With all of the restrictions and loopholes to avoid legal action, this company is a pariah and a detriment to the public. The passenger is just luggage to them. Insensitive and unresponsive to needs. Cancelled legs are not their responsibility (I haven't gotten any help). Conditions giving them ways out has created an overall employee attitude that is uncaring and distant, if not careless and detrimental to a trip. An Amtrak Vacation representative has no clue of intermediate transportation hookups or help getting from one place to the next. You are on your own. On one portion of the trip, as an example, we had to walk ONE MILE from the train station to the hotel with luggage. There was no taxi service at 8PM in Denver. Booked bus service is worse. Their delays and multiple stops is not their concern and is fatiguing. The close contact with other sick passengers was not metered or alleviated. We could go on more. The separation of Amtrak Vacations and Amtrak puts the passenger in a vulnerable and maneuverable position. We could say much more. dl read more

trash ass transportation. you may aswell walk. honestly this thing stops more then it goes and it's got problems more then it runs. imagine spending 200-400 dollars on a ticket to be at a place by a certain time and yet you will NEVER be there on time. literally may aswell walk. read more

Rode train 82 to NY and the train had no air conditioning. Worst trip ever. I have asthma. Traveling with my 76 y/o asthmatic mother. Horrible Horrible Horrible. No one was helpful. There was not even anyone to help her off the train although we asked for the help. They told us to go to another car but all the seats were full. There were people standing in the other car to breathe. Worst read more

Yesterday, I drove 1 hour to Roanoke to catch the 6:20 am train to Penn station. I was running late. I ran up the ramp and the train door was still open. When I got to the door the conductor put his key in the door closer and shut the door while I was standing there. I pleaded to open the door, that I just drove one hour and need to get to NY. Coldly, he shook his head no and the train started to move slowly forward. I was shocked at this callous behavior of an Amtrak employee. Years back a conductor would have been happy to help a person. Today they are stoic, angry, cold people employed by this company. Where is the humanity in people today? Karma will do it's job for this man. Amtrak... you should be ashamed at reading this account of your employees behavior. read more

Are Amtrak employees along the Boston-Virginia and back route supervised? I ask because their customer service skills are pretty bad. The route from Norfolk to DC and back is the worst. Between the constant delays, the lack of helpful instruction/direction from the employees and the uncomfortable and dirty trains, I'm tempted to either fly or take the bus next time. Amtrak... if you're listening, please train your employees to be helpful and kind to their passengers. I've traveled along this route (not Acela) over the past 5 years back and forth for a conference held in DC and have noticed how badly treated passengers are. My mother has traveled the same route, but has also had the opportunity to travel the Acela route from Boston to DC a few times as well. There is a big difference in how the passengers on the Acela line are treated compared to the other routes. The passenger demographics on the Acela line from Boston to DC and back are different in a couple of ways (hint), but that doesn't mean they should get superior treatment and the rest get treated like gum on the bottom of your employees' shoes. I started traveling on Amtrak from Norfolk to Washington DC to Boston when my daughter was 2 years old. She's 7 now. Everytime I traveled along this route with her I felt extremely unnerved and uncomfortable. There were very few truly helpful Amtrak employees who helped me navigate their confusing and packed stations. I always felt lost and helpless and I am a well traveled person who grew up taking public transit in Boston, traveled overseas and taken public transit and some highspeed trains in other countries and did not feel anywhere near as lost as I've felt trying to navigate Amtrak's busy and confusing environment. No one should feel like that traveling with young children. The routes I've taken are simple and there should always be helpful, attentive staff ready and waiting with a reasonbly pleasant attitude to assist passengers. Having worked in a service oriented industry almost my entire adult working life, I have to say that Amtrak isn't doing a very good job here. Please train and supervise your employees (both phone reps and train/station attendents) to cater to passengers needs. They don't have to gravel... they simply need to be respectful, pleasant and helpful. That's a reasonable request. read more

I have traveled with Amtrak many times through the years... I must say I love riding the train.. I love riding and not driving lol.. the past 4 trips on Amtrak have been horrible but constant. We only see a conductor when we stop to add more passengers and we are ghosted again. The train is riddled with random trash and the bathrooms are well ....bathrooms ..let's compare them to a gas station's bathroom where you need a key attached to an oil pan to gain entry. So back to the absentee conductors... I truly don't know why they have not been around .. at least to check on us... not that we are children and need to be watched.. but at least make a round check.. children running up and down the aisles.. random people singing .. yes singing.. may we get a conductor check please .. I could go on. AMTRAK please do better. Train 171... update.. good news I found 4 conductors parked in the food car... chillin read more

I used to ride Amtrak alot in the early 2010's. I used to ride about 1000 miles a month between 2011-2013. I got bullied on an Amtrak coming from Chicago into Detroit around 2013. The train had stopped into the Detroit station and we were there for a long time. About half an hour. I got up to inquire about when we could expect to continue on and one of the conductors told me to sit down and we would leave when we felt like it. He slapped me hard on the chest causing me to fall back. I did not ride the train again after that. Today, I found out they cancelled my 7515 points I had accrued on guest rewards I accrued between 2010-2013. Amtrak has the worst customer service of any large travel company. I called this past Sunday at 10:48, 10:51 and 10:59. the first two agents were very, very rude. The third hung up on me. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. The corporate climate trickels down from the top. This is how they treat people. "your call is very important to us..." blah blah blah. No it isn't. Amtrak does not care about you. read more

