All about the Autotrain

[Mickey's Sister]

I'm sad to hear that someone has something stolen. I do worry about that happening when I am on the train, or anywhere for that fact. I actually take my valuables with me in a backpack when I go to dinner or the lounge, so they are not unattended at my seat/roomette. A huge pain to walk around with a backpack (especially with the narrow corridors! ) but I manage! I also travel solo so I really have to rely on myself, though.

The train certainly isn't for everyone - to each their own! I am one who loves it - I am traveling again on the Autotrain next week for my 27th trip! I love the ride - I love putting up my feet, reading a good book, meeting interesting people at dinner, watching the train go through these tiny little towns, and peeking through my window late at night to try to figure out where we are! If I time it just right, I can see the South of the Border neon Sombrero Hat when we pass by! What can beat that!

I won't/can't fly (I get very sick ) so the train is a wonderful option for someone like me. Can't wait!

Hi!

We have driven, so far, for each of our 4 previous trips. but are seriously considering the Autotrain for our next trip in June. I also can't fly because I get extremely ill - takes me literally days to recover. Which brings me to my question for you. I've read about people who get motion sick on the train as well. Is it motion sickness that makes you unable to fly & if so, do you have no ill effects on the train? It seems to me that the train would be part of the adventure & I'm frankly very excited to try it. But if I ended up with motion sickness on such a long ride, it could be terrible. I come from a family of 'railroaders' so I'm hoping I have the genetics to protect me, LOL. My parents even met on a train which is another reason I really want to try it. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[bdcp]

I can answer somewhat about motion sickness. I get sea sick, but I can ride in cars and trains and fly fine, so it really varies from person to person. Can you take anything for it? We cruise and I take Bonine and feel fine. Without it, I get sick. The train is a totally different motion than flying, driving or cruising, so you really have no way to know for sure. You don't get car sick, right? No one can tell you what will or won't make you sick.

 

[Mickey's Sister]

I can answer somewhat about motion sickness. I get sea sick, but I can ride in cars and trains and fly fine, so it really varies from person to person. Can you take anything for it? We cruise and I take Bonine and feel fine. Without it, I get sick. The train is a totally different motion than flying, driving or cruising, so you really have no way to know for sure. You don't get car sick, right? No one can tell you what will or won't make you sick.

Actually I have yet to find any medication that helps my motion sickness - it's that severe. The only thing I haven't tried is prescription and I'm hesitant to go with anything that strong because I'm a Type 1 diabetic & the stronger the meds the more problems I have - I've been hospitalized from med reactions. I also do get very motion sick in a car if I'm in the back seat - I can only ride in the front. By the same token, I used to take the train (Transit of New Jersey) all the time when I was a Macy's exec & had to commute from NJ to NYC. Never had a problem - their trains were great. But the ride was also relatively short. Back 1992, I took Amtrak from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh & got very ill. But someone was smoking in the restroom not far from my seat (I know, against the rules, but they did nothing about it despite my protests) and I'm sure that contributed. Plus you had to wallk through the smoking lounge to get to the dining car - I literally couldn't walk through but had to turn around & go back to my seat because of the smoke, so I didn't get any dinner except what I had in my purse. I'm sure this had a huge bearing on how I felt. But again that was back in 1992, so I know things have changed. I really believe getting sick on that trip was the result of the smoke, or I wouldn't even consider it. I'm about 90% convinced that I'm going to try this because I love trains, but there's still this nagging concern. So I really do appreciate your input.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Hi!

We have driven, so far, for each of our 4 previous trips. but are seriously considering the Autotrain for our next trip in June. I also can't fly because I get extremely ill - takes me literally days to recover. Which brings me to my question for you. I've read about people who get motion sick on the train as well. Is it motion sickness that makes you unable to fly & if so, do you have no ill effects on the train? It seems to me that the train would be part of the adventure & I'm frankly very excited to try it. But if I ended up with motion sickness on such a long ride, it could be terrible. I come from a family of 'railroaders' so I'm hoping I have the genetics to protect me, LOL. My parents even met on a train which is another reason I really want to try it. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks!

Yeah - me and planes just don't get along!

My air sickness always follows the same pattern. I get on the plane feeling fine. As the trip starts, my stomach can feel the pressue and motion of the plane, and it goes downhill fast! Then my head starts to pound - always in a spot above the right eye. By 2 hours on the plane, my head is splitting and my stomach is killing me. I eventually start throwing up repeatedly, and nothing really stops the headache until I get off the plane and get to my hotel and crawl into bed and sleep it off overnight. Yeah, no fun at all. Horrible way to start a vacation, knowing the entire first day I will be in severe pain and miserable.

