Sanford Auto Train Station, Sanford, FL USA

My wife and I had a great experience on the autotrain. We are in wheel chairs. The attention that was given to us was very caring. Our trip from Lorton VA to Sanford Fl, Dec 21 to 22, car 5346C, our attendant was Mark. He gave great quality service. I have the same to say about Ryan on car 5246D on the return trip on Jan 4 to 5. In their busy schedule, they had time to answer questions and give information. They made us feel human.

End of my train trip was just as good as the start. Clean well maintained facility with friendly staff.

My truck is 20 ft, they charged me double price. They ask 2 spots price. Is this new rule?

Things went smoothly loading and leaving the station.

We love Amtrak

I had never taken the train, but to save us ocer 500 miles of driving, we took the sleeper train. We had a small room that had 2 beds and the smallest bathroom ever. We also had thr best Porter, Dark chocolate. He was absolutely amazing and friendly. It was a pleasant if jostling ride. I would do it again

Communication was great at this location. They made several announcements that were easy to hear and understand. It's an older station, so the seats were not in the best condition. The bathroom was older, but clean. The customer service was great. Everybody was friendly and helpful. This location did not seem to have enough seating for the amount of passengers. There was even a food truck on site that had great food. Make sure to arrive early enough to get your car processed because the line does get long

I feel like this listing was created to review the train station itself, but since most people are reviewing the auto train experience itself, I will do the same. I have used the auto train twice and my wife four times. I find that looking up trains is fairly easy, youth I think I had to familiarize myself with the mechanics of the app the first time around. I am sure you can call or chat with a live person if want to feel more confident. At our age, the idea of reclining in the coach section for 18 hours does not appeal, so we opt for have a room for much more comfort (and of course a lot more expense). My wife had a roomette on one of her solo trips, but that wouldn't work for both of us. So you drive up between 11:30 and 2:30 and wait in one of the two lines. Before the line started moving first thing most recently, we dug my wife's walker out of our vehicle and she walked up to the station and sat down outside to wait while I stayed in our vehicle. When the lines start moving it goes fairly well, no long pauses. Someone approaches the vehicle and you get out and remove whatever you will need for just overnight and leave the key in the vehicle for them. They give you your boarding pass (just a small slip of paper with your coach and room number (if you have a room). And even though most travel companies accept digital tickets,with Amtrak you must show this little slip of paper. The guy also gives you a small brochure with your car receipt number written on it. Save it or memorize or record this number for when they unload the vehicles on the other end. Check in at the front counter once you have dropped off your vehicle. They used to give you a menu sheet to select your evening meal, but now you choose in the dining car. To be honest, I don't remember if he did more than check that I was in the system on our most recent trip. There is one person in each sleeper car that provides services and information for everyone on the car. For example, showing me a place to tuck away my wife's walker, which she didn't need once on board. The woman has been friendly and efficient both times I have ridden the train. She asked you what time you want to go eat dinner, and what time you want your room made ready for sleeping. (The next morning when you are ready, you push the call button and she comes to make it back into a seating car again). Over the intercom she also gives general information about the trip. What else? Well, it was long walk through multiple train cars to get to the dining car. My wife had to stop once to catch her breath. The pasta primavera was fine, though if this was a restaurant, it wouldn't be a repeated choice. My wife had steak once and wasn't impressed by it particular. It came with really thin green beans that weren't nearly as good as fresh but slightly better than canned. It was a fairly large portion of the pasta. A roll comes with the meal. I don't often order alcohol with meals, but you receive a complimentary drink, so I had a can of Stone IPA. I selected the blueberry cheesecake for dessert and my wife had chocolate spoon cake. They were fine. We had a pleasant conversation with nearby diners so it was a pleasant meal. In the morning I walked to pick up our continental breakfast, as my partner didn't want to take the long walk again. The choices weren't dazzling: two types of cold cereal, bananas, orange juice, milk and a pice of cinnamon crumb cake. Not memorable, but fuel for your body, I suppose. So you disembark the next morning and wait around for the vehicles to be unloaded. You can wait with the crown indoors or sit outside on benches. It usually finishes within 90 minutes, but one of the priority vehicles (you can pay extra to be unloaded sooner in the queue) apparently wouldn't run, so they had to use a process to haul it off some other way. One last word: most recently we decided not to use the auto train for the return northerly trip, because due to I assume returning snowbirds and/or spring breakers, it was twice the cost of the trip south.

AMTRAK employees are terrific, but the Autotrain was terrible. I understand that any long ride on public transportation is uncomfortable, but being on the train, sitting in an uncomfortable chair, is cruel and unusual punishment, especially if no crime was committed. The train from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL was about four hours late, to prolong the agony. Let me offer some seating ideas: 1. Avoid being in the car attached to the dining car, as people troop through constantly. 2. Avoid seats close to the doors that join the cars both for the same reason as number 1, but also because it's noisy. 3. There are bright lights up where the high number seats (55+) are, near the doors between cars, that do not dim at night, so trying to sleep is that much more difficult. 4. Bring a cushion for your butt, a neck pillow, and eye-shades... a blanket, too. I can hear you saying, "Ted, why didn't you just get a sleeping berth?" Good question, but the extra $900 to $1,300 is a bit more than I spend for a hotel room, making my decision for the convenience of having my own car moot. I'm not doing that again. Next time I'll fly and rent a car... cheaper and a lot more comfortable.

Great experience in the auto train! Took it a few days ago and visited friends in Virginia. Stayed in a roomette which was nice and quiet. Dinner and breakfast were included with my ticket. Food was okay. Porter turned down my bed and I slept pretty soundly. Would recommend if you want to travel north and don't want the hassle of driving your vehicle.