Riding Amtrak from NYC to Savannah today. It feels like they gathered all their most disgruntled and angry employees & put them on one service line; snarling, unsmiling and just this side of rude from the cafe car to the porters. I would imagine they are not well compensated but hard to sympathize while they are growling at riders. Good grief! read more

I thought i would take the Amtrak since I was going up to catch a show. I would have been better off taking the mega or bolt bus. We were delayed over an hour. The line that we had to wait in for over half an hour was ridiculous. The PA system SUCKS! Sorry, but no other word sums it up so perfectly. That ride itself was great. The chairs are big and plush and comfortable. If you are going into manhattan, it is perfection, if everything works as it should. If you are delayed, you are standing in line, and there is more than one so you are trying to figure out if you are in the right one. Don't worry, you won't be alone. Still, if you are running to the city and you get your ticket in advance (so it's reasonably priced) it's hard to beat. If you need a rental car, fly or rent a car and drive. read more

My wife and I just completed a 72 hour cross-country train trip on the California Zephyr (Train 6), the Capitol Limited (Train 30), and the Crescent (Train 19), starting out of SLC on the 21st to CHI to DC and then to ATL. Overall it was a unique, relaxing, and very fun trip...and was one of our bucket list activities that we wanted to accomplish...and we did! Amtrak is doing a pretty damn good job, and our experience was well worth the cost for three sleeper rooms (1 on each train) to help with the comfort factor over three long days. Considering all meals were part of the adventure, and no driving/rest stops/hotels/gas stations/etc. to worry about, it was money well spent. The experience was pretty much about what you'd expect...tight walkways, cramped rooms, nice dining cars, and observation/lounge cars that were also very nice...if not a little worn out. Our sleepers were fairly quiet, well serviced, but seemingly abandoned when it comes to the upkeep and maintenance of various room features, e.g., the room audio volume/channel selector (inop,), a few reading lights (inop), and the HVAC controls (also inop.) That and the limited 120v power plugs made us glad we brought a power strip with us! Oh, and the real downsides were the overhead drop-down bunk on the California Zephyr was latched by the narrowest of plastic grooves, and the next door cabin's toilet on the Capitol Limited had a certain odor that has to be continually drowned out by a new can of Affresh spray every time they flushed (my wife is ALWAYS thinking ahead!)...but that was really the worst of it. The menu was virtually the same on all three trains, and could be classified as "Good Airline Food"...but was nicely prepared just the way we like it, was served hot with a number of amenities (salads, bread/butter, dessert, drinks, etc.) and was really a pleasant experience. We had the good fortune to sit with other travelers on the way (the booths were 2x2 seating,) so we naturally sat with others across from us and struck up some rather interesting conversations! The views were excellent, especially up through the Glenwood Springs Canyon, CO where at the summit it was just starting to snow as it was getting dark. Very cool vistas and slow movement allowed for some beautiful photography. And yes, we were late out of SLC...after having being on time in Elko, NV (the last stop before supposedly arriving into SLC at 3:05 AM,) Train 6 encountered various track delays due to freight trains, and 'switching signal errors' which put the Zephyr into SLC 3 hours late. Ugh...that was a LONG night. The Train Attendants were all great, as they took care of our every need there in our sleeper. Tip them well, as they really earn their pay! I took my new police/fire/EMS scanner (a Uniden BCD436HP) and tuned it to just the Association of American Railroads VHF frequencies...and that was very cool. I heard all sorts of chatter, including the reporting of a "runner"...someone who ran through crossing signals in front of a freight train and was reported to our Engineers up in the locomotive and the Conductor by that same freight train. Very cool. Again, it was an excellent experience...helped by reading Jim Loomis' book, "All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide," which helped explain everything to us and how things worked aboard Amtrak. It was interesting reading and helps us plan - and enjoy - the entire trip just that much more! 4 Stars! read more

