AMTRAK ACELA First Class - what's it like?
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In this video from June 2018, I take a look at Amtrak Acela's first class offering. As a Brit and a European, I'm fascinated by Amtrak. So, how did they do with the Acela product, running on high speed rail? Find out by watching!
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So, this is what Amtrak’s top-rank product is like. It’s...very Amtrak. Now, I love Amtrak and I wholeheartedly recommend travelling across America by rail if you have the time.
But, that said, Acela isn’t a good value product. Railways in America (or railroads, even) are still something of a niche pursuit for the enthusiast.
I enjoyed it, but if you’re not a crank like me...you might want to take the plane instead. Sorry!
(New trains are on order for Acela - I’ll be very interested to check those out when they arrive)
Paul's Trip Reports Will you ever take the Californian Zephyr? It’s an amazing Scenic route between Amtrak’S main Terminal (Chicago) and an amazing tourist Centre (San Francisco)
I did it a few years ago. Great train ride.
Here's the issue, Paul.....Amtrak is government owned, government run and government regulated. They see nothing wrong with it(and oh, heavens, where do I begin with what's wrong!), and they refuse to keep it up properly, nor will they allow any competition, which is why it's the only rail service in the US, and we still don't have bullet trains. There are many people who would enjoy travelling by train for a nice change of pace, and a lot of business commuters who find it easier to train it as opposed to driving in highly congested cities. However, as long as the government continues its stranglehold on the railways, this is what we're stuck with.
On the other hand, our airlines are a perfect example of deregulation gone horribly wrong. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It can be a gamble sometimes. Sorry this is a bit long. You have a Happy Christmas, Paul. Relax and enjoy. I look forward to your reports in New Year, and I'll wave to you as hopefully our flight paths cross, as I've finally been given medical clearance to take to the skies once again. Hoorah!
Have you ever taken the Northeast Regional? It serves all the same stations Acela does, is much cheaper, and unless you're traveling Acela in First, is pretty much equally comfortable. It's not a whole lot slower, it makes more stops but its max speed is 125 mph, almost as fast as the Acela. I have to say that while Acela has some shortcomings as a premium product, standard class on Amtrak is generally more comfortable than standard class on most European trains.
It's genuinely baffling that Amtrak hasn't worked out how to offer reserved seating yet. I mean they manage to reserve sleeping compartments, so clearly they have the capability.
I've taken the Acela from Newark and New York to Boston and back. It ends up being only slightly faster than driving if there's no traffic. (If there is traffic, then god help you.)
The big plus for me over flying is that you don't have to deal with the security and check in lines. I showed up in Newark 30 minutes early and that was it. Also, Boston South Station is right in the city, you don't need a ride from the airport to the city.
Am I the only one who gets a kick out of sitting on a train with another train stopped next to yours and suddenly one begins to move but you can't tell if its your train that's moving or the other? Lol
SO TRUE
I just enjoy train drag races. I was in Edinburgh on a diesel loco hauled service, racing against an electric multiple unit. The EMU completely destroyed us. 😅
Gets me every damn time lmao. Start to feel like I'm having a stroke 😂
The Germans have a word for that phenomenon - it's called Eisenbahncheinbewegung!
@@buzzukfiftythree had a stroke just trying to read that
I admire the creator's ability to kindly move from praises to critiques (and back again) without getting overly dramatic or biased in his report. Well done. Liked and subscribed.
It's highly appreciable considering many youtubers create videos with a fixed mindset and just keep enforcing it through the video.
Yes he did a lovely job! He should be proud. It’s nice to hear an honest take of American trains from a European
It's the proper English accent that can sound proper even in criticism.... lol
Brits tend to be more even -tempered than Americans. At least, that's part of the stereotype. Also, Americans generally respond positively to a British accent. The differences between different nationals is really quite interesting. Germans, for another example, are good at telling you politely exactly what they require. By comparison, Americans tend to be either wishy-washy or too pointed. Americans are known as friendly.
You'll be happy to know that as of a month after your posting of this video Amtrak went to all reserved seating in Acela First Class
That's great!
seems amtrak has also subscribed
James Jackson
A shame Amtrak are still old, dated, overpriced and tired.
Dunkin is a way of life in Boston. Makes perfect sense
Fun fact: Boston has the second most Dunkin Donuts in the world. The only city with more Dunkin Donuts than Boston is New York City, which has 4 more Dunkin Donuts.
Same in NY lol
Down here in Florida too
Not here in DC. I moved here from the Midwest and miss Dunkin. Can hardly find one here.
Most east coast carriers whether air or ground travel tend to lean toward dunkin and most west coast carriers lean to starbucks.
Just a note on assigned seating: It was in trial over the summer on select services and now all Acela first class cars have assigned seating on all trips.
As someone who takes Acela regularly just thought you should know. Great review as always.
Took Amtrak some years ago, first-class from Seattle to LA. Totally brilliant. Private room with shower upstairs on one of those big silver cars; lovely meals; impeccable service; fabulous vistas rolling past the window. And all done at a stately 50-60mph. That's the way to travel!
dopeydad1221 , you were on the Coast Starlight, it's the Superliners
We took the same train and had a great journey. The food was...OK, the scenery was amazing.
@@axellajohannesson447 were you in a sleeper? the sleeper meals in the dining car is restaurant tier
IF you want a really horrible experience - try taking a Greyhound Bus :D
Yep I know, I did it from California to Florida in 08 it was horrible lol
Same here, ceiling of the bus had a 2 inch crack that felt like I was in a wind tunnel
Try using the toilet on a Greyhound Bus - the closest thing to hell this side of eternity LOL!
It varies. The Northeast region Greyhound is pretty good. Out west it's grungy. Depends on if there's competition. I love boltbus
@@Acehitman369 me too!!!!!!