Service: Wow! The service on this train was amazing! All of the workers were so fun and friendly. Every time we went to the dining car or lounge car they all remembered us and joked with us. We had Zeke as our car attendant and he was so funny and welcoming! Accommodations: I enjoyed taking this train for the first time and for the most part had a pretty great experience. The only thing I would say is that the roomettes are a bit small for 2 grown adults. I would recommend getting a bigger room if you have more than just 1 adult and 1 child if you can. Also it's a little concerning that there is no security when you board the train at all, but those are the only things that make this a 4/5 experience for me. Food: For train food it was delicious! I got rigatoni and ate the entire thing! Breakfast could be better but we just did grab and go so on the way back we will probably try the sit down and see if it's any better. Overall it was a fun experience with friendly staff and passengers. I definitely recommend it if you are needing to travel but don't want to put miles on your car! It cost almost the same as it would be in gas and hotel accommodations for us if we drove, plus food was included! $737.90 with a 30% off coupon! I recommend creating an account with Amtrak to receive extra benefits such as the 30% off we used for our trip!

Drivers with anxiety! Or people who hate long distance driving! This is the service for you. This review is not about the auto train service once you're on the train, but just about the location itself. Pulling in leaving the car to Amtrak staff was very painless! Once you go inside, it's pretty average. There's a gift shop for things in case you wanted AutoTrain merch or left your toothbrush at home. Bathrooms were okay. The weak part was food. They had a Jamaican food truck out there but that's all. I would get food elsewhere.

We have used car train many times.service is getting worse.train was 3 hours late. Very frustrating! Stafff not helpful.

Amtrak auto train was less than average. Train was 7.5 hrs late departing, so instead of 4pm departure - 9AM arrival, we departed at 11:30 pm after sitting at the station all afternoon and evening and are expected to arrive in Lorton at 4pm. Breakfast is just cereal, milk, coffee & bananas. We used to take the auto train a few years back, ticket prices included a full sit down dinner with wine and a much nicer Continental breakfast. Tickets prices are much higher with less amenities.

It's a train station, lots of lost people, wandering aimlessly through the night. Folks hopping off the train appear zombie-like. The food on the train is awful, bring your own.

If you need to bring your car to Florida and don't want to drive or ship then this is your best option. I booked a roomette and that came with dinner and breakfast. The ride was fine and the roomette comfortable. Here's the best part. When I left my car in line to be boarded I also left my wallet in the car. The car arrived in Florida with the wallet where I left it. My overall experience on my second trip on the auto train is just as good as the first.

Amtrak Auto Train is absolutely horrible in reliability and on time departure/arrival. My train was supposed to depart Sanford at 5 pm today and at 9:15 pm I am still sitting here waiting to board. Is it mechanical? Weather? We don't know. No explanations have been forthcoming. The price of the ticket was supposed to include a sit down dinner, not a couple of slices of cold pizza. I could go on, but let's just leave it by saying customer service is NOT priority one with Amtrak!

Our ticket said that we can arrive until 3pm. The employee Rasheed at the station appears to still close at 2pm. He had a train blocking the road essentially blocked us from getting on the train only to then say we were late and not allowed to get on the train. If this happened to you let's get a class action lawsuit going. Message me. The ticket says we have until 3 pm. I arrived at 2:45pm. They breached out contract by demanding we are it there earlier than the agreed upon time on ticket. Three couples ahead of me were inconvenienced to pay an additional $449 on top of their original ticket just to get placed on the next train. I got him on video telling him to arrive no later than 2pm. These people were blocked by the train ahead of me so they were not late. Plus they also had to pay for a hotel stay. We are better off driving! Save the headache and wasted time. Plus I got there faster.

First time auto train riders. Booked a roomette out of VA to Fl. Car drop off easy. Your vehicle is video taped as you leave it. Keys on console, drivers window down. Sleeper cars load by # and orderly. Staff very well trained and professional. Your steward makes the experience nice. Dinner reservations- have the Flat Iron Steak. Breakfast - suggest continental. Sleeping on top bunk is tight. Hall toilets cleaned well and adequate- same as an airline. Sleeping sane to me as a moving boat. ( I used to race over night ). Car pick up took an hour and is random - no first in / out. Not luxury but fun

Terrible experience 18 hours on a hot train that has "temperatures configured to stay between 72-74 degrees", but was over 80 at midnight which is also when they decided to start collecting trash and making a lot of noise(there was babies in my train. Seats are uncomfortable food sucks and is over priced.

Very expensive travel for accommodations that belong back in the 50's. The first cabin attendant expected us the tidy up the sleeper after dinner. What is that!!!????

Are the trains clean? Oh, yes! are the trains old? Well yeah. Are the staff friendly? Absolutely, everyone of them. Did they get your car there without a hitch? Yup. Just make sure you allow them about an hour to unload your car. Make sure you get here early before you go. Check the departure time try to be here at least three hours prior to departure. The cut off is two hours prior and they will not let you on the train if you're late. It takes time to load your car. Right now, because of Covid, they're serving your Dinner in your room, if you bought a sleepette, or a room. The choices include a chicken, a pasta, or the Amtrak signature flat iron steak. Coming down in the winter can be expensive, simply because people that migrate to Florida in the winter sometimes, or often, use auto train. So the prices rise vary significantly. But if you can do your travel the opposite direction, it becomes very affordable, and is certainly whole lot more pleasant than spending hours and hours and hours on interstate 95. Yeah- I'm a huge fan.

