Cleveland is an oddly positioned city, located nearly 300 miles from Chicago and Washington D.C. and 400 from New York City. With distances as awkward as these, driving to one of these destinations can take an uncomfortably long five to seven hours. The other option is a flight, which means arriving at the airport two hours early and being in the air for an additional hour.

It is clear that these two forms of travel to some of Cleveland’s closest metropolitan neighbors are impractical, time consuming and frankly stressful. But there is a solution: Amtrak.

Without a shred of doubt, this solution is already far from ideal. Cleveland’s Amtrak station serves two lines and four trains a day, going to Washington, Chicago, Boston and New York. By the end of the year, the train to Washington will be extended as far as Miami. However, all the trains arrive into the Lakefront station, squished in between Ohio State Route 2 and City Hall, from 2-6 a.m.

Off the bat, while I see how these times are far from ideal, they are frankly okay for college students. With our crazy schedule, a train that arrives at a time when many of us are still awake studying at the Kelvin Smith Library is reasonable. The 6 a.m. train is a similar situation—judging by the volume of flights that leave from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport at the same time, we can easily catch those trips. On my most recent Amtrak trip, I went from Chicago to Cleveland, leaving the Windy City at 9:30 p.m., allowing for a full day of exploring, trying new foods and seeing the sights.

Part of the allure of taking the Amtrak is avoiding the hassles of air travel: a schlep to a far corner of the city and queuing in many different lines. Thankfully with the Amtrak life, it’s a quick subway or Uber to the downtown station, and only one line to board your train. Each passenger is placed in a car based on their end destination, resulting in a fair amount of Case Western Reserve University students all meeting and recognizing one another. The train left from the impressive Chicago Union Station right on time.

Throughout the trip, there was so much to enjoy. For example, there is free Wi-Fi and power outlets that actually work, allowing me to mindlessly doomscroll through Instagram reels and do some work on my laptop. There are also plenty of creature comforts on the Amtrak—there is both a Cafe service and no restrictions on the amount of food and water you can bring, along with free water in each car.

Time just seems to fly when taking a long-distance Amtrak train. I remember my longest train trip from Cleveland to New York, which had me leave from the Lakefront Station at 6 a.m. I spent my time graciously cycling between doing a little personal reading, writing a scholarship application on my laptop, texting my friends and looking endlessly at the rolling landscapes. On my most recent night train, just throw a lot of sleeping into the mix.

While the idea of sleeping on a moving train might scare most first-time riders, I have never had a problem with dozing off on an Amtrak train. The seats are large and have an impressive amount of legroom, and with only four seats in a row, it’s easy to spread out and get comfortable. This is aided by a generous recline in addition to a leg and foot rest. It beats my first night in Clarke Tower, and if many CWRU students can sleep there, taking the Amtrak is sure to be a good experience.

And with that, just as we approached Cleveland, I was awoken by the conductor shouting, “Cleveland in 20 minutes.” Checking my phone, we were just west of North Olmsted, then passing next to the site of the new Browns Stadium, the airport and the sleepy west side suburbs. Within 20 minutes of the train’s arrival into Cleveland, I was already back home.

In all, I cannot recommend taking the Amtrak enough if your travels bring you somewhere along the routes it serves. Avoiding the stress of the airport and the cramped conditions of flying is well worth the extra time the train takes—along with the ability to get some work done or sleep or make use of the journey in any way you see fit.