Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak Station

This is one of the nicest Amtrak stations. The facilities are always clean. When traveling with the kids, they always make sure we get seated together, no matter what it takes. The red cap gentleman named Jerome has helped my family so many times in the past year that he's become part of our trip and family every time we step foot into this station. I've never had a more smooth, friendly and peaceful boarding process at any other station.

My wife and I would use amtrak constantly because she has family in Albany ny. We would travel from Brooklyn a nice ride . And we would travel with our Rabbit who has since passed away. We never had any issues until one morning leaving Albany and coming back home . I had to be at work but my wife was off .we were on the line and Jackie our Rabbit was in her case under a light blanket. Two men were walking up and down the line shouting have your tickets out. One of the men an older man focused on my wife and asked her what was under the blanket she responded our Rabbit . He yelled you are not getting on this train with that Rabbit! My wife asked what are we supposed to do he pointed to the service desk and said get a refund. And he proceeded to follow her to the service desk. It took everything in me to stay calm .eventually my wife notified our family and they came and picked up our beloved Rabbit and my wife and drove them back home later in the day while I continued on the train alone. I complained to management and they responded stating that while rabbits are not allowed on trains they acknowledged he could've been more professional and caring. The station is clean and has a little cafe to sit and wait and eat . Every time I'm in that station since I think about it !

We had a very good experience with Amtrak today. The train from Albany to New York started on time and completed the journey as scheduled. The service was excellent, and the staff were very supportive.

DO NOT USE THE TAXI SERVICE! Complete rip off! The “so called” dispatcher who actually owns the cabs hurries you into a cab with your luggage in the trunk & then provides you a gauging price on his iPad. There is no meter in the cab. The dispatcher then gives you a card for 25% off on your next ride. It’s a joke! The cab is a beat up minivan yet they charge you the amount as if you hired a private black car driver. My suggestion is to walk away from the thieves at the cab stand. Hire an uber or another ride share company. The train station needs to be aware of what’s happening. So disappointing.

Mike and Jessica helped me with a lost and found incident and they are angels. So grateful for them. Kind, professional and so helpful. I felt better after even just talking to Mike, before the item was even found. I just felt the right eyes on were on it and felt so comforted by his kindness and thoroughness and professionalism. He just truly seemed like such a genuinely good person, too. Give this guy a raise! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

This is a very nice train station. We had an hour break while on the Lakeshore limited train. I got off and explored the town and the station a little bit and it was worth it. The station is amazing architecture with huge arched windows and old style design. The staff are also helpful and friendly as well.

A beautiful, clean, and comfortable station with various amenities that meet your needs. Lots of space in the waiting area and shop that offers various shopping needs. Professional, courteous and nice staff and employees of the various stores. Trains are always on time, so make sure you get here early and in line to catch them, or that's your loss and consequences. Always feel good being here and traveling from here.

The Rensselaer Amtrak station is my favorite station to begin and end with. It’s clean and comfortable. The garage parking is attached to the station and even if your train is on the furthest track you’re never more than a 5 minute walk from your train.

Quick, easy, and efficient. Easy to see where you need to go and what you have to do to get aboard without issue.

This was a main stop with a bulk of customers boarding. Not many customers left the train except for a few. We were here in Albany just a slight bit longer. Clean and crowded. The rest rooms were smelling funky by now.

My wife and I would often take the amtrak train from 34st to Albany to visit family in Albany. We had a rabbit named Jackie that would accompany us sometimes or have a sitter. Jackie has since passed away but on this particular trip we had no problem coming from 34st to Albany but returning in the morning two male amtrak employees was walking up and down the line barking orders to show tickets and one of the older me focused on my wife. Jackie was in her case and under a blanket. He said what is under the blanket and my wife said it's our Rabbit and he replied that rabbit is not getting on this train! As my wife was waking over to customer service he followed her and one of the female employees ask him not to. Eventually I had to get on this train for work and my wife was off so I rode alone home.and family picked up Jackie and my wife. We complained to management and they stated while rabbits are not allowed on trains they apologized for his behavior. There is a cafe there that is good to get light lunch or breakfast. Everytime we go now I cannot forget that day.

