Our Amtrak Vacation Was Cancelled | How To Avoid This Happening To You
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- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- Today we share how our Amtrak vacation was cancelled and how you can avoid this happening to you. There are many things that can go wrong when planning an Amtrak vacation. We had plans to take the Adirondack this fall and we just found out that it has been cancelled. We will also share with you some tips to help you avoid this happening to you in the future.
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I had a train cancelled last year, but things worked out well for me. I was taking Amtrak from Dearborn, Michigan to Worcester, Mass. I got tickets on the Wolverine from Dearborn to Chicago, and tickets on the Lakeshore Limited from Chicago to Worcester. There was an accident the day before in West Michigan that closed the tracks for a couple days. Someone from Amtrak called me to tell me about the delay, but he found tickets for a couple days later that saved me money. Then he called an hour or so later, and left a message that he found something else that would save me even more money. I called him back, and I thanked him. He was very grateful because many customers were angry with him. I'm retired so a two day delay was not a major issue; I fairly well off, but I'm always happy to save more money. I got a lemon because of the cancellation, but Amtrak turned it into lemonade.
I tried to book that train last week and kept getting “no seats available” for different days. We thought maybe it was full because of the Labor Day weekend, but now I know that the train was cancelled. Thanks for the information. We ended up booking a flight, which was not what I wanted, but at least we’re getting to our cruise. I have never had an Amtrak train cancelled before.
East Coast trains in the summer is also late. The heat in the Southern states is a killer for trains. The rails swell!!
On the Empire Builder with daughter. She discovered you too and decided to go with me. We’ve had a ball and riding the Empire Builder is very exciting.
I learned the hard way (train cancellation) to always have "Plan B" when traveling Amtrak. I was so shocked that my train home was cancelled that I did not know what to do, and the Amtrak phone employee provided very little help. Eventually it got figured out (bus ride), and I learned a valuable lesson for future Amtrak trips. I don't drive at night due to vision problems, so I always have to take this into consideration.
Some people rave about how polite and helpful Amtrak are about addressing these problems. That's because it's so incredibly rare.
If you can get from Montreal to Burlington VT, the Amtrak Ethan Allen train runs to New York City.
If you can get from Montreal to Saint Albans VT, the Amtrak Vermonter runs to New Haven, New York city, and Washington DC
This is hilarious all the time we've been watching your videos and travel religiously we've never run into you. And of course we were scheduled on the same train LOL
First I want you to know that I really enjoy this channel, but as a 60 year railroader, I have a few comments to share.
1. You often mention Superliners west of Chicago and Viewliners to the east. There is at least one exception to that difference. The Capitol between Chicago and Washington, DC was a Superliner the last time I booked it. I was also thinking of the Cardinal and the Cresent but see that they both are continuous into New York, they would also be Viewliners.
2. You make good points about trains frequently being late to their destinations, particularly for the western long distance train. Please also emphasize that trains do depart on time. I serve as a volunteer station attendant at the station in Kirkwood, MO. AMTRAK only staffs St. Louis and Kansas City on the Missouri River runner route. Since we are the first stop out of St. Louis, 311 and 319 generally arrive ahead of time and we take pride in having the passengers ready to board when the train arrives, but regardless of having all passengers boarded, the train may not depart until the published departure time. I am fairly confident that this departure time rule applies across the system. None the less we frequently get passenger arrive 5 to 10 minutes late and even ask that we get the train to come back for them. All time is per the Conductor's watch.
Bummer. I took it north from Albany last year and the tracks were super rough north of the border all the way to Montreal. The Ocean tracks were also rough past Quebec City.
My husband and I have a trip scheduled on the Coast Starlight this August. He decided to buy trip insurance, so we have some peace of mind at least about the financial aspect. Still it's disappointing to miss out on your trip- my sympathies!
