All about the Autotrain

[erinch]

We are just back from a cross country trip
Keystone Lancaster PA to Philly
Northeast Regional Philly to DC
Capitol Limited DC to Chicago overnight
Southwest Chief Chicago to Albuquerque overnight

it all wentwell, with only the usual following a freight train delays.
We had a bedroom. Which gave access to dining room. Coach can only get food in the cafe car, which tends to run out. In our younger days we rode coach on AT and cross country. It was an adventure for the resilient.

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

We're on the autotrain now heading down to Florida The northbound train was over 3 hours late. We arrived at the Lorton station around 1:15pm and they were still unloading cars and not letting any new passengers into the station so we headed over to Jersey Mike's for lunch. We originally intended on eating there after we checked in but made a u-turn in the line when we saw no one was moving. We returned around 2:15 and the line to get into the station was backed up into the street. It took us about 45 minutes to get through the line and get our car checked in. Thankfully, there were still spots left for 5pm dining in our room. They started boarding around 3:45 and let us know our arrival time wouldn't be impacted since there's a 90 minute buffer built into the schedule. For the most part everyone was wearing masks in the station (a requirement) except for a few people eating. When an elderly gentleman near us got into a coughing fit and kept his mask off, we decided to head out to the platform to wait. The platform was filled with people but again most were wearing their masks and there was some room (2-3 ft) between parties.

We have 2 rooms on this trip for our family of 5, a bedroom and a roomette. This is our first time with these rooms, we've taken the autotrain a few times in a family bedroom but we no longer fit. Dinner was great, everyone enjoyed their meals. Kids are welcome to order from the adult menu and if you have dinner delivered to your room you don't receive a salad.

There was an issue with the point of sale system in the coach lounge- they couldn't make any purchases until almost 7:15! No food, no drinks- nothing. They made repeated announcements apologizing for the delay.

Anytime we try to connect to the internet it says it can't find the IP address but thankfully we downloaded shows and movies onto everyone's tablets before we left home.

 

[Lisa75]

Sounds familiar! Came home last weekend on it Saturday 7/31 departure from Sanford delayed a couple hours as they couldn’t get power to stay on in our sleeper cars. Ended up in about three hours late. Swore it off said never again and rebooked last night for Christmas trip. Expensive and I believe the rooms are overpriced but avoids a lot of miles. The priority offload was worth every Penny. Loved it and hated it.

 

[KSL]

Sounds familiar! Came home last weekend on it Saturday 7/31 departure from Sanford delayed a couple hours as they couldn’t get power to stay on in our sleeper cars. Ended up in about three hours late. Swore it off said again and rebooked last night for Christmas trip. Expensive and I believe the rooms are overpriced but avoids a lot of miles. The priority offload was worth every Penny. Loved it and hated it.

We feel the same love-hate with the AutoTrain. We've taken it a bunch of times in multiple configurations (coach, roomettes, family bedroom, etc.) and WANT to love it, but every time we end up feeling like it's just not as good as it should be for the price. We started traveling by AT before they took away some of the smaller perks to sleeper cars (welcome onboard snacks, drinks with dinner) and it just seems to be a lesser experience now. BUT with five of us traveling from upstate NY for trips of 10+ days we bring a lot of stuff and we like having our vehicle, so we circle back to how the AT eliminates so much of the driving. We're back to considering it again for next year's trip!

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

We just finished a 2 week trip to Disney and Universal where we took the Auto Train roundtrip. Previously, we only booked a family bedroom but as our kids are getting older we need more space. We booked a bedroom and a roomette (both in the same car) and we loved it. We left late on the way down to Sanford as I mentioned above but we did get in on time. On the trip home we wound up leaving the station about 30 minutes early to get to Lorton and arrived around 7:30am.

Almost everyone was wearing their mask in the station, they make repeated announcements that they can deny you boarding if you aren't wearing one properly over your nose at the station. We saw someone boarding our sleeping car with their mask down so obviously enforcement isn't matching the message on the announcements. The employee who brought our car out also had his mask down under his nose while he was in our car. We had priority boarding both ways and we were out of the station shortly after they started unloading the cars. The Lorton crew handled the unloading process much more efficiently compared to the Sanford crew.

