Choose one of 3 eastbound train routes for your travel: the Empire State originating in Niagara Falls, the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago or the Maple Leaf route out of Toronto.
Check the Amtrak online Web site before you book your final reservations to get the current train schedules and engine numbers (see Resources). Up-to-date weather and traffic delays are also posted.
Be flexible when choosing a train route as there may be only 1 time during the day when a particular train route stops at the Buffalo stations for pick up. Be sure to confirm that the train will pick up and not just drop off when you book your train.
Expect to pay a reasonable fare for a one-way train ticket from Buffalo to Syracuse (usually less than $50 or so). The trip takes 2 to 3 hours. The cars are coach and serve snacks only.
Book your train travel from either the Buffalo Exchange Street station or the Buffalo Depew station to Syracuse by using the Amtrak online Web site or calling their toll free number (800) 872-7245 (see Resources).
Roll into the Syracuse train station, and expect it to be bustling. As part of the William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center, this bus and train station is the center of long distance ground travel service for Amtrak, Greyhound and Trailways.
Schedule your arrival in Syracuse for the hours between 6 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. if you need baggage assistance. The rest of the station operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