It's an Amtrak station. But... I've also been to other really nice Amtrak stations (DC, Boston, revamped Moynihan/Penn Station) so this one is kind of blah. Feels like Albany... dreary... and soulless. Just sit and wait for your train. Have your playlist, podcast... and tune out. There's a small deli, I've only tried their muffin, lemon loaf, and coffee... didn't try their food. There's also a small store for candy, magazine, water... small items. The staff are friendly, they are helpful especially to the elderly.

Basic of the basic Amtrak stations here. Not really much to do here except wait for the train. Seating area is decent and bathrooms are alright. At least there's a post office here. There is a cafe for premade sandwiches I guess. But if you want trains to NYC or Upstate heading to Canada, this is the station. Ubers/taxis are waiting for passengers arriving so no need to worry about that either.

What a nice little station! Offering the amenities of a full service post office, a real old-fashioned new stand, a diner and a bus stop all built into one. This is historical building offered a lot of information as they approach their 200th anniversary at this location. We were pleasantly greeted at the Amtrak counter and offered assistance with our bags down to the train platform It's been years since I rode Amtrak, and we splurged a few extra dollars to grab a reserved business car in order to enjoy the view down the New York Hudson River line (anybody knows some Billy Joel songs?). What a beautiful ride the train cars are a little dated, but you can plug-in and charge all your devices. If you have a reason to get up to the Albany area from the city, I strongly recommend rail in lieu of air travel. Not only is it faster, it's definitely more relaxing, and you get a chance to check out the old train station!

First time to Amtrack - the station is small, easy to access and very clean. Short walk and escalator ride to get to the train. You wait inside until the train arrives. Purchased a water, the prices were clearly marked and there was a range of options for water. I purchased a large bottle for $2 The train was on time, and also clean. The power outlets at my seat worked. The seats were comfortable and much more spacious and than the airlines!

This train station is pretty solid overall. It has a convenience store and a cafe, we were able to grab a sandwich and a coffee while we waited for our train. There's also plenty of seating, so you're not left standing around. The layout is a bit weird, though, with buses and trains spread out, which made navigating with the stairs/elevator a bit confusing. That said, it's fine. It's a train station, it's safe, and it's indoors. .

Nice Amtrak station. There isn't a ton around walking distance so I would advise bringing food for the train ride. There's a coffeeshop and bookstore inside but not a lot of full-meal options.

I love this airport because there are seldom any long lines!! There is no waiting from my experience. Parking is easy, no security lines and not far to walk to the gates! What a change from most airports!

We are train freaks and after traveling the US by train we were deeply impressed with the Albany Amtrak station. It has a great restaurant, bathrooms,parking, and real Amtrak personal to help including selling tickets. What a gem! We were so impressed that we bought tickets back to Albany after our train trip to Montreal. Good for you Albany!

A layover of about an hour allowed us to get off the train and stretch our legs. The platforms are reached by a staircase and interior pedestrian bridge. The main concourse includes a post office, book/conveniece shop, ticket window and machine, an ATM, rest rooms, water fountains, a coffee shop that also offers a few food items and a small seating area. Pretty basic, but most bases are covered. There is a small sports pub right outside the station as well. The parking lot is a pretty good size, and it looks to be free of charge. The facilities are clean from restroom to platform. A nice little station.

The staff were kind and helpful. A gentleman even stopped by to ask if I needed anything, a question I watched him patiently ask each person in the station who seemed a little lost. It was a kind gesture that I really appreciated. It felt very welcoming.

The Albany Amtrak station Has been convenient for me because of its location in Albany as well as the amount of trains that come in and out of that station so that I can travel conveniently they also have ample parking they have lot parking as well as garage parking which I've used both and even very convenient and my car has been safe in the garage in the lot. The sign stated they have officers that patrol though I've not seen them but I trust that they didn't come through. I normally order my tickets on the app on my phone so typically when I get to the station I just walk to the seating area and wait for my train to come in. There are stairs, escalators and elevators down to the platforms to board the train. There is a small cafe where I get a cup of coffee and sometimes a breakfast sandwich. The restroom is clean and the stalls are adequately proportional. The employees are quite helpful.

