Amtrak train info w/pics!All Aboard-Choo-choo!UPDATED

[Melanie230]

The Cary station is too far for us. The downtown Raleigh station is only about 15 minutes from our house. My dad is taking us and picking us up. So we don't need to leave our car there!

 

[Melanie230]

Catching the Silver Star in about 2.5 hours!!! YEAHHHH!!!!!

 

[pepe of ohio]

Catching the Silver Star in about 2.5 hours!!! YEAHHHH!!!!!

Know you're gone and we just returned....still jealous......hope you have a great time.....and post back when you return...please...

 

[torinsmom]

Anybody know when the best time to buy Amtrak tickets is? I mean, like how far out? We're going to Orlando in early July(after July 4th) and tickets are $204 each now. Trying dates in early Novermber, I'm getting $156 each. Is there a magic time to get the best price? Not doing roomette this time, just coach.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Anybody know when the best time to buy Amtrak tickets is? I mean, like how far out? We're going to Orlando in early July(after July 4th) and tickets are $204 each now. Trying dates in early Novermber, I'm getting $156 each. Is there a magic time to get the best price? Not doing roomette this time, just coach.

Don't know how AT works but regular Amtrak is tier booked....cheaper the further out you book...more expensive the closer you book to your trip.....

 

[torinsmom]

Don't know how AT works but regular Amtrak is tier booked....cheaper the further out you book...more expensive the closer you book to your trip.....

This is regular Amtrak, and I'm not seeing what you're saying. I am looking at July 2012(not during the holiday) and seeing rates about 1/3 higher than rates for early November 2011, which is only a month away.

 

[DC7800]

This is regular Amtrak, and I'm not seeing what you're saying. I am looking at July 2012(not during the holiday) and seeing rates about 1/3 higher than rates for early November 2011, which is only a month away.

Rates also vary seasonally. July is at the height of the summer vacation season on trains which cater to a primarily leisure travel market; November is the off season, and therefore generally less expensive.

While there may be the occasional exception where prices go down (when many empty seats unexpectedly remain as departure date draws near), that's not the way it normally works, and not what you are seeing. Your July price really has only one way to go - up.

 

[torinsmom]

Rates also vary seasonally. July is at the height of the summer vacation season on trains which cater to a primarily leisure travel market; November is the off season, and therefore generally less expensive.

While there may be the occasional exception where prices go down (when many empty seats unexpectedly remain as departure date draws near), that's not the way it normally works, and not what you are seeing. Your July price really has only one way to go - up.

Hmm....something screwy going on with their website. Now it's giving me rates of $104 each way for the 2 of us, which is a little more than we paid in August. It was $170 for the two of us round trip for the rail charge then. I hope these rates are right. Bought June 30th for our August 9th departure. I won't have firm dates until March or so, so I hope I can book 3-4 months out and still do okay.

 

[Melanie230]

We just got home from our trip from Raleigh, NC to Orlando, Fl. We had a roomette (via Amtrak points) going down to Orlando. It was really great. Our attendant was Big Reggie. We loved him...he was great with the kids and just a really super guy! We came home on coach. I did everything that I read here and other sites coming home. I asked the conductor when he took our tickets if we could upgrade to a roomette, and he said to check with him on the train. The Sunday we left the upgrade (according to the ticket agent at the station) was $380 for 2 roomettes. On Friday when we came home the upgrade was $480. When we got on the train we found the conductor sitting with another man working on the tickets. I asked again about the upgrade and the conductor told the man to look it up and that guy quoted me $680. When I told him that was $200 more than I was quoted at the station he just said ok. So basically Amtrak lost money. There were 5 roomettes sitting empty going home. DH and I had decided that if they offered the roomettes for $200-$225 for both we would have gotten them. But they didn't and we came home on coach. It wasn't horrible, but we weren't able to really sleep in coach very well. The 2 women behind us starting talking really loud about an hour after the lights went out
(11pm) and I turned around and said SHHHH...I was sleeping and so was my daughter. They did get quiet, but at 3:30am the one getting off in Columbia, SC started talking on her phone for like 15-20min. I said SHHHHH again 3 times. She didn't care. Then the conductor tells her it is time for her to get ready to go, and she tells him she needs to go to the bathroom. He says...No...it is time to move up toward the front to get off. She ignores him and says "I will be quick!" So annoying! She finally gets back to her seat to start chatting again with her seat partner for about 2 minutes. At this point I had just about had it. She left before I lost my temper. I couldn't understand how someone could care less about other people. I must say I was impressed with our arrival time (3 minutes early) and we left to come home 30 minutes late and still arrived 15 minutes early! All in all...IMHO if you can swing the roomettes do it! If we take Amtrak again we will DEFINATELY get a roomette going down, to make sure we have sleep. But all in all...I think we will just drive the next time we go. That ride home was no fun. We also met another family on the train that said going to Orlando was much worse. That there was a lot more middle of the night boarding and they got no sleep. That they will never take the train again. Glad we tried it! It was an adventure!

 

[Teacher03]

I just booked my two roomettes for our trip to Disney next June. We will be boarding in Alliance, OH, picking up my daughter in DC and heading to Orlando. The best part is it was booked with my rewards points! Now I just have to wait and count down the days!

 

[pepe of ohio]

I just booked my two roomettes for our trip to Disney next June. We will be boarding in Alliance, OH, picking up my daughter in DC and heading to Orlando. The best part is it was booked with my rewards points! Now I just have to wait and count down the days!

Alliance station is our pick up point and the station is beautiful, for an unmanned station......but the walk is still there from the parking lot.....conductor on our train said they were supposed to move the parking lot down but the building but didn't know what happened.....summer days it's not bad but those snowy winter days....not so nice.....

