Looking for a COVID safe travel option? The Amtrak Auto Train can take you between Florida to Virginia, overnight, with your car! Check out the process from start to finish, the sleeping options, meals and our review all during COVID.
This is a great compilation of what it is like to take the Autotrain--and updated with Covid safety protocols. Everyone asks me what it is like taking the Autotrain--and now I can share this video. Perfect description! I have taken the Autotrain so many times. The only way to go. Pricey but time and safety is SO worth it. I was supposed to be arriving Lorton today but postponed to next week due to my schedule. NO change fee! I love Amtrak. I hope the government continues to support this way to travel. It is great! Thanks for this video! Carol
Carol, thank you for watching and for your very kind words. It is an amazing way and you are 100% about the safety part. You are at more risk driving that’s for sure. Enjoy your next trip! Dave.
@@natehill8069 we just booked for 3 around $300(I think, they had a Flash sale last weekend)AMTRAK has special offers quite often and we booked last minute, getting last seats. Cheaper than 3 plane tickets plus we will have our vehichle. We're leaving Lorton station with coach but our return trip from Sanford is cheaper with room. We have been wanting to do this for years so hoping for no disappointment. Auto train holds 600 humans and 300 vehicles is what I've read.
The Auto Train represents the renaissance of train travel. I live in South Florida. My brother lives in Washington, DC and my sister lives on Long Island. I spend several weeks up in New York during each visit. The big advantage of train travel is the ability to easily take your own car with you.
I absolutely agree! there should be more trains, including over to the west coast that allow you to take your car as well. thanks for watching and safe travels. Dave.
I use to live in Maryland and my family always preferred taking the Auto train instead of flying to Florida. It really is a unique experience you can't get if you drive or fly.
Thank you for this video! We took the Auto Train about 2 years ago when we took our daughter to Disney for the first time. At the time, it made the most economical sense because she was turning three so the amount of things we would need to bring with us (pack and play, stroller, carseat, etc. etc.) not to mention regular luggage and all of that was just a lot to figure out on a plane. Plus we always rent a car when we visit Disney. With the Auto Train, we were able to save money on the car rental, plus have the ability to "pack our car" with everything we needed for our trip without any hassle of paying extra luggage fees, having the airline ruin our things, or pay for rentals when we got there! We just did coach for that trip, which was fine, my husband and I just took shifts sleeping so someone was always awake while our daughter stretched out on the seats to sleep. For our next trip we're planning for next year we're considering getting a sleeper room since we also have an additional baby now.
Thanks for watching Cara! I absolutely understand what you mean with all the stuff you need to take with kids!! Now you have two having a sleeping room will make it a lot easier. Good luck with the next trip! Dave.
Use to live in DC and we used the auto train to travel for vacations to Florida. Loved every minute of it. It was great being well-rested upon arrival. Thanks for this!!
Hi Chele, thanks for watching! So awesome that you and your family could have these experiences too... did it look much different from when you used to take the train?
My family and I took the Autotrain this past December from Virgina to Florida. This was a very relaxing trip and most importantly, we avoided the 15hr plus car ride along with putting close to 900 miles on our vehicle. Great video and safe travels!!
Glad you could do the trip!! Hope it all worked out well for you and your family. We will certainly be doing it again! Hope you can hit subscribe for us! Check out our latest video from Ft Lauderdale with parasailing!
We want to try the new station in NYC (opposite Penn station) and on the new carriages down to Miami one time. So you recommend any other long distance trips?
@@HankProductions : well, since you guys are located in the DC area, The Florida trains are A good start. Haven't been on those myself. Do try out the routes that'll take you to Chicago. Then you could ride the routes that will take you to California! I highly would consider the California Zephyr and the Empire Builder for the scenery!
@Juanita Young hey! Thanks for watching... so we have done this route twice now. Both times have been slightly different... however we had to drive back from Florida last week and it was horrendous compared with taking the train. Although it might not be the best night sleep you have it is certainly safer, easier and less stress than driving the whole way. Tips for new players: 1. Only take a small amount on board with you. The clothes you are wearing, and something to change into to sleep. Towels are on board if you want to shower. 2. Tooth brush and the basics! 3. Some snacks if you want... the lounge car had food and drinks but it is a little pricy. 4. iPads downloaded with movies and games. Although there is WiFi it is sometimes patchy and doesn’t work all the time. Our last trip it wasn’t working so we had to hot spot off our phone. 5. Order dinner for 5 or 6 pm... our last trip was so busy that we got our dinner around an hour later than we ordered. The first trip we went on (in the video) it was delivered at exactly 6. 6. Be ready to grab the bag and stuff you want to take on board when you arrive into the check in area. Not much time there to faff around so it is easier to have it ready and just pull in and go. 7. If the inside area is pretty full with people waiting, there are chairs on the actual platform where you can sit and wait to board. Much better than waiting inside with all the people. Also suggest arriving around 12:30 for check in. Not much later as it starts to get busy. Any other questions let me know and thanks again fir watching! Check out some of our other videos if you have time. Cheers. Dave.
