Tricks of the Train

Despite its high prices, Amtrak's ridership is up and it's easy to see why: It's much less hassle than schlepping out to the airport and waiting forever to board (as Jessie will tell you about really soon, we promise), and lots roomier and rather more reliable than the dirt-cheap Chinatown buses.

Here are some tips for getting a good seat on the train:

1. Reserve ahead by phone (+1 800 USA RAIL) or online. If you call you'll have to talk to the annoyingly cheerful Julie but you can get around that by staying silent, saying "agent" or pressing 0, and she'll connect you to a real reservations agent. They'll hold your reservation without a credit card if you don't want to buy over the phone.

2. When you get to the station and only need to pick up your ticket, don't join the long lines at the ticket counter—that line is for losers. It's usually much faster to go to the little Quik-Trak self-service machines that let you purchase or print out tickets. Be sure to wait for the machine to spit out your second ticket if you're traveling round trip.

3. If you sit as close as possible to the gate in the waiting area, then when the line begins to form, all you have to do is stand up and you're already on line. (Little-known tip for boarding in Penn Station: Don't stay upstairs with everyone else near the giant departures board—also for losers. Go downstairs and watch the Amtrak, not NJ Transit, departure screens on the wall at the bottom of the stairs. In our experience, they post the track number on the screen before they announce it on the PA system, so you get a head start. Familiarize yourself with the locations of the tracks so when your track is posted you'll know where to go. On the platform, walk to the farthest car to avoid the crowds. You'll be sitting comfortably in your primo seat when the passengers from the main waiting room finally arrive.)

4. Enjoy the view. If you happen to be sitting on the right-hand side of the train (facing front) on the way from New York to Washington, and it happens to be night, you'll get a treat when you look out the window after the New Carrollton stop in Maryland as the train approaches Union Station. There's a tall, square warehouse on the right, with a large sign on the roof that says "SELF STORAGE" in big blue neon letters, except the S in SELF is burnt out (something like this). This is particularly heartwarming during the Christmas season, and nice to think there's a place for elves in this busy, serious capital.