bikes on amtrak

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Rikiarnie said:

I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by Amtrak. I
have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any ideas out
there?

Someone must have the scoop on this. Last I knew they were allowed on
most Amtraks, maybe there's a procedure to follow

--
"The web has got me caught. I'd rather have the blues than what I've
got." <via Nat King Cole>

Norm said:

Rikiarnie said:

I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning
by Amtrak. I have now found out that there are no trains that will
take bike. Any ideas out there?

Someone must have the scoop on this. Last I knew they were allowed
on most Amtraks, maybe there's a procedure to follow

Gee, maybe someone should check with Amtrak's Web site and see what
their baggage policies are.

http://www.amtrak.com/plan/baggage-checked.html

Quoted message said:

I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning
by Amtrak. I have now found out that there are no trains that will
take bike. Any ideas out there?

As far as ideas go, consider a bus or bicycle both ways :-). Also
check Amtrak's site.

I have traveled on Amtrak at least half a dozen times including from
Savannah, Georgia to Burlington, Vermont (a while ago in '95) and San
Diego to Denver (my most recent Amtrak trip in '03). Bicycles were
only allowed to board/unboard at stations that had "baggage service".
They needed to be boxed and boxes were sold at those stations. [Some
exceptions, the train between San Luis Obispo and San Jose seemed to
allow unboxed and non-Amtrak trains in California prefered bicycles
*not in boxes*]. Prices for boxes and bike travel were much more
reasonable on Amtrak than domestic US airlines (~$5-10 for the box and
no additional fee for the bike]. Also, plan on the luggage driver
placing your bike box on a cart and loading luggage *on top* of the
box, so prepare accordingly.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

If I remember correctly, you might have to ship the bike a day or two in
advance and pick it up at the station. Check with Amtrack.

And be sure to check out the Old Montreal to Lachine bikeway while you're
there. It'll be a wimpy ride after riding all the way to Montreal, but it
might give you a vision for NYC's bicycling future!
"Rikiarnie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by

Amtrak. I

Quoted message said:

have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any

ideas out

Quoted message said:

there?

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor - Washington D.C. to Boston is their commuter route, their only profitable route and it does not have luggage cars. It does not allow bicycles last I knew...I doubt it's changed. Briefcases...not bikes 🙂

From NYC to New Haven CT there is the Metro North Railroad's NewHaven Line...some trains (non-commuter and at certain times) will take bikes.
"Rikiarnie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by Amtrak. I
have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any ideas out
there?

On Thu, 17 Jun 2004 18:11:31 -0400, "Comcast News" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

<Amtrak's Northeast Corridor - Washington D.C. to Boston is their commuter route, their only profitable route and it does not have luggage cars. It does not allow bicycles last I knew...I doubt it's changed. Briefcases...not bikes 🙂
<
<From NYC to New Haven CT there is the Metro North Railroad's NewHaven Line...some trains (non-commuter and at certain times) will take bikes.
< "Rikiarnie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
< I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by Amtrak. I
< have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any ideas out
< there?

You might want to contact the author of this web site
http://home.att.net/~hannahb/montreal/montrealrideback.html

"Comcast News" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor - Washington D.C. to Boston is their
commuter route, their only profitable route and it does not have luggage
cars. It does not allow bicycles last I knew...I doubt it's changed.
Briefcases...not bikes 🙂

From NYC to New Haven CT there is the Metro North Railroad's NewHaven
Line...some trains (non-commuter and at certain times) will take bikes.
"Rikiarnie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by
Amtrak. I
have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any
ideas out
there?
--

As of two or three years ago there was an Amtrak train, the Vermonter,
that ran from D.C. via NYC to St. Albans, VT, and accepted bicycles.
It's still listed as active on the Amtrak web site. Two friends and I
took the train from Hartford to St. Albans and then rode our bikes
back to Conn. St. Albans is only 10 miles or so short of the Canadian
border and maybe 70 miles from Montreal. It would be an easy day's
ride from Montreal to St. Albans to pick it up.

Pat Clancy
[email hidden]

That's not the same train. You have to change trains in New Haven CT for the Vermonter. It would take him too far inland. That train has baggage cars. See the schedule. www.amtrak.com or http://www.cwrr.com/Amtrak/e_vermt.html

You go north from New Haven to Hartford, rather than along the coast to Providence and Boston
"Pat Clancy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
"Comcast News" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor - Washington D.C. to Boston is their
commuter route, their only profitable route and it does not have luggage
cars. It does not allow bicycles last I knew...I doubt it's changed.
Briefcases...not bikes 🙂

From NYC to New Haven CT there is the Metro North Railroad's NewHaven
Line...some trains (non-commuter and at certain times) will take bikes.
"Rikiarnie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by
Amtrak. I
have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any
ideas out
there?
--

As of two or three years ago there was an Amtrak train, the Vermonter,
that ran from D.C. via NYC to St. Albans, VT, and accepted bicycles.
It's still listed as active on the Amtrak web site. Two friends and I
took the train from Hartford to St. Albans and then rode our bikes
back to Conn. St. Albans is only 10 miles or so short of the Canadian
border and maybe 70 miles from Montreal. It would be an easy day's
ride from Montreal to St. Albans to pick it up.

