All about the Autotrain

[jwboucher]

We consider the train ride part of our vacation as we did with driving, staying at a hotel and eating at restaurants. If you have limited vacation time and in a hurry getting there and back, then flying is probably the best option.

 

[monorailsilver]

We are almost at Sanford. We would of been there 90 min but when I checked this am at 6 it said the southbound train was delayed 3.5 hours.

We didn't get a call/email til nearly 11 that the train isn't leaving til 6 now so we decided to stop in downtown Disney for lunch.

We just passed Orlando.

Will update later.

 

[jwboucher]

We are almost at Sanford. We would of been there 90 min but when I checked this am at 6 it said the southbound train was delayed 3.5 hours. We didn't get a call/email til nearly 11 that the train isn't leaving til 6 now so we decided to stop in downtown Disney for lunch. We just passed Orlando. Will update later.

Thanks for the update!!

 

[Vickie1016]

We are almost at Sanford. We would of been there 90 min but when I checked this am at 6 it said the southbound train was delayed 3.5 hours.

We didn't get a call/email til nearly 11 that the train isn't leaving til 6 now so we decided to stop in downtown Disney for lunch.

We just passed Orlando.

Will update later.

Sorry to hear your train is delayed. Hope you had a nice lunch at DTD.

Thanks again for the info last week

 

[Marshay]

We are almost at Sanford. We would of been there 90 min but when I checked this am at 6 it said the southbound train was delayed 3.5 hours. We didn't get a call/email til nearly 11 that the train isn't leaving til 6 now so we decided to stop in downtown Disney for lunch. We just passed Orlando. Will update later.

What happened? Sorry it was delayed so much...that sure messes up the new dinner seatings

 

[monorailsilver]

What happened? Sorry it was delayed so much...that sure messes up the new dinner seatings

It did. We did the first seating which started before the train left. I don't recall when the later ones were.

Lots of people had food brought back to their rooms.

It was delayed due to weather and a disabled freight train.

We are in the family bedroom. Dh, myself, dd12, ds10 & dd8. It is tight. The bedroom felt like it had more space.

We won't get this room again. We heard every screech and I swear the train nearly tipped and came off the tracks a few times.

Sleeping was comical. All 3 kids wanted the top but that wasn't possible. Both my dds took the top. My ds took the small bottom bunk and my Dh and I got the 'big' bed!

We started off sleeping side by side/head by head. There was no way!

So we ended with his feet in my face and mine in his. I also ended up with my head on the small bunk so it wasn't as bad!

Breakfast didn't start in the dining room til 7 and the lounge 7:30. I waited in the lounge and it was crazy busy. I brought food back to our room.

The train is going to be a little over an hour late. We are somewhere in VA now.

 

[monorailsilver]

Ok we have 'landed' finally! We walked out of our sleeper to the car pick up area. Our car came out at 12:01, car #3 off and we were on the 95 ramp going north at 12:07.

We even put our roof too carrier on in that time.

No traffic vibes for us please.

 

[nono]

We are in the family bedroom. Dh, myself, dd12, ds10 & dd8. It is tight. The bedroom felt like it had more space.

Wow! I hope your family is short! Those kid berths are definitely not-full-length.

 

[monorailsilver]

Wow! I hope your family is short! Those kid berths are definitely not-full-length.

I knew that when I booked it. My 10 yo is short for his age so he fit and my 8 yo did as well.

 

[Henlady]

We were in a family room once - never again. That room rocked and rolled more than any other roomette/bedroom that we have ever had. Not sure if it is because it is the last room in the car or not, but have had roomettes right next to a family room and never had that type of movement.

 

[monorailsilver]

We were in a family room once - never again. That room rocked and rolled more than any other roomette/bedroom that we have ever had. Not sure if it is because it is the last room in the car or not, but have had roomettes right next to a family room and never had that type of movement.

I thought it rocked much more and felt a few times that we derailed and were about to tip, more so then being in the upper room.

We know not to book it again. It was our first RT on the AT. If we book it again we will do 2 bedrooms side by side so we can open them up. I didn't like being apart from my husband, even though we were the bedroom next to the stairs and he was in the closest roomette.

We have less then 2 weeks to decide what to do. If I wait I am afraid there won't be any bedrooms left. I just looked just now for the last date I can book and it is march 24th or something like that and it shows only roomettes available. Yikes!

Deltas flights don't come out til the week after and jet blues aren't out yesterday for next April. I really have no idea what to do at this point nor does my dh.

He and I did not sleep well on the train. I slept better in the bedroom then the family bedroom but I was still up all night due to the rocking.

