AutoTrain - use it to get there or to get back?

[magpomom]

We had our hopes pinned on good prices on SW to get down to Disney World this November, but the prices just aren't in the budget. So now we're driving, which is something we had considered doing all along, but first wanted to see what kind of deals there might be on flights (HA!).

I've always loved car trips, and I'm kind of excited about driving... but DH is concerned about making the long trip both down and back, just in terms of exhaustion for us making the drive. So we're looking into taking the Auto Train for one of the legs, to at least cut down on some of the actual driving we're doing. It might take longer than making the drive commando-style, but at least someone else is doing the driving for you on a big portion of the trip. And I know the kids will be thrilled to get on a train.

My question is, in your opinion, would it be better for us to take it on our way down to FL or on the way back up? I can see pros and cons for both - getting a chance to relax before the trip so we can hit the ground running, so to speak... or knowing we won't have that long drive after a busy week there. The price difference is about $40 right now - cheaper to get down there than to get back up - but that isn't a major factor in the decision.

I'd love to hear any thoughts on what would work best and be the best use of the train. Thanks!

 

[jodifla]

I'd use it to go back. I love the Auto Train, but don't sleep that well on it. So I'd drive down, stay at a hotel overnight along the way, but let someone else do the driving on the way back. (My son sleeps perfectly on the train, though!)

 

[chartle]

I'm also from Pittsburgh, north boroughs area, and we took the Autotrain down to in Aug 08 and planned on taking it back but a little tropical storm got in our way.

This May we are planning on driving both ways.

But here's my thought. If you drive and take two days to get there with a hotel stop and split the driving in both days you are going to get into WDW in the afternoon. Still leaving your house around 8-9 AM on the first day.

With the Autotrain you are scheduled in at 9:00 and once you get your car and with no delays you are in WDW midmorning, have almost a full day and haven't been driving. Just don't fool your self into thinking you are going to get a full nights rest on the train so you should still make your first day a light day but its still better than getting out of a car that you have been in for hours and starting to tour.

If you drive straight through and leave early the first day you could be into WDW late that night but early next morning but I'm not sure if you will be in good shape for the day.

When we drove back, we didn't get started until about 11:00 am drove until 9:30 PM ish and then started out the next day around 8:30 or so but didn't rush to get home and ate at Cracker Barrel instead of speeding through a FF window.

Our plan for may is to drive about 12 hours that first day which gets us just a little north of Jacksonville. Spend the night and then have a short day into WDW and maybe do Epcot WS that night.

How do you plan to drive? Also we only had 2 teenagers who needed to finish their summer reading so it was pretty quite on the way back.

 

[magpomom]

Our kids will be 5 and 2 when we make the trip, and I can't even fathom taking a 12 hour drive with them during the daytime. So our plan for the way down was/is to leave at night, drive while the kids sleep (take turns) drive maybe 12 to 14 hours, stop somewhere in early afternoon, check into a hotel and take it easy for the rest of the day, finish the last part of the trip the next morning.

The plan for the way back was to be a little more leisurely, perhaps stretch it out over two nights. My feeling was that we'd be so excited to get down there that the long frontloaded drive might be more doable on the way down than back. Then take our time on the way back and extend the vacation a little.

What I like about the Auto Train is just what you said, we're still getting there in roughly the same time, from start to stop, only we didn't drive the vast majority of it.

If we subbed in the auto train for one of those drives, I think we'd probably stick to the same plan - commando down, auto train back, or auto train down, leisurely back. Just read that back and it sounds kind of weird.

 

[bob_and_mary]

We are leaving Saturday morning from Pittsburgh and taking the Auto Train both ways. It will be our first time to try it, but if I had to pick one way or the other, I would opt for the train on the way down. We typically don't get to Disney until mid afternoon the 2nd day when we drive, so the train gets us there at least at the same time. I guess I will have a better thought in a couple of weeks.

 

[jasko5990]

My wife & I took the Auto Train round trip in 2008 for our anniversary trip, even though we almost always drive straight through for the 15-16 hour trip. Our arrival in Florida was delayed by three hours because a large storm caused a tree to fall onto one of the bridges the train had to cross. The later than planned arrival cost us a lunch reservation at a nice restaurant, and our massage appointment at one of the spas. There were no problems on the return trip. We were able to leave the resort much later than we do when we drive, and we both felt much better after arriving home compared to how we feel after driving home.

If we don't plan on stopping for a few nights as a vacation extension on our way home, we will now take the Auto Train home every time. We will never take it down again.

 

[Sadie22]

We like to take different modes of transportation when we travel and have never taken the Auto Train before. We are using it for the trip down because the last time I drove a long distance I got a pinched nerve in my right foot. So this way there is no chance of that spoiling the Disney visit. We are going to spend a couple days at the Kennedy Space Center and then plan to visit some family on the drive back.

 

[fsmith2845]

Just curious but how much does the auto train really cost?? I've looked into it before, but it seemed to be quite costly to do the autotrain, however, maybe i'm double ticketing myself.. (there woudl be 4 of us going down..

 

[jasko5990]

Just curious but how much does the auto train really cost?? I've looked into it before, but it seemed to be quite costly to do the autotrain, however, maybe i'm double ticketing myself.. (there woudl be 4 of us going down..

The cost depends what type of vehicle you have and whether or not you want to ride coach or in one of the three types of sleeper rooms. It can be expensive. Last year I priced, but did not book, a return trip for two adults and two teenagers younger than 16 years, with two bedrooms and an oversized vehicle. It was over $1000. If we would have stayed in coach the price would have been around $600.

 

[kmvand1]

We leave Tuesday for our third adventure on the Auto Train (my husband HATES it) and driving home, well my daughter and I are driving home. We will be breaking the trip up with a stop at Myrtle Beach, my husband and son will be flying home. Don't plan on sleeping if you are in a regular coach car, people are up and down the aisles all night, talking, etc. and the doors are loud when they open and close between the train cars. We try to rest up when we get to the hotel.

 

[disneysnob]

A few years back we drove down and took the autotrain back. We did not have a good experience. It was our first time of doing it. We got delayed on our way to VA beacuse of rainstorms/track usage (I guess freight trains have priority), and who knows what else. There were 5 of us in coach, and they seemed to seat all families in the same car. Forget about sleeping, there were babies crying, people walking the aisles, train noises......
We were supposed to arrive in Lorton, I believe at 8:30am but didn't get there until 3:00pm. It seemed like we'd move about 10 feet, then stop for 45min-1 hour, then roll along, then stop.......There was nothing worse than sitting on a stopped train in the middle of nowhere and looking out and seeing cars flying by on the highway. Needless to say, we prefer driving both ways.