The food was good, we had the kids mac and cheese, kids nuggets, chicken and manicotti along with the jello, lava cake and cheesecake (the jello was in pre-packaged cups). We had all meals in our rooms and for whatever reason they no longer deliver salad to rooms due to Covid. You can get salad in the dining car. When you order soda, you receive it in a can with a travel cup filled with ice. Kids are allowed to order off of the kids or adult menus. We also enjoyed the complimentary wine with dinner.



Pan roasted chicken and kid's chicken nuggets


manicotti and children's mac and cheese (minus the dinner roll that my son already ate)


The 'signature dessert' on the southbound train was lava cake, a chocolate cake filled with a caramel sauce that you would expect to see on an icecream sundae. Very messy but good. This dessert was not offered on the northbound train.


Breakfast choices included Cheerios (plain and apple cinnamon) as well as Raisin Bran. Bananas, juice cups and coffee cake are also offered. I feel so bad for the attendants that have to clean up the coffee cake remnants from the floor of the sleeping cars! There is no way for kids to eat that coffee cake and not make a huge mess. We tipped well lol


After several trips on the Auto Train, I finally figured out how to stop the banging and rattling in the sleeper cars that annoys me and keeps me up at night. I used the extra washcloths provided in the cabinets under the sink to stuff behind, on top of, next to all the rattling pieces of the room! The chair in the bedroom was rattling against the wall and mirror separating our room from the next so I shoved a washcloth behind it. The plastic box around the call buttons was rattling as well so I stuffed another washcloth on the side to silence it. For the first time in years we had a quiet room thanks to the washcloths!

We're already looking to book the Auto Train roundtrip for next summer with both a bedroom and roomette. It is so much more relaxing to take the train instead of driving all that way.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

So if you do so, please post about it. I would love to know how it went.

I had said previously that we wanted to try coach. However, with this increase in COVID cases with the Delta variant, we ended up getting a roomette again.

@GinnyBear's_mom, thanks for all the undated info. We leave this coming Thursday. I will report how things go. Interesting to learn of no salad for room service as we plan to eat in the room.

In the past, we pulled into the parking lot on the left of the Lorton check in booth, went inside and checked in for dinner, etc., but did not relinquish the car. Then we went out for lunch and came back about 1:30 to stay. Has anyone done that or know if you still can?

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

I had said previously that we wanted to try coach. However, with this increase in COVID cases with the Delta variant, we ended up getting a roomette again.

@GinnyBear's_mom, thanks for all the undated info. We leave this coming Thursday. I will report how things go. Interesting to learn of no salad for room service as we plan to eat in the room.

In the past, we pulled into the parking lot on the left of the Lorton check in booth, went inside and checked in for dinner, etc., but did not relinquish the car. Then we went out for lunch and came back about 1:30 to stay. Has anyone done that or know if you still can?

We saw people leaving their car and come back via taxi before departure in August. Can't wait to hear your report, we booked 2 bedrooms southbound for April, northbound was way more expensive so for the trip home we will be in 2 roomettes.

 

[bdcp]

I had said previously that we wanted to try coach. However, with this increase in COVID cases with the Delta variant, we ended up getting a roomette again.

@GinnyBear's_mom, thanks for all the undated info. We leave this coming Thursday. I will report how things go. Interesting to learn of no salad for room service as we plan to eat in the room.

In the past, we pulled into the parking lot on the left of the Lorton check in booth, went inside and checked in for dinner, etc., but did not relinquish the car. Then we went out for lunch and came back about 1:30 to stay. Has anyone done that or know if you still can?

