Always make a reservation.
I do recommend a reservation. We did the 1st class Carolina shine car. It was very nice. It has heat and air. Due to health issues I cant deal well with high temperatures. However everyone one the different car seemed to have a great time as well.
Like the ever one else said it's best to call and see the more leaves change the busier they will be have fun
I rode last weekend with a reservation but all seats were not full. But like kim said itll be a gamble without a reservation
You can call. Super nice and will answer any questions
You can check their website to see if there are available seats, but this time of year is popular (leaf viewing season) so it's probably better to reserve in advance. I can confirm that they do allow same day ticket purchases, but as I said it's a gamble during this peak season.
I would just to make sure you get in the car you want to be in. But we were up there 1 time so locals may know better.
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