@@KSHAWK i agree. If I could visit family who live in the east coast and not have to fly or drive and still have my car, that’d be great! If I were a business man, I’d find a way to make that work.
I've used the auto train for years. It's wonderful. They include dinner and a movie too. It's a great experience. As a single Mother, it's safer too. No shady rest areas or hotels to stop at.
@@LWilli65 at one point the Auto Train used to be one of the flagships. Then…management wanted to simplify things and basically run all long distance trains the same way, unfortunately.
They tried but it wasn't profitable. It was cheaper to drive back then. Cars were also very popular and new and people that could increasingly afford them wanted to drive cross country to explore. It wasn't until recently, after cost of living doubled since the 70s and after cars became increasingly less reliable and more expensive/complicated to maintain, did people become more conscious of wear and tear. This is definitely an attractive service but I don't know if it would be worth bringing back. Trains and public transportation in general do not break even. People still would rather fly and/or rent a car.
We have multiple of these in Switzerland. They are (obviously) shorter trips but its purpose is to have a shorter way, going through tough mountains instead of driving around them.
I don’t believe it is a profitable service. Off hand, I don’t know the cost to ride of of these. But I’d assume compared to straight driving or flying/renting it might not be worth it. Train cargo is usually a 50% profit margin. I’d imagine what’s shown in the video cannot meet those numbers.
Yet so many people fly when traveling long distances despite the stress and consequences followed by air travel. Even in Europe with great trains, people still fly
@@MrStark-up6fiflights are only really for if you want to go to the other side of the continent or to places without a train, otherwise people drive or use the trains
@@MrStark-up6fiHere in the baltics it’s kind of impossible. At the moment we only have our local cross country trains, but trains that would take us to like central europe, or at least poland, don’t exist yet. They are trying to constructing rail baltic right now, but people don’t understand what a benefit it would be and are protesting against it. Would be cool if the system had car trains too though.
Rode this with my parents when I was 10. Totally worth it. Inspired my love of train travel. In 2021 I got my first sleeper cabin, I'm never taking a plane again unless I have to.
In my opinion, this is the best way to travel. It cuts off tons of driving time, the rooms are super comfortable, and the meals have always been tasty. We’ve used it for the past 20+ years. I hope to go on it again one day.
I'm just fixing how much gas you can save! I'm not sure on the price, because I see multiple sites listings different prices. I see $208 dollars on one, and $39 on one both for one Way only.
Amtrak is truly a delightful service. Between autotrains and family sleeper cars, this was the best way for my family to travel when the kids were younger.
I wish I could use Amtrak but in Texas their service stops at so many little stops that it takes more than a day to get places that I can make in a day by car.
I did the auto train back on the Thursday before thanksgiving in 2021. Had 300 cars on it that day going from Virginia to Florida. I paid $653 and that included a room, free dinner (w room service), free breakfast, shower, free coffee and hot chocolate as well and my car was one of the first 30 off the train (checked in at #8). The trip at the time too was when you had to wear masks on public transit so having the room eliminated that. If you break it down though, hotel room about $150, food about $50, car gas $60 (it was a minivan), mileage on the car if it’s 50¢ a mile let’s say that’s $450. So it’s definitely worth it, plus my family got to fly to Florida and didn’t have to pay for checked bags or nothing because we could stuff the car with as much as we wanted for free. Plus the timing of the train was great because for the extra $60 of being one of the first 30 off the train, I got my car in 5 minutes and some people usually have to wait 2-3 hours. I’d definitely do it again in a heartbeat especially since you check in between 11-2 in VA, leave at 4, and arrive in Florida at 9am the next day
Yeah. Thanks for the deets. I may try that for Thanksgiving this year. Update: Checked prices - roomette south = 700, roomette north = 250, standard car = 500 (presumably round trip though not clear). The roomette is smallest room available and is 6.5' x 4'. Website for booking definitely needs work. Jury still out on this. Not sure resting both directions is worth 1K to me yet....
That is if you don't have delays. Last trip North we were 5 hours late. Engine developed a fuel leak so we were stopped at Jax till we got an additional loco. Or have weather caused delays. As was the case several years back due to a Hurricane having hit the Carolinas. Train left Lorton 5 hours late, had slow orders with a hi-rail vehicle leading one block ahead, signals out so 15 mph in parts, and got to Sanford at the time when the train was supposed to be leaving going North. So we got a box lunch for dinner, no rush for breakfast, full meal for lunch. But it still beats driving the 900 miles.
Your article better than the content creator . At least you provide us with some estimate. I dont know if i am weird or the other creator are strange. Why leaving or creating video with no price or estimate cost ...