Thanks to you two, my friends and I may be taking an Amtrak trip. Maybe one way and fly back home. In 2020, when I lost my brother, I became obsessed with Norway's "Slow TV." I guess because I wanted to be anywhere than where I was, I felt I was when I watched it. Then you two popped up on my RUclips and I love your journeys. Thank you for the wonderful vlogs.
So far I’ve been fortunate to have never had a Amtrak trip cancelled. I’ve been notified a few times of changes to departures or arrivals of trains, but never an out right cancelled. The “worst” experience was having a change in the Sunset Limited when a section of the tracks in Texas were flooded and we were switched to a bus for a brief period until San Antonio.
I am so nervous now! We are taking our first Amtrak train vacation in July to Glacier National Park! Wish I hadn’t watched this video 😂
Definitely do the Ocean! As a retired train dispatcher of the D&H railroad, I’m extremely frustrated with Amtrak for this cancellation! They have options, the best would be operate the train via its old route over the CP from Rouses Point to Windsor station in Montreal. You can take a quick bus trip from Montreal to Burlington and take the Ethan Allen to Albany/NYC, or bud to St Albans and do the Vermonter to NYC. You definitely have viable options.
So sorry I know that's disappointing. I have been watching the Adirondack. And when I first moved back to Maryland from the West Coast. I really wanted to take that train going up in to Montreal. And still have not been able to.
We took the Adirondack all the way from NYC to Montreal back in 2014. We had no problems booking and the train had no cancellations - just late, as per Amtrak's norm. It was quite a long journey, but worth the trip. Our destination was Quebec City, so once in Montreal, we stayed overnight at the hotel directly above the train station there, and the next day rode VIA Rail to Quebec City. It turned out to be a great trip. Sorry to hear about your cancellation this year.
I found, subscribed and binge-watched your videos just yesterday. The two of you seem so down to earth and I really appreciate your honesty. I will take your advice about summer travel on the west coast! I wish you better luck in your travels!
Darn. I did The Ocean in 2012 from Montreal to Moncton NB and a return trip. I did that in early spring, so was still snow in plenty of spots.
It took me years to finally ride the Adirondack, and then I only rode the northern portion. It seems like it is always getting cancelled, and that has been happening for years. One time, I ended up on a bus that was substituted for the train. Our rail system needs major investment.
Hi Rob and Ali, we had to cancel the Sunset Limited due to a hurricane in NOLA wiped out our hotel. We were able to switch to the Coast Starlight out of Portland to LAX. It was our 1st trip too. We are from Las Vegas. Looking forward to HSR to Rancho Cucamonga!
Thanks for your great content and inspiration. We look forward to your adventures!!
Never had a cancelation yet, knock on wood.
Been on the Empire Builder , CA Zephyr, down to ABQ, NM and return to Wisconsin.
But I love any Amtrak trip!!
I can relate the 🚆 was suppose to be @ Salisbury around 2am the 🚆 was 7 hrs late had catch the local coming out of Charlotte instead to N.Y. don't u know that late train still beat the local to N.Y. with an hr head start. Smh
Honestly, I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, and I was trying to figure out how to make a train trip to the East Coast work based on your use of Amtrak for domestic travel, but you just scared me off of it. We will stick to the best plane options for SLC!
I have never had a train cancelled and I have taken the Coast Starlight dozens of times (used to live in Ventura)
However I had to cancel the last five segments on my Rail pass vacation a month ago after I was in an accident in New Orleans
So sorry to hear that! I hope you are better now. I got a bad dog bite in my ankle in the middle of my rail pass vacation last year, and was limping for the second half but managed to have a good time. But I know how that one thing you don't expect can happen when you are on a trip. I was so depressed thinking for sure the emergency doc was going to tell me to cancel the rest of my trip but she stitched it up and said I could keep going (I did have to figure out how to soak it in a bucket of betadyne solution every day though!)
Our very first Amtrak Vacation from Detroit to the Grand Canyon in 2020 was cancelled due to COVID. After that all trips to Glacier, SF, and back to the Grand Canyon were all good.
