Some questions about the Cardinal (Huntington to Washington)

[grade1teacher]

I have recently joined this forum and have been reading the posts here to learn more about Amtrak travel. I am a recently retired school teacher, and the last time I rode a train it was a C&O passenger train. I was in the 6th grade on a school trip to Washington, DC. President Kennedy was in the White House at the time. Yes, I am old.

My husband and I are planning a trip to Washington, DC, in May, and we have decided to go by Amtrak. We live in Huntington, WV, a railroad town. In fact, my husband's father and grandfather were both machinists at the C&O/CSX shops here in Huntington, so he used to ride the train all the time when he was a kid, but this will be our first Amtrak trip. I have a few questions for you experienced riders.

1. How soon should we buy our tickets? Our plan is to leave on Friday, May 3, and return on Wednesday, May 8.

2. What is the procedure for checking in and checking baggage? Are there TSA agents at the train station like there are at airports? Are there any items which are prohibited on trains (liquids, etc) like there are on planes?

3. We have reservations at a hotel in Arlington. What are the options for getting from Union Station to Arlington? How difficult is it to get a taxi, and how expensive will it be?

4. Is there WiFi on the Cardinal?

I'll probably think of more questions, but this is a start. I am excited about this trip. I've been to Washington twice in the last 10 years, but both times I was chaperoning a group of 5th graders. We went on a bus. This time I'll get to see what I want to see. I'm also excited about riding the train through the New River Gorge, one of my favorite places in the world. I go there at least once a year, I've taken the Hawk's Nest tram down in the gorge, I've watched people jump off the bridge, and I've taken a jet boat tour on the river. Riding a train through the gorge will be a dream come true for me.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[greatcats]

Others will chime in with information, but here are my answers:

Buy your tickets now. I assume you will ride coach on this day trip. They can always be refunded. (You probably are aware that this train only operates three days per week , and I see that it does operate on those days you have planned. ) I know Huntington is a staffed station. You should be there at least 30 minutes ahead of time to check baggage, preferably a little more. There is no formal security check on these trains usually beyond the crew may ask for ID, but TSA and Border Patrol are known to put in appearances on occasion on Amtrak trains. The last I saw was sniffing dogs in El Paso in October. You may find it more convenient to get off the train in Alexandria and take the Metro to your hotel, or perhaps a taxi from there. That is a staffed station adjacent to the Metro. No Wifi that I know of on that train. It is not the greatest train by any definition, but since you are familiar with the area, you know how scenic it is. I have ridden it twice eastbound and thoroughly enjoyed it. Figure on being at least an hour late.

 

[jb64]

Hi Grade1 Teacher and welcome to the forum. Sounds like a great trip you have planned. As to buying the tickets, generally speaking, the sooner you buy, the better, especially on the Cardinal since it is a somewhat truncated train. If you are planning on a sleeper, you really need to purchase sooner as they sell out quickly. If you have flexibility with your travel dates, you can check out amsnag.net to see if there are lower fares a few days before or after your departure.

There is generally no TSA at train stations though there have been reports of them here or there. I doubt you will see any at all in Huntington. Basically, with the exception of firearms, there are no prohibited items on the train so bring your liquids and your leatherman tool or whatever else you fancy. If Hunnington has checked baggage, I think you must be there at least 30 minutes prior to your departure time to check them and then you will just pick them up at Union Station. If you don't want to check, there is often plenty of room on the train to carry on all your baggage, within reason. Basically, if you can carry it on, you can bring it.

Since Amtrak now uses etickets, there really is no reason to check in at the station unless you are checking baggage. Just wait at the station, you will know when the train arrives and then you board the train. Station attendants or volunteers will let you know when the train is arriving and how to line up, if necessary.

Alas, there is no wifi on the Cardinal. As I am sure you are aware, cell coverage in WV can be challenging so having wifi on the route of the Cardinal is also challenging.

As to getting to Arlington from Union Station, you may be able to take the Metro depending on exactly where your hotel is located. I let the DC locals answer this question for you, though.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[philk]

By far the most comfortable way to go through the New River Gorge (hiking and white-water rafting being the alternatives).

No wi-fi on the Cardinal, but a surprising amount of cell phone coverage...(Often, one or two bars, but still impressive given the terrain and remote locations.)

