Amtrak between NYC & Montréal in May

We always drive to Montreal. But, my sister and her family took this train pre covid. It was her husband’s idea. When they returned they decided train travel was not for them, it was so boring my sister said, among other things. You weren’t allowed to bring food on and the snack car ran out of food after 2 hours. There was actually traffic with the train stopping along the way. You couldn’t move around from car to car. The boarder patrol people were very rude. Some of the scenery was nice, but most was just okay. My BIL said, and I quote “it was a trip to hell” and wanted to fly home but it was way too expensive. Even renting a car and dropping off in the US was too much.
You decide.

I love rail travel and use trains extensively on European vacations. But, as beautiful as the Hudson Valley and Adirondacks are, I would not waste half a day on the experience. I lived in Westchester County and a friend was studying at McGill University in Montreal. I always drove even though it was a 5 hour trip.

We don’t own a car so driving is off the table. Renting a car is prohibitively expensive and that’s not including gas, parking & insurance. I’m surprised about Amtrak banning food because I take Amtrak between New York and Boston and no conductor bans food. I haven’t found a link on the app or website about that.

I took this train back in the 90s. It was a comfortable journey, seats are relaxing with lots of leg room. That one can't bring food or move between the cars is nonsense. Border officials from both the Canadian and US side were very rude to passengers of color.
Scenery was excellent especially along the Hudson River.
But the big downside is the 12 hour travel time. If you can occupy yourself that long with a good book, or movies on your tablet, go for it!
Also consider Trailways Bus. Fares should be a bit cheaper than Amtrak and a few hours quicker.

To clarify the moving between cars, my sister was told that different cars were reserved for people getting on at certain stations and therefore they could not move around. Her trip originated at Penn Station in NY. Don’t know about the food ban now as she went a few years ago, but she definately remembers the food so it is not nonsense.
The Border patrol was rude to everyone she said. They boarded the train looking for someone specific and questioned people asking if they knew the person.
I am just relating my sister’s Experience as it happened.
Since you said you don’t have a car and the flights are very expensive then the train might be your best bet.

If you don't own a car, then I assume you have that added patience and realistic expectations that using public transit brings.
Isn't there an overnight Flix bus, or similar, between the 2 cities? Alternatively, if you can manage their basic fare 1 personal bag limitation, fly Flair to Toronto and catch the train to Montreal from there. A much more realistic distance, and you can bring your own food.

From the Amtrak website (https://www.amtrak.com/personal-food-beverages-medication):

Bringing Your Food Aboard
You may bring your own food and beverages onboard for consumption at your seat or private Sleeping Car accommodations. However, you can only consume food and beverages purchased in Dining and Lounge Cars in those cars. Personal food and beverages are allowed in the upper level of Superliner Sightseer Lounges.

Also the Adirondack train has a Cafe Car which sells food and beverage. If movement between cars is prohibited how would any passenger be able access that car?

“There was actually traffic with the train stopping along the way.”

As I understand it, the actual tracks are owned by freight railroads which have the right of way. Amtrak trains have to yield to the freight haulers.

I’ve never experienced prohibition of moving from car to car on Amtrak. Of course I won’t be able to sit in a business class train car because I won’t be buying business class tickets so that’s understandable.

I’ve never experienced border control between NYS & Quebec to be anything but cantankerous when we did used to drive. That there are those who are racist is disgusting, period.

On the Amtrak Acela train between NYC & Boston and NYC & DC, we’ve eaten food that we’ve brought with us at our seats. If we both were to leave to sit in the café car, who would watch our bags. That is something we would not do. I guess we could eat one at a time, but that would seem silly as conductors are not constantly walking up and down the train. I’m hoping the café car is open for at least most of the trip.

The only bus I will ever take is the crosstown bus in NYC. I know about Flixbus, megabus, bolt, greyhound, etc. I don’t want to be on a bus that long as I need to walk and the train is great for that.

Amtrak using freight lines really concerned me. I’ve been stuck on an Amtrak train between Boston and Portland because those are freight lines. I have learned that is not a problem on the Adirondack line. We’ll see if that’s actually true!

I frequently took that train, from as young as 3 months old so my parents could take me from Philadelphia via NYC to Montreal to visit grandparents and have me Christened. Last time I took it I was about 22 years old, so that was a fair few decades ago.

I never had anything but a pleasant experience. My memory is that it was a night train, but I could be wrong. I distinctly remember going to the last car in the train - yes, walking about was fine and everybody did it, but this was before Brexit (blame Brexit for everything because it is true) and standing looking out the window in the end door at all the snow whisping about and settling right back down onto the track.