 

[CT_Bev&Jeff]

My DW and I will be taking Amtrak this December from CT to Orlando. This will be our third trip on Amtrak to Disney.

First trip was Roomette down and back, second trip was Bedroom down and roomette back and this trip will be roomettes both ways.

The first trip down I slept in the top bunk, and I have a bit of claustrophobia, not good for the top bunk, on the way back my lovely DW slept up top and I took the bottom bunk, we both slept very well that trip.

The second trip the cost of the bedroom was just too good to pass up, so we took it. Wow, I wish we could do that every trip, but normally the bedrooms are way too much for us.

This trip we were checking rates at 6 months ahead, and the train costs were great, but the rental cars in Orlando were horrendous. So we planned on driving. As usual the train rates continued to rise as our dates got closer, but I kept checking, and they must have added another car, because we got great rates on the way down and pretty good rates on the way back. The train is always very busy the week before Christmas heading north!

We are trying a rental car company I had never heard of Advantage, they are at the airport, so we will be taking a taxi from the train station to the airport to pick it up. I hope they are reputable, but it is only because of their rates that we are taking the train. Made the whole trip on Amtrak and rental car just a bit more than driving.

Anyway, we are heading out from New London, CT to Penn Station on a sit up train, and then sleeper car to Orlando. Heading south on Dec 6th and returning on December 20th.

We get to spend our 30th Anniversary at Animal Kingdom Lodge, where we spent our 25th Anniversary courtesy of our daughter.

For all those Amtrak travelers, enjoy the train ride. We don't think of it as just the travel to and from our destination, we always consider it a wonderful part of our vacation.

To the OP: thank you very much for taking the time to start this thread, the pictures were wonderful!

CT_Jeff

 

[lisa-upnorth]

Jeff-Happy Anniversary!!
Glad you love the train!! I agree it is part of the vacation to be enjoyed
For the car rental-did you check Hertz out of the Kiss. train station??? They did good by me when I used them and it was nice getting off the train and being on my way to Disney in 5 minutes

 

[CT_Bev&Jeff]

Thank you Lisa-upnorth for your anniversary wishes!

I will check Hertz at Kiss station. The rates at Orlando Station were about 3 times Advantage. I do not look forward to taking a taxi to the airport just to get a rental, and then doing the same thing on the way back. So TipOtheHat to you for that also!

And we just got our power back on from the storm this weekend, so wooo-hooo for that too!

CT_Jeff

 

[torinsmom]

First time we took the train, we got a rental from the closest Enterprise and they picked us up. Last summer, I discovered that the Enterprise location ten minutes away had rates about $50 cheaper, so we took a cab for $20 over to that one.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Jeff-Happy Anniversary!!
Glad you love the train!! I agree it is part of the vacation to be enjoyed
For the car rental-did you check Hertz out of the Kiss. train station??? They did good by me when I used them and it was nice getting off the train and being on my way to Disney in 5 minutes

We always get off and board at the Kissimmee station, and have never seen any Hertz Rental....I know there's one in the general area, but is it within walking distance of the station? I've seen Enterprise come to Kissimmee.....we use a car service since we don't drive while at WDW but am curious....

 

[kerstfan1]

how is the train coming from the philly area to orlando

i might be visiting the lancaster area first and then with the train to florida

 

[lisa-upnorth]

We always get off and board at the Kissimmee station, and have never seen any Hertz Rental....I know there's one in the general area, but is it within walking distance of the station? I've seen Enterprise come to Kissimmee.....we use a car service since we don't drive while at WDW but am curious....

Pepe you are RIGHT! I meant to say the Orlando station has the Hertz right in it!

 

[pepe of ohio]

how is the train coming from the philly area to orlando

i might be visiting the lancaster area first and then with the train to florida

Hi, we used to go to Philly station but our pick up point (station closed a few years ago and now our closest station, Alliance Ohio, goes to DC....We liked the Philly station, not as big as DC, alot less stores but we had a shorter layover in Philly (miss Philly alot)

As for the trip south, either train is great (but some disagree) we usually go coach, but have snagged a roomette a time or two on board....coach is very doable for one night....just pack a blanket...gets cold with the A/C on the train, we pack lunches, drinks and snacks (train food is quite good but pricey and we don't like to leave our electronics in the coach car nor take them with us to the dining car) so we munch our way south dining in our seats (club car serves some hand foods fairly decent) wife fetches for the both of us....just remember that taking the train is an adventure...they run late sometimes, can be a few noisey people on board....I take a sleep eye mask and earplugs to ward off the flashing lights and noisy peoplle....earphone for all electronics (Ipods, DVD players, computers etc) and lights out at 10 pm usually.....we enjoy the experience...hope you do to...

 

[kerstfan1]

Hi, we used to go to Philly station but our pick up point (station closed a few years ago and now our closest station, Alliance Ohio, goes to DC....We liked the Philly station, not as big as DC, alot less stores but we had a shorter layover in Philly (miss Philly alot)

As for the trip south, either train is great (but some disagree) we usually go coach, but have snagged a roomette a time or two on board....coach is very doable for one night....just pack a blanket...gets cold with the A/C on the train, we pack lunches, drinks and snacks (train food is quite good but pricey and we don't like to leave our electronics in the coach car nor take them with us to the dining car) so we munch our way south dining in our seats (club car serves some hand foods fairly decent) wife fetches for the both of us....just remember that taking the train is an adventure...they run late sometimes, can be a few noisey people on board....I take a sleep eye mask and earplugs to ward off the flashing lights and noisy peoplle....earphone for all electronics (Ipods, DVD players, computers etc) and lights out at 10 pm usually.....we enjoy the experience...hope you do to...

ty for your tips

train rides are normal here but i have never been on one in the us did an overnight to prague but never doing that again