're worried about the connection. Amtrak recommends 95/195 out of TRE, but you can also book 141/143 which get there an hour earlier.
In Pittsburgh the train station is at the northeastern tip of downtown, in a region commonly referred to as the "Golden Triangle". The area is generally safe at night, just use some common sense (i.e. seek out areas with many people, avoid isolated areas, etc.).Well I just checked and if I chose to take the Penn/CL option adn the layover in Pitts, there is a chance if the walk isn't to bad I could grab me a bite to eat at place called Primanti Bros which is a Pitts landmark and not quite a mile from the train station...now trying to find out what the area is like and how safe it would be to walk down, but this chance increases the odds of taking this option.
The one potential drawback to the Pittsburgh layover option is that you will be on the CL for less than 10 hours, which may limit the amount of sleep you will get, depending on your sleeping habits. For me, if I were to take the CL solely between Pittsburgh and Chicago, I might have to skip the meals in order to get enough sleep during the trip.
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In Pittsburgh the train station is at the northeastern tip of downtown, in a region commonly referred to as the "Golden Triangle". The area is generally safe at night, just use some common sense (i.e. seek out areas with many people, avoid isolated areas, etc.).Well I just checked and if I chose to take the Penn/CL option adn the layover in Pitts, there is a chance if the walk isn't to bad I could grab me a bite to eat at place called Primanti Bros which is a Pitts landmark and not quite a mile from the train station...now trying to find out what the area is like and how safe it would be to walk down, but this chance increases the odds of taking this option.
The one potential drawback to the Pittsburgh layover option is that you will be on the CL for less than 10 hours, which may limit the amount of sleep you will get, depending on your sleeping habits. For me, if I were to take the CL solely between Pittsburgh and Chicago, I might have to skip the meals in order to get enough sleep during the trip.
Sleep is not a big deal for me, if I can get a couple of hours I will be fine, plus once I get home I can sleep all day for a few days..
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