All about the Autotrain

[GrnMtnMan]

Has anyone ever traveled with a family of five in A family room? Any other feedback regarding traveling the Auto Train with 2A and 3C (ages 11, 9, 5.5)? We are going Northbound on a Friday in early December if that matters.

Two different phone reps told me families with younger kids do it all the time. My two girls, especially my 5 yr old, are small for their age and would prob be fine sharing a bed. The dimensions of the room and bedding make it seem like it's possible but would be a tight squeeze. But for one night...is it better than coach seats? Price to upgrade is about $57 per ticket...

We had a family bedroom with 2 kids, who were 4 and 9 at the time:



The top bunks are too narrow for more than one person. One of the lower bunks might fit a second person, if those people were okay touching/cuddling. It'll be very tight in bed.

My boy was probably between 40 and 44 inches back on that trip.

The space will be fine for seating.

 

[Aanna]

We had a family bedroom with 2 kids, who were 4 and 9 at the time:

...

The top bunks are too narrow for more than one person. One of the lower bunks might fit a second person, if those people were okay touching/cuddling. It'll be very tight in bed.

My boy was probably between 40 and 44 inches back on that trip.

The space will be fine for seating.

I completely agree. We did 2 nights in a Family Bedroom going to California with myself, DH, and kids 7 and 9. It was fine for us, and if your two little ones can cuddle together in the lower bunk that GrnMtnMan shows, then you'll be fine.

Be aware that the top bunks are narrow and can be slightly claustrophobic. I tried to sleep up-top on the longer bunk (not shown above), but it was too close to the ceiling, and I wigged out. My poor DH had to sleep up there, and it was very narrow for him. The bottom bunks are a lot wider.

 

[RedSox68]

I asked this on another site about Amtrak, but what are the room temps like -- are they very controllable, too cold, etc.? Thanks.

 

[Aanna]

I asked this on another site about Amtrak, but what are the room temps like -- are they very controllable, too cold, etc.? Thanks.

They aren't *very controllable, though you can somewhat control the vent. We have always been comfortable/cool.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Is Amtrak increasing the price of priority Offloading? In my price tracking today, the $50 priority offload is listed at $60, despite the description saying its $50. Is this an actual price increase or an error?

 

[RedSox68]

Is Amtrak increasing the price of priority Offloading? In my price tracking today, the $50 priority offload is listed at $60, despite the description saying its $50. Is this an actual price increase or an error?
View attachment 281026

In researching a trip on the auto train, it also appeared to me that they were raising the car prices, too.

 

[monorailsilver]

Hey everyone,

Has anyone ever traveled with a family of five in A family room? Any other feedback regarding traveling the Auto Train with 2A and 3C (ages 11, 9, 5.5)? We are going Northbound on a Friday in early December if that matters.

Two different phone reps told me families with younger kids do it all the time. My two girls, especially my 5 yr old, are small for their age and would prob be fine sharing a bed. The dimensions of the room and bedding make it seem like it's possible but would be a tight squeeze. But for one night...is it better than coach seats? Price to upgrade is about $57 per ticket...

Thanks for any insight you can share. Have a happy day!

Our kids were around 12, 10 and 8, maybe a year younger for each, can’t recall. We did a bedroom and a roomette for the drive down. I slept with my youngest in the lower/bigger bed. We had room. On the return we did a family bedroom. Once the beds opened it was tight. My oldest and my youngest each took a top bunk. My middle took the small lower bed and my DH and I were going to share the larger bed. Well when I couldn’t wiggle I told him I was sleeping on the floor. I ended up moving pillows, my feet to his head and his feet towards my head and part of me slept on my sons bunk. Not the best night but it was doable.

I said if we ever take it again, we would get 2 connecting bedrooms.

 

[SingingMom]

We found the top bunk very chilly because the air vent is right on top of you - then the lower bunk is stifling hot because the top is blocking all the air! I sat up most of the night because I was way too warm.

 

[RedSox68]

We found the top bunk very chilly because the air vent is right on top of you - then the lower bunk is stifling hot because the top is blocking all the air! I sat up most of the night because I was way too warm.

Looks like I'll be taking the top bunk My Dh doesn't like being cold, and I love it LOL

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Is Amtrak increasing the price of priority Offloading? In my price tracking today, the $50 priority offload is listed at $60, despite the description saying its $50. Is this an actual price increase or an error?
View attachment 281026

Looks like the price of priority vehicle offloading has increased to $60:

 

[bdcp]

We're currently sitting in Sanford. They had to swap out a passenger car so we're late leaving. On the up side, we upgraded from our roomette to a bedroom. Train only has about 280 people onboard today. Tomorrow, they have a lot more booked. Hopefully, the trip home has better ontime performance than the trip down 3 weeks ago (see my previous posts one page back).

 

[DJFan88]

Looks like the price of priority vehicle offloading has increased to $60:

View attachment 281945

Also, it used to be the top 20 cars too, now its the top 30. Pay more for less, just like everywhere else, I guess, sigh....

 

[bdcp]

Currently just north of Richmond. Leaving late plus a bit of a stop in SC last night before we got to Florence has delayed us. It appears we'll arrive around 11. We're just going to the grocery store on the way home and we only live 45 min from Lorton so not as big a deal on this end, but still... This train arrived into Sanford yesterday AM at just after 9. Why can't our trains be that close to schedule? geez.

 

[dromio42]

Thanksgiving Dinner
4 years ago we took the autotrain on Thanksgiving and they served Thanksgiving dinner. 2 years ago the just had the regular menu. We are leaving on Thanksgiving again, anyone travel last year remember what the dinner was or anyone (working for amtrak)know what it will be this year?
Thanks

 

[bdcp]

Something I forgot to mention. Amtrak's site states that wifi doesn't support streaming, but I was able to play youtube videos as long as I had a connection (which was intermittent at times).

 

[Ngwira]

We were faithful auto train users until last year. We now fly given the super low fares that abound.

 

[Ngwira]

We were faithful Amtrak auto train riders up until this past year. Now we fly. I've used up all my Amtrak points.

 

[ninafeliz]

Looking to book roundtrip in June, and the prices for a superliner bedroom are somewhat higher than what we paid last August, which we did book a lot closer to the trip. What are the prices likely to do? Do they just go up from here, so I should book as soon as we are ready to commit, or will they fluctuate and it might drop if I wait and watch. If they do drop considerably, will they price adjust if you call (I kind of doubt it, but thought I would ask)? I also noticed that the auto price and the priority offloading price had apparently gone up since august.

 

[sueb711]

Used to be the cheaper fares came out in the beginning and then got more expensive but not last year. I booked early for July 2017 and watched the fares almost every day. When they started to drop I called Amtrak and they adjusted my fare (minus 20% I think).

 

[ninafeliz]

Used to be the cheaper fares came out in the beginning and then got more expensive but not last year. I booked early for July 2017 and watched the fares almost every day. When they started to drop I called Amtrak and they adjusted my fare (minus 20% I think).

Thanks for the input! I always hesitate to commit, but we really want a superliner bedroom so I probably should do it sooner rather than later. If they do end up price adjusting if it drops then bonus. It's just it's around $500 more than we spent last year, with something like $70 of the difference being due to the higher priority offloading and auto fee so that amount is to be expected.