Train vs. Plane RACE Between NYC and DC
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Date: 2025-12-13
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Comments and reviews: 20
nobstech8133
Obviously this video had its biases, but as someone who does this trip more than 20 times a year, plane is for sure faster, even more than your test. Convenience is more subjective, but time is of the essence if you have responsibilities. All the other variables apply to both: Taxi, metro, running, traffic, delays, destination, etc. For people considering flying that flight: Yes! It’s around 45 mnts or less, LGA from Gate to Uber is about 5mnt walk. If going from DCA to Air&Space, just take the yellow line Metro- 4 stops away for under $3- will leave you just 1 block away. T-Mobile free internet has always worked. Acela is more chill and get to do sightseeing but the time can definitely take must of your valuable time of the day- be it Family time or work (unless you just work on your computer) it also can be very expensive- even without doing the first class. Flying is also expensive but you can get round-trip for around $200 if you’re lucky. Good video nonetheless!
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Obviously this video had its biases, but as someone who does this trip more than 20 times a year, plane is for sure faster, even more than your test. Convenience is more subjective, but time is of the essence if you have responsibilities. All the other variables apply to both: Taxi, metro, running, traffic, delays, destination, etc. For people considering flying that flight: Yes! It’s around 45 mnts or less, LGA from Gate to Uber is about 5mnt walk. If going from DCA to Air&Space, just take the yellow line Metro- 4 stops away for under $3- will leave you just 1 block away. T-Mobile free internet has always worked. Acela is more chill and get to do sightseeing but the time can definitely take must of your valuable time of the day- be it Family time or work (unless you just work on your computer) it also can be very expensive- even without doing the first class. Flying is also expensive but you can get round-trip for around $200 if you’re lucky. Good video nonetheless!
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yoitsniam
setting everything aside and thinking purely financially and time-wise, if it weren’t for our aging rail infrastructure the train would be superior! the great USA had the political willpower to do so we could kick europe or japan’s buttocks!
p. s. bringing back aside everything else not just financially & time-wise though, train is still superior. i don’t know a single soul who enjoys their time at airports lol. again i just want us to properly invest in rail infrastructure i know we can be just as great & better than europe & japan every single flight per day in every single U. S. contiguous state should have a matching rail line 1: 1
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setting everything aside and thinking purely financially and time-wise, if it weren’t for our aging rail infrastructure the train would be superior! the great USA had the political willpower to do so we could kick europe or japan’s buttocks!
p. s. bringing back aside everything else not just financially & time-wise though, train is still superior. i don’t know a single soul who enjoys their time at airports lol. again i just want us to properly invest in rail infrastructure i know we can be just as great & better than europe & japan every single flight per day in every single U. S. contiguous state should have a matching rail line 1: 1
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kirillboyko9208
I think Acela wins on comfort in general on the corridor.
I do like the train since it allows me to either work or sleep comfortably, something that the plane doesn't allow. I feel that the rail is all slower travel while the plane is a bunch of waiting for longest times and then a quick hop. I live in the DC burbs, on the Maryland side, where I am approx 30 minutes away from either DCA, IAD or the Union Station, so I don't really care which mode of transportation to choose. And yes, no one arrives to the plane 2 hours before the departure, it's ridiculous. Likewise, 30 mins before the train is equally ridiculous, 15 mins prior max.
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I think Acela wins on comfort in general on the corridor.
I do like the train since it allows me to either work or sleep comfortably, something that the plane doesn't allow. I feel that the rail is all slower travel while the plane is a bunch of waiting for longest times and then a quick hop. I live in the DC burbs, on the Maryland side, where I am approx 30 minutes away from either DCA, IAD or the Union Station, so I don't really care which mode of transportation to choose. And yes, no one arrives to the plane 2 hours before the departure, it's ridiculous. Likewise, 30 mins before the train is equally ridiculous, 15 mins prior max.
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lebelgo
I think that most people who fly from NYC to DC (or back) have connecting flights. The plane doesn't make sense. It's like when we were taking our (connecting) plane on British Airways from Paris to London, connecting at LHR for our flight to LAX. Our plane was a bit late, but our captain assured us that I think you'll all be able to make your connections, as almost all of your are connecting here. Doesn't make sense to take the plane to fly from Paris to London either, unless you're connecting to another flight. Flying almost never makes sense if you can get to your destination by another method of transportation in 4 hours or less.
