For those of you who may have been wondering about the Auto Train....

Anita & I no longer like to travel the highways.....For many years, I daily drove the Wash. DC beltway and/or into downtown Wash...  I no longer feel safe in heavy traffic..... We decided to try something different this year on our return trip to FL.....

 

We took the Amtrak Auto Train to get back to Fl..... The train only runs between two points, Lorton, VA which is just south of the Wash Beltway and Sanford, FL (north of Orlando) with no stops along the way.....Approximately 900 miles...We drove 80 miles to get on the train in Lorton and 106 easy miles from Sanford to our home in Sebring, FL.... The seats recline similar to a Lazy-Boy so you can sleep along the way.... Dinner and breakfast is served in their dining cars at no extra charge.... The train is a double decker and you sit up high....Your auto is loaded into enclosed double decker train cars.... They take a video of all around your car, pointing out any dings or damages in the video, prior to loading, in case you may later have a claim......

 

We left on schedule at 4pm and arrived the next morning at 8:30am in Sanford....It took an hour after arrival to get our car unloaded and we were on our way.... 2 hrs and 15 minutes later we pulled into our driveway, relaxed and refreshed.....

 

Would we do it again?????? As Hockey Mom would say, "you betcha"..... Next year we plan on taking the train both ways and leave the driving to them...... No gas, no motels, no traffic hassles and no meal charges, arrive overnight and you have your car with you..... You can check the rates and make reservations on line...It is more expensive than flying but you have your car with you when you get there....

It is not for everyone, some people say the worst part of their trip is getting past the Baltimore/Wash area... However in talking to other passengers, we found there were many who had traveled from PA and Maine to catch the train in Lorton, VA..... The rates vary according to the dates you select and when you make the reservations..... It cost us $467, one way for the car and the two of us...Dinner and breakfast included.... The price for the same date had gone up an additional $160 later on, after we had booked last May for our Oct trip..... 

   Double decker enclosed auto carrier train cars