 

[abcnews]

Welcome, and my past is a bit like yours. My first train ride (at a very early age) was on those same tracks and it was on the C & O Railway. And I guess John Kennedy was President then. I was very young and can barely remember that, but I would ride several more times on the old C & O. I loved their "progress" logo and their trains were top notch.

The Cardinal route through the river gorges of West VA and along the valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia is considered one of the more scenic rail lines in America. I would certainly say that it is the best way to travel from Huntington to DC.

If you are staying in Arlington, then you could hop off at Alexandria - which is a wonderful station located on the fashionable King Street, just at the edge of Old Town Alexandria. There are plenty of Taxis available at Alexandria - so no worry there.

If I were you, I would consider purchasing a first class upgrade to a Roomette. The fare can sometimes be very reasonable and the ride is so much better. Plus the meals are included in the dinning car. I like the roomettes on that train because of oversized windows in each compartment. It's worth it just for the view.

 

[Blackwolf]

Having done a somewhat related trip, in the opposite direction, in December...

Arlington is very accessible by the DC MetroRail system, and depending on the exact location of your hotel, can be downright convenient. Me and my wife stayed in Roslynn, which is technically part of Arlington, at the Holiday Inn Hotel. It was a block and a half walk from the MetroRail station (blue and yellow lines) to the hotel, which is pretty darn close. We were in DC for a week, and did not use a single automobile for our entire trip, instead using mass transit to everywhere we needed which included Amtrak and Union Station as we took the train both inbound and outbound from California.

If you use MetroRail, you'll simply transfer at Metro Center station from the Red line (which services Union Station) to either the Yellow or Blue line (both of which use the tunnel to the Arlington area but split after servicing the Roslynn station. Check the Metro website for more information.)

 

[acelafan]

Welcome! I think you will enjoy the Cardinal. Very pretty scenery. Just be aware that particular train seems to run a bit late from time to time, so if it's delayed just try to relax and enjoy the ride. The tracks it runs on are owned by freight RRs as you might know and they aren't in tip top shape for passenger trains.

But again, enjoy the travel experience...it's a lot of fun. I also agree that if a sleeper accommodation is in your budget you will enjoy the trip that much more... Although your trip doesn't sound too long.

 

[afigg]

You already have some good responses, but I will add my 2 bits as someone who lives in the DC area.

1. If your travel dates are set, buy the tickets now. They will only get more expensive as the lower price seats are sold. Amtrak has implemented eTicketing. If you have a computer printer, all you need to do is print out the eTicket PDF page that will be emailed to you if you make the reservation on-line or on the phone. Huntington is a staffed station, so you can also get eTickets printed out there with your reservation number. The conductor will scan your ticket on-board the train at your seat.

You could upgrade to a roomette. but the Cardinal currently has only 1 sleeper car with a limited number of rooms which are not inexpensive.

2. No, there is no TSA security hassle to go through. There could be a temporary security checkpoint set up at Huntngton (unlikely), but they would do a simple and quick check of your bags. If you can handle and carry your luggage, you don't have to check your bags. Instead you can carry them onto the train yourself. There is a luggage tower and space at the end of the car to store the large bags and a overhead rack with a lot of room. This is a train with a lot more room in the passenger area than an airplane. But if you want to check your bags, you can do that to.

3. Where in Arlington is the hotel? As noted, you can get off the train at the Alexandria station and take the nearby DC Metro station to a Metro stop in Arlington to your hotel if it is reasonably close. Or take the train to DC Union Station, and take the Metro or a cab from there. Union Station in DC is a tourist attraction and busy center of activity.

4. There is no WiFi on the Cardinal. Amtrak has not implemented WiFi on their long distance trains in part because of the challenges of getting reliable coverage. You will get comfortable seats on the Amfleet II coach car with a lot of leg room compared to a bus or coach in an airplane.

Have a good trip to DC!

 

[Tracktwentynine]

The Cardinal stops in Alexandria, Virginia before it gets to Washington Union Station.

Since your hotel is in Arlington, Alexandria is probably the better place to get off. Arlington is along the western side of the Potomac River, north of Alexandria.

Adjacent to the Alexandria Amtrak station is the King Street Metro station on the Blue and Yellow Lines. The Blue/Yellow Line goes north into Arlington. If your hotel is in Crystal City or Pentagon City, you can take either line to get there.

