All about the Autotrain

[pwdebbie]

Denise, I'm curious as to whether your brought your own air freshener or was it provided by Amtrak?

 

[denise5374]

The air freshener was in all the bathrooms.

 

[Mrs.viv07]

What would you do?
We are traveling with our 2 biys 11 and 2 and were worried about hitting rush hour morning traffic if we leave a planned. 5 am friday morning. The we toyed with the idea of leaving thrusday night after dinner and getting a room in alexandria. We are leaning more towards ,raving Thursday just to avoid lpossibly hitting rush hour traffic / getting lost ect and god forbid missing the train. We figured it would allows us to " sleep" in the day of the train trip since we are not sure how much sleep we will get on the train. I'm trying to find a reasonable hotel that won't break the bank since its and added expense but I don't want anything that is not family friendly. Can anyone recommend anything near lorton that would work or that you have used? Travel sites are not really helping since the review are killing the cheaper ones but I don't want to spend $320 just to sleep.

We are coming from NYC, and would leave around 8-9pm
is it crazy to even consider this? Should we just leave Friday maybe 4 am?

 

[ClearScreen]

What would you do?
We are traveling with our 2 biys 11 and 2 and were worried about hitting rush hour morning traffic if we leave a planned. 5 am friday morning. The we toyed with the idea of leaving thrusday night after dinner and getting a room in alexandria. We are leaning more towards ,raving Thursday just to avoid lpossibly hitting rush hour traffic / getting lost ect and god forbid missing the train. We figured it would allows us to " sleep" in the day of the train trip since we are not sure how much sleep we will get on the train. I'm trying to find a reasonable hotel that won't break the bank since its and added expense but I don't want anything that is not family friendly. Can anyone recommend anything near lorton that would work or that you have used? Travel sites are not really helping since the review are killing the cheaper ones but I don't want to spend $320 just to sleep.

We are coming from NYC, and would leave around 8-9pm
is it crazy to even consider this? Should we just leave Friday maybe 4 am?

We just drove from Chappaqua to the Auto-Train about 2 weeks ago. That is about 45-60 minutes north of NYC. We've made this trip before.

We left at 7:00am. We would have arrived in Lorton around 12:30pm with gas/bathroom stops and we were planning to have lunch in Lorton.

Rush hour traffic was fine and not a real significant delay at all. I work in downtown Manhattan so I am very familiar with the traffic and the different routes. I am assuming you are coming from Manhattan. If you are coming from Brooklyn/Queens, add a little extra time. If you are coming from the Bronx, try to avoid the GWB if you can. Otherwise, give a little extra time for the GWB which is a traffic disaster most times of day.

On the day we drove down, there was a fatal truck accident that CLOSED I-95 south in Delaware. The delay was more than 2 hours and we got to the train station about 2:45pm. Last call to load cars is 3:00pm. We barely made it thanks to the extra 2 hours we gave. Some people missed the train completely. We were in a state of panic, but we made it.

So, given that we hit the worst traffic imaginable and still made the train, I see no reason to stay overnight. If you leave NYC by 7:00am, you should be fine. Like I said, we hit a traffic snag that is very unlikely to happen again and still made the train. No reason to leave at 4:00am. If you really want to play it safe, leave by 6:00am.

Enjoy!

 

[Mrs.viv07]

We just drove from Chappaqua to the Auto-Train about 2 weeks ago. That is about 45-60 minutes north of NYC. We've made this trip before.

We left at 7:00am. We would have arrived in Lorton around 12:30pm with gas/bathroom stops and we were planning to have lunch in Lorton.

Rush hour traffic was fine and not a real significant delay at all. I work in downtown Manhattan so I am very familiar with the traffic and the different routes. I am assuming you are coming from Manhattan. If you are coming from Brooklyn/Queens, add a little extra time. If you are coming from the Bronx, try to avoid the GWB if you can. Otherwise, give a little extra time for the GWB which is a traffic disaster most times of day.