Let's all appreciate for a moment that Paul did not realize that Dunkin' IS the standard of quality and excellence for coffee on the East Coast. :)
The speed between New York and Boston is reduced due to the fact that there are a pair of old swing bridges and the fact that in New London the line is not grade separated. For safety reasons the must slower than normal. Also there are more trains on this section.
There are plans to replace the swing bridges in the DC to New york section, but they are having trouble trying to replace the ones up north due to boats.
As for the Dunkin Dounts, well thats the Northeast lol.
Steven Turner trains are also slow do the the amount of curves between Connecticut and NYC. There’s many.
There are also a number of small points where the line is not high speed, besides these bridges - sharp curves, stations without separation or safety measures for high-speed trains passing, poor track quality - and the Acela trains are comically heavy compared to European counterparts, due to FRA's outdated safety requirements, so they accelerate quite slowly. Those two things combine for the trains managing full speed in like two or three spots the entire route from Boston to NY.
Steven Turner ‘safety reasons’ but miles of open rail without a guard
Dam you are so correct
@@DaWolf805 to be honest, if apply the standard of European/asian high-speed rail, neither part of this track is high-speed (I mean completely dedicated track, where regional and freight train aren't allow, and that can support speed of minimum 250km/h).
And that's a shame: even country like Morocco and Saudi Arabia were able to have high-speed train going at 185 miles/h, with dedicated track, but not US
Amtrak probably chose Dunkins to appeal to the Bostonians. It's something of a religion here with a large and devout following.
All hail dunks
1. Dunkin Donuts (Do not dare to call it just DUNKIN!) has great coffee, but years ago the doughnuts were baked on site. Now it's all mass produced in one bakery facility, and the quality of the donuts should be of better quality like Tim Horton's or Krispy Kreme.
2. Penn Station is depressing and many New Yorkers are longing for a massive renovation project that will bring Penn Station back to its original glory.
@@P00katube I don't know anyone in Boston myself included who calls it Dunkin Donuts. It's either Dunks or Dunkin(s). As in, "If you're going to Dunks get me a medium regular and a chocolate cruller."
@@P00katube Tim Horton's is shit, all of their "food" is made off-site too.
*it's one of several local unofficial religions with large, devout, at times unhinged followings ;) there i fixed it for you
The federal government does not do enough to make Amtrak state of the art like what you see in Europe.
Oil companies!
The American government doesn’t see the benefits in helping out businesses, which is why there is no defined “flag carrier” in the US.
Close the lines that are not making any money. The Eastern corridor will be the only one open. It's the only one making money.
1quickster That’s not an affordable option. Maybe it is to the company, maybe it’s reasonable on paper, but that means cutting off the entire long distance network, which serves people in smaller areas, who normally do not have many options for transportation.
@TheShadowblade Or stop making it run for profit and properly subsidize it. Privatizing the rail network ruined the UK's trains! We need more public sector investment, not less!
People didn't stop riding trains because they loved cars--Henry Ford, US Steel and Standard Oil colluded to squeeze them out forcing people to buy automobiles.
My mother and father as recently as late 50s could get on the train in numerous small towns here in Kentucky and go anywhere in the country. Now I have a car but I cant go to Chicago, Cinci or Louisville like they used to.
I like my car but I still wish we had rail service-well passenger rail serviced. Lately Greyhound has been closing stations. There isn't one in my former hometown anymore.
The trains were all privately run. Fully private rail service is an anomaly anywhere in the world nowadays. The companies were going out of business and cashed out while they still could. Asking a private company to continue its failing business model, squandering everyone's investment in the process, is unreasonable.
Thank god they did. I would rather travel by myself not with a bunch of trashy people.
@@notnek202 :) Neither rail nor air travel is compulsory.
@@notnek202 except the bunch of trashy people you tried to avoid are now on the road with you lol
Trains are a great way to travel if you have the time but the service doesn't compare to flying. In 1945 is took about 46 hours to travel between Chicago and LA. Today it still takes 46 hours.
As someone who travelled outside of the US, I can confirm that our infrastructure is embarrassing compared to other countries.
Bill Wang
Travel some more. It SHOULD be the best in the world, but it’s not as bad as much of the world.
Yes indeed just post the same thing how we are so behind its ridiculous
Gigi Gasama lmao I’m not hating on the us. I’m just saying what I think. After all, it’s important to keep an open mind. At least I’m not some isis dude chanting death to America on Twitter.
Our trains n other public transportation suffer due to the car n airlines industry. But we still have the best system hands down having traveled all over the world. However, our public transportation is in great need to improve.
I am glad I can use most of our restaurant restrooms where we have toilet paper (would prefer a bidet). I don’t have to buy anything to use McDonald’s restroom nor need to pay for the restroom nor for the toilet paper that’s as thin as air in Europe.
Don’t get me started on China’s hole in the ground restrooms without basically anything needed to complete the restroom activities.
the rest of the world had their blown up and rebuilt about 1950 or so, or started building it much later (ie china)
renovation is like 10x the price of new.
I really enjoy your point of view. You're completely objective but with a hint of wanting to be positive. That's a really good attitude to have about travel. You want it to be good and you don't throw acid on people if it isn't. You aren't taking the point of view that a lot of travel writers mistakenly take which is the attitude of " I'm very sophisticated and you're lucky I'm giving you my business".
Thanks - this is pretty much my attitude to the whole channel!
Exactly!!!
Yes, most trains are tired and need to be updated or retired. Thank you for sharing. 👍😊🇨🇦
they're currently designing a new generation of acela trains.
The new trains look significantly better
I ride Amtrak frequently between Maine and Boston, I actually find the cabins on their regional trains to be bit nicer than the "premium" Acela.
Lucky You!! I'm so jealous!! I have to rely in one of my 2 cars to travel from Phoenix to Tucson every couple of weeks.... I know myself , if i lived in DC i wouldn't even own a car, but in AZ?? Good luck surviving without one!!
Love the ride from the two. Pain having to go from Boston station to another to catch the train to NY.....
