Thinking of taking the train... i have questions

I have taken the train into Orlando multiple times from other cities within the south but never from that distance.. The trip from Philly to Orlando is too long for my personal taste and from what I have seen it can be just as expensive as flying which defeats the purpose.. With that said, in the shorter trips that I have taken; I have experienced noisy passengers (loud conversations, crying babies, noisy electronics, etc.), frequent stops at multiple stations along the way, unscheduled delays in which the train randomly stops, tired train staff, and the closer the train gets to its final destination the restrooms seem to always start running out of supplies and get very dirty.. I did not mind any of this with my shorter trips, however, IMHO I cannot imagine being on the train for 8+ hours with the above experiences..

If you do decide to make the trip, I would recommend arriving at the Orlando station, that is the larger station (with more amenities/services/indoor waiting area/etc.) and its easily accessible to I-4 and located in a decent area.. While the Kissimmee station is technically closer to WDW, IMHO not a fan of this station and I try to avoid it at all costs, its in a bad neighborhood, and the station is tiny and has very limited services..
 
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Have you looked at frontier? I can’t imagine Amtrak is cheaper. And i would absolutely rather spend 2hours crammed onto a frontier plane than 24hours on a coach Amtrak car.
 


Jax1023 said:
Have you ever spent 24hours on an Amtrak coach car? Overnight?

It’s less than 2hours from philly to mco. I can suck it up for 2 hours. Not all night.
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THIS!!!

I once took the train from New Haven (change in NY) to Atlanta. It took something like 28 hours, and I was in coach. The dining car ran out of food both at dinner and at breakfast. The train stopped like once an hour (and some times more frequently) all night long. I got no sleep at all, and I was miserable. And it wasn't very much less expensive than flying. Never again.
 


Can you take the train down to FL when the excitement of vacation is still there but then fly home? You save some money, but the train on the way home will be a lot less enjoyable than on the way there.

I’ve taken the train overnight and I use a fleece sleeping bag to keep me warm. I bring a travel pillow and a regular pillow and lean against the window. I use earbuds and soothing music or a movie or something to help lull me to sleep and keep out other sounds. A Benadryl helped me sleep all the way across Ohio, too.
 
My aunt and uncle did this with their kids a few years back. They said never again. They were delayed 6 hours on the way down, andthey said by that point the "facilities" were barely usable and absolutely filthy. But even worse was the ride home. Since the train originates in Miami, and the security is somewhat more lax than the airlines, there is a lot of drug trade on the northern route. Drug deals being handled (loudly) via cell phone and then the handoffs at different stations along the way. The kids got an education.

Their mistake was thinking it would be like the autotrain.
 
Scrappygrrl said:
My aunt and uncle did this with their kids a few years back. They said never again. They were delayed 6 hours on the way down, andthey said by that point the "facilities" were barely usable and absolutely filthy. But even worse was the ride home. Since the train originates in Miami, and the security is somewhat more lax than the airlines, there is a lot of drug trade on the northern route. Drug deals being handled (loudly) via cell phone and then the handoffs at different stations along the way. The kids got an education.

Their mistake was thinking it would be like the autotrain.
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I definitely sat behind a shady character on a northeast corridor train, he got off at every station and got back on. At first I thought, he's really addicted to cigarettes but something felt off. Somewhere in eastern CT or RI, he got pulled off the train in handcuffs...I like the train for northeast corridor travel, but I wouldn't go beyond Bos-NY or NY-DC.
 
We've done the Autotrain as well as the regular train from Boston to Orlando.
We've also done cross country trips for 3 nights on the train.
We enjoy the train for the most part but we usually get a bedroom.
We've done an overnight in coach and if you look at it as part of the adventure, I think you will be fine.
Bring plenty of snack in case of delays.
The longest delay we've ever experienced was 3 hours.
Maybe do the plane one direction, the train the other way so the kids get to fly and do the train?
 
you all have given me a LOT to think about. I tend to be a very optimistic person and always look on the bright side, however these are all very realistic things to think about. The delays and stopping so frequently were not something I had taken into account. I'm thinking of going first week of Dec so I will check airfares again as it gets closer. I just thought the train sounded better than driving myself but then again.... maybe not! haha Thanks!!
 