On the day we drove down, there was a fatal truck accident that CLOSED I-95 south in Delaware. The delay was more than 2 hours and we got to the train station about 2:45pm. Last call to load cars is 3:00pm. We barely made it thanks to the extra 2 hours we gave. Some people missed the train completely. We were in a state of panic, but we made it.

So, given that we hit the worst traffic imaginable and still made the train, I see no reason to stay overnight. If you leave NYC by 7:00am, you should be fine. Like I said, we hit a traffic snag that is very unlikely to happen again and still made the train. No reason to leave at 4:00am. If you really want to play it safe, leave by 6:00am.

Enjoy!

Thanks so much this really puts my mind at ease. We are actually I rockland county not really manhattan so thankfully we avoid the gwb. We ll probably take the garden state to 95 and then straight down. I had planned 6 am leave time stop for bagels and coffee the have lunch in lorton while killing time.mi figured 5 hours travel time plus an hour for lunch and another hour for delays or whatnot should be good.

 

[vacationer1954]

We typically say overnight the night before, in Springfield VA. We find more reasonably-priced hotels there than, say, Arlington.

 

[FigmentChick]

We just drove from Chappaqua to the Auto-Train about 2 weeks ago. That is about 45-60 minutes north of NYC. We've made this trip before.

We left at 7:00am. We would have arrived in Lorton around 12:30pm with gas/bathroom stops and we were planning to have lunch in Lorton.

Rush hour traffic was fine and not a real significant delay at all. I work in downtown Manhattan so I am very familiar with the traffic and the different routes. I am assuming you are coming from Manhattan. If you are coming from Brooklyn/Queens, add a little extra time. If you are coming from the Bronx, try to avoid the GWB if you can. Otherwise, give a little extra time for the GWB which is a traffic disaster most times of day.

On the day we drove down, there was a fatal truck accident that CLOSED I-95 south in Delaware. The delay was more than 2 hours and we got to the train station about 2:45pm. Last call to load cars is 3:00pm. We barely made it thanks to the extra 2 hours we gave. Some people missed the train completely. We were in a state of panic, but we made it.

So, given that we hit the worst traffic imaginable and still made the train, I see no reason to stay overnight. If you leave NYC by 7:00am, you should be fine. Like I said, we hit a traffic snag that is very unlikely to happen again and still made the train. No reason to leave at 4:00am. If you really want to play it safe, leave by 6:00am.

Enjoy!

I remember this! I live on the DE-NJ state line (when you cross the DE Memorial Bridge, wave to me....I live along the river on the Jersey side. LOL).

Anyway.....if any of you get stuck in Delaware, feel free to send me a PM. I know the roads like the back of my hand and can get you off the Interstate (I-95), around the ruckus, and back on (preferable, after the DE-MD tolls) with no problem.

I know most everyone has GPS now, but I wouldn't mind helping at all. I also know it's a freak thing that doesn't happen that much, but when it does.....it's a mess!!!

I am so glad you made it down in time for boarding. Hubby & I are going back and forth on what time we should leave for our trip next year. According to my directions, it should take a max of 3 hours to get down there. I don't want to leave before 10, but it might not be my call to make. I'm not known for my patience, and sitting around waiting to board would drive me up the wall.

 

[shafke]

On the day we drove down, there was a fatal truck accident that CLOSED I-95 south in Delaware. The delay was more than 2 hours and we got to the train station about 2:45pm. Last call to load cars is 3:00pm. We barely made it thanks to the extra 2 hours we gave. Some people missed the train completely. We were in a state of panic, but we made it.

We were on the same train and got stuck in the same delay. I95 was closed for about 8.5 hours. It didn't reopen until after 11:30. We left LI around 6am. We hit the backup just before the rest stop. Luckily this rest stop is in the middle of the north and south I95. We pulled in to the rest area and looked up alternate routes. We ended up going back one exit and taking some back road. All in all we lost about 30 minutes... arrived in Lorton around 12:30.