I agree i run on the downeaster from maine to boston regularly too. Their service and trainsets seem to be a tad nicer than even the acelas
I still need to do that
Which is funny since that equipment is ancient compared to Acela. Most of their other rolling stock is from the 80s and early 90s. Also the downeaster gets a lot less traffic than the NEC so there is less wear on the equipment.
Nevertheless despite its shortcomings, I would still ride on Amtrak.
Same here
same
What choice do you have
WARNING: Watching Bob Ross while riding a train could be so profoundly relaxing it could cause you to laps into a coma. Do so at your own risk.
Funny comment, made more so by the typo "laps."
I took a train from Edinburgh-Carlisle on a saturday morning in January and listened to Lofi Hip Hop beats playlist on spotify. It was magnificent.
I’m going on the Acela first class in summer. Can’t wait. Even better, it is my first Amtrak ride!
Enjoy!
I ride the Acela every week from suburban Boston to NY Penn; I have an office in lower Manhattan, making a one-day round trip. 15 minutes from my driveway to the platform at Rt. 128 (Westwood, MA) station, park my bottom in a seat, put on the Bose noise canceling headphones, plug in my laptop and I'm set. No TSA, no wranglling with parking in the airport, none of it. 7 minute walk through Penn to the 7th Avenue subway (2/3 line) and in four stops I'm a brief walk from my office. Usually it works fine. Can't imagine hassling with the airlines. Get my regular free first class upgrades and use them to have a little wine & cheese on the way home. Amtrak lounge in NYC is fine, tending to be crowded at times. What are the other reasonable options? Flying, with a cab hassle on the NY end, though LGA, the armpit of the airline world? Driving? Tried that lately? Acela is costly (my company pays) but effective. We need a new rail right of way along the Bos-NY-DC route but who's going to pay for the land and property taking that would be necessary? Still, after 296 round trips I've yet to figure out a better way to manage this trip.
My first time doing NY Penn to Boston was due to a flight cancellation due to a snow storm in Boston. I enjoyed my ride a lot, lots of me time. If you are not in a rush itbis a good alternative to flying, just consider the price diference as an investment in stress relief.
Is this your daily commute? What is your door to door time? I live in Ireland and have approx 90mins door to door commute to work.
Seth Lewin rather common for a lot of people. I use to take the train into NY from Princeton and later Wilmington DE and agree that the train gets you into downtown vey easily, except for the one winter morning when everything was frozen. By the time I got to the office a noon, everything was shut down and I turns around and when home.
Having ridden both Acela Business and First for the whole BOS-WAS (and many other times in Business for WAS-NYC) and Eurostar in Premium Select and Economy on the old Class 373s, I do have to say that the Eurostar’s premium cabin food beats Amtrak’s and going 186 on the Eurostar was a total wow for someone used to Amtrak’s NEC offerings. That being said, Amtrak will always have a place in my heart because of all the times riding them as a young kid and I’ve never once come across a bad Amtrak employee face to face or on the phone. The level of personalized service both in the sleepers and in longer-distance premium classes is really cool. The people add something you just can’t get from a 2 hour flight. For the WAS-BOS leg especially, You take Amtrak for the experience and cell service, you fly to get there quick.
potatopenguin78 Amtrak employees are generally really nice and helpful I’ve found.
That’s the crappiest first class lounge I’ve ever seen.
Welcome to Amtrak.
USA... 1st class in weapon manufacturer.. not customer service...
@@profiveactive4758 The weapon manufacturing is under scrutiny 99.9% of the time so no wonder its better than say any public US transport which then most of America drives anyways. We don't care as much for public transport compared to having reliable and regulated manufacturing of any kind of product because corporate regulation. In the name of Transport, we frankly care to drive ourselves to our destinations or take the plane.
Fuck you.
@@profiveactive4758 What? You want us to fight wars with bow and arrows?
8:45
I cross that bridge every day and I always gawk at the trains whenever they pass.
Keep up the good work!
Nice and enjoyable video Paul. You have a pleasant voice and your speech is easy to understand. Thank you for the relaxing moment.
I agree you Jerry . I'm learning English and I'm a train fanatic so I thank Paul's speech. His speech is very easy and he speaks slowly so when I'm enjoying his videos I'm learning at the same time.
Flying in the post 9/11 world isn't what it was before. Nowadays, it means standing in line forever in security, getting undressed and unpacked, getting your balls fondled, getting dressed and packed yet again, and then having to spend a fortune on a bottle of water because they wouldn't let you through with the drink you had. Then you get to your gate and depending on the airline, you may get stuck on some cramped regional jet with no room for your bags. This is a real issue along the NE corridor as many of these routes are served by these smaller planes, particularly Boston to NY.
Now compare that to Amtrak where there's no bag fees, no weight checking your bag, no getting fondled by the TSA, no unpacking and undressing, you can bring all the food and drink you can handle, there's lots of space for your bags, and you can move about. It's not perfect by any means, but when you consider the comfort offered by the train vs most airlines, it's easy to see why many opt for the train. It's not just for enthusiasts.
I do agree though that Acela doesn't offer much value in terms of a premium product. NE regional coach is good enough for me and after the recent refurbishment, it's just as comfy as Acela. The only reason I would take Acela over the NE regional is if I had an upgrade coupon to first class. Then I can get in for the cost of a value business ticket, and it's worth it.
over exaggerating
Also, traveling with children, larger persons is difficult and humiliating on planes. Airlines overbooking flights is another. I like traveling by train and really like having an option.
SO so very true. They won!
@@josfitz LaGuardia should just be blown up and mown over, with a warning sign not to build anything there ever again. Dulles and Logan come in a close second. I personally think LaGuardia is the most evil Airport in the universe! Yes, even worse than JFK, and that's saying something!
