I spent 16 hours on a round-trip Amtrak ride. Here are 7 mistakes I won't make again.
A traveler shares personal lessons learned from a 16-hour round-trip Amtrak journey between New York City and Rochester. The article highlights common pitfalls such as overestimating arrival times and the impact of maintenance delays on travel schedules.
Why it matters
Provides practical advice for rail passengers navigating the complexities of long-distance train travel in the United States.
I made some mistakes on a longer Amtrak train ride. Samantha Pettyjohn I took a round-trip Amtrak journey from New York City to Rochester. I booked one coach ticket and one business-class ticket for $249, spending 16 hours on the trains. I made a few mistakes on my Amtrak journey, like booking a ticket with an extended stop. When I scheduled a getaway to Rochester, New York, in May 2025, I was more excited about the train rides there and back than the destination itself. I wasn't a stranger to Amtrak trips before traveling upstate, though it became my longest train ride to date. It would take seven hours to get there and nine hours to return, making for a whopping 16 hours on the tracks in total.
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