I used to ride Amtrak trains between New York and Boston often, but in recent years I have been driving and flying much more frequently.
My ride today reminds me of why I like trains. To begin with, Penn Station is an easier cab ride from my Manhattan apartment than Newark or Kennedy and is probably a push with LaGuardia. But the fact that you can just as easily buy your tickets online and check in via kiosk, but that there is no security screening means that there is no need to pad your arrival time by an hour or so as I do when I fly.
The seats in business class are roomy and comfortable - and since we're not packed in like sardines, I can really spread out. There are electrical outlets and wifi for those who want to use their laptops. There is a quiet car where "library silence" rules and a cafe cat for those who need a snack.
Best of all, though, is the view. If you sit in a window seat on the right side (facing the front of the train), you will have water views for much of the trip. I enjoyed seeing the ferries to Block Island, the migratory birds perched on old pilings, and the classic New England cottages on the shore. Every now and then we'd come to a beach and I'd see the waves gently lapping fhe sand. If it hadn't been such a misty morning there likely would have been a nice sunrise, too.
All in all it has been a very pleasant way to travel.
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