@StringerNews1 gee! Apparently, because Im crippled now, and have been for the last 14 years, I have a completely different flying experience than a lot of you. I'm not really certain what to think. When I go to the airport, TSA does not make me go through the xray machine nor do I get a "body cavity" search. They wave one of those wands over me do the most basic inspection and that's it. They touch me as little as possible. Once I'm through security, they offer me a bottle of water, and hand sanitizer, if I'd like some. One of the guards wheels me over to my gate and amuses me till it's time to board. Then they take me down the beltway and a nice flight attendant takes over, helping me into my seat and putting my bags away. This happens every time. I'm guessing it's because I'm in a wheelchair? My accident happened just a few years after 9/11, and I think the last time I'd flown prior to 9/11 was the year before, and I remember your family could meet you right at your gate. They can't do that anymore. I remember, as a child in the 70s, you couldn't meet your family at the gate, either. The rules were pretty strict back then, too. Somehow, the rules just went by the wayside till 9/11. Then they put them back in place and tightened them up. It made sense to me. The bit about not being able to bring your own beverage on the plane has gotten kind of dumb now, though. I would very much like it if they dumped that rule. At least, you can bring your own food, as long as it's in wrappers, or something like that.
Boston - NY is slow because of crossings and the amount of stops. Acela is too expensive for this route. The standard NE Corridor train is better value for money. Acela NYC-Washington is decent because it's city center to city center faster than air travel.
Crossings being a reason for slowness - trains in the US don't actually have the right of way at all time?
Never mind, i remember now, it's likely the inability to consistently prioritize passenger over cargo trains, not the least for ownership of train tracks being too fragmented.
There are 11 crossings... that has nothing to do with the speed. In fact the Boston section is faster due to the segments of 150
that's not true. It's 4 hours compared to 2 hours 45 min. @@AmtrakProductions
Amtrak Enthusiast I said the speed was faster, not the time
Great video I live in San Francisco I flew SFO to Dulles. I took the Acela to New York what a great ride. The conductor said we would hit 150mph by Wilmington. Next year I am off to Europe to ride trains.
Have a great time - there are some amazing high speed services in Europe!
@@Paul_Lucas We all so have better food offerings!
@@thevirgintraveller ...also..
@@alanstuart4646 modern day reliance on predictive text isn't a good thing!
@@thevirgintraveller Agreed! It's tripped me up a few times too!
I've traveled from DC to Boston many times during the Christmas holidays. Where Amtrak shines is when you have a snowstorm the day before you are to return and the airlines cancel everything out of Boston. Only one time did the train not run on the day that I was to return. However; the very next day they added enough cars to accommodate everyone who was cancelled and all of the reservations for that day. There were actually more times than enough that the airlines let me down during the holidays. Amtrak still runs. My favorite thing about the train is the leg room and storage for your bags. Although it takes much longer than flying, you can walk through the cars. The other thing is the quiet car. It fills up fast. No loud talking either to a person or on the phone. A nice quiet ride to stretch out and read a good book. One more great thing is that the train takes you right into the city. No catching a cab or asking a friend to take you to Dulles or BWI.
6:20 I read elsewhere that drug dealers prefer train travel to flying in order to avoid airport security screening. That could explain the police and sniffer dogs episode....
TH-camName it’s true, we do.
You are correct come from a military family and law enforcement's this is why when traveling to Penn station or union station you will see law enforcement and there companion to sniff sniff
@@jerod5636 😂
That dog is a TSA bomb dog they are leased to local PD for this use they are not looking for drugs
At least they give money to amtrak
At least between New York and Boston, the slower "Regional" service is usually a much better value, and it typically only takes about 15-30 mns longer. The one thing I will say is that standard class on that route is a zoo... go for the quiet car, or the $30 supplement for business class is worth it in my experience - much less crowded and the legroom is fantastic.
That's a good point - business class on the NE Regional isn't spectacular but is well worth the few extra bucks it costs.
What are you talking about? An Acela leaves DC at 503am and a NE Regional leaves DC at 500am. Yet the Acela gets to Boston an hour and 10 minute before the regional. it runs 123 miles non stop from New Haven to Providence. (on one trip it actually runs from Stamford CT DIRECTLY to Providence 2hrs 13mins away.)
Kevin Howard : From the video, the Acela on the Washington-NYC segment is quite fast, but NYC-Boston is not as fast. Also, there were not a lot of passengers on that slower part of the trip.
I’m with you on this.. I’ve been around Amtrak my whole life and got to ride Acela once when it first debuted.. between WAS and BOS there’s really isn’t a big difference in arrival between the regional and the Acela Express. At most you’re skipping all of like 10 stops if that.. and arriving to Boston or dc is literally less than an hour at the most..
I lived in the Trenton, NJ area for 22 years, so it was a bit of hoot to see the "Trenton Makes" bridge in the video.
The bridge says, "Trenton Makes, The World Takes." In reality, most people will agree that it's actually now, "Trenton Made, The World Took."
Heh! I’d love to visit Trenton some day, just because I’m a fan of the Office (US).
Paul's Trip Reports The US Office is in Scranton, though.
@@Paul_Lucas You're confusing Trenton, NJ with Scranton, PA.
I've been to Scranton. You're not missing out. Better off as a fan of the show going to LA and finding the building they used for the Dunder Mifflin exterior.
That sign refers to Bayer Aspirin.
Trenton made, then sat on its ass, got the Union to destroy the local economy, and then the World took.
I'm sure it still beats I-95 from New York to Cape Cod! LOL!! Great video!
if only they still operated the Cape Codder.
Anything north of Virginia exit 46 is a nightmare.
And everything south of there is nightmarishly boring. Anyone who complains Nebraska is flat has never been to Florida.
The airlines should be embarrassed that the Acela will cover a route out of New York to Massachusetts FASTER than a plane because of the hassles with check-in desks and JFK's constant traffic delays. True you save only about an hour but hey, it's a lot less stressful than being cooped up in a sardine can flying through the air!
