Massachusetts: Amtrak Now Offering $20 Train Rides To New York City

Here is some great news if you are a night owl and like traveling by train. Amtrak announced they will offer $20 train rides from Boston to New York City. This promotion also includes a Washington DC to New York City route.

"Night owls and early birds get the savings," Amtrak states. The lower fares are specific to trips that occur between 7 PM and 7 AM only. Amtrak does not list an end date for this special pricing at this time.

New York City is a central point for many of these Amtrak rides, including the $20 deal. For example, the highest one-way fare under the "Night Owl" deal is from New York to Washington DC or Boston to New York. Both routes are $20. It is important to note that these trips can take anywhere from three-and-a-half to four hours. So, leaving at certain points of the evening will still get you to your destination and prior to the middle of the night. For example, if you depart South Station in Boston around 7:30 p.m., it is reasonable to expect to arrive at Penn Station by 11:30 p.m. A New York City night is still young at that hour.

In terms of accommodations, Amtrak offers leather seats that recline. Furthermore, the configuration is two seats per row, which means there are no aisles with middle seats. There is free WiFi aboard, in addition to power outlets. There is a quiet car option that does not allow talking on the phone or any loud volume to be played. This is a great option for those who want to grab some sleep. Lastly, Amtrak now allows riders to bring up to four bags for free. That would be two carry-on items and two personal bags.

While Washington, DC and Boston are the longest route points applicable to the "Night Owl" deal (from New York), you can also score cheap one-way tickets to destinations in between. Some of them include Philadelphia to Baltimore for $5. New York City to Philadelphia for $10. New Haven to Boston is only $15.

To see the full Amtrak "Night Owl" rides or to book your $20 Boston to New York trip, you can visit here.

There are roughly 220 miles and four and half hours between Boston and New York. On the drive south (or return trip North), it's likely you'll need to make a pit stop. Whether it's to accommodate a bathroom request, grab a bite to eat or get a breath of air, we've compiled a list of the best stops along I-95 on the Boston to New York drive.

We'll assume here that we are driving south. Therefore, your journey begins in Massachusetts. You'll pull past Providence and a few exit signs for T.F. Green Airport before enduring the meat of the trip. That would be a good two-plus hours through Connecticut, where you will surely slow down at some point. Finally, after trekking through the Constitution State, you start to see the exit sign numbers get down to single digits. The empire state awaits.

This journey can seem like a grueling effort up and down I-95. In a bigger picture, a four-hour route between two major markets is not really that much. Just ask the Midwest. If you want to drive from Chicago to Minneapolis, you are looking at close to a seven-hour drive, with only one state in the way. Nonetheless, the 1-95 Boston to New York route can be grueling. Therefore, we put together a collection of different stops to help make it more enjoyable.

Of course, this exercise does not include kids screaming in the backseat that need an immediate stop. Perhaps that's another list. Here, we will pinpoint some pleasing attractions you would have the time to stop for. However, we won't stray too far off the exits. And while taking 12 hours to play blackjack at Foxwoods would be a blast, we will narrow in on relatively short stops only.

So, let's hop in the car and find the best stops from Boston to New York along I-95.

*Note - we are not going in order of stops from north to south. We are listing in an overall ranking format.

We'll start with the best thing to stop for. Pizza. Frank Pepe's is a legendary establishment in the New Haven pizza scene. The good news here is that you have choices. If the original New Haven spot is too far off the path (or has a long wait), there's also a location in Fairfield, CT at Exit 24.

If you need a moment of fresh air or to loosen up the legs, this scenic lookout point offers a nice view of the Mystic River. There's comfortable parking space, and its an easy pull off or on to the interstate. It's not uncommon to find people taking photographs here as well.

Sure there are dozens of Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts right along the path, but pulling into Cafe Tempo Coffee House in Warwick, Rhode Island is well worth the wait. A homemade banana hazelnut iced coffee makes any slow-moving traffic situation more manageable.

After all that pizza and coffee somebody is going to need a bathroom. At mile-marker 41, via southbound access, you will find a rest stop in Milford CT that is a direct pull-off I-95. You can fill up on gas, or more food if you still feel like snacking. There are plenty of fast food and candy options at this stop.

This is applicable on your way out or into Massachusetts. Bay State Vintage Guitars is a family owned shop has some of the nicest custom and vintage guitars available. Each instrument on the wall tells a story and his a history that goes back well beyond what's considered classic rock. They are located on Washington St. in Norwood.

Hot oil pizza is a thing in Connecticut and it's delicious. Colony Grill in Stamford is bound to have whatever game that is live playing on their TV's. Their menu consists of pizza and drinks, so you know they take their pie seriously. Like Pepe's, you have a few choices in addition to Stamford. Their Fairfield location is also a stone's throw off I-95.