Amtrak from DC to Miami port

Hi folks, checking the flight tickets, it's now $300 rt from dc - miami.

So thinking of amtrak, i've never ride one before, is it a good idea or is it worth the savings if there will be 7 of us?

Also, do you have any idea how much would it cost?

Thank you in advance!

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Hi folks, checking the flight tickets, it's now $300 rt from dc - miami.

So thinking of amtrak, i've never ride one before, is it a good idea or is it worth the savings if there will be 7 of us?

 

Also, do you have any idea how much would it cost?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

 

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Unless you find a sale, and Amtrak has sales all the time, the costs will be similar. However, Amtrak is a BLAST! I'd much rather take the train than fly. It is such a relaxing way to travel.

I agree Blue Herons ! We love Amtrak.

We get a sleeper if it will be an overnight trip,

such as from New York (Penn Station) or DC - it's a great time

and all meals are included.That is for the sleeper cars.

MaryA

Get a sleeper, and arrive a day early....

It's fun...lots of fun...but on-time and Amtrak are not often used in the same sentence....

You are going to spend the better parts of two days on the train, and still need to schedule your arrival a day early because AMTRAK is almost always late -- unless the savings are big and you want to experience the train, I'd take another look at flying -- besides MIA check fares to PBI or even MCO (only a 3+ hour drive away).

I don't know how you get - the better part of 2 days !

It is 26 hours from Penn Station to West Palm Beach,

overnight the train once was 2 hours late but made it up

by the time we pulled into our station.

Sure, it could be late - but so are airplanes, cars breaking down

and any other transportation you can name.

Check out the prices for your 7.

MaryA

I don't know how you get - the better part of 2 days !

 

It is 26 hours from Penn Station to West Palm Beach,

overnight the train once was 2 hours late but made it up

by the time we pulled into our station.

 

Sure, it could be late - but so are airplanes, cars breaking down

and any other transportation you can name.

 

Check out the prices for your 7.

 

MaryA

With seven, I wouldn't bother with a sleeper. Especially since trains are half empty if you aren't traveling over a holiday.

My 2 cents:

If a choice between driving and taking the train, I've done the train - I've twice moved cars via AutoTrain. It was less expensive than trucking the cars, I didn't have to drive the cars and the food on the train was better than OK. You CAN move around a bit ... I had sleepers so there were showers available. You can bring your own libations, sit back and watch the scenery which is a bit more interesting than clouds . . .

If a choice between the train and flying, I'll fly. The train is a 20 plus hour ride, flying 2 hours (using DC to FLL) with more motion and more noise. The train rocks and rolls all night and not in a nice rhythm like a ship .. it jerks and bounces. Sleeper bed or no - I don't sleep much (but being half asleep in a bed IS safer than driving half asleep, so back to point 1 above). And as a light sleeper, the train whistle sounding every 48 seconds for crossings is even worse than my nights trying to sleep with the ship foghorn sounding every two minutes when the Captain's Cabin was very close to the horn! I'll take the fly time difference whenever I can. 2 hours trumps 20 hours every time in my book.

We took Amtrak from WV to LA in March, 2014. Train was on time. Had good food. It was included since we had sleepers. We don,t smoke but every so often at stops people could get off to smoke. It took us a little over 3 days. We had a good time.

WV to LA

It took us a little over 3 days. We had a good time.

and you could drive it in a day or fly in a couple of hours

pick your poison!!

I do recognize that some LOVE train travel ... I'm a train buff myself ....

It's only 22 hours from Washington DC to FLL.

 

With seven, I wouldn't bother with a sleeper. Especially since trains are half empty if you aren't traveling over a holiday.

22 hours sounds like 11 or so hours one day and 11 or so hours the next - IF the train is on time.

I'm with the CAPT on this - I'd rather spend a few extra bucks to avoid 22+ hours on the train and more time in FLA.

I'm taking the train down in January. I don't enjoy flying. We have a roomette as it is quieter than coach.

Hi folks, checking the flight tickets, it's now $300 rt from dc - miami.

That's not a bad price these days. Where did you find that? Nonstop?

Train travel is not the bargain some think when comparing to flying. And certainly more time consuming and we found the one overnight we did not comfortable and restful. We did it once to give our grandchild a requested experience. Never again for me. As like John, I want to spend those hours in the destination city.

Compare flight prices to train costs for the exact same date. And of course be ready to upgrade your train seats to sleeping cars if you want anything even close to a night's rest.