Having travelled outside the US, especially ME, coming home it just feels tired and embarrassing to look at the state of our aviation and transportation industry. There is no quality or class in presentation. Sigh.
@Vladimir_Bone Spur_tRump seems that way.
@Vladimir_Bone Spur_tRump these trains look much better than my county's actual 3rd world trains
Meanwhile CHINA'S technology are now the best in the world..specially their High speed trains..now the fastest in the world..and they have connected every cities all around China with High speed Trains..very Elegant designs and High tech ..your coffee won't spill its so stable because you are like floating in the air while travelling 431 k/hr..I hope U.S will have one of those..every states and cities interconnected..imagine what impact it .can have to thr economy..
@@MAR-kg9xi chinas infrastructure is really high tech and top notch.
Take a ride with Switzerlands Glacier Express but Acela 1st does not reach Switzerlands average Service for The Restaurant.
Approximately eight years ago, my daughter and I took the Acela First Class from Philadelphia to New York City. Absolutely stunning cars, early morning mostly commuters, many Journalists were onboard. We were also on the quiet train. Loved it.
So if we just combined European First Class service, route times & design with Amtrak's leg, toilet & storage room...we'd have the perfect train service! I'm hoping to travel by Amtrak for an experience at some point in my life (Empire Builder particularly...gosh I still love that review you did a while back) :D great review as always Paul and looking forward to the rest of your world tour!
You don't need as much legroom in European trains since you usually spend much less time in them. Don't forget American trains are also bigger, hence the more legroom and storage - but American people are also fatter, they need more space.
I think the scenes of NYC in the mist looked amazing! Sometimes the diffused quality which happens in bad weather is better than the brilliance to be had in sunshine. Thank you for the video!
Agreed
Over 7 hours from Boston to DC? Well it looks a hell of a lot more enjoyable than my trip from Dover New Hampshire to San Antonio Tx on a Greyhound bus that took 52 hours. Never again...
General Obi Wan Kenobi now THAT must have been an awful trip!
@@Stasea1 it was an adventure, no doubt about it. However, except for the BO of a couple of unwashed slobs, the overall length of the trip and my almost total lack of sleep it was memorable. In NYC's bus terminal I stood next to an older Mexican national and I struck up a conversation when I saw his luggage tag said Laredo, TX as I was going back home to San Antonio Texas. I had only turned 18 two months prior so I was a babyfaced 6ft tall, as far as anyone knew, white guy on a solo trip. He didn't have to but he watched out for me the whole trip. Virginia in early October is right up there with New Hampshire as the most beautiful states. Virginia has so many orchards. The Shenandoah Valley is an amazing sight. Wish I'd had my camera. This was october 2001 so cameras on cell phones were not a thing yet. Back then we still used calling cards for long distance.
It felt like it took a week until I saw the sign "Welcome to Texas". I was suddenly rejuvenated, as if Texas is life. From Dallas to San Antonio it's an almost 5 hour drive. I shit you not it felt like it had taken 45 minutes. About the same amount of time it takes to drive from San Antonio to Austin. I think part of the reason it went so quickly is because I35 from Dallas to Laredo is familiar. I'd been through there a couple of times. The bad thing about finally entering my home town was that the bus passed right by the street that my house was only 4 blocks down. I wished I could have gotten the driver to stop and let me take my bags so I could walk the rest of the way.
Knowing now what I didn't know then, I'd've taken the train.
Sorry, I think I farted on you for at least 26 hours of that trip. I had a nasty breakfast of beans, onions, garlic, and SOS on a rye bun. Tell me, was it good for you? It was good for me. BRRRRRRAAAAPPPPPPP!!!!!!
@@GeneralKenobiSIYE That trip sounds wonderful and exhausting! We've gotten so preoccupied with the speed of the journey that we miss the best part - the travel through the countryside. :)
Boy if that was First Class, I'm just terrified to think of what Business class is
it's the exact same without the unappetizing meals
@@AmtrakEnthusiast If they allowed food on board, I'm sure people would be buying food at the station and riding on Business class instead of riding first clads
@@certifiedbruh2180 they allow food. or you can get it from the cafe
It's NO different on Italian trains. I rode first class on Trenitalia from Milano to Geneva, Switzerland and it was NOTHING special. The only difference is you get a bit more room and it's an enclosed cabin with seating for four.
largol33t1 people forget trains in italy are actually fast and also very cheap (absolutely no need to get first class)
Paul, you said it as you saw it. You were absolutely about everything from food, luggage space and the speed of the train. Love your videos.
You’re a tough critic. I appreciate that.
Rock Roll - I think this Brit complains too much, the food looked good to me, he doesn’t look like he’s missed a meal - lol
Madam Butterfly you gotta remember that he paid 300$ one way for the Ticket thats why he complains. You could fly to Boston and eat at a Star Restaurant for the price and duration of the train
Madam Butterfly “the food looked good”.
He actually ate it. I think he is in a better position to review it. Has nothing to do with being British or with complaining. It’s a review, he gives his opinion and does not have to say what Amtrak wants to hear.
@@madambutterfly7513 Believe me, there's a vast difference between complaining and criticism...
Madam Butterfly and you don’t look like you’ve ever been in a store and left without demanding to speak with the manager
I love your honesty and being someone who was interested in the Amtrak Express well I guess it won't be happy because if you put a bad report out there like that it is as good as gold for me
#AL2SmoothTheMountainbiker - do u believe everybody’s opinion without trying it out first yourself???
@@madambutterfly7513 is there a reason you have a problem with my opinion? Or are you having a good time just trying to get some attention for yourself?
I've traveled in The Excella... Washington DC to Stamford CT and up to New London Ct.. I enjoyed the video very much.. it was nice to see the different places... New London is so pretty.. my mom was born in Bridgeport CT so it has a special meaning to me
Stumbled on this by chance looking for US train journeys. Great video. Well thought out, unbiased and fair. Thanks for your efforts, m8.