There are buses from Montreal to Burlington Vermont, and there are 2 trains from Burlington that will enable you to "Peep the Leaves" in autumn 🍁 🍂🍁.
Trains can be cancelled because of power outage, train wreck on tracks, derailments, track work, washouts, flooding, landslides eurosions, tornados, etc.
Apparently heat damage affecting tracks in Quebec.
I am SO SORRY guys!
We haven't had any cancelled, we've taken 7 total on the Silver Star and Silver Meteor. However, we live in Florida and on a boat so we understand weather related cancellations. I wouldn't book a flight from Florida at 3pm during the summer either, we notoriously have afternoon thunderstorms resulting in flight delays too. So thinking about weather for the time you're traveling might be helpful for people when planning vacations. Do I want to cruise the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico between June and November, nope - hurricane season can change your planned ports or make for a really rough trip. And I'm sure that's the case with West coast fires, there's a season that they definitely occur more. Just a thought. Thanks for the info.
You are my favorite train trip channel..
While I always appreciate your videos, I'm not clear as to why the cancellation of the Adirondack changes the rest of your tour; particularly taking on The Ocean on VIA, which I've had my eye on for several years. One suggestion I have is to take the Ocean to Halifax, then rent a car and drive back to Montreal via the Gaspe Peninsula, which is a trip my folks and I took as a kid and it has stuck in my memory ever since. And, like another comment; taking the bus to Burlington and catching the Vermonter. I have been on the Adirondack both ways and it is the most amazing; better than the Coast Starlight possibly. I know that there are probably many factors that were not part of the video that led to your decision; however, I do encourage you to take The Ocean and figure out a work around. Keep those great vids coming. Best.
I think I read that they are fixing the tracks this year which is why it us cancelled even in September.
The tracks in Canada south of Montreal are in horrible condition the last time I rode on the Adirondack, but the tracks were in much better condition in New York State... Of course that was several years ago... I enjoyed the scenery of upstate New York... You would think Amtrak and VIA would extend the Vermonter until they can get the Adirondack back into service...
Had a train cancelled last year (Sunset Limited). Was supposed to board at Yuma, AZ and go to New Orleans. Had reservation for a sleeper made almost a year in advance.
The day before I was supposed to depart got a notification from Amtrak they had cancelled!
Had to scramble for a rental car to drive the entire way back instead!
😟😟😟
I'm sorry to hear that your trip on the Adirondack was also canceled. Last month, we traveled from Florida to NJ to NYC to Montreal to Chicago and back to Florida. Our trip was initially all flights except for the Adirondack from NYC to Montreal (which Amtrak canceled). Our train ticket for that 11 hour ride was only $67. Fortunately, Air Canada has several flights each day from NYC to Montreal for as little as $81 one way. Flight time was only 52 minutes after takeoff. We had excellent weather in Montreal, and we had a wonderful stay at the Hyatt Centric.
Adurondack
I took the Adirondack late September last year. It really was a scenic trip. I'm sorry you are not able to take it.
Especially in the autumn the first week of October...
We take 2 or 3 longer trips each year. Our only cancellation was a result of the freight strike a couple of years ago. We found out about it while traveling to the station (we live several hours away) AMTRAK was great with refunds etc and this situation was not their fault. We live north of the Adurondacks and are sorry to hear you missed this opportunity to visit.
I had a cross country trip (NY - D.C. - CHI - SEA - LA) planned for April 2020 and needless to say I missed it. Fast forward to 2022 and I'm rebooked for April again. I arrive at Moynihan Train Hall. I pause before going in to have a smoke when my phone rang. It was Amtrak telling me that the Empire Building was cancelled due to snow in the Dakotas (very disappointing). I was early so I went straight the the Metropolitan Lounge and ate while booking a flight to Seattle and reverse extending my hotel stay there. Amtrak refunded much of the cost of the entire trip (received before I returned home) and I still got to take the Coast Starlight, which was amazing (from sun to snow to sun). All in all I still had a great experience and the flight, despite being last minute, was much less than the refund. I've got to do that missing portion soon.
