Driving to Florida this Summer? Take the Amtrak Auto Train

When I was a teenager, I remember one of my all-time favorite vacations that my parents took my sister and I was a trip to Washington D.C., and we traveled via Amtrak. I spent the majority of the ride to and from in the dome car, sitting and watching the ride through the mountains. It was terrific! So Amtrak always holds a special place in my heart, even though I have not ridden on them since my college days. I usually value my vacation time to much to warrant sitting on a train for countless hours when I can be to my destination within a couple of hours via plane or driving. However, I like when a good family friendly offer comes along.

If you are traveling to Florida between May 30 through August 29, 2012, you might want to consider the benefits of taking the auto train in lieu of driving. Reserve your ticket(s) by May 24, 2012 and kids travel along with you for only $25 per paying adult.

Amtrak Auto Train $25 Kids

The auto train via Amtrak runs along the east coast from Lorton, VA (Washington, DC) to Sanford, FL (Orlando). The trip takes 855 miles and approximately 17.5 hours to complete, not including time for loading your vehicle.

The book tickets for this promotion, you must use the “Book a Trip Now” button located on the Amtrak Auto Train promotion page. I made the mistake of trying to run an example from the Amtrak homepage, and the discount did not apply. Make sure the station information is pre-filled to ensure the promotion will go through ok.

I ran some quick sample dates in June for 1 adult and 1 child in two (2) coach seats with a regular sized vehicle. One-way prices were as follows:

Sunday, June 10- $315
Monday, June 11- $292
Tuesday, June 12- $292
Wednesday, June 13- $315
Thursday, June 14- $397
Friday, June 15- $526
Saturday, June 16- $526

Obviously prices will vary depending on your specific situation. However, from this quick example, you can see that traveling on a Monday or Tuesday appears to be the lowest rates for the examples we tested.

By comparison, driving 855 miles at an assumed mile per gallon of 25, equates to over 34 gallons of fuel. At roughly $4/gallon, the cost down just with fuel would be approximately $137. Add the cost of any tolls, if applicable, wear and tear on your own vehicle, and the cost of meals, and you can determine if the little bit of extra cost is worth it.

The Amtrak auto train rate includes all meals!

Meals are included in the price of all Auto Train tickets, no matter which class you travel in. As evening arrives, enjoy a delicious dinner in the Dining Car. Our expert chef will serve up a delicious dinner including regional wines, vegetarian dishes, and special meals for the kids. Afterward, there’s time for a movie or mingling with fellow passengers in the Lounge Car. In the morning, you’ll awaken to a tasty continental breakfast.

Assuming a family has the flexibility to travel on cheaper days, I can definitely see the advantages of using the Amtrak auto train. Especially when you consider you will have a vehicle when you arrive in Florida.

Do you think you will take advantage of the auto train deal?

Save Money, Travel More!

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2 thoughts on “Driving to Florida this Summer? Take the Amtrak Auto Train

  1. I probably won’t be able to use this exact promotion, but I do thank you for bringing to my attention that they even do this. I had no idea you could take your car on the train with you. I can definitely see ways that this would be a really cost-efficient way of doing things.

    • @Steve: I always thought there were more auto trains. It would seem to make sense to not only have one going down the east coast, but also the west coast, as well as coast to coast. With the price of gas rising, maybe Amtrak will look to add new routes in the future.

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