All about the Autotrain

[lovin'fl]

We bid once and got it but it was that crappy corner bathroom bedroom which is tighter than others. So I won't bid anymore.

My daughter and I are doing auto train soon and so I got the roomette. She can sleep on top bunk being young and spry. We are top floor with only 1 shared bathroom for all the roomettes. Really hope that isn't a problem. Being an older gal, I need to pee a lot. And sometimes in a hurry. But top floor is less bumpy and better sleep.

 

[bdcp]

We took the auto train last month and we were both wiped out when we got off the train. We had a 1 bedroom and just couldn't sleep for more than a couple hours at a time.
I am in the 1 and done category.

We usually get about 5 hours total in the bedroom, all broken up into 1-2 hour segments, usually closer to an hour, but honestly, it's enough to function on for the drive to our next location. In FL, it's either to Port Canaveral or Lakeland (family) and return, we live 45 min from the AT station in Lorton. But, we also just stay up and go to bed by 930 or so the first night off the train and feel absolutely fine the next day. Few people actually sleep well on the AT, but it's only one night.

 

[Kim&Chris]

Just back from the Auto Train. Here's a brief summary of my experience for those who are looking to book:

Southbound: We had a bedroom, which I'd bid on and won. Plenty of space for the two of us. And it was so nice having our own bathroom. However, I tried to get a "mini-shower" in the early morning and I will never do that again, LOL. The water never got warm. Plus, those bathrooms are great if you weigh 100 pounds (I do not ). It was not a pretty sight. My husband was much smarter than I was....he used one of the regular showers on the first level and was very happy. We got some sleep (maybe 6 hours or so). Our room attendant was great. The train was about 3.5 hour late into Sanford, so people were grumpy. Apparently, some trees had fallen onto the tracks due to a storm, and it took a while to clear them. Overall, I'd do a bedroom again.

Northbound: Misery. We had a roomette and it was hot as heck. Both my husband and I woke up soaking wet with sweat several times. Thankfully I'd packed a USB fan so that helped to circulate the air some. The train ride was very bumpy up on the second level, and I wondered how the people on the first level were dealing with it. Our room steward was just OK. The train arrived in to Sanford about 20 minutes early, which was nice but seemed to upset the room attendants. Our attendant never came back to remove the bedding when we were at breakfast, so we did it ourselves. No big deal. The train was sold out (snow birds, I believe) and they ran out of some breakfast food. Next time, I will get a bedroom instead.

We used Priority Boarding on both legs of the trip, and it was worth it. Especially when we arrived in Lorton.