I am one of the few people who makes the full journey 6-7 hour journey between Washington, Union Station and Boston, South Station. I prefer Business Class over first class because you can move around and sit wherever you want rather than having a seat assigned to you, Oh and I hope to go back on December 20th in 20 days. Wish me luck. As always I am taking the 2150 to Boston South Station. Amtrak isn't perfect, but I STILL enjoy riding on it and I will continue to do so in the future.
I take the same route with the normal train, pay economy class, bring my own food, take 30 min longer and pay $100-140 less. It's a better deal. Most people travel from Boston to New York by bus and pay about $50 one way. Thanks
How long does that take in heavy traffic?
$50? You're overpaying 😂
@@sethlewin7815 4½ to 6 hours, barring unusual circumstances
I’ve done the NYC to Boston and DC separately and trying business class and Acela, I much prefer business class. A few dollars cheaper, and maybe a half hour longer, but I find the space and the seats much better in business class. Grab a couple of goodies from Pret and you’re all set!
OR NY-BOS 13$
Hi Paul,
I enjoyed this review of Acela Express service and I agree the catering in first class needs improvement along with the boarding procedures.
My best wish for a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Keep traveling.
$300 one way ? !
That’s insane.
Hell I can get first class with that money.
Totally insane.
You can fly from Boston to Washington in 1.5 hours In First class for less money 😂
@Ethan Levy round trip too.
Here in japan on our N700 bullet train in usd its about 200 usd for first class i only use biz class for local ( usen english terms lol )
Wilmington, Delaware... I actually saw my house. Yay!
I need a life. xD
CarmenMonoxide that’s a parking garage
I love travelling in trains but watching your videos make me feel so excited !! I am from India and all these videos are really incredible!
Whilst the Acela First Class product is showing its age, there was soft refurbishment of the train sets in 2010, but the current train sets will be replace by new Avelia Liberty trains beginning 2021.
Despite the food and seat product not up the scratch, is better than Business Class on some of the larger American legacy airlines.
HA! I love that in the US it takes 11 years to upgrade seats and in that same time China took their high speed rail system from a small stretch in Shanghai to the largest in the world.
@@josfitz I'll try but I make no promises.
Just after the rules were relaxed, a train in Belgium splattered all over the roadbed when it hit a tarpaulin from a passing train. No, solidly built trains are better.
@@tonyburzio4107 - It was in Norway and both trains where on a bridge in high winds when the accident happen.
The important point is that the carriages tore apart where in America nothing would have happened.
Cascades trains in the northwest feature mandatory seat assignment at check-in by the agent. Dunkin coffee is quite popular in the northeast, so many passengers would be fine with it. Penn Station at street level is truly nasty; they tore down the old ornate one years ago to replace it with a complex you'd need to experience to get how dismal things can get.
They probably do that because the route crosses an international border and they don't want stragglers to "mistakenly" end up in Canada
@@theotheronethere4391, pretty much that.
I used Acela First last year from NYC to Washington. Nothing special, by far the worst part was negotiating the cesspit, aka Pennsylvania Station New York. They demolished the World's greatest rail terminal in the 60's to be replaced by the current shithole.
Paul Lewis- yep. Imagine if Jackie O & others hadn’t fought for Grand Central
good thing we have union station here in chicago.
I did the Acela from Boston to New York back when I was in college. I enjoyed the trip. The return trip was on the Regional train which was much less fancier and slower.
I love Dunkin coffee! Much better than Starbucks, IMO.
And Boston is the hometown of Duncan, that's why it's served.
Nah Starbucks is 694201337 times better
Plus the harsh fluorescent lighting, orange chairs, and unwiped Formica tables!
Id rather see illy or nescafe. Especially in a first class setting.
@@ceoofprosciutto235 Only if you're a yuppie
Quite good review and many thanks. I've taken Acela from Boston down to NYC and found it to be pretty close to your experience. All in all, I definitely prefer rail over airlines between these two cities- far more relaxed, no TSA, and you get to see the countryside, including lovely views of bays. While it truly lags European or Asian rail, I recommend it.
Don't diss Dunking Doughnuts. The coffee and doughnuts are amazing. Unless u prefer that crap from Starbucks.
Micah Pollack carp? A fish in the percolator no doubt
@@ddavda100 That might help!
Star bucks shouldn’t be crap for what it costs
Y'all, Tim Hortons beats both of those.
@@matthewbrooder9414 never had it. Tims coffee. I love my coffee so I will keep an eye out and make it a point to try it.
Dunkin Donuts was known to have excellent coffee long before coffee became trendy.
@Thor Swenson It depends what you mean by "premium"? It may not be as widely distributed as Starbucks, but definitely is of equal or better quality.
As a Bostonian who lives on Dunkin I would have to say it's prob not the best product to choose for a premium service. Maybe Starbucks would be a better fit as it seems a step above Dunkin.
Oh, please! I drink HEB coffee out of a mug and it's just as good as the trendy Starbucks. The only difference is I don't have the Starbucks logo on my mug, thus anyone who is with me can see I must be absolutely clueless and gauche. lol
I'll take DD over SBX any day. To me, SBX always smells & tastes like its burned. But if the train product is labeled "premium" (which Amtrak/Acela isn't & likely never will be), I suppose they should offer "premium" coffee.
In America, where people don't know what good coffee tastes like :D
Hi Paul, I'm Pete. I really enjoy ur videos. Especially the Artic Circle train one. I might give it a go when this virus is gone. The Acela now has reserved seating in 1st class. I'm not sure in business. I'm kinda a snob traveling. It's either 1st class on the trains and business class when I flying. The main domestic airline I fly is Delta. The best business class when I fly is Virgin and SAS as i use to travel to London a lot and Oslo a lot. Hopefully. Next year I'll start traveling again. Have a great day!!!!!
