• Bring your own food, as the menu in the Cafe Car — pop, coffee, chips, sandwiches — is uninspired.

• Stow your luggage at the ends of each car, or in spacious overhead bins by your seat. You are entitled to bring two bags, each limited to 50 pounds.

• Consider the Quiet Car and avoid the dreaded Loud Business Caller Two Seats Down. Reservations cannot be made for Quiet Car seats.

• Save money by being flexible; Acela ticket prices vary widely by time and day of the week.

• All Acela trains have free Wi-Fi, but bandwidth limits don't allow video and audio streaming.

Claude Peck