August may have just begun, but we’d be kidding ourselves if we said we weren’t ready to trade the heat waves for New York’s stunning fall foliage. So if you’re like us and can’t wait for an autumn breeze to bring some sweet relief to the stink of summer trash, this train route from NYC is the perfect thing to add on your fall bucket list.
Amtrak’s Adirondack is known as one of the most scenic train routes in America, carrying passengers north through New York’s lush Hudson Valley until reaching Montreal, Canada. Serving 19 stations along the way, travelers can hop aboard the Adirondack from NYC’s Moynihan Train Hall and arrive in time for poutine and a Montreal smoked meat sandwich for dinner. The entire ride takes around 10-12 hours.
Within those hours, riders will get to take in sights of the Hudson Valley wine country. The route hugs the Hudson River, offering window views of sparkling waters and the towering Adirondack Mountains. Once the train passes through Lake Champlain, passengers will even get a peek at the Green Mountains of Vermont on a nice day. Finally, Canada’s farmlands and St. Lawrence River Valley will announce the train’s nearing Montreal Central Station.
Amtrak wrote:
Along the way, history comes alive in places like Saratoga Springs and Ticonderoga, while le enchantement of Montreal gives this journey a distinctively international flavor.
Onboard, Amtrak’s Adirondack offers Wi-Fi and cafe service, although there is something fun about packing your favorite snacks for the long trip.
If you’re not taking the train all the way to Montreal, you’ll find connecting trains to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC along the way.
We recommend booking the Adirondack anytime between late September to mid-October to take advantage of all the wonderful leaf peeping.
Tickets start as low as $72 on the Adirondack train. You can purchase yours on the Amtrak website. You can also look at booking a ride on America’s only high-speed train debuting this August.