Passenger Trains > Visit to New Haven advice please.

I plan to layover in New Haven, Conn. Thursday evening 4/11 on the way to Boston. Can anyone recommend a moderate hotel near the station? Boston hotels are ridiculously priced! Will I have much static taking pictures from the platform? Is there a train shop in town? Any general sights I should not pass up. I will have all day 4/12 free before moving on the Boston and the 4/13 B&M excursion. Thanks in advance!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/04/13 00:10 by railwaybaron.

I've never had issues taking photos on the platforms before, but then I've never hung out for too long either. IIRC its an Amtrak Police field location so I think I'd have a ticket if I was going to be on the platform for than a few minutes. Its also not a great area once you leave the station.

You might be able to get a taxi over to the Shore Line Trolley Museum. If not, consider taking Metro-North a few stops to visit a few railfanning locations.

There's also a hotel adjacent to the Anderson Transportation Center in Woburn (where the excursion is stopping), you might consider staying there instead. (Its a whole lot closer than New Haven.)

Access to the Shore Line platforms is unrestricted at New Haven. I've never had problems there. You can get a good look into the Amtrak engine service facility by walking a block south from the station toward the bridge over the tracks. The MetroNorth service facility is adjacent to the SLE / MetroNorth tracks.

Amtrak uses the tracks closer to the station (there's an under track tunnel).

I have not found New Haven to be much cheaper than Boston for overnight accommodations. The presence of several universities in the area keep the rates high.

The only hotel I know of in New Haven is closed. It's only 75 yards from the station. Train runs to Boston and I don't know of any hotels there.

Oops, I see you're talking about the east coast. I was thinking about the Kentucky Railway Museum (http://www.kyrail.org/index.asp) based in New Haven and running a train to Boston, about 15 miles. Sorry about the erroneous information.

John

Tough call...
The Omni is the nicest, but I don't know what your definition of moderate is.
The La Quinta (....eh...) is the closest and within, we'll say, safe walking distance sun up or down. Other hotels, I would not recommend walking to at night from the station.
Outside of that, nothing worth seeing there other than a few very good restaurants.

I'd really recommend Providence over New Haven if you don't want to stay in Boston. It's a bit less expensive and only a 30 minute Amtrak ride in to South Station, 60 minutes on the T.



-Tom

railwaybaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I plan to layover in New Haven, Conn. Thursday
> evening 4/11 on the way to Boston. Can anyone
> recommend a moderate hotel near the station?
> Boston hotels are ridiculously priced! Will I have
> much static taking pictures from the platform? Is
> there a train shop in town? Any general sights I
> should not pass up. I will have all day 4/12 free
> before moving on the Boston and the 4/13 B&M
> excursion. Thanks in advance!

There is no significant train shop in New Haven that I know of. I don't know if Branford Hobbies on Route 1 near the East Haven/Branford line is still in business; their Web site comes up as "404 Not Found".

If I were in New Haven without a car, I would agree with the recommendation to take a train ride to somewhere else for foaming. If you want a chance at seeing a Providence & Worcester freight as well as Amtrak, I'd suggest riding the 8:20 a.m. Shore Line East departure to Old Saybrook, where you can watch Amtraks and potentially P&W's NR-2 before returning to New Haven in the afternoon -- or simply boarding an Amtrak train to continue east later in the day.

I have no suggestions, however, for lodgings in New Haven except to say that I can't remember anything close by the train station.

I cann't think of any lodging close to the station in New Haven. Their maybe some up along Foxon Rd which borders the T/L's of North Haven and New Haven. One thing is if u find yourself at the NH station in early evening u may catch a loaded stone train S/B thanks to the P&W. Saw NH-1 today with 4-5 units, a sure sign that the hoppers were loaded at the Tilcon plant in Wallingford today.(4/4/13)Stone season is under way.

Visit the whaling museum in Mystic CT..Whaling ship John W Morgan. Something older then STEAM

Mystic is a nice place to visit - Mystic Seaport, Long Island Sound, historic depot, most things within walking distance to an extent. But there are only like two round trip trains that stop at Mystic per day. It's too bad that at least a third train doesn't stop there. But the low level platform and general geography of how things are setup at the station make it somewhat difficult.

I'd suggest staying there over New Haven, just for the scenery and New England atmosphere. Plus I am sure you could get some neat pictures of the Amtrak trains going over the Mystic bridge etc. But that's likely the only train action you'll get - Amtrak trains. I forget the last station that Shore Line East serves.

I took a train south from Boston to Mystic, stayed at a "OK" hotel (and I am extremely picky with hotels) within walking distance (could have gotten a cab if I wanted to), and then walked into town and Mystic Seaport the next day. I believe the Sunday train is timed a little differently - or was when I took it - as it left Mystic around 3 p.m. and got into NYP around 6 p.m. or so. Train was PACKED out of Mystic to NYP as it was more of a "local" train for Amtrak standards.

Shore Line East only goes as far east as New London, and it doesn't go there in the middle of the day the way it goes to Old Saybrook "off peak".

I would suggest staying in Saybrook rather than New Haven.

JS

Old Saybrook would be a good alternative, and is a good fanning spot.. you'll need a taxi to get to a place worth staying.
Avoid the Knights Inn on route 1.