Auto Train - FLA to Washington DC/NYC
 

My senior citizen mother is considering using the auto train from the Orlando area to Washington DC and then driving to Ohio. She normally pays between $5-600 to tranport her car. It is a 2 day drive if she does it straight, which has gotten too strenuous for her, especially alone. Has anyone ever used the Auto Train? Your advice? She does not work, so time is not a constraint. Her issue is that she would like to save a few $$. She is a 3 hour drive to Orlando from South Florida and about 7-8 hours from Washington DC to Ohio. She will be here for 4 months. Any comments, advice, alternative suggestions? Thanks!

My ILs do it all the time. I believe it leaves rather early, so she will want to rent a hotel room in VA near where it picks up (Lawton, maybe?).

Also, she will need advance reservations. It fills up fast!

If a car can be rented for the drive from DC to Ohio for less than the additional cost of auto-train over coach, I'd do that; unless her car has some sort of special equipment she needs.

I know of someone from Albany NY who drove all the way to VA to take Autotrain to Orlando for a 5 day stay. If his car was special in some way I could understand, but he would have been better off taking regular train service all the way and renting. Heck he had to drive 1/3 the way down & back anyway.

Sorry - just read the "4 months" bit.

I need a coffee.

It's still a long drive from DC to Ohio - I don't see how she'll enjoy that long drive, if she's not willing to drive FL-OH in 2 days. And it's not going to save her much money.

The Hampton Jitney also offers car delivery service.

I don't know how bad of a drive it would be from Ohio to New York.

www.HamptonJitney.com

Price includes overnight stay in NC.

I'm guessing an automobile transport semi follows the Jitney.

Frankly I don't get the point. She's only knocking a few hours off the total driving time, since DC is not exactly on the way to Ohio (not sure where in Ohio).

By the way, I'm in Naples and I'd allow a good six hours to get to Sanford where the autotrain is. It's not exactly Orlando and you need to allow plenty of time to get there as well as be there some time in advance of departure.

As I recall you also arrive in DC in the morning. After the all night train ride will she really be ready to drive the rest of the way?

If she's still willing to do over 10 hours of driving with the auto train, I'd suggest instead she find some interesting spots and take three days to drive the route. I know lots of seniors here who do that -- depending on the route, Callaway Gardens, Savannah, Lexington or Berea, Kentucky. Drive five or six hours in a day and spend a relaxing afternoon and evening somewhere.