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HAS ANYONE USED AMTRAK? THOUGHTS?
- Thread starter yensid67
- Start date
Just regular Amtrak from Martinsburg to DC to Kissimmee (and back)...
...I think I have found enough videos on travelling on Amtrak from DC. Just wanted to hear someone that has used Amtrak. Just wanted to know where to go to get trains, how to store luggage while we lay over, what the seats are like to be in overnight, food on train is it worth the price?
...I think I have found enough videos on travelling on Amtrak from DC. Just wanted to hear someone that has used Amtrak. Just wanted to know where to go to get trains, how to store luggage while we lay over, what the seats are like to be in overnight, food on train is it worth the price?
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MotherofaPrincessLover
Well-Known Member
The one time I rode Amtrak our train had a huge delay. Part of the time we were moving slower than I could've walked.
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Hmmmm...horror stories! From what I found on the schedule, everything is running on time. From martinsburg to DC the train is only a few minutes delayed(if any). The only part I don't want to be late is getting on the train to Kissimmee in DC...even then we have a 2 hour lay over before the departure! Returning is ok Train leaves Kissimmee at 1pm and then have a 9 hour lay over in DC so any delay on the way back would be ok!
Am I ok for believing things would be ok according to this!?
Am I ok for believing things would be ok according to this!?
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Disneyhead'71
Well-Known Member
The train should have wifi and places to charge your devices. Are you getting regular seats or a couchette?
Pack some snacks it will be a long trip. I love taking the train.
Pack some snacks it will be a long trip. I love taking the train.
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lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Delays are not going to be known more than a year out. The big problem outside of the Northeast Corridor is that Amtrak owns very little of the track along their routes. The tracks are instead owned by the various freight railroads who handle all of the traffic routing on their tracks. Amtrak is essentially navigating the tracks whenever they are not in use, as the railroads give priority to the freight trains.
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jmenjes
Well-Known Member
Been taking Amtrak to Orlando for the past 12 years, and will be doing so again on Monday. Can't beat paying $70 for the round trip.
With regards to food onboard, bear in mind that the Silver Star only has a cafe car in its consist. The cafe car is pretty much quick service food (burgers, pizza, hot dogs, and the like). The Silver Meteor has both a cafe car and a traditional dining car in its consist. You can find the menus for both the Silver Star and Silver Meteor halfway down the Silver Service route page here: https://www.amtrak.com/silver-service-palmetto-train
As I take the Silver Meteor for my trips to and from home, and my ride is only about 4.5-5 hours each way, I really only grab a bite from the cafe car. Usually a hot dog and a drink will get me through the ride.
With regards to food onboard, bear in mind that the Silver Star only has a cafe car in its consist. The cafe car is pretty much quick service food (burgers, pizza, hot dogs, and the like). The Silver Meteor has both a cafe car and a traditional dining car in its consist. You can find the menus for both the Silver Star and Silver Meteor halfway down the Silver Service route page here: https://www.amtrak.com/silver-service-palmetto-train
As I take the Silver Meteor for my trips to and from home, and my ride is only about 4.5-5 hours each way, I really only grab a bite from the cafe car. Usually a hot dog and a drink will get me through the ride.
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NYBaloo
Active Member
We were supposed to use Amtrak last May for our trip to WDW. Made our reservations, booked a roomette and thought things were fine. 2 weeks before our trip, I happened to check the website and saw that they had issued notifications about delays. We were traveling from Syracuse, NY to NYC and then to Orlando. The layover in NYC was only an hour and the delays from Syracuse to NYC they announced were anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. So, we called Amtrak and they were not helpful at all. Of course they couldn't guarantee I would get to NYC in time to make my connecting train. The train from NYC to Orlando only left once a day. So, if there was a delay I would be stranded in NYC overnight. I asked if that happened would they be putting us up in a hotel and was told they couldn't guarantee that. Then, we thought, well we could take the bus to NYC and just pick up Amtrak there. We asked about being refunded the portion of the ticket from Syracuse to NYC and were told no, since we booked it together(Syracuse to NYC and NYC to ORL). In the end, we cancelled Amtrak, got refunded the whole amount and just flew down. The real shame was we were really excited to take the train. At this point, I wouldn't recommend them to anyone. I'm not sure how you can run a business on unreliable timetables and poor customer service.
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Thanks NYBaloo & Jmenjes...will take what you said in to consideration! I am hoping that from Martinsburg to DC there won't be a delay...train gets in at 105pm from martinsburg and then departs DC at 305pm so we should be good there There is a second train that leaves a little later! The way home I am not concerned about too much, because we would have a 9 hour layover in DC to return to Martinsburg.
Where did you find the delays for the trains?
Where did you find the delays for the trains?
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danlb_2000
Premium Member
I do Amtrak from Philadelphia to Orlando (and have even done Philly to LA for a Disneyland trip) and we really enjoy it. We have done the Capitol Limited which is the train you will take from Martinsburg and we have done both the Silver Star and Silver Meteor to Florida. Here is some input, some of which might repeat what others have said.
Delays: Yes, Amtrak delays are not uncommon, especially in the Northeast Corridor. The delays are unpredictable since they are normally caused by interference from freight traffic. With that said I have probably done over 20 long distance Amtrak trip legs and have only had one delay that I would consider to be a horror story. The time between your arrival in DC to your departure to Orlando is pretty tight. If the inbound train is delayed and you miss the connection, Amtrak will probably put you on the Silver Meteor later in the evening if there is space. I have never missed a connection on Amtrak, but it is my understanding that they will do what is needed to get you to your destination, but it just might not be on time. Despite what someone said above I have heard that they will pay for overnight hotel if they have to put you on a train the next day.
Baggage: Martinsburg does not have checked baggage service so you will need to carry on your baggage, but you can check your bags if you want when you get to DC, or you can carry them on. The station does have bag storage but you will have to pay for it.
Union Station DC: This is a large and busy station so be sure to look at some maps of it to get a feel for the layout. When you get there, the first thing you should do is to find out where you will board the train to Orlando. There will be plenty of Amtrak staff around you can ask for guidance. There are some shops and restaurants in the station which you might have time to see on your way out, if you have more time on the way back you could actually walk to some of the DC sites or take the Metro. Martinsburg, Orlando and Kissimmee stations are pretty small so there is really no issues with find thing the train since they are just a waiting room building right along one or two tracks.
Food: As others have mentioned the Silver Star no longer has a dining car, so you are left with the snack car menu. The snack car food is just ok. The Silver Meteor has a dining car which has much better food IMHO, but it's a little pricy for what you are getting.
Seats: I can't say to much about the seats since we always get a sleeper car when we go over night. I have been in coach seats for day trips and they are pretty comfortable.
One of the best parts of taking Amtrak for me is that it guarantees almost 24 hours after my trip where can't do anything but sit and relax!
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