Personal experience: how to visit 4 states on Amtrak for $22 per person

My family traveled through four northeastern states by train. And our total travel expenses were only $22 per person, according to Amanda Adler on Insider.

When I was looking for transportation options for a family vacation in the Northeast, I wanted to find a painless way to get to and from several densely populated cities.

Upon arrival in these cities, we could count on public transport. So I just had to find a way to easily move between them.

Since many of these places are difficult to explore by car, I booked tickets for two Amtrak trains: Keystone Service, which we drove from New York to Philadelphia, and Northeast Regional, which we drove from Philadelphia to Wilmington.

Our trip included several multi-day stops. It covered New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Traveling on Amtrak trains proved to be an attractive and cost-effective option. And our transportation costs were $22 per person. Here's what our trip looked like.

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Most of the railway stations were located in the central areas of cities, which made it easy to get to them on foot.

In most cities, I was able to book accommodation within walking distance of the station. This helped save money on transfers. And also relieved us of the stress associated with traffic delays.

I admire the beauty and architecture of the various stations.

Today's Amtrak message is less glamorous than the dreamy images of the past. But many stations date back to a bygone era of train travel. And the architecture of each of them is as diverse as it is amazing.

The William H. Gray III Philadelphia 30th Street Station is a towering, awe-inspiring building adorned with massive columns. Inside, we were greeted by soaring ceilings and beautiful artwork, setting the stage for a grand adventure.

After an 18-minute rail ride, we arrived at the Wilmington Joseph R. Biden Jr. train station. The Wilmington train station is very different from the Philadelphia train station.

A small, inconspicuous brick building built in the early 20th century offers a completely different type of beauty. It boasts colorful, detailed tiles and exposed steel beams studded with rivets.

The train stations I visited are much more impressive than I could have imagined. And I could spend my entire vacation exploring and admiring these historic buildings.

I was so accustomed to the long processes required to get through airports that I was surprised at how easy it was to navigate train stations and board trains.

There were no long waits, no grueling security procedures. Amtrak staff also communicated clearly with passengers using digital displays and loudspeaker announcements.

In most trains, the attendants checked the ticket only after boarding, when the train had already started. This system greatly accelerated the landing process.

Those who board the train without a ticket can usually buy one on board. But usually they have to pay more for the fare.

The Amtrak interiors were not as pretty as those in the train stations. But our seats in the car were very comfortable.

On this trip, we traveled strictly in bus class cabins.

The interiors of each were utilitarian in design, lacking large picturesque windows and padded seats. It was practical for our purposes. But having traveled earlier on much prettier trains such as Amtrak Coast Starlight and trains in Europe, I had to manage my expectations for this journey.

Carpets and upholstery were quite worn. And the toilets left a lot to be desired. However, I found the seats to be quite comfortable and much wider than in the carriages of many planes.

Large tray tables made it easy to work, eat, play games, or just hold a tablet to watch movies. And I could easily get up to stretch my legs.

On one train, we sat in a quiet car, where conversations were quiet. This made this section of the journey even more peaceful. This is a great option for those looking for a safe space away from crying babies and other noisy seatmates.

No food or drinks could be bought at the Keystone Service.

So I was glad I brought my own snacks with me.

As we boarded the first leg of our journey on the Keystone Service train, a voice sounded over the loudspeaker announcing that there was no food or drink on the train.

Luckily, New York's Moynihan Train Hall, the station where we boarded, has plenty of restaurants. I have already picked up a few cakes and coffees from Magnolia Bakery to enjoy while traveling.

It's always best to have snacks on hand for future trips, or at least research the food situation on board ahead of time.

Train travel made travel inexpensive and efficient.
Amtrak proved to be an easy choice for our family based on cost alone, as we paid $22 per person to travel across four states. It also helped that tickets for my child were cheaper than ours, which lowered the overall cost.

The trains we rode were also an efficient way to travel between congested cities like Manhattan and Philadelphia.

A trip along the same route by car would take us twice as long.

And that's without taking into account the inevitable traffic delays that come with such a journey.

Although the trip was very profitable, Amtrak is not always the most economical option. I was convinced of this when I caught a cold in Delaware.

My family had to continue their train journey to Baltimore, Maryland, an hour-long journey that can cost as little as $15 per person if passengers buy tickets in advance.

Since I didn't want to spread my germs to the other passengers on the train, we decided to stay in Delaware longer than expected.

When I got better, I bought new train tickets to Baltimore. And found that prices soared to over $300 for the same trip. To be fair, the higher ticket prices may have been a unique extreme case due to Thanksgiving coming up soon.

We found that renting a car is much cheaper. Therefore, we completed our journey on wheels.

However, I made a note to myself to always book tickets in advance to get the best prices.

Overall, we had an easy, stress-free experience. And I decided to make more train trips in the future. Although trains are not the most glamorous way to travel, I enjoyed it.

Being able to do work and other tasks, especially those that I can't do while driving or at the airport, is very attractive. As well as the ability to relax and unwind while someone else drives the car.

The benefits of train travel became apparent as we drove to Baltimore on the last leg of the trip. During a heavy downpour, I got stuck in a traffic jam, navigating along an unfamiliar road.

At that moment, I wanted to sit in my seat on the train and drive effortlessly to my next destination.