you people are rubbing off on me! PVD - ALX question

[amamba]

Hi guys - I am planning a trip to DC in August. I thought it might be fun to try to take one of the LD trains down to ALX in a sleeper. I am contemplating the 95 regional to the 91, silver star, connecting in NYP and then the roomette from NYP to ALX.

It should be fairly simple for me to just hop off at WAS, right? It's kind of a long stop. Or is it interesting and fun to ride to ALX? How could I get back to WAS from ALX?

Also, do they serve lunch on the 91 out of NYP? I would hope so with the 11 am departure but I wanted to verify.

Right now the price is $156.40 with the AAA discount, which seems reasonable and cheaper than Acela! (ETA: I think low bucket acela is $167, but for the times I would want, BC acela is presently $223).

 

[Ryan]

Welcome to the dark side!

ALX-WAS can be done via WMATA. Half of the ride to ALX is in a tunnel, but one you're out you catch glimpses of the Capitol, several monuments, cross the Potomac, possibly have a jet scream low overhead on the way to National Airport, then roll into ALX.

If you have an hour to kill, it isn't bad. Lots of sitting in WAS though.

Depends on where your final destination is too.

 

[Ispolkom]

I did this exact run several years ago, though I took the Silver Meteor instead NYP-ALX. On that train we got dinner, which was much better than the food I've been served in Acela 1st class.

It's simple to hop off at WAS, and if you really want to go to ALX, the King Street Metro station is just a few hundred feet east (walk away from the enormous Masonic Washington Monument). We were meeting people from Mclean, VA, so ALX was much more convenient for them than WAS. Plus, I got to see my checked suitcase taken off the baggage car all by its lonesome.

 

[amamba]

Yeah my final destination is a hotel about two blocks from union station in WAS. Or Maybe dupont circle, we are debating. I can't believe how inexpensive hotels are for weekends in DC in August. Like $100 or less a night. I should have pounced on it yesterday, there was a sale on the Westin downtown for $56/night.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Yeah my final destination is a hotel about two blocks from union station in WAS. Or Maybe dupont circle, we are debating. I can't believe how inexpensive hotels are for weekends in DC in August. Like $100 or less a night. I should have pounced on it yesterday, there was a sale on the Westin downtown for $56/night.

Id go with getting off in WAS after riding a Regional and taking the Star and having Lunch on the way down the NEC!!! As was said, you would have to wait while in Union Station during the Engine Change and as Ryan said the Ride through the Tunnel isnt anything to Write Home About! Alexandria is a Neat Place, as also was said, just hop on the Metro and ride over for a Day Trip if you've seen all the Usual DC tourist Sights! Great prices for a WAS Hotel, Book it Danno!

 

[Dovecote]

I would get off at WAS. Too much wasted time sitting. Then if you really want to view the scenery you missed to ALX you can take METRO to National Airport. It is not a direct run with a change in route required but you will have some nice scenery to view regardless..

 

[the_traveler]

As said getting from ALX Amtrak to METRO is simple. One you leave the Amtrak station, turn right going down the hill (on the sidewalk) and walk under the tracks. Once under the Amtrak tracks, there will be a door and steps on your right. That is the METRO station. To get back to Union Station, I think there is 1 change of trains.

I even once took #67 from BOS to ALX, then took METRO to Rockville, MD (where the station is right next to Amtrak) and rode the CL back to WAS!

 

[George Harris]

Get acquainted with the Washington Metro System. There is a multi-day pass ticket available. I don't remember the details right now, but you should be able to find them on-line. Likewise, you should search out information on Washington Metro for getting around the area generally. Others have already described how to get between Alexandria railroad and King Street WMATA stations. It is no real problem. They are adjacent and both above ground and so visible.

 

[FriskyFL]

We just got back from a trip on the SS to ALX, spent five nights in Old Town. If you're a history buff, it doesn't get much better. Excellent restaurants and shopping. And DC is easily reached via the Metro, which is adjacent to the station. Much less crowded station than WAS.

 

[amamba]

I actually had a lovely trip to ALX and stayed in Old Town with my H right after Christmas. We had a really nice time!

This trip to DC is with a friend from PHL and is to visit another old friend who lives in DC. I have done all that tourist stuff about one million times in our nation's capital, so its going to be more of a foodie adventure.

Another amtrak related question - I have now booked and reserved a viewliner roomette for the trip from NYP - ALX. I have a friend who is accompanying me on the trip and lives in Philly. Is it possible to get her to join me in the roomette from PHL - ALX? I already paid for the sleeper, so theoretically she just needs to pay the railfare, right? If she wants to join me, should she call and try to book one of those open sleeper ticket things?

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Aw shucks. :blush: But, yes, I do :wub: LOVE :wub: my hometown, with our very own quaint and very low key Union Station.

:blush: :blush: :blush:

 

[Bob Dylan]

I actually had a lovely trip to ALX and stayed in Old Town with my H right after Christmas. We had a really nice time!
This trip to DC is with a friend from PHL and is to visit another old friend who lives in DC. I have done all that tourist stuff about one million times in our nation's capital, so its going to be more of a foodie adventure.

