All about the Autotrain

[goofyfigment]

You will. We always have nice conversations with our dinner and breakfast companions. We've also spent some time talking with people in the lounge.

Awesome.....once i have my dates set in stone im booking worse case i spend the night with my buddy miller lite lol

 

[Marshay]

Awesome.....once i have my dates set in stone im booking worse case i spend the night with my buddy miller lite lol

Just so you know, as a party of one (two or three), you will be seated at a booth for meals with another family, couple or single(s) To make a total of four at a table. They have limited space and need to use it all.

We did this once when it was just my DD7 and I and both meals we met really nice folks. It made "the party train" -- hee hee--much more enjoyable.

 

[goofyfigment]

Just so you know, as a party of one (two or three), you will be seated at a booth for meals with another family, couple or single(s) To make a total of four at a table. They have limited space and need to use it all.

We did this once when it was just my DD7 and I and both meals we met really nice folks. It made "the party train" -- hee hee--much more enjoyable.

Thats good to know, kinda like a cruise ship. At least i may then have someone to talk to at dinner!

 

[vacationer1954]

We've never had a meal in our compartment, but we've seen the porter carrying meals back and forth. Can someone please let me know how that works?

 

[ktrain]

Meal service is available in the room for sleeping car passengers with special needs as well as those not wishing to eat in the dining car. Just speak with your attendant and they will take your order and serve your meal. Coach passengers with special needs may also be served meals at seat if needed.

Personally, I wouldn't want to stay cooped up in my small room eating dinner if I was able to go to the diner, but that's just me. I like to talk to people and see what is going on.

 

[vacationer1954]

I find the dining car too crowded. If there were fewer tables with more room between them then it wouldn't be so bad but I am uncomfortable with so many people in such a small space. That's one reason why I take the train instead of fly.

Are there any restrictions for when you get dinner? Like if the 5pm seating is sold out can you still get the attendant to bring you dinner at 5pm instead of waiting until 7pm? Will they bring you a carafe of wine or is wine only in the dining car?

 

[ktrain]

Are there any restrictions for when you get dinner? Like if the 5pm seating is sold out can you still get the attendant to bring you dinner at 5pm instead of waiting until 7pm? Will they bring you a carafe of wine or is wine only in the dining car?

If you are traveling in a sleeping car the attendant will usually work with you to bring your meal to you what ever time is best for you. The whole menu will be available to you, including all beverages.
If you have coach seats meals will only be brought to you if you or your traveling companion have a special need.

 

[Vickie1016]

Hi all. I thought that I read awhile back, some information regarding credit card reward points being used for the Auto Train. Does anyone have any info on this? I don't remember if it was Amtrak reward points or a different credit card.

My family & I rode the auto train in 5/09 & 5/10. In 7/12 we drove both ways. Was thinking of a suprise summer trip this year, driving down but taking the autotrain back.

Thanks for any info

 

[FigmentChick]

If you are traveling in a sleeping car the attendant will usually work with you to bring your meal to you what ever time is best for you. The whole menu will be available to you, including all beverages.
If you have coach seats meals will only be brought to you if you or your traveling companion have a special need.

My hubby is disabled and we have coach seats. It has already been noted on our reservations that he be served his meal. I am going to take the kids to the dining car.

 

[pwdebbie]

Last night I decided to check again to see what the rates would be for our April trip just in case dh decides he does want to try AT. Well, did I ever get a shock!

On the way down, the superliner br is $307 and the family br is $360, pretty much what I had been seeing. But for the way back, the superliner br is $699 and the family br is $855! That has to be the highest number I've seen since I started looking.

Coach seats on the way down are $200 but on the way back they are $490!

Round trip using the family bedroom both ways came to $1,821 after applying the AAA discount.

I'm not even going to consider AT for this trip now. Dh won't hear me mention it to him again!

 

[loveysbydesign]

Last night I decided to check again to see what the rates would be for our April trip just in case dh decides he does want to try AT. Well, did I ever get a shock!

On the way down, the superliner br is $307 and the family br is $360, pretty much what I had been seeing. But for the way back, the superliner br is $699 and the family br is $855! That has to be the highest number I've seen since I started looking.

Coach seats on the way down are $200 but on the way back they are $490!

Round trip using the family bedroom both ways came to $1,821 after applying the AAA discount.

I'm not even going to consider AT for this trip now. Dh won't hear me mention it to him again!

The snowbirds will be headin north so that's prbably why it's more expensive!

