Adirondack Amtrak Train 68: Montreal to New York City

5AM:  Stretch.  Try to get my bearings and get off of my bed which I have made a beautiful synergy with during the wee hours of the night.

5:30AM:  Off to the Ottawa train station to catch my 6:30 departure towards Montreal.

6:30AM:  Half awake and happy I have a fully charged IPOD Touch that will play music to accommodate my trance like state.  VIA Rail has free Wi-Fi on the train too!  Perfect.

8:00AM:  Arrive at the Station Central de Montreal.  People are moving unusually (at least to me) fast.  Forced to dodge early risers who are rushing off to their desk monkey office jobs.  Flashback of the last time I was in this train station for a conference with my old company.  I recall the only enjoyable parts of that weekend were the after hour “activities” with inebriated colleagues.  We received our bonuses before that weekend.  For some, that money didn’t last long.

8:30AM:  At the back of a very long line behind gate 15 ready to board train 68 (Adirondack) towards New York City.  

11:00AM:  Get to Rouses Point which is the Customs Border Inspection Point for Canadians entering the U.S.  Expecting a 2-3 hour delay, I was surprised to see that it only took roughly an hour and five minutes before the train started to move again.

Customs Border Inspection Procedure:

1)       You stay seated while a border officer comes onto the train.
2)       The officer asks you a couple questions:  “Where are you going?” “Where are you coming from?” “Do you know the person sitting next to you?”
3)     The officer continues questioning other passengers while collecting Customs Declaration Forms.

I noticed a couple backpacker types escorted off the train for “further investigation.”  

Interestingly enough, no one on my cart raised enough suspicion to require further probing.

The train stops in Albany.  Depending on how long customs takes, you may have up to 40 minutes (in my case) to get off and get some fresh air:

Here is some footage I took with my Ipod Touch.  This is about 40 minutes from Penn Station:

Advantages of using the Adirondack Train from Montreal to New York City:

1)      The price is great.   It costs approximately $130 return ticket from Montreal to NYC.
2)      You get a fantastic view of the Adirondacks.
3)      Although there are no sleepers, you get a reclining seat with leg rests
4)      There is a cafe where you can sit down and have a regular sized table available for eating, using your computer, etc.  Keep in mind this area is very popular, so you may find yourself sharing a table with others.

Disadvantages of using the Adirondack Train from Montreal to NYC:

1)      The ride is quite long.  Roughly 11 hours.
2)      The Wi-Fi is not great if you want to use the internet.  I was unable to connect the whole time from my cart.  Perhaps the connection is better on a different cart.

 All in all the trip was enjoyable.  If you have the time, it's an affordable alternative to taking the airplane or driving.