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Has anyone taken the Amtrak Autotrain?
- Thread starter loveyloo2
- Start date
MainSt1993
New Member
A friend of mine used to make the trip annually from DC to Orlando on the AutoTrain, and loved it! Make sure you allow enough time before departure to get your car loaded onboard. Enjoy your trip!
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800trashman
New Member
The A-Train is a great way to go if u don't like to fly or drive! We do the train almost every year and has been on time almost every year. Sleepers are a better way to go than coach, but either way it is very relaxing.
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Ms. Tinkerbell
Member
What is the Amtrak Autotrain? Our upcoming trip, we have been seriously debating about taking Amtrak. I hate, hate to fly, but since it's just me and the kids, I don't want to drive. Would this just be if you were going to do driving outside of Disney?
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monorailguy01
New Member
I took the auto train 2 years ago and I thought it sucked. It took forever to get there, I felt like I was on a boat because the train kept rockin back and forth. If I was you I would fly and if you need to rent a car. some people I know love it. I didnt care for it and will never do it again. you can fly and rent a car for the price of the train ticket and boarding your car....
Thats juat my 2 cents... hope i talked you outta it :lol::hammer:
Thats juat my 2 cents... hope i talked you outta it :lol::hammer:
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Here's our reasoning...
Well, we decided to take the Autotrain for a couple of reasons: 1. Since we still have two little ones in carseats, we didn't want the hassle of having to bring our seats with us or risking that the seats the rental car company had weren't in the best condition. Also, since we're going to be visiting Tampa first we definitely need a car (9 days total) and our pack n play for the baby...basically we just have a lot of stuff to bring with us that would be a pain to try to fly with and I personally am not into driving long distances (we're in Northern VA). 2. We had enough Amtrak points that we were able to get a roundtrip sleeper car and our SUV transported for $530 it's kind of hard to beat that...I'm kind of looking foward to it, but am apprehensive at the same time...I'll just hope for the best...
Well, we decided to take the Autotrain for a couple of reasons: 1. Since we still have two little ones in carseats, we didn't want the hassle of having to bring our seats with us or risking that the seats the rental car company had weren't in the best condition. Also, since we're going to be visiting Tampa first we definitely need a car (9 days total) and our pack n play for the baby...basically we just have a lot of stuff to bring with us that would be a pain to try to fly with and I personally am not into driving long distances (we're in Northern VA). 2. We had enough Amtrak points that we were able to get a roundtrip sleeper car and our SUV transported for $530 it's kind of hard to beat that...I'm kind of looking foward to it, but am apprehensive at the same time...I'll just hope for the best...
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Ms. Tinkerbell
Member
That makes sense to me...and it sounds like you got a really great price!
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gigimurphy
New Member
You definitely have good reasons to take the AutoTrain, and you got a great deal!
I have taken the AutoTrain, so allow me to share my experience and offer some tips. First, the train is.... old. While I had dreamy images of the Orient Express, they were quickly dashed. To make time pass, I highly recommend a portable DVD player and lots of movies. I'm pretty sure there are electrical outlets in the sleeper cars. Although there is a car showing a movie, it's on a small screen, and I found others around me talking loudly, so I was unable to enjoy it.
I would also recommend bringing some refreshments for you and the kids. Bottled water, little snacks... the train ride felt much longer than I thought it would. Anything to pass time is helpful, including a sleep aid. It was a total lifesaver for me, or I would not have been able to sleep.
I had no problems getting my car (only took about 30 minutes). While I would not choose to do it again, I hope you have a wonderful experience!
I have taken the AutoTrain, so allow me to share my experience and offer some tips. First, the train is.... old. While I had dreamy images of the Orient Express, they were quickly dashed. To make time pass, I highly recommend a portable DVD player and lots of movies. I'm pretty sure there are electrical outlets in the sleeper cars. Although there is a car showing a movie, it's on a small screen, and I found others around me talking loudly, so I was unable to enjoy it.
