Auto Train Bedroom Suite - anyone with any input/thoughts/recommendations?

[MikeF;NJ]

When I took the AT last year (business class), I chose my seating when I checked in inside the station. I can't imagine the sleeper cars choosing/getting assigned dining seatings later than that. (Procedure was: drive to station, stop at car booth and get magnetic number attached to car, proceed to station door, de-car and take my carry-ons with me, go to check-in desk in station and receive boarding pass and choose seating for dining, then wait for boarding call.)

 

[RedSox68]

When I took the AT last year (business class), I chose my seating when I checked in inside the station. I can't imagine the sleeper cars choosing/getting assigned dining seatings later than that. (Procedure was: drive to station, stop at car booth and get magnetic number attached to car, proceed to station door, de-car and take my carry-ons with me, go to check-in desk in station and receive boarding pass and choose seating for dining, then wait for boarding call.)

Unfortunately, the Amtrak we are taking in December from Palatka, FL does not even have a train "station" - just a platform. So I guess our "check in" will be once onboard and hope that we can get decent dining time.

 

[MikeF;NJ]

Yeah, I'm not familiar with Amtrak's Silver service lines. (And we're drifting a bit from this thread's questions about the Auto Train.) You may get better help if you start a separate thread and specifically mention the line you're taking about in the title.

 

[RedSox68]

Yeah, I'm not familiar with Amtrak's Silver service lines. (And we're drifting a bit from this thread's questions about the Auto Train.) You may get better help if you start a separate thread and specifically mention the line you're taking about in the title.

Just making an observation about the dining times and how to get them. Thought it was part of the thought process. I'll leave it at that.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

We just booked a bedroom suite on the Autotrain in August, it will be me, DH, DS4, DS7 and our 6 month old twins. I was just wondering if anyone had information on this bedroom or has ridden in one? I can't find much info online, and I did try to look through the autotrain thread but a lot of that is years old and I didn't know what things might have changed or have time to read it all. Originally we were going to book a family bedroom but when I called to ask a few questions I also asked if there were any of bedroom suites on the autotrain and the agent said yes and gave us a price that was actually lower than the family bedroom price was online. i don't know what a good price would be, in fact I don't really understand the pricing. Do you pay something per each person and then pay an additional price for the bedroom? All I know is that my DH was not willing to attempt to fly with 2 infants and 2 other kids, and if we drove we would have had to stop to feed the babies frequently (which is a production in itself) and it would have taken forever to get there from NW PA, so we thought the autotrain was a great solution. Are the showers decent? Why are there 2 toilets for one small suite? How big it it actually - it sounds big from the description but I thought the roomettes sounded decent and from reading the autotrain thread I get the impression they are tiny! So any info, hints, suggestions, etc will be very helpful. I don't really know what to expect and am kind of nervous with all of the unknown, but I didn't want to miss out on Disney this year and this was the way we were able to make it work for us all. So as of now we are booked in the bedroom Suite each way with our SUV and priority unloading each way. I'm hoping it will be kind of fun and an adventure and feel like just a longer vacation instead of an annoyingly long way to get to Disney and back! Am I being overly hopeful?

We have taken the auto train many times, and we do the en-suited bedroom suite. It is basically two bedroom suites that has the door /wall open in the middle to make one big suite. Up unitl 2014 there used to be a wine and cheese and milk/cookies/soda/water spread from 3 to 4 in the lounge car, but they got rid of that in 2014 due to government cut backs. we are taking it again this year. It beats driving IMO, but you really do not get a great night sleep - the kids sleep great though. I bring cleaning supplies and clean the bathroom -but i am a germophobe. The rooms are good size; however, once the bed is turned down, the room becomes quite small. Priority unloading is something new they have added as well, I have it getting home, going down there we are not in a big hurry so I did not bother. Bring a portable DVD player, or Ipad, extra snacks ect. They used to offer a movie on the train - not sure if they still do. First time we took it , my kids were 4 and 6 - they loved it, and still do they are now 17 and 19....

 

[dvc lover 1970]

I took a shower on the AT in both directions.....I need that am shower to feel fresh too!

The way down, I took one in the room, I wanted to try it and thought it would be neat to take a shower in my room. Well it was a tight fit, water came out of the shower and into the room so the floor was damp but we were getting off so it didn't matter much.

The return we had a family bedroom so I used the shared shower on the lower level which was HUGe! If I ever took the AT again, I would use that shower. And I wore flip flops onto the train so I just wore those same ones in the shower, they dry quick enough.

Wow!! I have never even attempted a shower in the bedroom suite as it is such a tight fit! I never thought of the shared shower. I agree it must refresh you as I always feel gross the next morning. We took the AT this past trip and needed two cabins for the four of us going down.