I don't remember the boarding procedure nor how I reached the station. I would have taken the LIRR into Penn station and I don't remember changing to Grand Central but I think I must have. Always took food and drink. Never a hassle. Of course you can't take your own food into the diner. That's like going into a restaurant with a McDonalds bag.

I'm sure that first class was at the front of the train and the door was closed so on a walkabout I couldn't enter first class. Makes perfect sense.

Interesting Nigel! This train is a day train in both directions. Amtrak no longer goes in and out of Grand Central. I’m going to Penn Station tomorrow to find out the specifics.

Neighbors of mine here in Northern Dutchess County take that train once or twice a year to visit Montreal, boarding in Rhinecliff or Hudson. (After a covid break they returned last fall.) They are avid road-trippers, but enjoy the train for that trip.

I’ve never experienced border control between NYS & Quebec to be anything but cantankerous when we did used to drive.

This has been my experience the 3 times I've driven the trip in the past decade.

Traveling along the Hudson is beautiful

I find this an interesting comment because the river is virtually impossible to drive beside. The river can be seen from road bridges crossing it but pretty much never from a roadway running parallel. Visiting the Hudson Valley recently and not being able to see the Hudson in any meaningful way was a big disappointment. But I see the train provides river views for much of the way and could be recommended for that reason alone.

Visiting the Hudson Valley recently and not being able to see the Hudson in any meaningful way was a big disappointment.

This comment is odd to me. It's like complaining one can't see the Mona Lisa from a taxi passing the Louvre.

There are countless ways to see the river once one parks their car. (And just as many stunning views of the valley ex. the river from the roads—though probably not so much for the roads a map-app would use.)

There are some great river drives, like

Upper Mississippi River

Columbia River

It's not unreasonable to drive the Hudson River from Fishkill to Albany and expect at least one river view. I spent the whole drive trying to remember whether the river was to the left or right of the car-- nary a single vista the whole way.

whether the river was to the left or right of the car-- nary a single vista the whole way

This is a feature, not a flaw. The Hudson River School became popular and brought notoriety to the region by celebrating the area's natural beauty. Ever since then, those who value it have fought to protect it, and many roots of modern conservation movements can be traced to the Hudson Valley over a hundred years ago. While some of those battles were lost, it remains a regional point of pride that to experience the beauty it's best to immerse oneself in it.

Additionally, there are a couple of logistic reasons why there are major roads along the river:
-Wealthy and powerful people owned and drove up the value of much of the undeveloped riverfront long before integrated road routes were built—before cars were conceived of, even. (The tracks on both sides of the river—the west bank is all freight—were the gateways to that migration of wealth. And also the source of half of those families' wealth.)
-Geology dictated a lot of the infrastructure development here. The topography of the broader valley means that the locations of north-south routes were built to conform to the lower valleys.

Yes, I've taken it. Took in in early 2019 for a nice quick long weekend in Montreal. Pack yourself a nice picnic, buy a bottle of wine on the train, bring a book, and sit back and relax. Make the journey part of your vacation.

The $70 each way price is the price. That's what I paid in 2019.

We love taking Amtrak from Penn Station to Albany along the Hudson River. 2.5 hours I think.

I find this an interesting comment because the river is virtually impossible to drive beside. The river can be seen from road bridges crossing it but pretty much never from a roadway running parallel. Visiting the Hudson Valley recently and not being able to see the Hudson in any meaningful way was a big disappointment.

No doubt it was a big disappointment, Tom_MN; I can understand. The views of the Hudson are spectacular between NYC and Poughkeepsie as the tracks mostly go along the river. I’ve only taken that route on MetroNorth between NYC & Poughkeepsie so far on MetroNorth.

Yes, I've taken it. Took in in early 2019 for a nice quick long weekend in Montreal. Pack yourself a nice picnic, buy a bottle of wine on the train, bring a book, and sit back and relax. Make the journey part of your vacation.
The $70 each way price is the price. That's what I paid in 2019.

The journey is definitely part of the vacation and thanks for chiming in that you’ve done it. It sounds like you really enjoyed it too, Astorienne! What we decided to do is take the train back to NYC and fly to Montreal from LGA one way. The airfare wasn’t punitive buying a one-way ticket!

Amtrak is running a 15% off sale for travel in NYS so the fare dropped to $59.50. 😊