I like riding my train ..... Casey Jones you better watch your speed. So easy to hop on the train and head into the city. Prices are getting a little expensive but the service is still good. Maybe I will see you on the long black train. Because when I hear that whistle blowing, that's what tortures me.

Amtrakr staff do a great job jn this poorly designed station...CDTA..are a bunch of clowns who have no business running rail stations....The food option sucks big time...The amtrak staff are very helpful....Dave...Fritz..Matt..Stacy...Brendon...Val...Mike..Lenny..Isaiah...

This is a sweet little train station. It's very comfortable, the Amtrak personnel are very helpful, and there are plenty of Redcaps should you want/need early bordering. There is ample parking, and there are always cabs outside but it's easy to get Lyft here. Inside there is considerable, and comfortable seating. There's a coffee shop inside if need to grab something before or to eat on the train. The bathrooms are well maintained and overall the station is clean. If you are traveling to Manhattan or Long Island, Amtrak is a great option.

Gates close BEFORE departure times. They closed the gate right in front of me. Although I was rushing, I thought I had made it because it was still before the 6:55am departure time on my ticket. NO WHERE does it say gates close before the departure time on the App where I purchased the ticket. Seems like important information to share.

This is a decent train station when you compare it to what it used to be! The old building was much smaller. In addition to catching the train here, you can also get the Megabus to NYC. I mostly came here for the bus when I still lived in the area. I feel like the building is clean and nicely kept up. It's fairly modern here and the waiting area is decent enough. The station has a newstand/snack shop, coffee shop, and even a United States Postal location. They have a decent size parking lot and garage. If you opt for a surface spot, you will pay $7-8 per day, but there is a discount once you are here for 7 days. All things considered, not a bad train station for a smaller city like Albany.

Pay phone 50 cents!!! Yesssss.. Good free WiFi and nice heat in cold winter weather. Always plays ABC on TV to chill with Jeopardy before a trip. Helpful staff and I feel safe. The main concourse includes a post office, book/conveniece shop, ticket window and machine, an ATM, rest rooms, water fountains. A coffee shop also offers some fairly priced sandwiches and hot food items until 7pm with seating area. There is a small sports pub right outside the station as well. Good connections to reach NYC Buffalo Burlington VT Chicago The parking lot is a pretty good size, and it looks to be free of charge. The facilities are clean from restroom to platform. A nice little station.

I have ridden Amtrak a bit in my life. I have also spent time at other train stations just watching the trains go by (yup, I am one of those people!). As a result, I have a pretty good understanding of what makes for a well laid out and comfortable train station. You need attentive and friendly staff who are on call when you need to ask for advice, purchase a ticket, or get updates on your train's schedule. Here, they are that. You need comfortable seats for the inevitable delays as well as just killing time if you arrived early. Check. A place to purchase a quick bite to eat and perhaps a magazine or some travel necessities isn't mandatory but certainly useful. Yup, they got that too. Finally, convenient parking that is hopefully inexpensive is required. Bingo. Now, I wish that you could get trackside before your train's arrival (or if you just want to visit and watch the trains) but I get how security conscience we are today. More rural stations let you do that, but not here. Oh well.

I've been to many Amtrak stations over the years. I'm an old man with kids on the East Coast and Midwest. For seven years I lived in the West Coast, so you get my drift. All of my long distance travel is by rail. The last long trip took us from Chicago to Boston and from Albany back to Chicago. This station has a nice clean look about it. Access from the sidewalk is level and easy through automatic doors. My wheelchair rolled in very smoothly. Turning in our rental car was easy too with the Enterprise kiosk right in the station. Agent Jose was friendly and informative. He referred us to the Red Cap desk and they took charge of our luggage and let us know when to be there for boarding the Lake Shore Limited. One end of the station has been taken over by a wonderful coffee and sandwich shop. A fellow there was kind enough to help my wife select some vegan options from their cooler. I took a chicken wrap and some coffee. It was all prepared well and priced fairly. It was comfortable not having to run around the city looking for a diner. This station is an all around pleasant stop in our trip. The Red Caps were on the ball too. One walked us to our train car and made sure we and our luggage were in the right sleeper.

