As someone who is up in the air quite a bit each year, it’s easy to forget about other comfortable ways to travel. I’ve traveled extensively throughout Europe via rail in the past, and it’s always been enjoyable and stunningly-scenic. Traveling by train is a highly-underrated experience… especially in the United States.
In the U.S., I’ve only traveled on local transit lines and commuter trains between New York and Washington DC. Until recently, I’ve never had a scenic long-haul train experience complete with meals on board, roomettes, and a zen work environment.
Last month, the folks at Amtrak reached out to me asking me if I would be interested in experiencing their new business class service on the Cardinal (trains 50 & 51), which serves many stops between New York and Chicago. The Cardinal train has long been known as one of the most scenic routes on the national Amtrak network. This new business class addition is exciting because this is the first east coast long-distance train to offer a fancier, more luxurious travel option –  leather seats, more room, free drinks, etc. for a surcharge of $51 or less (more info on pricing is below).
The Cardinal train offers scenic views between New York and Chicago. Photo courtesy of Chuck Gomez/Amtrak.
Even though I wasn’t going all the way to Chicago, I was admittedly a bit intimidated about the thought of a 10-hour train ride to White Sulphur Springs, WV to visit America’s iconic Greenbrier Resort.
Would it feel like an eternity? How will I sit still for that long? How can I stay busy? Those were many of the wandering thoughts that popped into my head.
The closest airport to The Greenbrier is Lewisburg (LWB), and let’s just say that it’s NOT exactly cheap to fly there being that it’s a very small airport. An 8-hour drive from New York is tiresome. Forget about flying or driving – I learned that taking Amtrak is the most convenient way to get to The Greenbrier. The Amtrak Cardinal stop in White Sulphur Springs, WV, is literally right across the street from the resort.
The Cardinal train at the White Sulphur Springs stop. Photo courtesy of Chuck Gomez/Amtrak.
For centuries throughout history, people have arrived at The Greenbrier by train. So Amtrak thought, “Why not make it a comfortable ride?”. That was the idea behind its January 2016 business class launch.
While I will save my comments about The Greenbrier for another post, all I can say is WOW. The Greenbrier has long been on my USA travel bucket list (it’s America’s oldest resort & 26 U.S. Presidents have stayed there), and if it wasn’t for learning about Amtrak’s convenient door-to-door service to The Greenbrier (literally), I probably would have never actually had a chance to visit for a while.
The majestic Greenbrier Resort
On board, time flew by! The business class car was quiet, spacious, and I loved that I was able to help myself to whatever I wanted from the self-serve bar (bottled water, coffee, soft drinks). It was nice to get up and move about freely, and I didn’t feel constricted at all like I sometimes do while flying. It kept busy by enjoying the wifi, chatting with other passengers and on-board crew members, and enjoying some beautiful scenery.
Rural scenery somewhere in Virginia.
I even had a moment to sneak a peek at the sleeper car and the roomettes (I definitely would book a roomette in the future because it’s private and reminds me of an airline suite). Plus it’s great for traveling as a family with lap infants/toddlers. The cool thing about the sleeper car is that it has a pretty impressive on-board shower! I might have to cross that one off the list (but I still need to take a shower at 35,000 feet above first, right?).
For a look at & 3D tour of the sleeper car/roomette options (since my iPhone couldn’t capture the best images), please refer to the following:
- Amtrak Blog: Roomette vs. bedroom Part 1
- Amtrak Blog: Â Roomette vs. bedroom part 2
- Amtrak.com:Â Sleeping accommodations: (Scroll down to the middle of the page and you’ll find the 3-D virtual tour, which is very helpful!)
Dining on board the Amtrak Cardinal dining car.
When it was time for lunch, I sat in the business class dining car (which is also available to roomette and sleeper car riders) and had a salad and chocolate cake. The food was good, and the presentation was very nice. Eating a meal on a table while on a moving train was definitely a first for me!