This review is for 2 people traveling between Seattle and Santa Barbara in February 2017. I began riding Amtrak in the late 60s early 70s. My aunts would take me to Vancouver, B.C. with them on the weekends. Fabulous memories! And I've loved train travel ever since. But I've never taken a long trip -- the farthest I've traveled is Seattle to Portland. So I was really excited about a 30-something hour trip through two states and along the coastline. My travel mate and I splurged for the roomette sleeper. When I say splurged, I mean splurged because the cost of the roomette was more than the cost of both of our rail tickets combined. We were surprised to see how small the roomettes really are. I read the dimensions but seeing some lines on paper and being in a 3-dimensional space are two different things. Expect to sleep cramped if you're traveling two in a roomette if you want to keep your luggage bag with you. Better to stow your bag in the luggage bay for maximum leg room. Once I figured out how to climb in and out of the top bunk I was like a billy goat. The window doesn't extend up to the top bunk so only the lower bunk gets the views while horizontal. And duh, sleeping berths on the upper deck of the train have better views than the lower level, simply because they're higher. Every sleeping car is assigned an attendant who is supposed to take care of everyone in that car's berths. They help you board and detrain with your luggage, they help lower the sleeping bunks and make the beds for you, they make sure there's fresh coffee in the pot as well as cartons of orange juice. Their job is to help passengers have a pleasant travel experience. Not all attendants are cut out for the job. We were spoiled on our Seattle to Santa Barbara leg -- our attendant went above and beyond the call of duty to help everyone in his car; he gave clear instructions; informed when he'd be on breaks, etc.; he was cheerful; and he made sure there was always a pot of his BEST coffee hot and fresh. He got a nice tip and commendation letter sent to corporate. On our return trip, we rarely saw our attendant (we're pretty sure that was on purpose); he wasn't helpful at all; passengers had to ring for him and then wait wait wait; his coffee was horrible, when there was any in the pot; and on rare occasion when we did see him he had a horrible attitude and nobody really wanted to deal with him. He got no letter and no tip. NOTE: It is customary and polite for passengers to tip their sleeping car attendants -- $5/night per person according to "All Aboard The Complete North American Train Travel Guide". A side note about our roomette: It wasn't as clean as I thought it would be. I guess I just figured it would be EXCEPTIONAL since I paid double ticket price for it and just out of general purpose. I assume my room would be clean. As I would assume my hotel room would be clean. Which leaves me the question I've yet asked corporate: How often are the sleeping berths cleaned. I didn't want to think about it too much during our trip, if you know what I mean. I feel good about the sheets, those were fresh for our arrival. But the shades and curtains and valances were in the realm of gross. Someone picked their nose and wiped a huge one on the wall of the top bunk. Like I said, gross. You'd think that paying premium prices for sleeping berth they'd be clean. And isn't there a health component to this? When you get one of the sleeping rooms you're basically traveling first class and meals come with the ticket price: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner inclusive of salad and dessert, coffee and tea. Booze is extra, and it's basic. The menu is the same on the route, it doesn't change with the days. Not all dining car attendants are the same either, obviously. We had some cheerful attendants that made meals enjoyable and we had one attendant who was so edgy that we tried to not get placed in her area. In addition to the three free meals with a sleeping room, you can buy snacks and microwavable type food pretty much all day long. Going hungry on the train isn't going to happen. We traveled low season and maybe that's why the train in general was so clean and quiet and enjoyable. The bathrooms were clean and there was never a wait. Only one afternoon was there chaos in the observation car, so noisy with screaming children that people left for seek quieter vistas. In all fairness, it was only two kids that disrupted the entire car and chased people away. Their mom next to them letting it happen. By the photographs, we expected the Coast Starlight to provide a lot more coastal views than the route does and the a lot more than the travel brochures suggest. Still, beautiful scenery and an interesting view of history raveling through the different cities and along the railway, some bustling, some depressed, all views into humanity. All in all we had a nice time riding the rails. Just wish our roomette was clean. read more

So I had to ride Amtrak from Rocky Mount NC to Union station in Washington DC. What was supposed to be a 4 hour ride ended up being almost 7. On the ride north, that day around 9 am there was a derailing ahead of my train, very close to Union station. Well if you know about the route going north, then you'll know that Alexandria, which is just south of Washington DC, has an Amtrak stop and we were stopping there along the route that day. Well...nobody knew there was a derailment, let alone that we would be put over 3 hours behind schedule, until after we had gotten past Alexandria. ON TOP of that, we were told we would have to wait for available electric engine to take us into Union station which took an extra hour, that we knew nothing about until we had also passed Alexandria I was supposed to check into a conference at the Omni Shoreham hotel near woodley park zoo before 5pm, and would've most definitely made there with time to spare had the train workers simply communicated with the passengers. So instead of being there on time and just having a slightly more complicated metro ride, I was 2 hours late to checking into my conference and missed lots of important stuff that was given out/told during the opening session of said conference. Now here's where the story gets even more interesting. After the conference ended I was supposed to take Amtrak back to Rocky Mount. 4 hours north, 4 hours south right? In my head I was just thinking, "well the derailment was probably just a fluke thing right, they didn't really do the best job they could've done but hey they could t have helped the derailment not their fault" well, it wasn't until I had boarded my already delayed train to head back south, that they told us it would another wait, as we had to switch our engine car from electric to diesel. At this point I'm thinking oh ok it shouldn't take that long right? Surely one of the only train companies on the east coast would have plenty to go around bc Yk they basically have the monopoly on train travel so they'd have enough money to have enough engine cars to pull their train. Oh. Boy. We sat at Union station for another 3 hours, periodically without power, which means no air conditioning in 90° heat. They told us we could only leave the train to smoke on the platform and that we couldn't go back inside the station especially if we had checked luggage (I did) because they wouldn't be making an announcement inside Union station when they're were going to depart. At this point I am fuming mad. If they knew they weren't going to have an engine right away, why the hell would you cram all the passengers onto a hot tin can??? Why not just load all the luggage, wait for an available engine, THEN load up once you know you're ready to go. I would've been much less mad (mad nonetheless) if I was able to inside the air conditioned train station and be able to get food if I chose to. Bottom line, never ever ever riding with Amtrak again. They have no clear explanations or faster alternatives that were available (ex: getting off at Alexandria instead of being 2 hours late) and they didn't even offer partial compensation!!! Amtrak was the WORST travel experience I have ever had. If I could give Amtrak zero stars I would. read more

