Travel by Amtrak?

[CAROLW]

I was thinking of travelling by train (from Philadelphia) to Orlando next spring. Airfare is getting higher and is unpredictable. Plus I am a nervous flyer. My kids have never been on a train and I think it would be a neat experience for them.

Driving is also an option, but it looks like it would be cheaper to take the train...and no headaches driving.

Has anyone ever travelled a long distance this way? Am I crazy, or is it do-able?

[geekette]

Do-able but long. Haven't done it, would do it myself. With the kids, consider it an adventure. Slower than driving, faster than Greyhound.

[sernow]

Originally Posted by CAROLW

I was thinking of travelling by train (from Philadelphia) to Orlando next spring. Airfare is getting higher and is unpredictable. Plus I am a nervous flyer. My kids have never been on a train and I think it would be a neat experience for them.

Driving is also an option, but it looks like it would be cheaper to take the train...and no headaches driving.

Has anyone ever travelled a long distance this way? Am I crazy, or is it do-able?

Carol,

You don't mention the age of your kids, but if it was me I would look into the sleeping accommodation upgrades available if you do decide on the train. At the very least, maybe sleeper accommodations for the kids. My father took me on the train (we had a sleeper berth) from Philadelphia to Orlando when I was a kid (Disney had just opened). I remember more about the trip on the train than I do about the Disney vacation.

[Carolinian]

Originally Posted by geekette

Do-able but long. Haven't done it, would do it myself. With the kids, consider it an adventure. Slower than driving, faster than Greyhound.

It will usually be faster than driving, given the speed of the train and the fact that you don't have to stop to eat and sleep.

I have done cross country by Amtrak, and it certainly helps to have a sleeper. The sleepers now are much higher than when I did most of my train travel, and are also much higher than sleepers in Europe. They used to have a really economical sleeper on the east coast routes called a slumber coach, but that was years ago.

[sernow]

Carolina's right about the cost. I just went to look it up and the accommodations price adds $900 dollars to the $600 fare. If you go, join AAA and save 10% on the fare.

Also check the internet or http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=399 for promotion code numbers for additional savings.

[dive-in]

Check out the auto train, too. I think the process is

1. Drive to train station south of DC
2. They put your vehicle on the train
3. You hop on-board
4. You don't stop until Sanford, FL just north of Orlando
5. You and your car get off the train and you have a short drive to Mickey

That way you also have a car when you get there.

[CMF]

My three kids under 6 did fine. And you save on your car rental once in Orlando. You can PM me your number if you want to chat about the details - I'm not one for long explanations that involve a lot of typing.

The cost for our trip from Maryland [6 + a minivan] was $1,300 round trip.

Charles

[Nancy]

Have not done autotrain, but have done other Amtrak trains from Alexandria VA to Tampa. If you can, get the sleeper. How old are kids? The roomette is the smallest sleeping room and it is small, but private! We two senior adults loved it. Remember the cost includes meals also. You might need 2 roomettes and that might be less expensive than the family bedroom. The auto train sleeping rooms do not private restrooms except the one called Bedroom.

If you want more information about the Silver Service just post here and I'll try to answer.

Nancy

[CAROLW]

Thanks very much! Everyone has been so helpful!

Charles, did you and your family do the sleeper or just the normal coach seats?

I checked the fare for the Auto Train from Wash to Orlando. The price is $743.00 RT for all 4 of us (children are both 6 y/o) and our car. Which is great. However if I add two sleeper rooms (the one family room is more expensive) the price increases to $1,453.00 and at that price I might as well fly.

It does sound like a lot of fun and much better than driving the whole distance ourselves.

[CMF]

We did not get a sleeper cabin and the kids slept fine. Breakfast and dinners are included,and there is always something to snack on in the lounge car. There are electrical outlets by the seats, so you don't have to worry about the battery life of your laptop or portable video player. It makes for a longish trip, but you'll save a bundle.

Big pluses:

• You can pack as much as your car will hold.
• No airport hassles.
• No rental car to worry about at the other end.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Charles

[LisaRex]

My daughter and her girl scout troops took the Amtrak from Cincinnati to Washington D.C. They had an incredibly good price ($25 each way) because they were Girl Scouts, or perhaps because they were a large group.

In any event, the biggest downsides were the departure times (we had to be at the train station at 3:30am) and the long delays. Luckily the troop leader called us at 2:30am to tell us that the train was delayed for 2 hours and to go back to sleep. On the way back it was delayed by 3 hours.

My daughter reports that it was clean and comfortable.

Another plus is that, presumably, you don't need to weigh your luggage like you do on the airlines now.

[TheTimeTraveler]

I noticed in one of the posts that the Amtrak offers outlets for laptops. Does the train offer internet access also? If so, does one have to pay extra for internet access?

[geekette]

Originally Posted by Carolinian

It will usually be faster than driving, given the speed of the train and the fact that you don't have to stop to eat and sleep.

I thought the pax trains made a lot of stops in towns small and large?

[CMF]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

I noticed in one of the posts that the Amtrak offers outlets for laptops. Does the train offer internet access also? If so, does one have to pay extra for internet access?

No. You have to have one of those fancy wireless phone card things.

Charles

[Nancy]

Autotrain has no stops. The Silver trains have some stops, but don't stop at all stations. I believe from Alexandria to Tampa it is listed at about 20 hours. Usually Amtrak trains are late because CSX controls the tracks. If taking them, you should go into it knowing that; however if you have a sleeper on they will provide the extra meal if needed. The Autotrain has priority over other Amtrak trains, so it isn't as late as the Silver trains. We looked at it as an adventure. I even slept in the top bunk and enjoyed it.

We took non-sleeper train with grandkids and the kids did fine and enjoyed it.

Nancy

ps. I'm a senior (whatever the qualification for that is now days)

[Talent312]

Originally Posted by dive-in

Check out the auto train, too. I think the process is

1. Drive to train station south of DC
2. They put your vehicle on the train
3. You hop on-board
4. You don't stop until Sanford, FL just north of Orlando
5. You and your car get off the train and you have a short drive to Mickey

That way you also have a car when you get there.

Here is a link to Amtrak's Auto Train page:
http://tinyurl.com/5r2d7

You depart Lorton, VA, at 4PM and arrive in Sanford, FL, at 9:30AM the next day. Times are the same for your return.

[Carolinian]

Originally Posted by geekette

I thought the pax trains made a lot of stops in towns small and large?

There aren't that many stops - about like an intercity train in Europe - and they are very short for the most part. The big advanrage over driving is not having to stop to sleep.

[craftemp]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

I noticed in one of the posts that the Amtrak offers outlets for laptops. Does the train offer internet access also? If so, does one have to pay extra for internet access?

Internet access is not available. I just took the Auto Train in January and was hoping to have it.

[janej]

We took the train from DC to Vermont after Christmas last year. On both ways, we got on in the morning and arrived at night. There were 3-4 hour delays both ways. We enjoyed the trip. But it felt very long and tiring at the end. We would still prefer the train over drive for the low stress. We took DVDs and had fun watching the movies together.

You might want to check the airfare from DC to Orlando. If you book early and check often, you can always get direct flight for less than $200. Watch southwest and get it on the day they open up schedule. We got our tickets for the labor day weekend that way for $171 pp. Airtran has $54 one way also but we prefer to get there in the morning and leave in the afternoon.

[Nancy]

This whole thread got me thinking, so we ended up booking the AutoTrain to Florida for June, instead of driving. I really hadn't thought much about it until this thread, so thanks to the O/P. Will have more info about AutoTrain after this trip.

Nancy

ps. Autotrain was cheaper than the Silver Trains (non-auto).