@@hmt5oo price is dependant on a lot of factors. Time of year, when you book it etc. if I wanted to book it for the same exact time I did back in 2021 it would be $300 more now. They also have deals throughout the year and there’s other factors like type of car (minivan’s cost more than small 4 door cars). Plus with TH-cam shorts you only have a minute so it’s a lot harder and more complicated but there are plenty of videos online of people’s experiences on the auto train. Definitely worth checking out
Thank you for giving the auto-train some props. I worked on the auto-train and it is a pleasure. We have regular ridership with our snowbirds, our bikers during bike week as well as our families every summer going to the amusement parks in Florida. It would be nice to see the auto-train at least on the west coast as well.
Those are steep ramps! Were the bikes ridden in or pushed in? I don't think I'd trust someone else pushing my bike in! A car is a different story though.
@@desertdweller9255 Bikes go on a cart. carts are then pulled into the lower level of a car by a tractor. Most times it is two bikes on a cart and have seen as many as 4 carts on one train.
I can't tell if you typed this comment in the past or present tense. You say you "worked" on the train, implying you no longer do but then you end that same sentence with it "is" a pleasure, implying you still work there. IM SO CONFUSED.
I've been telling people we need this for years and didn't know it existed. I live in Arizona and would love to be able to get across the country like that.
They’re great! We have a lot of them in Europe, and they’re really handy for crossing mountain ranges in the winter, but by far the most useful is the one in the Channel Tunnel. Drive onto a train in England, wait half an hour, drive off the train in France. Crossed an ocean faster than any car ferry, without the hassle of going through a port.
... just pack the car carefully ...hire a driver ... and pay his overnight fair ... thought about that as a driver when country club closed in winter ... we were at $350.00++ ... with air fare return ...
Love this. We have a similar thing in my home town in Germany. I live at the South Western edge, near Switzerland and you can take the overnight train to Hamburg with your car. Similar service exists between France and the UK. Should have more of this as it is a really effective way of combining low carbon travel with freedom to move around.
@@yhwhechaddepends on the day. I just looked it up for a date in October mid week that cost $95 for coach and $652 for a private room and $1,377 for a family with a bathroom.
@@yhwhechad Base coach seat 95 and up Rooms start at 539 and up Car Pricing: Priority unloading: 95 Standard Vehicle: 285 Extended Vehicle: 325 Motorcycle: 155 All depends on the dates this train runs non stop from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL Hopefully this was helpful. (This is One Way Pricing)
Wait tell you find out you can ‘drive’ across the country with the very car you intend on ‘moving’ across the country in a train. Get rid of the middleman and enjoy the drive 😂 Nonsensical
Friends did this with their whole family from Washington DC to Miami. They had a cabin car with beds and lavatory. Really relaxing trip. I've always wanted to make the trip down and drive back.
Crazy how this is such a rare phenomenon. As an EU citizen I’ve known about these for as long as i can remember. Whenever we go to the UK its the question of, do we take the car train or plane. Crazy stuff
I lived in Europe for six years and NEVER heard of this. Visited 30 countries in Europe and most even once was I informed that this was an option. I’d be willing to say that if this service exists in Europe it exists in just a few countries (otherwise, what’s the point, given that there are only a few large countries that make it make sense), it’s just as rare, and probably just as few people know about it as it is known about Stateside!❤ PS-Which countries in Europe allow drivers to take their cars into trains?
@@amapparatistkwabenathere are quit a vew to and trough the alpes as most of these tunnels are too long for cars and you have the channel tunnel ofcourse. There isnt really a reason to have them in other places. (There might be more that i don't know of in the carpathian's and other mountain ranges) Btw, these things are allowed in all countries i think. (Why wouldn't they) But there just isn't a reason to have them in most. And most of them are in/from/trough Switzerland and austria.
I moved from CT to FL for college and have taken this exact train multiple times. It is a convenient thing to take if you are traveling alone and don’t want to drive down/up the country with all your belongings. Would definitely love to see more of these trains to other parts of the country.
What part of Connecticut? And that auto train comes into CT? Ive never seen one ever here. And ive worked for metro north rail from newyork to newhaven. So interesting you say that unless you drove to PA to do it then that makes more sense.
Did you know that it's the longest passenger train in the United States? With two engines and up to 40 passenger rail cars and vehicle carriers, the Auto Train can stretch up to three-quarters of a mile in length. That's quite a sight when it's on the move!
Passenger trains are not that profitable because they don't generate enough revenue. That is why you don't see train stations at every rural town in America. and you wonder why public transportation trains and Amtrak are all government subsidized.
