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View Full Version : ? about train travel with a pack...........



Angee
12-05-2008, 20:46
I plan to take Amtrak from NY to GA.....having never traveled by train can anyone tell me what the seating is like and does the backpack stay with you or does it have to be checked in?
Thanks in advance!
Angee

Hammock Hanger
12-05-2008, 20:49
I plan to take Amtrak from NY to GA.....having never traveled by train can anyone tell me what the seating is like and does the backpack stay with you or does it have to be checked in?
Thanks in advance!
Angee

When I took the train from MD to FL, my pack stayed with me at my seat. No one checked anything however it was before 9/11.

rafe
12-05-2008, 20:50
AFIAK, there's no check-in. Each car has an area for large carry-on items, and if the pack fits, you can put it in the overhead compartment. Nobody checked the pack or even asked about it.

Feral Bill
12-05-2008, 20:52
I don't think checking baggage ia ever required. Many stations don't have checking service. There are big overhead racks, if I remember right.

KG4FAM
12-05-2008, 20:53
Seating is just like on a bus, but way bigger. Now that people have started taking the train more they have been assigning seats, but with low gas prices they might go back to not giving a crap. I have trouble sleeping in the coach seats so when I get on I see if they have sleepers left and get them at about half price (meals are included with the sleeper as well). You don't have to check any bags if you don't want to on a train so keep the pack with you. There is plenty of room for it above the seat.

mudcap
12-05-2008, 20:56
I just took AMTRAK from Plattburgh NY to Penn Station by coach. Carried on my packs with no problem. No questions asked.

rockdawg69
12-05-2008, 20:56
Traveled via Amtrak from NYC to Savannah in Oct this year. Pack went in the overhead and stayed with me all the way. Had my hiking poles strapped to the outside. Had no issues with inspection or questions about my pack.
Seats are somewhat like those on a coach tour bus, only a litle harder. Will recline and they have a footrest. Snack bar in the club car stayed open all night. Left NYC at 3:30 pm and got to Savannah at 06:45 am - long ride but better than car and less hassle than airports/planes.

Look for a conductor before you board to get your car and seat assignment - will not be on your ticket.

mudcap
12-05-2008, 21:06
[quote=rockdawg69;735179]Traveled via Amtrak from NYC to Savannah in Oct this year. Pack went in the overhead and stayed with me all the way. Had my hiking poles strapped to the outside. Had no issues with inspection or questions about my pack.
Seats are somewhat like those on a coach tour bus, only a litle harder. Will recline and they have a footrest. Snack bar in the club car stayed open all night. Left NYC at 3:30 pm and got to Savannah at 06:45 am - long ride but better than car and less hassle than airports/planes.

Look for a conductor before you board to get your car and seat assignment - will not be on your ticket.
Look for a conductor before you board to get your car and seat assignment - will not be on your ticket.
Look for a conductor before you board to get your car and seat assignment - will not be on your ticket.That is a good point,Penn station was crazy on my return trip,I could have easily boarded the wrong car if it was not for the conductor.

rafe
12-05-2008, 21:16
Says mudcap: Penn station was crazy on my return trip,I could have easily boarded the wrong car if it was not for the conductor.

Not as bad as trying to find a train at the main station in Tokyo, after 30+ hrs of travel. At least in Penn Station, you and the conductor speak the same language.

Angee
12-05-2008, 21:35
"Thank you" everyone for the replies ! Now I know what to expect.


Angee
GA-ME 2009

Montana Mac
12-06-2008, 10:01
Angee

I checked some of the regs on Amtrak's web page and it indicated that fuel canister might be a problem. I called Amtrak before I purchased tickets to GA. The lady I spoke with told me that as long as I didn't take my stove out and start cooking with the fuel canister and kept them out of sight no problem. As far as the hiking poles she suggested that if they were on the outside of the pack just to put a cover over the pack.