Now So How Much Does Something Like This Cost?
Note:
- All prices are subject to availability.
- In general, the further out you book your travel, the lower the price will be (I learned that the “sweet spot” for securing the best price tends to be 14-days out.
- All meals are included when you book a sleeping accommodation.
If going all the way to Chicago from New York (one way):
- Coach: Â $106 – $203
- Business Class: Base fare + $51
- Roomette: $225 – $535
- Private Room: $443 – $1,031
- Ensuited Room: Cost of private room x2Â (2 side-by-side bedrooms with connecting door that creates one large bedroom)
If going from NYC to White Sulphur Springs (Greenbrier stop) (one-way):
- Coach: $93 – $178
- Business Class: Base fare + $46
- Â Roomette: $129 – $306
- Private Room: $227 – $473
- Ensuited Room: Cost of private room x2Â (2 side-by-side bedrooms with connecting door that creates one large bedroom)
If traveling on the Cardinal from NYC to DC (one way):
- Coach: $88 – $173
As the Cardinal is a long-distance train, Business Class, Roomette, or Bedrooms are currently not available for “local” travel, meaning shorter city-pair destinations in order to reserve space for long-distance travelers.
The Option For an “Amtrak Vacation”
Another thing I want to point out is Amtrak Vacations, for riders who are looking for the all-inclusive package trips. These are customizable based on where you want to go, but some are themed, which are pretty neat. They’ve got a whole section just for Family Adventures and can range from a 3-day getaway to a week or longer.
There’s also a neat Amtrak Vacations package to the Greenbrier. 3 days/2 nights (and 2 breakfasts) – From $359.
Bottom Line
Overall, I am so happy I got to experience a change of pace by taking the train instead of my usual preferred mode of transportation, flying. The business class service on the Cardinal was absolutely enjoyable (and during working hours, so it felt great being “productive” and connected on a work day).
The business class car on the Cardinal is comfortable and spacious.
I arrived at The Greenbrier on time, a little after 5:30 pm, just in time for a great dinner and some fun at the casino (my weakness). The $46 surcharge from coach to business class is absolutely worth it in my opinion. Aside from the extra space (including seats with an amazing recline and foot rest if you opt to nap), you also can help yourself to as many soft drinks as you please + you get a snack box as well.
I definitely will be traveling with Amtrak again in the future (especially since my 2-year old is slightly-obsessed with trains now!).
Have you traveled on any long-distance trains within the U.S before? How was your experience? Have you had a chance to visit the Greenbrier Resort by train too?
*This post is written in partnership with Amtrak. All opinions and stories are my own, of course. I owe them a world of thanks for showing me a new and fun way to travel long distances.
Hi Angelina, thanks for the great article. Just curious about the business class car layout. Was it all seats, or was it half cafe or something? Were the seats 2×2 or 2×1 in each row? Thanks!
Hi Eric! The seats were 2×1 in the seating car. And there is a dedicated cafe car specifically for business class and roomette passengers
Hi – Taking busniss class on the Cardinal tomorrow. Long time Amtrak customer, but first time in business class. Did the business class seats have USB ports or power outlets or anything like that next to them?
I’ve ridden business class a couple of times now. There are regular household style 110v outlets on the wall at each row. Good luck!
Hi! Just curious about how roomy the seats are? I have pretty big hips and sometimes chairs/seats with armrests aren’t the most comfortable. What would you say the specs are for the seat’s width? Thanks!
Nice to see a blog write-up about an Amtrak ride, though I wish…. really wish you could have been at least a little more willing to note the problems.
