All about the Autotrain

cherylp3

Florida Resident
Joined
Jul 15, 2000
Updates added 1/2008

Recent Threads:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1694990

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1681559
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Where are the Stations? Lorton VA and Sanford FL
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Question asked Regarding Lorton VA station:
How easy is it to get to the Autotrain from 95 south. Heading down there next week and was wondering if I need to find a local map or if there are signs on 95 and then the local roads that will direct us to the station.

Answer from Cherylp3
There is a sign on 95 before the exit (which is exit 163)
and a sign when you get off the exit
(They are green highway signs I believe. )

You should have brief maps in the booklet your tickets came in.

<b><u>Please note regarding the Sanford station:</b></u>
the exit number has changed but they will provide you with an updated map at the station.
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The Train runs over night, there is 1 stop to switch crews
but there are no passenger stops.
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Official website: www.amtrak.com

Sale: Railsale by Amtrak
If you are a flexible traveler or booking late - This may be for you
http://tickets.amtrak.com/Amtrak/ra...geID=main&railSaleFlag=true&externalCall=true

Amtrak hot deals page:
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...ls_Index_Page&c=Page&cid=1080072922226&ssid=8

Discounts: AAA and National Association of Railroad Passengers members get %10 off
NARP charges $30 for an individual membership and $38 for a Family membership.
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What are the Vehicle requirements?
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...Copy_Page&cid=1080842091918&c=am2Copy&ssid=43
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How much to rent a Digi Player?
The digi player is $30 plus tax for a one way rental.
You can choose between adults movies or family/childrens movies.
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Tips websites
Auto train tips
http://on-track-on-line.com/autotrain-tips.shtml

General tips
http://on-track-on-line.com/index.shtml
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Closest Hotel to the Autotrain is Comfort Inn at Gunston Corner in Lorton VA
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Book in Advance: The cost is cheaper if you can book your trip in Advance.

Posted by Travellin' Tigger
The earlier you look into booking your trip by train, the cheaper it is. As the train fills up, the costs per ticket (or cabin) go up.
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The Amtrak ebay store seems to have closed.

Posted by DC7800
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=377902
QUOTE: Auto-Train becomes relatively less expensive (compared to flying and renting a car) the longer you stay in Florida, since car rental charges catch up with A-T fares after a time. Someone staying two or three days might well find it cheaper to fly, but stay two or three weeks and having your own car (via Auto-Train) saves a bundle.

That said, Auto-Train's real market is people who would otherwise drive to Florida. Here, the train actually saves vacation time, when the alternative is a two day drive with an overnight motel stop. Price isn't necessairily the driving factor (pardon the pun) for many other A-T passengers, who avoid the increasing hassles of air travel and get to have their own car in Florida (makes packing easier - just toss it in the trunk). If you are looking for a less costly trip, one of Amtrak's conventional Florida trains is far less expensive anyway.
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Tipping Advice from DC7800
Tipping is customary for the car attendant and in the dining car, though many people find this issue uncomfortable. Some choose not to tip at all, some don't know what to do, and still others leave a dollar or two wondering just what the "appropriate" amount (if any) is.

This website, http://www.trainweb.com/travel/tipping.htm, has a comprehensive discussion on the topic. I don't believe it specifically mentions Auto-Train, but again you should tip just as you would on any other train or restaurant (where the prices are on the menu). The prices aren't there, but you can still roughly estimate what the meal is worth, with obvious allowances for superior (or sloppy) service. I don't think anyone will think less of you if you underestimate how expensive the diner is.

I've also seen people tip anything from fifty cents (or nothing at all) to $7-$8 in the dining car, but I've also witnessed the exact same behavior in full-service restaurants (including WDW).
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Other Questions
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Amtrak can also anwser your questions as well,
Below are some Questions and answers from other passengers.
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Q:Can I get my AAA discount (10%) after I have bought tickets?
Answer from Cherylp3: I don't think so and am unsure how Amtrak would credit you. Best Tip: Get your discount beforehand.
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Q:What should I bring on the train?
Answer from Cherylp3:
Each passenger is allowed a carry on bag.
Also blankets and pillows are allowed.
For more details:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=4861066
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Q: What is the difference between LL reserved coach and reserved coach?
Answer from Cherylp3
LL Reserved coach is primarily for Handicapped Passengers.
It is the Lower Level, on the same level as the restrooms.
The LL compartment seats approx 20 people and if you are traveling at a slow time you may be able to spread out.