Hello young couple. Thank you for the info you both provide. The train I use is called the Crecent That travels from New Orleans all the way to New York city and states in between. One advice you gave is about travel time during the summer. I went from Wilmington De to Atlanta Ga the month of May for a week.😮 Sardine Packed going and coming in coach. For that route Amtrak comes and go 7 days a week once each day. I loved it though 16 hrs the coach seats had plenty of space and power outlets I used my own wifi Amtraks was spotty and sometimes none at all. I will bring a mini outlet plug for my phone camera and ear plugs. I slept well after 12 midnight altough the train made stops they were quick and short. My niece was able to track my progress and was there when I arrived on time to pick me up😊😊😊
Was supposed to do California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville in September of 2022-both of us had booked roomettes. Everything was booked...flights, hotel rooms on both ends! They emailed us about changing us to coach seats because they eliminated that car! Uh no, not the experience we were looking for so we cancelled and got our money back..
Our return to Reno from Sacramento was cancelled so we had to rent a car to get home. Thank goodness it wasn't snowing over Donnor Pass. They did refund our entire round trip so it wasn't all bad.
I have heard too much bad stuff about Amtrak. I never rode them and I never will.
How do you know which trains or routes have known issues to avoid stuff like this like you said? Never took Amtrak for travel, but been very interested after watching all your videos. So I want to say thank you for these very informative videos.
I thought that CN will finish their track work by September 8 but keep checking back with Amtrak.
Hello guys. The only issue I ever faced when riding Amtrak, other than delays, is the Texas Eagle. I was going to travel from Chicago to San Antonio. About a month prior, I was notified by Amtrak that the train was only going to Fort Worth. Alternate transportation would be provided. Which turned our to be a chartered bus. Not Greyhound, which shares the station with Amtrak. I was happy that the bus I was on ended up being an express to San Antonio.
We had The Cardinal cancelled in spring of 23 due to a rock slide taking out the tracks from Washington DC to Chicago. Tried to rebook on the Capital Limited and the next seats were not available for a full week! Amtrak just repeatedly said they were refunding our money. We ended up flying from DC back to Chicago and missed our Empire Builder train by a minute and a half - that is a whole other story! This was one of five long Amtrak trips. Leaving tonight on the Empire Builder to Portland, wish us luck!
Good luck on your Empire Builder trip; that one (including Portland endpoint) is on my bucket list.
I live 2 miles from those tracks! It’s because of track work and because Amtrak doesn’t look for other tracks between Rouses Point and Montreal! Our congress critter is too busy stumping for a felon to look after her actual district. By the way they are still running heavy freights. Freight is king and passenger service waits. They want to end this train, but to be honest it’s a well used train, the line in Montreal extended all the way down the concourse! Do not let CN and CP off on this! It’s their fault! (This specific area only)
Very informative video. Which Amtrak trips do you recommend that are gorgeous and not had issues? Thanks.
Problems, not "issues."
My first Amtrak experience was last year taking the NE Regional from Boston to New York to go to an event. We got 3 stops outside of Boston, sat there for over an hour and got sent back to Boston. Turns out it was due to a tree that fell on the overhead lines. Luckily the northbound track wasn't effected so once all the NB traffic came through they sent us back out, but we didn't leave Boston the 2nd time until we were supposed to originally arrive in New York. We had tickets booked for activities that day that went to waste as we didn't arrive in New York until around 8pm (Originally were due in at 1:50pm). Taking the same trip this year but on the Acela so fingers crossed it goes smoothly.
I've been watching some of your clips...trying VERY HARD to see train travel in a positive way. So far it's been difficult to see why folks love train travel? I admit that airplatravel is very frustrating too.. driving is very stressful too.
I went NYPPLB (Plattsburgh) and back to take in the Great American Eclipse in April 2024.
Nice trip, great scenery along the Hudson (NB only) and along Champlain (both ways), just slower and winding above Whitehall NY.
