(I recently used Brightline to travel from West Palm Beach to Miami for a Mets-Marlins game. The high-speed inter-city train ride, a lively and energetic experience fueled by hundreds of boozed up Mets fans, was definitely a smash hit - for the most part.)
"What's the best way to get to the ballpark in Miami?" That's the question my Uncle, a huge Mets fan and in town from New Jersey, posed on a recent Saturday afternoon before we opted for a high-speed ride from West Palm Beach to Miami on Brightline, the sleek and charming train filled of grape-scented lobbies and 'Premium' lounges allowing paying customers to stock up on adult beverages and snacks, including what seemed to be like an endless supply of (late- night) cheese cubes and salami, while kicking back in front of several large TV screens. The green grapes a nice touch, but the fresh coffee and chocolate chip cookies definitely hit the spot - especially on the return trip to West Palm Beach.
Although, the nighttime trip back to West Palm Beach felt a bit more isolated, aside from a scattering of Mets fans, updated arrival and departure schedule boards, visible throughout the lobby, makes it impossible to miss your scheduled train. Unless, you really can't get enough of the beer, dried carrots and gummy bears.
Launched nearly four years ago, our midday trip on the privately-backed, multi-million dollar Brightline, which runs on biodiesel fuel, started with a simple over-the-counter transaction in West Palm Beach, where we were issued individual digital tickets with our respective names on them for a 2:48 p.m. ride to Miami, after paying our ($38 per) 'Smart' fare -- before heading upstairs to enter the concourse lobby (once we ran our digital ticket(s) through a security screen).
Once inside the second floor lobby, which seemed like a tailgate party at Citi Field with just about everyone dressed in Mets apparel, if not sporting orange and blue, we were free to roam the premises or take a seat while waiting to board our scheduled train ride. Practically, impossible to miss on this day considering the crowded concourse, roving attendants also do a good job of letting you know the status of your trip.
While crowded, the West Palm Beach to Miami Brightline train ride, approximately 25 minutes between each station, was smooth and pleasant; the wide aisles and large leather seats, featuring an in-seat recline that slides forward, making for a comfortable commute, which included making a few friends along the way. Two outlets and two USB ports -- next to each seat section - allows for you to work on your laptop or charge your phone. Onboard Wi-Fi was free and easily accessible - even while enjoying friendly chatter with an engaging couple And bathrooms are within reasonable walking distance inside each Brightline train. As soon as we arrived at the Miami Central station, we were led downstairs, where a large tour-like bus shuttled us to the ballpark. The only drawback being the traffic in Little Havana, so we arrived about 15 minutes after the game had already started.
But the interaction with the fans and fun vibe, including breaking out into song,
during the shuttle ride made for a pleasing trip to the ballpark, where we watched the entire game before getting back on the shuttle and returned to the Miami Central station to head back to West Palm Beach.
The only setback? The return shuttle ride was late getting back to the train station, forcing a dozen or so travelers to miss their 7:48 p.m. departure time and putting an understaffed crew in a bit of an uncomfortable situation as people voiced their displeasure about not being able to get on the train. But a Brightline customer service agent, tending the counter and doing the best she could amid all the complaints, made sure to put us on the 9:48 p.m. train back to West Palm Beach -- after providing us with access to the Premium lounge, where we fueled up on our choice of snacks and soft drinks until our scheduled departure.
You can upgrade to 'Premium', and practically eat all the cheese and salami you want (within reason). Ticket prices vary by day, time and length of your trip. And it being a weekend and for a special event, probably made the price of our tickets a bit higher. You could probably snag a $10 fare on any typical weekday, but the great service and preveliges enjoyed with the purchase of a Premium ticket makes it worth paying a little extra.
Overall the Brightline experience was fantastic from start to finish, especially if you just want to relax and enjoy a pleasant train ride - no driving included. So, all and all a home run for high-speed train ride fans in South Florida.
#brighline #train #ride #miami #westpalmbeach #highspeed #baseball #marlins
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