The first and last stop on the Empire Line. They service other lines, which makes this stop not the first and last stop, but I usually don't take those lines. Only NYC and back. The perks of this being the first stop is that you can secure a seat for yourself or be sure that you get seats with your significant other or friends. They just recently put in new seats for the waiting area, including charging stations, which is clutch. There's a newspaper stand and a cafe if you want to pick up some food, coffee, or something for the train ride. It's everything you need in a train station.

This was a bustling little train station as I passed through coming and going from Troy. The station was clean and had lots of services including a post office, news stand (with an epically slow cashier), a snack bar and car rentals. All the ticket machines were working and it was well organized when trains were arriving and departing. I think whoever manages this station takes pride in it. I'm a fan.

So i'm a newb and this past weekend was the first time I took an Amtrak train. I've taken metro north more times than I can count but never an Amtrak. Booked an 815 out of albany to croton harmon. holy hell the regular passenger car was dope! plugs at each seat, mad leg room, didnt have to share a seat... i felt like i was in the deluxe area! bathroom was a bit cleaner than metro north trains but still smelt like cat pee. i wouldnt have minded that much if it was actual cat pee and not human origin. but whatever, I had a great trip and it went so much faster than i anticipated. In fact the next time i plan to go up to albany i will def be taking the train. Prices vary and I ended up paying $56 and noticed if i had booked it two hours before instead of four, it decreased to $40 which was wack.. oh well tho what can ya do. oh and station has enough seating and some shops and quick place to grab food

The Albany-Rensselaer Amtrak Train Station is a very generic train station, but it gets the job done. This station is usually decently clean and the trains leave on time. I just wish the station had a little more pizazz. It's very plain and doesn't show any of its history. Also, there is no restaurants at the station just a little coffee shop which has limited hours so I've never tried it. I've definitely been to worse train stations, but this is nothing spectacular. The best thing about the station is probably the store called Friar Tusk which sells snacks and drinks. Also, the station has a rent-a-car booth which is nice. To sum it up, this train station isn't great, but it accomplishes it's goal.

Clean, relatively efficient and easy to navigate The upper deck parking is for two hours only The coffee shop inside has excellent service and has sandwiches and coffee etc available along with fresh fruit and drinks. Do check your train departure time before going to the station though given the occasional track issues and delays.

It was our first time taking an Amtrak train. We picked up the #69 Adirondack Line in Albany, terminating in Montreal. We picked Albany because we were able to drop off our Enterprise rental car at the station. There should be some marked spots along the back fenced wall (we couldn't find them) and the Enterprise rental desk is INSIDE the train station. It is open limited hours. I could not easily find out when you needed to be at the station. I would recommend at least 15 minutes before departure (or 30 minutes if you are dropping off a rental car). You do NOT need to check in or go through security. You just wait until your train is called, and then you line up by the elevators. When the train arrived 7 minutes late, they asked the passengers going through to Montreal all to sit in the two last cars (they were the only cars rear to the dining car). However, when we got in those two compartments, it was filled with singles making beds out of two seats. For that reason, we could not find two sets together EXCEPT for the only pair of seats without a window. Who wants to sit for eight hours without a view? So we moved up to the next set of cars. Our first seats were near the toilets. If you read any other Amtrak reviews, you will have already noted that that area smells. So, as the train became emptier along the way, we made our way up to the "4" seat area that has two seat facing forwards with two other seats facing backwards. It was the furthest seats away from the restrooms, so there was no smell. We made a little fort with our luggage and enjoyed the scenery. The best time to take this train is during fall when the colors are vibrant. However, there is still some nice scenery along the way in April. Some spots of the fall colors can still be found on the occasionally tree or shrub that held onto their leaves. And we saw three bald eagles in flight along the side of the train around Ticonderoga. If you want to see Lake Champlain, sit on the right side going to Montreal (and left side going towards NYC). If you want to know about the towns along the way, download the Amtrak route guide for train 69 beforehand, because the WIFI did not work on board. I was able to get Wifi on my phone near most of the stations, but there was no cell coverage in between. The route guide for Amtrak Adirondack is https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/307/184/Amtrak-Adirondack-Train-Route-Guide.pdf The good news is that the train this past Thursday was not very full. We got through the border in about an hour. We reached Montreal roughly 1.5 hours early. This was a nice introduction to Amtrak, but we probably would not travel this route again. Or if we did, it would travel for just for an hour or two to see the scenery during fall.