Looks fabulous!! I’m from the U.K and I’m coming over to ride one of these overnight trains.. Any room is more room than a plane.. Oh and btw I’ll be sailing across the Atlantic..
Thanks Tina, we appreciate you watching and commenting!! Quite simply the large family rooms can be very expensive and for this trip we wanted to show how you could still travel comfortably but pay more than half of what the big room costs. 😊
My wife and I loved this video. Your daughters reminded us so much of our granddaughters who are about the same age. I'd suggest you keep this video under wraps for the next 10 years, THEN bring it out.
We really appreciate your comments and thanks for watching!! Plenty of other videos on the channel if you consider hitting subscribe for us!! Thanks 😊 Dave.
Thanks for the video! I had been thinking about how to get my family down to Florida without flying. I wasn't looking forward to the long drive either.
@@lulabylivesinmackay wow! that is amazing... QLD is a great place in Australia, and now you are lucky to live in another amazing place. thanks again :)
Hubert, thank you so much for watching! I hope you can explore some of the other videos we have on our channel. I appreciate your support. Stay safe! Can I ask what country you are watching from?
We haven't had the opportunity to visit your amazing area as yet. Hopefully the country opens up a little more before we leave to allow us to travel more! cheers. Dave.
I should have said I lived in Deland just north of Sanford . Have driven I4 more times that I can count to Orlando ( city) area. Do have to say around 3am that's a good time estimate. Thank goodness I don't do that anymore moved to Tennessee
Thanks David! We love this whole county and every part we get to visit has its own special thing… I4 would be part of that 😂… haven’t been to Tennessee yet but it’s on the list. Cheers.
Hello, thanks for sharing that information. I was not aware, but very handy to know. Amtrak have a sale on right now! I saw $9 coach tickets yesterday!!
@@HankProductions Will do. I used to live in Pentagon City, so I'll go back and visit. Retired to FL now. Your video was great at showing how easy it is.. Amtrak can be unpredictable, its not as efficient as European trains.
Love this video🤩 my family will be riding coach..its almost 20 of us..do you think we will be able to bring a board game or cards and relax in the observation area?
Hi Jay, thanks for watching. Hope it helped you with an idea of what it is like. 20 people!! Wow... massive trip. You would almost have your own train car to yourselves. Unfortunately I am unsure of what the current restrictions are in coach with the bar area... first time we traveled at Christmas it was open, second time during spring break it was not. Good luck! I would love to hear how it goes for you all!!
Like your video. I like folk who make videos, take quality ones. Check for sound, voice, and photo. Be informative and interesting. Means a lot for us that want to look at the video. Thanks for the quality.
Barbara, that is very kind of you to take the time to comment. We work hard to produce videos and it’s nice when they are appreciated. I hope you can hit subscribe for us, and have any other videos on our channel court your attention? Thanks. Dave.
Word of warning: have your vehicle inspected underneath. A Couple who used auto train had a stabilizer crack from the securing of the vehicle to keep it from moving on the train car. Car was still driveable but of course the stabilizer bar had to be replaced. Also Coach seats were very comfortable, pre-CoVid you could go to Dining car with a Coach ticket but no longer the case so bring something to eat, drink. This was current when we booked last weekend for 30 December, 2021.
Thanks for the tips! Sorry to hear you had a bad experience… hope you can hit subscribe for us to help our numbers!! Thanks again for letting people know :)
@@HankProductions actually it was not too bad, food was packaged but my choice for dinner was really good. We did bring drinks and snacks. I was kind of sad our return trip was cancelled(snowstorm)but since we had our vehicle, we drove. Just 3 days ago finally got through to Amtrak for refund. We were looking forward to the sleeper room as comparison. It was nice looking at the small communities along the route all decorated for the holidays. There were many first timers on our trip. The crew is short staffed but did a great job for a full train. No cash accepted onboard.
