Anyone do the Amtrak autotrain?

[atgcpaul]

We're going to Orlando for Christmas this year. Our kids will be 2 and 3 at that time and traveling isn't really a joy. We were thinking about taking the Amtrak autotrain. Definitely not as fast as flying, but flying isn't a joy either. Car seats, shuttles, baggage. It's a real hassle.

The autotrain station is only 15 minutes further away than the airport. We'll need a car in Orlando, too, so why not just use my own than pay to rent one. Train will probably work out cheaper, too, if we don't get our own cabin.

Anyone here done the autotrain? Nightmare or a good time?


Ugh, I hate that I spelled Amtrak wrong in the subject line...
[fixed that for you... you can edit subject line using "Go Advanced" edit button - LC]

[DLyon]

Didn't know the autotrain existed (not available in CO), but I think it's a great option.

[cabinetman]

Sounds like a fun trip. Kids will love it, and you're not that high off the ground.

.

[mineengineer]

Only heard good things about it

A family Friend that has a vacation house in Orlando but lives in the outskirts of Pittsburgh, PA uses it several times a year. She likes it because she can use her own car when in Florida but she doesn't have to drive the long haul by herself to get there.

[chopnhack]

I had researched in the past to the opposite trek Paul. What I remember from my research was that it was noisy and the food was bad... take it with a grain of salt. Traveling with young ones is not easy. If you have a light sleeper or picky eater, be prepared with your own food stuffs.

[Sweet Willy]

I've taken the auto-train several times. Basically, you board about 3 in the afternoon and arrive about 9 the following morning. So, if you sleep, it's in a chair. I've found that kids generally fall asleep and it is reasonably quiet through the night. One word of caution. BRING PILLOWS FROM HOME. The pillows they give are about 12" X 12" and it's impossible to get yourself comfortable using one of those. Found that out the hard way. Good luck and have a fun trip.

[All Thumbs]

How long is boarding/deboarding if you're bringing a car? I imagine it takes some time to get the cars onto and off of a train?

Personally, I'd just fly. Travelling with kids is a hassle either way. I'd prefer to get it over with as quickly as possible.

[Sweet Willy]

It's been awhile but what I remember is you check in and you can board the train if you want or you can watch them load your vehicle. Loading is just a matter of them driving your vehicle up on the ramps and into the train car. Exactly how long that all took I can't say for sure but I don't remember it being uncomfortably long.

[atgcpaul]

From their site, for sedans your car must be available to board 1hr before departure. 2hrs for SUVs. You can pack your luggage in the car and you're allowed two more bags per person on the train. Trip also includes a snack on boarding, a hot meal from what I've heard is pretty good, and breakfast.

We travelled to San Diego exactly a year ago. Both girls were under 2. The younger one just 5months. What a horribly stressful plane ride in both directions and the amount of stuff we had to bring was insane. Luckily the house we rented had cribs.

I think both girls will enjoy the ride and they make fast friends with other kids so there's hope that will keep them occupied. If all else fails they can stream Dora on my smartphone

[Lonnie in Orlando]

atgcpaul -

Even though I haven't taken the Autotrain, I hope that this gives you some info that you can use ...

Rental cars in Orlando are cheap. May not be worth bringing your car - - - except that you can pack a ton of stuff in it for free. The Amtrak round trip for your car from Lorton VA to Sanford FL is $350 before taxes (this does not include seats for you and your family). A full size rental car Sun 12/22/13 - Sun 12/29/13 is about $459 with pick-up at the terminal, or as low as $260 for off-site rental via shuttle at MCO, the Orlando airport. Rental cars at the Amtrak stations in Sanford, Winter Park, or Orlando may be higher.

My wife and I took a standard Amtrak from Winter Park to Savannah GA over Labor Day. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Seats are much larger than 1st Class air seats. Food in the dining car was OK. 120v plugs at each seat to power your electronic doodads. Didn't take much longer than driving. Parking at the station was free. Boarding was fast. No security check (don't know if that's good or bad). It was a relativly short trip and we had no kids with us. Oh yeah - $42 per person each way with senior dicount.

Plenty of room for kids to walk around. No seat belts to restrict their fidgiting.

Take blankets - it was freezing inside.

The 17-hour Autotrain is non-stop. A standard Amtrak with stops would take longer. I believe that you can buy a seat-only on the Autotrain without a car.

Work the deals available for flights, train, and rental cars this far ahead. Also figure in parking or taxi. Check for rental drop off fees if you arrive and depart at different locations.

Check the distances from your arrival point to your hotel and for other costs.
> Train Stations:
++ Sanford (Autotrain)
++ Winter Park (passengers only)
++ Orlando (passengers only)
> Airports:
++ Orlando MCO closest to the attractions, cheapest, best connections.
++ Sanford SBF
++ Daytona DAB if you also want to go to the Atlantic beaches (higher flight costs)
++ Tampa TPA if you also want to go to the Gulf coast
++ St. Petersburg PID (Gulf coast) don't know much about connections and costs

In addition to the web site, Amtrak has a good iPhone app.

BTW, I talked to a young couple recently who moved from the DC area to Orlando. They loaded both cars on the Autotrain and packed them totally full. Cheaper than a moving van. Bought new furniture when they arrived.

Enjoy your trip and bring plenty of money. We appreciate your tourist dollars here in Central Florida!

- Lonnie

[Rslaugh]

i have some friends who have done that trip a couple of times and really like it. They don't have kids though. Have fun!