Mrs Lapo said:
you all have given me a LOT to think about. I tend to be a very optimistic person and always look on the bright side, however these are all very realistic things to think about. The delays and stopping so frequently were not something I had taken into account. I'm thinking of going first week of Dec so I will check airfares again as it gets closer. I just thought the train sounded better than driving myself but then again.... maybe not! haha Thanks!!
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I definitely wouldn't do a train ride that time of year....I've been in train cars where the heat was negligible. And if it's too cold, trains and rails don't cooperate.
 
sponica said:
I definitely wouldn't do a train ride that time of year....I've been in train cars where the heat was negligible. And if it's too cold, trains and rails don't cooperate.
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we haven't fully settled on our dates yet. I'm hoping to maybe go when free dining is offered. if I can then maybe i'll save enough to fly. i'm trying to stay within a budget.
 
I don't know what Amtrak fare you found, but generally it's roughly $100+ for coach from Phila. SW airlines routinely has fares PHL or BWI to MCO for $70-80 midweek. Sometimes less. Factor in meal expenses on the train, transportation from the station, and the reality that Amtrak is almost always late. Sometimes VERY late.
 
Soarin4us said:
I don't know what Amtrak fare you found, but generally it's roughly $100+ for coach from Phila. SW airlines routinely has fares PHL or BWI to MCO for $70-80 midweek. Sometimes less. Factor in meal expenses on the train, transportation from the station, and the reality that Amtrak is almost always late. Sometimes VERY late.
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Southwest doesn't have fares for the end of the year yet. but when I looked at their regular wanna get away pricing it was like $300-400 per person whish is $1200 - $1400 in just airfare. I'm a single Mom so I'm trying to stick to a tight budget. But Amtrack was about $800-900 so after reading everyone's comments I agree that it might be worth it to spend the extra money and just fly. I just have to talk my roommate (who's going with us) into getting on a plane lol. And I'm sure once I have my dates locked in then I can really search for a good deal on airfare. SW does offer deals throughout the year. I'm really holding out to see if the free dining will be offered. That will def help sway my budget :o)
 
I have flown, taken the train and driven...I live in Massachusetts.

Best way, but most expensive = Flying!
Next best, and cheapest = Driving
Last choice, = Train

I will never take the train again for these reasons: very cold, day and night. Very noisy and you are trapped with these people for a day! They burp, fart, snore, cry, constantly getting up etc...unlike a plane that is only about 3 hours with these people. Also, we were 3 people. I got stuck sitting with a stranger (she had the window) for the whole ride. Very uncomfortable. Now, maybe if you had a private cabin it would be worthwhile, but then it's more expensive, and I'd rather just fly!

Driving has it's pros and cons but it's warmer, cheaper and quieter than a train! You go at your own pace, make the stops you want, sight see along the way. We stopped in DC and went to Paula Deen's restaurant!

Good luck!
 
I have only taken the auto train so I am commenting on the experience. It was myself and 2 older teens. The first time we had a bedroom. It was tight but the privacy was nice. We did sleep but the trip was delayed and we arrived a few hours late. I tried coach seats next trip to compare. Luckily the train was not crowded, so we each spread out on two seats. Sleep was awful, the doors to the train open and close with people passing by all night long. The bathrooms were not cleaned or replenished during the trip and it showed. My teens who can sleep anywhere did not want to take the train like this again. Final vote, we drove home.
 
We have decided to fly. I talked him into it. The savings just doesn't out weigh the convenience. Especially traveling with 4 overly excited kids... I think I would loose my mind if we were delayed for a few hours...

Thanks everyone for your input and advice. It really helped!!
 
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