@rcannon100 117521 wrote:
Old thread. Any updates? Has anyone done this. I take it the gig is
* The bicycle must be in a box
* The bicycle must be checked (which means only stations with baggage service)
Anyone done it and can report on whether this is such a grand thing?
http://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard
I checked my bike on an Alexandria-New Haven trip at about this time last year. (I met up with friends in New Haven, and we then drove and took the New London ferry to Long Island.)
The major downside was that the only Amtrak train accepting checked baggage was the overnight train — meaning that I arrived in New Haven at about 4:30 a.m., then had to wait around the station for the rather groggy station attendant to finally arrive and officially open the baggage service window.
Other than that, the process was pretty easy. I used my own bike case, but the Amtrak bike boxes are so big that only minimal disassembly would have been required if I had chosen that option. The station attendants didn’t blink an eye when accepting my bike case (and didn’t charge me the $10 that I thought they were supposed to charge). And the baggage handlers were reasonably gentle when handling my bike case. I’ve seen airplane luggage thrown around a lot more carelessly, for example.
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