Amtrak is the most unreliable mode of transportation. Rarely, if ever, the train is on schedule, and far too frequently they can be more than an hour behind. It is mind blowing that in today's age the US cannot figure out the train system. A fine example of a government run program. read more

We will never take Amtrak again. My son is fascinated by trains so I thought it would be fun to take the train to New York City. We get on and we're walking through 5 cars with luggage and strollers. Everybody's sitting by themselves and placed their luggage in the seat next to them so they don't get disturbed. Nobody wants to give up a seat for a kid or a mother with a baby. I could stand all day but that's not fair to my family. So we trudge to the front of the train and happily find four seats all together. My son is fascinated and asking me all sorts of questions and we start getting shushed by all sorts of people. Someone complained to the train attendant who then produces a "Silent Car" sign and affixes it the ceiling. Great, we wandered into the silent car amongst the most non kid friendly group of people with an infant and a toddler on a packed train. Nice business model. On the way back was equally horrible. At the station when the call was made as to what track the train would arrive at grown adults were running and shoving to be the first in line. With two kids I had no chance. So again we're the last to board a packed train. This time we weren't regulated to the silent car, but there wasn't enough space so my wife and I had to ride separately with our kids in our laps until the crowd thinned out. Really it was the other passengers that made this a bad experience, but it's the Amtrak policies that encourage such poor behavior from grown adults. read more

It took me extra long to travel home today. An Amtrak told me to get on the wrong train, which happened to be a local train to Grand Central station. I was supposed to go to DC. I had to spend $300 plus more dollars to get another ticket from Penn Station in NY to DC. The second Amtrak rep I encountered was very rude and was not interested in answering my questions. I want my money back. They provide disgraceful customer service. Don't even bother- they don't care if they guide you to the wrong train. read more

Unusable customer service. Really bad, interminable slow menus, no direct contact with humans, huge wait times on hold.

Although I love riding amtrak where available, I hate and despise using the "Julie" 'chat' feature. Julie is not a real person. It is a composite artificial intelligence creation, and not a very good creation at that. If amtrak cannot afford to hire real persons to conduct 'chats', maybe they deserve to go out of business. Thanks for letting me have my two cents' worth of opinion. We still have first amendment rights in this country, I don't know how much longer read more

Amtrak Acela is a great way to travel the north east. Our trip from Philadelphia to Boston, back to New York and finally to Washington DC were terrific experiences. The ease, comfort and simply joy of being able to relax was so much better than flying. The Red Cap guys were a big help, getting us and the bags onto the trains, very smooth and easy. Highly recommended. read more

Amtrak - Amtrak Acelea pulls into the station. Photo May 5, 2009. - Trains Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I recently moved from DC to Seattle and used Amtrak Express Shipping to ship 366lbs/11 boxes worth of stuff. The cost turned out to be less than 65 cents per lb with insurance and the boxes (all of them) arrived to Seattle in only 3 days! The insurance was only $5 per 100 lbs, but they do not cover breakable items or electronics. I'm writing this because I think more people should know about this very affordable way to move. Call the number listed on Amtrak Express Shipping's website to make sure they have a station to where you are going. The DC Amtrak Express is open from 11-7 and you can drop off packages any time in between. The loading dock is located on 1st St., a little past the side entrance to the metro, directly across from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Imagine that you're driving down North Capitol towards Massachusetts Ave., take a left on G St. NW, then a right on 1st. Try not to run over any pedestrians.) When you get there, pull into the loading/unloading area and try to locate anyone who can help you (I tapped on the guard window) or call the numbers listed on the yellowed poster on the wall. The guy who helped me unload my car was courteous and helpful. He didn't seem to care how heavy the individual boxes were, but each of my boxes were less than 50lb per the guidelines anyways. He had me fill out some paperwork, pay and the boxes were on their way to be shipped. After the boxes arrived, the station in Seattle called to inform me they were ready for pick up. Overall, easy and great experience! read more

Horrible customer service!! I booked a ticket for a trip from Baltimore to Washington but when I boarded the train, the conductor said that the train would be stopped indefinitely due to wires and trees on the tracks. I had to take an Uber from Baltimore to Washington as such. I tried to request a refund for my train ticket a few days later and was put on hold for over an hour until I gave up. I called back the next day and was put on hold for a half hour before finally hanging up. Literally no-one in customer service answered the phone or tried to assist me at all. AWFUL!! read more

