AutoTrain booking advice

I'm planning on loading my car on the AutoTrain in Lorton next March and head down to FL to take in some spring training baseball games next year.

How long in advance should I plan on booking?

And do you guys have other AutoTrain advice? I plan to stay in the TB area since my Phillies and Orioles train in those parts.

And I just typed "AutoTrain" (spelled that way) on railroad.net's search engine and came up with 32 pages. Iykwim.

Thanks in advance.

motor

It's a great ride with non-stop service down to Florida. I was just down in FL for Spring Training baseball and it's great, very small stadiums with great seats and low prices (although you'll only get to see the starters for 3-4 innings).

The auto train is the only train in the system with free meals for all passengers, so the extra cost for a sleeper is not justified in my book - it's only a quick overnight on the train. You can currently book for Feb 2016, and the price is at $132 which is pretty reasonable (plus $239 for your car).

I would book it in advance as far possible and in the event you need to cancel you can cancel it within 24 hours in advance for no charge (excerpt below from the fare rules for the "value fare").

Value Fares
Refundable: Full refund if canceled 24 hours or more before departure. 10% fee charged if less than 24 hours. Unreserved tickets incur 10% fee at all times.
eVoucher available: Full value, no fees.
Value Fares offer several refund options. Value Fare tickets are fully refundable if canceled more than 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure from the origin but will incur a 10% refund fee if canceled less than 24 hours prior to scheduled departure. Value Fare tickets can be canceled with the ticket value saved as a credit in an eVoucher that can be used for future Amtrak travel. If not canceled before the scheduled departure from the origin ("no show"), the entire amount is forfeited and cannot be applied toward future travel.

The Value Fare is available on all trains and buses. The number of seats available on each train at the Value Fare is limited.
------

The only benefit of the flexable fares over the value fare is if you cancel within 24 hours, you aren't charged a 10% fee to refund your ticket.

Motor and Everyone:

Going to central Florida on Amtrak's Auto-Train can be a good - restful - and enjoyable way to travel
as compared to dealing with the drive on I-95...

Take the advice that hi55us mentions and go coach if you are traveling by yourself - this alone can
save you money that you can use in your Florida travels...

The Auto-Train does actually make one unadvertised stop - at Florence, SC to change T&E crews -
but depending on when you are asleep you may sleep right through that stop...

Make sure that you get to the Lorton, VA Auto-Train terminal in plenty of time to get your vehicle loaded
and watching the switching operation prior to departure can be interesting...Vehicles are not accepted
after 2:30 pm on the date of departure...

You may want to search the Railroad.net Amtrak Forum archive pages to look for other Auto-Train topic
threads for more information and posts by other members...

See: http://www.amtrak.com/auto-train" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MACTRAXX

Although I did go to Florida this year, the trip was a fly down and back to Miami; therefore my "voyage #22" will have to wait.

My last trip, Feb 2014, occurred just before Auto Train became a "unified service" ; however that the amenities, or what is left of them, are standard between Coach and Sleeper, as they are on the rest of the system save the Pacific Parlour on the Starlight, which I doubt is long for this world, should hardly be a barrier for considering Sleeper. On that point, my advice is contrary to that of Messrs. Hi and Max; if you want to be rested, go Sleeper. If Coach was "it", I'd just as soon drive and get my winks at an en route hotel.

While not having had the occasion to travel the "unified" AT, I'm not that concerned. The withdrawal of the AT Sleeper Lounge replaced with an additional Coach, really, is no big loss. After the now discontinued "Happy Hour', that car was simply "dead". That they chose to have the distraction of those movies, dissuading conversation (and alcohol sales), simply made it a car to walk through. There are reports that ice is still available in the Sleepers; just buy a $15 bottle and have your own HH - with stuff better than what Amtrak was serving at the end.

So all told, Mr. Motor, go for it - in Sleeper.

Auto Train is one Amtrak train that WILL DEPART before the scheduled departure time. Once all booked autos and passengers are aboard and Amtrak's Car Dept. completes their pre-departure inspections the train is free to depart at CSX's ability to move it.

Following Mr. MMI's immediate posting, it should also be noted that CSX can "give him the railroad', and in those instances, such as when AT can "chase the juice (a high priority train handling orange juice)", or even vice versa, Auto Train can arrive LOR or SFA as much as one hour early. However, lest one think they can move it out one hour earlier than otherwise, forget it. The valets report at whatever time, and that's that.

Finally regarding vehicle return, Amtrak has wisely chosen to follow the private Auto Train's policy of "you get it back when you get it back". While they tell passengers one thing, the fact remains that they know what autos are loaded in what carrier and the auto's location within same. They have to know for potential liability reasons, and which means they could tell a passenger within five minutes when their auto will be returned. That they have now taken one from the airline's playbook and offer a priority return for an additional charge is proof they know what is where. But having been raised in the Northeast, I know how demanding some folk out that way can get. That is why loading information is classified Top Secret/Eyes Only.

When I rode North on Auto Train Nov. 13-14, 2014, the 1st Class Lounge Car between the Coaches and Sleepers was open to all passengers. The Coach Lounge Car next to the Coach Diner, without an attendant, was used as a table car for overflow from the Coach Diner for Dinner, and as a Waiting Room for Coach Breakfast. All vehicles must now arrive by 2:30 p.m., half an hour earlier for some, which helps for an early departure. We left Sanford at 3:50 p.m., 10 minutes early and arrived at Lorton at 7:25 a.m., 2 hours and 5 minutes early. The Lounge Attendant closes at Quatico,Virginia, no matter how early the train is at that point. He is not available while you wait on the train for the station to open at 8:00 a.m. and the switch engine and vehicle jockeys to start moving things a bit later.
If you are willing to take a Lower Level Economy Bedroom, try to get one in a Deluxe Sleeper, the ratio of showers and bathrooms to rooms without them is much better!