All Aboard! Florida Bound Via the Auto Train

Exactly two years ago, Andy and I were sitting on a train heading from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL. It wasn’t just any train, and it wasn’t just any trip. It was the auto train and we were officially relocating from New Jersey to Florida!

If you aren’t familiar with the Auto Train, I’ll fill you in on it. The auto train does exactly what it sounds like it would do. It’s a train ride for you and your car. Automobiles get loaded up into the vehicle-carrying train cars, and people ride in the passenger cars. It’s a great option for someone who needs to take a car with them, but doesn’t necessarily want to drive the entire trip.

Since we were relocating, we had two cars to take with us, and we didn’t want to drive 1,100 miles in two separate cars. The auto train was a great solution. We drove both cars to Lorton, Virgina, which is just outside of DC, and the train took us the rest of the way.

Now, you might be thinking, “how come I never really hear about anyone taking the auto train from NJ to FL?” Well, do you know who typically uses the auto train? Old people! More specifically, “snow birds” (seniors who spend winters in Florida). When we checked our cars in, we got funny look from the Amtrak worker and he quipped that we were likely to be the youngest people on the train…by about 50 years. He may have been right!

Here are some answers to questions we usually get asked regarding our trip on the Auto Train.

What is the Auto Train like?

The train is much roomier than a regular commuter train and a it’s bi-level. There are different types of accommodations, the fanciest of which are little rooms with cots in them that are equipped with their own private bathroom. On this trip, we sat in the basic accommodations — coach seats. These are much like airplane seats, as they do recline and there is a tray on the back of the seat in front of you, but there is much, much more legroom. Bathrooms are available on the lower level for all the coach passengers. They are also much larger than airplane bath rooms, but similar in their features. Here’s a look at the seats (and some random strangers that sat across the aisle from us).

Our seats were on the second level of the train, which was nice for looking out the window during the 17 hour, 30 minute trip. While we are passing through various states, the conductor makes the occasional announcement when there is something noteworthy that we are passing. There a few beautiful scenes like the one below along the journey.

There is something nice about the “old-fashioned” travel on a train. Everything feels less rushed and less serious than air travel. You can move around, walk to different cars, chat with other passengers, etc.

What Do You Do For 17 Hours?

Well, you can stop by the Lounge car and pick up some snacks if you get hungry. A snack mix and whole fruit are available (and included in the price of your ticket) as are drinks like water, coffee and tea.

The Lounge Car features table and casual seating, which is nice if you need a change of scenery from your room or assigned seat. Hot and cold food, alcohol, and other snacks are also available for purchase in the Lounge. A movie is shown there in the evening, but we didn’t go to see it.

We took advantage of the outlets at our seat and brought our own movies on a laptop. You are allowed two bags per passenger, so we had our usual supply of electronics as well as toiletries, comfortable clothes for sleeping and a change of clothes for the next day. At the time, wi-fi was not available on the train, but we had a portable hotspot that worked in most areas while we were traveling during the day.

Is There a Restaurant?

Dinner is served in the Dining Car at a specific time, which is determined when you check in at the station before departure. At dinner, you are seated with other travelers, and a server takes your order and brings out your meal.

The food is nothing special, but it’s edible. Here’s Andy’s meal of some kind of steak, potatoes and mixed vegetables.

And here’s my meal of rice and mixed veggies. When you are following a gluten free diet, they don’t quite know what to do with you (At least, that was the case in 2012. I do not know if that’s changed.)

They offer soft drinks as well as wine, and dessert is included, too.

We had a nice time chatting with our table mates who were, of course, snow birds on their way south for the winter.

Breakfast is served in the same dining car in the morning, but on a first-come, first-served basis. They offered cereal, bagels, fruit and juice, coffee or tea. Again, not much for someone who’s not eating wheat or gluten. I figured as much and had brought my own snacks on the train.

Where Do You Sleep?

In our case, on this trip we slept right in our coach seats, much like you might do in coach seats on an overnight flight. Other passengers staying in the bedrooms or roomette accommodations slept on cot-like beds. Their private rooms have seats during the day that get converted (by an attendant) into sleeping berths at night. Here are the drawings from Amtrak.

Personally, I am not able to sleep in the seat or in the cots, so it’s not a great experience for me regardless of the accommodations. Andy has an easier time sleeping in environments like this, so with a pair of earplugs, he gets a decent night sleep right in his comfortable coach seat.

Do You Recommend the Auto Train?

I’ll be honest, the Auto Train is not my favorite thing, especially since I am unable to sleep well, but it was definitely better and safer than driving all that way alone. It was nice for us to be able to relax and hang out together before the stress of moving into a new home and re-establishing our entire lives, especially after the stress of moving out of our old home and packing up our entire lives.

Whether or not the Auto Train is for you will depend on your specific situation and how you feel about what you’ve seen and read here. It’s not a speedy trip, so most vacationers traveling from the Northeast either drive themselves or fly. But if you are relocating and do not wish to drive a packed car all by yourself, it might just be a great option for you as it was for us!

Happy relocating! 🙂