Amtrak Anyone?

yensid67

yensid67

Well-Known Member
We are PLANNING on taking the Amtrak from Martinsburg, WV to Kissimmee FL via Washington DC...We have NEVER been on an Amtrak before so we don't know what to expect. I just wanted to put some feelers out for any advice on this adventure! We will have 2 coach seats, are they comfortable? The ride TO Kissimmee WILL NOT have a dining car, so we plan to eat once we get to DC before boarding the next train! I have heard that the Café and Dining car foods are OK, but expensive! Any reviews? I am planning to take some food and drink with us on the train to get us through the night any ideas of how to store them and what to take? On our return to DC we will have a 9 hour lay over until our train leaves for Martinsburg...any suggestions on what we should do? We have talked about walking to the National Mall since its only a few blocks away from the station and going to a few museums! Any help or ideas would be appreciated!
 
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lorreejean

Member
As far as what to do in DC, we got one of those hop on hop off bus tours and took it around the capital area. The last tour leaves around 5 pm so had plenty of time when we got back to eat dinner in the food court before the train left to go back to Chicago. Made a wonderful end to our WDW trip. Plan to do it again.
 
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John park hopper

John park hopper

Well-Known Member
Having traveled coach from Charleston SC to West Palm Beach FL I would only do it again in a sleeper. Our experience was not that great as some have posted. The restrooms on the train were filty (pee all over the floor and seat, never cleaned) and our seats did not recline which made it difficult to sleep. The dining car was nothing special- fastfood and a couple of tabes. Now this was 5 years ago so maybe they have upgraded the trains and improved coach seating. The train originated in New York stopped in Orlando and ended in Miami FL can't remember what train it was Siliver Star or what. Like I said would only do it again in a private sleeper
 
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danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
yensid67 said:
We are PLANNING on taking the Amtrak from Martinsburg, WV to Kissimmee FL via Washington DC...We have NEVER been on an Amtrak before so we don't know what to expect. I just wanted to put some feelers out for any advice on this adventure! We will have 2 coach seats, are they comfortable? The ride TO Kissimmee WILL NOT have a dining car, so we plan to eat once we get to DC before boarding the next train! I have heard that the Café and Dining car foods are OK, but expensive! Any reviews? I am planning to take some food and drink with us on the train to get us through the night any ideas of how to store them and what to take? On our return to DC we will have a 9 hour lay over until our train leaves for Martinsburg...any suggestions on what we should do? We have talked about walking to the National Mall since its only a few blocks away from the station and going to a few museums! Any help or ideas would be appreciated!
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I was very disappointed the eliminated the dining car service on that route, we really enjoyed the dining car and the food was pretty good. You assessment of the Café car food is spot on. It's ok, but is expensive for what you are getting. You are probably better brining your own. The walk from the station to the Mall isn't bad so I would recommend doing it. Just note that most of the Smithsonian museums are only open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. DC does have a good Metro system that connects to Union Station, but you would have to transfer to a second Metro line to put you closer to the Mall then then walk would be. If you want to stay closer to the station, the Postal Museum is right next to it and the Capitol and Library of Congress are pretty close, both of which offer tours.
 
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yensid67

yensid67

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Not feeling too good about taking Amtrak! 2 accidents since the beginning of the year on the trains that we will be taking!
 
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Plowboy

Well-Known Member
I would recommend the metro (subway) to get around DC. It is quite inexpensive and very easy to use. If you go to their website you can reference a map and other details. The other option is to catch a one day Gray Line double decker bus and use it as hop on-hop off transportation around downtown DC to see the sights. I believe it still runs out of Union Station (at least it used to about 8 years or so ago).
 
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jimbojones

Well-Known Member
yensid67 said:
Not feeling too good about taking Amtrak! 2 accidents since the beginning of the year on the trains that we will be taking!
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While these are definitely tragedies, just remember that 102 people die every single day in car accidents in the US. That is over 37,000 people killed in car crashes every year! For most people driving is the most dangerous thing you will do on any given day. It is much safer to take Amtrak than it is to drive, train travel is just a little bit more risky than air travel but still far far safer than driving. Per wikipedia , 4 people have died in Amtrak accidents in 2018. Only 2 of those people were on the trains.

So don't worry , enjoy your train trip and your WDW vacation!
 
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Jamie77

Active Member
jimbojones said:
Your options are : taxi, uber lyft or rental car, although Amtrak also takes bikes if you are adventurous :)
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I took Town Car Now on my last trip to and from the Orlando Amtrak station. The drivers were very friendly and were waiting with a sign that had my name on it. The drivers will chat you up and give you pointers about attractions in the area you may want to try. I was traveling solo and it cost about $65 each way with a $15 tip on each leg of the trip. You can choose to add a tip when you book or do it later.
 
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eileen61

New Member
Jamie77 said:
I took Town Car Now on my last trip to and from the Orlando Amtrak station. The drivers were very friendly and were waiting with a sign that had my name on it. The drivers will chat you up and give you pointers about attractions in the area you may want to try. I was traveling solo and it cost about $65 each way with a $15 tip on each leg of the trip. You can choose to add a tip when you book or do it later.[/
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