Is it better to fly or take a train from Boston to New York?
Flights are shorter than train trips but require getting to an airport, enduring a security screening, and possibly incurring delays, all of which increase the overall travel time.
People Also Ask
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.
Train rides throughout the Northeast offer spectacular views. The route from New York to Boston showcases the scenic landscape of the Connecticut coastline with its countless harbors, ships and bridges. The Albany to Boston route crosses through the beautiful Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts.
To accommodate the money-losing routes, Amtrak uses profits from its popular lines, such as the Northeast Corridor. Since this is one of the most popular routes, Amtrak can charge higher prices and send those profits to other, less profitable lines. Additionally, the USA is a very big country.
Arrivals and Departures May Be EasierWith Amtrak, you can show up 30 minutes to 1 hour before the scheduled train arrival, and as a bonus, no security lines. Your nearby Amtrak station might also be closer than the airport, so consider drive time when choosing whether to fly or take the train.
You'll have greater legroom and general mobility compared to the typically cramped seating spaces in a plane. Unlike in a plane, you'll have the freedom to stand up and walk around without disturbing your co-passengers. Train travel allows you to take in the local scenery in a more intimate fashion than air travel.
Seating accommodationsOn shorter train journeys, Amtrak's Coach Class seats provide a comfortable place to relax and enjoy the view. On long-distance journeys, you will find extra-spacious Coach Class seating with leg rests designed to enhance your comfort for long or overnight trips.
Although the convenience of a car is hard to beat, trains free you from the costs and hassles of urban parking. They usually deliver you straight to city centers. Train travel, with its spacious seats and room to get up and walk around, is more relaxing and comfortable and the view is usually better.
If you consider efficiency from an environmental point of view and define it as CO2 emissions per passenger per km, then the train is way more efficient than the plane.
According to the 2021 U.S. Department of Energy Data Book, Amtrak is 46% more energy efficient than traveling by car and 34% more energy efficient than domestic air travel.
Why are flights often cheaper than train tickets? “There's an unfair taxing system which makes trains more expensive,” said Herwig Schuster, a transport campaigner at Greenpeace who authored the ticket prices report. “There are a lot of polluting subsidies on the airline side.”
HOW SAFE ARE TRAINS? Trains are statistically much safer than driving. In 2020, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics recorded 40,867 total deaths from travel, including in planes, in cars on highways and on trains.
You + Two Bags = No Extra ChargeWhen you travel with us, you can carry-on two free pieces of luggage. Each item should not exceed 50 lbs. (23 kg) and needs to be 28 x 22 x 14 inches in size.
Train travel is often cheaper than flying, in part because you can generally take more with you before paying extra baggage fees. It can also be more convenient and relaxing than driving, especially if you'd be driving in an unfamiliar place or driving for many hours nonstop to get to your destination.