On the Train to Norfolk We Go...

The following post was written by Region 2 Mentorship and Membership Coordinator, Gavin Farber. Gavin currently serves as an Academic Advisor on the Freshman/Sophomore Advising Team in the Center for Undergraduate Advising at Fox School of Business and Management at Temple University. 

Look out for more information to come on other forms of transportation in a future post!

On the Train to Norfolk We Go...

With the upcoming 2020 Region 2 Conference, there are many methods of transportation to travel down to the nautical Norfolk, Virginia. Over this past December on my way to our regional steering committee meeting, I went on a true Amtrak journey down the Northeast Corridor. I saw large cities and small towns, and the beauty of our mid-Atlantic region. 

I took the train from Trenton, NJ. The trip to Norfolk is seven hours. But in my own NACADA tradition, I have always enjoyed an Amtrak adventure from Lancaster (2014) to Richmond (2015) to College Park (2016) and Pittsburgh (2017).  Over the years I have collected tips to help achieve a smooth and relaxing experience for the novice or experienced train traveler.

I have comfort on a train.  As a non-driver, trains allow me to get from point A to point B in a reasonable time frame without worrying about security lines or someone charging extra for my always overly heavy bags. Amtrak rides make me feel like I am being transported back to a simpler time. I also can take two personal items (less than 25 lbs) and two carry-on bags (up to 50 lbs) on board. Check out more on this policy.

When I planned this trip I thought long and hard about how I was going to keep myself occupied for seven hours.  I found having a tablet and portable DVD player (yes I still use metal coasters) helped me enjoy my favorite movies and reality TV.  Amtrak does have Free Wi-Fi, but I will be honest, it’s not always reliable so having the alternative player just required me to charge it and put my disk in.   

Depending on your budget there are two types of Amtrak seats, (a) coach and (b) business class. I am a bit of an Amtrak snob and choose Business Class because the seats are larger and with your ticket you can get an unlimited number of non-alcoholic beverages in the dining car (coffee, water, soda). You also could experience a celebrity sighting. On this journey, I saw the famed runway diva coach, Miss J Alexander from America’s Next Top Model. While I do not have any photographic proof of this sighting, I will tell you he is just beautiful in person as on television screen!

Dining on board an Amtrak is an experience! I was first introduced to the dining car in episode of Sex in the City. If you like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee it is on-board along with Coca Cola products. While it’s a place of gabbing and gnashing, be aware that during popular dining hours you might have an extended wait. I get my lunch around 11:30 am as it’s an off time in the dining car. Take a look at the  Northeast Corridor Menu to see if you might find your own haute cuisine while on board. 

Whenever traveling on the Northeast Corridor, no there will be a 30 minutes stop at Union Station-Washington, D.C. because this is where the engines are changed for the rest of the journey down south. During this time there is no electricity on board and you can step out of the train to stretch your legs, get some fresh air or to explore Union Station. Just be cautious of time if you do this. 

The remaining almost four and half hours through Virginia shows the beauty of this commonwealth. From Alexandria to Roanoke to Richmond and our final destination of Norfolk. Even on a mild December afternoon you could see some of the remaining fall hues on the trees and see the sunset on your down the Virginian eastern coast. 

When you arrive at Norfolk’s train station you can easily take a few steps down to the parking lot where you can find taxis. You can also use any of the ride sharing apps and your driver should not have a problem picking you up. The hotels are about 5-10 minutes from the station. 

The return trains leave Norfolk daily at 6:15am and 9:00am.  I suggest if you plan on using this method to think about possibly returning home Thursday morning if you plan to stay for the entire conference. Note for this early train the station will not open until 5:45am (I made the mistake of trying to get to the station earlier around 5:20 am and remained freezing outside for almost half an hour with all my luggage on colder Saturday morning!)

I suggest if train travel is your method to get to the 2020 Region 2 Conference to plan ahead, relax and enjoy all of the amenities that Amtrak has to offer. Safe travels coming to Norfolk!