Amtrak is awesome! ....when it's not busy being one huge, unbearable pain in my ass. Like when we sat about 10 feet past the platform at Union Station while Amtrak employees argued over whose fault it was that the train broke down. Or when there was almost a passenger v. conductor riot after an incident with a slightly confused Italian man, a shy female passenger who wanted to be helpful and an older employee who wasn't very fond of foreigners. Lessons for Amtrak from the above incident: #1 - Not all foreign visitors are terrorists #2 - Lecturing passengers on how they undermine national security by giving a helping hand to a foreign visitor is only going to come across as condescending #3 - Telling a woman in her 30's who is traveling alone that she needs to be careful, because it's "clear" that her uncontrollable sexual attraction to tall, dark Italian men is the primary cause for the breach in national security mentioned in #2....well....that's just retarded. Seriously. It is the action taken by a mentally handicapped person. #4 - It's very noble of you, but please don't hire any more mentally handicapped people to be conductors of the train. So, Amtrak, i'll keep riding you...because the bus to NYC takes too long. But, seriously...the bus has WiFi. It's 21st century, Amtrak. If you're going to charge more than the airlines for a trip, try to make your services - amenities AND customer service - not suck so effing much. Two stars, not because they earned it, but because I still prefer this crap can on rails over the other transportation options. read more

Once again Amtrak proves why its far better to check in with Yelp then to go it on your own, even in matters where you think your experience will matter. We checked tickets online. Fair enough there was a 3 pm so we made arrangements to get there with 25 minutes to spare. Thing is, its a holiday weekend and lo and behold Amtrak sells out! Who knew? It never happened before and so I thought we'd be fine but instead we waited until 5 pm. Now this did have its cost benefits. See online they promoted a coach class ticket at $117 for 3, 4 and 5 pm trains. However, when you buy it at the station they have tickets for as little as $98. Now this isn't little but if you don't plan ahead with Southwest then this is what you're stuck with. Its a comfortable ride. We could have purchased business class tickets on the Acela line for $223 but when I saw what they call business class, well forget ever paying this price, I think its a total ripoff. Amtrak's service itself has always been comfortable and dependable and Miriam's right about the Views. read more

I wanted the romance and a low carbon footprint of the train. What I got was rude conductors, stinky passengers, slow travel and no sleep in uncomfortable seats. Amtrak is pathetic. The conductors scolded me for buying discount tickets, others littered the platform with their cigarets. The ride from Alpine Texas to Austin had great scenery, but the employees all appeared to be tired, over worked and did not give a damn about customer comfort. I would have been better of in a box car. Don't take Amtrak over night if you can't afford a sleeper car or need to be anywhere on time. read more

Many folks who are not avid rail riders, hear the word Acela and they conjure up images of bullet trains and/or other technologically advanced choo choos. Acela is definitely a whole lot nicer than the old Metro cars but hey they are much newer so they are much improved from the antiquated equipment Amtrak still depends on. Acela is faster than the regional trains but not for the reasons you think. Regional trains can travel at more than 100 miles an hour, but they make many more stops which of course adds minutes to your travel time. Although the Acela is designed to go faster it can't because not all of the tracks can handle such speeds and there are too many road crossings and stations which inhibit top speed operation. The last time I went to Boston, the only time Acela reached speeds in excess of 140 mph was in Rhode Island where conditions allowed it to do so. Many European high speed trains have designated tracks that rarely intersect with roads and also have preventative fences to keep stray cows or other animals from wandering onto the line. Other countries have continually invested in passenger rail travel and thus can offer premium services, equipment and super fast travel times. Amtrak, on the other hand, has been suffering since its start. Not surprising as our resources have gone to build and maintain interstates, roads, and airports. The Northeast is the only region in the country where Amtrak actually owns the rails that the trains ride on. All long distance trains are at the mercy of whatever freight line owns and operates the track. Currently and historically, goods and products trump passengers, so seeing an Amtrak train stopped in the middle of a corn field is not an unusual sight. So that being said, enjoy the ride on Acela. It's great....quiet, smooth with usually good on time performance. Getting from city center to city center is a BIG bonus even with Amtrak's shortcomings. It's not Eurostar or TGV, but it is the closest the U.S. can do on such a shoestring budget. read more

There's something incredibly romantic about train travel. I don't know if it's my love of train stations (Union Station is by far my favorite place in DC) or the views from the windows, but I just love taking the train. I've been back and forth to NYC and BWI several times on Amtrak and have never had a problem. Trains are on time, easy to board (no need for ridiculous security lines or arriving an hour early), and each employee I've encountered has been very friendly. You can stretch your legs, read a book, talk to your fellow passengers, sleep, or just stare out the window. While I've never been able to find a super cheap ticket I'm getting to the point where the extra money is worth it. read more

If I were ballin', I'd take the Amtrak train for all my travel needs. But alas, I'm not ballin' and a train ticket costs about the same as a plane ticket and takes about twice as long to get to your destination. So what's so special about the train? For starters, it's as punctual as you can get with public transportation. It's a rarity to ever have my plane, Metro or bus be on-time, ever. So the fact that I was able to hop on-board a little bit early and actually have the train depart (and more importantly, arrive at its destination) on-time? Priceless. The train itself is also very clean. With the exception of the stray Twix wrapped stuffed in my tray compartment, it gets my stamp of approval. The conductors are the icing on the Amtrak cake-- I've had the pleasure of having jolly/ chipper conductors- makes the whole experience feel old-timey, but in a good way. All aboard! read more