We pulled into Sanford Station a few mins before 10am--about an hour late. We were welcomed with a speech warning us that this was federal property: we must wear our masks while getting off the train and while walking on the platform, while inside the station, and while walking to our cars. We would not be allowed to remove our masks until inside our own private vehicles. Before passengers were allowed to get off the train, Amtrak had to uncouple the car carriers and divide the passenger section into two parts so that it would fit the platform. This process took about 20 minutes. Next came the wait for 302 cars to be off loaded. An announcement stated it would take at least 90 minutes for all the cars to be off loaded. The number assigned to each vehicle was announced and shown on a screen when it was available for pickup. There were over 300 passengers standing around waiting for their vehicles. Frequent announcements were repeatedly made about where it was okay to stand or sit. A rude Amtrak employee walked around and gave instructions about where to stand that contradicted the announcements and then he later contradicted himself. His identification badge was turned around backwards making it impossible to see his name. It's typical that people who are sticklers for enforcing rules on other people don't apply the same standards to themselves. 30 vehicles were designed as Priority for an additional fee of $60 and were unloaded first. These started coming off about 20 minutes after passengers were allowed off the train. It took about 20 minutes for all of the priority vehicles to be off loaded and to start moving the rest off. The numbers assigned to the vehicles at check in did not correlate to the order of unloading. They appeared to be randomly assigned, but there may have been some system that I could not discern. Meanwhile, roughly every five minutes an announcement that everyone must wear a mask on Amtrak property, even if outdoors. My car came off about 45 minutes after I had gotten off the train. I put my carryons on the passenger seat, had just gotten into the car, and was waiting a minute for the fog on my mirrors to clear when the obnoxious Amtrak employee came up and rudely told me to "get moving." This time, I asked why he was hiding his name and asked him to turn his ID badge around so I could see it. He still didn't show me the front side of his badge but said his name was Rashid at yelled at me to "get out of here!" He was the only unpleasant Amtrak employee I encountered on this trip.

What a fabulous experience, from the station to the train, to my lovey bedroom w/ personal bathroom/shower combo! 4.5 overall. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - OVERALL - If you need to get up North (Sanford FL to Lorton VA or vice versa) with your car and don't want to drive DO THIS!!! I don't love driving and would have taken me 2-3 days and 2 nights of hotel stays to drive. Instead, I drove to the station, drank wine, watched movies, had decent dinner and bfast, and slept on a fairly comfortable bed, all while in my own personal room (I opted for a bedroom but other options including a roomette, family room and coach seats are available). - STATION was lovey, organized, and clean. I rolled up about 2pm, so 30 mins before they stop check-in and it was glorious. No lines for anything, very smooth process. - SERVICE - Cornelius was my sleeper car attendant and had the best energy and had me cracking up, not to mention service was on point! - ACCOMMODATIONS - Bedroom has 3 outlets, some control over temp, though please note that trains are very old and while I had outlets, understand availability can be a challenge though folks often bring power strips. Bedroom was absolutely worth the additional money. I originally had a roomette but was given an opportunity to "bid" for a bedroom between $150-450. I bid $160 and got it! - COST - The deal I got was absolutely a factor in my 4.5 star rating considering the total cost (about $860 including 1 sedan and priority offloading) and how much I loathe driving long distance.

I ordered auto train tickets, but the Amtrak ticket agent sent us passenger train tickets. My husband is disabled so I had to upgrade our tickets at the last minute. Beware of sloppy ticket agents. Her mistake cost us big time.

It's that old airplane joke: People in first class - What the HELL? I could have bought 3 dinners in NYC for the price of first class. People in coach - Man, I HATE coach! The next time we travel, we're flying first class. Me? I fly business class so none of these silly rules apply. The train is supposed to boggie at 4pm. I can not stress this enough, if you're taking the auto train (with your auto) then you have to be here no later than 2:30. The train boarded and left after 3pm when all cars and passengers were accounted for. Wowza! For years I always expressed to my wife, when we go to our Disney timeshare, lets take the auto train so we'll have our car. My Brooklyn-French-Canadian wife looks at me and says, Um.. no. Why should I go by train when I can fly fabulously, get to the airport and have Magical Express whisk me away with no concern for luggage? Yes dear... What if your going to Florida and not on vacation? Let's talk auto train baby. If you have a hot rod and/or motorcycle and want it down south for the winter? What better way to bring it to Florida than by rail? Do you know how jammed I95 was this afternoon? Ugh. Take the auto train to Virginia and wake up in Orlando (Close to it) All these past reviewers: Amtrak no longer offers a free beer when you check in, Oh boo hoo! All I care about is my hot rod not getting scratched. When I board, I have my own pillow/blanket as well as a bottle of wine, cheese and chocolate to keep me entertained. Amtrak also offers you dinner as well as a continental breakfast! And don't think your getting your own table. I'm traveling with my wife because: #1 - It's my birthday and I love traveling by the auto train #2 - We're seeing family and have a few stops to make along the way, Charleston SC is one of those places that I enjoy stretching my legs. For dinner we were put at a table with a nice family from Boston MA. Very old school Americana happening here folks. How did people traveled 100 years ago? By rail! Our sleeper car has bunk beds. My wife has no problem sleeping up top. I gotta pee twice a night so the bottom it is for me :D The train did provide pillows, blankets even towels when you take a shower. If you ever camped before it's really not a big deal. The end result is, in the morning and getting off the train in Sanford is a very nice way to start the day. And we're not in a crappy rental car but MY car. And that allows me hitting up lots of cool spots driving back up north. If you have to drive to Florida or up North, consider the Auto Train as an alternative. I'm a fan of this transportation method. If you drove and spent $$ for a hotel, gas and food, it works out the same. Except I'm relaxing in a cabin drinking a bottle of my wine I brought from home.