I usually travel solo and I have minimual health insurance, so perscription medicines to knock me out are not a possibility. I have similar feelings about perscriptions like you said - I would be hesitant to take them anyways, as I know my system doesn't handle things well either.

But the train - I LOVE it!! I get absolutely no motion sickness at all. Not one bad feeling ever. I don't get car sick either, but I am usually the driver on long trips, so I don't know how I would do as a passenger. I never been on a cruise so I can't compare, though I would be concerned about sickness if I did. I know on planes, I can feel the pressure changes, and that constant rumbling motion of the plane just gets to me. But the train never bothers me at all. Different kinds of motion, and no pressure changes on a train.

For comparison, I also admit I have a very hard time with Mission Space's intense version - during the takeoff, my stomach and head get a very uncomfortable feeling and I really don't feel well at all. I only do the happy less-intense version now - I'm glad they offer it!

Hope this helps! I am a huge fan of the train. If it wasn't for the Autotrain, I would have no choice but to drive 20 hours to Disney and back every trip. Instead I get to relax and let Amtrak do the 900 plus miles of monotonous driving! The Autotrain is perfect for people in my situation.

 

[bdcp]

Hugs, that doesn't sound like motion sickness. It sounds like a Migraine. Have you had it diagnosed? Motion sickness normally only lasts while the motion is ongoing. You may feel blah for an hour or so after, but it starts going away once that motion stops. My motion sickness stops if the ship stops moving or moves into very smooth water (inlets, near the pier, etc). I used to get car sick as a child and also would feel fine when the car stopped.

 

[psimon]

Glad I have found this thread.....

We are taking the A-T as a return trip after Jersey Week this year. A few questions for those that have far more experience than I at this....

1. Google says 1 hour travel time from WDW to Sanford regardless of route (see #2). Is that realistic?

2. Which is better to Sanford, I4 or 417, aside from the toll issue on a Saturday afternoon?

3. Because I have a non-standard vehicle, I was told to be there no later than 2 hours prior (2PM). What time should I really get there?

4. As I understand it, seating "upstairs" is the preferred seating area... is this correct?

5. Do they assign seats when you get there, or is it more a case of find your own in whatever car you want?

6. Realistically, how long does it take to get your car back in Lorton?

As you can tell, I'm a novice at this. I'm sure I'll have more questions over the next few days. All thoughts appreciated.....

thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[psimon]

One more I thought of.... should I have already requested upper vs lower seats?

thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[christinou]

Glad I have found this thread.....

We are taking the A-T as a return trip after Jersey Week this year. A few questions for those that have far more experience than I at this....

1. Google says 1 hour travel time from WDW to Sanford regardless of route (see #2). Is that realistic?
That does seem right

2. Which is better to Sanford, I4 or 417, aside from the toll issue on a Saturday afternoon?
I would take 417 I really hate I4 and it really back up

3. Because I have a non-standard vehicle, I was told to be there no later than 2 hours prior (2PM). What time should I really get there?
You will be fine if you get there between 1 and 2

4. As I understand it, seating "upstairs" is the preferred seating area... is this correct?
We always st upstairs, but I am not sure

5. Do they assign seats when you get there, or is it more a case of find your own in whatever car you want?
They will assign your seat when you get there, so you don't have to rush to get on board

6. Realistically, how long does it take to get your car back in Lorton? It can take from 1 to 3 hours and we have been on both sides, it does take time to start unloading

As you can tell, I'm a novice at this. I'm sure I'll have more questions over the next few days. All thoughts appreciated.....

thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

Enjoy the train, we do love traveling that way.

 

[wall*e2008]

One more I thought of.... should I have already requested upper vs lower seats?

thanks...

---Paul in Southern NJ

Preferred seating is on the lower level. You need to pay more and book them when you buy your tickets.

I do not know if you can request the lower level and not have paid for it.

We chose to pay for the lower level since the train will rock less on the lower level.

We traveled by the auto train once before. On the way down we had the 2 person sleeper and my DH had the top bunk. He hated how much he rolled. I rolled too. On the way back we upgraded to a deluxe on the top floor. The rocked from head to toe and we both slept great in the lower bunk.

2 person beds are parallel to the tracks and deluxe beds are perpendicular to the tracks.

 

[psimon]

The last note on here regarding tipping for dinner was back on 2003..... any thoughts as to tipping at dinner time now that it is 2008?