As a former West Coaster, I don't have enough experience with Amtrak stations to make an educated comparison. But my guess is the Albany-Rensselaer station is squarely in the middle of the pack. One arrives by crossing a bridge over the Hudson, passing a Dunkin Donuts where you may or may not stop, crossing a second bridge over the tracks and then entering one of several parking lots. I always go for the lowest priced remote parking which is no more than a 5 minute walk to the terminal. (This is also the lot where the MegaBus stops.) I follow the blue line past the sound of fake crows, I presume designed to deter pigeons, then take an elevator up two levels to the terminal. Now I do or do not get coffee from the in-terminal store (nothing there to complain about, or celebrate) and join a line of people who eventually will be allowed to go down stairs or escalators and board. At no point is there a distraction such as a tempting vendor or a lively busker. It's a tedious process that could probably be improved, but eventually puts me on a train that will take me along the Hudson (always sit on the right side going down, the left coming back up) and dump me at the much more interesting NY Penn Station. In Europe, train stations are interesting. They even have excellent restaurants, perhaps the best restaurant in the area if it is a small town. I don't know why America decided our train stations would be like bus stations, but with less urine. But so it goes.

It's an okay train station. It's big, a lot larger than Buffalo's station. There is one rental car company - Enterprise. I didn't have a good experience trying to rent from them and the prices are a bit higher than at the airport for a car. If you're going to the airport, taxi is about $35 one way, but if you catch a few folks it's $20 per person (what? why is it more expensive for the same trip?), but it's how things are done here. When boarding the train, they don't let you on to the platform until the train arrives. It's a little strange and usually there's a huge line that forms because of it and I'm not entirely sure of the reason for it, but it's not the end of the world. Line moves quickly. Just a pain to stand in there with all your luggage. All in all, an A-OK train station!

The "Yelp lets you review train stations?" critics may find evidence here of how this policy can go wrong. My review may not be relevant in the scheme of things but no worse than giving the whole one star because of the Coffee Beanery. While the taxi cartel system truly is repugnant I don't know if I'd blame the station for that. My five-star rating, which of course won't really affect your comparison shopping with Greyhound, is based on the excellent service here when I misplaced my laptop (o.k. just a Chromebook, but still.) After rushing to get on the train, I noticed I was missing the bag with the laptop and various other items. I freaked out, thinking it was probably in the bathroom but not sure if I dropped it on the train itself or left it in a car. I raced off the train and within minutes, an Amtrak representative called me. I got the laptop and a quick rebooking on the next train.

This is a nice little station that has a coffee shop that makes food and a post office in it. The waiting area is nice and spacious if you need to use your computer or do work. There also a charging station area for phones

This review is solely about the transportation from the train station to the airport. We arrived around 7:00 pm on a Friday, and hoped to catch a convenient taxi ride to the airport to pick up a car at the Avis Rental. They called a cab (Van) that could hold six, and it arrived after 20 minutes. Then the fun began... Our driver did not know where the Albany Airport was located, and asked us to punch it into his Garmin navigation system. When this didn't work, we looked it up on our IPhone. Found it. On the way over, the driver repeatedly tried to exit the road even though our phone navigation system said to stay on the main highway. After a few near misses with other cars on the road, we arrived at the airport in one piece. However, when we asked how much the fare was, the driver didn't know. He didn't have a meter running and had to call his dispatcher and ask. Had we known they wanted $20/pp, or $120 for the 8 mile, 20 minute drive (6 people), we would have called a local friend for the ride. We sat outside the airport and argued about the rate for about 30 minutes, with repeated calls to the cab driver's dispatcher. Finally, one of us remembered that the person who loaded called the cab at the train station mentioned a fare of $58 (or something like that). We paid up and tried to go our way, but not before the cab driver asked if we could load directions back to the train station in his Garmin. Uhhggg....what a mess. What lesson did we learn...Don't rely on cabs between these two means of public transportation and confirm your taxi fare before you hit the road.

