Experiencing Amtrak's new Ethan Allen Express to Burlington

Burlington’s Amtrak seems to be worth the ride. Image credits here

This past summer, Amtrak expanded its Ethan Allen Express train to Burlington, which created a new and convenient way to get to New York City. The train leaves from Moynihan Hall/Penn Station in Manhattan, and about 8 hours later, it arrives in Burlington. The 8-hour train ride includes stops through New York and then makes its way to Vermont. 

With this being a busy time of year for the travel industry, it can take time and effort to get to your destination. Over Thanksgiving break, I traveled back home to New York, and to return to Burlington, I took the Ethan Allen Express. Although it was not my first time using Amtrak, it was my first time using it as a form of transportation to get back to Burlington. As the ticket only being $88, it is a cheap and efficient way to get back to Burlington, and the overall ride is a pleasurable experience. Even though the trip was just about 8 hours, it went by smoothly and quickly. 

My trip began when I arrived at Moynihan Train Hall around an hour before departure. The recently renovated train hall is filled with various vendors and a waiting area with seats and tables to wait for your train. I sat in the waiting room until the arrival of my train was announced over a speaker. The Amtrak employees guided me to the right platform, and I followed my way to the train. Once I boarded the train, I began looking for any open seat as the train was crowded. Since Amtrak does not provide you with a specific seat, passengers can sit wherever they want. Luckily, I quickly found a seat which happened to be against the window, and I placed my belongings above me. The seats are big enough and provide ample room for all sizes, and they are more spacious and comfortable than airline seats. The centers also offer tray tables with enough room for a Macbook to fit on, allowing me to comfortably use my laptop and do some work while on the ride. Eventually, the train departed the station, and I connected to the wifi. The onboard wifi is free of charge, and from my personal experience, the wifi was strong and stayed connected most of the way.  

As I mentioned before, I had a window seat which allowed me to see the scenic views of New York. With it getting dark earlier, the scenic views were limited as it began to get dark about two hours into the ride. About halfway through the trip, I got up, walked through the train, and eventually made my way to the cafe cart. Although I did not purchase anything, there are various food options, including snacks and meals. I found it a bit pricey, so I did not buy anything. 

Even though the ride was comfortable, I started to become impatient by the sixth hour. Although electronics entertained me, I could no longer sit in my seat as I just wanted to get off the train. A little after 10, the train finally approached Burlington's Union Station, and the remaining passengers stepped off. Overall, I had a satisfactory experience on the train ride and would use Amtrak in the future as a mode of transportation back to Vermont. With the train tickets being a reasonable price and the smooth ride of the trip, the Amtrak trip was worth it.