I relied on Amtrak trains for a recent vacation. Here are 8 things that impressed me so much I'd absolutely do it again.

I recently took my family on a journey through New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, and we traveled between each of our multiday stops on Amtrak trains.

Transportation for the entire trip — which included the Amtrak Keystone Service from New York to Philadelphia and the Amtrak Northeast Regional from Philadelphia to Wilmington — cost us only $22 per person, a bargain compared to the hundreds we would've paid to fly or rent a car.

Not only were the tickets cheap, but I didn't have to pay for gas, rental cars, flights, parking fees, or the other expenses that come with air travel and road trips.

The price was enough to make the trains a no-brainer, but along the way, I learned that this mode of transportation has other advantages besides the savings.

Here's why I think Amtrak trains are the best way to travel between major cities on the Eastern Seaboard.

Big, populous cities tend to have bad traffic. So when I was planning our family trip through several of them, I wanted to find the easiest way to navigate, especially in Manhattan, a city with traffic I was unwilling to deal with on my own.

A 1 ½-hour journey on Amtrak's Keystone Service offered a quick, safe, and stress-free way to get from New York to Philadelphia, and I was relieved I didn't have to drive a rental car with white knuckles around the wheel.

When I plan a vacation with multiple stops, I like to schedule a lot of activities and make the most of my time in each place.

Getting around by train allowed us to travel mostly at night or in the early morning. Thanks to this schedule, we were able to pack our days with adventures since I didn't have to worry about driving in the dark.

Despite feeling comfortable behind the wheel and going on many road trips, I didn't feel confident driving in slippery, icy conditions since, as a Floridian, I don't have much practice.

Luckily, we only saw a dusting of snow on this trip. Still, just knowing I wouldn't need to tackle driving on slick roads eased my mind.

There's no denying the overall efficiency of air travel — but I think the many steps required to get onto an airplane are the actual worst. Fortunately, trains truly shine when it comes to the boarding process.

The train stations we visited were smaller and easier to navigate than most airports I've seen. We went through fewer security hurdles, and long queues were uncommon.

We also didn't have to arrive hours before our departure to snake our way through waiting areas. After arriving fairly early for our first train ride of the trip, I learned that we only needed a small amount of buffer time for future legs.

Cutting down our time at the stations allowed my family to spend less time waiting on platforms and more time exploring each city.

As the main vacation planner in my family, I'm in charge of everything from building our itinerary to finding our way through the streets of an unfamiliar city.

The Amtrak trains gave me a chance to relax, a rarity while traveling through bustling cities. Taking trains throughout the journey forced me to relinquish control, live in the moment, and enjoy the ride.

Not only were the trains a relatively comfortable place to rest between adventures, but some of the stations, such as New York's Moynihan Train Hall, provided ample waiting areas to take a load off before boarding.

I hate checking bags at airports, not to mention the time it takes up and the extra fees that often come along with the process.

After going through all those steps, my bag sometimes doesn't even make it to my destination. I've also flown with airlines that charge customers for carry-on bags, making it altogether frustrating to pack for a flight.

One of my favorite things about traveling on the Amtrak trains during this trip was that we brought out bags on board with us.

Typically, Amtrak travelers can bring two carry-ons and two personal items, but requirements vary by train and ticket. Travelers who don't want to bring their luggage on board sometimes have the option to check it before boarding Amtrak trains, but they should always check the luggage policy for their specific train and ticket ahead of time.

Bringing our bags on the trains eliminated a lot of extra costs and drama, as we always knew our luggage would make it to the next stop because it was with us.

The bathrooms on the Amtrak trains we took were akin to most airplane restrooms I've seen, at least in terms of comfort and general upkeep. The train ones did feel significantly larger though.

The onboard facilities could've been higher in quality, in my opinion, but it was still super convenient to have access to them the entire time we traveled.

During road trips, I constantly tell my son to go to the bathroom when he can, not just when he has to. We didn't have that issue on the trains. Having direct access to the restrooms in each car saved me from the trouble of scrambling to find a loo during an emergency.

As an added bonus, I rarely saw a line for the bathrooms on board since our trains weren't operating at full capacity.

Traveling with a child can be fraught with unexpected challenges, even when it's with an experienced explorer like my son, who's been to 44 states and more than 12 countries.

Many kids have trouble sitting still, staying buckled up, and keeping their limbs to themselves in the tight confines of a car or plane.

Although the Amtrak trains we took still offered relatively small spaces, they seemed to provide a lot more opportunities to spread out and stretch our legs.

Even in the no-frills coach cabins we booked for this trip, I found the seats to be wider and roomier than anything I've found in planes' coach sections. Each row had charging ports, which ensured my son could use his beloved Kindle throughout our journey.

In the end, he said it was his favorite way to travel, and I have to admit it was pretty seamless for the adults as well. When traveling between hectic, crowded destinations like the ones we visited on this trip, trains are an ideal mode of transportation.