All about the Autotrain

[bdcp]

We are booked for a RT in June and coming back in July. It'll be myself, dd 11, her friend who is 11, and ds 8. We are driving to West Palm Beach for a few days to visit with friends before heading back north to WDW for the last part of our trip. I'd gotten a good rate for the family bedroom for us all for the way back, figuring we could go as hard as we wanted and then sleep in a bed on the way back. Lorton Va is only about an hour away from my house. On the way down though we were booked for coach. I was fine for that but then I started thinking today about how I'll have a 3 hour driving trip ahead of me when we get to Sanford. If I don't sleep well in coach, I'm in trouble. So I called amtrak...no family rooms were available but I was able to get 2 roomettes. The girls will have their own room and ds and I will bunk together. Our rooms are right across from each other. I did call the friend's mom before booking to make sure the situation was okay with her (it was). So our trip is about 18 days away and we'll be sleeping prone both ways. Are we supposed to stay in our room the whole time (except for dinner) or is there a lounge car or something where we can be with other people since we're no longer in coach?

Rachel

There is a lounge for sleeping car passengers also (two lounges/two dining car on each train consist). They do a wine tasting along with the snacks when you first board, usually around 3 pm. You're free to walk around.

ETA: I need to clarify the wine tasting is for sleeping car passengers only.

 

[Henlady]

They use e-tickets now. We printed our voucher here at home when we made our online reservations. As far as I know, they no longer hand out actual paper tickets anymore. The booth person has a list and at check in at the station, they'll have your info.

I just checked amtrak's site and it appears that you can secure paper tickets from a ticket agent at amtrak stations. With the e-ticket, they are not having to mail out actual tickets anymore, thus saving money, so they made it not necessary to have an actual ticket in hand. For me, I pass the station regularly and it is not very busy, so I'll just stop someday and pick up actual tickets and folder for the Auto Train, that way, we can circumvent the booth and have our car available to go get some lunch before handing off the car.

 

[jwboucher]

Pulled into Sanford 15 mins ago.... Sleep in coach was terrible even though we each had 2 seats to ourselves.... The train on the way back is going to be packed, it will even be worse.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Pulled into Sanford 15 mins ago.... Sleep in coach was terrible even though we each had 2 seats to ourselves.... The train on the way back is going to be packed, it will even be worse.

A train trip is what you make of it... We've done regular Amtrak, coach seats and for one night, sleeping is no problem...

If you're picky, easy fix, pop for a sleeper.... Most times you don't have access to both seats, you were lucky... But you got to make the best of it or up grade!

 

[dsnycrzy]

A train trip is what you make of it... We've done regular Amtrak, coach seats and for one night, sleeping is no problem...

If you're picky, easy fix, pop for a sleeper.... Most times you don't have access to both seats, you were lucky... But you got to make the best of it or up grade!

I agree! My kids and I go coach every year & we make it work. I don't have an issue sleeping sitting almost straight up (probably bc I sleep on the couch even though I have a big comfy bed, such a bad habit), we always get there early and choice front or back seats on the bottom of the train & my kids (2 older) will make pallets & sleep on the floor. Drinking some of the free wine helps me sleep too, LOL

 

[Marshay]

Pulled into Sanford 15 mins ago.... Sleep in coach was terrible even though we each had 2 seats to ourselves.... The train on the way back is going to be packed, it will even be worse.

I'm sorry to hear this. We did coach...once! We loved the idea of the train but then upgraded to a sleeper and haven't looked back since.

We found coach very uncomfortable, too. The seats are just not made for my tall family, plus we like the privacy of our own room.

I hope you can try it again in a room sometime.

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

I just checked amtrak's site and it appears that you can secure paper tickets from a ticket agent at amtrak stations. With the e-ticket, they are not having to mail out actual tickets anymore, thus saving money, so they made it not necessary to have an actual ticket in hand. For me, I pass the station regularly and it is not very busy, so I'll just stop someday and pick up actual tickets and folder for the Auto Train, that way, we can circumvent the booth and have our car available to go get some lunch before handing off the car.

While you can get a paper ticket, I don't recommend it. If something should come up and you need to change or cancel your paper ticket, I was told there is a fee of 10% if I remember correctly. Since I don't recall the exact details, I suggest you call Amtrak to find out if there are penalties before picking up paper tickets.

Also, at both Lorton and Sanford, you do not need to go through the ticket booth if you just want to check in. When you arrive at Lorton, bear to the left (bypassing the ticket booth) and park in one of the open parking spaces. You can then walk into the station, check in for your trip and walk back out to your car to leave and go get lunch. When you're ready to return, just show the booth attendant your ticket and you'll be let through to check in your car. I don't need to do this at Lorton since I only live maybe 2 miles from the AT station (I hear the train whistle every day and wish I was on it again), but we've done it in Sanford and had no problem.

 

[vacationer1954]

We're with jwboucher. We went out of our way to try to make sleeping in coach work for us. We even stopped off before getting on the train to pick up new pillows and a really nice comforter fearing that the train would provide enough comfort. We still couldn't sleep well.

