All about the Autotrain

[DC7800]

Alas, there is no observation car on any Amtrak train. There is a lounge car though where you are welcome to sit for a while (and where movies are shown in the evening), and serves "sandwiches, snacks, and beverages". And, of course, you can get up and walk around the train whenever you feel like it.

 

[kwdietrich1]

My DH and I debated about reserving a roomette or a bedroom. The bedroon won. I can't fly anymore due to health problems and with my legs, so I need the room to stretch out and be able to walk around freely. We are really looking forward to this trip and we see traveling by train as part of the vacation too!

Now, how much wine will I need to drink to sleep soundly?

 

[bdcp]

My DH and I debated about reserving a roomette or a bedroom. The bedroon won. I can't fly anymore due to health problems and with my legs, so I need the room to stretch out and be able to walk around freely. We are really looking forward to this trip and we see traveling by train as part of the vacation too!

Now, how much wine will I need to drink to sleep soundly?

I tried the wine thing, but since I regularly drink wine in the evenings, it really didn't help. What else didn't help is that I tend to stay up late (past 11) and the latest the car attendant will set up the bed is 10 so I tried laying there and reading. I know the lounge car is there, but those seats aren't reclinable or anything either.

Be aware that walking on a moving train can be an adventure as it sways and bumps which can move you around. There's nothing to hold onto while you are walking except between cars in the sleepers. At least in coach you can use the seats on each side to stabilize yourself.

I love the train, but for what it is, an overnight trip to FL and back home, I can deal with coach where I actually sleep more and it costs less and get a good night's sleep once I get where I'm going. I had expectations of the roomette that weren't correct. At least in a bedroom you have a recliner and room to move around, plus a bathroom and storage. In a roomette there is very little room for carryons.

 

[Capt_BJ]

I've only done Autotrain once - I liked it - found it to be good value

I had a roomette and found the ability to go to my room and have privacy a very VERY nice thing. And in the 'roomette car' even tho it was a shared 'facility' it was shared by fewer....and farther from my room. AND there was also a shower room. I used it twice - lots of hot water and towels. I don't believe the coach has that - I may be wrong.

Yes you can move around... train talk here: the way the cars are assembled in a train is called the 'consist'. The consist of the Autotrain puts the coaches at one end - the rooms and the roomettes at one end. The diner & lounge is in the middle. The 'rule' is no one is supposed to go past the lounge... room people to your side...coach to yours. But that still gives you I think 3 cars worth of walking ....

roomette:rooms:lounge/diner:coaches

this consist does not change as far as I can tell. The engines and auto-carrier cars swap ends as needed. But the pass' consist stays the same. On the north trip the roomettes were (are) right behind the engines. On a south trip the coaches would be up front.

north:
<<<engines:roomette:rooms:lounge/diner:coaches:car-carriers

south:
car-carriers:roomette:rooms:lounge/diner:coaches:engines>>>

I mention this cause I did find the trip noisy to the point of getting little sleep. The engine air horns sounded approximately every 13.746235 seconds (I could be off by a little). My roomette was in the first car behind the engines. I can sleep thru motion but the sound kept me up...I should have brought ear plugs or a walkman/headphones. If I ever do it again I will. Certainly, being farther back - this sound would be less.

Even tho I didn't get much sleep - I thought the roomette was the katz 'jammers. 'course I was in there solo too. When two bunks are set up there ain't much extra room....

hope this helps .. I'll say again I liked it and the food (room person here) was WAY better then I expected. Next time I'll bring my own snacks (and maybe a flask

 

[Dopey's twin Dippy]

we have not used the autotrain, but we have goneto disney by amtrak at least 9 or 10 times. this past aug. me and my dh went alone. so i booked a roomette, it was costly, but i figure we would try it. it was great . we took the train to dc, then we got the sleeper car from dc to orlandol. when i told my dd , she laughed and said , sure you made us go in coach...hah. it def. made a big big diff. i feel now , that i dont think i could go back to coach. well i probably could, but see i dont like to fly and my dh liked the roomette better, so we prob. would get sleeper again. i only booked it ahead for the way down, so when we got to the orlando staion to come home, they had availability for us to get the room home. we did not save any money, i know some people said they were upgraded or saved a little money. but we kinda paid more for the roomettes than i wanted, but we wanted to try it, and it was great. we had like the middle sleeper car. met some nice people to, i also take antivert for dizziness so that helps on the train. so its sleeper car for us from now on.

 

[collins316]

I saw that smoking was allowed on some places in the train- Does anyone know where? I want to be sure I can avoid them!
Thanks!

 

[kwdietrich1]

I tried the wine thing, but since I regularly drink wine in the evenings, it really didn't help. What else didn't help is that I tend to stay up late (past 11) and the latest the car attendant will set up the bed is 10 so I tried laying there and reading. I know the lounge car is there, but those seats aren't reclinable or anything either.

Be aware that walking on a moving train can be an adventure as it sways and bumps which can move you around. There's nothing to hold onto while you are walking except between cars in the sleepers. At least in coach you can use the seats on each side to stabilize yourself.

I love the train, but for what it is, an overnight trip to FL and back home, I can deal with coach where I actually sleep more and it costs less and get a good night's sleep once I get where I'm going. I had expectations of the roomette that weren't correct. At least in a bedroom you have a recliner and room to move around, plus a bathroom and storage. In a roomette there is very little room for carryons.

Thanks for the reminder about walking on the train. It's been about 8 years since I traveled by train in Europe, and I remember the noise of the rail kept me up (of course it could have been the other 3 students I was chaperoning that kept me from having a peaceful sleep lol!)

My husband has never traveled by train, so this will definitely be an adventure for him! He has no idea how small the accomodations can be, even though we have a bedroom!

