Amtrak Auto Train
 

I am looking for advice from people that have taken the Amtrak Auto Train between Lorton, VA and Sanford, FL.

First off - for anyone that has taken the train in a roomette - how was the experience? Would you recommend the Auto Train versus flying or driving?

Second - has anyone traveled on the Auto Train with an infant? The fact that we can load up our car with all of the infant gear seems very convenient, but I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with the 17 hour trip with an infant? Also, if anyone has done the trip with an infant in a roomette or bedroom, let me know how you found the experience? Did you have any safety concerns given that the train has no seatbelts so there does not appear to be a way to strap in an infant in a carseat on the trip?

Thank you all for your help.

I haven't had the experience, but DW did that once with the kids - not with a roomette- and said that she would not do it again. Because she had to get there several hours early to load the car and then had to wait quite some time for the car to be unloaded, she did not feel that any time was saved and did not find the actual trip particularly pleasant. At the time she went, families with kids were kept together in their own cars and she said it was pretty noisy all of the way down. Since they were going to Miami, they still had a long drive ahead of them from Sanford.

We have done it - without an infant- and would not do it again. It was a very uncomfortable trip and yes we had a sleeper. But sleep we did not.

My wife and I have made the trip (from Lorton to Sanford) in a sleeper. Yes, we would do it again! Even though we did not sleep soundly, we were very comfortable (something I could never say about being in a car on I-95)! The wait for the car in Sanford was minimal, but you will have to arrive early in Lorton for the vehicle-loading process. Even the food in the dining car was OK. You will find that it is not much less expensive than flying between the northeast and Florida during "season", but you will have your own vehicle (packed with all of your "stuff") when you arrive.

You are correct, there really is no practical way to restrain a carseat, but the train does not start or stop quickly.

My husband and I took the Autotrain last year over February vacation. At that time our kids were 7 months old, 6 years old and an 11 years old. We got 2 roomettes- the baby slept in my bed with me. We left from Boston- stayed over night in NYC (to avoid driving the 8 hrs to DC in one stretch) and then drove the rest of the way to DC. Though the trip was a bit long- all in all, we liked it enough to be doing it again this year. I don't like to fly so I only do so if I can get a direct flight. After looking at flights for this February vacation, we were going to end up spending a lot more to fly direct. When we arrive in Sanford,FL, we still have a 4.5 hour drive to Sanibel. My kids are pretty easy travelers...though the baby will be 21 months old this time and it might not be as easy! We just try to make it an adventure and the kids end up doing just fine.

I should also mention that the actual train itself would be pretty simple with an infant (especially if you don't have other kids along like we do!). The train leaves the station at 4...I would recommend having dinner served to you in your roomette rather than going to the dining car- there are no highchairs and the baby will undoubtedly pull at the white linen table cloth and send stuff crashing. Then, before you know it it's time for the baby o go to bed. When you wake up in the am, it's pretty much time to get off the train

How did you handle sleeping arrangements with an infant in the roomette? Did you use any device to ensure the baby was protected (from, for instance, rolling over on the baby during the night or the train shifting tracks or stopping during the night)? Did you end up holding the infant during the entire trip?

Once again, thank you for your help.

I just bought tickets for our 3rd Auto Train R/T. We aren't dealing with children, and don't get a roomette. On our first trip, I looked at the specs, and cost, and decided that wasn't the way to go (for us, anyway.)

Fore-and-aft movement is gentle. You do get a minor side-to-side sway, so you have to walk carefully. Generally speaking, we find it an enjoyable trip. As I have some minor lower-back issues, I now carry a small cushion for lumbar support--the seats don't have any. If the train isn't full, you're free to stake out an empty pair of seats to sleep, fitfully, during the night.

And, as CSX owns the track, Amtrak moves aside when a freight train comes through. Our first trip, we were several hours late going down. And the return, a month later, was also late. However, last January, it was on-time both ways.

An album is at http://tinyurl.com/3srql3 from the 2008 trip.

Does anyone think you can fit a standard-sized carseat on the floor in between the two seats in a roomette?

I've taken the auto-train 6-7 roundtrips and will again next week. Since this time I'm going for a month, the cost savings from the car rental is quite substantial. Overall, I find it more relaxing than the driving or flying since we feel our vacation begins when we arrive at the station. My DD and DH also prefer it--DD often says its her "favorite" part of our vacation!

I've gotten a roomette several times and have also used standard seating. The roomette has several advantages (comfort, privacy), and is sometimes only minimally more expensive, sometimes quite a bit more. The roomette charges go up as seats get sold (as do the charges for car transport), so check multiple dates, if you have flexibility, to see the range of fares. Its also more economical if you have two people sharing the cost since the extra cost is per room, not per person.

As for the car seat size, Amtrak should be able to tell you the exact dimensions of the roomette. The room is pretty tight however, so I'm not certain the floor space is there.

My first autotrain trip was delayed by several hours (due to extreme cold weather--track cracked and needed to be repaired); all of the rest have been on time or up to an hour early. Also, although Amtrak wishes you to be there 2 hours early, they will check you in if you arrive the minimum--check to see what this is--I'm thinking 1 hour. I usually get there just before this cut-off and I'm often one of the last ones in--but I'm fine with cutting it close--I'm usually only in the station 10-15 mins before boarding. The disadvantage is that I don't usually get my choice of dinner seatings if I arrive after the other times have been taken up. Since I bring a lot of my own food on the train, its not an issue for me.

Good luck with your decision and your trip. I often see a lot of families with children on the autotrain but I believe most are in a family room which would definitely have the floor space you need.

If you want to get a sense of roomette dimensions, go to http://tinyurl.com/yk25j9c . Down toward the bottom, it lets you select the type of room, and shows a diagram when you click on it. Amtrak site is a bit clunky, but the info is there.

The Amtrak website link posted above lists the dimensions of the entire roomette cabin and the berths, but not the dimensions of the space in between the seats. Does anyone know how much space is between the seats in a roomette (where your feet would normally go)? Would a car seat fit in that space? (I tried calling, but the agent at Amtrak did not know the dimensions of the area between the seats.)

Thanks again for your help.

Hi Cleveland10

I can't tell you exactly but what I can tell you is the two seats that face each other are pushed together to form the base on which the mattress goes at night... the two reclining seat backs (comfortably sized for a 6 foot adult, let's say) are pushed so as to become horizontal and the lower part of your seat (where your bum is sitting) is pressed next to the lower part of the seat of the facing seat. So that should give you an idea of roughly how much space you would have.

From my recollection, a car seat would be tight at best during the day between the seats during the day and it definitely would NOT fit under the bed as you sleep (a medium-size suitcase BARELY goes under there).

Best wishes, Daniel