Take advantage of Amtrak's same day, direct 89 Palmetto service for early morning arrival into Charleston from New York with lounge car only service.
Catch up on sleep after getting your dining car fix, by traveling aboard Amtrak's 97 Silver Meteor service, departing New York each afternoon and arriving to Charleston very early the following day.
Opt out of Amtrak's Regional 67 service, which leaves New York in the wee hours and connects with the 89 Palmetto train in Washington D.C. Take this route, and you'll spend several extra hours at Union Station waiting for your connecting train.
Maximize efficiency by booking online. Once you've decided which route you want to take, book your tickets online at the Amtrak Web site.
Arrive to the station at least 45 minutes prior to your departure time or risk losing your seat to last minute travelers!
Carry the credit card used to book your travel with you to the station for fast automated kiosk service, and you'll be able to forego longer lines at the ticket windows!
Know your station codes. Knowing that NYP and CHS stand for the New York and Charleston stations respectively can simplify your life and streamline your mechanized ticketing experience.
Bring your own snacks and drinks so that you don't have to rely on the costly snack offerings found on daytime trains that have lounge service only.
Come prepared with cards, chess, backgammon or another popular, familiar game to make fast friends with other travelers in lounge cars.
Bring warm clothes or a blanket, as the trains can get cold.
Prop your head on the pillow you brought!