July 11, 2023, took the Auto-Train #52 for the first time because i am tired of driving on the crazy I-95. Everything is well organized from the time you drop off your car to the time you board the train. The staff who work at the station are wonderful. The inside station is large but I think they could use more seating since I did see people milling around the area looking for seating. By the Cafe they had only a few tables and chairs, but honestly that area was too small. My only COMPLAINT was the WOMEN's BATHROOM, it was outdated, dirty, and the soap dispensers were broken. It reminded me of a NY, Public School Bathroom, OLD. With all the money Amtrak is making on tickets sales, I can't understand why the bathroom can't be updated.

I recently took the AutoTrain from Lorton to Sanford, and I had a pleasant experience for the most part. I will likely do it again, because not driving 900+ miles is totally awesome. I read reviews, and watched a bunch of YouTube videos prior to arriving, so I really didn't have any true surprises (couple gotchas though). I didn't pay for the early offloading, but I thought maybe if I showed up early that my car would be taken off early. This is not the case. My car was one of the last cars brought off. So unless you pay for early offloading, get there later in the drop-off window because the way they cut the autoracks on arrival means that you're taking a gamble either way (perhaps between 1 and 2). My car doesn't have a true alarm (only if you open the doors without disarming), so I didn't worry about disabling, but if your car alarms based on motion, then you'll want to disable it. The train jostles in route, and it will surely go off. I had a roomette for the trip, and while tight, it was perfectly fine for just me. I could see two people being ok here, but with just me I got to fully extend my feet which was nice. Seating was comfortable, and I had no issues sitting there and taking in the scenery. The WiFi was pretty much useless though. I could not get an IP assignment on any of my three devices, and that prohibited me from getting access to the captive portal for login. I was really looking to get some work done, but it was not possible at any point during the trip. Dinner was included with my ticket, and I ordered the steak. I was actually quite impressed. I figured I'd be getting some high school cafeteria food, but this was actually really good. Cooked perfectly, and everything was super tasty. Of course, they give you plasticware for cutlery, so that was a little challenging, but other than that I love my dinner. So, sleeping. The attendant came by to convert the chairs into a bed around 9pm (you can request a time). But yeah, if you're a light sleeper, best of luck to you. I am one of those light sleepers. I figured the train jostling wouldn't be a big deal, but it sure was. I could not sleep hardly at all. The train movement kept me up, and the horn going off every 10 minutes was the icing on the cake as far as me staying awake. Not until we stopped for crew change in SC did I fall asleep and get some Z's in. I awoke shortly after we left from there and tossed and turned the rest of the night. I'm not one for breakfast, so I skipped in the AM. The attendant came by to take the sheets and reconfigure the bed into chairs around 7-7:30am. We arrived at the Sanford station around 8:30am... early! Overall I had a good experience. The sleeping issues is a me thing, and I knew what I was getting into. That said, I would still take that over driving all that way. The one thing I will say though, is that their security principles are completely backwards. I never had to show an ID at any point in any of the processes. None of my bags were looked at, and my car wasn't inspected. I wasn't even so much as asked a question as to what I was bringing on the train. I'm not worried about myself (obviously), but as a general rule of thumb, why are we not taking basic security measures to ensure the safety of the folks on the train? But when I'm standing outside off to the side by myself, I have to wear a mask? Seems a little backwards to me. In any event, I would recommend if you're looking to save yourself from driving 900+ miles and waking up in FL!

We take the auto train to Florida once a year. Station is clean and serves the purpose.

AMTRAK AUTOTRAIN PROCEDURES STINKS! Two days ago my 19-yr-old grandson (a college student at STETSON UNIV) was denied access to the AUTO TRAIN because a agent in Sanford said that his INFINITI G35 didn't meet the height requirements (4-4.5 inches from the ground). My daughter reserved the ticket for transportation from Sanford, FL to Virginia ... 3 weeks in advance.; only for him to be denied a boarding pass after a 2-hr. wait. You would think that AMTRAK had a database in place that would reject reservations -- if vehicles did not meet their requirements. (They had no problem charging the CARD for the full amount of the car and my grandson's fare.) Because he had to turn in his keys to his dormitory room at Stetson, he had no other choice but to drive home to NEW JERSEY...alone! It took him over 17.5 hours to get home. Our family was up all night worrying and GPSing his progression -- in effort to keep him awake. WE'RE STILL FUMING! HOW DARE THEY TREAT A KID LIKE THAT SO VERY FAR FROM HOME... Signed a very tired, Dad, Mom & Grandparents

Amtrak has been my means of transport too and from Orlando since 2007. I rode this train 3-4 times a year for business and leisure. When you first pull up in Lorton Virginia the car line is pretty long. You could kill a few and then pull the car in around 1:15pm so you don't have to wait so long. The car staff has always been friendly and helpful to direct people but with turnover the staff has gotten a little rude over the years. Once your car is inspected then you enter the station to check in your tickets. This is very much like a regular train station at this point and you just wait after checking in to have clearance to enter the train. The station is very large and clean. There is a snack shop with drinks, magazines, etc. If you didn't pack your own then it's a good idea to grab some snacks and a drink otherwise it's more expensive once your on board. Once onboard the coach, and business class seats are very similar except the food options. The seating is large and comfortable for the long 11hr ride. The nice thing about Auto-Train is that it's a non stop ride so it feels faster and less noisy than its sister Amtrak trains. The sleeper option is nice for those that want complete privacy but as a wheelchair user I don't like the cramped size room and the smelly toilet that is in the room next to the bed. I typically use business class for the free dinner options and ample space for my wheelchair. The train car has a large wheelchair accessible bathroom with space for transfers and assistance if needed. Once you arrive in Sanford (typically around 8am or so) The unload process and car retrieval take about 1-2hrs. You can pay extra for priority but honestly it's not that much of a time saver for the added cost. The train conductors and other staff are very attentive, polite, and helpful throughout the ride and I have always enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this option for northerners traveling south and people with disabilities looking for a Florida trip. This is a great options and allows you to have your own car once you arrive so you save on rentals etc.