We were on the last Adirondack from Montreal last June, 10 mph from Montreal to the US border.
My very first trip from Chicago to L.A. was cancelled the morning that I was supposed to fly into Chicago. That was 2 years ago. I never recovered and never rebooked a trip. I keep saying that I'm going to rebook, but I just haven't. They said that there was a fire on the track and they couldn't get passed it. It would have been on The Southwest Chief. Maybe soon
There is 5 busses a day from Montreal to Albany NY. There are also busses that go from Montreal to Saratoga where the Adirondack is ending at the moment. The bus will have a better view than the train. The tracks between Rouses Point NY and Montreal were so bad the speed limit was down to 10mph. Amtrack is actually paying to repair track in another country and the repairs are more extensive than originally thought and are going to be ongoing into early Sept. Also you can take the commuter to Toronto and the Maple leaf to Albany. So it is not the "end of the line" like you say. Bus, train, even uber/taxi options from Montreal to Saratoga.
🎉🎉🎉 Thank you for sharing the other available options out of Montreal.
What if I want to go to Plattsburgh?
They don’t do buses
@@thefreckledafrikan There is a train option. As I listed. You can take the commuter rail from Montreal to Toronto then the Amtrak Maple Leaf to Albany or NYC.
@@christophercancel934 There is several bus options to Plattsburgh there is even a dedicated bus to Plattsburgh International Airport. Both Trailways and Greyhound stop in Plattsburgh on the way to and from Montreal.
Passenger trains in the USA do get cancelled, maybe not as frequently as jet planes. But with jet planes, there will be other flights on the same or competitor airline. That is not usually true with intercity passenger trains here. I believe spring is the worse when tracks are flooded with the winter snow melt and spring rains.
I have had one train cancelled that ruined a four train around the east loop train vacation, the first train because of Mississippi River flooding blocking the way to Chicago. No advance warning. Got a full refund. But the week long train ride was ruined.
So sorry your train got canceled. Thanks for doing this video because my husband and I wanted to do the California Zephyr next year. Right now I usually just do the NE Regional btwn Baltimore and NY. It's never been canceled just late leaving out of NY especially the early evening trains
I just took the CA Zephyr and it is well worth it! Go for it! Absolutely breathtaking views.
I'm sorry your trip was canceled. It would have been a great video.
I have had the Adirondack cancelled on me twice. Once last year and again this year. I was supposed to leave on 6/16 but it cancelled. So I’m going down to NYC instead. I did just receive an email from Amtrak about getting my international paperwork completed in advance even though that trip got cancelled. 😅
I have taken about 40 Amtrak trains and 2 European trains and knock on wood, none have ever been cancelled. I probably just jinxed my train for next week.
Sorry you guys got canceled. So I just returned from my trip on the Southwest Chief from northern CA to Kansas to visit my son and his wife. After watching many of ur videos, figured I was pretty much on top of things. Booked 7 months early a roomette, limited mobility, and senior with points. Two trains total, and with reasonable wait time and help. Trip to Kansas, although slow and 3 hours late (5am arrival), was as expected. Can't say the same for return trip. Train was 3 1/2 hours late from Chicago because a car had to be taken off before our stop, mechanical difficulties. I was so tired by then had my breakfast and lunch in my room, in my pj's, lol. Early that afternoon, the breaker in our sleeper car, tripped. Conductor tried to reset it, almost got electrocuted. No power except the cars upper lights thru out. No toilet etc. Got dressed for dinner, was going to have the steak and meet other travelers. Hour late for dinner. During this time, had stopped in New Mexico, pulled out and hit a truck, driver drunk, driving down one way street. Trains checked, no damage, we were off. Had my dinner in my room. I'm thinking, what else? 11pm, told, our sleeper car was being taken off the train at Albuquerque, deemed dangerous. Half of the occupants were getting off there anyway. The rest of us, was to be put up in a Hilton, midnight, but ok. Before that stop, I received a new ticket for the rest of the trip to LA. Great right? WRONG. My passage was for couch; seems I was the only one out of the displaced passengers rebooked in couch. Spent most of that next day sitting on hard benches trying to change the couch reservation, we did get lunch. What a difference being in couch. Then in LA, was late for my bus to Bakersfield and had to get another rebooked ticket. Best part of that ride was it was a brand new Seimans, very nice. Oh and did I mention, the west bound trains were old and dirty, inside and out. Got a refund for being displaced but could only get vouchers for the inconvenience. Was very disappointed overall. Amtrak take better care of ur trains.