I took Amtrak from Penn to Boston a few years ago. We had affordable seats, which were roomy enough, but we spent most of the trip in the bar car. It was a great way to travel, and we had better weather, so I was pleasantly surprised how scenic it was. Yes, there aren't always picturesque vistas, yet there was so much to see along the way. As he says, it's interesting. Therefore, if you like a few cocktails, more opportunities to interact with other passengers and you don't mind taking your time, skip the shorter flight and relax. Also, skip first class, too.
62Mph!? Jesus even the London Underground Metropolitan line goes faster and it's a Tube train.
Great Video btw 👍
One of the main reasons, the line is slower from NYC-Boston is that the stretch from NYC to New Haven is controlled by the Metro North Railroad! It's a commuter line and the speeds are limited to 80mph max with many 50mph stretches because of the curvy nature of the route and various bridges! The line has many 150 mph stretches once returning to Amtrak territory enroute to Boston!
Angela's strength lies in its tilt mechanism that allows faster speeds around the curvess! The Acela trainsets will be replaced staring in two years with the introduction of the Acela II trainsets which will have a top speed of 160 mph!
The line was electrified twenty years ago!
You dimwits forget the US is massive. 20 miles of high speed rail is easy.
Dude, Dunkin Donuts is America’s Coffee
shelly barrett yeah I stopped watching the video after that comment
They should just change the name to Dunkin Coffee😂🤣 That’s all they promote 😂🤣
Man i am CRAVING a dunkin donut rn with some coffee and a joint. Can NEVER go wrong with Dunkin Donut
Truth That’s why they should change the name to Dunkin Coffee😂🤣 Some locations in Europe are named like that
@@momelendez9691 didnt they change to just "Dunkin"?
$282 is expensive, over here you would pay 1/4 of that for a flight of about the same distance and it takes
Good lord..... That's expensive. In india we have shitty trains. But they r safe and cheap. Only 10 rupees (1 doller = 70 rupees) for every 25 km give or take. That is for 1 doller we can travel close to 175 km. The catch is that it is general compartment. can't guarantee a seat. But I will board early and thus problem solved. If u wanna book a seat here, then the ticket is expensive but 200 doller for a train ticket. That's unheard off for a village boy like me.
How much do you need to add to that flight time (in Britain at least) for ever increasing security checks and that's after you have paid a disproportionate sum for parking and rip off prices for food and drink?
@@abhilashsajeev.k1679 with about another 100 people standing inside the carriage and the whole roof?
@@jasonoreilly6204 Are memes your only source of knowledge?
@@sagargupta1827able memes? Nah mate, just FACTS
I appreciated his honesty!! It absolutely did NOT discourage me from taking the train. His perspective is interesting and objective--- 😃🙃👣
We took this same train and route last year and did not find it a problem at all. The great advantage of trains is that they depart and arrive at the centre of the city. With the aggravating and time consuming security checks at airports, this is my preferred choice of travel.
Compared to Australian pedestrian passenger train services (7 hours for the 350km - not miles for the Express Passenger Train - XPT), the Acela is certainly a fast train.
Look forward to the next instalment!!
That's 30mph. Ouch.
bushyconn Yep, plenty more train videos to come. Not many of them will be as slow as this one!
Australian trains really are tripe. The worst has to be Canberra to Sydney, which takes 50% longer by train than by coach; and that includes Sydney traffic. Plus the Canberra station is not exactly central.
Amtrak Adirondack: 11 hours in theory, not counting the almost daily delays of often a few hours, so that's easily 12 or 13 hours. For 610 km. There are much faster regional trains in Europe - I am not even talking about high speed main lines!
Paul I would be interested in seeing reviews of some of the Australian trains if you get the chance.
Paul's analysis of Acela is spot on, however, I still prefer it to travel by air.
IT will get better when the new train sets arrive
Great video Paul. I have to agree about the ride quality; I don't think many people appreciate the time and effort Network Rail go to to ensure it's decent on the main lines (ECML, WCML, ect) In fact I'd say most people in the UK don't appreciate the train at all. There always was (and probably still is) the saying that an Amtrak arriving within 2hours of when it should was considered 'Good performance' Here we see 20 minutes as appalling. Just a shame trains are so expensive in the UK
Compared to Australia the uk train network is excellent and decades ahead of Australia. But Australia is generally much nicer train wise than the USA. Eg QR tilt trains etc. I don't get what the people in the uk complain about. Other than outrageous price of tickets in the uk for the distance travelled.
@@nickhiscock8948 Most of the UK rail network was built over 100 years ago, and pretty much neglected and starved of investment until well into the 80s and 90s when things began to change. Huge amounts have been invested since then, and continue to be invested and that money comes from the taxes we pay and the fares. It's entirely possible if the under investment hadn't seen the infrastructure pretty much falling apart until the 80s/90s, we perhaps wouldn't be seeing the huge fares we see today as upgrading to modern standards wouldn't have been so costly. It is possible to travel for much more reasonable prices though, but you have to book well in advance and in many cases there are only a limited number of cheaper fares available. Local commuter trains in areas where fares are set and services regulated by a local passenger transport authority are also pretty decently priced, especially when compared to the intercity services. It's actually cheaper for me to travel into Leeds from where I live by train than it is by bus and of course, the train is far quicker.
I 'm very fond of youre travelouges. However, what makeswatching worthwhile is the integrity of your observarions.
Great that you nc all them out - but are open and honest about the good points.
The views of NYC when departing Penn northbound or arriving from the north are super nice. I remember the first time going to NYC: took the Acela from Boston South to Penn and when I first saw the skyline I was in awe because it's probably _the_ most recognizable skyline in the world. It was a magical feeling to know that finally I get to visit the city! A childhood dream come true!
I would say train is the BEST way to travel if the trip is 3 hours or less. Anything more than that, I would fly.
Having recently spent a lot of time in the USA (New York and Washington) I couldn't help but notice the crumbling and poor state of the infrastructure. The roads were terrible, airports needing refurbishing and trains equivalent of what we had in Europe on the 70s. It's sad that the government simply does not prioritise this.
