Traveling from NOVA to NYC pt. 2

Part one has my 2023 recommendations. In 2025, I did more business travel than any other year, traveling to more locations and going to Meadow’s NYC office more times than in any previous year. It was time to update my NOVA <-> NYC travel recommendations.

The landscape in terms of options is roughly the same. I’m not aware of any new entrants in the DC to NY bus route but there were a couple of exits. Jet, the upscale/luxury offering, is no more. Megabus filed for bankruptcy. Amtrak continues to be the best option to go between downtown DC and Manhattan. I haven’t tried the next-gen Acela yet, but I will in a couple of weeks.

My main 2025 update is this: on the Northeast Regional you can grab a full-size table in the cafe car and stay there for the whole train ride. I’ve had my most productive 4-5 hour train rides that way. This doesn’t work in every train, like a recent Vermonter I was on. A train attendant once explained to me that if the train has a “full” cafe car, meaning there’s a seating section on both sides of it, you can sit down and stay as long as you’d like. That’s not the case if there’s only one seating area. It’s worth getting to Union Station early so you can be one of the first to board, maximizing your chances of grabbing a table. I’ve even boarded south of Union Station just to guarantee the table. Having that full-sized table is better than business class or even first class.

You should also try to make use of the Amtrak lounge in Moynihan Train Hall. I get a couple of lounge passes a year with Amtrak Guest Rewards. You can bring 2 guests with you. I’ve used it to great success with co-workers and family. Moynihan also has above-average food options in the food hall. I would much rather choose eating there over Union Station.

I’ve railed against flying to NYC, but for a while I’ve wanted to try it. I wonder if there are any situations where it’s better to fly. I try to minimize driving, but I also want to try driving to Metro Park or Princeton and taking NJ Transit from there. There might be certain times of the day, like very early in the morning, or situations (e.g. visiting friends and family in NJ) where driving part of the way to go.