@@CheapThrillz420they're not profitable because they aren't reliable They aren't reliable because Amtrak is second priority behind the cargo trains. Countries like China make high speed rail work. There are plenty of options to get rail working in the states. The Denver/Colorado springs valley area springs to mind.
@@dahorn100011 Reliability is not the reason. Amtrack has lots of debt , bad investments, high cost of maintaining infrastructure, limited revenue streams And other forms of transportation to compete with.
@@CheapThrillz420 profit is not the point. The point is to be able to help people get to work, bring people closer to their families and reduce the costs for the common man, even if there's no profit per ticket the economic benefits will be immense. This is why China has less poverty than the US 😋😋
@@Aka.Aka. Profit IS the point of a For-profit business. Business are in business to make money, there are many public transportation options in the United States, stop relying on the government and get a better job to make more money to afford proper transportation.
Best part of taking the AutoTrain is the overnight sleep; wake up refreshed, showered and have breakfast before arriving in Sanford FL to continue your trip to the keys…
Lmao wtf As a resident of Sanford, I finally understand what those ten minute long waits for amtrak trains are. And i still didnt know this was a thing somehow…
Or you could fly for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the time idk about you but i have a real job and cant spend half my vacay on just getting there and back
We have this in the UK for getting to northern france under the English Channel but you don’t get out of your car… you just drive on and sit in your car for 35 minutes and then drive off when you get to france. All passport controls are done on the side you are boarding on which makes it really nice that you can just drive straight off and get on your way… and coming home because I only live about an hour from Dover it really doesn’t take long when getting off the train to get home but you really do have to think twice and make sure to drive on the right and think in Kilometres when going over to france and then think left and miles when coming home to Britain. The service is about £200 for a regular 5 seater vehicle and all the passengers. It is by no means luxurious but it is really quick and you can get out of your car to stretch your legs in the air conditioned train carriage.
I live in the US, but have been on that train. It is amazing. Of course it is not as long as the one from DC to Orlando, but it was really fun, and knowing you are going under the ocean is amazing too. @@Kittymancer78
@@Kittymancer78we have another one in the uk that does the same thing, except you don’t take your car on, it used to go straight from London to Disney land in under 2 hours which is pretty cool
I generally prefer to take the ferry than the tunnel. By the time you check in, sit and wait, board, and then unload at the other end, the time difference isn't that great, and going on the ferry it feels like you're going somewhere. You can do some duty free shopping and have something to eat. Having said that, I have taken the Shuttle several times, both by car and by coach.
I used it ,I drove from Philly to Virginia, where I boarded the train. Had lots of fun and entertainment going down just outside of Orlando to Disney World. The only thing is if you get to the train early, your car goes first, but when you arrive, your car is last to come out. It paid to be late, your car came out first.
You’re wrong about first on last off. The drive on then drive off. They don’t back the cars off. So first on is first off. th-cam.com/video/llmRQE9NbEE/w-d-xo.html
Also pays to be late for Vegas shows. They keep VIP seats up front and don't want people to think the show's not successful with a lot of empty seats. So they'll jam the late arrivals into the open seats. 😊 You're welcome
When we lived in Spain we use the service like this to travel from Madrid to Barcelona. It was great. We took the overnight train so that we were fresh and ready to go destination. If they had this service available in Texas I would definitely use it.
Madrid to Barcelona is similar to the distance from new york to Boston or New York to Washington DC, it isn’t very far. The state of Texas is probably bigger in area than Spain is so you should petition that type of train down there you might have a chance. 😂
@@Tyrant_PopperI lived in Europe and you can take trains across the continent with a Euro pass. I traveled that way during my college years. It was super cheaper. This was about five years ago. There are connecting trains from the UK all they way to Eastern Europe.
The idea of traveling with your car by train is so fantastic! I would LOVE this to be available across the country, specially now that flying is such a terrible experience with so many uncertainties. One very important issue is the lack of awareness … advertising is everything!
@@ShafinMH Sorry. I didn’t see I had a comment till now. It was in 2007. It was my first long distance trip with my dad after graduation and he paid. It sets you up great to hit the coast and ride though. We took the coast to Nova Scotia and then a ferry to Newfoundland. There was only one other biker on the train.
I used this train to move to Florida years ago. I had a bedroom compartment, took my cat, and enjoyed the whole experience. Only problem was that you can't lock the door from the outside, and I was scared that the porter or someone might let Wumper out of the little room while I was stretching my legs or in the dining car. Didn't happen, and Wumper mostly hid under one of the seats.