On one of the forums somebody suggested waiting until the last minute to reserve seating and sleeper. When I spoke with the Amtrak lady she indicated that the sooner I ordered tickets the better price and also the train I was interested in fills up fairly quickly, so I went ahead and ordered the tickets. The next day the price went up $60.00!!

I know over the Thanksgiving weekend there was talk of terrorist attacks on the rail service in the US so the security in the stations was beefed up, at least in Conn. It was on the news that they actually had S.W.A.T. units in some of the stations. I haven't heard anymore on it but I don't know if this will lead to tighter security.

KG4FAM
12-06-2008, 10:11
On one of the forums somebody suggested waiting until the last minute to reserve seating and sleeper. When I spoke with the Amtrak lady she indicated that the sooner I ordered tickets the better price and also the train I was interested in fills up fairly quickly, so I went ahead and ordered the tickets. The next day the price went up $60.00!!Now that folks are taking the train in these past 6 months or so Amtraks price bucket system is actually being used. In the past the trains were so empty that they would never reach the threshold for the second bucket and the price stayed the same. In the old days it didn't matter, but now it does.

What you can do is go ahead and reserve your seat on the telephone and just tell the person that you will pay when you get there. This way you keep the lower price and if you decide to cancel no money changes hands. If you do go ahead and pay the tickets are 100% refundable if they are not printed and 90% if they are.

rockdawg69
12-06-2008, 10:16
Ticket prices are higher on weekends for the same train and schedule (can be almost double). Be sure and travel on a weekday if possible.

KG4FAM
12-06-2008, 10:27
Ticket prices are higher on weekends for the same train and schedule (can be almost double). Be sure and travel on a weekday if possible.I have actually had lower fares on the weekend on some trips. The best thing to do if you have a flexible schedule is check both weekend and weekday.

rafe
12-06-2008, 10:40
I checked some of the regs on Amtrak's web page and it indicated that fuel canister might be a problem. I called Amtrak before I purchased tickets to GA. The lady I spoke with told me that as long as I didn't take my stove out and start cooking with the fuel canister and kept them out of sight no problem. As far as the hiking poles she suggested that if they were on the outside of the pack just to put a cover over the pack.

From my experience, no problem with poles or canister. Nobody checked or asked about the pack contents.

Compass
12-06-2008, 18:01
Dtto on what everybody posted with emphasis on plenty of room and mobility. Far better air quality than a plane.

traildust
12-06-2008, 19:45
best way to go. relax and rest up. large overhead storage for all your gear. we took the train from Baltimore to Boston and trained out to western mass. best way to go. enjoy.

Surplusman
03-15-2009, 17:41
I travel from western MA to DC and back every year on Amtrak and have never had any problems with backpack, poles, or anything. It's an almost 8 hour ride, but it IS relaxing! When I get to Union Station in DC, I take the Metro out to suburban VA, and then I get to stretch my legs with a mile hike from the Metro station to my destination!

elangomat
03-16-2009, 01:12
Load up on snacks for the ride before boarding. On board prices in the snack car are outrageous.

Desert Reprobate
03-16-2009, 06:12
Sling your hammock. It'll be a lot more comfortable than the seats.

dzierzak
03-16-2009, 14:30
Amtrak from Huntington, WV to Staunton VA last April. And then from DC to Huntington. No checked baggage. Just put my pack in the overhead rack with poles strapped to the outside. Nobody asked about fuel or stoves. All in all, not a bad trip

Skyline
03-16-2009, 15:34
Security checks for those boarding trains are not as stringent, nor as automatic, as it is for those boarding airliners.

That said, Amtrak reserves the right to do random security checks. And in my experience they do. A backpack may be a red flag for one officer, and not a red flag for the next.

One thing that you don't want to do is to leave a pack (or any kind of luggage) unguarded, alone, for even a minute. Not only could it be stolen, but it could quickly become the object of a station-wide security event. I've seen this happen at Union Station in DC.