For Mrs.viv07...
You can leave NY around 6am-7am and have plenty of time to get to Lorton.
We have done the trip twice and stop for breakfast when we get to MD. This allows time for DC and Baltimore rush hour traffic to clear.

 

[dalspot]

If you are coming from NY/NJ I HIGHLY recommend an alternate route down RT 1 to 301 and across the Bay Bridge to RT 50 to 495 and then 95 rather than fighting Baltimore/DC traffic.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=...YKyWJUjrw&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=9&via=1,2&t=m&z=9

We live in DE and NEVER travel 95.

 

[ClearScreen]

Thanks so much this really puts my mind at ease. We are actually I rockland county not really manhattan so thankfully we avoid the gwb. We ll probably take the garden state to 95 and then straight down. I had planned 6 am leave time stop for bagels and coffee the have lunch in lorton while killing time.mi figured 5 hours travel time plus an hour for lunch and another hour for delays or whatnot should be good.

THat's the route we take as well. First, we cross the Tappan Zee Bridge and then pick up the Garden State Parkway south to I -95 (Exit 129 on the GSP).

The rush hour traffic around Baltimore/DC should eased by that time as it will be after 10:00 when you hit it.

Have a great trip!

 

[imlazar]

If you are coming from NY/NJ I HIGHLY recommend an alternate route down RT 1 to 301 and across the Bay Bridge to RT 50 to 495 and then 95 rather than fighting Baltimore/DC traffic.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=...YKyWJUjrw&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=9&via=1,2&t=m&z=9

We live in DE and NEVER travel 95.

that works so long as you aren't driving west on the bay bridge on a sunday afternoon.

Another alternative from the NE is 78 west to 81 south, then 15 south out of harrisburg. Once you get into virginia you can go east on the dulles toll road, to the fairfax county parkway south, to 123 south to get to Lorton. we find driving from NoVa up 15 to NY/NJ is about the same travel time as going up I-95.

 

[ClearScreen]

I remember this! I live on the DE-NJ state line (when you cross the DE Memorial Bridge, wave to me....I live along the river on the Jersey side. LOL).

Anyway.....if any of you get stuck in Delaware, feel free to send me a PM. I know the roads like the back of my hand and can get you off the Interstate (I-95), around the ruckus, and back on (preferable, after the DE-MD tolls) with no problem.

I know most everyone has GPS now, but I wouldn't mind helping at all. I also know it's a freak thing that doesn't happen that much, but when it does.....it's a mess!!!

I am so glad you made it down in time for boarding. Hubby & I are going back and forth on what time we should leave for our trip next year. According to my directions, it should take a max of 3 hours to get down there. I don't want to leave before 10, but it might not be my call to make. I'm not known for my patience, and sitting around waiting to board would drive me up the wall.

Thanks.

The first time we made the trip, we left at 5:30 or 6:00am. We got to Lorton around 11:30am and sat with two cranky and bored kids in the terminal for a few hours. Never again. Our plan now is to get there early, grab lunch outside the terminal, then get to the terminal by 1:30-2:00 to get a good dinner reservation time and minimize the waiting.

 

[ClearScreen]

We were on the same train and got stuck in the same delay. I95 was closed for about 8.5 hours. It didn't reopen until after 11:30. We left LI around 6am. We hit the backup just before the rest stop. Luckily this rest stop is in the middle of the north and south I95. We pulled in to the rest area and looked up alternate routes. We ended up going back one exit and taking some back road. All in all we lost about 30 minutes... arrived in Lorton around 12:30.

For Mrs.viv07...
You can leave NY around 6am-7am and have plenty of time to get to Lorton.
We have done the trip twice and stop for breakfast when we get to MD. This allows time for DC and Baltimore rush hour traffic to clear.

