Amtrak to Miami

[Twoboyzandadog]

Anyone taking or have taken Amtrak to Miami for a cruise? Any hints to make the trip easier would be appreciated. We are leaving next Friday, arriving Saturday evening, Glory on Sunday. Try to go easy on the horror stories if you had them because we have no choice at this point.

[golfadj]

How far will you be coming by amtrak? Have not heard of people doing this but interesting idea.

[yst347]

I rode Amtrak from Newark NJ to West Palm Beach and back a few times in the 1970's. It took about 28 hours back then, and looking at the schedules now it seems little has changed. The train had a dining car with very good food back then, no idea what is offered these days. I can tell you it is a long ride and one doesn't arrive rested.

[Twoboyzandadog]

We are coming from NY. 27 hours down, 31 hours back:eek:

[Top-Cat]

I checked on this once, Atlanta to Miami, and the price was two times the cost of flying. From Atlanta I had to go to DC and back down to Miami, which made no sense at all to me.

[cruisetobeaches]

We looked into this once from northern Illinois. Thought it might be an "adventure". Turns out is was more expensive than flying and took longer than driving............:eek:

 

We just stick with the driving...............

[Twoboyzandadog]

Top Cat - for us it was much cheaper to take Amtrak. The airfare would have been over $2500 for the 4 of us. The train was about $750 for all 4.

[sassy0930]

WOW, Just priced out Amtrak and it would be almost 1000 for two of us!!! If we flew the cheapest would be about 450. Driving is about 300. Looks like we're driving this time.

[CimW]

We are coming from NY. 27 hours down, 31 hours back:eek:

 

 

Do you have coach seats or a sleeping compartment?

[Aoumd]

We are coming from NY. 27 hours down, 31 hours back:eek:

 

I took Amtrak from New York to Miami for my first cruise, and have traveled enough miles on Amtrak to (almost) circle the globe twice.

 

Based on your number of hours, and the fare you got ($750 for 4 people), I am assuming you are taking the Silver Meteor down and the Silver Star back up, and are traveling in coach. While I went in a sleeper car for the trip I took NYP-MIA, I've spent a total of 19 overnights in coach class on various Amtrak trains (at least 9 in the exact car type you'd be riding in). Generally speaking the coach seats on the overnight trains are double the size of an airline coach seat and have legrests and footrests in addition to the tray tables, recline, etc.

 

I would suggest you bring the following:

 

1. Laptop/portable DVD player, if you have either, and DVDs (the coaches have plugs at each seat pair)

 

2. iPod/MP3 Player/Discman/Walkman (the miles fly by when you have good music to listen to)

 

3. Book/magazine(s)

 

4. A note pad and paper -- I spend much of my time on Amtrak organizing my life -- writing lists of things I need to do when I get home, errands I need to run, etc...One year I even did all my Christmas Cards on board the train on the way back from Thanksgiving at my parents'.

 

5. You mentioned you were traveling in a group of 4. You might want to consider bringing a board game if you have space, and playing it in the lounge car where there are tables for 4. That may also help pass the time.

 

6. Also, consider bringing a magazine or guidebook (if you have one or want to invest in one) on the parts of the country you'll be passing through -- you'll be going through 10 of the 50 states on your train trip. If nothing else, be sure to read up Amtrak's route guide brochure which has all sorts of info on the towns you are passing through.

 

7. A light/small blanket per person for sleeping; they pass out pillows at night but not blankets. And eye covers if dim light at night bothers you (the nightlights in the car are more prevalent in the aisle seats; while the lights of station platforms are more prevalent in the window seats, but are obstructed somewhat by the curtains in the windows).

 

8. Finally, if you bring a laptop or other valuables, I'd also recommend a laptop lock to lock the bag you keep the laptop in from walking off. A train is a public place, and while in my travels I have not heard of luggage theft being a widespread issue and have never been a victim, I have heard of isolated incidents. Personally, when I travel overnight on Amtrak with my laptop in coach, I use the laptop lock to lock my bag to the bars of the footrest in front of my seat.

 

Also, I'd recommend trying some meals in the dining car. It costs a little more money than the lounge car food, but the food is better and it's an experience.

 

Your train's on-time performance can be found on the Amtrak website:

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/AM_Route_C/1237608339450/1237405732511/OTPPageVerticalRouteOverview/perf

 

You can also look up OTP info for recent runs of the trains you are taking too by going to Amtrak.com and clicking the "Status" tab on the left of the screen.

 

Finally, I'd suggest turning off your cell phone when you go to bed at night; the train will be going through some very sparsely populated areas at night and I once woke up to a dead phone that killed itself searching all night for a signal that wasn't there (granted this was in western Nebraska/eastern Colorado, but I learned my lesson nationwide).

 

Hope this helps! I'll try to check back if you have more questions!