Now on selected routes coach passengers can buy food from the dining car but very expensive $25 for breakfast $35 for lunch and $45 for dinner. Coach passengers can also eat at the Amtrak cafe which is a lot cheaper than the dinning or Bring ant food or non alcoholic drink in the train and either consume it in your coach car or at the observation car if the train has one.
Hi Jonel, I have seen cars with hitch bike racks and 3 or 4 bikes hanging off the back... I would say a hitch cargo carrier is a lot smaller than all those bikes... two options - just turn up and see how you go, or call the booking office and find out for sure. From our experience they just keep the check in of cars moving so I don’t think it would be a problem if it was neatly packed. Good luck? Let us know how you go, I would be very interested!!
Hello! Thanks for watching. I think a taller person wouldn’t have any issues at all. There is plenty of head room and if really really tall can fit like any other bed off a train.
If you are a taller person I recommend the bottom bunk if possible in a sleeper car since it is longer and more space than the top bunk, but if not you will just have to bend your knees slightly when sleeping if in a sleeper, coach is no problem since plenty of room for you. Just be open in coach and no showers either in coach.
People wonder why the Auto Train stops in Lorton, VA. The reason is physics. The Autotrain is too tall to get through the the old underground tunnels the Northeast Corridor. So it stops right before the first tunnels you have to go through on the Northeast Corridor - in Washington, D.C. It is also why the elevated trains with observation platforms separate from trains going to NYC - the tunnels are too short for those taller trains. Amtrak is limited by tunnel height throughout the northeast so all the "special" train cars and trains cannot go there. I have taken the AutoTrain once before. It was fine but I prefer driving because the cost. A room for 4 is $2322. The car is another $266. Total cost $2600. More than flying or driving.
Sam, thanks for watching and providing such a great summary of the reasons why the Auto Train stops in Lorton! I am sure those considering trying the Amtrak between VA and FL would wonder why it stops where it does. On your point re cost... yes it can get very expensive! We were lucky to purchase when they had special deals, and a deal is currently going right now where we were able to get a family of four and our car for about $800 total (one way). That was as we show in the video with two roomettes which works really well. thanks again for your support and comments.
@@HankProductions Great point, during COVID to get passengers on the trains they are heavily discounting right now just like the airlines. Appreciate the feedback!
I've driven, flown, and taken Amtrak (both Autotrain and Silver services) between Orlando and DC. Flying is the fastest with moderate level of stress. It's more of a get-it-over-with situation. Driving takes at least double the time (door-to-door) compared to flying, and stress level is through the roof. Amtrak is the slowest, although comparable to driving, and IMO it's the most relaxing way to travel. That said, the mode of travel I've utilized most is flying. It's usually the cheapest, and with vacation days in short supply we'd rather not spend a night on the train.
Hi! Thanks for watching. If you go to 1:10 of the video you will see the check in counter. This is where one adult will go and check in, show ID and your booking. My wife and kids did not need to come up to the desk. I think the conductors have the ability to check ID and tickets when you are on the train but it never happened for us. Infants would travel for free and you could just hold them, or if you had a roomette like we did they could just sleep! Are you thinking of trying it out?
The worst experience l ever had . Took the auto train on Dec 23, 2021. It was a clear day up and down the coast. After getting on the NJ Turnpike got an alert that the train was delayed. No other info . Got to the station after stopping somewhere close by for lunch .. no more alerts except that the check in was now 4:00 pm . They fed us at 9:00ish bringing in bottles of water and Subway subs . The inbound train pulled in about 10:15 pm. We were told to make room for about 400 people getting off the train .. if people were worried about covid they had no where to go but outside in the cold weather . Babies and children were crying it was a mess. About 2:30 am we were allowed to board. The couple sitting next to us got to the station at 9:00 am .( Their children were with them and left to drive to Disney . They were already settled into a hotel in South Carolina for the night and their children were sleeping in warm beds. ) By 2:30 or so we were allowed to board the train . We were supposed to get into Sanford at 9:00 the next morning, but instead we got in at 10:15 at night . By the time we got our car with priority boarding we were on the road by 10:50 for our over 3 hour drive . We stared to fall asleep about 1:30 am and had to pull off the road to rest . We got into our house about 2:30 am Christmas morning. We missed the Christmas Eve church service , had no food in the house , but neighbors brought us food and invited us to Christmas dinner with them . None of this massive delay was caused by weather.., we still don’t know what caused it and probably never will, but we were reimbursed for our ticket with a voucher for future travel 😳
I am so sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. I am sure mike everything it happens… we were booked to come back from Florida to Virginia a few weeks ago and our train was cancelled (like planes were too) due to the massive snow… ended up driving all the way back again and remembered why we so wished we could have caught the train. It is what it is some time and we have to make the most of it. Stay strong, healthy and I appreciate you watching. Hope you can hit subscribe on our channel to help our numbers along! Dave.
