Amtrak

[QTPie7375]

Anyone ever taken Amtrak from the Northeast to Orlando? We have three little ones, from 1 year to 6 years old and the oldest is not to excited about flying. We have driven before and it is not ideal (that is putting it nicely!) Can someone please tell me the pros and cons of train travel...I am also curious how we would get from the train station to the resort. Would definitely be a tight squeeze with all of us. Thanks!

 

[DanBoris]

Anyone ever taken Amtrak from the Northeast to Orlando? We have three little ones, from 1 year to 6 years old and the oldest is not to excited about flying. We have driven before and it is not ideal (that is putting it nicely!) Can someone please tell me the pros and cons of train travel...I am also curious how we would get from the train station to the resort. Would definitely be a tight squeeze with all of us. Thanks!

I have taken the train from Philly to Orlando a couple times and we really enjoy it. The pros are probably obvious, mainly that someone else is doing the driving. You also don't have to worry about planning, or making emergency stops on your trip to each or use the restroom since these are available whenever you want.

As for the cons, the biggest would probably be sleeping in coach seats if you aren't willing to get a sleeper. On the northeast trains you can get a family suite which are designed to accomodate 4 adults and should work ok for 2 adults and 3 children, but you are going to pay a good bit extra for that. On the plus side, if you get the room the meals are included. Food on the train can be a little expensive but you can always bring at least some of your own food and drinks if you like.

Getting from the station to the resort we usually get a town car service. Most of these services offer different sized vehicles so you can get one that will accomodate the size of your family.

 

[Greysword]

The biggest difference between train and flying may be price. If you can afford the plane with a large family, I would try to convince the eldest that it is a better way to go mainly due to the time considerations. It will still take days on the train to get to Orlando, where the plane is a few hours away.

 

[lisa-upnorth]

please check out my amtrak thread for lots of discussion/info on this subject

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Trains don't always run on time. Take a look at the train status to get an idea of how late the trains arrival can be.

 

[QTPie7375]

Trains don't always run on time. Take a look at the train status to get an idea of how late the trains arrival can be.

Forgive me if this is a dumb question but how can I check the train status? I remember we took the train once years ago and, you make a good point, it did arrive in Florida very late!

 

[HoosierDisneyDad]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question but how can I check the train status? I remember we took the train once years ago and, you make a good point, it did arrive in Florida very late!

You can check the status by going to Amtrak's website and clicking on Status.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

Subjecting a 1 year old to around 24 hours (NY to WDW)on a train sounds pretty cruel...to him/her and the other passengers. Yes, you can get up and move around, but you cant go outside and hit a playground.

Train travel can be nice if you're looking to take your time and enjoy the adventure. But its not a great form of transportation...it takes more time than a car and is often just as expensive as a plane.

A fear of flying is not a virtue...it can be quite limiting, so maybe this is the opportunity to try to nurture that away.

A compromise could be the auto train from the DC area...its about 10 hours less travel time, a good part over night. You get on in the afternoon, settle in and check things out, eat a meal, go to bed, and you wake up at WDW. But it is not cheap.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I couldn't imagine letting a 6 year old decide the method of travel; train travel unfortunately is too slow for me to even consider.

 

[chartle]

1. Anyone ever taken Amtrak from the Northeast to Orlando? We have three little ones, from 1 year to 6 years old and the oldest is not to excited about flying. We have driven before and it is not ideal (that is putting it nicely!)

2. Can someone please tell me the pros and cons of train travel...

3. I am also curious how we would get from the train station to the resort. Would definitely be a tight squeeze with all of us. Thanks!

1. It would depend on what you mean by Northeast and it would depend on how long of a layover you would have in DC or Philly. I looked once at a trip from Cleveland that was 36 hours.

