has anyone ever taken the train from ny-fl?

[stahshee]

It seems that I can save about 800$ to take a train from ny -fl however I am really not crazy on it any imput would be great. I am taveling with my dh and 4 kids

 

[OKW Lover]

How long will the train take compared to flying? Can you afford to miss that much vacation time in the parks?

 

[vacation dreamer]

It seems that I can save about 800$ to take a train from ny -fl however I am really not crazy on it any imput would be great. I am taveling with my dh and 4 kids

If you have the time that's great. The Autotrain has a better time record than Amtrak. Be prepared for delays. If you take the train will you need to rent a car? If you do than it will not be saving you as much as you think it will.

 

[stahshee]

I will still need to rent a car regardless of flying or train. I have looked in to air fair that was a still out of my price range and cutting into my vacation time.

 

[ParrotBill]

We took the train once. It's a long ride. I really like trains so I did not mind much... but the seats seemed to get uncomfortable after a while. Get up and go to the club car once in a while to stretch. 4 kids will need lots of things to do to avoid serious boredom. I can see why you can't find an air deal that works for 6 compared to the train. Did you consider driving? We do that now if we are going for longer than a week. Cars have a 12V outlet for DVD players and music players... trains still have a lot of old cars with no power! You can pack a cooler and switch off drivers often to avoid fatique. And car seats recline farther than train seats for naps. But you can walk around and no driving fatigue on trains. Tough call, but we find we the flexibility with driving is better now. Get a good set of maps before you go in case of a big traffic jam on an interstate.

 

[Andrew_Lubow]

I've done Amtrak Coach from Newark, NJ to Orlando several times. I like it but for some train travel is an aquired taste. If you travel by coach you'll be in a car with aprox 50 seats that's climate controlled. If you're used to airline coach seats you'll find Amtrak's seats much wider with a legrest that pulls out similar to a lounge seat when you need to relax or sleep. In the seatback in front of you is a drop down tray. Sometimes there's a 110 volt socket built into the train wall if you're in a newer car. Handy if you bring a DVD etc. Just keep in mind you'll need a surge protector sometimes since there's only electricity while the train's in motion. Bathrooms? One handicapped and one tiny regular one per car. Their cleanliness? Well that depends on the people in your car unfortunately. I've had trips where they were clean throughout the trip and some rides were they weren't. They are cleaned a bit along the route but not to the same degree as they are when the train leaves New York City. Shower? No, only the passengers in the sleeper cars have access to a small stall. Food? The train will have a dining car with several seatings a meal (you can ADR a time to eat when the train is moving) and a lounge car for light meals and drinks. Can you bring your own food? Yes there's no problem with that. Amtrak won't store your food tho so plan less perishable items. Smoking? None, only on station platforms. Can you sleep on a train? Yes, I find it easy but keep in mind the train rocks and there is some railnoise. Also the train makes stops in the middle of the night to pick up passengers. Luckily as your seat is assigned the conductors try to keep people going to the same destination in the same car so disturbance is minimized at night. Lights out for sleeping in the coach is between 9-10PM. You'll have a personal light overhead that's adequate for reading if you want to. The coach car is open till about 2 AM. About the only thing you should be careful of is the train's rocking while your walking in it. It'll take a short time to get your sea legs.

Other things: If you get off at the Orlando Hertz does rent cars but you'll be bussed offsite to their lot. If you want to use a towncar service prearrange the meeting. Since FL Tours is the sponsor here contact them first to see if they service the Orlando Amtrak Station. If not Florida Towncar does as well as Happy Limo. The Orlando Station is an older one but maintained with a large airconditioned waiting room, bathrooms. and vending machines. If you used baggage check at your place of departure baggage claim is at the end of the platform.

Here's some pictures of the Orlando Station. The top photos are the station you'll be using in Orlando. The Atlantic Coast Line one is decomissioned and part of Church Street Station now.
http://snow.prohosting.com/usarail/orlando.htm