I am sorry I did not get back to you early enough Mary… we were on a cruise and I was having a break from the world for a few weeks. Honestly, I think either side is amazing, and you really don’t get too much of a choice anyway as the rooms are allocated. If you want the view of both sides then you just head up to the top level dining room carriage and you can sit and see both sides. Good luck! Hope you have a great experience and hope you can hit subscribe for us to help us along! Thanks. Dave.
I agree! Being able to transport your vehicle is massive... currently I understand it is not possible due to the size of the car carriers, but if they did a smaller version I would imagine it would be massive!! Thanks for watching. Dave.
You guys reckon? I mean it is a bit pricey no? I’m in Europe and these have nearly all died here, obviously we have less reason to drive so far and I think as cars have gotten more reliable and longer lasting it’s just not stayed popular.
I think you absolutely can. You can walk up and down the train when it is moving and go to the food cart so they can stretch their legs. With that age group and 4 of them I am sure you are used to little sleep already 😂… good luck!!
For us when we went it was about $700 total including car. This price goes up and down and it depends on how early you can book. You will should be comfortable, it is more comfortable than sitting in a car for 18 hours! It is also an experience, so definitely take a look. thanks for watching.
They need an Auto Train type service from Lorton to cities north of NYC. The worst part of driving from Florida to places north of NYC like Upstate NY, Conn. or Boston are the routes north of Lorton - getting through DC, Baltimore, Philly, NJ, NYC. The drive between Florida and Lorton is a piece of cake, the rest of the drive sucks.
I absolutely agree!! Problem is (so I am told) is that the auto train height restricts it from going any further North due to bridges that are too small. It simply won’t fit… thanks for watching and commenting! Hope there are other videos on our channel you might be interested in… cheers stay safe. Dave.
It can’t be the car carriers that don’t fit. I live in Delaware and cars come in at ports from Wilmington up to Philadelphia and are transferred to train cars. That are on the freight lines, not Amtrak’s line and have many more grade crossings. So it could be. An auto train to Boston would be amazing.
You know, I wish this went from east to west coast as well!! Such a convenient way to travel as a family with your car. Especially since rental cars are so expensive these days!! Thanks for watching!! Hope you can give us a subscribe! Dave.
So I just looked at the website, it is a different cost for different days. The earlier you book the cheaper as well. For example: if you were to go from VA to FL this Thursday, a roomette like we had in the video would be $638 for two people to share. That includes the shared bathroom and dinner and bfast. Bring your car and it is another $208. If you want a big room for 4, it is $1222! We booked our upcoming trip about two months ago, and it cost $600 total for two roomettes (4 people) and our car. Big difference when you get a sale price and book in advance.
It was just the ticket that has a bed. But I would say equivalent to business/first class. Well worth it! Let me know if you travel on it and what it was like!
Hey Bill, check in does open at 11:30, but I believe all vehicles must be checked in by 2pm / 2:30 at the latest... We were lucky that we just made it by 2pm. The check in process only takes about 5-10 min, so after that you simply have to find a spare seat (which is easy as the waiting lounge is so large) and then wait. They opened up the train for passengers at about 3pm, and you can find your room / seat and get sorted. The conductor / server for your area will come past and settle you in, explain how it all works, provide dinner menu's and then you are on your way! Hope this helped. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask away! Cheers, Dave.
@@billnipp2309 yes that is one of the best things about taking this option over a flight... you can pack your car with as much as you want, and then take a smaller overnight bag onto the train with you. Because there is a shower, you can change into pajamas after dinner and then have a great night sleep. No need to bring towels, they are all supplied.
Hi John, you have to enter the specific dates you want to travel on as the prices are different for different days. www.amtrak.com/auto-train-saver-fares?cmp=pdsrch-AT%7CBrand%7CCore%7CExact-google&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_fSCvYe97wIVhbWzCh2mRAO0EAAYASAAEgLx4fD_BwE this link should take you to the booking area. I see they now have fares starting at $89. I suspect that will be for a seat, not a cabin. Let me know if you still can’t see a price once you enter dates. Dave.
