The trip from Lancaster PA a trip to NYC is easiest taking one Amtrak train. That train arrives in about three hours.
A much cheaper alternative involves taking Amtrak, SEPTA and NJ Transit with a total trip time close to five hours.
The difference, of course, is price. But my most recent trip to NYC showed me the difference can change by more than $150 in minutes.
The Amtrak train from Lancaster to NYC averages around $60 but on weekends and peak periods it can approach $200 one way. Seniors get a 10% discount.
The slower trip costs $45 dollars for an adult. Seniors over 65 who have a SEPTA senior card can make the whole trip for $20. $10 for Amtrak, $10 for NJT, free on SEPTA.
While the price is fixed on the slow trains, Amtrak has a variable pricing policy. If you can plan ahead, tickets are often cheaper two weeks or more in advance, $30 to $50.
But the best discounts are right up to the time of boarding. On a recent trip I bought a ticket from Lancaster to Philadelphia for $11 and planned to take SEPTA and NJT to NYC. The trip would have been almost five hours and cost $20.
As the first train approached Philadelphia, I opened the Amtrak app and searched for trains to Trenton. The day before all trains for that 30-mile trip were between $100 and $120. The Amtrak ticket for the next train suddenly dropped to $13. I bought the ticket. I checked for Trenton to NYC, those tickets were close to $150.
Then five minutes after we left Philadelphia station I searched again. Still expensive. Then as we approached Trenton I searched once more: $18 to NYC for the next train. I bought that ticket.
Instead of $20 for the trip I paid $42 but arrived almost two hours sooner. Amtrak trains are more comfortable.
If you have the time, take the slow train. But check along the way. Maybe Amtrak will cut the price by 80% or more just before the next train leaves.
Happy travels!
