Some AUTOTRAIN Advice

[jjsmom]

For adults and families with older children...

We found out (the hard way) last month that all families traveling with children (no matter the age) are all together in the same car. We have since nicknamed it the "nursery car". Please understand, I am a mom. I LOVE kids. But, my child is 10 1/2 yrs old. I don't think we should have been put in the same car with infants and toddlers, especially on an overnight trip. So, if you have kids, say 8 & over I guess, ask the res. or check in agent to put you & your family somewhere else. You will have a more comfortable & quiet trip.

I should also add that this was our first Autotrain trip (one way return from Sanford) and we would not hesitate to do it again.

And yes, I do plan to complain to Amtrak about this issue (I am NOT a chronic complainer, but this issue needs attention).

 

[lookingforward]

I totally agree with you! I have a 3 year old and a 9 & 12 year old so for me the baby car would be appropriate, BUT, if I were traveling with just my two older kids I think we would all go crazy there! My two boys are very well behaved and quiet, as are most children that age. Let me know how your complaint goes.

 

[jjsmom]

Hi Lookingforward!...

Just thought you would be interested in the outcome of my "issue". I wrote an email to Amtrak last Sunday expressing my complaint and letting them know I wasn't looking for a freebie, I just needed to let them know our trip was not as pleasant as it should have been.

Anyway, today I received a call from a very nice, patient lady in their cust. relations dept. She was very apologetic and understanding. She explained that it is very difficult to seat families with children because some folks (namely elderly travelers) do not want to be in the car with children of ANY age, including teens. She says they hear complaints from childless travelers concerning [older] kids with hand held video games, loud music, etc. Therefore, they try to group ALL children together, regardless of age, into the same car. The point is, next time we travel via Autotrain must specifically ask to be placed in a different car than the babies or will automatically be placed in the "kiddie" car.

I'll be happy to answer any other questions.

 

[lookingforward]

Thanks Jjsmom! I don't agree with that, kids are people too! But most likely when I am 65 I'll want some peace and quiet too! lol.

 

[Patricia]

My family and I are traveling to Orlando in June via the Autotrain for the first time. I was wondering if you have any other advice for the trip. I am looking forward to the new experience but I am a bit concerned about getting any sleep at all. We are in coach seating and there are 6 of us. My husband, myself, my 16 year old dd and her friend, my 12 year old ddd and my 6 year old son. Any hints would be appreciated.

 

[jjsmom]

Hi Patricia, here are some suggestions to getting a good night's sleep in the coach compartment. First of all, we brought along our own pillows and blankets from home. The Autotrain pillows are very tiny and thin. The blankets are OK, but they feel kind of "rough" and you just don't know how often they are changed. Next, at the suggestion of some Autotrain vets, we purchased a neck pillow for each of us. We found these at the Walgreens near WDW (if I remember correctly it's located near Osceola Pkwy & Rt. 192). I'm so glad we bought these! They were great even when we weren't sleeping. Next, dress comfortably! My daughter & I wore leggings and sweatshirts.

I think it all depends your sleeping habits. If you can only sleep in a bed in a dark room, then you probably won't get a good night's sleep on the train.

Also, our train was only half full. I suspect you won't rest well if the train is full.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Mskanga]

Hi!
We are contemplating taking autotrain in december for our trip and I was wondering, since the accomodations in the train are quite more expensive than flying, how was it going coach? are the seats comfortable enough? do they recline and if so how far? how many people to the car? it's four of us going ( 2 adults and 2 kids ) and I don't know how that would go. Any information would be appreciated , thanks !

 

[jjsmom]

Hi Mskanga,
I'll try to answer some of your questions. First of all, the seats do recline almost (not quite) completely horizontal. They are very comfortable. As I said before, your comfort level will depend on 1) your sleeping habits in general 2) amount of noise on the train 3) your overall physical health. For example, my father in law has had back and neck surgery and he says he HAS to have a sleeper car. The train itself travels through mostly rural, low populated areas overnight so there is not much outside light. I woke up twice, in Florence SC (this is the only scheduled stop) and again in Charleston, SC (city lights I guess). I did not wake up again until sunrise. My husband & 10 yr old slept all night (they are both very heavy sleepers). I don't exactly remember the number of people each car holds, I'm guessing about 30-40.

All in all, the trip was great (aside from the issue in my original post) and we would not hesitate to do it again.

I hope this helps, I'll be happy to answer any other questions.

 

[Shercara]

Just a note - We are planning on taking the Auto Train this November - and it seems
each month you wait - the fare $$ goes up :

Dec 01 - family of 4 RT Coach = $996.00
Feb 02 - " " =$1093.00
March 02 " " =$1196.00 !! **
with AAA =$1138.00

*If you have a Disney Club Membership, you can join AAA -
@ 1-877-8785 and as for the "Disney Club Special Offer" In NJ the cost was $35.10
to join.

You can hold a reservation for 1 week before having to make the final payment!

Good luck to all!

 

[Gillian]

Soft foam earplug are always helpful when noise might be a problem. They don't block out everything, but it really takes the edge off of things like talking or crying.