Going to Florida this Winter? Consider the Auto Train.

If you are planning a trip to sunny Florida this winter from the snowy Northeast, you might want to consider taking Amtrak's Auto Train. The Auto Train runs on the CSX Transportation line tracks from Lorton, Virginia (just outside Washington, D.C.) to Sanford, Florida (just outside Orlando). www.amtrak.com/autotrain

My wife and I recently were traveling to Southern Florida for a short visit. We had previously driven to Florida  and found it to be a long almost three day trip.Neither of us had traveled long distances on a train, so we looked into the Auto Train. As the name implies, the Auto Train takes you and your vehicle, automobile or motorcycle, on a train.  You travel on a large, very modern railroad car and your vehicle travels separately in a railroad car with other vehicles. It is said that when fully occupied, the Auto Train is approximately one quarter mile long, making it one of the longest passenger trains in the world!

There are several levels of accommodations from a coach seat up to a family bedroom sleeping two adults and two children.  We opted for the standard bedroom which consisted of a chair and two sleeping berths, bunk-bed style. For the two of us and our car, the cost was about $640. While this seems pricey, consider that driving takes two to three days from the Northeast, requiring hotels, meals, gas, etc.  The Auto Train price includes everything, including two meals.

The station at Lorton is quite large with a newstand and small cafe where we had lunch. The Amtrak personnelwe met at the station and on the train were very courteous and efficient.

We were advised to arrive at least two hours before the scheduled departure time of 4 pm. When we did arrive, it appeared quite a few of the 600 or so people who were riding the train were already there.

Upon arrival, you are greeted by the parking crew, who slap a number on the side of your car, film it ( we think for insurance purposes) and you are given a few minutes to retrieve your luggagefrom the trunk and go into the station itself. There you present your ID and are given your  tickets while waiting for the boarding call. Boarding was very orderly despite the large number of people.

Our room was small, but comfortable. In addition to the seats, which the porter would turn into the bunks while we were at dinner, there is a small toilet/shower combination, which for a tall man like me was too small, and a sink with mirror. We were on the upper level of the two decker car, which gave us an excellent view of the countryside as we rolled through Virginia, North and South Carolina, as well as Georgia on into Florida.

The train left on time (actually a little early) and arrived in Florida about an hour early, at 8:30 a.m. the next morning. All in all, it is about an 17 to 18 hour overnight trip.  While on board, we had a wine and cheese party upon departure and dinner in the dining car at one of three sittings, beginning at 5 pm and ending at 9 pm. Dinner was served on fine china and consisted of a choice of entrees ( I had the salmon with lobster sauce, which was quite good) and my wife had the flank steak.Dinner came with dessert and plenty of red wine (white is also available).

After dinner a movie was shown in the lounge car. We returned to our room and were able to sleep intermittently. My wife was generous enough to sleep in the upper bunk. In the morning we arrived at the Sanford station and immediately before that we were served a continental breakfast of cereal, corn muffins, coffee or tea.

After we disembarked, we went into the station and waited as the numbers of the cars were called. They seemed to be in no particular order but ours was about the middle of the pack and we picked up our car in the parking lot and were off for Southern Florida.

All in all it was a very interesting experience. The train also runs between Sanford and Lorton going North. We would definitely consider taking it again.