It’s not the longest train in the US in terms of distance traveled but in terms of the length of the train itself, it is unequaled – sometimes almost a mile long! This is because it’s the only train in the US where you can take your car with you. In fact, you have to take your car with you in order to book this route.
I’m talking about the Amtrak Auto Train, the non-stop route from Lorton, Virginia, down the East coast to Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. Cars – and even trucks and motorcycles – are boarded on the back of the train in containers resembling horse trailers, passengers choose coach or sleeper cars in the front, and off you go!
I had long wanted to take the Auto Train and when a high school friend offered me her condo in Florida for a “granddaughter” trip, this seemed the perfect opportunity. It’s a LONG drive to Florida from where we live, plus I loved the idea of having my own car there once we arrived. Although two granddaughters and I live in Michigan, we had to travel to Pittsburgh to pick up two more granddaughters so from there, it was only about a 4-hour drive to Lorton, just outside Washington, D.C. Driving through the traffic around D.C. made me extra glad that I wouldn’t have to do any driving along the notoriously busy I-95 corridor between D.C. and Florida! That’s the beauty of train travel – you can let someone else do the driving while you enjoy the scenery!
The train leaves Lorton in the mid-afternoon and the next morning, by 9 a.m. – you’re in Florida! I paid extra to have our car be one of the first ones off-loaded because we had a several-hour drive ahead of us to get to our condo. On the way back, I skipped this extra fee because we returned earlier in the day and had a more relaxed drive to get home.
So, what are the pros and cons of this route – and would I do it again?
The pros are easy:
- It greatly reduced the long, stressful drive to get to Florida from where we live.
- While not as quick as flying, of course, (but I don’t like flying), it was quicker than driving because much of the travel was overnight; for that same reason, it also gave us more time to enjoy in Florida.
- The schedule is very convenient in terms of leaving in the afternoon and arriving the next morning. The route schedule is similar in both directions.
- Train travel is so much more relaxed and sociable than either flying or driving. You can get up and walk around and the bathrooms and cafe car are easily accessible. Plus, especially for the girls, it was an adventure to travel this way. “It’s the journey, not just the destination.”
- I loved having my own car waiting for me when we arrived so I didn’t have the hassle of renting a car.
- Related to this, it was super convenient to leave most of our luggage packed in the car and just take what we needed for overnight on the train. (No unloading and reloading all the luggage into a rental car–both ways!)
- Like all train travel, we were able to bring as much of our own food on the train as we wanted, which was economical. Also, even though we were in coach, we were provided with a free continental breakfast on the morning we arrived.
Con:
- Since we elected to travel by coach, this meant we had to sleep in our seats overnight. The train was pretty empty on the way down so we really spread out. All five of us each had two seats, which was pretty comfortable! This was not the case on the return trip, when the train was surprisingly packed, (Late spring – snowbirds returning north?) This was okay for one night, especially for the girls. For this old grandma, it was not the most comfortable night I’ve ever spent! However, that was a choice I made to save money, and it was doable. For those who wish, there are sleeper rooms available, with the added benefit that your meals are included (dinner on the first night and a hot breakfast on the morning of arrival).
2. The only other con I can think of is that you might have to wait for up to 45 minutes to get your car if yours is one of the last ones off. This didn’t bother us at all and is probably not much longer than trying to get off a plane and out of the airport.
So how does it stack up cost-wise? I had enough points saved up on my Amtrak credit card to pay for the boarding of my car both ways. Even if I hadn’t, the cost would have been no more than renting a car in Florida. Plus, I could factor in what I saved on gas on the way down and back. Two of my granddaughters were under twelve so they traveled for half-price. Overall, I thought it was an economical way to go.
So would I do it again? You bet!
