Writing this from being on a train itself may sway my opinion, but with that being said, trains are simply the best way to travel. As someone who originates from D.C., I’ve been to many places and used many different modes of transportation, yet above all, trains are the best.
However, trains can be one of the more expensive ways to get around, but from my experience, trains can be the safer alternative. For example, I remember reading a news story about an awful murder on a Greyhound bus. That being said, I’ve also taken a bus. On Halloween night. And came back safely.
Trains, however, add another level of experience to going somewhere. There are a variety of different classes you can choose, from coach, to even sleeper cars on some trains. Then there’s the dining car. There is a place to get food while you are going to where you need to go! It beats having to pack snacks and drinks for the road. That being said, if you are going to take the train, never pack smelly foods. People around you can and will be at least a bit grossed out depending on what you pack.
I’ve been lucky enough to always have decent people sitting next to me, with adequate legroom and space between the two of us. The train ride even feels better. The sway of the train is hard to notice after you’ve been on a train for more than 20 minutes, compared to a bus, where you will feel every, and I mean EVERY, bump, rock, or whatever is in the road.
There is also the option of planes, but I don’t have nearly enough experience with them to decide if that would even be an option worth considering. It is also incredibly expensive to fly anywhere; for example, looking from Albany to NYC, the cheapest flight is $123, going one way. That cost can definitely be off-putting to us broke college students.
It’s safe to say either way that ordering tickets in advance is the best way to go regardless of transportation. There are also deals you can get the sooner you book tickets in advance. For example, I went to NYC over Indigenous People’s Day break and it only cost me $70 both ways since I booked my tickets back in August. Nowadays, there’s even a sale for $20 or less tickets to Northeastern cities. The catch however is that it is for trips from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Which of course is a great deal considering how expensive tickets can become the later you order them.
That is another point; New York City is incredibly close, a lot closer than you may think. Three hours each train ride is nothing, considering to get back to my home state of Maryland it would take six. New York is an astounding city that I highly recommend visiting when you have free time between classes. There is also the option of driving, but who would want to be driving in or around New York City?
While there may not be a ton of things to do here in Albany, we are very close to many cultural areas, not just NYC, but also Niagara Falls, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo, all easily accessible by train.
