Amtrak Thruway buses are quite nice. The buses are very modern--in fact they're almost brand new. They're comfortable and clean, and a bathroom is located on board. The seats recline, but legroom/kneeroom leaves a little something to be desired.
Amtrak coach seats are more comfortable and spacious than bus seats. You can get up and walk around on the train, and on most trains, there is a snack car or dining car where you can get food and drink en route.
Amtrak has the reputation of being a relatively luxurious way to travel, and you will pay for that luxury. Greyhound on the other hand tends to be the more affordable option.
Amtrak Bus Connections Ride in comfort on the way to or from the train, thanks to onboard amenities including reclining seats, foot rests, restrooms, individual lighting, and free Wi-Fi.
Amtrak collisions and passenger deaths are rare – despite high-profile crashes in the last year, according to industry statistics and experts. Trains remain safer for passengers than cars or buses, and nearly as safe as airliners, federal statistics show.
We often get the question “Is Amtrak safe for single woman”, the short answer is yes. You are in a train car full of people. One of the great things about Amtrak is the space. On airplanes the seats are so close together that it's hard to avoid touching your seat mates.
There are many reasons for this. There is limited service between cities (Amtrak says it runs 300 trains with about 87,000 passengers per day), freight is often prioritized over passenger service in the U.S., and trains and facilities are often outdated.
The average Amtrak Coach seat measures 23 inches in width (compared to around 17 inches for airplane equivalent seating) with exceptional legroom and the ability to recline for an even more comfortable sleeping position.
Train travel is much simpler, as there is no TSA PreCheck® or CLEAR equivalent for Amtrak. Amtrak trains offer private rooms, more legroom, more space from your fellow passengers, more comfortable seats, and more food & beverage options.
Trains consume less energy and produce less harmful pollutants than either car or air travel. Hopping on an Amtrak train will save you gas and daily wear and tear on your car. It also reduces the ever-increasing traffic congestion on the roads and in the skies.
Amtrak does, in fact, offer scenic, luxury rail journeys to top locations across the U.S., especially if you are looking for some vacation deals.
In almost all cases, Amtrak seats are not assigned. The exception is Acela Express route seats and business class seating on the Northeast Regional, Carolinian, Palmetto, and Vermonter. Otherwise, Amtrak has a first-come, first-serve seating policy for coach seats.
When choosing a seat on a train, try to get one in the center-most car, or one of the central cars. This will put you as far as possible from the most common points of issue for collisions or derailment, namely the front and end of the train.
No. Showers are not available for Coach passengers.
If you're traveling in coach on some of Amtrak's long-distance train services, you'll now have the opportunity to use the dining car onboard. Coach passengers will now be able to enjoy full-fledged meals for an additional cost in the dining car, which was a beloved service removed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Checked baggage service is available at a number of our stations and on many trains and Thruway Services. Not all trains or locations are equipped to handle checked baggage. Before you travel, make sure to check and see if your train and origin and destination stations accept checked baggage.
Our advice, don't be a loud talker. By all means chat it up (not if you're in the quiet car… obvi), just do so quietly.
Trains also are safer than planes, in part, because many train stations have open-air platforms where travelers board, Dr. Aaron Rossi told USA Today in October. That's far less risky than the indoor settings of airport security lines and waiting areas where passengers gather and sit before boarding.
It found that trains were faster on half the routes and buses faster on the other half. Bus prices were cheaper than train prices on most of the routes, and buses created less environmental harm.