All Aboard the Auto Train!

We’ve taken the Auto Train to the Orlando area a few times now and it continues to be my favorite way to travel. Whether we are in a room or a few coach seats, we are traveling in far more comfort than a car or plane can provide!

About the Auto Train

The Auto Train is a car-carrying, double-decker train that only runs between Lorton, Virginia and Sanford, Florida. These two cities are just outside of Washington, DC and Orlando, Florida. An Auto Train leaves each station daily, running overnight and arriving at the same time the next morning. The ride is about 17 hours long.

All parties are required to bring a vehicle to ride the Auto Train and it gets packed right up, too!

Accommodations on the Auto Train, which is a SuperLiner II, include coach seats and three sleeper options: roomettes (up to 2 travelers), bedrooms (up to 2 travelers), and family bedrooms (up to 4 travelers). All travelers receive complimentary breakfast on the Auto Train; travelers in sleepers also receive complimentary dinner.

The Auto Train transports over 130,000 vehicles and 250,000 passengers per year! It’s 3/4 mile long and can hold 650 passengers.

The Logistics

Vehicle loading is available from 11:30AM to 2:30PM. When we arrived at the station, the attendant verified we had tickets, then attached a magnet number to our car. We took our spot in one of three lanes, then left our keys on the seat with the ignition off and grabbed our carry-on bags.

Amtrak permits 2 carry-on bags and a personal item. It was plenty for us!

Though we have had to wait in line for this process, it moves quickly and we’ve never been in it for more than 20 minutes.

Once in the station, we checked in at the main check-in counter. Car numbers and room/seat numbers are assigned here and the attendant gives general instructions on the location of the car. When we got a family bedroom, we were also able to choose our dinner time and we were given a paper copy of the menu so we could plan ahead.

The station is largely seating areas, though they fill up quickly. There are restrooms, a charging area for devices, and a small coffee shop. Though the coffee is good, the prices for snacks is quite high and I was glad we packed our own.

There is a small tot lot outside the station. It’s perfect for getting the wiggles out before a long ride and we always take advantage of it.

Boarding typically starts around 2:30PM. Once everyone is on, the train scoots up a bit and all of the cars holding automobiles are attached. Then it’s a quick brake check and you’re off!

The Family Bedroom

Most recently, we boarded at the center of the train car and went directly to our family bedroom, which spanned the front end of the car on the bottom level. There were windows on both sides with foldout tables underneath each, plus a modest closet that was just deep and wide enough to hang up our coats on provided hangers.

The family bedroom has two long bunks and two short bunks. The long bunks ran longways across the car and the short bunks were perpendicular to them. When we first entered our room, the two upper berths were raised so that the room could serve as our seating area until bedtime. The long lower berth was also in a semi-upright position, sort of like a sofa.

Our attendant asked what time we’d like our beds turned down. We had chosen 7:00PM for dinner, so we figured 8:00PM would work well for turndown. We were also able to place our orders for dinner ahead of time, an adjustment made due to COVID. They’re typically served in the Dining Car and during normal operations, they call folks by reservation on the hour. Passengers in coach have access to a Café Car, which serves up snacks, small bites, and pre-packaged treats.

We typically pack a few bags of shared items (activities, snacks, or blankets) and pack our own toiletries and clothes in our individual carry-on bags.

It felt very private in our family bedroom, almost like we were the only ones on the train. The kids excitedly chatted about which bunk they’d like to sleep on.

We ended up leaving a bit early, around 3:30PM, when we had the bedroom. We received regular updates about the departure as well as continued updates about cities we passed through.

Announcements run until 10:00PM, when quiet hours begin.

Exploring the Cars

In the Sleeper Car, the bathrooms, which include three toilet rooms and a shower room, were centered in our car. We didn’t use the shower/changing room, but it seemed like it was enough to get the job done. In Coach, the bathrooms are on the lower level and there are several of different sizes and configurations, though none have showers.

In the Sleeper Car, complimentary tea and coffee were readily available upstairs in our car. This is not available in Coach, but the Café Car has complimentary self-serve ice and water.

You never really have to leave your car if you have a Sleeper, but we spent a good amount of time in the Lounge, interacting with others and enjoying the views.

Sleeper Car Dinner

While in the Sleeper Car, we’d selected a 7:00PM dinner, which seemed to be the right fit for us. The sun went down around 5:45PM because we were traveling in February. We returned to our dark cabin with full stomachs and slept well!

We headed to the Lounge and our attendant delivered our dinner to our table. This was a COVID adjustment as there is typically a Dining Car with full-service meals.

Our drink choices were dropped off first.

The offerings included a flat-iron steak, pan-roasted chicken breast, tortellini, and salmon. All entrées were served with a roll and vegetables. Children could choose from an all-beef hot dog or macaroni and cheese. Dessert options included cheesecake, chocolate torte, carrot cake, vanilla ice cream, and sugar-free gelatin.

We ordered the steak, the tortellini with pesto cream, and the macaroni and cheese. For dessert, we ordered cheesecake, carrot cake, and vanilla ice cream.

The food was good and the portions were large. The kids’ macaroni and cheese, broiled in small pans, was our favorite!

One pleasant surprise at meal time was that I was also able to order a complimentary glass of wine! I had the chardonnay.

Full and sleepy, we headed back to our car to relax until bedtime.

Sleeping on the Auto Train

Retrieving our toiletries and making our way to the shared bathrooms to prepare for bedtime was not as complicated as I thought. There were multiple restrooms on our car and we quickly returned with our teeth brushed and faces washed.

Auto Train beds are turned down and made with a pillow, sheets, and a blanket that is thin, yet warm. It is fleece on one side and cotton on the other. I had encouraged my children to bring small fleece blankets with them and we found them useful both as comfort items and for additional warmth. The pillows are flat and I’d recommend bringing an extra if you need a thick one.

Curled up on our bunks, we all fell asleep quickly despite the excitement of the day.

The room was suitably dark, but there was a thin line of light that shone from the door to the rest of the car. We put a bag in front of it to block it. There was hardly no traffic outside of our room and the hum of the train drowned out most ambient noise.

While traveling in Coach, it’s a bit easier to hear the sounds of the train, particularly the horn. There’s also a good bit of movement from others and the light of the stairwell and entrance/exits to each car.

The early morning announcement typically comes at 7:00AM and passengers are encouraged to grab breakfast. We’ve had it come as early as 6:00AM, though, as the train is sometimes ahead of schedule!

Breakfast on the Auto Train

Breakfast is served in the Lounge or Café Car and it is grab-and-go style. We typically receive something like hard-boiled eggs, a banana, our choice of cereal, milk, orange juice, and a coffee cake.

Arrival in Florida

Waiting to disembark can be a challenge when you arrive. The platform is not long enough to accommodate the entire set of passenger cars! So everyone unloads in shifts, which can add 15-20 minutes.

Priority cars are unloaded first and they start to come down the ramp about an hour after the train first arrives at the station. While we were warned it could take an hour and a half to unload, we haven’t ever experienced a wait quite that long.

Overall Impression

We really love our time on the Auto Train. The views were spectacular and we have the comforts of home.

Practically, we like the convenience. Nothing beats having your own car while on vacation or being able to bring practically anything that can fit in it!

I think it also adds a little something special to the trip when getting there is part of the adventure.

Plan Your Trip

Amtrak Auto Train
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