There are some amazing train stations in the world. Inspiring ones that speak of the greatness of the cities they serve. Apparently, the Capital Region used to have one of those. But that was a million years ago when the train went on the other side of the river. How and when it made the switch, I don't know. But our modern station is Rensselaer is kind of soulless. It's not nearly as sketchy as the Albany bus station. But it's hardly a point of pride either. And that's kind of a shame. Because people do choose to come to the capital of the great state of New York by rail. And when they get here, there's no sense of history, and no sense of place. More than anything else, It's really a lost opportunity. Then when visitors leave the train station, the may need to grab a cab. And for many, that crushes any chance of coming away with a positive first impression of the area. I'm hoping the arrival of Uber or Lyft will change the game.

Don't expect Union Station but as far as regional train stations go, it is pretty good. My train to/from NYC always stops here for an hour to change engines so I live that this place has all basics covered - convenience store for snacks / water, cafe/grill for hot dogs/hamburger, clean waiting area, working toilets, ATM, post office. You can even pick up Enterprise car rental from here or hop Megabus from the parking lot.

Once upon a time, there was a girl who needed to get from New York City to Rochester. (You guessed it - me!) I had an event to attend in Rochester from 7-8:30pm. The train was scheduled to arrive a bit after 5pm. For some reason, it takes a train 6-7 hours to cover a 4-5 hour car ride. Although the train pretty much smelled like the train's bathroom, the ride was generally fine.... until I reached this dreaded station. I've traveled from/through the Albany-Rensselaer station dozens of times over the course of 3 years. Granted, the station looks fairly clean and renovated. It's near a bus stop and there are also a few places in it to get a quick snack. However, maybe it's because I'm used to traveling in Europe where train stations are clean, modern, have wi-fi, varieties of food options, and their trains are always on time... but any trip that has anything to do with this station always turns into a disaster. Like any transit services, Amtrak is SUPPOSED to get patrons from point A to point B within scheduled times. The Amtrak line that runs through here has trouble doing just that. The trains are late 80% of the time, and the Amtrak workers at the station think that's perfectly fine. So as I approached this station, I was overcome with apprehension. The conductor announced a 10-minute layover. I went up to the station and got myself a snack. After 30 minutes, my snack was long gone and the train still hadn't moved. After 1 hour, I became worried that I would not make my 7pm event in time even though I had allowed for a 2-hour buffer period. This was one event I could not miss, and for a $140 train ticket, being stranded in Albany for 2 hours was unacceptable. After my past experiences with this station, it had gotten to a point where I'm cool with (and expect) a 1-hour delay whenever I'm at this station - which is already extremely generous of me. But This review has a lot to do with the service I got at the station when I expressed my concerns to people at the ticket booth about missing my 7pm event. I asked them if they could please let me know what is happening and when the train would get to Rochester (so I could alert my guests in Rochester). They didn't tell me. When I asked if there is anything they could do to make the train arrive in Rochester before 7pm they told me to get back on the train. When I told them that I would need some kind of a refund if I missed my event, they pretended to take down my info and rushed me onto the train, saying they'll be leaving in 3 mins. Once I got back on the train, they merely moved the train off the platform and let it stand there for another 30 mins - perhaps to keep patrons from coming up to the ticket booth and asking them questions. I ended up missing my event after a 10-min-turned-3-hour layover in Albany. This was definitely not worth the $140 ticket price. I could have gotten a flight for slightly more, and it would have been a shorter, more comfortable trip.

I actually enjoy traveling through this train station. As someone that has commuted via Penn Station to Lawnguyland as well as up to Boston/down to Philly, I have a few experiences to compare it to. What I like about this train station...it's easy to get in and out of. It's very small. There's usually garage parking available and if it happens to be full, there are plenty of spaces available in the overflow lots. There's a small cafe, a ticket window and a concession area. There's enough seating but I generally stand in line when my train is getting ready to board. Restrooms are generally in good shape, too. I wouldn't say that I don't like the fact that it's small and simple. But that what this station is...small and simple. Not a cluster like Penn or interesting like Grand Central.