Only train travel within the past 15 years has been within the last 14 months: 6 Northeast Regional runs between Roanoke and Washington D.C.or Philadelphia, 2 Silver Star runs between Washington D.C. and Florida, 1 Silver Star run from Tampa to Miami. 0 cancelations, 1 on time arrival, others delayed up to 2 hours. 1 trip nearly resulted in a missed connection because of a fatal pedestrian collision with another train, but a good tactical decision by Amtrak and the track's being re-opened for travel by local authority sooner than anticipated reduced that delay from potentially more than 6 hours to less than 4; and 2 hours delay is typical for that run.
Never had a cancellation and about six Amtrak trips.
My only previous Amtrak rides were a few times on the Missouri River Runner. Since then, I had been following your videos and was excited to get the Rail Pass on sale in early 2023. I had studied your very useful color-coded map, and made a cross-country route plan using my 10 segments. The first 3 segments would be STL to Chicago to WDC to Orlando, stopping there for a few days to visit a friend. However, the evening before I was to depart the next morning, they canceled the 2nd segment of my journey. This left me no time to reschedule, so I canceled everything and got my pass refunded, since I hadn't used any segments yet, and trying to reschedule my route might not have fit the Rail Pass deadline to use all 10 segments. Needless to say, it was disappointing, I did end up flying straight to Orlando to visit my friend, but maybe I will try Amtrak again someday! My dream trip would be to take the Bernina Express in Switzerland! 🚆
You could do a flight or bus in place of the Adirondack. Or maybe bus to St. Albans, and Vermonter to NYC?
that is my issue since I cannot fly due to health reasons I could literally get stuck somewhere not having airplane as option.
I just booked my first ever amtrak on the southwest chief chicago to LA for Thanksgiving. What should I expect - late trains or cancellations. They’ve already changed my times .
Sorry your plans went awry. Even though you don't have a car, on your upcoming trip it would be helpful to know whether or not a station offers long term parking or any parking available and what the rates are. This would be very helpful for those of us taking short trips.
We have had three cancellations over the years. Extreme flooding in the Midwest in 2011 caused 12 hour delays on the California Zephyr before Amtrak gave up and cancelled our return trip. (We had to fly home.) A rockslide west of Raton, N.M., in 2015 caused a split in the Southwest Chief. Bus bridges were provided in both directions. A mudslide last fall next to the Hudson River blocked tracks of the Empire Service. (Fortunately, we live close enough to another line on Metro North.)
The Adirondack is particularly troublesome. The last train to be reinstated post-pandemic, most of summer 2023 was lost. This year, what was supposed to be a six week suspension turned into another summer lost. Amtrak gives up too easily. Running the train to Plattsburgh or Rouses Point and arranging for connecting buses across the border isn't that farfetched. (BTW, Canadian National is pulling the same trick on the Ocean, whose schedule is being lengthened due to slow orders.)
Natural disasters and other interruptions will occur. How Amtrak handles them leaves much to be desired.