[bonnys]

We took Amtrak for our Halloween cruise in 2008 and really enjoyed it. We travelled coach for the trip down and got a sleeper car for the return trip. We would love to use Amtrak for our cruise in 2 weeks but there is no stop in Port Canaveral so we are driving. My one piece of advice is to get to the station early so you can be among the first to board. Enjoy your adventure!

[ShedQueen77]

We looked into this once from northern Illinois. Thought it might be an "adventure". Turns out is was more expensive than flying and took longer than driving............:eek:

 

We just stick with the driving...............

 

I live in Eastern Iowa and am contemplating the drive to Miami vs. flying. How was making the drive overall? Tom Tom tells me it'll take about 23.5 hours from where I live to get there.

[sanmarcosman]

Carnival used to publish brochures featuring Amtrak to Florida from the northeast corridor in the mid '80s.

[Legend]

Did you ask about the 25% discount with Amtrak if you are booked on a Carnival Cruise?

[lizzytobias]

We are taking Amtrak from Newark, NJ and then flying back. We thought we'd enjoy the adventure down, and would want to just 'get home' afterwards. In total, Amtrak was $288 for all four of us, and then we paid $400 in airfare to get back. We saved about $300 and it should be a fun start to a fun trip =)

[Twoboyzandadog]

Did you ask about the 25% discount with Amtrak if you are booked on a Carnival Cruise?

 

We got the AAA discount.

[Twoboyzandadog]

I took Amtrak from New York to Miami for my first cruise, and have traveled enough miles on Amtrak to (almost) circle the globe twice.

 

Based on your number of hours, and the fare you got ($750 for 4 people), I am assuming you are taking the Silver Meteor down and the Silver Star back up, and are traveling in coach. While I went in a sleeper car for the trip I took NYP-MIA, I've spent a total of 19 overnights in coach class on various Amtrak trains (at least 9 in the exact car type you'd be riding in). Generally speaking the coach seats on the overnight trains are double the size of an airline coach seat and have legrests and footrests in addition to the tray tables, recline, etc.

 

I would suggest you bring the following:

 

1. Laptop/portable DVD player, if you have either, and DVDs (the coaches have plugs at each seat pair)

 

2. iPod/MP3 Player/Discman/Walkman (the miles fly by when you have good music to listen to)

 

3. Book/magazine(s)

 

4. A note pad and paper -- I spend much of my time on Amtrak organizing my life -- writing lists of things I need to do when I get home, errands I need to run, etc...One year I even did all my Christmas Cards on board the train on the way back from Thanksgiving at my parents'.

 

5. You mentioned you were traveling in a group of 4. You might want to consider bringing a board game if you have space, and playing it in the lounge car where there are tables for 4. That may also help pass the time.

 

6. Also, consider bringing a magazine or guidebook (if you have one or want to invest in one) on the parts of the country you'll be passing through -- you'll be going through 10 of the 50 states on your train trip. If nothing else, be sure to read up Amtrak's route guide brochure which has all sorts of info on the towns you are passing through.

 

7. A light/small blanket per person for sleeping; they pass out pillows at night but not blankets. And eye covers if dim light at night bothers you (the nightlights in the car are more prevalent in the aisle seats; while the lights of station platforms are more prevalent in the window seats, but are obstructed somewhat by the curtains in the windows).

 

8. Finally, if you bring a laptop or other valuables, I'd also recommend a laptop lock to lock the bag you keep the laptop in from walking off. A train is a public place, and while in my travels I have not heard of luggage theft being a widespread issue and have never been a victim, I have heard of isolated incidents. Personally, when I travel overnight on Amtrak with my laptop in coach, I use the laptop lock to lock my bag to the bars of the footrest in front of my seat.

 

Also, I'd recommend trying some meals in the dining car. It costs a little more money than the lounge car food, but the food is better and it's an experience.

 

Your train's on-time performance can be found on the Amtrak website:

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer/AM_Route_C/1237608339450/1237405732511/OTPPageVerticalRouteOverview/perf

 

You can also look up OTP info for recent runs of the trains you are taking too by going to Amtrak.com and clicking the "Status" tab on the left of the screen.

 

Finally, I'd suggest turning off your cell phone when you go to bed at night; the train will be going through some very sparsely populated areas at night and I once woke up to a dead phone that killed itself searching all night for a signal that wasn't there (granted this was in western Nebraska/eastern Colorado, but I learned my lesson nationwide).

 

Hope this helps! I'll try to check back if you have more questions!

 

 

Wow! Thank you so much. We thought about some of this but you really gave us some great ideas! I don't feel as scared anymore.

[JohninDC]

You may get info on travel options from the AMTRAK station to POM if you post this question on the FLA departure board. Good luck!:)

[serene56]

Great price too for 4 people. I probably woulda taken the train too.

We did the train from Phila to Orlando.