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I think that most people who fly from NYC to DC (or back) have connecting flights. The plane doesn't make sense. It's like when we were taking our (connecting) plane on British Airways from Paris to London, connecting at LHR for our flight to LAX. Our plane was a bit late, but our captain assured us that I think you'll all be able to make your connections, as almost all of your are connecting here. Doesn't make sense to take the plane to fly from Paris to London either, unless you're connecting to another flight. Flying almost never makes sense if you can get to your destination by another method of transportation in 4 hours or less.
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derektaylor2941
Here in UK we have a similar issue when travelling to Europe. Do you take the ferry- average crossing time about 90 minutes- or do you take the tunnel- average 40 minutes.
Of course it's faster on the train. 40 minutes vs 90 minutes is just a simple matter of maths. Or is it Want to stop at the duty free There's another 20 minutes. Dinner/lunch'/breakfast Another 30 minutes. A light snooze after a long drive somewhere 30 minutes. So:
Tunnel: 40 minutes 20 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes = 2 hours.
Ferry: 90 minutes. all can be done at the same time. = 1. 5 hours.
Remind me again, which is faster
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Here in UK we have a similar issue when travelling to Europe. Do you take the ferry- average crossing time about 90 minutes- or do you take the tunnel- average 40 minutes.
Of course it's faster on the train. 40 minutes vs 90 minutes is just a simple matter of maths. Or is it Want to stop at the duty free There's another 20 minutes. Dinner/lunch'/breakfast Another 30 minutes. A light snooze after a long drive somewhere 30 minutes. So:
Tunnel: 40 minutes 20 minutes 30 minutes 30 minutes = 2 hours.
Ferry: 90 minutes. all can be done at the same time. = 1. 5 hours.
Remind me again, which is faster
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Anthony-fc4jl
I used to do this trip several times a year for work and the Accela has always been the best way to go. Several colleagues didnt believe me and opted for the flight, only to regret their decision once they realized NYC traffic to the airports eats away at any type of speed that the the plane affords you. The timing door to door was almost identical. And in terms of comfort, I always enjoyed being able to work for the entire trip on the train plus the occasional beverage at the bar car was nice. I havent done this trip in a few years but im glad that not much has changed.
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I used to do this trip several times a year for work and the Accela has always been the best way to go. Several colleagues didnt believe me and opted for the flight, only to regret their decision once they realized NYC traffic to the airports eats away at any type of speed that the the plane affords you. The timing door to door was almost identical. And in terms of comfort, I always enjoyed being able to work for the entire trip on the train plus the occasional beverage at the bar car was nice. I havent done this trip in a few years but im glad that not much has changed.
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Blah. 07
Fun video. There's a lot of variability with air port security and other random things going wrong at the airport. Ever got stuck behind the person that didn't want to give up their item they forgot they couldn't bring on a plane Compared with the train where you literally just walk up to it, the difference is amazing.
From DCA was there a reason you didn't just take the metro It's a straight shot with the yellow line to L'Enfant's then walk 2 blocks north to the back corner of the air and space museum. It would also have been less than $20 and in traffic probably faster.
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Fun video. There's a lot of variability with air port security and other random things going wrong at the airport. Ever got stuck behind the person that didn't want to give up their item they forgot they couldn't bring on a plane Compared with the train where you literally just walk up to it, the difference is amazing.
From DCA was there a reason you didn't just take the metro It's a straight shot with the yellow line to L'Enfant's then walk 2 blocks north to the back corner of the air and space museum. It would also have been less than $20 and in traffic probably faster.
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anonymous-nobody1
I've learned in my small GA (General Aviation) aircraft I can often beat the airlines door to door for flights up to 600 miles, especially if I'm going someplace that requires 1 or more connecting flights. Takes me 10 min to get to the airport and maybe another 10 min before I can start up. The flight to DC is about 1hr 10 min flight time (starting from an airport near EWR, the closest I can get now is College Park, MD where I hop on the subway to Downtown DC. whole trip to DC is roughly 2hrs.
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I've learned in my small GA (General Aviation) aircraft I can often beat the airlines door to door for flights up to 600 miles, especially if I'm going someplace that requires 1 or more connecting flights. Takes me 10 min to get to the airport and maybe another 10 min before I can start up. The flight to DC is about 1hr 10 min flight time (starting from an airport near EWR, the closest I can get now is College Park, MD where I hop on the subway to Downtown DC. whole trip to DC is roughly 2hrs.