Also note in lower level each compartment is seperated so in order to walk you have to go upstairs to the main coach and walk through.
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Q: How are Lower Level seats assigned?
Answer from Cherylp3:
In 2001, 2002 and 2003 - With lower level, you are not assigned specific seats until you check in at the train station. When you check in, you can request what seats you'd like.
If you don't - the person checking you in assigns your seats. Based upon how full the train is and if others have checked in before you will decide if your request can be met.
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Q: Are the sleeper doors key locked?
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Answer from DC7800
The doors latch from the inside only; there is no way to lock the door from the outside, and there is no key in any case. Though you should have nothing to worry about regardless, I suggest leaving everything possible in the (locked) car trunk, and keep anything of value out of sight in your carry-on luggage (or the trunk). Remember everyone is going the same place you are on a moving train, so it's not like someone can run off with your camcorder.

Answer from kbeverina
We were able to lock ours from the inside, but not by key.
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Ques. Did you notice if they offerred kid meal options?
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Answer from DC7800 - Yes

Answer from kbeverina
They don't specifically offer kid meal options, but in both coach and first class they offered chicken tenders and mac and cheese as an option. In coach they had meatloaf, country-fried chicken, and stuffed pasta shells as well. They also have ice cream and cakes, etc. to choose from for dessert. In first class they offered beef tenderloin tips, some other type of pasta, salmon, and roasted chicken with a sauce (they will serve without the sauces, though). They also had a salad in first class and I don't think they had one in coach. They had ice water on the table and my husband also had wine. They offered the kids milk or apple juice to drink. Later in the evening they had cookies, bananas and oranges set out for snacks--that was about 8:30. In the morning it was the same in first class and coach--orange juice, bagels, cereal, muffins, bananas.
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Ques. Did you have a difficult time arranging for a dinner seating?
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Answer from DC7800
You will do this before boarding, upon check-in. Of course, it is possible for one or more seatings to fill-up by the time the last passengers arrive at the terminal. So, if this is important to you try to arrive reasonably early (good advice in any case). You don't have to worry about not getting a seating at all, just that the more popular meal-times naturally go first, and (obviously) those dining cars carry a finite number of diners at one time.

Answer from kbeverina
Not at all. In fact we arrived at 2:45 on our return trip and were still able to get the earlier dining time. In coach they had 5pm, 7pm and 9pm, but ended up cancelling the 9pm because they could fit everyone in to the first two. In first class they had 5:30pm and 7:30pm.
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Q: Would you feel safe leaving a sleeping nine year old alone in the sleeper? My mom will be with him, and was wondering if she could go somewhere to read or just watch the scenery.
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Answer from kbeverina
I guess it would depend on the 9 year-old and the location of the sleeper. The lounge cars are on the upper level and we were able to request what level when we checked in. I could explain to my son that I might be going down the hall to the lounge to read and that if he woke up and needed me to come down and get me--if your son wouldn't get panicky if he woke up alone, I personally would be fine with it. She should make sure he's comfortable with the doors going train to train if he would have to do that--it's a little intimidating for the kids at first. You walk up to the door, push a big button, and the door opens. Then you essentially hop between the cars and push another button to open the door to the next car. It's really loud and if you look down you can see daylight.
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Q: Was the ride too bumpy? I've seen some complaints
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Answer from DC7800
It could probably be better, but there is almost nothing Amtrak can do about the conditon of the tracks over which Auto-Train operates. Most complaints seem to center on "side-to-side" motion of the train. You tend to get used to this, at least somewhat, after a short time on the train, and people sometimes exaggerate how bad it really is (I was just on the Silver Meteor (same route as Auto-Train) a few weeks ago. While far from the smoothest railroad I've seen, it was completely comfortable).
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Answer from kbeverina
I personally am one who can sleep at the drop of a hat in the car--it didn't bother me at all. We had upper level on the way down and lower level on the way back. It seemed to me the upper level was bumpier.
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Q: Was the experience as awesome as it sounds?
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Answer from DC7800
There is an old saying that this is the only civilized way to travel. Oh, there are a few people who just can't seem to relax long enough to take 18 hours to get somewhere, but far more seem to enjoy the experience. Most people are familair with travel by car or plane and know what to expect, but far fewer really know what a train is anymore. Hence, they get upset when problems occur unique to the railroad. They are sometimes surprised by the size of the accomodations (that goes in both directions, by the way - larger than airline seats, but bedrooms the size of a twin bed), how the train moves, that they not only can get up and walk around the train anytime - they have to if they want to eat, or why "late trains get later" (it happens, unfortunately). But yes, it is certainly a wonderful experience, not to be missed.
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Answer from kbeverina
We really enjoyed it and all would do it again if we needed to have our car with us. In this case, we were attending a conference and knew we would be bringing back a ton of stuff and we also wanted to try out Universal and go to Sea World. We have always flown before. Now that we've done sleepers, we are spoiled and would want to do that again. But if it was outrageously more expensive, we would be fine doing coach. The thing with coach, we were very lucky and had a nice group of people around us, very quiet, and lots of space to spread out--we each had two seats to ourselves. In fact, the kids were able to sleep very well because the foot rests that come up like a lazy-boy chair actually come up to the point that they're pointing upwards--we put them both that way to prevent them from rolling out while they were sleeping and they were able to stretch across the two seats--they looked so comfortable!

