When I scheduled a getaway to Rochester, New York, in May 2025, I was more excited about the train rides there and back than the destination itself.
I wasn't a stranger to Amtrak trips before traveling upstate, though it became my longest train ride to date. It would take seven hours to get there and nine hours to return, making for a whopping 16 hours on the tracks in total.
That's a long time to be on a train (or on a plane or in an automobile), but I was excited about it. Trains still have a novelty about them for me, and I love how easy they are for passengers. I rode in coach on the way there and business class on the way back, paying $249 for the round trip.
Both of my rides were fun, but I made a few travel mistakes that I'll try to avoid in the future.
Amtrak recommends passengers arrive 30 minutes before their trains are scheduled to depart. I am nothing if not a rule follower, so I got to Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station for my 7:15 a.m. train at 6:37.
I grabbed a coffee before the Amtrak-recommended waiting period began, and by 6:50, I was waiting in the train hall for my ride with caffeine in hand, feeling proud of myself for being ready with 25 minutes to spare. Soon, though, I realized my track wasn't even listed yet.
I idled in the waiting area, the minutes ticking by without any news on my train. It ended up getting delayed over an hour for maintenance, and the track listing didn't become available until about 10 minutes before it left.
When my return trip rolled around, I realized the 40 minutes I had given myself would have felt too long whether the train was delayed or not. My train from Rochester to Manhattan was supposed to depart at 1:27, and I made it to the station by 1 p.m. My fellow passengers and I weren't even allowed to move toward the train until 1:20, which left me feeling antsy while I waited.
I'd rather be early than late when it comes to travel, but next time I take Amtrak, I'll probably arrive 20 minutes before my train is scheduled instead of 30. Lollygag at your own risk.
The train bound for Rochester didn't have assigned seating, which made me a little nervous. I was among the final people to board the train, so I grabbed the first open seat I saw.
I was relieved I snagged a row to myself for the whole seven-hour journey, but as we rolled through upstate New York, I noticed the side I was sitting on didn't have as nice a view as the one opposite me.
I mostly saw other trains from my window, while sweeping landscapes and the Hudson River were visible from the windows on the other side of the train. Because the train was pretty packed, I couldn't move to the other side while still having a row to myself, either. I craned my neck to take a peek at the other side often, trying to get glimpses of the landscape.
I ended up sitting in a seat that gave me gorgeous views of New York for the return trip, but I wished I could have seen the area well on both routes.
Before my Rochester trip, I remembered easily scrolling on my phone to pass the time on my other Amtrak journeys.
I hadn't ever worked or used my laptop to stream on Amtrak, though, so I didn't give much thought to the WiFi situation on board, which was included with my ticket.
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