If your hotel is in Rosslyn, you can just take the Blue Line straight there.

Otherwise, your hotel might be on the Orange Line, which you can connect to at Rosslyn.

If your hotel is not close to Metro, it's probably better to catch a cab from Alexandria.

On the other hand, if you'd rather go to Union Station, you can still get to Arlington. Union Station is on the Metro Red Line, so depending on which line your hotel is closest to, you can connect from the Red to the Orange/Blue Line at Metro Center or the Yellow Line at Gallery Place.

 

[grade1teacher]

Thank you for all the great responses. Our reservations are at the Hampton Inn in Crystal City (2000 Jefferson Davis Highway). It is apparently located about 2 or 3 blocks from the Crystal City Metro Station. So, if I go ahead and purchase the train tickets to Union Station in Washington, will they let us get off the train in Alexandria if we decide to do that, or are we required to go to on to Washington? I've checked the Amtrak website, and apparently all the roomettes are sold out for our chosen dates. They do seem to be a bit expensive anyway, and sitting in coach for a one day trip doesn't seem that bad. I wasn't aware that the tickets are refundable. I will go ahead and buy them soo.

You have all been very helpful. Thanks again!

 

[NETrainfan]

Just a note- if you do take a taxi in DC, be sure to give the exact street address of your destination to the driver.

 

[greatcats]

Hi Grade School Teacher! Greatcats, the First Responder here. Your train is scheduled to stop in Alexandria and there would be no penalty if you decide to get off there, but certainly inform the crew if your tickets read to Washington. They might not have anyone else getting off there and could not be prepared to open the doors. I traveled north from Florida a while back with a ticket reading to Washington, but requested to be let off my sleeper at Alexandria. It is a good thing I did, because two stops were necessary, as the Silver Star is a longer train that did not all fit on the platform. The Cardinal is only six cars. I stayed at another hotel which I believe is in the same neighborhood where you will be staying. Check out street maps beforehand online, as the Metro entrances and street layouts were a bit tricky. Otherwise, getting off in Alexandria was fine, although I would urge you to have a look at Washington Union Station, certainly a great landmark.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

If you're checking bags, then you want to get off the same stop as your bags. If they're ticketed to WAS, then you need to go to WAS to pick them up.

At WAS, you can get the Red Line metro and ride it to one of two stops where you can switch to one of the lines that go to Crystal City.

 

[NS]

Absolutely get off in Alexandria and take the Metro Blue or Yellow Line if you are going to Crystal City. You will save alot of time and it is much closer.

 

[NS]

Addendum: When you come out of the Crystal City Blue/Yellow Metro Station, continue straight ahead under Jefferson Davis Highway then make a left on Eads Street to 20th Street. This is quicker and safer because you don't have to cross busy Jefferson Davis Highway.

Also - Crystal City has a large underground concourse of shops, restaurants, and more (the Hampton Inn is not directly connected into it): http://www.thecrystalcityshops.com/. The concourses are open 24/7.

There are also restaurants on 23rd Street, south of the hotel.

If you plan to go to Old Town Alexandria, the southbound 9A (http://wmata.com/bus/timetables/va/9a.pdf?n) MetroBus stops on 20th Street right in front of the hotel and drops you off closer to the heart of Old Town (get a SmartTrip card when you first arrive, since the fares are lower and it can be used on Metrorail, Metrobus, and the other bus systems in the area).

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Also check with your hotel to see if they offer free shuttles from/to the metro station. If not, then maybe check with other hotels near yours. I went to a convention in Crystal City and though I was not staying at the hotel where the convention was (it was just a day trip for me), I was still able to take the shuttle they had for the metro station.

 

[Ocala Mike]

I've got you beat on age, so don't feel bad. When I was in the 6th grade, we still had inkwells, and Eisenhower was just coming in! All good answers to your questions; enjoy your trip.

 

[abcnews]

I would consider taking a cab from Alexandria to your hotel. The cost for the cab would not be that significant, and maybe $15 more than the cost of two Metro tickets. I don't think it is that far. Plus the cabs are curbside right there at the parking lot by the main door to the station. So you just have to carry your bags a few feet - no steps or escalators like in Union Station. And you arrive at your hotel a lot sooner, than traveling on to DC and taking the Metro back across the Potomac to Crystal City..

