That one time when Toby Knapp took Amtrak's Midnight, er, Overnight Train to Boston... here's what @tkradio found in a Roomette Sleeper Car, and why this might just be a great option for you to try sometime!
First things first - I love traveling by train. Amtrak's Acela is great for trips between DC and Philly, or NYC; and I've taken a train overnight from Chicago back to my iHeartRadio home market and that was an incredible ride - with incredible views... the kind of stuff which stays with you
I can't remember when America's Railroad announced the return of an overnight service between DC and Baltimore, but when they did, and, after learning my daughter would be attending Emerson College in Downtown Boston, I have to admit I was a bit excited about the chance to try the service... I mean, why not, right? Work all day on Friday, wake up on Saturday morning at Boston's South Station - less than a mile from Kyla's school - and boom... have a day in Beantown!
Now, I have an Amtrak USA RAIL PASS which gives me 10 round trips to take in 30 days... but for this trek up, I decided to get a sleeper "roomette..." which is the smallest, most affordable sleeper room for people. The room seats TWO by day, and provides less-than-twin-sized sleeping bunks by night. You get an adult drink as part of your journey, breakfast as well, and if you want to have a bit of a happy hour or whatnot, you can smuggle your own booze on board provided you get your drank on in your car!
I'll say this... I'm a big kid. The size of the room is okay, but I'd not be okay using the in-room toilet. I mean, I used it in a standing situation but sitting, um, yeah cramped. And the wall is right next to you and it has a window, so I was triggered with some restroom anxiety. Fortunately, they have larger restrooms just steps away. They also have a shower, too, so you can get up a bit early, get refreshed and get about your day, and those are sized big enough to accomodate people with disabilities and challenges, so that's a thing.
Also, AMTRAK has free WIFI, but, I'd bring a power strip or something which allows you to convert to USB or LIGHTNING cable ports so you can charge and use your tech...
Overall - I love riding the rails. I loved the "Midnight Train to BOSTON..." but I'll be the first to say it may not be for everyone... but if you've got the time, you should do it and have an experience you may not have had before. Amtrak makes it easy. And to me, it was fun!
Got specific questions? Hit me up - tk@iheartradio.com - or DM me on Instagram (@tobyknapp) or Twitter (@tkradio)... and thanks for reading!
Photo: tkphoto
Photo: tk photo