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NSMike87
On pure numbers, both modes of transit are comparable enough that it looks generally like a wash. In practical terms Nobody likes getting to the airport so early. Nobody likes airport security. Nobody likes airplane seats (and let's be honest, most of us fly coach. If you have bigger bags, nobody likes baggage claim. When these two are SO CLOSE in just about every sense, but the on-the-ground details of air travel are so unpleasant, IMO, the train beats out flying, even with delays.
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On pure numbers, both modes of transit are comparable enough that it looks generally like a wash. In practical terms Nobody likes getting to the airport so early. Nobody likes airport security. Nobody likes airplane seats (and let's be honest, most of us fly coach. If you have bigger bags, nobody likes baggage claim. When these two are SO CLOSE in just about every sense, but the on-the-ground details of air travel are so unpleasant, IMO, the train beats out flying, even with delays.
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SleazyDonny
Does anyone remember the United and Eastern shuttle flights between LaGuardia and National Airport (or Boston Logan Airport) Before 9/11, no TSA, and one could buy tickets fifteen minutes before departure, even without a reservation. The flights left every hour or two, and if one became full, the airline brought out another one. They even had student discount that was really cheap especially by today’s standards. The shuttle flights easily took less time than Acela door to door.
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Does anyone remember the United and Eastern shuttle flights between LaGuardia and National Airport (or Boston Logan Airport) Before 9/11, no TSA, and one could buy tickets fifteen minutes before departure, even without a reservation. The flights left every hour or two, and if one became full, the airline brought out another one. They even had student discount that was really cheap especially by today’s standards. The shuttle flights easily took less time than Acela door to door.
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KevinRands820
Brand new train: Broken door. Inoperable toilet in first class. Doesn’t even go full speed most of the time. Off to a great start with your slow new speed train America. Also: knock an hour off the flight duration. You def didn’t need to show up 2 hours early. Plane was over an hour and a half faster. Without the 22 plane delay (11th in line) it would’ve been 2 hours faster. Plane wins because America still doesn’t actually have a speed train. Period.
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Brand new train: Broken door. Inoperable toilet in first class. Doesn’t even go full speed most of the time. Off to a great start with your slow new speed train America. Also: knock an hour off the flight duration. You def didn’t need to show up 2 hours early. Plane was over an hour and a half faster. Without the 22 plane delay (11th in line) it would’ve been 2 hours faster. Plane wins because America still doesn’t actually have a speed train. Period.
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ragehelsel
If you are carrying something more substantial than a backpack, high probability the train will win, seeing that you would not be forced to check a bag, which happens frequently. Also, for folks taking a car to the accella in NJ, there is likely less traffic and lower cost parking to take the train from somewhere like metro park vs going to Newark. Slightly different but thank you for answering this question, as I have often wondered the math on this.
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If you are carrying something more substantial than a backpack, high probability the train will win, seeing that you would not be forced to check a bag, which happens frequently. Also, for folks taking a car to the accella in NJ, there is likely less traffic and lower cost parking to take the train from somewhere like metro park vs going to Newark. Slightly different but thank you for answering this question, as I have often wondered the math on this.
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jeb_brooks
It's not the 20 minutes that holds me back it's the additional cost of the train. If the train had a ticket price the same as the plane I'd take the train EVERY SINGLE TIME even if it took an additional HOUR over plane travel. The added space the lower difficulty of boarding and debarkation the closer proximity to city centers, the more convenient process for checked luggage all argue strongly for the train but NOT at the premium price it costs.
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It's not the 20 minutes that holds me back it's the additional cost of the train. If the train had a ticket price the same as the plane I'd take the train EVERY SINGLE TIME even if it took an additional HOUR over plane travel. The added space the lower difficulty of boarding and debarkation the closer proximity to city centers, the more convenient process for checked luggage all argue strongly for the train but NOT at the premium price it costs.
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fkcoolers2669
I live in Boston and I choose Acela Express over flying every single time. For me it's more relaxing and an under-appreciated aspect of arriving by train (unless you've done it before) is that arriving at Moynihan and arriving at JFK or LaGuardia makes a huge difference depending on where you'll be staying in the city. If you're staying in midtown, you're already there when you get off the train. Good luck with that next leg from JFK, though.