 

[Marshay]

The snowbirds will be headin north so that's prbably why it's more expensive!

And you really need to book earlier than three months to get the cheaper rooms, esp when snowbirds go north and south.

 

[bdcp]

Hi all. I thought that I read awhile back, some information regarding credit card reward points being used for the Auto Train. Does anyone have any info on this? I don't remember if it was Amtrak reward points or a different credit card.

My family & I rode the auto train in 5/09 & 5/10. In 7/12 we drove both ways. Was thinking of a suprise summer trip this year, driving down but taking the autotrain back.

Thanks for any info

It's the Chase Amtrak Mastercard. We have one. We got 32K points for signing up and we used it for our RT on Acela betwen DC and NYC in Nov. We're building points again, but nowhere near enough for the AT.

 

[vacationer1954]

I was reading another forum today and saw this comment posted this past July:

I tell you, just the fact that you can get up, walk around, check out other cars, chill out in your own room, use the free WiFi, make use of the arcade on the bottom floor of one of the cars, etc...It made travelling with a couple of sullen teenagers a breeze. We hardly saw them except at meal times. Speaking of dinner & breakfast....

Sometime in the afternoon, our room attendant took our preferred time to eat dinner...

None of this sounds right to me. I know there is free WiFi at the stations, but free WiFi on the train? An arcade on the train? The room attendant setting up which meal time you get? Have there been a lot of changes recently?

 

[NJRRK]

I was reading another forum today and saw this comment posted this past July:
None of this sounds right to me. I know there is free WiFi at the stations, but free WiFi on the train? An arcade on the train? The room attendant setting up which meal time you get? Have there been a lot of changes recently?

I agree makes no sense to me either.

 

[bdcp]

I was reading another forum today and saw this comment posted this past July:
None of this sounds right to me. I know there is free WiFi at the stations, but free WiFi on the train? An arcade on the train? The room attendant setting up which meal time you get? Have there been a lot of changes recently?

That's not the autotrain. There is a train, I saw a tour on youtube and I can't remember which train it is, but there was an "arcade" on the lower level. I want to say that was a western route. As for wifi on the train, Acela and other train routes have free wi-fi, but not the AT. The room attendant making your dinner reservations was also mentioned on a video. If I can find it again, I will post it.

I found the video. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kYncfBywPw

There's also a theater on that train. You have to go in a couple of minutes (closer to 2 1/2 minutes) past the roomette tour and bathroom tours to get to the theater and arcade part.

 

[Vickie1016]

It's the Chase Amtrak Mastercard. We have one. We got 32K points for signing up and we used it for our RT on Acela betwen DC and NYC in Nov. We're building points again, but nowhere near enough for the AT.

Thanks for the info!

 

[bdcp]

Just got an email today (we're Amtrak rewards members) and there is sale on AT. Book by Feb 4, 2013 for travel between Jan 24-Apr 18, 2013 and save 20%. This is a slow time of year for the AT so I guess that's why there's a sale.

 

[renda460]

Just got an email today (we're Amtrak rewards members) and there is sale on AT. Book by Feb 4, 2013 for travel between Jan 24-Apr 18, 2013 and save 20%. This is a slow time of year for the AT so I guess that's why there's a sale.

I got an email today also, but it wasn't about a sale - they cancelled my return train home due to track maintenance! This is for a trip in 30 days, and it's school vacation week. So we are now scrambling and tryng to figure out alternative transportation. We don't want to attempt driving it with 4 kids, as young as 2 years old. The total drive to MA would be 24 hours. So we are looking at flights, but school vacation week prices are outrageous. Looks like the cost of our vacation will be increasing tremendously. Amtrak says they will refund our money, but they will not offer any other compensation for our inconvenience. Has anyone else had a similar issue occur? We're you able to get any sort of credit because of the hassle?

 

[pepe of ohio]

I got an email today also, but it wasn't about a sale - they cancelled my return train home due to track maintenance! This is for a trip in 30 days, and it's school vacation week. So we are now scrambling and tryng to figure out alternative transportation. We don't want to attempt driving it with 4 kids, as young as 2 years old. The total drive to MA would be 24 hours. So we are looking at flights, but school vacation week prices are outrageous. Looks like the cost of our vacation will be increasing tremendously. Amtrak says they will refund our money, but they will not offer any other compensation for our inconvenience. Has anyone else had a similar issue occur? We're you able to get any sort of credit because of the hassle?

What's to schedule your return another day... They can't shut down CSX rails for long .... Either a day longer or a day less ??