PA to WDW...train versus plane?

[copcarguyp71]

Just curious if anyone in the middle atlantic states has ever done a cost comparison of plane versus train travel to the world? Obviously the extra time it takes is a drawback but I thought it might be a different fun way to travel and was not sure if anyone had input into having done this. We may even take a train down and then fly home just for a different experience.

 

[luv]

I've never taken a train, but always thought it would be a good experience. Every time I priced trains, they were just about as much as planes. Since they took so much longer and didn't really save me money, I flew.

Then I switched to driving, lol.

If you take the train, please update this thread and let us know how you liked it.

 

[wiigirl]

Just my opinion....trains take to long.

 

[JIMINYCR]

A friend who is taking a trip to WDW from Maine, just compared costs hoping to save on airline flights, wasn't concerned about taking extra travel time, found the train was much MORE expensive. She also was thinking about traveling by train just to experience the trip in a different way. I was also very surprised by the difference in cost expecting it to be less.

 

[bigorangeandy]

I've taken a train trip or two, but not to WDW. It's a fun way to travel, but can/will be similar to driving in the amount of time. We have a trip upcoming that we are going to New Orleans on the train, but flying home, its about $50 cheaper per person vs flying home. I would think that one cost advantage could be with a short notice trip where the airlines tend to charge a lot, the train could be a savings.

 

[Pooh Lover]

I've also looked into this due to a relative having an extreme fear of flying and found train travel not much less than flying and a whole lot longer to get there than I expected. One problem for us was picking up the train in Ohio, having it go across to the east coast and then down to Florida. I guess I expected a better point A to point B route. For me, my flight is less than 2 hours from Columbus, Ohio and it would be hard to take a train and take 2 days.

 

[SnowFire]

This is probably going to be one of those cases where what works for some doesn't work for others. My family of 5, travelling from eastern PA has fallen love with the AutoTrain. Our last three trips have been train down and drive back, which allows us to stop and visit friends on the way home. We drive down to Lorton VA in the morning, get on the train in the afternoon and are in Sanford, Fl early (usually by 8 AM) the next morning. On the way, we have a nice meal, watch a family friendly movie, and have a light breakfast the next morning (all included in the price).
Pros:
- No need to rent a car
- No need to check you luggage - it just stays in the car
- The meals we've eaten on board have all been quite good
- Confortable reclining seats with footrests
- Quicker than driving (at least for our family with only 1 driver) and no need to stop along the way for meals/rest
Cons:
- Takes longer than flying
- There tend to be lines for the restrooms in the mornings
A few other thoughts:
- Take snacks along for the ride. We also take a small cooler with drinks along.
- Book as early as possible. The price usually rises significantly as the travel date gets closer.
- Check in early if dinner seating time is important for you. The popular times tend to fill up quickly.
- Coffee/Tea are available for free in the lounge car. They offer a snack mix, fruit, and cookies for free in the lounge car at various times during the trip.
- Sleeping compartments are available, but we never book them (fairly expensive). We've been lucky to have fairly empty cars each time and have been able to spread out. From what I understand, certain days are fairly empty in certain directions.
- The stairs to the upper level seating area are a bit narrow and steep. They could be difficult to navigate for some people. I believe seating is available on the lower level for those who need it.

 

[MaryJaneP]

In S.E. PA, priced autotrain several times, always more expensive than flying, also takes longer. As a child, our family took the auto train and it was magical. Sleeping on the upper level looking at the stars was awesome. Brothers and sisters and cousins made it an event.
If you are simply trying to compare methods of travel to WDW, fly rather than train. If you want to have multiple vacation experiences, one of which is the train, and one of which is WDW, and you can afford both, then by all means, do both. We look at the train as one destination and WDW as a seond destination. We will probably do the train at some point in the future, but not now when our one destination is WDW.

 

[copcarguyp71]

I priced the two (air and train) for immediate departure next week just for an example and the price is not much different. I am going to play around with it though several months in advance. Is it possible to get a decent nights sleep in general seating? Do the seats recline enough to sleep soundly? I am seriously considering doing this for the experience but do not want to arrive exhausted. Also is the train station in Orlando any farther away from WDW than the airport? The other thing I guess in question is how is luggage handled? We can manage our carry-ons but how are suitcases managed and do they charge per bag or is it included in ticket price? Sorry for all of the questions but I have never travelled long distance via train.

 

[MaryJaneP]

My only experience is auto train (Lorton VA to Sanford Fla) and as a kid. I can't answer your baggage or Orlando train station questions. As for sleep, as a kid, we didn't get or need a whole lot. Seats in the upper area reclined a little in my recollection but were not overly comfortable. However, nobody on our trip (parents or kids) said anything about not getting enough sleep.