Another amtrak related question - I have now booked and reserved a viewliner roomette for the trip from NYP - ALX. I have a friend who is accompanying me on the trip and lives in Philly. Is it possible to get her to join me in the roomette from PHL - ALX? I already paid for the sleeper, so theoretically she just needs to pay the railfare, right? If she wants to join me, should she call and try to book one of those open sleeper ticket things?

Yes, just call and Book the Open Ticket in the Sleeper, Pay the Rail Fare and Book your Lunch Rez for 2 after the Stop in PHL!

Nice Weekend Get-a-way! Washington has come a Long Way on the Foodie Front but Alexandria also has some really neat Eating Places! (Our own Davy Crockett Lives there, bet he has some Great Tips!!!) Did you Book one of the Great Hotel Deals?? I'm envious, I lived there for years when it was a Food Desert and the Hotels were Always Expensive!!

 

[amamba]

Yeah I think we are going to do the Hotel George by Kimpton, its $119/night. I stayed at the Lorien by Kimpton in ALX last time - I love the Kimpton brand.

 

[fairviewroad]

If you do plan to disembark in WAS, then as a courtesy you should inform your SCA, so s/he doesn't

try to find you as the train rolls into ALX.

 

[VentureForth]

It's simple to hop off at WAS, and if you really want to go to ALX, the King Street Metro station is just a few hundred feet east (walk away from the enormous Masonic Washington Monument).

I can't believe that these stations aren't physically connected underground...

 

[Alexandria Nick]

It's simple to hop off at WAS, and if you really want to go to ALX, the King Street Metro station is just a few hundred feet east (walk away from the enormous Masonic Washington Monument).

I can't believe that these stations aren't physically connected underground...

They sort of are.

I'd never get off at WAS if my goal is Alexandria. Waiting for a Red line train, going a few stops, waiting for a yellow, taking a Yellow, getting off at King Street takes longer than waiting at WAS then traveling to ALX. Especially on the weekend or midday.

 

[amamba]

It's simple to hop off at WAS, and if you really want to go to ALX, the King Street Metro station is just a few hundred feet east (walk away from the enormous Masonic Washington Monument).

I can't believe that these stations aren't physically connected underground...

They sort of are.

I'd never get off at WAS if my goal is Alexandria. Waiting for a Red line train, going a few stops, waiting for a yellow, taking a Yellow, getting off at King Street takes longer than waiting at WAS then traveling to ALX. Especially on the weekend or midday.

My goal is WAS, but I booked to ALX because I cannot book a sleeper to WAS.

 

[Notelvis]

It's simple to hop off at WAS, and if you really want to go to ALX, the King Street Metro station is just a few hundred feet east (walk away from the enormous Masonic Washington Monument).

I can't believe that these stations aren't physically connected underground...

They sort of are.

I'd never get off at WAS if my goal is Alexandria. Waiting for a Red line train, going a few stops, waiting for a yellow, taking a Yellow, getting off at King Street takes longer than waiting at WAS then traveling to ALX. Especially on the weekend or midday.

My goal is WAS, but I booked to ALX because I cannot book a sleeper to WAS.

Kind of like needing to fly one way from Jackson, MS to Charlotte, NC and discovering that booking from Jackson to Raleigh/Durham (with a change in Charlotte) is $275 cheaper!

 

[afigg]

Yeah my final destination is a hotel about two blocks from union station in WAS. Or Maybe dupont circle, we are debating. I can't believe how inexpensive hotels are for weekends in DC in August. Like $100 or less a night. I should have pounced on it yesterday, there was a sale on the Westin downtown for $56/night.

From around the 2nd week to the end of August, DC empties out to some extent. Congress is on a long August break, so not only the Congresscritters are away, but thousands of staffers on the Hill are on vacation or back home. Much of the senior levels of the executive branch are gone too along with the lobby firm, trade associations, political organization staffs. What that means for the hotels is a lot fewer bookings from those (on expense accounts) who come to DC for meetings, lobbying, etc. So they lower prices to get the tourists to stay at the hotels.

The drawback to so many of the locals being out of town is that WMATA is likely to schedule more extensive weekend track work service disruptions in August. Check the WMATA website during the week before you travel to DC to see which stations and track segments will be closed and where will they be single tracking. They run buses to/from the closed stations, so every Metro station can be traveled to; it just takes longer.

If you think you will make more than 5 trips on the DC Metro, my advice is to buy a SmarTrip card. The card costs $5, but it does not expire. You can keep the card for a future trip to DC and register it online for a $3 rebate that gets added to the card so many days later. You can load a 1 day or 7 day pass on the card, if those passes make sense for your use of the Metro. The Smartrip can also be used with $1 fares on the DC Circulator buses.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

Plus fares are $1 extra if you're paying per trip using the paper farecards.