How to Book Train Travel From Washington DC to Burlington

Traveling from Washington, DC to Burlington, Vermont by train is easy, and so is booking a ticket. Go to Union Station and take the Vermonter Amtrak line. It winds its way north past Philadelphia, New York and Springfield, Massachusetts. The second-to-last stop on the line is Burlington.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A computer with internet access.

Get Your Ticket at the Station

1. Visit the restored, historic Union Station. You won't be the only one there: It is the most visited place in Washington, DC. You can book your ticket at a ticket office.

2. Head over to a Quick-Trak machine, and buy your ticket without the hassle of lines at the ticket office. You can also pick up tickets you booked online or over the phone.

Get Your Ticket Online

3. Enter the digital age and book your train ticket at Amtrak.com (see link below). After you enter your information for travel from Washington, DC to Burlington, the site will help you get your ticket.

4. Choose traditional or cyberspace delivery of your ticket. You can have Amtrak mail it to you, which typically takes a little over a week. Alternatively, you can choose to use a Quick-Trak machine at the Amtrak station to print your ticket out before you depart.

Know Your Destination

5. Feel the influence of higher education. The presence of the University of Vermont, Burlington College, Champlain College and the Community College of Vermont adds an artsy, laid-back feel to the town.

6. Taste delicious Ben & Jerry's ice cream in the town where it all started. Ben and Jerry first set up shop in a renovated gas station in Burlington in 1978. You can tour the factory in Waterbury, Vermont, a short drive away.

Tips & Warnings

• Vermont State Park guides ride the Vermonter between Springfield, Massachusetts and the end of the line as part of the Trails and Rails program. They can tell you all about the state park system.
• The Vermonter doesn't have any baggage check service.
• The Burlington station is actually in Essex Junction. You may need to arrange transportation to your destination in the Burlington area.