All about the Autotrain

We will be doing the AutoTrain going down on Sunday, April 14th and driving home. The price going down is $662, but coming back is over $1300. Round trip would have been close to $2000. More than I am willing to pay.

That's the date I was looking at and got $662 also. I redid the numbers when I saw the post for $29.00 children's fares (we don't have kids, it just made me want to run the numbers again and see if they got better). The new number was $770! Just a few days difference and the price went up over $100.
 
That's the date I was looking at and got $662 also. I redid the numbers when I saw the post for $29.00 children's fares (we don't have kids, it just made me want to run the numbers again and see if they got better). The new number was $770! Just a few days difference and the price went up over $100.

It's up to $799 now & that is with the AAA discount.
 
We had to move our dates around to get the $29 fares (either a limited number are allowed or they're not available on all dates) but finally got dates of June 24-July 3. Not doing the sleeper car either way--hoping that's not too bad of a move. It'll just be me, dd 11 and ds 8. Excited! 3 of us, plus our minivan for 797. Yay!
 
I want to take the auto train this summer but i'm not sure if my Honda Odyssey EL-X 2008 fit in the oversize wagon, can you help me?

I've seen conversion vans. We used to take our Plymouth Grand Voyager and now take our Honda Pilot.
 

Alright, the Auto Train is a really cool experience. The food at dinner was way better than I expected. Sleeping in coach was the only issue. There was a lovely gentleman snoring extremely loud and breaking wind like no tomorrow to the point it smelled like someone had messed their pants. My best friend ended up using me as a pillow and in return I got no sleep. Air in the cabin didn't stat getting cool until around 3am. The train was not full and they did put families in one car. I would do it again if I had to. But, I would make sure I had two seats to myself to sleep. We brought our own pillows to use and did not use the blankets they provide. The movement of the train did not bother me. Yet, for the first part of my day when we were on land, I still felt like I was moving. I did not have to wait long for my car at all. Priority numbers were called first, there were maybe 20. Then mine was about 20 after.
 
I like the lower level if I can get them. The seating area down there is smaller, so less people around you, and no one walks through your car to get to other cars during the night. We have taken the AT on three round trips now and we always opt for the lower level now!
 
/
The first time we took the AT was for a disney cruise. We left 2 days prior and spend the night before at a hotel in cocoa beach that (at the time) offered free cruise parking and a shuttle to the port. Worked well for us, I think we stayed at a radisson but can't really remember, this was in 2004.
 
Has anyone taken the Auto Train before a Disney Cruise? Thinking about doing that in August.

The first time we took the AT was for a disney cruise. We left 2 days prior and spend the night before at a hotel in cocoa beach that (at the time) offered free cruise parking and a shuttle to the port. Worked well for us, I think we stayed at a radisson but can't really remember, this was in 2004.

Though I have never been on a cruise I was just about to post something like this.

The AT is like any other transportation with the big difference that there is only one vehicle per day so no flexibility if something goes wrong.. It looks like you can easily get to the dock in plenty of time from Sanford but the AT can be late.

Its one thing missing an ADR another missing the boat.
 
Alright, the Auto Train is a really cool experience. The food at dinner was way better than I expected. Sleeping in coach was the only issue. There was a lovely gentleman snoring extremely loud and breaking wind like no tomorrow to the point it smelled like someone had messed their pants. My best friend ended up using me as a pillow and in return I got no sleep. Air in the cabin didn't stat getting cool until around 3am. The train was not full and they did put families in one car. I would do it again if I had to. But, I would make sure I had two seats to myself to sleep. We brought our own pillows to use and did not use the blankets they provide. The movement of the train did not bother me. Yet, for the first part of my day when we were on land, I still felt like I was moving. I did not have to wait long for my car at all. Priority numbers were called first, there were maybe 20. Then mine was about 20 after.

One trip when we were going north in Nov, they gave us two seats each. On a couple of other trips, when there was room, I moved when it was close to lights out time so we each had two seats. I've never been in coach when families weren't separate from everyone else. It's the standard practice. I bring travel blankets or beach towels and our own travel pillows when we're in coach. What do you mean by "priority" numbers were called first? They just call numbers according to which cars come off first and it is totally random.
 
Has anyone taken the Auto Train before a Disney Cruise? Thinking about doing that in August.

We've taken it before cruises several times, all but once we did WDW either prior to or after the cruise. One time we took AT strictly to cruise. Not on DCL, but out of PC. We leave two days before the cruise, arrive the day before and stay overnight in PC.
 
Is priority numbers something new? Is there a cost & how much?
 
Not too sure about the whole priority thing. My friend was informed when she checked her car that it would be one of the first called. Sure enough, she had a blue "Priority" magnet with a number on the side. Also, we made it early to Sanford.. 8:15am arrival.
 
Not too sure about the whole priority thing. My friend was informed when she checked her car that it would be one of the first called. Sure enough, she had a blue "Priority" magnet with a number on the side. Also, we made it early to Sanford.. 8:15am arrival.

This is interesting. Just curious if she has any medical conditions or is a vey frequent Amtrak traveler?

I wonder if this is a test program?

Although I don't think I would pay for priority unloading, (unless it was REALLY cheap like $5, haha), I bet there are others who would do so and AMtrak may have found a new way to make money...

If you can find out any more info, that would be great!

Arriving at 8:15am! That is excellent!! We've never arrived that early -- that's a full day in the parks.
 














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