Also - you may possibly save a bit on the Amtrak rail fare for two tickets to ALX verses WAS.

 

[abcnews]

But the view as you cross the Potomac into DC is rather nice from the train. So taking the train into DC has a bit of upside. Union Station is really nice too.

 

[George Harris]

If you take the train into DC, sit on the left side when and after you get to the Patomac River crossing and you will have a great view of the Jefferson Memorial.

There is no real restriction on what you can have in your baggage. If you check it, just use judgement concerning breakables. If you want to carry gallon jugs of water or whatever there is no restriction. If you carry jugs of the liquids produced in various mountain valleys you are not supposed to imbibe while in coach.

 

[grade1teacher]

Thanks again for all the great ideas, advice, etc. We probably won't be checking our baggage. I think we can just carry them on. We will probably get off the train in Alexandria, then take a cab to our hotel the first evening we arrive.

For you locals in DC: Do you you have any advice for a newbie (a Mountain Mama who drives country roads) using the Metto?

Thanks!

 

[afigg]

For you locals in DC: Do you you have any advice for a newbie (a Mountain Mama who drives country roads) using the Metto?
Thanks!

I see that no one is jumping in to answer questions about the DC Metro. While it is a nice modern system, the fare system and price options is complicated, too complicated IMO. Hence people are not jumping in to answer. Check the fare information links on the WMATA website.

Since you will be in DC for 5 days, my short answer advice would be to get SmartTrip cards. The reason is that the Metro nows charges $1 per trip for the paper farecards. The SmarTrip card costs $5 with a $10 purchase where $5 is added to the fare account. So if you make more than 5 trips on the Metro, you save money. If you qualify for the Senior Discount, the paper farecard surcharge is 50 cents per trip, so it takes 10 trips to justify the SmarTrip. But you have to get to a Metro station that sells Senior Discount cards, Every station now has a SmarTrip vending machine. What you can do is buy SmarTrip cards for $10 and add $5 or $10 more at the farecard machines.

The advantage of the SmarTrip card is that it can be used on the DC Circulator buses ($1 fare) or the WMATA city buses. You may want to take a Circulator bus to Georgetown, Adams Morgan, or over a route not served by the Metro if you think you may be going to places outside the monument core (Mall, White House, Capitol Hill, the umpteen Smithsonian buildings). The money put on a SmarTrip card is not refundable, so don't load it up with a lot of extra bucks. Just add a few bucks as needed at the farecard machines in the station. The card does not expire, so if you leave DC with a few bucks on the SmarTrip, keep it for the next trip to DC.

The DC Metro does offer 1 day and 7 day pass cards, but the paper cards have restrictions and the 7 day unlimited use SmarTrip pass is expensive.

Like I said, the DC Metro fare options are complicated. The simple solution for a 5 day trip is to get a SmarTrip card for each person and add to it as needed. As for the Metro system itself, check the map on the WMATA website, and remember to stand to the right on the escalators (so those in a hurry can run up or down the escelator). Well, if the escelators are working. if you have a smartphone, there are a number of apps for navigating the DC Metro system. The better ones will provide info on when the next train is expected to arrive at each station which is handy.

Have a good trip to DC.

 

[abcnews]

Since there are two of you - splurge and take Taxi cabs as much as possible. Always seems like nice scenery riding the wide streets of Washington in a taxi. No need to worry about the other drivers or the red light cameras since you are not behind the wheel. You can talk to each other and look out your window.

 

[grade1teacher]

I have been studying the metro site for several days and the fare options were all very confusing. I guess I will take your advice and get SmartTrip cards, as you suggested. We are not old enough to get the senior discount yet, so we will have to pay full price. I don't know about riding cabs all over Washington. It sounds rather expensive. I don't think we will have long trips anyway. The metro should be sufficient for most of our trips.

We want to go to Mount Vernon one day. Can someone give me advice on the best way to get there?

I did go ahead and buy our train tickets today, so we are all set. Now we just have to wait 3 months.

 

[HoosierStater]

The problem with Metro fares is it all depends on where and when you're going. Union Station-Crystal City at 12 Noon is a different price than at 8AM (during rush). And a different price than Union Station-Bethesda at either time, unless by coincidence. But the fare combinations from any given station are posted at each station BEFORE you enter.