Convince me to take the auto train..

[huggiebear23]

I'm coming from NY and it will be me an my 2dd 8&10 meeting my dh ( he has a conference the week before). Is it worth it to take the auto train? Or should I drive? This is my first time driving I'm kinda excited about it. Dh is nervous about it and is concerned about the wear and tear on the car.

Opinions please

 

[happily single]

I've never taken the AutoTrain so maybe my opinion doesn't count, but I have looked into it. It is very expensive in my opinion. Not only that, but you would still need to drive to Virgina as I beleive that is the only station that boards vehicles. Then there is the whole schedule. If I remember correctly, the auto train only departs on ceratin days. Finally, Once you get on the train you need to stay on the train, the whole time.

With driving you can stop here and there to take a break. And you are on your own schedule.

 

[tina.tina]

When I checked for myself, the autotrain was more expensive than flying.

 

[njhockeymom]

I have taken the auto train twice with my DS who is now 10. I live in NJ and the drive to VA is only about 3 1/2 hours. Once you board the train and get settled in, you are then called to dinner. After dinner you can either go into the club car and watch a movie or, as most people have ipads or some other electronic device, you can just play games until you are ready to go to sleep. It isn't the greatest way to travel but it isn't the most horrible way either. I actually enjoy traveling this way as opposed to driving since you can at least rest. What ever way you decide to go, at least your final destination will be a happy one!!

 

[lpizzuro123]

We also live in NJ and have taken the autotrain many times. We love it. We are two adults - no children - although we did take the autotrain with my stepson many years ago when he was 9.

You need to get to the autotrain station in Lorton, VA - right outside of Washington before 2:00 to get your car loaded. The train leaves at 4:00. There are generally 3 dinner times, 5:30, 7:30 or 9:30 unless the train is not crowded then they do not have the last dinner time.

When the train leaves you can walk around, there is a lounge car where you can play games. There are outlets by each of the coach seats so you can keep you electronics charged. We generally take our laptop or mini DVD player and watch movies or read.

We usually try for the 7:30 dinner. They have free snacks out when you board and after dinner they put our cookies and fruit. Dinner is included - in the dining car and it is usually pretty good.

We generally try to fall asleep around 11:00 and if the train is running on time it is scheduled to get in by 8:00 or 9:00 in the morning. They start serving breakfast around 6:00 back in the dining car.

You get off the train in Sanford, FL - which is about 45 minutes of Orlando.

Linda

 

[huggiebear23]

Thanks Linda!! I hate being constricted.. One daughter wants the train one doesn't.. My longest drive was 10 hours. So i was thinking an extra 18 would be ok. We are in Long Island. My mom who is a travel agent says we need to boom early in order to get a good rate.. Decisions decisions!!

 

[chartle]

I've never taken the AutoTrain so maybe my opinion doesn't count, but I have looked into it.

1. It is very expensive in my opinion.

2. Not only that, but you would still need to drive to Virgina as I beleive that is the only station that boards vehicles.

3. Then there is the whole schedule. If I remember correctly, the auto train only departs on ceratin days.

4. Finally, Once you get on the train you need to stay on the train, the whole time.

With driving you can stop here and there to take a break. And you are on your own schedule.

1. Can be if you get a room. Expence is relitive.

2. Correct it only runs between Virginia and Florida. Leaves around 4:00 gets in around 9 the next morning.

3. It runs every day.

4. Once on the train is all break. You can walk around see a movie, etc.

 

[magicaddict]

If driving from NY you'd have to stop overnight somewhere since you'd be the only driver. While the train ride takes longer than it would for me to drive the same distance I enjoy the trip much better because I can relax. We've done coach a couple times and booked roomettes once. We loved the privacy and quiet of the sleeper car but if you don't want to spend the extra money it's not horrible in coach. Our first trip my son was 9 or 10 and he quickly figured out how to go back and forth to the lounge car and bathroom by himself and I felt comfortable with him moving around by himself. My husband has said he'll never drive to FL again - it's either plane or train.

 

[lpizzuro123]

If driving from NY you'd have to stop overnight somewhere since you'd be the only driver. While the train ride takes longer than it would for me to drive the same distance I enjoy the trip much better because I can relax. We've done coach a couple times and booked roomettes once. We loved the privacy and quiet of the sleeper car but if you don't want to spend the extra money it's not horrible in coach. Our first trip my son was 9 or 10 and he quickly figured out how to go back and forth to the lounge car and bathroom by himself and I felt comfortable with him moving around by himself. My husband has said he'll never drive to FL again - it's either plane or train.

Not sure if you would have to stay overnight if coming from LI. Your drive should be about 6 hours (depending where you are on LI).

You can work around the cars, the lounge car is fun and they usually try to put families with kids in the same cars so you kids will meet other kids on the way to FL.

Linda

 

[monorailsilver]

Ask me in 9 weeks since we should be past Newark at this point!

I have never taken the AT so I don't know. I have heard good and bad.