American is a 3rd world country. Billionaires like the Kochs brainwashed America into believing government anything is evil, that taxes are evil.
@@zeitgeistx5239 Im sorry that i live in a trash 3rd world country and not a perfect 1st world society like Europe, Canada, china, japan, North Korea or Russia like you
@@zeitgeistx5239 I travelled to italy and gemany and i promise you the infrastructure there is mediocre at best and often thid world
I promise you more people wanna come to us than whatever thid word lake you hail from..
You should review the Brightline in Florida
Perfect train to ride! Love Acela and NER.
American trains rock!
It stops in Baltimore Maryland. Not just Maryland. BWI is not a small airport from my understanding and the train stops in Baltimore Penn station
Dunkin Donuts coffee is pretty good. Better than Starbucks.
I've drunk Dunkin Donuts and their coffee is always decent. Starbucks is just black sludge that they sell and claim is coffee...
AGREED!!!!!!
D&D isn't bad coffee but you can't call it a premium brand as Paul said in the video. Try one of $tarbucks reserve coffees sometime.
@@sjm7518, Amtrak needs to partner with better companies to provide better food if they want to run and succeed at running a first-class experience.
Your vids are always accurate and balanced. Too bad that Acela, with a few inexpensive changes, could upgrade to where it belongs.
I can Recommend the Spirt of Queensland traveling from Brisbane to Cairns in Railbed when I traveled on it last it was great trip good food great service and I recommend for you to try.
I love train journeys and your video was great--sometimes speed is dictated by track conditions however track repair is ongoing throughout the country. Unfortunately first class ain't what it used to be and train travel is expensive compared to time saving air travel. But it is more fun!
Always always sit on the east (right) side of the train for the New York to Boston section of the trip. The views are fantastic. I wish you had better weather for your trip.
You said they looked run down. They are in the process of building a new Acela
The Avelia Liberty it's supposed to be an actual 220mph+ high speed train. It's apparently based off the TGV in France.
Rode the Acela to New York yesterday..
I live in Wilmington, Delaware... I always ride the train to Philly...
What you get for your money on the tracks of USA vs Europe is just crazy! I reference what you paid for your Milan - Palermo journey! Crazy!
I grew up riding Union Pacific RR passenger service! Was a wonderful experience because the car road nicely with it running on a freight line!
If I was running a REAL MODERN service it would run through a tub with a digital view showing you a surface view!
It’s nice they give good service with clean coaches!
Hopefully service management work for great service!
Also, they just added reserved seating.
Edit: We didn’t get a K9 sniffing dog, Odd..
I appreciate your review, as I haven't been on the Acela yet. As far as the quality of the ride and equipment, our Congress has seen fit to starve AMTRAK for decades. Also, the Northeast Corridor contains very old alignments, much of which is owned by the freight railroads ( and freight always seems to have precedence). As far as food quality, I suppose its close to standard airline food in quality, but I think the western trains do better in that regard (Empire Builder, California Zephyr, Southwest Chief). By the way, Dunkin Donuts may be perceived to be "downmarket", but I've always thought it pretty good, versus Starbucks, which is overhyped, IMHO. Enjoyed your review very much!
The northeast corridor is 0% owned by freight companies.
Dunkin' Donuts! Oh, he'll yes!
I'm smiling as I remember the entire experience lovingly wonderfully , .beautiful.
I truly respect your honest opinion. And I absolutely LOVE your informative, objective videos!
One of the only countries with a lower value for money service than here in the UK XD
You'd be surprised as to how easy it can be to work the system in the UK. For example, I got from Sheffield to London St Pancras International for £18.60. In first class! It's all about booking in advance. I mean sure, sometimes you can't do that and yes, sometimes, the prices can be astronomically high. But unlike in the states, you can get some really good prices for travel on trains.
@@TheFlatCapFromWN5 I agree. A few weeks ago I went from Keighley to London Kings Cross 1st Class return for £55 using Seatfrog app for cheap upgrades.
Amtrak is the reason we Americans prefer using our cars. We can travel faster, the food on the road is usually better, and you don't have to fight the crowds at the stations.
Good video Paul. It's true, American's don't appreciate or demand quality. And as long as the Amtrak is filling the seats, they don't care; really they don't care at all. I love the European trains. I'm very disappointed and laughing that this is Acela......with the long travel time.
The main problem is that Congress doesn't give Amtrak enough funding, so they can't ever get anything good done. If Amtrak finally got the funding they needed, I bet the acela route would be upgraded a lot.
@Christian Vera airports are paid for by the government, remember the airline bailouts? Also amtrak is responsible for all stations it operates, its police force, and the tracks in the corridor.
Christian Vera
Flying gets delayed I prefer car travel
it all comes down to money. amtrak doesn't have the money for high end service
This train is intended for short distances (DC to NY, Philadelphia to Boston, etc.). It's a profitable Amtrak line, and people generally take trips which last 1-4 hours (usually faster than airlines).
I’ve Done a Few Amtrak Journeys Myself. On The COAST STARLIGHT From Seattle Washington To LA In a Full Bedroom, All Meals Included. I Must Say The Quality Of The Food Was Absolutely Wonderful. Truly Delicious & Served In A Fabulous Lounge For Ist Class Passengers Only. The Ocean Views Were Indescribable; SO BEAUTIFUL! A Memorable Experience.
For a New Acela you need to upgrade that Railroad Infrastructure.
Dunkin Donuts is a premium brand in the Northeast of the US and the coffee is quite good.
I love dunkin doughnuts coffee.
Thank you! I just did the Amtrak from NYC to Albany not alot of left room on the coach
We enjoyed our travel using Amtrak. We traveled from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo. We have our own cabin with a bathroom. Since we got lazy and want to stay in our cabin. We decided to order our dinner which was a steak and lobster. They delivered it to our csbin. Traveling with Amtrak is the only best way.