Finding 3 seats together - getting on train at New London CT

[Rhonda]

Hi,

Hoping some experienced train travelers for the Northeast Regional can provide some advice.

I will be travelling with my two sons from New London CT to Penn Station NY. I am planning to take a mid-day train on a Thursday in August, perhaps the 11:12AM (93 Notheast Regional) or the 12:48PM (173 Northeast Regional). Are these busy times for this train? What's the likelyhood of us finding 3 seats together? I don't understand how Amtrak expects families to travel together if they can't be sure they'd sit together.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

I take 93 a few times a year from Mystic, CT to Trenton. Although it is busier than it used to be, I think you will not have a problem finding seats together. More and more of us are sitting in the Quiet Car--that is getting crowded! But it opens up space in the other coaches.

Also, the true crowds get on at New York City going south on that train, and you will be getting off before they get on.

 

[guest]

Car attendants can move people around to accommodate families. This happened to me on my last trip. I was booted out of a window seat and reseated on an aisle seat.

 

[the_traveler]

There are no car attendant on the Regionals.

I normally take either 93 or 95 from KIN. I've never saw any problem finding problems from NLC.

 

[Eric S]

This suggests to me that having actual seat reservations (if not for every car and seat, at least a mix of reserved/assigned and unreserved/unassigned) could benefit both individual travelers (not being booted from their seats because a group wants to sit together) and groups (being able to see at the time of reserving whether it will be possible for everyone to sit together).

 

[SubwayNut]

Have you considered Shore Line East to Metro-North? Much cheaper and your all but guaranteed seats together since your always getting on trains where they originate

 

[BCL]

There are no car attendant on the Regionals.

I normally take either 93 or 95 from KIN. I've never saw any problem finding problems from NLC.

Yeah - but there are conductors. Don't know about the NER, but on the Keystone I noticed a lot of seat hogs and the conductors doing zilch about it.

 

[Acela150]

There are no car attendant on the Regionals.

I normally take either 93 or 95 from KIN. I've never saw any problem finding problems from NLC.

Yeah - but there are conductors. Don't know about the NER, but on the Keystone I noticed a lot of seat hogs and the conductors doing zilch about it.

That's because their are plenty of seats open on most Keystones between PHL and HAR except in Rush Hour. It can get to SRO.

 

[peconicstation]

Mid-day on a Thursday (albiet the summer) you should be able to get seats together, and I might suggest the cafe car to see if a table is open.

You do not have to order from the cafe to sit at the tables there.

One benefit of travelling during the summer peak is that there will be a good number of people detraining at New London and headed for the ferries (Fishers Island, Block Island, and Long Island), so I would ask the conductor where some seats have opened up.

My regular Amtrak trip is New London to Boston, and although the trains get very crowded the conductors are good about deamanding seat hogs free up the seat next to them.

Ken