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I live in Boston and I choose Acela Express over flying every single time. For me it's more relaxing and an under-appreciated aspect of arriving by train (unless you've done it before) is that arriving at Moynihan and arriving at JFK or LaGuardia makes a huge difference depending on where you'll be staying in the city. If you're staying in midtown, you're already there when you get off the train. Good luck with that next leg from JFK, though.
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rrm4cy
A few notes for New York to DC flights- they don’t work like normal flights. You can take whatever airplane you want when you get to the airport. Also, it may have been faster to take the subway and both of those certainly would have put the flight ahead.
I would have liked to see public transit used. The systems in NY and DC are among the best in the world. The metro ride to the Smithsonian station or L’Enfant would have been about 10 mins.
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A few notes for New York to DC flights- they don’t work like normal flights. You can take whatever airplane you want when you get to the airport. Also, it may have been faster to take the subway and both of those certainly would have put the flight ahead.
I would have liked to see public transit used. The systems in NY and DC are among the best in the world. The metro ride to the Smithsonian station or L’Enfant would have been about 10 mins.
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VishnuKamath
I wish Amtrak had good service between Vancouver BC and Seattle/Portland. I do occasional trips between Vancouver and Seattle. The Drive takes 3-4 hours, Plane take 3 hours(expensive: Taxi to the airport, Crossing Pr-clearance and then light rail to Seattle downtown, Bus(The best experience as there is a HOV lane between Everett and SEA) and then the train(absolutely pathetic especially in the SEA --> Vancouver. Takes 5 hours.
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I wish Amtrak had good service between Vancouver BC and Seattle/Portland. I do occasional trips between Vancouver and Seattle. The Drive takes 3-4 hours, Plane take 3 hours(expensive: Taxi to the airport, Crossing Pr-clearance and then light rail to Seattle downtown, Bus(The best experience as there is a HOV lane between Everett and SEA) and then the train(absolutely pathetic especially in the SEA --> Vancouver. Takes 5 hours.
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MsGundbear
Good comparison; however, the train is more enjoyable than the airplane; but remember to cut through JFK or LGA, it took about 45 mins (especially now the check-ins are online or on your smartphone, it took the travel time literally less than the 2-hour wait. Between year 98 to 2008 (just before the recession, my trips were always from DC to JFK (or Grand Central Station. Accela or Northeastern were my buddies back in the day.
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Good comparison; however, the train is more enjoyable than the airplane; but remember to cut through JFK or LGA, it took about 45 mins (especially now the check-ins are online or on your smartphone, it took the travel time literally less than the 2-hour wait. Between year 98 to 2008 (just before the recession, my trips were always from DC to JFK (or Grand Central Station. Accela or Northeastern were my buddies back in the day.
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stevenbathurst7027
for me its more about comfort. being stuck in a seat for hours is too uncomfortable. A plane can get you there faster (for the most part) But with a train you can walk around go to the dining car or lounge. but the major down side it is very expensive to go from point A to point B. Most of the US trains are old and out dated. and need to have modern accommodations.
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for me its more about comfort. being stuck in a seat for hours is too uncomfortable. A plane can get you there faster (for the most part) But with a train you can walk around go to the dining car or lounge. but the major down side it is very expensive to go from point A to point B. Most of the US trains are old and out dated. and need to have modern accommodations.
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mkejake6673
First world problems for sure. Time matters far less if you aren't trying to book back and forth the same day or rushing to get on a plane you already have booked since the train experienced a delay. Anyone who travels for a living knows to account for these things. Also first class on the flight is a waste since it's less than an hour flight. But hey, it's your money.
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First world problems for sure. Time matters far less if you aren't trying to book back and forth the same day or rushing to get on a plane you already have booked since the train experienced a delay. Anyone who travels for a living knows to account for these things. Also first class on the flight is a waste since it's less than an hour flight. But hey, it's your money.
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jonniejones876
Meanwhile china knocks off 650 miles from Shanghai to Beijing in 4hrs.
Perhaps stop sharing this nonsense. Stop spending a trillion dollars on defence and catch up with the world guys.
Your roads, rail and airports are an embarrassment in 2025. They were an embarrassment in 1995 but hey. Venture capitalists were still getting rich and you had no healthcare
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Meanwhile china knocks off 650 miles from Shanghai to Beijing in 4hrs.
Perhaps stop sharing this nonsense. Stop spending a trillion dollars on defence and catch up with the world guys.
Your roads, rail and airports are an embarrassment in 2025. They were an embarrassment in 1995 but hey. Venture capitalists were still getting rich and you had no healthcare
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