Not sure how the Adirondack cancelation affects taking the Ocean. It was going to be a round trip anyways, just keep the same plan and either take the train to Toronto and then into the US, or take a bus from Montreal to Albany.
definitely consider the Ethan Allen Express as an alternative to the Adirondack. There should be daily bus service from Burlington, VT to Montreal and it runs on the other side of Lake Champlain and along the Green Mountains. It then follows the same route as the Adirondack from Whitehall, NY down to NYC. Sure, the Adirondack arguably has better lake views but it isn't running and the Ethan Allen is by all accounts a pretty nice trip as well and it's a better experience than taking a bus down to Albany. There's also the longer option of taking Via to Toronto, staying the night, and catching the Maple Leaf into NYC if the schedule allows. Amtrak is cancelling the Adirondack because they'd rather cancel the whole train than have to refund angry passengers over lengthy delays due to 10 mph operation in Canada. CN decided to slack off on maintenance when the Adirondack wasn't running during the pandemic and this is the result of profit-hungry practices of the Class 1s.
edit: I've been cancelled just once on Amtrak luckily and I live on the Northeast Corridor so they just put me on the next train that actually got in sooner than I would have originally gotten in
According to Rail Passenger Association, the host railroad Canadian National (CN) is doing extensive track work preventing passenger service for many, many months. Following from Amtrak website: Amtrak will be extending the modification of Adirondack service and will only operate between New York City and Saratoga Springs through Sunday, September 8 as CN continues to progress track work on their line in Canada.
The only Amtrak trip I ever took (Coastal Starlight from Seattle to Emeryville) was cancelled for the day I supposed to leave. I called Amtrak and they were able to get me on the train the next day and upgraded me to Business class for free.
On the other hand my train arrived too late into Chicago and thus missed my train to New York City and had to settle for a coach seat the next day as all of the roomettes and bedrooms in the sleeper were booked... Amtrak compensated me for the difference in fares though, but I would rather have a roomette...
Have you considered to taking Andean Explorer in Peru?
Luckily I've never had this happen, but also another reason I choose to fly or drive over the train (yes flights can be cancelled too, but usually you have other options -- the issue with train is that Amtrak is almost your only option for rail travel these days across the country). Driving gives you flexibility, but is obviously less relaxing and can be more time consuming. I honestly don't travel by train much anymore, as the one train ride I did have years ago was delayed by several hours (wasn't cancelled) but we arrived into NYC a lot later than planned so it threw off our plans for the next day. This was on the Lakeshore Limited between Chicago and NYC but it was about 10 years ago, haven't really ridden much on Amtrak except shorter (3-5 hour trips) like from Chicago to St Louis and central IL.
The other reason I prefer to fly over the train as airlines may be held to higher standards when it comes to cancellations, in terms of refund policies and finding you alternatives for your trip. I haven't looked into trains much but I know airlines are on the hook generally if they have to cancel a flight.
We have taken one trip and it got canceled we got stuck in Chicago not a great first experience
Mind you, stranded in Montreal doesn't sound so bad :)
If summer is most expensive, what is the least expensive time to travel on Amtrak? I have never had any trip cancelled, but I have never traveled more than 4 hours and always between my home and Chicago. I had probably 20 trips total. As typical of Amtrak, going toward Chicago, all but one trip delayed. Heading out of Chicago was usually on time.
I've had a train being late but not cancelled yet.
Ocean trip is great. Hope you can reschedule
Only 5 trips and no cancellations.
Any possibility to continue on to Toronto then take The Maple Leaf to NY ?
Have had delays in the wintertime due to switches freezing out of Chicago and a 7 hour delay due to heat -equipment was overheating or AC was not working.
Keep in mind many of the Superliner cars are approaching 50 years in age, the youngest are over thirty years in age. How old is your HVAC, hot water tank, refrigerator, washer, and dryer in your house? Even though the Superliner cars were built with heavy duty commercial equipment, nothing mechanical lasts forever. Frankly, I am amazed Amtrak's cars work as well as they do presently considering their age, although by no means perfectly..Amtrak is presently refurbishing the entire Superliner car fleet to be completed by the end of 2024, and anticipate ordering a new fleet of Superliner replacement cars very soon, don't expect any of them to enter the fleet for several more years, if not a decade. Several hundred cars aren't assembled overnight... It took a decade from ordering to delivery for the recent Viewliner II cars, and Siemens is still assembling Venture coaches for Amtrak, VIA, and Brightline...
