# DC to DAL



## tonys96 (Oct 24, 2014)

Want to get back from DC to DAL in a few weeks on points. Only offered cap ltd & eagle. Why not crescent and SL/ eagle? Is cap ltd a nice ride/ train? Any good scenery?


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## Ryan (Oct 24, 2014)

Crescent isn't offered because of the overnight required in NOL.

Love the Cap, although the good scenery in PA is in the dark going that direction.

I'm a huge fan of the industrial wasteland as you approach CHI, though.



Charles M Beeghly by Ryan Stavely, on Flickr


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## VentureForth (Oct 24, 2014)

There is no published connection through NOL as it is an overnight connection. An alternative would be to tweak your days by one or two and see if you can get on the Cardinal rather than the Capitol from DC to CHI. I'm not a huge proponent of going through San Antonio. When I'm on a train, I like to move. You'll have gorgeous scenery out of DC through Harper's Ferry and up the river till you fall asleep. When you wake, it's miles and miles of industrial South Shore. Going into DAL, the best scenery is in the middle of the night. Enjoy the evening looking at bare, harvested corn fields. When you wake, you'll be dropping out of the Arkansas hills and into the pine forests of East Texas. Marshall is a beautiful junction with an historic depot.


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 24, 2014)

I agree with taking the Cardinal Tony! If yall want to ride a cheapie Regional(or even an Acela) to NYP, you could take the Lake Shore Ltd to CHI but its having OTP problems also!

The best direction for the Cap is Eastbound so you get the good scenery East of Pittsburgh to WAS in Daylight.

Of course with the " temporary" short consist on the Cap and the poor OTP due to freight congestion, you'd think you were riding the Eagle or CONO with a CCC and no SSL!

I don't think VF realizes you live in the DFW Metroplex and are very familiar with the Texas Eagle route. Smiles


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## tonys96 (Oct 24, 2014)

Thanks......we are doing this on points, and would love to go through NYP, so if we did that how would we get from DC to NY?

I love the Marshall station, great little museum inside it......


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## Ryan (Oct 24, 2014)

You would either have to do a separate redemption, or pay for a ticket to NYP. Doesn't look like the LSL is offered to DAL from anywhere on the corridor.


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## tonys96 (Oct 24, 2014)

Ok. We changed our minds....SWA has a sale now, so we are looking at flying to NYC, or maybe back from there.

First, which direction is best on train? TE/LSL to NYC, or back? Second, what is decent value place to stay close to station?


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## tonys96 (Oct 24, 2014)

Sorry.....but it now looks like we will take Amtrak from DAL to NYP, then fly back. Any hints about this trip? Lodging in NYC?


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## Dovecote (Oct 24, 2014)

tonys96 said:


> Sorry.....but it now looks like we will take Amtrak from DAL to NYP, then fly back. Any hints about this trip? Lodging in NYC?


It appears the options for your connecting train in Chicago to NYP are the LSL, CL/NER, and the Cardinal. Based on second hand info the Cardinal offers top scenery on eastbound travel and will terminate in NYP. I would choose that route. As far as lodging around NYP, the Hotel Pennsylvania http://www.hotelpenn.com is a choice some of our AU members have recommended in the past. Very close walking distance from NYP.


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## willem (Oct 24, 2014)

Washington to New Orleans to San Antonio is a published route, with overnight in New Orleans. New Orleans to San Antonio to Dallas is not a published route. I would speculate that San Antonio is the problem, not New Orleans, with taking the Crescent and the Sunset Limited.


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 24, 2014)

I' d do the Cardinal instead of the LakeShore Tony,but that might require an overnight in CHI since the Card only runs 3 days a week!( The Eagle should connect if on time, 152pm-545pm) In the winter its dark most of the way on the LSL (and there's no dinner between ALB and NYP) from CHI-Buffalo and down the Hudson River from ALB-NYP, which is the best scenery on the Water Level route!

As for Hotels, Usually New York Hotels are Very Pricey, even the dumps, but check out Kayak or Book it.com and you can usually find some deals for decent hotels under $150 a night. The Hostels in NYC aren't convienent to NYP and not really that good a deal! I find the Pennsylvania Hotel a faded Queen that's Over Priced but it is sure close to NYP and historic!