Personally, I didn't get much sleep in coach because I kept looking out the window, trying to figure out where we were. I was way too excited!
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Links to Other threads with Autotrain information:

Mikelan6 wrote a trip report with pictures.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1077041

Pictures of the Auto Train thread
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=418974

<b>Discussing Sleepers</b>
Upgrading to Sleepers
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=417763

Discusses first or send level
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=417241


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=392942

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=405339

Discussing Seat Configuration
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=349931

<b>Other Past threads</b>

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=373963

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=363678

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=401705
 
Hey, Cheryl, this is great! Exactly the kind of information I was wanting to know. Thanks so much for posting all of this! You're the best. :D
 
Awesome info in one place! Thank you for putting the time and effort into this. We are so excited we can't hardly stand it. My DH and DS's are looking forward to the train trip as much as Disney.
Michelle
 


We just returned Wednesday and took the auto train for the first time. I took pictures and will try to post them when we get them developed, but can answer questions in the meantime.
 
Are the sleeper doors key locked?
Did you notice if they offerred kid meal options?
Did you have a difficult time arranging for a dinner seating?
Would you feel safe leaving a sleeping nine year old alone in the sleeper? My mom will be with him, and was wondering if she could go somewhere to read or just watch the scenery.
Was the ride too bumpy? I've seen some complaints.
Was the experience as awesome as it sounds?

I know that is a ton of questions! Thank you for offering some help! Thanks a bunch,
Michelle:D
 


Are the sleeper doors key locked?

The doors latch from the inside only; there is no way to lock the door from the outside, and there is no key in any case. Though you should have nothing to worry about regardless, I suggest leaving everything possible in the (locked) car trunk, and keep anything of value out of sight in your carry-on luggage (or the trunk). Remember everyone is going the same place you are on a moving train, so it's not like someone can run off with your camcorder.

Did you notice if they offerred kid meal options?

Yes.

Did you have a difficult time arranging for a dinner seating?

You will do this before boarding, upon check-in. Of course, it is possible for one or more seatings to fill-up by the time the last passengers arrive at the terminal. So, if this is important to you try to arrive reasonably early (good advice in any case). You don't have to worry about not getting a seating at all, just that the more popular meal-times naturally go first, and (obviously) those dining cars carry a finite number of diners at one time.

Was the ride too bumpy? I've seen some complaints

It could probably be better, but there is almost nothing Amtrak can do about the conditon of the tracks over which Auto-Train operates. Most complaints seem to center on "side-to-side" motion of the train. You tend to get used to this, at least somewhat, after a short time on the train, and people sometimes exaggerate how bad it really is (I was just on the Silver Meteor (same route as Auto-Train) a few weeks ago. While far from the smoothest railroad I've seen, it was completely comfortable).

Was the experience as awesome as it sounds?

