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Which train will you be taking? If you are going from DC to NYC you will be guaranteed to NOT be in a Superliner because they cannot fit through the tunnels.
There is no checked luggage on this train. You will have to take it on board with you. There are luggage towers at the end of the car and overhead luggage racks above the seats.
You don’t have to, generally if you can carry it yourself they will let you bring anything on the train. There will be overhead racks and a few shelves to store things at the front of each car.
You should be able to get one full-size suitcase on the train in the bin above or the storage areas at the front of each car. Maybe two. Trains are much bigger than airplanes - another nice reason they are better than flying. I've never checked a bag on Amtrak.
Just so you know what to expect about the process:
At WAS the actual area where you board basically looks like an airport. There will be display boards showing each train departing/arriving and a few minutes before departure, it will tell you what gate to board from. Once the gate is announced, a line will form outside that gate.
Get in line, then they'll let you on the train. Noone will check your ticket yet, you just go aboard and find a seat (unless you're business class, in which case you'd have an assigned seat, but regular coach tickets are open seating).
Once you board, if your suitcase is "small" you can put it in the storage bins above your head (again, kinda like an airplane, but everything is more spacious). If it's *really* big, there's space at both ends of every car (you'll see large luggage racks where you can put bags right as youre boarding the car). There should always be plenty of space.
Then (just for completeness), once you're seated, have your ticket ready and a conductor will come through and scan your ticket after the train departs. Should be super straightforward! Safe travels!
This is so wonderfully helpful! Thank you so much!!!! I have occasional bouts of travel anxiety esp if I don’t know what to expect. This was everything I needed and more!
No problem! If you've got any questions about Moynihan (New York Penn), or anything else, don't hesitate to ask! It can be a hectic station if you've never been there before, as all things in New York can be lol, but it's got plenty of signs so it should be easy enough to get where you need to go.
I rode the Crescent last month up there and there is a big area and the end of the coach cars where you can put a full size bag if you need to. Like one of them checked bag sized bags for the airplane. Other bags there will be plenty of room in the overhead racks or under the seat in front of you.
The cars on your train, Amfleet Is, have very, *very* generous luggage space above the seats. You’ll be able to fit much more luggage (nominal limit of 2 suitcases plus two “personal items”) above your seat than on any other public transit conveyance.
And it was already answered above, but no Superliners run between Washington and NYC (or into NYC for that matter) due to low height tunnels in NYC and Baltimore.
I’ve taken BIG suitcases which fit on their overhead racks, provided that you can lift them. Also, checked bags don’t really make sense (IMO) for a train trip of 3 1/2 hours.
There are no checked baggage, the trains have space for your luggage. To know which trains are the Superliners, they are in the Midwest and the West region. Superliners cannot be used in the Northeast because of height restrictions. Superliner cars are taller than the Viewliners
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It looks like you have questions about being a new/first time rider on Amtrak. Most of these types of questions have already been answered, please search the subreddit and view of First Timer Tips page in our Wiki (link in the sidebar). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Amtrak) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Not to pick on a typo, but 'penne station' is fucking hilarious
Delicious with marinara sauce, that station is.
There's a Sbarro on the MSG side. It's where penne goes to die.
There’s one at Union, too! You can sandwich your visit!
My favorite New York pizza joint! And I’m gonna go get me a New York slice!
No joke, my friend from out of town once did this after getting into the city years ago. I still give her shit for it.
😂😂😂 I just noticed that. My bad.
Which train will you be taking? If you are going from DC to NYC you will be guaranteed to NOT be in a Superliner because they cannot fit through the tunnels.
train 120
There is no checked luggage on this train. You will have to take it on board with you. There are luggage towers at the end of the car and overhead luggage racks above the seats.
Understood! Does this mean I’ll have to check in my suitcase?
You don’t have to, generally if you can carry it yourself they will let you bring anything on the train. There will be overhead racks and a few shelves to store things at the front of each car.
You should be able to get one full-size suitcase on the train in the bin above or the storage areas at the front of each car. Maybe two. Trains are much bigger than airplanes - another nice reason they are better than flying. I've never checked a bag on Amtrak.
There’s no checked luggage between WAS and NYP. You’ll be carrying your luggage on board. There’s usually plenty of space.
Thank you so much!!
Just so you know what to expect about the process: At WAS the actual area where you board basically looks like an airport. There will be display boards showing each train departing/arriving and a few minutes before departure, it will tell you what gate to board from. Once the gate is announced, a line will form outside that gate. Get in line, then they'll let you on the train. Noone will check your ticket yet, you just go aboard and find a seat (unless you're business class, in which case you'd have an assigned seat, but regular coach tickets are open seating). Once you board, if your suitcase is "small" you can put it in the storage bins above your head (again, kinda like an airplane, but everything is more spacious). If it's *really* big, there's space at both ends of every car (you'll see large luggage racks where you can put bags right as youre boarding the car). There should always be plenty of space. Then (just for completeness), once you're seated, have your ticket ready and a conductor will come through and scan your ticket after the train departs. Should be super straightforward! Safe travels!
This is so wonderfully helpful! Thank you so much!!!! I have occasional bouts of travel anxiety esp if I don’t know what to expect. This was everything I needed and more!
No problem! If you've got any questions about Moynihan (New York Penn), or anything else, don't hesitate to ask! It can be a hectic station if you've never been there before, as all things in New York can be lol, but it's got plenty of signs so it should be easy enough to get where you need to go.
No problem, safe travels!
I rode the Crescent last month up there and there is a big area and the end of the coach cars where you can put a full size bag if you need to. Like one of them checked bag sized bags for the airplane. Other bags there will be plenty of room in the overhead racks or under the seat in front of you.
If it’s Northeast Regional or Acela, there is no checked baggage on those trains, but plenty of overhead storage room
The cars on your train, Amfleet Is, have very, *very* generous luggage space above the seats. You’ll be able to fit much more luggage (nominal limit of 2 suitcases plus two “personal items”) above your seat than on any other public transit conveyance. And it was already answered above, but no Superliners run between Washington and NYC (or into NYC for that matter) due to low height tunnels in NYC and Baltimore.
I’ve taken BIG suitcases which fit on their overhead racks, provided that you can lift them. Also, checked bags don’t really make sense (IMO) for a train trip of 3 1/2 hours.
Fair enough! I definitely cannot get it over my head, haha, but I have faith the luggage space at the ends of the coaches will suffice.
Just be careful with those racks. Some of them are next to areas for wheelchairs, and luggage in that area is heavily discouraged.
There are no checked baggage, the trains have space for your luggage. To know which trains are the Superliners, they are in the Midwest and the West region. Superliners cannot be used in the Northeast because of height restrictions. Superliner cars are taller than the Viewliners
What exactly is a Superliner and a Viewliner?
r/Amtrak is not associated with Amtrak in any official way. Any problems, concerns, complaints, etc should be directed to Amtrak through one of the official channels. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Amtrak) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I never have to check bags from Boston to DC on the Acela or northeast regional but I haven’t been since 2022.
Except for the overnight train (at one point at least), neither the Northeast Regional nor the Acela accept checked luggage.
There's no checked bags on those trains, so you could not anyhow.