I was excited to take the Amtrak on a recent mini-vacation to Boston, having had good luck when traveling via Amtrak between Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC on the West Coast. My plan was to take the #448 straight up from Albany to Boston's South Station on 1 August 2013...then take the #449 back to Albany on the 4th. Easy enough, right? Ugh, if only. I woke up on the morning of the 1st to a text from Amtrak to say that my train's departure had been delayed for about two hours...and for "late operations." Um...well, not helpful, but fine. I don't have much choice at this point, do I. I get to the station at the time I had originally planned anyway, thinking I'll catch-up on some work while waiting for the train. I'm the type that likes to be early, and I figure I can stay up to date on the train status best while AT the station. The problem? The train KEPT getting delayed. Ultimately, we were supposed to leave at 3:25pm from Albany and didn't END UP leaving until 7:10pm. Nearly 4 hours late! The friend I had been planning to visit in Boston? Yeah, he shuffled around plans for the night, managed to get a car (he doesn't own one, but subscribes to Boston's Zip cars), and pick me up from the station when I finally managed to arrive around midnight. Did I mention that the train went complete past the Worchester, MA station? Because they did. Amtrak personnel made the call for the station, and then the train just COMPLETELY went past it. The train had to then reverse BACK to the Worchester Station to let folks off...and then we could, ya know, finally move forward again. Add that to the delay. Perhaps this review is more about Amtrak operations (or even Lake Shore Limited operations) than the Albany-Rensselaer Station, but I figure this station has part in the operations for the route. I didn't feel especially well-informed by any station personnel, for example, about what was going on with the train...and the status boards only listed approximately how late the train was (not when they expected it to arrive, depart, or what platform it would be available from). I'll use this station again as a last resort...but I won't ever expect to take the #448 to Boston again. The #449 back? Sure, I'd consider it, because THAT train was even half an hour early back to Albany from Boston. That said, I'll find a different train to Boston itself...and probably leave from a different station entirely. My experience at this station was just way too inefficient, ineffective, and just generally unpleasant.

Oh what is the basis of comparison for the Albany (really, it's in Rensselaer, on the wrong side of the river, by an accident of awful urban planning in Albany, which is pretty much the entire story of Albany urban planning) train station? Is it the amazing train stations of Japan and Europe, by which standard this would be a small out of the way flyspeck of a station? Or is it the rest of the Amtrak system, wherein it is a bit of a jewel, new and clean and well-trafficked? I guess we'll go with the latter for purposes of Yelp reviews, by way of helping you decide which station you'd like to arrive at or depart from. Now that the connector to 787 leaves directly from the station, it's exceedingly convenient as long as you're not traveling at rush hour, and even though the Schenectady station is closer to us, the better amenities, free parking out front for short-term pickups and dropoffs, and significantly better train schedule have us coming here most of the time we're heading south. It doesn't even have the awful train station whiff common to every Amtrak station I've ever gone to, that perfumey combination of fresh diesel exhaust and old urine. Obviously the shiny station is here largely because of the number of legislators who make the trek up from a certain city to the south - it's in the top-10 busiest Amtrak stations in terms of departures and arrivals - but consider their comfort your perq (it's actually your right, but again, America, we don't do rails). Seriously, this is what all stations ought to be like, it stands out mostly because it's rather unusual in the American system. Amenities inside are a bit spare, with a very good Coffee Beanery and a somewhat mundane but clean and airy gift shop. There are waiting areas both on the concourse (tiny that it be) and some on the connecting skywalk to the platforms. No Wifi. Of note: the have finally fixed the escalators that seemed to never get fixed from the platforms to the stations, which must've been out almost a year for reasons known but to Amtrak management and their elevator service technicians/