There is an old saying that this is the only civilized way to travel. Oh, there are a few people who just can't seem to relax long enough to take 18 hours to get somewhere, but far more seem to enjoy the experience. Most people are familair with travel by car or plane and know what to expect, but far fewer really know what a train is anymore. Hence, they get upset when problems occur unique to the railroad. They are sometimes surprised by the size of the accomodations (that goes in both directions, by the way - larger than airline seats, but bedrooms the size of a twin bed), how the train moves, that they not only can get up and walk around the train anytime - they have to if they want to eat, or why "late trains get later" (it happens, unfortunately). But yes, it is certainly a wonderful experience, not to be missed.
 
Hi, Michelle! Please feel free to ask as many questions as you want. I'll have my pictures back by Tuesday and will try to post them in the DIS gallery for you to look at. We took coach down and asked to upgrade to family sleeper on the way back, but none were available. We liked coach just fine, but wanted to try out sleepers for a comparison. She suggested getting two standards right next to each other. I was skeptical, my kids are 9 and 7 so I figured I'd go with one and my husband would go with another, but she said they were close and she was right, probably closer than across the aisle in coach. The kids quickly claimed one and we took the other. They shut the door and closed the curtain, absolutely loved having their own little compartment, and we could hear them with our door open. There's a table that folds out between two seats that face each other and they played games, read and just talked while looking out the windows.

The attendant asked us what time we wanted our beds put down (don't attempt to do it yourself, our friends did this Spring and the attendant fussed at them) and we said 9pm. The arrangement worked out so well that we agreed if we did it again, we would rather have the two standards as opposed to the family bedroom. My husband and daughter like to go to bed early and my son and I are nightowls. So the two of them were able to go to bed early and my son and I stayed up late and didn't worry about keeping them up.

Originally posted by meandtheguys
Are the sleeper doors key locked?
We were able to lock ours from the inside, but not by key.

Did you notice if they offerred kid meal options?
They don't specifically offer kid meal options, but in both coach and first class they offered chicken tenders and mac and cheese as an option. In coach they had meatloaf, country-fried chicken, and stuffed pasta shells as well. They also have ice cream and cakes, etc. to choose from for dessert. In first class they offered beef tenderloin tips, some other type of pasta, salmon, and roasted chicken with a sauce (they will serve without the sauces, though). They also had a salad in first class and I don't think they had one in coach. They had ice water on the table and my husband also had wine. They offered the kids milk or apple juice to drink. Later in the evening they had cookies, bananas and oranges set out for snacks--that was about 8:30. In the morning it was the same in first class and coach--orange juice, bagels, cereal, muffins, bananas.

Did you have a difficult time arranging for a dinner seating?
Not at all. In fact we arrived at 2:45 on our return trip and were still able to get the earlier dining time. In coach they had 5pm, 7pm and 9pm, but ended up cancelling the 9pm because they could fit everyone in to the first two. In first class they had 5:30pm and 7:30pm.

Would you feel safe leaving a sleeping nine year old alone in the sleeper? My mom will be with him, and was wondering if she could go somewhere to read or just watch the scenery.
I guess it would depend on the 9 year-old and the location of the sleeper. The lounge cars are on the upper level and we were able to request what level when we checked in. I could explain to my son that I might be going down the hall to the lounge to read and that if he woke up and needed me to come down and get me--if your son wouldn't get panicky if he woke up alone, I personally would be fine with it. She should make sure he's comfortable with the doors going train to train if he would have to do that--it's a little intimidating for the kids at first. You walk up to the door, push a big button, and the door opens. Then you essentially hop between the cars and push another button to open the door to the next car. It's really loud and if you look down you can see daylight.

Was the ride too bumpy? I've seen some complaints.
I personally am one who can sleep at the drop of a hat in the car--it didn't bother me at all. We had upper level on the way down and lower level on the way back. It seemed to me the upper level was bumpier.

Was the experience as awesome as it sounds?
We really enjoyed it and all would do it again if we needed to have our car with us. In this case, we were attending a conference and knew we would be bringing back a ton of stuff and we also wanted to try out Universal and go to Sea World. We have always flown before. Now that we've done sleepers, we are spoiled and would want to do that again. But if it was outrageously more expensive, we would be fine doing coach. The thing with coach, we were very lucky and had a nice group of people around us, very quiet, and lots of space to spread out--we each had two seats to ourselves. In fact, the kids were able to sleep very well because the foot rests that come up like a lazy-boy chair actually come up to the point that they're pointing upwards--we put them both that way to prevent them from rolling out while they were sleeping and they were able to stretch across the two seats--they looked so comfortable!