I just called Amtrak and they are still taking reservations for the Adirondack at least on October 28. I’m traveling from New Orleans on October 15 to LA to Seattle to Vancouver to Toronto to Montreal to Quebec city back to Montreal to New York City back to New Orleans arriving home on the 29th. This is my third around the continent trip and I’ve never had a canceled train yet, or even one that was significantly delayed. Hopefully my luck will hold. Does your information indicate that the Adirondack will not be operating on October 28?
How hard would it be to go from New York to Toronto on the Maple Leaf and then to Montreal on VIA Rail?
If the train is canceled, would it be reinstated? Hopefully thinking 🤔 I’m trying to book a train in two months. I don’t know why over sudden is canceled.
Booked 3 took 2 with 1 cancelled (snow).
Well crap! I going to h e to check my reservations
So, when a train gets cancelled, they offer choice of instant refund or voucher for future? If so, is the voucher good indefinitely? And is there travel insurance that would cover a hotel if you got stuck somewhere?
Voucher, and it's good for a year. Through voucher, the same ticket they purchased can be used for/toward any Amtrak trip for up to a year.
We were booked on the Adirondak and Amtrak contacted us to immediately refund our money.
Nothing worse than having to change your plans, especially when it’s out of your control.
booked 4, ended up on 3 of them. Autotrain cancelled the day before leaving me to drive the distance.
This happen to me just a few weeks ago with the AutoTrain. Had to drive from Fort Lauderdale FL to Philadelphia PA. Unfortunately I was by myself for the 3 day drive home. I am a senior who can no longer drive more than about 4 hours a day. Needless to say my family and friends were very concerned. I have take many trips on Amtrak including across the country. This was only the 2nd cancellation.
Hey Guys. Sorry to hear that your trip got cancelled. I was hoping you could give me some advice. I am planning on taking the California Zephyr from Chicago to Reno, stay in Reno for a couple days then get back on the Zephyr to Sacramento and then take Coast Starlight to Seattle. At this point it is either the Empire Builder or take a flight home. My birthday is May 18th so I thought about doing it around that time. When do you think would be a good time to take this trip without having to worry about cancellations or sudden changes?
What is the deal with Amtrak canceling these trips? Is this a new trend?
This might be saving you guys from something horrible.
aww bummer
Amtrak just isn't there yet. Was it safety related?
Only taken Amtrak once. It was a snowy day in Denver, my flight had been canceled, and the interstates were shut down, and it was just 3 days before Christmas. Hotels were booked solid so no where to stay. Knew the odds of getting home before Christmas was nearly zero if waiting for airlines. Ended up on a sleeper car from Denver to Kansas City. Normally not too long a trip. Was supposed to leave Denver around 6 PM, didn't board until 2 AM. Woke up at 7 AM and we hadn't yet completely cleared the train station while they were thawing out the rail switches. About 9 AM we actually were moving. We figured out that we should get off at Omaha as that would be a lot faster. So we gave up our sleeper room to a couple that was stuck in normal seats as they were going to Chicago. So then a taxi to the car rental and then drove 6+ hours home, arriving at 11 PM on the 23rd of December.
Take a bus instead of the train? Sit on a bus seat instead of in a private room? Yuck!!!
Does Amtrak Trains have handicapped bathrooms and showers for me. I can't stand in the shower.
Yes. For First Class customers traveling with a disability, Accessible Bedrooms are located on the entry level of the train and offer ample space for a wheelchair.
For customers traveling with a disability, Accessible Bedrooms are located on the entry-level of the train and offer ample space for a wheelchair. Each room features a sofa for two by day and upper and lower berths by night, plus a big picture window.
Traveling Amtrak is dirty, unreliable, expensive, and mostly uncaring with extremely poor customer service.
She tends to nod her head a lot.
Amtrak is so unreliable,I had two train trips cancelled