I would also recommend bringing some refreshments for you and the kids. Bottled water, little snacks... the train ride felt much longer than I thought it would. Anything to pass time is helpful, including a sleep aid. It was a total lifesaver for me, or I would not have been able to sleep.
I had no problems getting my car (only took about 30 minutes). While I would not choose to do it again, I hope you have a wonderful experience!
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Nemo14
Well-Known Member
We had looked into it before, but decided against it for a number of reasons. First of all, the price we were quoted was much higher than what you're paying, so it really wasn't cost effective for us. My DH loves to drive, and frankly, the drive from RI to VA is the worst part for us, so this really wouldn't have saved us much as far as traffic goes.
I've heard mixed reviews about it, but at that price it's definitely worth a try! Good luck, and let us know how it goes! :wave:
I've heard mixed reviews about it, but at that price it's definitely worth a try! Good luck, and let us know how it goes! :wave:
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YankeesFan
Member
Hate to bring up an old thread...but has anyone recently used the Auto Train? I'm curious on a more recent experience. More importantly, how comforable (or uncomfortable) is the coach? It will be just be me, my wife, a four year old & one and a half year old going. Am I asked trouble?!?!?!?!?:hammer:
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Monty
Brilliant...and Canadian
- In the Parks
- No
DS12 and I took the Autotrain from Lorton to Sanford on our WDW trip in June '07. The first-class cars were well worth the extra cost. The service was tremendous and the food was great. I found the ride itself quite rough and didn't sleep well if at all. If Amtrak were to upgrade the track and coaches the experience would be excellent, but arriving in FLA with no sleep the night before was rough.
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nikko
New Member
I used to make that trip a lot when I was younger but it has been quite a long time. I agree that you need a cabin and I seem to remember being able to sleep okay, it all depends on the person. Back then the cabins didn't have showers, some of them do now. We'd get a double, so it had 2 bunk beds and a little bathroom. There was also a viewing car with all windows that I always got excited about when I was a kid.
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DisneyAnole
New Member
This past year, I've taken the Autotrain numerous times--both coach and cabin. I really don't think the higher cost of the cabin is justified. The actual travel time is relatively short (approx. 4pm-9am), including time for 2 meals and any time you wish to spend in the lounge cart. And the seats in coach recline quite a bit. Depending on your budget, the coach option is probably just fine. Not to mention some of the cabins are SMALL. Small like a telephone booth. You may end up sleeping on a top bunk with your nose against the ceiling.
But I've also never gone to the WDW parks immediately after taking the train. You're not going to get a "good" night's sleep on the train (coach or cabin), so I wouldn't think hitting the parks would be a good idea immeidiately after your arrival in the Orlando area.
Still, the Autotrain is a nice, leisurely way to get to Florida, and it's also quite scenic especially in the early evening when you travel through Virginia. And you can bet it beats driving the 800 miles from Lorton to Sanford.
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Pioneer Hall
Well-Known Member
I have taken the auto train a number of times and will be taking it again in August. My dad doesn't fly so its a good alternative for us. Its a nice comfortable trip and convenient. It isn't as reliable time-wise as a plane, but it is much better than a normal amtrak train. I have taken the regular service from NY to FL as well and I am not a fan, but the auto train is pretty nice.
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jenjen1127
New Member
I took the Auto Train a number of times due to a fear of flying and found it awful. Maybe it was the people in my car but the bathroom was filthy and smelled terrible and people were noisy and walked up and down the aisles all night. After trying it three times, we decided to drive from NJ to Orlando and have been doing it ever since. Maybe the upgrade to a cabin is better but coach is not good at all.
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DisneyAnole
New Member
Couldn't disagree more. I've ridden the Autotrain about a half-dozen times in the past year and haven't had any problems like you encountered. Sure, in December you get Yankee Snowbirds who are senile and deaf, but it's hardly as bad as you make it out to be.
Then again, I usually am traveling against the grain, so I'm not usually in crowded cars.
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Carolyn1717
New Member
I for one have never taken the Auto Train, but I had a friend who did. He hated it. Said the element of people on the train was scary and he would never do it again no matter how much he hates to fly.
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