Greatest Coastal Train Routes for Scenic Travel

After years of creating the journey from Boston to New York City by automobile, I lastly tried the prepare, and it modified how I take into consideration journey. No visitors or uncomfortable seats, only a stress-free solution to benefit from the coastal surroundings.

My twins, who go to varsity in New York City, generally fly house to Boston. The flight is simply about 45 minutes, however if you issue within the time spent attending to and from the airport, safety strains, boarding and deplaning, that 45 minutes simply turns into 4 or 5 hours.

The AARP 2026 Travel Trends survey discovered that vacationers 50-plus are more and more fearful about airline problems. And time isn’t the one situation: Plane tickets are often dearer than prepare tickets too. Amtrak has seen a document enhance in passenger numbers, indicating that the prepare is a most popular methodology of journey for many individuals. For vacationers 50-plus who’re bored with the complications of flying, the prepare is greater than a solution to get someplace. It’s a reminder that getting there will be pleasurable.

During my prepare journey, I spotted that the journey was as a lot part of the expertise because the vacation spot. For the primary time touring, I didn’t watch a present I had downloaded to my iPad for a four-hour journey. Instead, I regarded out the window, taking within the coastal surroundings. It seems, analysis helps the concept of taking note of the view. A 2025 study in Empirical Studies of the Arts, a social science journal, discovered that nature scenes could assist diminish nervousness, which implies that a coastal prepare journey is a good way to destress earlier than and after your journey.

Pricing is dynamic, which means it fluctuates based mostly on demand. Your greatest guess is to ebook your ticket as early as doable or journey throughout off-peak instances, resembling midweek. Amtrak gives reductions for navy personnel and veterans, adults 65 and older and college students, together with rotating promotions listed below the Deals section on its web site.

This story options Amtrak trains as a result of Amtrak is the one intercity passenger service alongside these corridors. Here are 5 scenic coastal prepare routes to attempt:

Northeast Regional (Boston to New York City)

From Boston, you’ll be able to board at both Back Bay or South Station. The subsequent cease is Route 128 in Westwood, Massachusetts, which is a much less busy spot to board in the event you don’t stay in Boston and need to skip the town visitors. The route truly ends in Virginia, however for this journey, since your vacation spot is New York City, you’ll need to get off at Moynihan Train Hall (Penn Station), a few 15-minute stroll to Times Square. The better part is the attractive coastal surroundings, principally in Connecticut. One stretch known as the Shore Line runs between the Old Saybrook and New London stations and feels such as you’re gliding alongside the ocean. As you journey alongside Niantic Bay, the monitor is so near the water that it feels such as you’re on the Long Island Sound.

Total journey time: About 4 hours

Travel benefit: On my prepare journey, some sections ran alongside Interstate 95. I watched the gridlock as I zipped by. Besides including time, visitors is tense. Cost can fluctuate with demand, however in the event you time it proper, you’ll be able to pay solely $25 for a one-way ticket, which is lower than a tank of gasoline.