Reply to Amtrak

Hi everyone,
I was going to drive down to Cumberland and take the Amtrak to D.C. and ride back on the C & O all 184.5 miles but was thinking of biking from Cumberland to D.C. then take the Amtrak back to Cumberland where my car will be parked can anyone here give any suggestions for either direction ?
And is any direction any better then the other ?Thank you for your time.

Ez-Does-It

In 2018, a friend of mine and I took the Amtrak from Cumberland to D.C. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn right on the trail in Cumberland the night before so we could leave our car. The station isn’t far from the hotel. We chose to bike from D.C. to Cumberland so we could get away from D.C. and not have to worry so much about the car. That was before all of the things that are happening now. We had planned out where we were staying along the way back. We camped the first night and then biked to Shepardstown, WV and stayed at the The Mecklenburg Inn, which is above the bar. It wasn’t busy at that time and it was a good stay. The owner was very nice. We biked to Hancock the next day. The B&B we stayed at right on the trail in Hancock is no longer open. The next day we went back into Cumberland.

I don’t know if one way is better than another. One thing to really consider is getting off of the C&O when you can pick up the Western Maryland Rail Trail. It makes the ride so much more enjoyable because the C&O can be rough riding. https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/pages/western/wmrt.aspx

When we finished, we stayed right back at the Fairfield Inn right on the trail. It was a great way to finish being able to stay right there.

Be sure to book Amtrack early so you can check to make sure they have bike space available.

Thank. you so much that's just what I was thinking to do .
stay the night at the fire field Inn then on to d.C. then back to Cumberland and the holtel.

Sorry meant to say the Fairfield Inn and D.C.

I’ll offer a couple of additional thoughts. The ability to park for free in Cumberland is noteworthy. In addition to parking at the Fairfield if you stay there (and likely even if you don’t, I.e. “stealth parking”), you can park in the municipal lot under the bridge near Canal Place as well for free.

Secondly, by parking in Cumberland, training to DC and riding back to Cumberland removes any time costraints since there is no need to reach Cumberland on any particular day or at any particular time allowing more flexibility to your itinerary or the ability to adjust it mid-ride without the possiblility of forfeiting the cost of your train ticket.

Lastly, by riding back to Cumberland, you face the least maintained part of the Towpath at the end of your trip. Thus, if you encounter inclement weather prior to or during your ride, the muddiest portion of the trip will be at the end. Note, there has been a bike wash station at the Fairfield Inn in the past that would allow you clean off your bike and gear before loading them back in/on your car.

And lastly, lastly, by training to DC first, you can avoid an expensive overnight in DC. The train arrives in DC in the early afternoon which offers you the opportunity to immediately begin your ride and get out onto the Towpath for your first overnight. The Swains Lock H/B campsite and those beyond are readily achievable after your early afternoon arrival in DC. Note that the Swains Lock H/B campsite can be crowded on tha weekend when the local residents go there to camp given its proximity to and accessibility from the city.

Thank you