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I travel to Montreal several times per year - and I don't speak more than the most rudimentary French. I will be the first to admit that the Quebecois are extremely defensive of their language and culture, but I have been graciously welcomed by the friends that I have made there. That said, if...

Our favorite news outlet, Business Insider, is at it again. They just posted all sorts of tips and advice on how to ride the Adirondack to Montreal: https://www.insider.com/amtrak-adirondack-train-nyc-montreal-what-to-know-before-booking-2023-7

The first phase is scheduled to open in August. https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/rem-test-runs-will-begin-wednesday-on-brossard-montreal-line I know that these things take time, but I have seen them running test trains on this line for many months.

Is chicken parmesan really that much worse than pasta with meatballs? Overall, I don't see the new menu as a step backwards.

Amtrak has suspended service north of Albany. It's depressing that we don't have the proper infrastructure to run a train between the largest city in the United States and the second largest city in Canada...

I stopped by Moynihan on Saturday to get some banana pudding at Magnolia bakery. I was in New York for a quick weekend trip to see a show at the Metropolitan Opera and on Broadway. We had some time to kill between shows, so we took the walk to Moynihan. Since there is nowhere for un-ticketed...

I went ahead and used a portion of our voucher (representing our savings from the recent Auto Train sale) for priority offloading on our return trip to Lorton. We have a 9.5 hour drive with no traffic and my wife has to be at work the next day. Since we are driving from Lorton to well north of...

I just got a voucher for $225 thanks to this sale. Three of us are traveling in coach in August. The agent said that she could not issue a refund for the difference, even though I asked her to "modify" the reservation, but I will use the voucher so it's fine. Actually... I wonder if I can use...

I suppose we could bring a small soft-sided cooler with us. That opens up some options.

I have a trip coming up in coach on the Auto Train. I'd like to have something better/healthier than what is offered in the cafe. Any suggestions for something that I can take on board that will be okay sitting for few hours during a hot time of year? I'm not coming up with much.

When Amtrak says that you must arrive no later than 3:00 PM, are you okay if you are on the station grounds but waiting in a queue to get to the check-in booth?

Rumor has it that traditional dining is returning to the Silver Meteor on June 24th. The bad news... it will lose a sleeper car. I did not major in economics, but if this is true Amtrak appears to be increasing costs and decreasing revenue. I am just glad that I already booked my son on the...

Any advice on the best coach seats? I am leaning toward the lower level because the train only makes one crew stop and the view is not a primary concern. The lower level has greater ambient noise, but no need to worry about the door between cars opening and closing. You are also closer to the...

I just booked a coach ticket on the Auto Train. There are two adults and one teenager traveling, so we needed two rooms. The room price was high enough that I’d rather just drive the whole way. I am definitely apprehensive about spending a night in coach. But as of now the train (August...

I went ahead and made a reservation in Magog, Quebec for the night of the 7th. It can be canceled and no pre-payment was needed. If I do decide to cancel, I am sure that they will be very happy given the rate that I got. We enjoy Magog anyway, so why not. Magog is a tourist town for...

That was my one concern. On the one hand, I live in the middle of nowhere. But on the other hand, I am within a very do-able drive from Boston and New York. The people coming from Boston will probably wind up where I want to go. New Yorkers have more choices. Some of that may be that they...

Hotels in Sherbrooke, Quebec have not raised their rates..... yet. Sherbrooke is ground zero for the eclipse. But it requires a bus ride from Montreal. I was thinking about booking a hotel, but I live within the zone of totality, and driving to the dead center of that zone is only a 45 minute...

It's a little more nuanced than that. The Official Languages Act covers the use of official languages by Crown Corporations. VIA Rail is a Crown Corporation. The short version of the law is that customers have a right to receive services either in English or French. There must be no...

Local (Plattsburgh) news coverage of the Adirondack's return:

If you are looking for an excuse to travel on the Adirondack, Montreal will be opening part of its light rail RER line later this year. https://rem.info/en As a frequent visitor to Montreal, I have seen a lot of test runs, including cold weather runs on a night that was about -20F. There is...