2. See all other replies.

3. You would have to arrange for a sedan, a rental car and there is a mears shuttle.

 

[lovin'fl]

We took the autotrain in Sept 2007, coming back from a cruise out of Port Canaveral. We drove down for the cruise and paid $900 to autotrain back (MIL paid for it and insisted we do it, she was afraid we'd be too tired driving back and get in an accident or something). It was about 17.5 hours from Sanford, FL to Lorton, VA (live near Baltimore)...we got a family cabin that was supposed to accommodate 5 (our kids were 10, 8 and 8). It was VERY tight and uncomfortable. We barely slept, it was SO loud and bumpy. There is no TV, cable or internet ANYWHERE on the train (wasn't in 2007). We had a simple dinner and sat in our cabin and watched out the window, played games, read...etc. If our kids were younger it would have been a nightmare keeping them occupied and happy.

We are actually looking into the train for our Dec/Xmas trip since flying is looking like it will cost about $400+/person. We would not waste $$ on a family cabin, but would just hang in the coach seats (my kids are all teens now). Don't think we'll bring the car either...though we may if the price isn't too bad (always nice to have a car at WDW).

An FYI, AAA gets you a discount. Just checked for our trip...leave 4pm and arrive about 9:30am. Round trip in coach seats for our dates with our car is $1467 with the AAA discount (about $120 off). It's about $867 for round trip on train (no car/autotrain) from DC to Orlando.

 

[Pooh2]

Forgive me if this is a dumb question but how can I check the train status? I remember we took the train once years ago and, you make a good point, it did arrive in Florida very late!

We had a plane layover for an unexpected 8 hours once on the way home from WDW with 3 little ones. Things happen. I would not let that deter me from taking the train.

A good compromise might be the autotrain. Then you can load up the car with everything you need (strollers and baby gear might be a pain to lug on the plane or regular train) and not worry about getting a rental car on the other end. You would have your own car seats and car to get to the parks as well. Just be prepared with what you need for the night on the train, toys, diapers, snacks.

We found it to be a relaxing way to travel and enjoyed meeting new people on the train.

Sometimes the kids find the travel just as adventuresome as the trip! Have fun!

 

[chartle]

We had a plane layover for an unexpected 8 hours once on the way home from WDW with 3 little ones. Things happen. I would not let that deter me from taking the train.

A good compromise might be the autotrain. Then you can load up the car with everything you need (strollers and baby gear might be a pain to lug on the plane or regular train) and not worry about getting a rental car on the other end. You would have your own car seats and car to get to the parks as well. Just be prepared with what you need for the night on the train, toys, diapers, snacks.

We found it to be a relaxing way to travel and enjoyed meeting new people on the train.

Sometimes the kids find the travel just as adventuresome as the trip! Have fun!

Yes while I can't fathom a 24 hour train trip, the autotrain was nice. You can pack every little cubby with stuff and it's your car.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I couldn't imagine letting a 6 year old decide the method of travel; train travel unfortunately is too slow for me to even consider.

Absolutely! The parent should be making travel decisions. A train trip that long with three kids sounds like a nightmare to me. It can also be more expensive than flying!

 

[goofy4tink]

There is no way I would do the train with little ones unless I had booked a room. There is no way those kids are going to be able to sleep in a coach seat. AND...they are going to get bored, quickly. There's just not all that much to see. And it takes a fair amount of time out of the vacation. And? It's not cheap to get a room on the train.
I would just fly. Sometimes we have to do things we aren't all that comfy with. Unless there is a huge reason the 6 y/o can't fly, I would book air vs a train ride.

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

We took Amtrak from Philly for the first time on March 28th. We were lucky, our train was only about 15 minutes late. It took just a little over 20 hours.

We did the seats only, not a sleeper. DS6 was able to get comfortable enough to sleep; however, IMHO, the seats are not comfortable enough for an average size adult to sleep.

For us, it beats driving (barely), but does not come close to the convenience of flying. DS6 tolerated it well, but I'd hesitate to bring younger children.

 

[mdinme]

Longtime railroad employee here. Don't do it. Too expensive, too long, likely delayed.

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

Longtime railroad employee here. Don't do it. Too expensive, too long, likely delayed.

I'll disagree with you on this, I think it depends on when you travel. We were able to purchase 4 one-way tickets (ticket for DS6 was half-price) for $400 total. The airfare for Easter weekend was MUCH more expensive.

Yes, it took much longer than flying, and I would still prefer to fly, but it wasn't all that bad. And in the end, we were only about 15 minutes late.