My wife and I recently took the Cardinal, “business class,” from Chicago to Charlottesville. (the latter, CVS, being home to an ever growing list of profitable routes for Amtrak — including the new NE Regional, which now extends to Roanoke — all good there. So yes, I can sing the praises of Amtrak, when warranted — especially for the non-long haul trains. I want Amtrak to survive and thrive…. )
But our ride on the Cardinal was a great disappointment. For starters, we had lounge access in Chicago…. (truly underwhelming experience….. We sat there for a couple of hours in that sterile room, and all they offered was a nice soft-drink machine — and two different dry mixed snacks, served up in a small cereal like contraption….. Maybe we’d been spoiled by all those airport lounges…. This one is as bare bones as any “lounge” I’ve ever encounter. Cheap is the word.)
As for the Cardinal business class seats, well, yes, they’re leather, but so what? I’m not convinced that they are any roomier than the normal amtrak coach seats. (ok, yes, they layout is 2-1 rather than 2-2. But are they actually any roomier — the seats!? Show me dimensions, not vague hype please. And while I’ve had no trouble sleeping on amtrak coach NER seats — for some reason, on this Cardinal, sleeping for both my wife and I in these “business” seats was most unpleasant…. ps, you cheerily endorsed travel in the sleeper options, but you fail to mention how grotesquely over-priced they’ve become since Amtrak gutted it’s post-Chase rewards program.)
You mentioned that on your cardinal you apparently had access to an unlimited self-serve bar. (I had visions of the generous business class amtrak trains out in the northwest, where yes, that includes snacks and drinks, self-serve.). But on our miserly Cardinal train, that self-serve bar is gone — now being lorded over by an unhappy attendant, who made us feel guilty each time we hazarded to (politely) asked for a coke or a water….. and then too there was the tip jar issue…. (in short, it ain’t unlimited or self-service or “free” anymore)
As for the scenery, I wasn’t so impressed…. (maybe that’s because we were on a return trip leg from time out in Colorado….. Yes, it was pleasant….. and it was nice at a few spots to be hugging this and that river, and watching the kayaks and canoes…. But after a while, you start wondering, why am I cooped up in this train and just watching?)
Oh, and the train somewhere during the long night got delayed, and delayed, and delayed — we arrived in Charlottesville over 3 hours later than scheduled. (which one wry local attendant quipped was better than usual…. the delays on these long haul trains are becoming epidemic…. and ripens them up for cutting by the current POTUS — which would be so sad….)
I’ve saved the worst for last…. my biggest beef with the entire Cardinal experience — the internet WAS NOT WORKING. Discovered this less than an hour out of Chicago. I’ve had previous had rather good internet experiences on Northeast Regional trains, including in rural areas, on the east coast, and Amtrak advertises the Cardinal as also having dependable, everywhere available internet. It does NOT. It worked less than 90% of the time I kept trying…. (It tended to work only when we were near a station, or in an urban area)
I drew the non-functioning internet to conductors and amtrak staff a half dozen times during the trip, and a supervisor or two kept checking in with me. (heard from some of them that it’s a chronic problem, one they didn’t want to talk much about…. they apparently checked the equipment, but none of them could figure out why no one on that train had internet…. nor did they seem much concerned.)
All well and good to have roomy seats in business class for nearly a day…. but without being able to get any work on-line done, it was a full day lost. (Future readers, just don’t count on having the net. Bring a book)
I’d had the misfortune to read your nuance-less post singing the praises of the train all during those wasted hours…. (As it is, it reads very much like a “shill” piece — all puff, no analysis, no distance from your subject. At least you noted amtrak had apparently sponsored your trip)
Promised myself that once I cooled off, I’d offer a few counter-factuals — lest any future readers get so ensnared. Now we’ll see if you let it stand.
Sounds like you had a frustrating experience. I’m not affiliated with Amtrak, and my experience was pleasant and my opinions expressed in the trip report still stand (working wifi, peaceful ride, no service hiccups, and all). I have never tried the sleeper car option myself, but I included prices that were valid at the time of posting and I felt they were reasonable enough for me to want to try it (especially with my train-obsessed young children) in the future. I suggest maybe you send your experience to someone at Amtrak and maybe they can offer a solution or make it right for you somehow. Happy travels!