I've seen multiple reports of people bypassing the car check in to the left of the entrance over the years and parking and checking in for their seat/room. We have never done it. We live 45 min from Lorton. We make sure when the train is arriving before leaving our house. So, we usually leave by 11. If it's late, we adjust. We then sit and wait in the station. We either bring lunch or buy something in the cafe there. Not many new reports. Even on the amtrak discussion boards or youtube. None that I've seen mention bypassing the check in booth.

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

I've seen multiple reports of people bypassing the car check in to the left of the entrance over the years and parking and checking in for their seat/room. We have never done it. We live 45 min from Lorton. We make sure when the train is arriving before leaving our house. So, we usually leave by 11. If it's late, we adjust. We then sit and wait in the station. We either bring lunch or buy something in the cafe there. Not many new reports. Even on the amtrak discussion boards or youtube. None that I've seen mention bypassing the check in booth.

There is an online group specifically for the auto train that has posts about this topic every so often. The Lorton station opens at 8:30 and will let you bypass the booth (you can drive around to the left of the booth to a tiny parking lot), only 1 person goes inside to check in to make your dining reservations or seat assignments. Come back around 1 to check in your car. Most recent specific reports of doing this was about 2 months ago.

 

[staceychev]

Hi everyone - Excited to see this thread. We're taking our first Auto Train adventure at the end of this month. We're driving down to Lorton from outside of Philadelphia with two cars (we're transporting my snowbird Dad's car for him as well as our own). We reserved two roomettes - for me, DH, DD16, and DD11. If anyone has any tips for the newbies, I'd love to hear them!

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

Hi everyone - Excited to see this thread. We're taking our first Auto Train adventure at the end of this month. We're driving down to Lorton from outside of Philadelphia with two cars (we're transporting my snowbird Dad's car for him as well as our own). We reserved two roomettes - for me, DH, DD16, and DD11. If anyone has any tips for the newbies, I'd love to hear them!

My biggest tip would be to download some content on your devices, don't rely on wifi. If I'm remembering correctly, I think there is only 1 outlet per roomette so you might want to bring an external power bank or power strip. DH and I bring our own pillows (you can also but our kids are happy with the pillows provided on the train. Dress in layers as sometimes it is cold on the train and other times it feels a bit stuffy. We like to bring snacks, you never know which dining time you will get ahead of time so it helps to have some snacks ready for either before or after dinner, also helps to have snacks in case your arrival is delayed the next morning. Bring cash to tip your attendant and have a great trip!

 

[bdcp]

There is an online group specifically for the auto train that has posts about this topic every so often. The Lorton station opens at 8:30 and will let you bypass the booth (you can drive around to the left of the booth to a tiny parking lot), only 1 person goes inside to check in to make your dining reservations or seat assignments. Come back around 1 to check in your car. Most recent specific reports of doing this was about 2 months ago.

I don't know that specific group but I occasionally read the Amtrak discussion forums and have seen it there too.

 

[bdcp]

Hi everyone - Excited to see this thread. We're taking our first Auto Train adventure at the end of this month. We're driving down to Lorton from outside of Philadelphia with two cars (we're transporting my snowbird Dad's car for him as well as our own). We reserved two roomettes - for me, DH, DD16, and DD11. If anyone has any tips for the newbies, I'd love to hear them!

Bring very little with you onboard. When the beds are down, there is very little space to put anything. Something else I would suggest is to put a kid on the top bunk in each roomette and you and DH take the lower ones. Whether we're in a roomette or bedroom DH and I take a small weekend soft bag with a change of clothes, toothbrush, etc. a bag each for laptops, and valuables. We always keep our cameras, jewelry, passports, cash, etc with us. In fact, when we go to the dining car I carry our valuables (except camera) in my laptop bag. Even in the bedroom that we always get now, we only take onboard what is absolutely necessary. One item you might want to bring if you need it to sleep is your own pillow as the ones they provide aren't very thick. We have an SUV, so everything is exposed so we leave nothing loose visible, but with a trunk, that's different. We started taking the AT in 2005 when we kept change in the car for tolls. Every trip, our loose change would disappear out of the console/divider. It was easy for them to grab and not worth pursuing for us as at most it was a couple of dollars in quarters. Not to say they're all dishonest, but we never had a trip with change that it didn't disappear. I guess they felt it was their tip lol.

