The Amtrak AutoTrain, April 2021

FESCH.TV INFORMIERT:

Amtrak operates an “AutoTrain” which serves to transports people and their cars between Lorton, Virginia and Sanford, Florida.
The AutoTrain is, then, another way to get to Florida, without having to drive the entire distance. However, it operates only along the Lorton to Sanford route, and it makes no stops in between.

Amtrak charges are based on the accommodations of the passengers and a separate fee for a car being transported.

The typical schedule allows for check-in between 11:30 AM and 2:30 PM on the day of travel. The train departs from the station about 4 PM, and arrives at the other end between 8 AM to 9 AM the next day. On our recent trip in April 2021, there was an overnight emergency on the train, and that added 2 hours to the length of the trip.

The typical arrangement is to make, in advance, reservations for seating of passengers and transportation of a car. The passenger seating arrangements are — coach seats — or “roomettes” — or “cabins.” The roomettes are private compartments, suitable for two adults. Bathrooms are down a hallway. When a roomette is configured for nighttime sleeping, one person sleeps at the lower level, by having the daytime seats flattened into a bed. Then above that — a separate bunk is tilted to a flat position above the lower bed.

The “cabin” is twice the size of a roomette. This video shows the setup of a cabin. The cabin includes two beds, a small sink, and a small bathroom. I found the top bunk of both a roomette and a cabin to have sufficient length for my 6’2” height. Yet not enough headroom to sit upright on the top bunk.

During the trip between Virginia and Florida, food is available in a dining car. In our recent 2 trips, we had our train attendant bring us our evening meal, which we had in our cabin. It can be a good idea to bring along some extra food, in the event one becomes hungry outside of the operating hours of the dining car.

The best arrangement seems to be, to have the car packed with everything you want to take to Florida — and to bring inside the train — only what you need for the overnight stay.

Otherwise, the total driving distance from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL is 810 miles.