 

[spima3]

We're with jwboucher. We went out of our way to try to make sleeping in coach work for us. We even stopped off before getting on the train to pick up new pillows and a really nice comforter fearing that the train would provide enough comfort. We still couldn't sleep well.

Well, it is a moving train, and you're trying to sleep basically sitting up, so I never expect to sleep well, just well enough.

However, we've always managed 2 seats per person, so if we didn't get that, it might just end up being a good nap.

I once thought of getting a sleeper, but my aunt said she didn't like them, too much rocking, she was more comfortable in coach. So you never know.

 

[bdcp]

While you can get a paper ticket, I don't recommend it. If something should come up and you need to change or cancel your paper ticket, I was told there is a fee of 10% if I remember correctly. Since I don't recall the exact details, I suggest you call Amtrak to find out if there are penalties before picking up paper tickets.

Also, at both Lorton and Sanford, you do not need to go through the ticket booth if you just want to check in. When you arrive at Lorton, bear to the left (bypassing the ticket booth) and park in one of the open parking spaces. You can then walk into the station, check in for your trip and walk back out to your car to leave and go get lunch. When you're ready to return, just show the booth attendant your ticket and you'll be let through to check in your car. I don't need to do this at Lorton since I only live maybe 2 miles from the AT station (I hear the train whistle every day and wish I was on it again), but we've done it in Sanford and had no problem.

Yep, if you have tickets in hand and have to cancel, they will charge you 10%. If you reschedule, you can sometimes get them to waive the charge, but not for cancellations. I have watched many people bypass the booth and leave to get lunch. We live 45 min from Lorton, so we usually eat at IHOP or something and take something to snack on in the station or buy something in the store while we wait to board. In Sanford, we usually eat a big breakfast either at our hotel or stop at Cracker Barrel off rt 46 and eat before we get to the train.

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

Yep, if you have tickets in hand and have to cancel, they will charge you 10%. If you reschedule, you can sometimes get them to waive the charge, but not for cancellations. I have watched many people bypass the booth and leave to get lunch. We live 45 min from Lorton, so we usually eat at IHOP or something and take something to snack on in the station or buy something in the store while we wait to board. In Sanford, we usually eat a big breakfast either at our hotel or stop at Cracker Barrel off rt 46 and eat before we get to the train.

Last Sept. we went to the AT station right off the ship from our 4-day cruise on the Dream. Our breakfast on the ship had been pretty early, so we checked in at the Sanford AT station to make sure we got a 5:00 dinner reservation. Then we left and went to the Cracker Barrel, took our time eating lunch and looked around their shop a little. We still got back to the AT station in plenty of time.

 

[Tallent]

We have 2 roomettes on the way down and a family bedroom on the way back.....when you have one of these do you bring your own blankets and pillows or are the amtrak provided ones good enough? Just trying to decide how much we need to bring on the train....Thanks!

 

[lindap1]

We didn't take our own pillows and blankets in 2011, but I will take my own this year. Their blanket made me itch for some reason, so I'll take a light one this time.

 

[Tallent]

Adding light blanket and pillow to the list!

 

[Tallent]

Just read an old review of the autotrain and there was a picture of a "digital movie and music player rental booth"====we were planning on renting some movies from redbox the morning that we leave but I'm interested to see if this booth is still there and if so what it offers. Thanks!

 

[bdcp]

Just read an old review of the autotrain and there was a picture of a "digital movie and music player rental booth"====we were planning on renting some movies from redbox the morning that we leave but I'm interested to see if this booth is still there and if so what it offers. Thanks!

No, it's long gone and that was only around for a year or two. We bring our laptop and earphones and our own dvd's. We never used the booth even when it was there. The booth was set up so that you rented the player and movies at one end and turned them in at the other. I don't think it was profitable.

 

[Tallent]

Thanks! We'll stick with redbox and rentals from itunes then.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

We board in 45 days!!!

just checked out the menus and I want to eat 3 of the meals. Only problem I'm on the train twice. Need to figure out which one I'm going to have to skip this trip. decisions, decisions, decisions!

Can't wait! Its our 11th trip on the AT!

Now to make it the next 14 days till school is out!

 

[jwboucher]

Got a call from amtrak this morning that our train won't be leaving Sanford till 8 tonight so we opted to cancel and drive home. It was going to be a full train.

 

[cburek]

Got a call from amtrak this morning that our train won't be leaving Sanford till 8 tonight so we opted to cancel and drive home. It was going to be a full train.

Sorry about that, I should have warned you that I was scheduled on the next departing train out of Lorton on 6/15 so its only fitting that it would be delayed. The black cloud that looms over me still manages to find me on a train

I would love to know, if anyone knows or sees this in time, how do they make up the time? Right now the ETA into Lorton is 152p. How fast can they turn it around. I would imagine it takes about 2hrs minimum depending on how many cars to offload and then load all the incoming vehicles on takes another 2 hrs minimum. Amtrak wasnt quite sure when I called,what time to even show up. I would imagine it to be hectic until they can get everyone out.

Your thoughts appreciated