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## tonys96 (Oct 24, 2014)

Well, we are booked in transdorm on TE and roomette on LSL. That is what the agent told us she had rooms on. Got Fairfield inn room says seven tenths of a mile from NYP. Flying home. Will have several questions later on. What's this about no dinner??


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 24, 2014)

Sounds like good rooms on the train and while I don't know the Fairfield Inn in NYC I'm sure its OK if you got a good price since its a Marriott Brand! The one close to Times Square looks OK, got good reviews.

The Lake Shore serves Lunch on the way to Albany usually after Syracuse and they even close the cafe soon after leaving Albany so you might want to take some food from Albany if there's time or wait until NYC for a late Dinner since there are a few places to eat in Manhattan! Smiles


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## the_traveler (Oct 24, 2014)

There is no food service on the LSL south of ALB, and that would be dinner time! If the LSL were on time :giggle: it would arrive at 6:30 pm, so it's tough to have a 7 pm seating! Thus the last meal on the eastbound LSL is lunch.


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## tonys96 (Oct 24, 2014)

Anyone know much about NYC? We are staying on west 37th at Fifth Avenue. Long walk from NYP? and we are going to a show at Brooks Atkinson theater one night. Walkable? And we really want to see Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Anyone got ideas best way/lowest cost to do this?


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## Bob Dylan (Oct 24, 2014)

37th and Fifth is very walkable from NYP! I'm not sure about the theater, Google it up!

As for the Statue of Liberty, I'd say take the subway or bus ( buy day passes) down to the tip of Manhattan, visit the 911 Site and take the Staten Island Ferry which is the Best Transportation Value in America, Free! It goes right past the Statue of Liberty which is always crowded and the trip is pricey! Same thing with the Empire State Building very crowded and Pricey, get there early if you decide to go!

I recommend seeing Rockefeller Center also, if the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes are performing, its a Classic American Experience!( they also show movies there) Don't forget Grand Central Terminal either!

Also visit Central Park (if the weather is nice) and walk along Fifth and Park Avenues admiring the Windows of the Ultra High End Stores and the rich folks hurrying along the Streets!

So much to see and do, so little time!


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## tonys96 (Oct 25, 2014)

Been hearing about a lot of delays on LSL. We are to be on it mid November. If the diner and cafe both close after lunch......what happens if the train is significantly late? Four or five or more hours late? That could be ten or more hours after lunch......no drinks, snacks, or any grub available?

Should we stock up on soda, snacks, or something during layover from TE in Chicago?

Also, since the window between TE scheduled arrival and LSL departure is so big, we should be OK most of the time and not worry about making this connection, right?


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## tonys96 (Oct 25, 2014)

RyanS said:


> You would either have to do a separate redemption, or pay for a ticket to NYP. Doesn't look like the LSL is offered to DAL from anywhere on the corridor.


Thanks, Ryan. We changed plans and are taking TE and LSL to just go to NYP instead of DC. Tried to get Card, but all rooms were gone.....


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## Dovecote (Oct 25, 2014)

tonys96 said:


> RyanS said:
> 
> 
> > You would either have to do a separate redemption, or pay for a ticket to NYP. Doesn't look like the LSL is offered to DAL from anywhere on the corridor.
> ...


I would routinely check on room availability on the Card. Cancellations do occur. Case in point, just the other day, I was able to change my accommodations on the 421 Texas Eagle from two roomettes to a bedroom for a late November departure. This is a peak travel period and room availability equally hard to get as the Cardinal. I had been trying to get a bedroom for about three weeks now and perseverance paid off for me.


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## tonys96 (Oct 26, 2014)

I'll keep an eye on the Card! With service disruptions on LSL, the Card looks like a great alternative.

Question:

According to Amtrak.Com, the LSL is routinely late that is why it shows a service disruption. So if it is late by 3 or 4 hours, do they still close the diner AND cafe car after lunch?


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## the_traveler (Oct 26, 2014)

I'm not certain if they close the cafe. However, it is carried on the BOS section between ALB and BOS. There is no cafė between ALB and NYP, however when I took the LSL to NYP (and this was back in the "old days" when it ran ontime), the Dining Car opened for a short time just after departing ALB selling cafė items. I don't know what they do now.


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