My Eye-Opening Experience on the Amtrak Auto Train

I was approaching the end of my second travel nurse assignment in Massachusetts and I needed to get my car back to Florida. Initially, to get to my travel assignment I drove from Florida to Massachusetts and I refused to complete that drive for a second time. It was a 48-hour solo road trip that consisted of appetizing meals at every well-calculated stopping point. For that reason, I googled car shipping options and I was NOT enthusiastic about their rates. Then one of my trusted friends told me to look up train options and the rest is history. Here I detail my eye-opening experience on Amtrak’s auto train!

My Booking Experience

As a first-timer, I played mostly everything by ear. I love to complete my reservations online, but with Amtrak’s auto train I was obligated to call to complete my reservation. I know nothing about booking a train ticket so my reservation conversation was rather amusing.

Representative: Do you want to ride coach?

Confused first-time train rider: Um, I think so?

Representative: Do you want to sit near the dining area?

Confused first-time train rider: Yes ma’am!

Representative: Do you want a sleeper?

Confused first-time train rider: I’m not sure what that is…

Representative: It is a train car option with a bed.

Confused first-time train rider: Do the regular seats recline, if so, then I’ll be ok

Representative: Yes, they recline pretty similar to being on a plane.

As a result, I booked a seat in coach, without a sleeper, one car behind the dining room.

All Aboard!!

After driving seven hours from Massachusetts, I finally arrived at the Virginia Amtrak station. I was directed to pull my vehicle into the auto train lane, they placed a numbered magnet on my vehicle and presented me with a folder that corresponded. I strolled into the station and arrived at the reservation desk. There they asked me for my folder, my name and issued me a seat number. Roughly thirty minutes later, because I’m constantly behind schedule, they began to board the train. I was anticipating for them to blow the train whistle and shout ALL ABOARD, as in every movie that I have seen, but sadly that did not happen.

As a novice, I chose coach seating, which in reality, was bigger than airplane seating and it reclined further back. Unfortunately, The WIFI did not work onboard as their website stated. Therefore, I had to find my own source of amusement. Thank God, that I had downloaded music, packed books and I can sleep wherever my crown can lay. A tolerable dinner was served that night at 5 pm, 7 pm and 9 pm and a continental breakfast was provided the following morning. There are also options to purchase snacks in the lounge car to hold you through the night.

The train ride from Virginia was scheduled for 17 hours but after a few delays, we arrived in sunny Florida nearly 19 hours later. Unfortunately, you can not immediately hop off the train into your vehicle once you arrive in Sanford.

1. The train operators must disengage the trains that accommodated our vehicles
2. You exit your train when it is announced
3. You sit, or stand like I did, in the Sanford station until your vehicle number is called or you visualize it on the monitor (they do NOT go in numerical order)
4. You enter in your vehicle and they verify your number against your car magnet upon your exit
5. Now you can enjoy the remainder of your day, since the train arrives in Florida around 9 am

• 

Things that I learned

• Do not sit near the lounge, you will hear steady foot traffic
• Do not sit near the rear of the train car, you will constantly hear the doors open and close but a small perk is that you may acquire your own row
• Pack entertainment that does not require WIFI
• There is an outlet beside the window seat
• Carry your favorite travel blanket and pillow onboard for the chilly moments
• Try to book the 5 pm or 7 pm dining option, because 9 pm starts to run out of food

My Eye-Opening Experience

The fare for the auto train was reasonably priced versus shipping my car back to Florida, an added incentive is that I was also included in the fare. Whenever my eyes were not closed from slumber, I witnessed the buildings, the bridges and the rivers as we rode through each town. As a result, this first-time auto train experience opened my travel bug eyes to book a scenic train route!

Have you experienced a scenic train ride before? If so, how was it? If not, would you?

The train is a small world moving through a larger world.

Elisha Cooper