The Don'ts of Amtrak Train Travel in the US

Hey there fellow train travelers, today we are going over the do's and don'ts of traveling by train in the US. From when to buy train tickets, to ettiquette on the train, to how to get the most out of your train journey in America. These tricks and tips will help you enjoy your train adventure in the US.
Filmed in Mystic, CT, USA
Copyright Mark Wolters 2022

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[simondavey]

As a Brit, I love the experience of travelling on Amtrak. It's not fast and is often late; but there is a romance to it and you see so much of America that most people miss.

[kalleguld]

My number one rule as an electrician, too: Don't disrespect the conductors.

[evelyngrammar]

I laughed out loud when I saw the person "asleep" with a bag on the next seat. As someone who road the NE Corridor for 20 years, I learned to wake up that person and ask them to move their bag. Unless you are paying for two seats, you are only entitled to one!

[debasishbanerjee]

C'mon people let's give this man 1 mil subs. Been here since 2016...This channel is a gold mine!!

[mat]

Hi Professor Wolters! I was a student of yours in 2015 at UIUC and I just got recommended this video by the YT Algorithm while watching a train travel documentary on YouTube. Glad to see all the success you are having with your channel. Wishing you and your family the best.

[travist.]

One of the main reasons for Amtrak's poor on-time performance, is the fact that it has to share tracks with freight. In the US, freight trains have priority. Passenger rail is just an afterthought. So, Amtrak is often subject to freight scheduling, which is far slower, more random, and less time-critical.

[larrypicard]

I’m a retired train attendant for Amtrak and this was an excellent video. He’s checked a lot of boxes.

[mklinger]

Amtrak advice from someone who uses it somewhat frequently: Buy your tickets ahead of time to save money. They charge extra as time goes on and it's possible that you get to your train and they only have the expensive tickets left.

Also, I would highly recommend going from DC to Boston and stopping at almost every stop. So go to DC, spend a day or two, take the train/drive to Baltimore spend a day, train to Philly, spend a day, NYC, spend a day, maybe New Haven and spend a day, providence and spend a day.

I will definitely be doing something similar in the future. Great way to see the "megalopolis"

[wdh]

Your best video yet. Amtrak is so overlooked in this country. A great way to travel. You hit it on the head with the pros and cons. Great job.

[jamesthompson]

I have been riding the Amtrak long-distance routes for 15 years now. I take at least two and as many as 5 trips per year. I will confirm the rule ""Don't disrespect the conductor." The conductor is the actual Captain of the train. The rules for your conduct with all train staff and fellow passengers are the same as on an aircraft, as are the penalties. If you have to be removed from the train expect to be met by law enforcement. You can also be charged federally. Oh, and you forfeit the rest of your ticket. I have seen it happen a couple of times. One last "Don't" is that if you are on a trip that allows for "Fresh Air Stops" where you can disembark and stretch your legs, take the warning about not leaving the platform seriously. If you wander off, the train *will* leave without you. No one will come looking for you or do a nose count. Twice I have seen people running alongside the train trying to get them to stop. You also forfeit the rest of your ticket.

I love train travel. Yes, Amtrak is chronically late, at least on longer trips, but the gorgeous scenery, the great staff and the friendly passengers (for the most part) make it all worthwhile.

[magnus]

A Swede here. I took a ride from Seattle to Portland, Oregon. A very nice ride, met people and had really good talks in the scenery wagon!

[ebob]

In 2019, I did a loop of taking trains from Chicago to LA, then LA to Portland, then Portland back to Chicago. I had a roomette in a sleeper car on each train. It was a very nice way to see the country. The only thing that I would recommend to anyone else who wants to take the train is to take a small fan because climate control in the sleeper car is not the best and it always seemed to be too warm.

[NickGoesFar]

Great video! I'm riding the Empire Builder this weekend from Chicago to Seattle in a Roomette, can't wait to experience this.

[emilynorman]

I’m from the Uk and when we travelled the west coast we absolutely loved the Amtrak trains. My particular favourite was going from LA to San Diego 😍

[michaelengelhardt]

Biggest don't for me (and one reason I love Amtrak): don't get to the stations hours ahead of time. It isn't like an airport where you have to get their hours ahead of time. You can get to the station minutes before the train arrives. Only get to the station 30-45 min early for long distance trains.

[robertklose]

6:50: The food. On long-haul trains in first class, the food is excellent, prepared by an on-board chef.

[muscato]

I myself took an Amtrak for the first time last year and it was a fantastic experience! Comfortable seats, great connectivity and nice scenery. Couldn't agree more about the need to book early though as the tickets nearly tripled in price as much as two weeks from my travel date. Best advantage for me is that you get to beat the road traffic 😁

[MeansToTravel]

I've never been on an Amtrak so this was really informative about what to expect!

[casey]

With regards to food, the long-distance dining cars on the trains that still have them are MUCH better than the café cars thanks to having real kitchens in them. Still probably pricier than one might expect but I’d say it’s worth the money (it is on a train after all) and it’s included with a sleeper ticket.

[blankface_]

Took Amtrak across the country two years ago, great way to transport with bike since that’s a headache to ship