It was great! I went alone and the seats in regular coach are not that bad. I could lay flat out. I brought a neck pillow, blanket and was comfortable. I had great seatmates. I am doing it again this year. For the price, I can't drive up alone, get a hotel room or two, food, miles on my lease to beat it. It saves me 900 miles then I just have to get to Long Island. If my husband drives back up alone, he takes it too. Great service.

I am writing this review after completing the long extended ride on the auto train. As previously mentioned on my original review of Lorton VA Amtrak station, we started this ride from Lorton in an overnight sleeper car to Sanford Florida. The train was delayed four hours due to a broken down CSX freight train on the tracks directly in front of us. Although the wait was long, it was not uncomfortable. Amtrak also provided us lunch since we were delayed which I thought was very professional on the part of Amtrak. We were unable to get priority exit for our car, therefore we had to wait a bit longer for our car to be taken off the train. But it was only about 45 minute wait which was fine. The station was quite clean and had plenty of TV Monitors to advice one of safety rules, security, and arrivals or delays. We are all good with the Auto Train.

We started our Amtrak trip back to Florida at the Lorton Station. A lot of cars were loaded, but things went well. Unloading at our destination in Sanford Florida was impressive. The train cars were quickly uncoupled and the passenger trains were moved into the unloading area and we exited the train in a very orderly manner. Cars were unloaded and moved into the passenger pickup area very quickly, orderly and systematically. The dock supervisor was constantly moving and the announcing system reminded passengers to stay in the white lined area for their safety, but few actually payed him any attention. The ignorance of the passengers was so comical I was surprised that they were able to drive their cars home. The Sanford station seemed to really have the best experience of the 2 stations.

We have taken the Autotrain several times and enjoyed it, however the trains have been cancelled on short notice due to weather. The problem is the short notice they give for the cancellations. If they gave 24-30 hours notice or allowed a full refund I would be glad to change my rating.

Beautiful and comfy waiting area and gift/snack shop. Courteous employees. Clean, attended bathrooms.

I left NY and took a 4.5 hr drive to Lorton, VA. There was a little back up because the train arrived 2 hours late, but it was not that bad. They have everything down to a science. Check your car in and go inside to register. Nice comfortable waiting area, a store where you can buy any thing you may need to make your trip more comfortable. You can ride coach, roommate cars are sleepers but your have to use a public restroom. Sleeper cars you have bunk bed setup, private bathroom and shower. The toilet and shower is in the same room and very small. Towels, soap, lotion all included. Your dinner and continental breakfast is also included. Skirt steak, salmon, chicken, and a nice assortment of desserts as well. And very tasty l might add. You can have your meal delivered to your room or go to the dinning room. The cabin stewart will turn your bed down and put it back up in the morning. Everyone was extremely nice and very helpful. I found my sleeper to be very comfortable and l slept well. 18 hours straight can be long. I advise you to get the sleeper to make your trip more comfortable and it was a lot of fun. The internet was a little choppy, but not really an inconvenience. They point out all the scenic sites with a little history as well. Alcoholic beverages are served, l believe beer and wine. There was a food car for snacks, light meals and lots of folks chatting, playing cards and a very jovial atmosphere. I would do it again without hesitation. California, CT, NY, FL were just some of the tags on some of the cars. I believe the train can hold 300 cars. Not bad and a safe way to travel if you don't want to do the drive. This is one adventure you will enjoy.

We booked our 12th trip on Autotrain same as usual. Went from Virginia to Fla no problem. Arrived at Sanford to go back up North. Now they charged me double for my extended can truck. Same exact truck I've booked every time, now all of a sudden is double the price plus we had priority off loading and had to pay double on that again. I'm glad I'm not on a fixed income, might have been stranded or have to drive back to New England. Total Scam! Never been questioned or charged differently in last 12 year. Was never my favorite mode of travel but I don't like driving that far. Will never use Amtrak again. Looks like it's time for me to fly.

What a difference a room attendant makes. Cornelius on car 5340 6/23/21 up to VA was polite, set up shower area nicely and made announcements. Was personable. Same car returning 6/28 had another guy... don't know his name, he spent every possible minute in his sleeper, did not make one announcement, just set piles of towels out. No thank yous or good mornings or hellos... Nothing. I could see his room and he made every attempt not to have interaction with anyone.. Also the meal menu states comes with salad . Did not get on either trip. Got into FL 75 minutes early. Had to wait on train for 45 minutes and don't know why. No announcements made. Journey was fun. Upper bunk very uncomfortable. Food as expected. Train interior needs updating into the current century