Pat Clancy
[email hidden]

[email hidden] (Rikiarnie) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by Amtrak. I
have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any ideas out
there?

Amtrack stopped carrying bikes on the Vermonter some time ago. You
could try Peter Pan / Greyhound. Depending on the bus load you may
take a bike unboxed if there is room and the driver says ok. Ceck
Peter Pan site. Adventure Cycling Assoc. has a shiping deal for
members through another firm.

ed

"Comcast News" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

That's not the same train. You have to change trains in New Haven CT for
the Vermonter. It would take him too far inland. That train has baggage
cars. See the schedule. www.amtrak.com or
http://www.cwrr.com/Amtrak/e vermt.html

You go north from New Haven to Hartford, rather than along the coast to
Providence and Boston
"Pat Clancy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
"Comcast News" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<L62dnW8kmp-Lik [email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Amtrak's Northeast Corridor - Washington D.C. to Boston is their
commuter route, their only profitable route and it does not have

luggage

Quoted message said:

cars. It does not allow bicycles last I knew...I doubt it's changed.

Quoted message said:

Briefcases...not bikes 🙂

From NYC to New Haven CT there is the Metro North Railroad's

NewHaven

Quoted message said:

Line...some trains (non-commuter and at certain times) will take

bikes.

Quoted message said:

"Rikiarnie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning

by

Quoted message said:

Amtrak. I
have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike.

Any

Quoted message said:

ideas out
there?
--

As of two or three years ago there was an Amtrak train, the Vermonter,
that ran from D.C. via NYC to St. Albans, VT, and accepted bicycles.
It's still listed as active on the Amtrak web site. Two friends and I
took the train from Hartford to St. Albans and then rode our bikes
back to Conn. St. Albans is only 10 miles or so short of the Canadian
border and maybe 70 miles from Montreal. It would be an easy day's
ride from Montreal to St. Albans to pick it up.

Pat Clancy
[email hidden]
--

Check out Sports Express through Adventure Cycling Assoc. a service
offered to members for shipping your bike.

ed

On 18 Jun 2004 04:30:19 -0700, [email hidden] (Pat Clancy) wrote:

<"Comcast News" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...
<> Amtrak's Northeast Corridor - Washington D.C. to Boston is their
<> commuter route, their only profitable route and it does not have luggage
<> cars. It does not allow bicycles last I knew...I doubt it's changed.
<> Briefcases...not bikes 🙂
<>
<> From NYC to New Haven CT there is the Metro North Railroad's NewHaven
<> Line...some trains (non-commuter and at certain times) will take bikes.
<> "Rikiarnie" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
<> news:[email hidden]...
<> I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by
<> Amtrak. I
<> have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any
<> ideas out
<> there?
<> --
<
<As of two or three years ago there was an Amtrak train, the Vermonter,
<that ran from D.C. via NYC to St. Albans, VT, and accepted bicycles.
<It's still listed as active on the Amtrak web site. Two friends and I
<took the train from Hartford to St. Albans and then rode our bikes
<back to Conn. St. Albans is only 10 miles or so short of the Canadian
<border and maybe 70 miles from Montreal. It would be an easy day's
<ride from Montreal to St. Albans to pick it up.

I took that train, The Vermonter, to Montreal back in the 80's. IIRC, it went
slower than a bike 8) There were stretches, along river banks and beside rock
ledges, that had a conductor walking ahead of the train and inspecting the
condition of the tracks.

Rikiarnie said:

I had planned on cycling from NYC to Montreal, and then returning by Amtrak. I
have now found out that there are no trains that will take bike. Any ideas out
there?

UPS/Fed Ex should work - you just have to get a bike box and disassemble
the bicycle

--
Elwood Blues

Mike Vermeulen <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

the train between San Luis Obispo and San Jose seemed to
allow unboxed

Boy is that information way out of date. North of San Luis Obispo
bikes *must* be boxed. From SLO southward the Surfliner takes roll-on
(un-boxed) bikes, up to 8 per train. The difference is due to state
participation in the Surfliner, which is considered a commuter train
for SoCal.

Also, since last fall *all* baggage pieces on Amtrak must be less than
50 lbs; over 50 lbs and it does not get accepted - no exceptions
(i.e., you can no longer pay an overweight fee and get the bag on).

The Amtrak boxes are big - much bigger than your typical airline or
LBS provided bike box, so less disassembly is needed.

- rick

Quoted message said:

The Amtrak boxes are big - much bigger than your typical airline or
LBS provided bike box, so less disassembly is needed.

The Amtrak boxes I've gotten are same size as airline boxes from
United, Continental, Delta, etc. In both cases wheels stay on, but
pedals are removed and handle bars turned.

Boxes I got from Quantas were shorter and fatter than the other
airline boxes.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen