virginia question

[sweet tea]

hey folks,

y'all have been such a help in the past -- now i've got ANOTHER question!

i'm headed from new york city to williamsburg, va, in july for a wedding. on the amtrak site, i see a few regional trains a day that make the trip.

they're fine, but is there any alternative (on trains) worth considering that might make for different scheduling possibilities? for instance, taking amtrak to WAS and then commuter rail someplace near enough to williamsburg that it's reasonable to rent a car?

i'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Virginia Railway Express doesn't go very far along the Washington to Williamsburg route at all. If you don't think renting a car at WAS is reasonable, I doubt commuter rail is really going to help at all.

 

[-Jamie-]

hey folks,
y'all have been such a help in the past -- now i've got ANOTHER question!

i'm headed from new york city to williamsburg, va, in july for a wedding. on the amtrak site, i see a few regional trains a day that make the trip.

they're fine, but is there any alternative (on trains) worth considering that might make for different scheduling possibilities? for instance, taking amtrak to WAS and then commuter rail someplace near enough to williamsburg that it's reasonable to rent a car?

i'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

I'm not sure I follow you. Do you have to rent a car and there are no rentals in Williamsburg? I'm not sure if this will help you at all, but we took the train to Williamsburg last summer and it was very conviniant. It was the only stop we've ever been to where our hotel actually came to pick us up. But then again, we were staying at one of the Colonial hotels so I don't know if that would help you at all. If you do need to rent a car, I'd check with your hotel. If they'll pick you up, they'll probably take you to the car rental too.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Some of the Colonial Williamsburg hotels are within a reasonable walking distance of the train station, as long as you pack lightly enough that you can comfortably carry your luggage. (I know this because I actually did walk in both directions last July.)

 

[BillyJo]

We did this trip about 3 or 4 years ago. IIRC, there was a car rental place right at the train station. However, they closed at 6, and our train wouldn't be getting in until around 7. We wound up catching a city bus to our hotel, which was not an "official" Colonial Williamsburg property. The next day, the car rental place picked me up and I was able to get the car.

For the return, we brought the car back the night before, and then just called a cab to take us to the train station. It worked out quite well.

Enjoy!

 

[Tony]

for instance, taking amtrak to WAS and then commuter rail someplace near enough to williamsburg that it's reasonable to rent a car?

Are you worried about car rental costs? I mean, that same car/same agency would be cheaper away from WAS?

I am not sure if that is really true, but I thought I would mention that after you book online with Amtrak, you can get switched over to Hertz, with an Amtrak discount applied, for an "in station" car reservation. I have gotten as much as 20% off, though more typically, it is around 10%.

 

[sweet tea]

didn't mean to be so unclear!

i think we will end up needing a car for various wedding-y reasons (and because i'll be needing my bbq eating not to be limited by my walking speed). i don't have any problem with taking amtrak to WBG, even if we can't get a car until the next day or something. i just thought there was a possibility some RR maven one this board might say, "wait! those in the know take the train to X and then transfer to Y, which is only 5 miles away but means your choice of 17 arrival times daily!" or something.

if the regional to WBG is the best (or only) choice, then that's what we'll do!

 

[p&sr]

i just thought there was a possibility some RR maven one this board might say, "wait! those in the know take the train to X and then transfer to Y, which is only 5 miles away but means your choice of 17 arrival times daily!" or something.
if the regional to WBG is the best (or only) choice, then that's what we'll do!

I see three choices for you. One is a Regional Train from New York to Williamsburg, as you have mentioned.

The other (transferring in Washington) is to take ANY train from NY to WAS (possibly Acela or an earlier Regional to allow some free time in Wash DC), and transfer there to the Regional to Williamsburg.

The third choice would be to catch the VRE in Washington and take that as far as Fredericksburg (end of the line for VRE). They do have several departures daily (But NOT on Saturday or Sunday!), and I suppose Fredericksburg is as good a place to rent a car as any...

 

[p&sr]

I see three choices for you...

The fourth choice is to catch a SouthBound Train at New York City (Palmetto, Carolinian, or Silver Service) and ride direct all the way to Richmond, VA (Staples Mill Rd. Station, which is NOT in the center of town).

Departures 6:15 AM, 7:05 AM, 10:52 AM, and 3:15 PM daily, seven days a week.

Arrival 11:52AM, 1:02 PM, 5:09 PM, and 9:40 PM the same day.

This would give the feel of a regular Long-Distance Train, with a regular Lounge Car and Dining Car on board.

Business-Class Upgrade available on the first train each day (the Palmetto).

 

[Tony]

... , even if we can't get a car until the next day or something.

While for a different station, you might want to read thru this trip report. You might be able to do something similar around WBG.

Car Rental at WRJ Station

 

[JimInVa]

didn't mean to be so unclear!
i think we will end up needing a car for various wedding-y reasons (and because i'll be needing my bbq eating not to be limited by my walking speed). i don't have any problem with taking amtrak to WBG, even if we can't get a car until the next day or something. i just thought there was a possibility some RR maven one this board might say, "wait! those in the know take the train to X and then transfer to Y, which is only 5 miles away but means your choice of 17 arrival times daily!" or something.

if the regional to WBG is the best (or only) choice, then that's what we'll do!

As a regular daily VRE commuter, I'd have to recommend against the VRE for this trip (if you haven't already made up your mind on the Regional). It's 104 miles from F'burg to Williamsburg, and the drive can be unpleasantly traffic-y. I like the Richmond idea, 'cause it's a nice ride. But my guess is WBG is your best bet. We're a bit train-poor here in the Old Dominion!

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

i think we will end up needing a car for various wedding-y reasons

Have you ruled out the possibility of getting rides with friends / relatives? Oftentimes being in the same car as other people you don't often get a chance to see ends up providing more time for conversation than you'd get traveling independently.