As a frequent train traveler I have been to a LOT of train stations but domestic and abroad. The Albany-Rensselaer station is one of my favorites. Sure, it's not huge but it doesn't need to be. It is clean, well lit, has a shop for those last minute amenities (snacks, magazines, headphones, anything else you forgot). More than this, though: everyone who works there is exceptionally nice and helpful without being overboard. And I mean everyone. It doesn't matter who you come across, the employees have a smile and can answer a question. If someone doesn't know an answer they get you to the right person asap. My only complaint is that if you're doing a longer distance trip it's a nightmare to get from the large parking lot to the station with your luggage. I had to go to D.C. for work and since I live in Southern VT I leave from Albany. Kris and I each had one piece of luggage. Mine is a roller and getting it from the lower altitude parking to the station, by way of an old sidewalk, gave my bag quite the beating. I have two backpacks but one was too small for this type of trip and one was way too large. A shuttle would be helpful, or some sort of improved walkway vs. the city sidewalk. It's easy to get to Penn to make your transfers to anywhere.

Beautifully designed station, modern with a vintage look, lots of windows and places to sit. Bathrooms, sadly, were in need of cleaning. We arrived at a busy time, but you could tell it had not been cleaned in a while and trash was overflowing.

The trip was smooth with no delays! It's very accessible too and the staff is friendly and helpful!

This is one of the nicest train stations I have been to and it has lovely amenities as well as a full Post Office. I show up a few minutes before my train, park in either the garage or the lot, and stroll inside for a quick bite at the cafe before I board. It is so easy...and nice. Everything is clean, well maintained, and the staff is very friendly. You can go to http://www.trainweb.org/amtrakpix/stationphotos/ALB-NEW/alb-new.html to see the train schedules. The only thing I don't like is how poorly marked it is from the highway, Albany needs to promote it better with a big highway sign on 787.

Albany's Amtrak station is better than most Amtrak stations not located in a large city but nothing to phone home about. Their is a small cafe that Youd typically find in the back of a gas station. I usually just grab snacks for there. There is a pretty sizable seating area a handful of small tv's and a post office. Its not the kind of station you get to early on purpose. But the amtrak staff there are really nice.

This was my first time at the Rensselaer Station and I was definitely impressed. They have a coffeeshop and a store that sells snacks and little knick knacks. From the outside this place looks huge. The day I was there it was extremely crowded. Many were going back to school from Thanksgiving break and there was a snow day, so that is definitely understandable. They had alot of seats situated in one area. However, there were also places to sit in the coffeeshop. The only thing I didn't like about it, was how unorganized it seemed. I almost ended up getting on the wrong train going in the opposite direction. Although, they make announcements for your destination, I would just double check with the front desk before lining up. They have the times and train numbers listed on screens throughout, but they could be misleading especially when some train times are close together. On another note, the staff was very friendly and welcoming.

I'm traveling back and forth on business to this station. It's a decent size. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. There are plenty of seat in the waiting area. They have deli with soup and sandwiches. They have a novelty store. The restroom was clean. There's a parking lot you can use while waiting free of charge. The boarding process is smooth. Overall, I would recommend this station.

Highly recommend traveling out of NYC through the Amtrak. The Albany Rensselaer station has a little coffee shop inside and quick little pick me up stores.

Twelve of us took a train ride from Albany to Schenectady for my son's third birthday. He loves trains! Everyone was so nice and accommodating at this station. They gave us a junior conductor "hat" for my son to wear. The manager let us come to the platform early so he could wave at the conductor coming in. He loved it and they honked the horn for him. A woman helping us went above and beyond to find space not only for our group in the train, but our grandmother's walker. The train was clean and comfortable. I wouldn't have minded a longer trip at all. I wish that it wasn't so expensive to travel to NYC from Albany or we would do it often. We will probably return to do this again or even just watch the trains from the station since there are good views to do so.

It's new and kept up very well. Clean, efficient, and very easy parking. Important Tip! When lining up for the trains to NYC, a line forms on the left side of the boarding area (that leads to an escalator) which tends to grow to approximately 2 miles long out into the tall-ceiling area. On the right side of the boarding area, there is usually a line so small that people tend not to know it's a line. But it is very much a line. It is for stairs down to the track OR the elevator. This happens literally every time I take trains out of here. Take advantage of it!