Needed to get her and her car on up to D.C. and thought it'd be some fun to take the AutoTrain. What a super easy trouble free experience!! Honestly couldn't have imagined it any better. Everyone was so friendly and nice; Super exemplary hospitality. Was totally impressed with how easy and comfortable and relaxing everything was. Tips, tricks, cheats, and answers to some of my own questions, curiosities. It's the longest passenger train in the US!! You can't take the AutoTrain if you're not taking a vehicle (motorcycles included) but you can take the Silver Service trains out of Winter Park or DeLand for that though. Earliest check in is 11:30am, but you can leave so long as you're back for boarding at 2:30/2:45. So we checked in early and went for lunch. We were 15 minutes early and there were about ten cars lined up ahead of us. Took about five minutes to get through once they opened up. Very efficient. There's a free trolley that'll take you to downtown Sanford for some shopping, lunch, or walk along the river walk if you don't Uber or have some friends or family that'll shuttle you around; thanks dad. lol Check in was a whole lot easier than we thought. You basically pre check at the front gate, drop your car off in front of the station, and run on in and get your boarding pass. We didn't get to pick meal times because it's off season and there was only one seating at 6:30 pm. Seats were assigned but once we boarded, took them, and listened to the spiel, they let us move around and switch things up if we wanted but there was no need. Train was half empty so they put us in two rows, we each had two seats!! Bathrooms were cleaner and nicer than imagined. Sort of larger than an airline. No showers in coach. Plenty of cleaners and cleansers and disinfectant spray at the ready too. Well stocked bathrooms, I liked that. I'm a big guy, just taller than 6' and was comfortable in coach. Nice large seats with lots of articulation. They recline a good bit back with several good detents, there's leg bolsters like on a BMW, and foot rests you can adjust a few ways from Sunday. She was able to flatten out her two coach seats by fully reclining them with the leg bolsters in the fully upright position and make a bit of a bed out of it, but she's small. Not me so much but I was able to get a good night's sleep just the same with some ambient youtube music and a skull cap masking my eyes. Bring a pillow and a light blanket (I used my coat). You will regret this if you don't. There's a lounge car with beverages, libations, and snacks but you can bring your own except NO ALCOHOL unless you have a sleeper. Some strange rule about that there. There's a secret bathroom in the bottom of the lounge car. There's also a secret bathroom in the bottom of the coach cars where the bathrooms are; there's a very small lounge you have to go through to access it. Most people see it's not a bathroom and don't use it without knowing it gives you access to it's own bathroom via another door from inside. We did the priority vehicle offloading because we thought it was worth the $60. We were out of there in ten minutes flat but we heard from others it moves pretty quick. And I believe it does because of the obvious efficiency with which everyone worked. Was incredible. What a placid, easy going quiet experience. So easy and devoid of the anxiety you see at the airport. Demographics. Lots of pensioners, foreign travelers, and a few families with children. First come, first served supper began at 6:30 pm; four to a table. Was a decent enough choice of beef, chicken, or fish; even was a vegetarian lasagna that looked pretty good. was tea and water. And some really good dessert choices too. Loved the cheesecake. Wasn't anything to write home about but was alright. Was an open seating light continental breakfast too. Cereal, muffins, crumb cakes and things. Cute bagels. Orange juice. Super basic but appreciated. Nice way to kill some time too, meeting fellow travelers. Free coffee and cocoa in the lounge throughout. Cold water available in coach. Most of the ones we met were AutoTrain regulars. None of them could even remember how many trips they've made. Most of them snowbirds from points radiating out of Lorton to New England and points beyond. Lounge was open to 10 pm though lights and most people were out by what I think was 9 pm. Free Internet's provide by Verizon, so I'm told, by towers along the way. Service was largely uninterrupted and was able to stream Netflix and Youtube without issue even though I'd read otherwise and had enough downloaded content just in case. Two power outlets for each row of coach seats.

Pleasantly surprised. I needed to get to the DC area with my car, but I didn't want to drive 12 or 13 hours or whatever it is. The AutoTrain is a great alternative. The process is quick and painless. Train departs every day at 4:00 PM; check in starts at 11:30 AM. I traveled during low season, but I heard it gets crazy during the summers. Anyways, you bring your car, they'll take pictures of it, and load it onto the train. In the meantime, you check in at the counter and they'll provide you with your dinner time. This train departs from Sanford and heads directly to Lorton, VA. There are no stops. Staff was welcoming and friendly. There's a very small bar and drinks prices are not too bad. Dinner was so-so. They offer four dinner options. I chose the fish. I think all their meals are frozen, but it wasn't too terrible. You do sit with strangers, so it's a nice chance to mingle. I thought the seats were comfortable. I actually slept well. The bathroom were always kept cleans and well-stocked. To be more comfortable, you need to bring a pillow and a blanket. You're allowed 2 carry-ons and 2 personal items. Once in VA, they start unloading cars very quickly. I got my car within ten minutes of arrival. The whole process from beginning to end was smooth. Overall, 4 stars.