It's so easy just to hop on a plane and go but it's more expensive with 5 of us. I was just on the delta site looking at flights for march dates (we are going next April) and one way was $205 which was the cheapest I saw and I checked CT, NYC and providence. Then the rental is going to cost us at least $1000. If it wasn't April vacation week I would fly!

 

[darthminnie]

My DD (15) and I are leaving on the AT next Thursday, I shall write a report! !

 

[huggiebear23]

My DD (15) and I are leaving on the AT next Thursday, I shall write a report! !

Have fun!! Can't wait to hear about your trip!

 

[poison ivy]

I thought it rocked much more and felt a few times that we derailed and were about to tip, more so then being in the upper room.

We know not to book it again. It was our first RT on the AT. If we book it again we will do 2 bedrooms side by side so we can open them up. I didn't like being apart from my husband, even though we were the bedroom next to the stairs and he was in the closest roomette.

We have less then 2 weeks to decide what to do. If I wait I am afraid there won't be any bedrooms left. I just looked just now for the last date I can book and it is march 24th or something like that and it shows only roomettes available. Yikes!

Deltas flights don't come out til the week after and jet blues aren't out yesterday for next April. I really have no idea what to do at this point nor does my dh.

He and I did not sleep well on the train. I slept better in the bedroom then the family bedroom but I was still up all night due to the rocking.

It's so easy just to hop on a plane and go but it's more expensive with 5 of us. I was just on the delta site looking at flights for march dates (we are going next April) and one way was $205 which was the cheapest I saw and I checked CT, NYC and providence. Then the rental is going to cost us at least $1000. If it wasn't April vacation week I would fly!

Really tough decision. Have you thought about driving down and taking the train back?

We did a road trip with two stops on the way down - Williamsburg and Hilton Head. there were 6 of us (including my parents - two seniors)
Got a great rate to stay at the Marriot Vacation Club Resorts both locations which can accommodate larger groups. It was surprisingly easy.

 

[monorailsilver]

Really tough decision. Have you thought about driving down and taking the train back?

We did a road trip with two stops on the way down - Williamsburg and Hilton Head. there were 6 of us (including my parents - two seniors)
Got a great rate to stay at the Marriot Vacation Club Resorts both locations which can accommodate larger groups. It was surprisingly easy.

I have thought of that as well, minus the stops.

We go to my sisters in Ft. Myers and I want my feet to hit that sand and start finding shells as soon as possible.

So if we drove down, we'd leave Wednesday after my kids get out of school/dh work and drive to the southern half of New Jersey. Then on Thursday do a 14 hr ish day and the last day would be a good 6 hours.

I just looked at the price of 2 family bedrooms for a day in march and it was over $1000 plus our car and I don't want the family bedroom, I want 2 regular bedrooms side by side so I think that will be a bit more. We paid just under $1900 RT which was cheaper then flying.

I would miss all our beach stuff, like the extra chairs and umbrellas if we didn't take the train/drive.

Driving all the way we don't ever want to do again. It was a tough 2 days.

The only thing that makes me want to drive/train is the ability to stop at DtD for lunch. We did that 2 Saturdays ago when we arrived and then last Sunday/Easter when the train was delayed for lunch.

Tough decisions. And jet blues flights won't be out for a few more months either so I feel stuck.

 

[darthminnie]

Auto train is running 4 hrs behind today due to the rain.

 

[Marshay]

Auto train is running 4 hrs behind today due to the rain.

Sorry to hear this. Hope your travel was pleasant.

 

[Wishes Count]

We boarded in Sanford around 9:15. It is now 9:50 and they still haven't connected the coach cars to the sleepers. They gave us boxed dinners from a fast food restaurant. It had 2 small chicken strips, a biscuit and some mashed potatoes. Supposedly we are to have lunch tomorrow. My seating time is 1pm but I was hoping we would have arrived in lorton by then.

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[Marshay]

We boarded in Sanford around 9:15. It is now 9:50 and they still haven't connected the coach cars to the sleepers. They gave us boxed dinners from a fast food restaurant. It had 2 small chicken strips, a biscuit and some mashed potatoes. Supposedly we are to have lunch tomorrow. My seating time is 1pm but I was hoping we would have arrived in lorton by then. Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

Oh my! I'm so sorry to hear this...and that is a pathetic meal...throw in some apples or grapes or carrots at least Amtrak!

What has caused the delay? When did they tell you they would be so late?

 

[Wishes Count]

I'm not sure what the delay was. But I got a phone call around 9:30am telling me the train was delayed. And an email saying the same thing. The problem was there was not any other information like when I should plan to arrive now. I called twice to be sure the person on the phone was giving me the right answer and they said by 6:30. So I did spend most of the time at home but still over 4 hours at the station.

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