Amtrak vs Hostaway MCP
A side-by-side look at the Amtrak and Hostaway MCP MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Amtrak for travel & transportation work as a local process; choose Hostaway MCP for travel & transportation as a local process. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Amtrak when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Travel & Transportation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- You want tools like
amtrak_train_status, amtrak_station_board, amtrak_routes_active.
Choose Hostaway MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Travel & Transportation domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: API key required.
- You have the keys it needs:
HOSTAWAY_ACCOUNT_ID, HOSTAWAY_API_KEY. - You want tools like
list_listings, get_listing, list_reservations.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Travel & Transportation | Travel & Transportation |
| Quality signal | 60/100 · Good | 63/100 · Good |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Local subprocess (stdio) |
| Auth | Not declared | API key required |
| Pricing | Not declared | Free |
| Required env vars | None listed | HOSTAWAY_ACCOUNT_IDHOSTAWAY_API_KEY |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 1 | 4 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 5 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 4 | 10 |
| Full listing | View Amtrak | View Hostaway MCP |
Tools & capabilities
Amtrak tools 4
amtrak_train_statusLive Amtrak train status and GPS tracking — "where is my Amtrak train", "is train 6 late", "track the California Zephyr". Accepts a train number ("6", "2150") or route name ("Coast Starlight", "Empire Builder"). Returns each active instance of that train: current GPS position, speed, heading, timeliness, next station with ETA and delay minutes, and origin/destination scheduled vs actual times. Data is a community mirror of Amtrak's own tracking feed (api-v3.amtraker.com); positions update about every few minutes. Example: amtrak_train_status({ train: "6" })amtrak_station_boardAmtrak station departures/arrivals board — upcoming trains at a station. "What trains are arriving at Chicago Union?", "next train at CHI", "station board for Denver". Accepts a 3-letter Amtrak station code ("CHI", "NYP", "LAX") or a station name ("Chicago", "Portland"). Returns trains currently en route to that station with route, scheduled vs estimated arrival, delay minutes, and status. Live community mirror of Amtrak tracking (api-v3.amtraker.com). Example: amtrak_station_board({ station: "CHI" })amtrak_routes_activeSummary of ALL currently active Amtrak trains grouped by route — "how many Amtrak trains are running right now", "which Amtrak routes have delays", national system overview. Returns per route: active train count, train numbers, and the worst delay in minutes. Compact; live from a community mirror of Amtrak's tracking feed. Example: amtrak_routes_active({})amtrak_station_infoAmtrak station lookup by code or name — station name, 3-letter code, city/state, street address, timezone, coordinates, and how many trains are currently inbound. "Where is the Amtrak station in Denver?", "what is station code NYP". Example: amtrak_station_info({ station: "Denver" })
Hostaway MCP tools 10
list_listingsList properties (listings) on the connected Hostaway account. Returns a compact Markdown table with id, name, location, bedrooms/bathrooms, person capacity, and status.get_listingFetch full details for a single Hostaway listing by id. Returns location, capacity, pricing, reputation, and channel URLs as Markdown sections.list_reservationsList reservations on the connected Hostaway account. Optional filters by arrival date range and reservation status. Returns a Markdown table with the most useful operational fields.get_reservationFetch full details for a single Hostaway reservation by id. Returns guest info, dates, pricing breakdown, and channel details.list_calendarGet the availability calendar for a single listing across a date range. Returns per-day availability, status, price, minimum stay, and reserved/blocked counts. Use this to answer 'is property X available between dates A and B?'list_conversationsList guest message threads (conversations) on the connected Hostaway account. Returns a compact Markdown table with conversation id, guest, linked listing/reservation, unread state, and last activity time.list_unread_conversationsList only guest message threads that have unread messages. The most useful tool for answering 'do I have any guests waiting on a reply?'get_conversation_messagesFetch the full message history of a single conversation by id. Returns each message with direction (incoming/outgoing), timestamp, and body.list_owner_statementsList owner financial statements on the connected Hostaway account. Returns a compact table of statement id, name, and status. Useful for revenue and payout reporting.whoamiHealth-check tool — confirms credentials work and returns a quick summary of the connected Hostaway account: counts of listings, reservations, conversations, owner statements, and users. Use this first when setting up to verify the connection.
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Amtrak
{
"mcpServers": {
"amtrak": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@pipeworx/mcp-amtrak"
]
}
}
}
Hostaway MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"prosperkartik-hostaway-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@prosperkartik/hostaway-mcp"
],
"env": {
"HOSTAWAY_ACCOUNT_ID": "YOUR_HOSTAWAY_ACCOUNT_ID_HERE",
"HOSTAWAY_API_KEY": "YOUR_HOSTAWAY_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Amtrak is categorized under Travel & Transportation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Hostaway MCP belongs to Travel & Transportation and uses a local stdio subprocess. Pick Amtrak for travel & transportation work and Hostaway MCP for travel & transportation.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Amtrak has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Hostaway MCP is listed as free. Auth: api key required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add amtrak and prosperkartik-hostaway-mcp as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Amtrak has a quality signal of 60/100 (Good) with 2 views, 0 installs and 1 GitHub stars. Hostaway MCP has 63/100 (Good) with 5 views, 0 installs and 4 GitHub stars.