 

[christinou]

I saw that smoking was allowed on some places in the train- Does anyone know where? I want to be sure I can avoid them!
Thanks!

If I remember well smoking is allowed on the bottom floor of the lounge car, so you don't have to worry about it, it never bothered us, as it is in an enclosed room, and unless you go down there, you won't see the smoling lounge, it is not allowed at all in the roomettes or in coach seating.

 

[bdcp]

Thanks for the reminder about walking on the train. It's been about 8 years since I traveled by train in Europe, and I remember the noise of the rail kept me up (of course it could have been the other 3 students I was chaperoning that kept me from having a peaceful sleep lol!)

My husband has never traveled by train, so this will definitely be an adventure for him! He has no idea how small the accomodations can be, even though we have a bedroom!

And trains in Europe vary so much. 22 or so years ago I made two separate trips to Europe and rode trains in both Italy and France. The trains in Italy tend to be very heavily crowded and a little bumpy at times. The TGV in France (Marseilles to Paris and return) were wonderful. Reserved seating with a very very smooth ride. The TGV is the "fast" train and it was great.

We will take the autotrain again but decisions about accomodations will be made at that time. As for the question about smoking, the previous poster is correct. Smoking is allowed on the lower level of the lounge car only.

 

[MDDisneyDevotee]

Just have to say that we have taken the Autotrain to FL three times and will be heading down to WDW in April again on the Autotrain. For us it's like a vacation in a vacation. We had a roomette the first trip, but now always spring for a bedroom...it's great to have the extra room and the private bathroom/shower. Sleeping can be a bit of an issue due to noise, but I pack Benadryl for myself (my son never has a problem sleeping on the train...something about the gentle rocking motion is just too much for him to overcome). Meals are pretty good and my son is a picky eater, but always enjoys his dinner. We've never had a problem getting the dining time we want, but we usually arrive pretty early to the station. We rented on of the portable movie players last time for the trip home and that was well worth the money as the train departure was delayed.

We probably won't ever travel to Fl any other way. It also gives us a little something to look forward to when the vacation comes to an end, though we definitely enjoy the trip to Sanford a bit more than the trip back to Lorton!

 

[lkneller]

I am very sensitive to fumes and I never thought to ask this question before.
thanks

 

[Capt_BJ]

My room was in the first pass' car behind the engines and I do not recall noticing any exhaust smell from them

 

[ClaraBug]

We are thinking about taking the Auto train this summer and DH wanted to know about the distance to WDW from train station and where to find directions from station to POP Century.

 

[MDDisneyDevotee]

Hi ClaraBug,


It's not a bad drive at all. It took us about 45 minuted to get to Wilderness Lodge. Here's a mapquest for you:

Directions Distance
Total Est. Time: 53 minutes Total Est. Distance: 43.28 miles
1: Start out going NORTH on S PERSIMMON AVE toward W 4TH ST. 0.3 miles
2: Turn LEFT onto FL-46 W / W 1ST ST / W SR-46. Continue to follow FL-46 W. 3.0 miles
3: Merge onto I-4 W via the ramp on the LEFT toward ORLANDO. 36.3 miles
4: Merge onto W OSCEOLA PKWY via EXIT 65 toward DISNEY'S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS / ANIMAL KINGDOM. 2.1 miles
5: Turn RIGHT onto VICTORY WAY. 0.6 miles
6: Turn RIGHT onto POP CENTURY ACCESS RD. 0.7 miles
7: End at Disney's Pop Century Resort:
1050 Century Dr, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, US
Total Est. Time: 53 minutesTotal Est. Distance: 43.28 miles

 

[bdcp]

We had no fumes issues either. The drive to WDW is prety simple and took us less than 1 hour. The drive to Cape Canaveral takes just under an hour also. Sanford is a convenient spot to drive from.

 

[heartsy77]

Ok I am the making finial list of what to buy for Jan trip, does Amtrak supply pillows and blankets? We don't have a sleeper jsut genral coach.

 

[tinker-belle]

Amtrak does supply pillows & blankets- but they are very thin ones. THe blankets are those like you get on a plane- thin fleecy ones. The pillows are 'miniaturized' in size - generally my kids do fine with those blankets & pillows, but me & dh usually bring our own pillows & blankets. Have fun!

 

[MICKEEP]

Ok I am the making finial list of what to buy for Jan trip, does Amtrak supply pillows and blankets? We don't have a sleeper jsut genral coach.

Definitly bring your own pillows. We rode a very empty Autotrain back in September and we took all the pillows in the general area we were in. We stacked up about 7 of their pillows and it was still not enough. Doing the train again next month and the only thing we will do different is bring our own pillows.

 

[KristinU]

We're thinking of maybe taking the Autotrain for our trip in September - can some of the AT experts tell me if fares fluctuate like airfares do? Would I want to sit tight until late summer to book and watch for sales? Or is it more of "it is what it is" as far as the fares I see now? And if the fares do fluctuate, do all of the components fluctuate or just the base fare? We'd probably do the family sleeping room and drive a regular size car (i.e. not a van or SUV).

Any other tidbots I should consider. It looks like it would be a blast and definitely part of the vacation rather than just the means of getting there.

TIA!

 

[tinker-belle]

Fares do tend to increase the closer you get to the date. I know the last few summers though, kids traveled free when accompanied by an adult. What we do is order the tickets as soon as we know we are going to get the lower prices- but we DONT have it mailed to us. (if you dont have it mailed to you, you can cancel & get back 100% of the $ up until the day of departure). Then I keep my eyes open for discounts- we are leaving in 2 weeks and will just pick up the tickets from the station itself.