If possible bring a pillow, a blanket or heavy sweater- That train was mighty cold.

 

Get seats away from the bathrooms- the door opens and closes all night long.

[Twoboyzandadog]

Great price too for 4 people. I probably woulda taken the train too.

We did the train from Phila to Orlando.

If possible bring a pillow, a blanket or heavy sweater- That train was mighty cold.

 

Get seats away from the bathrooms- the door opens and closes all night long.

 

 

Too funny! My 14 year old said that last night: "Dad, we have to be far away from the bathrooms."

[Aoumd]

Wow! Thank you so much. We thought about some of this but you really gave us some great ideas! I don't feel as scared anymore.

 

No problem, glad to be able to share some of my experiences...

 

Also, when you board in New York, the conductor on the platform will likely direct you to a specific coach on the train based on your destination. Once you get to your coach, you'll probably be greeted by the coach attendant, who will probably then assign you seats in the coach (I think they do this to save seats that are together for families boarding further down the line). Make sure the attendant knows there are 4 in your party, and that you would like to sit away from the bathrooms; he's the person to talk to.

 

Hope you have a great trip! Please be sure to post a review for your cruise on CruiseCritic when you get back and mention how the "Trip to the Ship" goes!

 

By the way, just out of curiosity, is your username derived from the movie "A Boy and His Dog?" I saw that on Netflix a few weeks ago...

[BlueHerons]

I love the train! It has been a while but in addition to the excellent suggestions, I always took a cooler on board for snacks and drinks.

 

The rocking of the train really puts me to sleep at night.

 

What a fun way to travel but it can get boring. Make sure you have plenty to read.

[meatloafsfan]

I've taken the train from New York to Kissimee a couple of times (it's the same train / track).

 

I second many of the recommendations made by a previous poster.

 

1. Stuff to do (music, movies, books, etc)

2. A blanket (the cars can be quite cool even in the summer months - they really pump up the air conditioning)

3. Some toilet paper (take the paper roll out of the centre of a half used roll - I hate train toilet paper and there's nothing worse that getting up in the morning to find that there's no or very little tp left). There are generally two stalls on each car - one "regular" one and one handicapped one. They are both used all the time so don't wait around for the "regular" one - especially if there are no wheelchair users in your car.

4. Have breakfast in the dining car (not the snack car or whatever the casual place is). There breakfasts are a good value, lots of food, served hot and can really make a difference to the start of the day after sleeping reclined in a seat. I always say that it makes me feel human again.

5. Bring sunglasses - if you're passing by water (and you are) the glare can be extreme. Sunglasses made it so I could still look out the window.

6. I'd recommend sitting your family four across (two on the left, two on the right) instead of two in front and two behind. That way you can switch seats to see the sights from the other side of the train once in a while.

7. Have fun. Getting on the train is the start of your vacation.

[alleghator]

We've decided to take the train round-trip from Philly to Tampa in August. I priced roundtrip airfare, flying one way and taking the train the other way, and roundtrip train.

 

There are big discounts for cruise passengers on Amtrak. You use a specific code for your cruiseline (http://www.railserve.com/amtrak_coupons.html).

 

Our cheapest option was taking the train round-trip in coach seats. But then I thought about meals (which are included when you book a sleeper) and comfort. So I priced booking two sleeper rooms for the four of us. Without the discount code, my r/t airfare was coming to roughly $995 (plus baggage fees = roughly $1125), r/t Amtrak in coach was $702, r/t in sleepers was $1494.

 

After the discount code, roundtrip in sleepers comes to $1235 for the four of us. Yes, that's higher than the airfare. But ... 1) my kids (son especially) loves trains and we've been wanting to take a long distance train trip, 2) I can pack more or less as much as I want and check it on the train, 3) we'd need at least one meal in each direction in an airport if we flew. So ... the train seemed like a good deal for our situation.

 

One thing Amtrak recommended, and I concur ... Amtrak does not own the tracks they run on. Those are usually owned and maintained by freight rail companies. So, passenger trains get sidetracked and have to wait when freight runs through. Allow for these delays in your arrival time in Florida. The line we're going on runs on-time only 70% of the time according to another site I found. So we're coming in on Saturday for our Sunday cruise. (Yes, this adds to the cost -- a hotel room in Florida -- but we're sailing with my folks and are splitting a fabulous 2-BR suite at Mainsail Suite (http://www.mainsailtampa.com/) for $110 including tax. Split between us, it's a bargain!

 

Hope this helps. We've not long-distance train traveled before, so I can't speak to how to pack/how it goes/etc, but we're very excited about this!

 

--Heidi

[RHefley228]

I recommend sitting in the middle of the car (the ride is somewhat smoother) and on the right side (sitting on the left unnerves some people when a train passes going in the opposite direction, since the combined speed of the two trains is pretty amazing and the buffeting from the wind wakes them up).