Planes, Trains and Automobiles in NYC. (Trains)
I have learned to love train travel in and outside of NYC. I’m talking trains, not subways, which they look similar, but a different type of use and set of directions. It would be nice if they were the same, but nooo. As of 6/17/09, prices for trains have been raised. And my biggest suggestion is to NOT travel on PEAK hours which I believe are something like 8-5 or something like that. It costs DOUBLE what it normally would.
When using the train service (local and not AmTrack, so it’s MTA), it’s a really good idea to have a map with times and station stops. I’ve taken enough wrong trains to know that I will ask and ask and ask again if I’m on the right track. I’ve gotten on the wrong one and headed the wrong way, and this makes for very long, arduous travel and absolute frustration. Just ask, New Yorkers may look rough and tumble on the outside, but they are truly helpful.
Until I started getting a grip on where I was going and the time schedules, I’d purchase my ticket (one way fare, with credit card for receipt) at the ticket counter and ask them when the next train was and which track it was on. This is crucial, as I aforementioned, you don’t want to go the wrong way or catch an express train where your final destination is somewhere inbetween your start and stop. Keep your schedule close to your heart. You will have to get it at the station, or ask for it, as they no longer have them in the trains and for most part, they aren’t visibly present at the stations.
I usually purchase a one way ticket, because I fear that I may lose the little piece of paper that shows my fare, or I’ll end up not using it because I’m traveling a different way. The hassle of one way tickets is you always have to pre purchase them, where you already have a ticket on your person so you don’t have to make that extra stop. Note: you can purchase the tickets on the train, but again, it costs almost double. But it may save you from having to wait for the next train.
Lastly, when traveling with luggage, you can (if the train is empty) set it next to your seating area. If not, you have the barbaric opportunity for theft because eyou have to leave it at the train door for any one to see and deal with. Since you are sitting, you can’t see what’s happening to it. You can put it on a rack over your head, but for someone whos short and has luggage that is ½ my weight, this is not an option nor a convenience. So my luggage sits, greeting all the people piling in the doors.
Note: it is nicer to travel off peak, as you have plenty of opportunity to sit in a comfortable seat all to your self. (Bring antibacterial hand cleanser)
Always, when traveling in these different situations, planes, trains, and taxis…they are all dirty. I’ve not yet felt like I was in a clean environment. Mass transit is NOT clean.
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