Hi capt_bj, how much is the fee to take a car to the train?

My 2 cents:

 

If a choice between driving and taking the train, I've done the train - I've twice moved cars via AutoTrain. It was less expensive than trucking the cars, I didn't have to drive the cars and the food on the train was better than OK. You CAN move around a bit ... I had sleepers so there were showers available. You can bring your own libations, sit back and watch the scenery which is a bit more interesting than clouds . . .

 

If a choice between the train and flying, I'll fly. The train is a 20 plus hour ride, flying 2 hours (using DC to FLL) with more motion and more noise. The train rocks and rolls all night and not in a nice rhythm like a ship .. it jerks and bounces. Sleeper bed or no - I don't sleep much (but being half asleep in a bed IS safer than driving half asleep, so back to point 1 above). And as a light sleeper, the train whistle sounding every 48 seconds for crossings is even worse than my nights trying to sleep with the ship foghorn sounding every two minutes when the Captain's Cabin was very close to the horn! I'll take the fly time difference whenever I can. 2 hours trumps 20 hours every time in my book.

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WV to LA

 

It took us a little over 3 days. We had a good time.

 

and you could drive it in a day or fly in a couple of hours

 

pick your poison!!

 

I do recognize that some LOVE train travel ... I'm a train buff myself ....

It would take a fewdays to drive from Charleston, WV to Los Angeles. It would take the better part of a day to fly with layover.

Hi capt_bj, how much is the fee to take a car to the train?

 

 

 

 

 

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Not Capt BJ..

But here is the link..

the fare depends on when you go, and what type of vehicle you have...

Do a mock booking to get an idea

http://www.amtrak.com/auto-train

WV to LA

I interp' LA to be Louisiana

Hi capt_bj, how much is the fee to take a car to the train?

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IME a LOT less than shipping the car by truck!!!!

Hi folks, checking the flight tickets, it's now $300 rt from dc - miami.

So thinking of amtrak, i've never ride one before, is it a good idea or is it worth the savings if there will be 7 of us?

 

Also, do you have any idea how much would it cost?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I recently did the auto train solo in a bedroom. Total cost $450 each way - includes bedroom, meals and car transport. Nonstop service Virginia to Sanford, FL.

Majority of families seem to be in coach and generally kids travel free. Auto tends to run pretty close to on time.

IF you go via regular Amtrak, they have a lot of stops and often run behind ... yes, done that in the past too. Cost is generally $200 and up per adult for coach.

We're planning to drive from DC to Port Canaveral for our cruise (6 of us). Decided to try the Auto Train for the trip home. Figured by the time we paid for meals and possibly 2 hotel rooms for 6 of us and wear and tear on the car...it would come out about the same. That won't be until late July, but I'll let you know what we think. AAA members get 10% off on fares on Amtrak too!

My experiences on the auto train are not nearly good as others have reported. In fact on one trip the train was a full 36 hours late in arrival. Yes, more than 1 day late. And the original poster was inquiring about a cruise departure from Miami and the auto train leaves from Lorton, VA, a Washington DC suburb, and arrives in Sanford, FL, which would be about another 4 hour drive to Miami. Counting the time required to get your car off the train which could be up to two hours, they would never make it to Miami for a same-day cruise departure.

We take the train from Boston to Florida every year for a cruise (from

either Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, or Jacksonville.) In the past ten years have had only one late arrival.

We always go to FL the day before a cruise.

We enjoy being able to walk around on the train, see some great scenery, and not rush to and from a relaxing vacation.

I don't know how you get - the better part of 2 days !

 

It is 26 hours from Penn Station to West Palm Beach,

overnight the train once was 2 hours late but made it up

by the time we pulled into our station.

 

Sure, it could be late - but so are airplanes, cars breaking down

and any other transportation you can name.

 

Check out the prices for your 7.

 

MaryA

You got lucky. I have had at least a dozen friends who were delayed by as many as two days on Amtrak due to rail traffic and breakdowns.

It would cost a fortune to get sleeper accommodations for seven passengers.

I would not use Amtrak for any trip where you must be someplace at a given time.

As long as you have a newer model car, with seven people I'd just consider driving. It's about a 15 hour drive. This is very manageable with two drivers and a very easy striaght shot down 95. Once you get past Fredericksburg there is no bad traffic until you hit Florida--and then it will depend on what time you get there. If you can time it to miss rush hour in Jacksonville, and roll through West palm and FLL after rush hour (around 6:30 pm) you will have no problems at all. It will save you $1500 or so.