Our trip from Denver to San Francisco began with the train being 3 hours late. Later we found that The food on the dining car is overpriced and terrible. They never clean the train cars. Then the train hit someone on the tracks in Nevada and stopped for hours more, leaving us in suspense the entire time. Don't take amtrack. Just drive or fly. Even hitchhiking would be better. Please save yourself from this experience and don't support Amtrack! I wait to support trains but not this company. Way out of date. Very unprofessional read more

I love train traveling in general. Great experiences in Asia and Europe before make me decide to book Amtrak vacation to explore Canada. Unfortunately Amtrak and Via Rail(Canadian railroad system) just suck on every level of passenger service. 1. I booked the vacation three months beforehand. Amtrak did not send me any itinerary until one week before the trip, which made planning difficult. In addition, Amtrak did not send me the proper returning train vouchers until two days before the train departure. I had to get on phone with customer care while I was in the remote Canadian area with limited phone signal to ask for my returning vouchers. 2. So Vancouver to Jasper is about 9 hours driving. Via Rail takes 20 hours at 400 Dollar a person. You would imagine the service and experience must be superior to let people willing to pay premium and wait longer. What we ended up is an overnight seat with nowhere to lie down or sleep, a druggie sitting behind us acting disturbing all the ride and nasty smile of carriage. Via Rail staff were rude and snobbish, keep telling economy class passengers to stay away from premier class carriage. If you have watched Titanic, you know what I talk about. 3. Website info misleading :on the Amtrak vacation website, there is no estimate of length of the ride, simply stating "overnight", 8 hours vs 20 hours is a big difference, which is deceiving to customers. I did not know the ride is 20 hours until I saw the train voucher which was received 7 days before the trip, making cancellation impossible. A lot of passengers of Amtrak/via rail vacations are seniors, who might not use Social Media to complain about their bad experience. I want to share mine here on Yelp so less uninformed travelers will go though this unpleasant experience. read more

As a native of the West, train travel did not much penetrate my childhood. (Gee, that doesn't sound as good as I thought it might....) My family went on one train trip, basically a sightseeing trip over a track that they were about to close to passenger traffic (I think. I mean, I was like 8 at the time.) Other than that, the only trains I'm familiar with were loaded with coal. I sprung for a seat in First Class because (A) I'm a First Class type of guy, and (B) I figured my first experience with a train should be as good as I can make it. My read: the extra $70 weren't worth it. Next time, I'll try business class. I have no real complaints about the train itself. It was on-time, cheapish, and clean. It was CERTAINLY better than taking a plane from DC to Philly. But beyond meeting my basic needs for clean, reliable transportation, it didn't impress me particularly. Plus, I almost missed my stop because, when we pulling into the 30th Street Station in Philly, the scrolling announcement board said "next stop: Wilmington." If I hadn't pulled my headphones out of my ears, I would have been fooled. Also, despite a childhood (and adulthood) full of rollercoaster riding, carnival thrillrides, whitewater rafting, and all other manner of derring-do, the train made me motion sick. For maybe the third time in my entire life. Figure that one out. read more

There's something about a train! I've never experienced Amtrak on the West Coast but I'm a huge fan it on the East Coast. NYP to BOS. NYP to PHL. NYP to WAS. And back and every stop along the way. Acela is my favorite. It's the fast one sometimes called the bullet train. Sure the downside can be some the trains stations are divey and its crowded with commuters during rush hours. Totally worth it! NY, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC all have airports with commuter flights to/from each city. 1st you have to get to the airport most Amtrak stations are located in town. Do the math you just saved anywhere from a 1/2 hour to 2 hours of taxi time to the airport. NO TSA! You can leave your shoes before boarding the train. No need to curbside or check in all you need it your ticket. No baggage fees so you save money. Upon arrival into your destination city you're in the city so you just saved more taxi time. Plus free WiFi without needing to be at a certain altitude ok it gets spotty when going through tunnels. You can walk around -- wanna hang out by the bathroom be their guest. Want a snack head to the bar car! It's the most civilized way to travel. Sure there are delays but you're not trapped in an airport. Many of the train stations have restaurants and shopping options to keep you busy. Or you can go see the city if it's a long delay. It's on my list to take the West Coast Amtrak. Amtrak is always on my itinerary when traveling the East Coast. read more

Worth every penny. I remember commuting from college or work to home on Amtrak. Back then the train was cheap. But once it got overpriced, it became worth it for the extra money for the Acela Express service. Bigger seats, newer trains, less "trolley people," and places to plug stuff in. I just wish pricing was more competitive and that the train moved as fast as its counterparts in Europe. But that's not the train's fault. It's New Jersey's. read more

