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Stonesmama

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May 28, 2013
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I love to plan big road trips in the summer and we usually take a cruise at Christmas. We live in Texas and nearly always travel Northwest. It is me, my husband, and our 16 year old son. This is what we have planned for this year (we leave in one week):

Day 1: Drive to New Orleans (9hrs)

Day 2: Early morning departure on the Crescent (Bedroom)

Day 3-6: Washington DC

Day 7: Take morning train to Philadelphia

Day 8: Take evening train to New York

Day 9-11: New York

Day 12: Take morning train to New Haven, CT, Rent car and drive to Woodstock, VT

Day 13: Rental Car to Bar Harbor, ME

Day 14: Rental Car to Kennebunkport, ME

Day 15: Rental Car to New Haven, CT

Day 16: Morning train to New York

Day 17: Leave in the afternoon on the Crescent for New Orleans (Bedroom)

Day 18: Evening Arrival New Orleans

Day 19: Drive back home.

We are so excited to include train travel to our trip and to be able to see places we've never been. Any thoughts/ideas/hints/tips???? Thanks in advance.
 
I realize your about to leave on your trip (and have already booked it):

First I assume your planning to pick up the rental car in New Haven to save the hassle of driving and the expense of rental cars in New York City, as a New Yorker good choice. There is no reason to take Amtrak on that leg to New Haven (unless your making a same day connection), Cancel your tickets! Take Metro-North that runs unreserved express commuter trains hourly or better from New York to New Hven (you just buy a ticket and hop on) costing $20.50 peak/$15.50 off-peak each, much less than Amtrak. The trains aren't quite as comfortable as Amtrak (there no trey tables and the seats don't recline, certain trips do have a bar car) but perfectly adequate for the 110 minute journey. The trains include luggage racks and plenty of space for storage and you get the much less stressful experience of boarding a train in spectacular Grand Central Terminal with a track posted and boarding beginning well in advance before departure and not just 10-15 minutes before when everyone rushes to their gates that is the organized chaos of boarding a train in Penn Station.

On your way home in Penn Station since you'll be boarding your first class bedroom make sure you find the ClubAcela, the first class lounge to wait in to wait in. Make sure your there about a half hour before departure so you can have the help of an usher will come (if you don't need help with your luggage) and escort you and other sleeping car passengers through the chaos of the main boarding area of Penn Station and down to your track and your train.

Boarding your Regional Trains up the Northeast Corridor in Washington and Philly is easy, you stand in a line at the assigned gate in each station.

The other part of your trip that I think will be stressful (your just spending one night in each location) and traveling is your very quick 1,000 mile road trip:

I realize your probably used to long drives but up here in the Northeast we drive slower, the highest speed limit anywhere is 65mph (don't call me out on the streach-you won't be on it-on I-95 in Northern Maine beyond Banger) on highways and a max of 55mph on country roads with tons of slowing down for our numerous towns. The main day that will be really long (I've done nearly the exact drive) is going from Woodstock to Bar Harbor. 400 miles goes a lot slower in the northeast compared to the rest of the country (I've been to 45 out of 50 states and have gone on long road trips), we have more people and you just can't drive as fast.

I assume on day 13, you know you have two options for that route: staying on highways I-89 to NH-100 to the Main Turnpike (I-95) or going up I-91 north to US-2 and taking that across the White Mountains, I recommend the Route 2 route, it might look slow on the map (and Google is right that its slower than going across southern New Hampshire) but it didn't feel that much slower (I've gone both ways) and is incredibly scenic up through Vermont across the White Mountains and through Northern Maine with very little traffic to worry about compared to the cities of southern New Hampshire and southern Maine.

Enjoy your trip!
 
Good advice from Subway nut on the details. This forum is great for that kind of trip planning. I love trips like this and the daily driving as we tour is part of the fun for me. The only thing I would ask is can you take a different route home? Maybe NY to CHI to NOLA? Just so you see something different.
 
Another thing I might suggest, besides the advice to take Metro North between New York City and New Haven (NHV) is that if you do want to take Amtrak, you can take Amtrak right to Springfield, MA (SPG). The schedules are coordinated in NHV and it is an across the platform transfer in NHV. Even though they are called "shuttles", they are trains and not buses.

By taking the train to SPG, it would cut down on your driving. You can easily get back to SPG from Boston via I-90.
 
Wow, thanks for all the great advice. I especially needed to know about the slower traffic up North. Most of our roads are 70 - 75 mph. We are planning to weave through the White mountains, specifically going through Franconia Notch which is supposed to be preparing for a wildflower festival the next weekend. I knew it would be a long driving day but wanted to leave early and just get a taste of Vermont and New Hamshire. I wish I could spend a week in every place, but being off for almost 3 weeks is pushing it for us. I certainly hope we can go back some day for a longer look at New England.

I did pick New Haven randomly as a place that Amtrak goes that would get me out of New York for a safer place to rent a car. I've driven in San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, etc, but just from a brief visit previously to New York, I wouldn't even begin to attempt to drive there. I don't think, at this late date, I will switch trains, but it's good to know for future reference. Same about going a different route home. I've been from Chicago to Ft. Worth before (years ago) and I am contemplating going that way next summer. I want to take the Texas Eagle to Chicago, then the Empire Builder to Seattle and then an Alaskan cruise. I'll have to book that when I get back from this one. LOL

Eric308, we are spending the night in New Haven before heading back to New York so I will definitely look up Pete's.
 
I am obsessed with Pepes - it is the BEST pizza in the country IMO. I don't eat clams but I love a sausage pizza pie.

I think you are fine with Amtrak to new haven. Personally for me it's worth the extra $$ to ride Amtrak and save time.

I do want to caution you on the kennebunkport to new haven drive. It can be VERY slow and lots of stop and go traffic around Boston. You might want to take 95 to 495 to 90 to 84 to 91 to avoid Boston and the slow crawl that 95 can be through RI and CT.
 
Stonesmama said:
Wow, thanks for all the great advice. I especially needed to know about the slower traffic up North. Most of our roads are 70 - 75 mph. We are planning to weave through the White mountains, specifically going through Franconia Notch which is supposed to be preparing for a wildflower festival the next weekend. I knew it would be a long driving day but wanted to leave early and just get a taste of Vermont and New Hamshire. I wish I could spend a week in every place, but being off for almost 3 weeks is pushing it for us. I certainly hope we can go back some day for a longer look at New England.
I did pick New Haven randomly as a place that Amtrak goes that would get me out of New York for a safer place to rent a car. I've driven in San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, etc, but just from a brief visit previously to New York, I wouldn't even begin to attempt to drive there. I don't think, at this late date, I will switch trains, but it's good to know for future reference. Same about going a different route home. I've been from Chicago to Ft. Worth before (years ago) and I am contemplating going that way next summer. I want to take the Texas Eagle to Chicago, then the Empire Builder to Seattle and then an Alaskan cruise. I'll have to book that when I get back from this one. LOL

Eric308, we are spending the night in New Haven before heading back to New York so I will definitely look up Pete's.
Click to expand...
That would be Pepe's....you won't be sorry, and amamba thanks for seconding the reference!
 
I just wanted to let everyone know that our trip went off without a hitch. It was an awesome trip. On the way up there we had a bedroom and on the way back, we had 2 roomettes (for 2 adults and a teenager). We decided that we were more comfortable in the two roomettes, so we changed our tickets for the trip we are taking in December to Los Angeles. Thanks for all your suggestions. We LOVED the train portion of our trip. The food was surprisingly good. I think it was better than food we get on cruise ships. I can't wait until December for our next trip.
 
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