Chicago - Anyone here taken Amtrak from Chicago to Boston or New York City?

It's getting kind of late to book a cheap airfare to either places from Chicago. I also haven't tried a long Amtrak journey before so I'm curious as to how it's like. I've been on Amtrak Downeaster and also on the Boston to New York City route. It wasn't bad and there was wifi. However, it doesn't appear that the Chicago to Boston or New York route have wifi.

Can anyone here comment on their experience with this route? It's a bit long at almost 22 hours of travel time, but I do have lots to read. I think the cheapest that I see right now and that involves a brief stop in Albany is $101. Can I get it for any less than that? It's still less than airfare though...

It's getting kind of late to book a cheap airfare to either places from Chicago. I also haven't tried a long Amtrak journey before so I'm curious as to how it's like. I've been on Amtrak Downeaster and also on the Boston to New York City route. It wasn't bad and there was wifi. However, it doesn't appear that the Chicago to Boston or New York route have wifi.

Can anyone here comment on their experience with this route? It's a bit long at almost 22 hours of travel time, but I do have lots to read. I think the cheapest that I see right now and that involves a brief stop in Albany is $101. Can I get it for any less than that? It's still less than airfare though...
There are a lot of reviews of Amtrak routes in the Amtrak forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/amtrak-guest-rewards-399/

It's getting kind of late to book a cheap airfare to either places from Chicago. I also haven't tried a long Amtrak journey before so I'm curious as to how it's like. I've been on Amtrak Downeaster and also on the Boston to New York City route. It wasn't bad and there was wifi. However, it doesn't appear that the Chicago to Boston or New York route have wifi.

Can anyone here comment on their experience with this route? It's a bit long at almost 22 hours of travel time, but I do have lots to read. I think the cheapest that I see right now and that involves a brief stop in Albany is $101. Can I get it for any less than that? It's still less than airfare though...

Southwest MDW-BOS is $110 ai.

Southwest MDW-BOS is $110 ai.

Is $110 generally the lowest price for that route at this time of the year?

What's ai?

Is $110 generally the lowest price for that route at this time of the year?

What's ai?

ai = all in

Is $110 generally the lowest price for that route at this time of the year?

No idea.

I think the cheapest that I see right now and that involves a brief stop in Albany is $101. Can I get it for any less than that? It's still less than airfare though...how much do you value your time? To pony up $50, even $100 more to be able to fly is a no-brainer in my book to save 40 hours of my time but if you've got plenty of time, you know the saying, penny saved.....

A <$250 fare to NYC is a good fare, not great but I wouldn't count on a cheaper fare in the near term. do take a look at Spirit, they had some 5am ish departure that was a good fare earlier this year.

My nephew took the train and even though he has the time, he said it was painful knowing how much more time he could have spent in NYC if he had spent a bit more for airfare.

...he said it was painful knowing how much more time he could have spent in NYC if he had spent a bit more for airfare.

"Penny wise, pound foolish"

God, I wouldn't take Amtrak for that route. I took this train a few times in college (school in western Mass., home in Chi.) and it was inevitably delayed by something like eight hours. It seemed quite common to be stuck in Buffalo at midnight for several hours waiting for the train from NYC, which hooked up to the one traveling from Boston.

Amtrak really only works well (if then) for high-frequency routes in the NE Corridor. Even on the DC-NYC-Bos route, though, they often have problems that lead to mass delays.

Honestly, I'd fly.

Careful with Spirit Airlines - they charge for carryons. Figure on $50 per carryon per flight.

That's another problem as well. I don't want to pay for checked luggage. I have two backpacks with me that contain some liquids.

Careful with Spirit Airlines - they charge for carryons. Figure on $50 per carryon per flight.

I have also heard that IRROPS on Spirit can be most painful.

I have also heard that IRROPS on Spirit can be most painful.

What's IRROPS?

What's IRROPS?

irrops = irregular operations
See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/glossary.php?do=list&LetterSelected=I

The link is to the FT Glossary. You might want to save it as a favorite so that you can look up to terms and acronyms used on FT at your leisure.

God, I wouldn't take Amtrak for that route. I took this train a few times in college (school in western Mass., home in Chi.) and it was inevitably delayed by something like eight hours. It seemed quite common to be stuck in Buffalo at midnight for several hours waiting for the train from NYC, which hooked up to the one traveling from Boston.

[snip]

Even on the DC-NYC-Bos route, though, they often have problems that lead to mass delays.



The on-time percentage for this route over the past 12 months is 81%, so your "few" experiences a number of years ago are not particularly representative. To say that eight hour delays are "inevitable" is simply hyperbole. Also, the Boston leg and the NYC leg are coupled together in Albany, not Buffalo. I'm not pointing that out to be a nitpick, only to show that your memory is based on limited experience and may not be especially useful in this case.

Also, "mass delays" in the northeast are certainly not limited to Amtrak (http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/post/2012/07/another-day-another-round-of-flight-delays/812894/1).

I took Amtrak from NYC to Chicago and it was long and boring. I should also disclose that it was on 9/12/2001 and the train ran out of food and beer.

I've done Boston > Chicago on the train a couple of times. If you're taking a long-distance train, you're taking it for the experience. If you're not interested in the experience, fly. I can't say that I've got a lot of desire for the experience, as I've already had it. But one time? Eh, why not?

If you don't pony up for a sleeper, expect that you won't really sleep. I'm pretty flexible as far as where I can sleep, and I found it to be a challenge.

Don't do it. Did CHI-BOS years ago and it was dreadful. Tried it one more time and it was even worse. Delays, uncomfortable, not conducive to sleeping at all - just a miserable trip. TF