Amtrak from New Jersey

[FranP]

I will be going to Kissimmee on the Amtrak Silver Meteor on Saturday from Newark to Kisswimmee - anyone done this before? Have flown many times, but Mom(age 82) won't fly and she wants to be there for my daughter's vow renewal. I expect it to be long and boring - but any thoughts???? Thanks.

 

[LoraJ]

I will be going to Kissimmee on the Amtrak Silver Meteor on Saturday from Newark to Kisswimmee - anyone done this before? Have flown many times, but Mom(age 82) won't fly and she wants to be there for my daughter's vow renewal. I expect it to be long and boring - but any thoughts???? Thanks.

I did it once and don't ever want to do it again unless I have a private room. I went to WDW right after 9/11 and I was too afraid to get on a plane. So I rented a car and drove down and then took the train back.

I prefer to have a window seat, but there were none left. I just couldn't get comfortable. The guys across the aisle were drunk and loud. Whenever I would fall asleep some girl would come walking by talking loud on her cell phone. All through the night. When drunk guys fell asleep, they snored. Ugh!

Get a private room if you can. That's all I can advise.

 

[ducklite]

I would also suggest booking so you are scheduled to arrive in the ORlando area at least two days prior to when you are supposed to arrive. At least a few times a year some sort of accident or incident disrupts train service and delays trains by 24 hours--or more.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've used Amtrak excluseviely for the past 10 some trips and have incurred delays, never 24 hours. 3 to 5 hours at the most but usually only an hour or two. We start our journey in northeast Ohio and train to Washington DC and from there head south to Kissimmee. We just returned mid September and we were 3.5 hours late, ran over a person, but believe she was shot first, in Charleston SC, go figure. Its not a bad trip especially if you do not fly and hate driving. On the DC to Kissimmee leg we get a roomette, we don't pre-book it, but ask after the train pulls out of DC if any are available, price is alot cheaper, we paid 165.00 last trip for the up grade, had 3 good meals, they are included in the up grade, a newspaper, juice, water and coffee in our roomette and got to sleep laying down for the night, very relaxing way to arrive in Kissimmee, have breakfast and detrain, seems like all we did was eat on board.

 

[Vijoge]

We've done it (and other long rail trips, too) but never in coach. Almost always some delays if only due to freight traffic, but you're looking at a few hours, not 24. Actually, we prefer to travel by train, however, as I said, only in a sleeper.

 

[DC7800]

At least a few times a year some sort of accident or incident disrupts train service and delays trains by 24 hours--or more.

That statement is NOT correct.

Delays can happen - just like they do with air travel or on the road - but seldom do they exceed 2-3 hours, and the average delay for trains into Orlando is 23 minutes for the Silver Star and 19 minutes for the Silver Meteor. Quite remarkable for a train that has just come over 1,000 miles.

Good grief - bell services at your hotel runs later than that!

 

[LisaNJ25]

We've done it (and other long rail trips, too) but never in coach. Almost always some delays if only due to freight traffic, but you're looking at a few hours, not 24. Actually, we prefer to travel by train, however, as I said, only in a sleeper.

yep... although you could get my luck and have a 9 hour delay going and a return train canceled. I am just not meant to take the train lol

 

[ducklite]

That statement is NOT correct.

Delays can happen - just like they do with air travel or on the road - but seldom do they exceed 2-3 hours, and the average delay for trains into Orlando is 23 minutes for the Silver Star and 19 minutes for the Silver Meteor. Quite remarkable for a train that has just come over 1,000 miles.

Good grief - bell services at your hotel runs later than that!

Like I said, at least a couple times a year there IS a disruption that causes a delay of 24 hours or longer. I didn't say it happens every day, I said that it does happen. It most certainly IS a correct statement. Ask MushyMushy about her extended stay on Amtrack earlier this year--the one that they ran out of food because the passengers were stranded on teh tracks int he middle of nowhere for over 24 hours.

 

[Kim&Chris]

I, too, would highly recommend a sleeper if available. We did the Auto Train (not the same thing as you're taking but similar) and made the mistake of NOT getting a sleeper. NEVER AGAIN. Between the men snoring, kids crying, cell phones ringing, people moving from car to car, etc...we got no sleep.

The next time we took the train, we got a sleeper car and it was great. We were rested and ready for Disney.