Preamble: The decision for us to do this was very last minute, as in the morning of departure I finally booked everything. The train can hold 650 passengers and 330 cars but our train had less than 1/3 of that while the trains heading south during this time were mostly sold out or only had top fair bucket availability (aka really $$). Load: You're told to be there by 2:30 according to the email you get and we showed up at 1:50. That was good because the employee at the entrance gate said that we "just made it because they want all priority offload vehicles there by 2:00." Even though the email does not delineate that anywhere. No biggie. I gave my name and she put a magnate with our number on the door and gave us an empty paper jacket with the same number written on it. We drove over to lane three (there are three lanes to offload) and unloaded the things we were taking on the train while leaving the car running. They come over with a camera and do a 360 vehicle inspection before it gets loaded in to one of the auto racks. Inside the station I went to the counter to check in while the rest of the group found seats to wait for the boarding call. Seating was plentiful and the bathrooms were in good shape largely due to how few people would be on the train. At the counter I gave my name (no ID was ever asked for and the confirmation email that the conductor would scan on more or less every other train is not used here) and the agent confirmed our room assignments (no coach for us) and mentiond there would be only one dinner at 6pm while giving me the needed vouchers for that. When I made the reservation via the website, Amtrak's computer system assigned us rooms downstairs that I wanted no part of. I asked the agent if we could move upstairs which he took care of although he made sure to mention that normally this was not something that could be done. Boarding started at 3pm and we were under way at 3:40pm. Onboard: Our rooms were across the hall from each other and that was fine. On our car there were only four sleeping compartments occupied and they had us all clustered next to each other in rooms 6-9. The attendant Charles was functional. For the most he kept to himself aside from his brief intro about where the dining car was and that between 10:30pm and 6am he was not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. He said that because of how few people were on the train, the entire sleeper behind us was taken up by crew heading north but not be working the trip. If we needed something "after hours" we could ring the call bell and one of them might answer or the one attendant covering the other five sleepers overnight might answer. Very weird. There was only one dinner seating at 6pm. They were calling the last call for dinner by 6:05pm and it was clear they wanted to be done and get things cleaned up in a hurry. From the time we sat down until our food was served it was a good 30 minute wait. The quality itself was actually decent. Good salmon, lasagna and steak although it was more like a Salisbury Steak than anything else. I'm not a gadget whore or a phone person but the few times I turned on the Wifi it was fine. I watched several Youtube videos and checked some things for the upcoming Spring school semester all without issue. The one downside to that would be if you turned off the Wifi or if you didn't use it for a bit the system would kick you out and make you log in again as if you had never done it before. No biggie. Offload: I put my experience on the Lorton Yelp listing but overall it was perfect. Off the train and in our car in less than fifteen minutes without issue. https://www.yelp.com/biz/amtrak-autotrain-lorton?hrid=Qxvs75WnoabFWOGifATVwQ Tips: 1. Pay for the priority offload. It's worth it. To have your car in less than fifteen minutes versus waiting potentially ninety minutes or more is an investment I would make any time. 2. The current Amtrak dining car menu listed on their website is of course not what they are actually serving in the dining car. The website menu is from February of '19 and the current on train menu was changed in November. Go figure. Later this month coach passengers will now pay for all meals while sleeper passengers will get upgraded food whatever that means. 3. In winter it of course gets dark early and the scenery along this route is nill. A few small towns with lots of swamps, farms and junk yards mixed in. 4. I assumed the confirmation email would be needed to board the train but ironically it was never asked for or needed. The Autotrain is pricey but for four of us it is very competitive to flying especially when you add in bag fees and seat assignment fees and it's a lot more enjoyable than driving. I would no question do it again especially if the fare is around the same price point as it was this time.

Both the Sanford and Lorton Terminals are old, outdated, paint peeling inside and out and dirty. Bathrooms in Sanford had only half working the day I was there. The carpeting is past gross. You're only had a power strip to charge phones in Lorton. A POWER STRIP. Overall I was extremely disappointed considering Amtrak gets something like 4 BILLION a year. Please tell me where is all that money going? Things to know. Do not get to the Car Train too early. You will have a very long wait sitting in a dirty waiting area. First there, last out. Took them 2 hours to get my car. Do Bring your own food and drink. Food on board is just not good and it is expensive Do opt for priority boarding if possible. $95 and it still took 45 Minutes. Do bring a blanket and Pillow, sun glasses or something to cover your eyes. Ear plugs. The train is noisy Do make sure you have your phone and IPad charged. They have very limited charging ports in the Amtrak stations. Although all seats on the train have a place to plug in. The bathrooms at the stations are old and dirty. The Train bathrooms after 12 +hours were just gross. Do Come on board with comfy cloths, changing is difficult in a moving train and dirty floors. Internet is sporadic The $95.00 fair dollar fair is false advertising. I was told only the first 20 people per train get that special rate.

The day I visited, cars were just being allowed in due to the late arrival of a southbound auto train. And this was at 5 pm - 5 hours later than the scheduled 12 noon entrance time! Not good.

RASHID ROCKS! Took the auto train last night to Sanford FL and left my wallet on board. RASHID was very patient with me as we tracked it down using the Air tag I had in it - even to the point of having the music Turned off the PA so we could hear the signal. He was representative of the professional service provided by the entire crew. BRAVO!

I waited 16 months before writing this review because I wanted to make sure that impulse and anger were not guiding my thoughts. I am a 12-yr veteran of the AutoTrain. The Sanford, FL, terminal is about 30 minutes from my Florida home, so it's convenient to me. Despite the usual AutoTrain complaints (delays, poor air conditioning, assorted squeaks and rattles, and odiferous bathrooms), I kept returning each season. The waitstaff was always pleasant; the food was good; the off-loading of my vehicle was reasonably fast; and, best of all, I didn't have to drive I-95. HOWEVER, on January 14, 2020, on my northbound trip from Sanford, FL, to Lorton, VA, I realized why AMTRAK is in trouble -- bad attitudes and, perhaps, envy. The dining car waitstaff was not the usual crew. The seating hostess was rude, crude, and spiteful. (The other waitstaff seemed to be ok.) In past trips, I always handed the seating hostess $20 and asked for a single table, or a table with only 1 other occupant. "Not tonight, pal" (courteous, huh?) you'll be seated with everyone else. Well, ok, maybe the train was full -- northbound in January?, I think not -- but I went with the program with no protest. I was seated with a nice couple from New York, and we had a pleasant conversation UNTIL the seating hostess suddenly appeared with a large, obviously mentally disturbed man, robed and a wearing a woolen(?), multi-colored kufi, and plopped him down beside me. Well, ok, I was a bit crowded, but the New York couple was horrified -- scared sh**less would be a more accurate term. When the big guy started muttering about prison, raw deals, and suicide, the New York couple rose and abruptly left without finishing their meals and without leaving a tip. I remained, waiting for the saif anith to be deployed. The seating hostess (later determined to be in charge of the big guy) suddenly appeared and whisked the guy away and out of the dining car. I ate the rest of my meal alone; finished my dessert; left no tip; and returned to my bedroom car. I felt bad about the tipping situation, but the seating hostess was to blame for what amounted to a $40 stiffing of the waitstaff because it was she that DELIBERATELY caused the problem.