This is the review of my first and last Amtrak experience. To start with, when I got the eticket, I signed up for an email alert if the train was going to be delayed. It was delayed about 45 minutes from arriving into the station and no email to speak of. The train, once it arrived was not announced over the loudspeaker which is odd as I was going from a major hub to another major hub, Cleveland to Chicago. Probably would have missed the train if I didn't hear another passenger say the train had arrived which was later confirmed by the ticket agent. Already I had concerns my checked bags would not make it with me as she asked three times where they were going. Awesome. Upon boarding the train there was an issue with a passenger. He was upset about, lost luggage, just my luck. However it was 4am, the only time trains leave for some reason, and appeared to be a crackpot and stressed so I put on my headphones and fell asleep. When I woke up next the train had been stalled for about a half hour. The volatile passenger from before was in the process of being arrested. They took better care of him than us, even brought him hot coffee at one point. I'm sure wherever he was going he's there now. I'm still in Ohio as I write this, at this point I should have arrived in Chicago over an hour and a half ago. Yeah. I called customer service after the second hour passed. The man had been taken away but due to signal delays ahead the train couldn't move. This seemed to be an Amtrak only problem as other non Amtrak trains passed us, I counted at least three. After waiting on hold for an hour to talk to customer service the summary of the conversation was, "If you make it to Chicago there will probably be no refund as we have fulfilled our end of the ticket. However if you want to file for one by snail mail and wait 45 days for a 99% assured verdict of 'hell no' you can waste your time with pointless busy work thinking you are accomplishing something." People will say, "We'll you should have considered your schedule for delays." Don't worry I did. I travel frequently, plane and bus, never train. I always allow for at least an hour for mistakes when taking a bus, more for a plane. This time, never having taken a train before, for my transfer when I get to Chicago I gave myself a two hour birth to make sure. At this point I am four hours behind, the bus ticket I purchased is worthless, and I have to get an unplanned hotel room. What was supposed to be a 53 dollar, rather easy trip has become a 200 dollar nightmare. I will not see a return from this as Amtrak's policy seems to be, once we have your money and you are on the train we know you have to stay there and put up with any crap we want to give you because you have nowhere to go. An hour or two I could have dealt with because plans could have still been pushed through. Still not out of Ohio and at this point it was supposed to have arrived two hours ago. I have arrived, not at my destination but am at the house of a friend who kindly took me in for the night. You need to understand that had everything gone as it was supposed to I should have been in at 2pm Central time, at my own apartment, and completely fine. However, the time I actually arrived here was 10pm. When I finally did get to Union station at 3:45pm I had been told that there was a train leaving for my city at 4:05. They told me this on the train I was on for about 14 hours. Oh they tried to quell my complaints with acomplementary meal service and I was asleep when that meal service came around no one attempted to wake me. This wasn't just me either about 10 other people didn't recieve the free meal and we ended up having to complain to get it. From three different representatives there I was repeatedly told, "It's not our fault" "Things happen" and "I'm sorry". I pose the question, how is this not their fault? For instance, had it been up to me wouldn't the train have been on time? Wouldn't I have made all my connections? How is it not the train companies fault that any of this happened? I was told by those same three representatives there would be no refund because as I got on the train and finished in Chicago like the price of my ticket stated their end of the job was done and basically 'screw you'. I told them that I had to spend money on a meal I wouldn't have had to spend money on because at that time it was 11 am I should have been at Chicago 2 hours prior. Where food would have been far cheaper because I could have gone somewhere that wasn't train food which isextraordinarilyhigh when it comes to pricing (2.25 for a can of Pepsi, a CAN) so really I spent money that I should have had to because they didn't get me there on time. In the end I will get compensated and I will make a federal case out of this, mark my words. read more

100 clams for a round trip DC-NY trip on Fourth of July makes me a fan. As a caveat, we bought the tickets months early. It seems that with all things, timing is the key here. One of my favorite things about the east coast is that you can travel by train. In California, you could spend 3 hours driving to Las Vegas or 5 hours driving to San Francisco. Whoever laid out the dimensions of California wasn't thinking of travel bragging rights. On the East Coast, you can go through Baltimore, Philly, Newark and arrive in NY all in three hours. Amtrak is not accepting the airline meme of suggesting contortionism in seating. There is ample leg room here. There is also wifii, but I can't attest that it's free as I didn't use it. There is a food car (at least on longer rides) where you can buy $2 coffee, but skip the chips for $4--that's predatory pricing at its finest. Overall, a very nice experience so no complaints from me. read more

If you ever have traveled on another train system say in Europe, then our Amtrak system here looks very antiquated...and it is. Amtrak in the U.S. is like our U.S. Postal system. Ticket prices are way too much and are even more expensive the day of for no reason. Even if the train isn't full. About $150 round trip for DC to NYC. Those "$50 round trip" tix never exist. The rail cars are like from the 1960s and the rail tracks are old - making for slow and often delayed travel. Unfortunately Amtrak has a stranglehold on the rail system and it probably won't change her anytime soon. read more

Deboarded due to breakdown. Given no followup instructions or updates. Most of us waited two hours on platform and then took Ubers.