 

[afar28]

I drive, and I HATE it, just from NY I can't really afford a plane ride. I'd imagine a train would be better than driving if you can't sit for stretches of maybe 2-4 hours at a time before you stop at a rest stop to stretch out. On a train at least you can move a bit

 

[copcarguyp71]

Looks like two bags can be checked for free. Reservations for February were no less price than travelling this coming Wednesday so booking in advance is no savings unless you are doing a sleeper compartment in which case it is roughly $400 more for last minute than advance purchase. Sleeper sounded nice but it is only meant for two people so it would not be worth it for our family of three. Still...interesting to think about train travel for September.

 

[Florida Bill]

My Wife, 17yr old Stepson and I recently took Amtrak from Tampa FL - Newark NJ, I've taken the train several times in the past, up and down the East Coast, and I love it. I find the seats pretty comfortable and I have a VERY bad back, 6 back operations and 2 neck operations in the past 12yrs. The seats recline pretty decently and have a foot rest, I was able to sleep for about 7hrs with no problem at all. I find the trip by train to be more relaxing than flying and the seats on the train are way more comfortable then the seats on the plane.
We have AAA and we got about $50 off the regular price of the train fare, it was really close on the price between flying and taking the train, I believe with our discount it was only about $30 more to take the train. They have a decent dining car on the train, we had breakfast and it was pretty good, French Toast, Bacon, coffee, that type of food. They also have a nice lounge car where you can get snacks, beer or a mixed drink, that type of stuff, on the regular Amtrak train you have to pay for the food but the prices weren't really high or anything, on The Auto Train the food is included in the price of your ticket. The train station is pretty much right in downtown Orlando so it is a little bit further to WDW than the airport is, not REALLY bad though, maybe 15 miles or so from Orlando to WDW. One piece of advice that we wish we had been aware of, bring a light jacket or blanket or something as the train was ice cold! It's like they had super power air condtioning or something! The train was about the exact same amount of time as driving would've been. Anyway, I enjoyed it, I had a good book and just relaxed and enjoyed looking at the scenery out the window, I prefer the train over flying...hope this helped.

 

[copcarguyp71]

Great info thanks Bill! Do you know if they have blankets and pillows available? I am leaning towards this on the trip down for a different experience for DD.

 

[Florida Bill]

They did have blankets for sale for $15 I think it was but by the time we went to buy them they were sold out lol They did hand out pillows for free but they were pretty small and thin. I am definitely a "train guy". I loved trains as a kid and still do, I'm now 48yrs old.

 

[journ116]

One thing to consider: is anyone in your party prone to motion sickness? I know you could just pop some Dramamine or wear those specialty bracelets, but 18 hrs on a train with a queasy stomach could prove troublesome.

With that said, I think traveling by train would be fun! For our upcoming trip, we tossed around the idea of driving or taking the train out of Harrisburg, Pa, and leaned toward the train. However, due to time and money constraints, flying was the better option. Traveling by train was $200 more per person, because we wanted the sleeper car (especially with two young kids in tow).

Run your numbers, look up reviews and pics of the train you'll be riding to help aide in your decision!

 

[copcarguyp71]

We had thought about the sleeper compartment as well but they look to be only suited for two people from looking at Amtrak's site. Good thought on the motion sickness though, that had not occurred to me at all.

 

[Phonedave]

I have never taken the train to Florida, but have numerous times from Newark NJ to Washington DC. One other thing about a train that is different from a plane is there is no restriction on cell phone usage. Many trains, at least the Acelas that I used to take, have ample power plugs as well. The Acela also has seats that face each other with a table between them at the end of each car (no idea if the "normal" trains do or not)

The point of all of this is, I could plug my laptop in, fire up my cellular broadband, and plug a headset into my cell phone and pretty much work from the train just as well as I could from my office. Now I am not suggesting you work while on vacation, but if your kids (or you) wanted to play some on-line games, or take care of your emails, or even stream some movies, as long as you have cellular broadband or can tether your cell phone (and your data plan can handle it) then you can do so. I had no problem keeping a signal along pretty much the entire Northeast Corridor line from Washington DC to Newark NJ


-dave

 

[emcclay]

I will be taking the AutoTrain in April when I relocate to participate in the DCP!

 

[Krcarson13]

My family of 4 took Amtrak from philadelphia to kissimee last year in October. We all hated it. Couldn't sleep because they kept the isle lights on all night for people to walk. The bathrooms were discusting and you had to make sure you wore shoes in there. The train is usually late and you have no control over that. If you take a plane the magical express picks you up from the airport and gets your luggage for you. With the train you need to get a taxi. I didnt think the seats were all that comfortable and the train makes a lot of stops along the way. Sleeper car is highly recommended but very expensive.