Taking the train from Toronto to Buffalo

[toronto5481]

hi all,

I plan on taking the Amtrak train to go to upstate NY from Toronto over Thanksgiving weekend. I've been to the USA plenty of times, but I have always flown.

How do you clear customs on the train? I've heard US customs come on board etc. Is that so? If you've taken the train before from TO to Buffalo, were you ever delayed? I've heard stories of buses being delayed for hours because some passengers didn’t have their stuff straight!

I'm kind of hoping for a smooth ride so I can enjoy my Thanksgiving turkey in a timely manner haha

BTW, I’m a Canadian citizen with a valid passport.




Thanks a lot!

[Reba]

I don't think they'll delay the train if someone aboard doesn't have their stuff together, they'll just kick the passenger off and send them back in the other direction AFAIK.

[Steven]

It's been a long time since I did this, but they just asked to see my passport before I got on the train and asked me if I was carrying any fruit, meat or veg, IIRC. There was no customs card to fill in.

Might have changed since then and it wasn't Toronto to Buffalo.

[toronto5481]

Thanks everyone for your replies, greatly appreciated!

If anyone else has a more recent experience, do post it.

I'll post about how customs worked once I'm back after Thanksgiving.

[missnomer]

i usually take the amtrak nyc to montreal, so this may be slightly different.

i always take my passport with me when crossing the border. customs will board the train and interview every passenger. since it's amtrak, i always assume my train will be delayed, either because of amtrak or because of customs. i've found that the train spends less time stopped for customs since they will take a person off the train if they don't have their stuff together.

[toronto5481]

So, my update in case anyone wants to know about customs on an Amtrak train.
Basically it was an absolute breeze. US immigrations came on board the train right after we cross into the USA in Niagara Falls, NY. You stay in your seat, they come to you. They asked me the standard airport questions, where do you leave, how long are you staying in the USA, are you bringing in alcohol or cigarettes. They took a 2 second look at my passport (no scanning) and said, thanks Mam, have a nice day and off they went.

The train was stopped for 30 minutes, but that time is actually penciled in the Amtrak schedule. Our train was on time (actually 15 minutes early)

They did take 3-4 people off the train, but it was for further questioning and those people were allowed back on the train after. It is my understanding that those taken off the train were all foreign nationals (not Canadian or American)

Anyway, as frequently mentioned on this board, customs are hit or miss, whether on the Canadian or American side and of course, having your stuff straight is always a must. I drove back and as usual, had more hassles with our beloved Canadian customs LOL