I didn't realize how bad it was until I was past the Rest Stop and stuck in the thick of it. The traffic report on the radio said they were allowing one lane through, so I thought I'd just let it ride since we had given extra time, rather than back up on the shoulder to get to I-95 north.

After sitting there for nearly two hours, the whole family was on the verge of tears and we were making plans to drive the whole way down. Luckily, they opened I-95 completely and we passed the accident point with little traffic the rest of the way.

 

[dalspot]

And if you were doing this, you'd have missed your boarding time on the AutoTrain anyway

that works so long as you aren't driving west on the bay bridge on a sunday afternoon.

 

[labdogs42]

Another alternative from the NE is 78 west to 81 south, then 15 south out of harrisburg. Once you get into virginia you can go east on the dulles toll road, to the fairfax county parkway south, to 123 south to get to Lorton. we find driving from NoVa up 15 to NY/NJ is about the same travel time as going up I-95.

We're in the Allentown, PA area, so that's the route we take. WAY better than 95!!

 

[shafke]

I didn't realize how bad it was until I was past the Rest Stop and stuck in the thick of it. The traffic report on the radio said they were allowing one lane through, so I thought I'd just let it ride since we had given extra time, rather than back up on the shoulder to get to I-95 north.

After sitting there for nearly two hours, the whole family was on the verge of tears and we were making plans to drive the whole way down. Luckily, they opened I-95 completely and we passed the accident point with little traffic the rest of the way.

They were exiting all traffic off of I95 at exit 1. A couple of miles before the rest stop there was an electronic sign that indicated that I95 was closed at exit 1 and to tune the radio to some station... I didn't catch the number. We pulled in to the rest stop to check alternatives. I talked to someone coming out of the building and they said their friends had been sitting in the traffic for an hour and a half. A quick check with google maps found a road that paralleled I95 all the way to the MD border.

 

[ClearScreen]

They were exiting all traffic off of I95 at exit 1. A couple of miles before the rest stop there was an electronic sign that indicated that I95 was closed at exit 1 and to tune the radio to some station... I didn't catch the number. We pulled in to the rest stop to check alternatives. I talked to someone coming out of the building and they said their friends had been sitting in the traffic for an hour and a half. A quick check with google maps found a road that paralleled I95 all the way to the MD border.

Saw that and put on the radio. Listened to a few different channels. One said they had one lane going through and another said they expected it to open soon. We were kicking ourselves for not getting off at the Rest Stop and doing what you did.

 

[barb007]

We intend to take the auto train next summer for our Disney trip. It's hard to imagine that it the same price to take the train (w/a sleeper both ways) & fly out of Newark, pay for parking, baggage fees & car rental!

We plan to leave central NJ on a Sat next August & drive to Lorton....I'm assuming a 6am departure is good w/plenty of time to arrive...esp if we take 95 on a Saturday??

 

[labdogs42]

We intend to take the auto train next summer for our Disney trip. It's hard to imagine that it the same price to take the train (w/a sleeper both ways) & fly out of Newark, pay for parking, baggage fees & car rental!

We plan to leave central NJ on a Sat next August & drive to Lorton....I'm assuming a 6am departure is good w/plenty of time to arrive...esp if we take 95 on a Saturday??

How central NJ are you? Keep in mind, you could always take 78 through PA then down 81.

 

[pwdebbie]

that works so long as you aren't driving west on the bay bridge on a sunday afternoon.

Another alternative from the NE is 78 west to 81 south, then 15 south out of harrisburg. Once you get into virginia you can go east on the dulles toll road, to the fairfax county parkway south, to 123 south to get to Lorton. we find driving from NoVa up 15 to NY/NJ is about the same travel time as going up I-95.

Thank you for posting those directions. I've been perusing the map and trying to figure out a way from my house to avoid DC and just wasn't seeing a viable route. 15 is very convenient for us.

Dh is gung ho on driving and I want to try the train. I am thinking that if we come home on the train, Saturday might not be too bad a day on these roads.