has anyone ever taken the auto train from Va to FL?

[shefrn1]

we are looking into taking the auto train for our tirp in May.....me, DH, DD3 (who will have her own seat) and DS 20 months (who wil have to sit on our laps and sleep on our laps)

anyone have any experience with this???

may look into to paying for the extra child seat too for DS we'll see!!!

thanks

 

[Guest-expert]

we are looking into taking the auto train for our tirp in May.....me, DH, DD3 (who will have her own seat) and DS 20 months (who wil have to sit on our laps and sleep on our laps)

anyone have any experience with this???

may look into to paying for the extra child seat too for DS we'll see!!!

thanks

I've done it the other direction (Sanford to DC). Pay for the other seat. You might find you don't need it, but if the train is full, you might have someone sitting next to you.

 

[vicki_c]

Check the Transportation board - there is an FAQ type thread on the Autotrain - I don't think it's a sticky though so you will probably have to search.

 

[Disneyholic]

We have quite a few times but we have had a sleeper car every time. We took coach from Philly to Orlando the first trip & I vowed never again to go coach. I have to be laying down to sleep & I just couldn't get comfortable in the seat. All that plus the sleeping noises of the other passengers in the car.

The nice thing about the Auto-train is that it doesn't make stops along the way, except when it has to pull over to the side to let a Cargo train pass. And you also have your own car to drive when you get there. Both of these things are especially nice since you will have kids with you. You won't have to worry about people getting on and off at stops and when we had my DS with us that was one of my concerns.

 

[shefrn1]

Check the Transportation board - there is an FAQ type thread on the Autotrain - I don't think it's a sticky though so you will probably have to search.

ooo...i didn't even realize there was a transportation board...thank you

 

[Disneyholic]

Here is a direct link to the Auto Train thread. It really should be a sticky.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=402667

 

[candsmain]

I took Amtrak to FL once from RIC. I have to say that I was not impressed. Especially considering I spent 15 hours on a train when I could have flown there in 2 hours. I booked our flight recently and it came out to be less to fly than to do the train. Any particular reason that you want to do the train? Good luck whatever you decide!

 

[Disneyholic]

I took Amtrak to FL once from RIC. I have to say that I was not impressed. Especially considering I spent 15 hours on a train when I could have flown there in 2 hours. I booked our flight recently and it came out to be less to fly than to do the train. Any particular reason that you want to do the train? Good luck whatever you decide!

You are comparing apples to oranges. The train from RIC is probably similar to the one from Philly to Orlando. The Auto-train is a completely different animal all together. I prefer not to fly so we drive most of the time, but have taken the auto-train home a few times. It also saves on having to get a rental if you want a car while you are there.

 

[shefrn1]

I took Amtrak to FL once from RIC. I have to say that I was not impressed. Especially considering I spent 15 hours on a train when I could have flown there in 2 hours. I booked our flight recently and it came out to be less to fly than to do the train. Any particular reason that you want to do the train? Good luck whatever you decide!

You are comparing apples to oranges. The train from RIC is probably similar to the one from Philly to Orlando. The Auto-train is a completely different animal all together. I prefer not to fly so we drive most of the time, but have taken the auto-train home a few times. It also saves on having to get a rental if you want a car while you are there.

yes ....exactly....we are planning on driving regardless which is about a 19 hour trip for us and throw in a couple of toddlers and it could make it even longer...if we take the train it'll prolly cost just about as much with the price of gas and the possiblitity of having to break up the trip and get a hotel room for 1 night...plus we won't need a car rental....and it saves on 850 miles of wear and tear on the car.....we can both get some sleep instead of taking shifts to drive although getting sleep with 2 toddlers on a train is questionable lol.......

and we'd be able to drink all the wine we want with dinner and it's included in the price...can't beat that

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Auto train is awesome! We've been taking it since I was like 12 years old. I would try and avoid coach, however, and get a sleeper car. It's just so much more pleasant knowing the people around you, plus the sleeper cars get their own dining & lounge cars, and some have their own toilets (which is a bonus over Coach, where, depending on others in your car, the toilets there may start to get a bit ripe after a few hours).

 

[disnut8]

My in-laws did this before a Disney cruise and they enjoyed the experience but said they had the sleeper car and said there's no way they'd do it again without that. It gave them privacy and a comfortable place to sleep (although with the two of them, they were cramped but they had something like 118 pieces of luggage with them - exaggeration slightly).

The only thing I would caution and I don't know what the autotrain is like from DC to Sanford is to get on DC with the first train of the day. My family and I traveled from Omaha to Chicago on a regular AmTrack and our 6:00 AM train didn't depart until well after noon before of delays way out on the West Coast (a cow had wandered onto the tracks and hit so the train had to stop). So that was a big hassle for us although AmTrack made it as right as possible (a free box dinner and free drinks!).