Personally, I didn't get much sleep in coach because I kept looking out the window, trying to figure out where we were. I was way too excited!
 
We were surprised by how roomy the area was in coach. My husband is over 6 ft. and sometimes has problems with legroom, but he was completely comfortable. In the standard sleeper--that's exactly how I've described it, the size of a twin bed--again, he was surprised once the bed was made up that he could stretch out fully and had a really good night's sleep.

On the way down, we were about 20 minutes late, but our car was the first off after the SUVs--we were at Disney by 10am, much earlier than I'd planned.

On the way back, we pulled in about 15 minutes earlier and were at our house by 9:30am. The Sanford station was a madhouse when we arrived in Florida, but it's much smaller than Lorton. We got to the Lorton station when we were heading down by about 12:30pm and boarded about 2:30pm. Coming home we got there at 2:45 and boarded right away.
 
I really appriciate all of the information! There are six of us going and we have one family sleeper and one standard. According to the reservation folks they are right beside one another so I think my DS9 would be fine. As you can tell, we are really excited about this. I offered to just drive down to save money and my DH said that the train ride is as important as our stay at DW! I will be tickled to see your photos, and again I thank you for taking the time to fill me in so thoroughly.
Michelle
 
If you're in the family sleeper next to the standard I wouldn't worry at all--it's like being in the bedroom next door. When our door was open, we could hear talking in the family sleeper behind us. The set-up is that the family sleeper is on the very end of the car. You would walk straight down the aisle and the door is directly in front of you into the family sleeper. To the right and to the left as you're standing there in front of your door are standard sleepers.

We actually had our doors open and the family in the family sleeper behind us did as well for a while and we chatted about our trips. We had seen them and sat across from them in the dining car in coach on the way down. They checked in before us and were offered an upgrade to a family sleeper and decided to take it. They had two daughters the same age as our kids and had stayed at Holiday Inn Family Suites. We ended up right across from them in the dining car again.

DC7800--I have a questions about tipping. I hadn't thought about it before the trip and hadn't read anything on tipping before we left, but it felt awkward not to leave a tip in the dining car for dinner and breakfast so we did, though we weren't sure how much since nothing is priced. Do you know what the norm is? I also left a tip for the attendant when we were in the sleeper car. We didn't want to offend anyone, but felt it was appropriate for all the service. I wish we had thought of it beforehand and been more prepared to have something on us when we went to the dining car the first time.
 
Originally posted by kbeverina
DC7800--I have a questions about tipping. I hadn't thought about it before the trip and hadn't read anything on tipping before we left, but it felt awkward not to leave a tip in the dining car for dinner and breakfast so we did, though we weren't sure how much since nothing is priced. Do you know what the norm is? I also left a tip for the attendant when we were in the sleeper car. We didn't want to offend anyone, but felt it was appropriate for all the service. I wish we had thought of it beforehand and been more prepared to have something on us when we went to the dining car the first time. [/B]

Tipping is customary for the car attendant and in the dining car, though many people find this issue uncomfortable. Some choose not to tip at all, some don't know what to do, and still others leave a dollar or two wondering just what the "appropriate" amount (if any) is.

This website, http://www.trainweb.com/travel/tipping.htm, has a comprehensive discussion on the topic. I don't believe it specifically mentions Auto-Train, but again you should tip just as you would on any other train or restaurant (where the prices are on the menu). The prices aren't there, but you can still roughly estimate what the meal is worth, with obvious allowances for superior (or sloppy) service. I don't think anyone will think less of you if you underestimate how expensive the diner is.

I've also seen people tip anything from fifty cents (or nothing at all) to $7-$8 in the dining car, but I've also witnessed the exact same behavior in full-service restaurants (including WDW).
 
Thanks all!! Does anyone know the quickest route to WDW from the Sanford station? I seem to remember someone posting that the most common route taken is not the quickest but I can't remember the details. We want to arrive ASAP!!:p
 
How easy is it to get to the Autotrain from 95 south. Heading down there next week and was wondering if I need to find a local map or if there are signs on 95 and then the local roads that will direct us to the station.

Thanks
 
There is a sign on 95 before the exit (which is exit 163)
and a sign when you get off the exit
(They are green highway signs I believe. )

You should have brief maps in the booklet your tickets came in.

Cheryl
 

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