All about the Autotrain

[Andythefox]

Looks like they have made some changes to the menu:

 

[jdrasin]

Very nice changes to the menu. Having more than one option for kids is good.

 

[ktrain]

That is a menu from at least five years ago.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

That is a menu from at least five years ago.

Maybe they found an unused crate in a freezer.

 

[Andythefox]

This was supposedly from a recent trip. I'm taking my 16th trip in June and have never seen choices such as the above in either coach or the sleeper cars.

 

[lynz421]

Here are the official Amtrak Menus:
https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am/Layout&cid=1241305537990

 

[thepops]

Has anyone tried their new Business class on the Autotrain? The regular seats are pretty large. Not sure how much bigger they would make them.

 

[jwboucher]

Has anyone tried their new Business class on the Autotrain? The regular seats are pretty large. Not sure how much bigger they would make them.

I was wondering that too. It's not much cheaper than a roomette though.

 

[spima3]

Doesn't seem to be an active thread, and awfully hard to find!

Looking back through the thread and see things have changed quite a bit since we took AT 6 years ago. Just looking for some updating if anyone would like to contribute.

We are picking DS up from college in the south, so driving down to clean out his junk, clean up, etc. Decided to take a few days head to FL and see Universal Studios and one day at Animal Kingdom. Busy week, did not want to drive back home, 17 hour trip if all goes well. So booked the AT.

From what I remember the ride North was a lot rockier than the southern route. Last time everyone had hard time sleeping. Still tend to be like that?
Can you still take over seats if they aren't occupied? Plan on coming back mid May, leaving Friday, arriving Lorton on Sat. Will the AT be full? still lots of snowbirds or will most have headed North already?

Do they still show movies on the train? Any "free" snacks or do we bring our own or have to buy them? If we leave Universal for the train, what would be a good time? I like to leave enough time in case we get a flat or something. I know, unlikely, but DH is paranoid about that stuff.

Any other recommendations?

TIA,

lori

 

[kittylady1972]

Doesn't seem to be an active thread, and awfully hard to find!

Looking back through the thread and see things have changed quite a bit since we took AT 6 years ago. Just looking for some updating if anyone would like to contribute.

We are picking DS up from college in the south, so driving down to clean out his junk, clean up, etc. Decided to take a few days head to FL and see Universal Studios and one day at Animal Kingdom. Busy week, did not want to drive back home, 17 hour trip if all goes well. So booked the AT.

From what I remember the ride North was a lot rockier than the southern route. Last time everyone had hard time sleeping. Still tend to be like that?
Can you still take over seats if they aren't occupied? Plan on coming back mid May, leaving Friday, arriving Lorton on Sat. Will the AT be full? still lots of snowbirds or will most have headed North already?

Do they still show movies on the train? Any "free" snacks or do we bring our own or have to buy them? If we leave Universal for the train, what would be a good time? I like to leave enough time in case we get a flat or something. I know, unlikely, but DH is paranoid about that stuff.

Any other recommendations?

TIA,

lori

Our last ride on the AutoTrain was November 2014 so I can answer a few questions.

I don't recall one way of travel being any rockier than the other way. We did the South to North route in roomettes. We also did one time selecting the lower level, and there were 7 of us total. There were empty seats in that car and my kids and myself did spread out among them for better "sleep" if you call it that.

I'm pretty sure they did still have the movies and I think there were free snacks but no more free wine. I would probably leave Universal no later than 12pm to give yourself about an hour to get to the AutoTrain and checked in without worry.

Prices for the AutoTrain have continued to climb so it's no longer become as good of a deal for us to take it. I definitely prefer it over airplane travel, but for the most part now we just suck it up and do the 14 hour drive there and back and save the money, especially with gas prices being what they are now.

 

[disneymom06]

We were three in the bedroom traveling south. The trip was in July, 2015. The train left late and arrived late but it was nicer than driving. On our trip, only one lounge had the tv to show the movie. We were told that they were getting a new lounge car for the sleeper section? There were no free snacks.