 

[staceychev]

Bring very little with you onboard. When the beds are down, there is very little space to put anything. Something else I would suggest is to put a kid on the top bunk in each roomette and you and DH take the lower ones. Whether we're in a roomette or bedroom DH and I take a small weekend soft bag with a change of clothes, toothbrush, etc. a bag each for laptops, and valuables. We always keep our cameras, jewelry, passports, cash, etc with us. In fact, when we go to the dining car I carry our valuables (except camera) in my laptop bag. Even in the bedroom that we always get now, we only take onboard what is absolutely necessary. One item you might want to bring if you need it to sleep is your own pillow as the ones they provide aren't very thick. We have an SUV, so everything is exposed so we leave nothing loose visible, but with a trunk, that's different. We started taking the AT in 2005 when we kept change in the car for tolls. Every trip, our loose change would disappear out of the console/divider. It was easy for them to grab and not worth pursuing for us as at most it was a couple of dollars in quarters. Not to say they're all dishonest, but we never had a trip with change that it didn't disappear. I guess they felt it was their tip lol.

Thanks! Our daughters (16 and 11) are definitely fighting us to have their own roomette. My husband is only 5'6 so he might do OK on the top bunk, but I'll talk to him and see if he feels like he needs to do a parental override!

Question - all four of us will bring aboard a backpack that will include our laptops and our change of clothes/toothbrush, etc in a packing cube. If we consolidate laptops into two backpacks to take to the dining car, will there be someplace to put the bags?

 

[bdcp]

Thanks! Our daughters (16 and 11) are definitely fighting us to have their own roomette. My husband is only 5'6 so he might do OK on the top bunk, but I'll talk to him and see if he feels like he needs to do a parental override!

Question - all four of us will bring aboard a backpack that will include our laptops and our change of clothes/toothbrush, etc in a packing cube. If we consolidate laptops into two backpacks to take to the dining car, will there be someplace to put the bags?

I think this is definitely up to the two of you. Climbing in and out of the top bunk is much easier for a pre-teen and teenager than it is for an adult lol.

I should have stated that we leave our laptops in our room. I carry jewelry, cash, passports, travel documents with me, anything small enough to just walk away but we've never had any problems onboard. My laptop bag is a soft sided tote so easy to put at my feet in the dining car. We used to leave laptops in bags at our seats when we rode coach. I also use packing cubes for each of us so we're not digging through the bag looking for something like a loose toothbrush lol.

 

[herdtoDisney]

I just got off the Auto Train yesterday-live in Tampa Bay area and had gone to visit up north. I had a roomette. I took my purse with me outside the room but put my laptop and dd's ipad out of sight.

The car attendant keeps an eye on things and they seem to know who belongs where. I never worry. I've ridden the Auto Train for over a decade.

 

[erinch]

We've been riding the autotrain for 30 years! In our younger days we started in coach, including one trip with an 18 month old in a baby carrier lodged in the bulkhead. One one trip they offered us a cheap upgrade to roommettes when we got to the station. We never went back to coach. We now travel in a bedroom for hubby and me, and roommettes for the young adults when they are along. Here are our best tips, in order.