Amtrak = cheapest movers ever! What can I say, moving sucks and it is expensive. If you are poor like me you usually just accept that you will have to abandon/sell all your possessions, cause you sure as hell can't afford to move a beloved rock collection across the country, not to mention your complete set of dictionaries. Until Amtrak came along. They will ship your possession cheaply and somewhat slowly. Amtrak charges by weight so call ahead and get the price beforehand, but trust me, it is VERY CHEAP even when you are shipping a couple hundred pounds of stuff from San Francisco to DC. What to do: 1) PACK your possession in boxes, luggage etc. and label each piece with your new address. Amtrak will NOT TAKE: furniture or fragile stuff. I ignored both warnings and put a large shelf in a box (that was fine) and wrapped up my glassware (some arrived broken - learned my lesson). 2) DROP OFF your stuff at your nearest Amtrak location, locate an agent and they will help you unload your boxes etc., they will weigh everything and then put it on a pallet and wrap in cellophane. -It is best to arrive at the station when trains aren't arriving or departing so the staff has time to help you out -You will have to fill a form for your stuff and at that time you can buy really cheap insurance 3) PICK UP your stuff at the unloading dock (in DC it is right on 1st at Union Station). - If you don't make it to your destination before you luggage does or if you need somewhere to keep it for a couple of days, they may (but usually don't) charge you around $2 per day to store it. My friends and I have used Amtrak to move and it seriously is the cheapest way to go. However, your stuff will get banged up a bit so pack carefully if you are trying to ship your porcelain angel collection. read more

Some of the worst customer service I've ever experienced. Their rudeness and incompetence is exhausting. And unfortunately there seems to be no accountability. It's really sad because I love the train and Amtrak has the potential to be an amazing company. read more

Excellent service and as fast as you can get on land in this country. Acela's prices are quite high, but are slightly better if you book in advance. Every time I travel on Acela, I've purchased my ticket hours before departure, so a DC to New York ticket is around $215. Excellent features: - Bathroom is spacious - Large luggage is no problem - Train clientele are respectful and polite - Club car selection is priced nicely - Seats are very comfortable Boarding is completely painless, unlike the airport. Of all the times I've traveled between New York and DC, I've never seen an overly crowded or noisy train. This is THE best way to travel between New York and DC. Most people I've spoken to inside the Acela Lounge say they'll never fly between DC and New York because of all the hassles. I agree! All you do is swipe your card at the kiosk, print your ticket, wait in the lounge, and board. It's really that easy. Don't attempt to fool the conductor by buying a shorter ticket. I've been witness to a sneaky woman doing this by buying a ticket from Penn to MetroPark but trying to ride all the way to DC. She was escorted off in short order by Amtrak Police! The ticket system on-board is low-tech, but foolproof. The stopovers at the BWI station, Baltimore, etc are very quick. The train wastes absolutely no time in leaving and moving to the next destination. Remember to hold on to the luggage bins when walking the aisle!!! read more

You know what's crazy? I am on the Amtrak going from Washington, DC to New York City and I am able to type this out as I'm riding the train. I'm able to do this due to there being a 120V outlet so my laptop can charge while I have my laptop on and there is free Wi-Fi onboard with Amtrak Connect. You really can't ask for too much more. I am also riding in comfort. This train has some insane leg room and generous overhead space for bags. I also hear there is a food cart a couple of cars up. Gotta go, it's time to eat! read more

I'm a big fan of Amtrak for the most part. You need to buy early to get the best prices. Wait until later, and you possibly might have to pay triple or more the starting price. Indeed, 70 bucks for a trip from DC to Boston is nice, 200+ not so much. If you're in a situation where you have to reserve late, sign up for the awards program and buy the necessary points to book your trip. Chances are it will be considerably cheaper getting a ticket this way late in the game. Just keep in mind you can only buy so many points. As for the train ride itself, lets start with getting on. Typically, this is a pain free process. Nobody checks your bags or anything. If you're lucky,you'll find a seat to yourself. Sometimes I've made the trip from DC to Boston without anyone sitting next to me. Sometimes I'm not so lucky. If someone does sit next to you, I highly recommend making them take the window seat. You'll have more leg room and won't feel as trapped. The seats themselves are nice. Every once in awhile, you'll get that jerk that leans his seat all the way back. I'd recommend not being shy and speaking up if this happens. There is an outlet on the inside seat if you need it. The inside seat is not preferable, as I stated early. So I'd recommend keeping your devices plugged in until someone sits next to you. Then unplug and move to outside seat. There is Wifi on the train, but it sucks. Seriously, you'll be lucky to get your email off of it. So you'll need to use your 3g/4g/lte connection if you want to accomplish anything online. The ride is obviously a lot longer than a plane. But there's plenty of room to walk around if you get bored. And in the day of smart phones and tablets, it's easy to keep oneself occupied. Download a couple movies to watch on your phone or tab before your trip. I find listening to podcasts really helps the time fly by quicker. The cafe food is ok, but it's a lot cheaper just to bring your own snacks and drinks. The bathrooms are pretty good. The flushing system works well, thank goodness. Sometimes people forget how to throw away paper towels, but the bathroom is acceptable. Just remember to lock the door behind you. Cause trust me, you don't want Grandma walking in on you when you're doing your business. Not good! Think that about covers it. Before riding Amtrak, I rode Greyhound. How's the saying go? Once you've gone black, you'll never go back? Well, once you've gone Amtrak, you'll never go back to Greyhound. Happy travels. read more