Hi David, yes you are correct… could be a little longer. +15-20min ish… we were staying at Disney Springs and got a good run out to the station. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers. Dave.
Hi! So unless the rules have changed over the last month then we were certainly allowed to sit and eat in the lounge. They just had every second table blocked off. Hope you can still get a trip!! Was lots of fun either way. Thanks for watching. Hope you can subscribe for us!
An update to the lounge car - on our recent trip during Spring Break (April 2) the dinner option was only delivered to your room now... our train was very full and I believe they did this as a COVID mitigation so that everyone stayed in their area. still worked really well for us.
I took the auto train and really enjoyed the experience! I did not like being required to wear a mask for the trip though. Even had an employee come to a group of us in the lounge a tell us to put our masks up between sips of our drinks. My aunt was planning on taking the train back with me but we both decided against it because of the masks. Even though the masks mandates have been lifted they still insisted. The train was pretty empty on the trip I did take. Maybe they would get more passengers if they got rid of their mandate.
I love Amtrak autotrain Do this trip ever year No more long driving. Save gas Money And sleep during the night off the roadways. Amtrak is the way to go to Florida.
Hey! thanks for watching... I agree.. after doing both train and driving, it is certainly the way to go if you want your car down there... the road can get so congested. on our last trip back from Florida to DC it took almost 20 hours due to traffic. enjoy your next trip!
im up in my age, never rode a passenger train here in the United States,rode my first train in South Korea when iwas in the United States Navy,that was years ago,i love to travel, i've always wanted to ride AMTRAK,been thinking about putting my car on autotrain &head to the west coast&then drive back to Alabama,would that be expensive?maybe i'll put that on my ""2 do list""🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸👍👻
@@HankProductions Hey, the background sound of the wheels @ 7.45 to about 8.07 suggest that one or more wheels have flat spots on the tire(s). The car would need to be taken out of service for re-profiling or renewing the bad tire(s).
oh wow! thanks for sharing that information... that is very interesting and I am sure other train enthusiasts will be sure to check out that information! I am going to listen to that spot at 7:45 - 8:07 now... why / how do you know this? did you work in the train industry??
@@HankProductions Hi again. I think most people if they think about a train wheel they would probably assume it's one solid piece of metal. That's not the case. It consists of the main inner wheel and the outside rim(flange) called the tire. Sometimes these tires develop flat spots and have to be re-profiled on a lathe. If this is not possible then the tire can actually be removed from the wheel so that a new one can be fitted. The wheel and tire are an interference fit and a great deal of heat is used to seperate them. I've included two videos which explain the process. The first shows a method of heating up the tire using gas... m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Im7FcwpbO1A.html The second shows the heating procedure and also how the tire is removed. After a lot of hammering you will see it come off the wheel at about 2.25. Hope you find it interesting.
@@HankProductions Sorry, didn't include the link to the second video. This is it...... m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I1EpBFebrfo.html
Check out the videos for china's new meglev highspeed trains, The video called The ten fastest trains in the world 🌎. The US is not one of them. What a shame coming from a country that is so damn gong ho when it come to technology and computers. Wanna keep something the same? Let's go back to when life was easy and less complicated. Get red of the complexities of computers and cell phones and lower ID theft. Oh no we can't do that.. Everything else has to be updated and upgraded except rail right? Come on USA, get with it....
Unless Amtrak is planning to construct meglev highspeed trains, Amtrak is one big joke, slipping into the past of slow and lathargic time consuming rail that is falling into a time of outdated equipment. Speed is in now. You could go from New York to LA California on a maglev train traveling at 310 to 315 mph in roughly 6 hours compaired to 16 hours by today's conventional rail. Big difference right? But the good ole USA rather keep their slow trains to be laughed at by all the world 🌎🌍
Carl, your not wrong that it is old technology, but there is something relaxing and special being able to sit and look out a window and see the beautiful landscape, with out it being blurred out when you travel at 315mph. This trip was an adventure for the family, being able to sleep on the train over the extended period of time, eat on the train, shower on the train… all part of the adventure. A separate high speed train would be a great alternative to air if you wanted to get somewhere quick, but in todays world where everything is demanded now sometimes it is nice just to slow things down. I appreciate you commenting and sharing your thoughts. Have a great day!