1) We come from PA. We allow an extra hour in case of traffic around the beltway.
2)We aim to arrive around 11:30 (which if delayed is still early enough)
3) At the check-in kiosk while still in car, we do the paperwork and tell them we want to park and go in to check in and then go back out for lunch. This will route you to a parking lot on the left. One person goes in to check-in and get dining reservations if in sleepers. The restrooms are big and nice and everyone else inevitably goes in as well.
3a) We try to get a 7 pm dining ressie, the most popular, which is why we get there early.
4) There is a small shop in the station with a few sandwiches on either end. We instead head out for lunch. We tend to end up at iHOP, because I hate iHOP, my hubby loves iHOP so I will compromise and eat at iHOP before the auto train only. There are other restaurants around that are better. And there is a McD's close by if you are running later.
5) The waiting room is big and airy and the wifi is good. This is a great time to download movies, etc if you want content to watch. WiFi on the autotrain is noon-existent. For a while, they tried to have stable internet on the whole run, but this never worked. There's a small playground on either end -- one is down the sidewalk towards the end of the train. In the summer the metal is dangerously hot. You can go out and walk up and down on the sidewalk by the waiting train to get some steps in.
6) It used to be that there was Utz party mix and bowls for a snack upon departure, and there was wine tasting and cheese and crackers for free for sleeper passengers. So we bring Utz party mix, and a collapsible cooler with wine, cheese, grapes and crackers. We pop the wine as the train pulls out. The fun has begun!
7) Boarding can begin as early as around 2:30. It's fun to get settled in, but you don't have to rush. Your seat is assigned.
8. I bring my pillow, because I am a Pillow Princess. I bring a Pashima shoulder wrap, since the train can get cole and hot and cold and hot. I tend to wear nice flip flops to slip on and off, and bring a pair of socks in case my feet get cold. I bring a multi-outlet extension cord for all our devices. I also bring a couple of fully charged external usb batteries.
9) I have had some success in using my phone as a hotspot to get a connection when wireless isn't working. The signal isn't strong enough for steaming in my experience.
10) We bring cash for tips. For the 2 of us, I tip 10 at dinner, 5 at lunch and 20 for the Sleeping Car Attendant (SCA).
11) I haul myself out of bed early. If running well, it can get into SFA as much as an hour early. It can also be hours late. Even if in a bedroom with a shower, I take a shower downstairs. The shower has plentiful hot water, and tends to get light use. It's courteous to use the shower but put on makeup or whatever in one of the other bathrooms or in your room.
12) There are small bottled waters in your compartment if in sleeper. There are usually extras downstairs. I bring a larger bottle since I drink a lot of water.
13. Since I am a coffee drinker at breakfast and my hubby is not, I have him get a cup as well, since the dining room attendants have a lot of people to serve, and refills can be slow.

Anything else, feel free to PM me!

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

Great tips @erinch I remember the days of free wine and snack mix at departure. I'm excited to get a to-go order from the German restaurant in Sanford that's just a few minutes from the station, I plan on ordering their soft pretzel charcuterie board (Reisenbreze Aufschnitt) to enjoy with a few of their German beers or wine as we head back home on the return trip.

 

[herdtoDisney]

On the Sanford end, there is a shuttle trolley that takes you to historic downtown Sanford-well at least on Thursday, that's what the big banner on the wall there said! We didn't try to go-not sure it's running (it may be) and I had my folks along, one of whom has mobility issues. I guess it brings you back in time for the train (well I hope so lol).

On both ends of the trip, I saw many Disney tshirts, backpacks and 50th merch in bags!

 

[erinch]

As a follow up on the security question, we have only had one issue ever. One of my kids left the door to their roommate open, and a game boy sitting out in plain sight. It disappeared. But you can close your curtain, close your door, put the laptop case out of sight, and it would be a huge issue for some other random passenger to start opening doors and rummaging around. Not saying it couldn’t happen, but very unlikely. We have inadvertently left an expensive smartphone, a wallet and cash in plain sight in the flurry to get out of the car, and never has anyThing been touched.

personally for us, part of the fun of the trip is to put the kids in their own roommate and let them make their own nest and we get some quiet space. I sleep on the top bunk, since hubby is 6 feet. I do sincerely try to limit water intake later in the evening. If I do have to get up, I sleep in a long sleep short and bring shorts if in a roommate, and needing to make a trip “down the hall.” We also bring Lysol towelettes in individual packages to wipe down the public restrooms.

I didn’t know about the German restaurant in Sanford! We always ate at the Don Pablo’s on the strip going to the station. We are looking forour new go-to. Never taken the shuttle either. They
had a big scheme for food trucks that they announced about 10 minutes to Covid.