I'm flying in to JFK airport from Japan, scheduled for a 3:15 landing, and rather than wait around for my flight home (to Hartford) the next day, I'm considering just getting on Amtrak that evening. There are two options... one at 6:40, and one several hours later. I've never used Amtrak at all (we always take the local commuter down to NYC), but I'm concerned that if my flight runs late, or customs is especially busy, I won't make the train. Should I just book the later train to be safe (they're currently the same price)? If I get to Penn Station in time for the early train, will I be able to switch to it if my ticket is for the later, but space remains open? Conversely, if I book the early one and miss it, will I be able to just get on the later one? Also, how will my ticket work... is it an e-ticket like with the airplanes that I can print at the station, or will Amtrak mail me a ticket? I leave in 11 days, so I want to be sure I can actually get a physical ticket in time.
I suppose the last option is that I could wait and just buy a ticket at the station for the next trip up... but how big of a risk would that be in terms of availability and price increase?