My sister moved to Florida about 1 1/2 years ago. Yay! I'd much rather visit her there then GA & KY where she previously lived.

Last April we went to visit her. April vacation= $$$$$ flights. So I knew we would fly as it is the 5 us us, dh and 3 kids. Dh and I had driven from CT to various places in the mid west/south. I think the farthest was St. Louis or Pontiac, MI in his fiero so I knew the drive was possible.

What I didn't realize was that we have added 15 years to our age and while the drive was possible it wasn't as exciting...um..romantic..a worthwhile end...meaning..we weren't married, had no kids, didn't live together so a hotel room with just us...well you know.

I checked flights up until days before we left for some thing cheap. I did find a fairly cheap flight out of JFK and my dh wasn't to thrilled with that option!

So we drove...and drove...and drove.... Ok it wasn't that bad at first. Lots of things to see as we drove into NY, over the GW, down the NJT..oh look there is Where the orioles play, there is DC and then...traffic south of DC for miles.

We got off thanks to the google traffic map and took route 1 for a few miles. Then it was smooth sailing...well boring sailing sic ec all we saw were southern lines. Look to the right there they were look to the left...yep there they were.

My kids really got Andy asking how many more miles/hours til we were out of those states-VA/NC/SC/GA.

We left CT at 6am to beat the rush hour traffic. We left from my moms since she is 1/2 from the NY line/westchester. We were over the GW by 7, first rest stop (actually 2nd on the NJT) shortly there after, thru DC around 11 or so. Stopped for a pee break and grabbed our lunch in Va and then hit the traffic.

We only made it to santee, SC that first day. I want to say it was close to 10pm and my dh as were the rest of us, were tired. We left that next am at about 6:30 and made to Orlando at about noon. I can't remember the exact time we hit the Disney area but it was shortly after that.

I want to say the way home was much better if you can believe that. We saw tons of gray patches (FYI..I am gray at 42...) going north so it was nice to actually see people on that drive and it made the drive almost quicker. We did it in 2 nights though. The first night we went from ft. Myers...dinner in DtD and then Jacksonville for the night. The next night JAX to just south of DC, then the next day home.

So have I convinced you to take the AT yet? I really don't know.

The reason we are taking it this year and most likely next year too...is that our April vacation ends on Easter. So while, April flights are normally expensive, add Easter into that and it is worse! Multiply that by 5. I am looking for my mom and the cheapest I found was in the $500 range. We paid just under $1900 RT with rooms and car for the AT. Flights would of been around $3500 plus we would need to rent a car.

So basically, look to see how much flights are. Which is cheaper. Look at one way flights and renting a car one way. This way you would only have to do half the drive.

For us it is a cost factor vs flying. Plus the drive was long. Will we be tired, I am sure but we won't be as tired as the drive and we can stand up and move if we feel like it.

 

[WDWLODGE]

From a financial point here's how I've looked at it. We are a family of 4. We always drive or take the Autotrain. If we flew we would need to rent a car for 2 weeks which would really drive our cost up. We are in Pittsburgh and 1,000 miles from WDW. However we always start our trip with a visit to my in-laws, who are an hour south of Tampa, if driving we always get a room in Jacksonville.

We drive a Honda Ridgeline. Our fuel expenses to WDW are about $200, hotel $100, meals $50, wear & tear($0.337 mile) $340 for a total of $690.

Coach class on the Autotrain for us right now would be about $500, fuel to Lorton and WDW $60, wear & tear $100 for a total of $660.

So from a cost standpoint for us there is not much of a difference if we travel coach.

 

[tina.tina]

Maybe these are silly questions but something that I wondered is do you HAVE to have a room with kids? How is it to sleep in coach? I was thinking DH & I should take turns sleeping since DS8 would wake up & just go venturing on his own. He's fearless when it comes to strangers.

 

[huggiebear23]

Thanks for all the replies. Decisions, Decisions

 

[chartle]

Maybe these are silly questions but something that I wondered is do you HAVE to have a room with kids? How is it to sleep in coach? I was thinking DH & I should take turns sleeping since DS8 would wake up & just go venturing on his own. He's fearless when it comes to strangers.

Of course you don't NEED a room. You could put him in the window seat and with the seat reclined he would pretty much have to crawl over you to escape.

 

[kandb]

We have taken the autotrain twice round trip. If you get a bedroom, it is not that bad. If you are just going to get the seats, it is torturous in my opinion. We live in NJ and are a family of 5. None of us slept when we had the seats the one time we did not get a bedroom. It was the longest night in the world. Many families around us (in coach) said the same thing. It was a tough night. I would Never do coach again. Now we just fly, it is so much easier and is a bit cheaper.

 

[dissupermom]

coach seats are not "terrible". granted, it's not the best, but it's doable. I had a sleeper going across country and I found that very uncomfortable. the only good thing were the bathrooms.
all my experiences on the AT have been positive. even when it's announced that the train may be full, I've been able to get an empty seat so we each have our own. with a pillow and blanket from home, we make it work. once I find that comfy spot and sleep, I'm okay!