This is our 5th autotrain trip. On this trip south we had less than 200 people on board. Only enough ppl for 2 coach cars. The trip was wonderfully uneventful. We got to Sanford at 7:55AM. We couldn't unload though because the Sanford staff wasn't at work yet. Everyone could sit alone during the trip and that is sleep paradise on a train. The huge difference since our last trip was the WiFi service. My 2 devices, iPhone and iPad, never lost service. I could even download the newspaper. Perhaps the service was upgraded. Or perhaps service was better because so few ppl were onboard to use it. The bathrooms stayed clean and the trash didn't overflow, perhaps because there were so few of us. I love this mode of transportation. We are driving home though and I'm regretting it already. The decision to drive was price driven. Tickets going north would've cost 4 times more than coming south when I was reserving our tickets about 6 months ago. I'm pretty sure that is based on supply and demand.Take away: Make reservations real early and remember to take into account the Snowbirds travel patterns. Snowbirds are major players in this train service market.

Amtrak makes it easy peasy to board and unload. And it's nice to have your car driven down. The cons: train is old, wifi is spotty, very little selection in quality snacks, coffee machine broken, bathrooms were a mess and smelled. If you can handle the cons, then I recommend going to Florida this way

We gave it two stars because the staff was terrific, especially the food bar staff! But the auto train was a ride from HELL, and we had the upgraded cabin. Could not sleep a wink, the train must have had square wheels that's how it rocked, rolled, bumped, shimmied all night long. And then there's that incessant whistle, all night long! All we can say is NEVER again, it's with drive or fly for us Fl-DC.

Bumpiest, loudest ride a total nightmare. Bedroom with bathroom convenient but OLD. Stateroom attendant very nice but an awful - no sleep 17 hours of torture.

ARRIVAL - very nice welcome in Sanford from the valet team to the check in front desk team inside. Lobby chairs however, were filthy and the housekeeping ding dongs sprayed disinfectant chemicals over the dirt and filth. Not very COVID 19 friendly + ruined my dress. Boarding was on time and was greeted warmly by my room attendant Ditra, who also stopped by my room after I settled in to talk me through dinner, turn down, arrival in Virginia etc. Departure 9.28 was delayed as they needed to switch a broken locomotive. I guess the 6 hours they had sitting in Sanford was not enough. I really enjoyed the trip up the gut of central Florida outside my window, watching the world go by. DINNER. The team I had was dreadful as compared to my room attendant Ditra. Snarky, rude and unprofessional, I could not wait to get back to my room. Government run, Union protected food service workers with no performance reviews or accountability here. Kudos to the Chef though as my Chicken with Wild Rice and Tomato Compote was tasty. Boxed wine was not bad either. Back to my room, Ditra turned my bed down in which I settled into a good nights sleep to the relaxing hum of the night rails. I woke up early to watch the sun rise passing by adorable small towns in Virginia. I was particularly smitten with Ashland Virginia where everyone waives from their front porch. Breakfast was "to go" which was a Godsend given the prison guard dining car service the night prior. Ditra had magically turned my bedroom back into an office in the few minutes I was gone. Over reasonable coffee, cereal and a banana, I continued to enjoy the view checking emails. As the trained pulled into Lorton, I was so grateful that I purchased the 60.00 priority upgrade as my car was the third one off the train. Would I do this again ? In a heartbeat vs driving 900 miles myself . 5 stars for the valet, check in and Ditra. 4 stars for the Chef and 1 Star for the dining room "servers". Zero stars for the filthy waiting room chairs In Sanford = 3 stars overall experience.

Very happy first time auto train customers here: we got two general seats upstairs -non sleeping cars- and had a generally relaxing and pleasant 16+ hour trip from Sanford, FL to Lorton, VA recently. Likes: ample legroom with footrest and leg support, both adjustable. Clean cars and quiet passengers -mostly seniors-, surprisingly good dinner in the dining car and WiFi in the lounge car, and the occasional views out the window. For dinner service we had choices of chicken, beef, and cod fish, and they had four selections for desserts, with complimentary coffee, iced tea, iced water, and bread rolls. We were told before departure not to throw anything in the toilet -there was only one in each car- because that would clog it up, and once clogged, there was no way for them to fix it, and everyone would have to walk to the next closest car. We would not think twice about using auto train again.

So the trip from Sanford to Lorton was much cleaner than the reverse. This particular train was a different style car. Skylights in the lounge. Bar area was downstairs vs upstairs. Bathrooms were much cleaner and apparently tended to much better. My only problem was my car. When I got it back, I didn't really check it. There was a car delay making my trip a few hours longer. I just did a quick look but not an entire walk around. I got in my car and stopped for gas about an hour away.... and low and behold - I have a massive DEEP scratch across my bumper. I need a new one. I filed a claim with Amtrak and them did some investigating. About 2 weeks later, they sent me photos proving the damage was there when I got there. (my fault for not looking) In the end, it's a great service. Just check your car before and after your trip.

Terrible customer service. No wonder Amtrak is going down the tubes! The manager threatened to have me escorted or the property because I have a dog. She has travelled before and for some reason this one manager decided not to approve me even though I meet all the requirements. Outdated and rude staff