Rensselaer

Rensselaer is a city in New York on the Hudson River opposite Albany.

Rensselaer City Hall

Get in

By train

Rensselaer Rail Station

See also: Rail travel in the United States

• 1 Albany-Rensselaer station, 525 East Street, Rensselaer. The Albany-Rensselaer station is Amtrak's 10th busiest. It is not in Albany itself but directly across the river in Rensselaer. Taxis from the train station are pricey due to a cab company monopoly, so get a ride if you can. Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) bus route 214 connects downtown Albany to the station M-Sa 6AM-11PM, Su 9AM-7PM. An additional bus route 114 connects downtown Albany, the University at Albany, St. Rose College and Crossgates Mall. (updated Oct 2023)
  • Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Oct 2023) Travel to time to Albany-Rensselaer from Boston is 5.25 hours, Buffalo is 5.25 hours, from Chicago is 16 hours, from Cleveland is 8.75 hours, from Montreal is 7.75 hours, from New York City is 2.5-2.75 hours, from Niagara Falls, NY is 6 hours, from and from Toronto is 9.75 hours. Routes serving Albany-Rensselaer station:
    • Adirondack operating daily between Montreal and New York City including stops along the way in Saint-Lambert, Rouses Point, Plattsburgh, Westport, Ticonderoga, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.
    • Ethan Allen Express operating daily between Burlington and New York City including in Middlebury, Rutland, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.
    • Empire Service operating twice daily between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City including stops in Buffalo, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers. Additional trips operate daily between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City.
    • Maple Leaf train operating daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and Niagara Falls (New York) include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls (Ontario). Stops between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City are the same as those made by the Empire Service. Border crossing processing takes place in Niagara Falls, where passengers must detrain with their baggage. Train crew members are staffed by VIA Rail within Canada, and by Amtrak within the United States.
    • Lake Shore Limited operating daily between Chicago and Boston or New York City. It makes stops at most stations along the route, though it does not stop at some of the smallest stations. Trains consist of train cars from both branches between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer). The trains split into separate branches between Albany (Rensselaer) and both Boston and New York City. Stops between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer) include South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Schenectady. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and Boston include Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City include Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, and Croton-on-Hudson.

By bus

• 2 Megabus, North Surface parking lot off of East Street (The entrance to the lot is located on East St., just north of Wendell St.). Megabus connects Albany with New York City. Fares start at just $1 when reserved far in advance. Parking is available in the surface lots adjacent to the stop. 
• Capital District Transportation Authority, ☏ +1 518 482-8822. CDTA offers very limited bus service to the Albany International Airport. Routes 610 operates from around 6AM to around 11:30PM every 25–30 minutes during the day and almost every hour at night. Weekend service is very infrequent. Route 737 serve the airport during weekday rush hours only and is infrequent as well. 

By car

• Interstate 90 (I-90)

See

• 1 Crailo State Historic Site (Fort Crailo), 9 1/2 Riverside Ave., ☏ +1 518 463-8738. Museum of the Colonial Dutch in the Hudson River Valley  

Buy

• 1 The Shoppes at Greenbush Commons, 600 North Greenbush Rd. Retail park, includes a Target, Home Depot, and Staples. (updated Mar 2019)

Sleep

• 1 Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, 8 Empire Dr. (East Greenbush), ☏ +1 518 286-1011. 
• 2 Fairfield Inn Albany East Greenbush, 124 Troy Rd., ☏ +1 518 477-7984. 
• 3 Residence Inn Albany East Greenbush/Tech Valley, 3 Tech Valley Dr., ☏ +1 518 720-3600. 

Go next

• Troy
• Albany

Routes through Rensselaer

Montreal ← Schenectady ←	N  S	→ Hudson → New York City
Buffalo ← Schenectady ←	W  S	→ Hudson → New York City
Buffalo (Depew) ← Schenectady ←	W  E/S	→ Pittsfield/Rhinecliff → Boston/New York City
Buffalo ← Albany ←	W  E	→ West Stockbridge → Springfield
Montreal ← Albany ←	N  S	→ Kinderhook → New York City
Auburn ← Albany ←	W  E	→ Pittsfield → Springfield