I'd love to do the autotrain if I had the extra time.

 

[shelby101301]

We loved it and would do it again. My biggest tips:

1) don't check in too late. We got stuck in traffic and got the last 7:00 dinner. Next seating was 9:00! I can't imagine making the little ones wait that long.

2) they have regular outlets on the seats. I really wish I had brought plug protectors... My 15 month ok'd at the time kept trying to stick his fingers in there

3) seats by bulk heads are very noisy. Doors open all night long and early as people move from car to car. On the flip side, there was like 4 feet if space back there. We stretched out with our DVD player back there and had a nice time.

4) lounge car was not kid friendly. We ended up spending all our time at our seats. No need for sleepers. Coach was fine , very roomy.

5) delays can happen. Make sure you give your cell as contact not home. A friend got to Sanford fog return trip only to discover a 5 hour delay. She had given her home number. We were fine because they called our cell.

We can't wait to take again this fall!

 

[shefrn1]

thank you...the autotrain actually ahs it's own station in VA as far as i'm aware!!

 

[shelby101301]

Yes, the station ya in Lorton. You just pull unto the terminal and an attendant takes It from there. You can watch them drive it onto the train. Just leave bags packed (we took simple overnight bags). Note , dinner and breakfast in the dining car us included, as well as snacks like cookies, fruit znd coffee/ hot chocolate. Soda and drinks can be purchased.

 

[DisneyGirl421]

I took the autotrain down to Florida last June so I could have my car down here on my College Program. It wasn't that bad. We got a sleeper (it was me and my dad), which was two seats that turned into bunk beds. Not much room for 2 grown adults (I'm 22), but it served its purpose!
Dinner/Breakfast was included, and the food was decent. Arrival in Sanford was 2 hours delayed, though.

 

[Disneyholic]

The only thing I would caution and I don't know what the autotrain is like from DC to Sanford is to get on DC with the first train of the day. My family and I traveled from Omaha to Chicago on a regular AmTrack and our 6:00 AM train didn't depart until well after noon before of delays way out on the West Coast (a cow had wandered onto the tracks and hit so the train had to stop). So that was a big hassle for us although AmTrack made it as right as possible (a free box dinner and free drinks!)

There is only 1 train from Lorton with the Auto Train & 1 Train from Sanford to Lorton. They both leave at 4pm & get in around approx 9am depending on weather, track conditions & how many freight trains they have to make room for (They share the tracks with CSX freight) You do need to get there at least 2 hours early to get checked in & for them to get your car on the train (It's earlier for larger size vehicles).

I agree with the person who said that driving down you don't get much sleep. On the train you may not get a full night sleep, but the train tends to rock you to sleep a lot for short naps. Also, the fact that you can drink wine with dinner and not have to worry about a designated driver (the conductor takes that job) makes the experience really nice & you get where you are going more refreshed than driving.

 

[Becc1]

We took the autotrain down to FL back in 2008, my DH, DD and 2 DSs and myself had an end family sleeper car and my MIL and older DS got a roomette right next to us. We enjoyed the trip, there was plenty of space and there was noone else on our end so until we went to bed for the night we kept our doors open. Food was good, they had a movie in the lounge which was great for my older DS and we all slept pretty well. I am not sure I could do coach though, my kids are unpredictable at times and I would be afraid there would be a meltdown or 2 and have nowhere to go. We never got to take the train back to VA though because the tracks were flooded due to Tropical Storm Fay and they canceled our ride and weren't going to be able to get us back to VA until the following Thursday and we were supposed to leave on a Saturday. As much as I love Disney 5 extra nights wasn't an option for us so we ended up driving home.

 

[wdwlibrarian]

I used to take it back and forth from home (in Tampa) to college (in DC) because my old car wouldn't make the trip on its own. And I loved it. But I was also younger and on my own and it felt like an adventure. I don't know that I'd recommend it for little kids.

 

[Stittsville]

Took the autotrain there and back for our trips in May 2007, 2009, and again this coming May.

Getting rooms is by far the best way to travel, but can be quite expensive depending on time of year and direction travelled, as well as how many rooms are already booked. I don't fly, and I don't like driving more than 8 or 9 hours a day, so we pay the $$$ for rooms on the autotrain. (It must be around a 25-27 hour drive from here).

We did coach on the return trip once, and decided never again. I was amazed at how many people where going to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and I don't just mean children. My seat was at the top of the stairs to the washroom, so there was a light on as well. I hardly slept that night.

If you are considering coach seats, you might want to upgrade to the lower level. It is a smaller room that is walled off (glass wall with door) so I think it is probably quieter than the regular coach.