Thanks....

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[bdcp]

We tipped in '05 and '06. Not sure what DH left. Probably around $5-10.

 

[psimon]

We tipped in '05 and '06. Not sure what DH left. Probably around $5-10.

For how many people and was that breakfast or dinner?

Thanks....

---Paul in Southern NJ

 

[DC7800]

Tip just as you would in any Amtrak dining car as a paying passenger, or in most any restaurant (such as in WDW), even though the exact prices aren't listed in the menu (obviously you'll have to approximate if you choose to base the tip on a percentage).

 

[toystorymom]

We travelled by AT this summer and really enjoyed it. Going South we were on the upper level and the return trip was on the lower level. Lower level is considered preferred because it is handicapped accessible. We reserved lower level at the time of booking (just thought we would try both) but the price was exactly the same. Don't know if you can request when you check in, never hurts to ask. Seats are assigned when you check in.

The upper level seemed to rock more, the lower level seemed bumpier (though - 2 different trips so who knows?). Both were in coach seats and the kids slept great, the adults slept fine. Being downstairs we were close to the bathrooms (great with the kids), long walk to the dining car and lounge. Definitely quieter though as noone is walking through at night.

I would say about 45 minutes to get form Sanford to Disney. We always take I4 and have never had a problem, you should not be travelling during rush times. Getting your car is totally random. In Sanford they were unloading all the vans first, and we were within the first 10 cars. It probably took closer to 45 minutes to get our car back in Virginia.

Since we usually drive to Disney, we found this a great way to travel!

 

[PEANUT1]

I know the lower level sells out quicker. Our trip is in January and the lower level seats are already sold out....and they did cost more. For 3 tickets it was about 230$ more.

 

[bdcp]

For how many people and was that breakfast or dinner?

Thanks....

---Paul in Southern NJ

2 adults. For dinner. At breakfast, we only left a couple of dollars because they aren't taking orders, or refilling much. When you sit at breakfast, most everything is already on the table. At dinner, they take your order and refill drinks. They then bring your order and clear the table and then bring your dessert so it's longer and more work overall for the staff. Breakfast is pretty much prepackaged.

We also tip our car attendant. We've done coach and roomette and gave a little more to our room attendant since he sets up the bed and breaks it back down. I think we gave him $15 or $20, and we gave the car attendant in coach around $10. There's tipping info somewhere on one of the older AT threads.

 

[cherylp3]

Note taking I4 on Saturday or Sunday should not be a problem. Unless there is an accident, the highway does not get backed up.

 

[bdcp]

We're in Cape Canaveral after taking the Auto Train (third trip) yesterday. We arrived this am in Sanford 1.5 hours late. The ride was pretty smooth overall, but there's a reason for that. We left Lorton just before 4. In the middle of the night we suddenly came to a complete stop and lights came on and everything else shut down for a few minutes. Then, we started moving the the lights went back out. This morning, they announced one of the engines had quit and as a result the train was using one engine and we couldn't do full speed. We did pretty good getting in only 1.5 hours late. Another good thing, they started unloading oversized vehicles first and our suv was like number 25 out of 250 vehicles. That's a first for us to be in the top half. We left like $5 at dinner and $3 at breakfast as tips. I'm still sleepy but that's because we had an older couple across the aisle from us that talked loudly instead of whispering and kept waking us up. I'm going to sleep shortly and we're getting on our cruise tomorrow- also leaving late because the ship had to turn around and take a heart attack victim back to a port so instead of boarding at 11 am tomorrow, we're boarding around 5:30. I hope the rest of our trip goes a little smoother. Hey, we're on vacation which is always better than work.

 

[dee4406]

We leave on the auto train on Nov. 22 - this will be our third trip on the train and we wouldn't do it any other way. We have been lucky - always ontime or early - once we were on the train for daylight savings time, so we would have been late but were on time because of the time change

 

[nono]

Took the AT southbound on 10/31 and northbound on 11/8. Both times ahead of schedule. It was our first time. HOLY COW! We LOVED IT!!!! Now, I can see where it's not for everyone. But, for our family of 4 (2 adults, a 4 yr old and a 1 yr old) in a family bedroom was perfect. We slept in ways I'm sure the designers of that room never thought of, but it all worked out.

In our real lives, we all sleep in the master BR -- pop-up daybed for the kids, king size for the parents, and in the morning, we never know who's going to end up in which bed. I'd characterize us as "flexible sleepers." So, you can imagine how great the family bedroom was for us.