 

[Dottie74]

Our trip was September 2015. The trip was the same both ways with similar motion. We were in the upper level of the regular cars. We were a family of 4 adults and 2 little ones. The trip south we were able to use other empty seats to spread out. The northern trip was even less crowded and once again we were able to each have our own seats. In fact, the car in front or ours was completely empty! We didn't sleep well but mostly because it was the excitement of our first trip and the fact that we had too toddlers. But we loved it! I would think that most snow birds are home now but you never know how crowded the train will be. They did show movies in the downstairs of the lounge car. We brought our own snacks.

 

[spima3]

Thanks all, just a few clarifications and another question or two?

OK, so we can spread out if there is room. We do coach and prefer upper level.

Don't know if it will be crowded or not in mid May. (I did search this forum but couldn't really find info on that.)

If we want snacks/drinks, we have to bring our own or purchase on train.

DS will have all his college stuff, so we will have a lot of things available. I think bringing your own pillows is good? Same for blankets? Or would a jacket suffice? I vaguely remember being cold during the night on the way back.

Is there a scheduled quiet time? When passengers are expected to settle in for the night? I know we can always go to the lounge car and play cards, but my teens are use to staying up pretty late, would the later dinner reservation be better?

 

[SingingMom]

Thanks all, just a few clarifications and another question or two?

OK, so we can spread out if there is room. We do coach and prefer upper level.

Don't know if it will be crowded or not in mid May. (I did search this forum but couldn't really find info on that.)

If we want snacks/drinks, we have to bring our own or purchase on train.

DS will have all his college stuff, so we will have a lot of things available. I think bringing your own pillows is good? Same for blankets? Or would a jacket suffice? I vaguely remember being cold during the night on the way back.

Is there a scheduled quiet time? When passengers are expected to settle in for the night? I know we can always go to the lounge car and play cards, but my teens are use to staying up pretty late, would the later dinner reservation be better?

We took the AutoTrain August 2015 from North to South so DD would have her car for her Disney internship. We had a sleeper for three of us. It was great having our own bathroom and the room was nice until we had to sleep - too tight for three people.

BRING YOUR OWN PILLOWS! Even in the sleeper, the pillows were flat as pancakes.

There were snacks for purchase. As for being up late, you can be in the coach car all night and spread out.

 

[thepops]

Just checking again.... has anyone tried business class on the Autotrain? (or seen the business class car to see if it is worth it?)

 

[bdcp]

Just checking again.... has anyone tried business class on the Autotrain? (or seen the business class car to see if it is worth it?)

I hadn't seen this til today. Their regular seats in coach are business class size seats already. What you're buying is the "digital newspaper" (why do you need it with free wifi?) , salad and dessert with dinner, two bottles of water and a comfort kit. Priority boarding doesn't make any difference and sleepers have never had boarding before anyone else. You're basically paying to get some of the things sleepers get, without the sleeper from what I can tell.

 

[spima3]

I've tried searching the web and this thread but can't find what I'm looking for.

I am looking for 2 things. One is how do I know if the auto train is scheduled to be on time the day we leave, which will be end of this week.

Also, I know there was a site where I could see all the arrivals, delays and on time performances for the auto train for the recent past.

Any help?

 

[monorailsilver]

I've tried searching the web and this thread but can't find what I'm looking for.

I am looking for 2 things. One is how do I know if the auto train is scheduled to be on time the day we leave, which will be end of this week.

Also, I know there was a site where I could see all the arrivals, delays and on time performances for the auto train for the recent past.

Any help?

I don't think there is any way to predict if the train will be on time this week. I mean if there was an accident on the track the day prior it might give you a heads up, or even some severe storm. But other then that you just don't know.

 

[erinch]

check this page: http://blog.amtrak.com/2013/03/how-to-check-a-train-status/

here is the phone number, which you can call as well. Say train status when "Julie" asks you what you want.
1-800-USA-RAIL

 

[spima3]

Thanks for that link, that is specifically what I was looking for to check on departure day.

However, just recently used a link, I thought I saw in this thread, where you can pull up a list of dates and times for the status over a period of time. Just can't find it anywhere.