A Pennsylvania entrepreneur business man and his wife got the idea from Auto Train and started the first car and passenger transport Auto-Bus. Transportation for you and your car included an overnight hotel stay from the Northeast to Florida. No longer in service but it was a fantastic idea and excellent way to travel to and from Florida for you and your car. Somebody start it up again, please!
Lol you need to get better at using Google, there is no reason why you needed a random video from the algorithm to figure out you lived right down the street from the train station.
This is the best service ever. I used it 7 years ago to relocate from New Jersey to Florida. Made moving a breeze. I was the only driver but it made that 17 plus hour drive so easy. I got a full night sleep on the train with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Well worth the money
I used to take the Autotrain twice a year from FL to my college in MD. Good times. It was much better than making that drive. I made a lot of friends on those rides.
Only an American would salivate over the opportunity to drive everywhere, and then when they're tired of driving hitch their car to a train so that they can ride around on a train without leaving their car behind... Instead of investing in a working train system that would reduce their dependence on cars from the get go, so they don't feel insecure leaving it at home
@@xythiera7255 In America, the trains are few and far between. The trains simply don't go where people want to go. As evidenced by this single train in the entire country that offers this service. So if you want to go somewhere, you need to use your car. This is why we place such importance on our cars, and invest so much money in them, they are quiet simply our freedom of movement. Additionally, there are those of us , like me, with disabilities that require a very expensive heavily modified vehicle. If this service was anywhere near me, I would certainly use it. Sadly, the crooked politicians and greedy corporations that control the media and write the laws in America would never allow it. It is far too fuel efficient (environmentally friendly), and cost effective for them to ever allow widespread services, or proper public transportation here. Why would they allow us to spend a small amount of money to take public transportation somewhere when they can make trillions of dollars selling us vehicles, fuel, and giving us the opportunity to pay high taxes to build roads that we can pay tolls to drive on?
@@goldsilvervscrisiscollapse4320 In America, the trains are few and far between. The trains simply don't go where people want to go. As evidenced by this single train in the entire country that offers this service. So if you want to go somewhere, you need to use your car. This is why we place such importance on our cars, and invest so much money in them, they are quiet simply our freedom of movement. Additionally, there are those of us , like me, with disabilities that require a very expensive heavily modified vehicle. If this service was anywhere near me, I would certainly use it. Sadly, the crooked politicians and greedy corporations that control the media and write the laws in America would never allow it. It is far too fuel efficient (environmentally friendly), and cost effective for them to ever allow widespread services, or proper public transportation here. Why would they allow us to spend a small amount of money to take public transportation somewhere when they can make trillions of dollars selling us vehicles, fuel, and giving us the opportunity to pay high taxes to build roads that we can pay tolls to drive on?
@@drewshubeck3000 The auto and oil oligarchs made sure of it. Now they're after electric, wind, solar, etc. Making sure people have fewer choices is a full time job.
My Dad worked for Auto-train back before it was taken over by Amtrak. He was a driver that loaded the cars. he said it was a lot of fun and helped pay his way through college.
Yes but we dont have people driving the car onto the train for us, do we? At least in Austria you need to do it yourself. And the car waggons are not covered.
Do people forget that North America is REALLY HUGE. And somewhat sparsely populated, especially Canada. The ENTIRETY of Europe is only SLIGHTLY larger than the US (excluding Eastern Europe, of course). This isn't even talking about Canada yet. Think about how far a 3 hour gets you in Europe, maybe even end up in another country or 2. In Canada or the US, sometimes you get to another city.
It's even sadder when you realize that the only widely available passenger train company (Amtrak) doesn't even own the rails they run on the majority of time. You could be stuck not moving just because a freight company says their train takes priority.
In the uk and France we have eurotunnel you queue up drive on and then it takes you across the English channel then you drive off again. You stay with your vehicle and the carriages have bathrooms. The mobile signal isn't great though
This concept should definitely be expanded across the country! Reduced accidents and reduced fuel consumption nationally. The government should subsidize it to reduce air pollution.it’s a win win!
I lived in Virginia when I was younger, and my mom used to work driving the cars onto the train. I used to love going to watch her and the other employees drive all the different types of vehicles onto the cars.
My friend told me about this. It would definitely incentivise domestic travel without having to book a flight and a rental, especially for people who like to drive at their destinations like myself.
Yeah trains are usually the cost effective mode of travel if your just willing to deal with the longer times and other people. And I’m sure the longer travel time depends on if your a go getter or if grandma is driving cause in which case for grandma the trip is probably way faster haha
Maintenance, gas, and a shit ton of tolls make the train way less expensive. Plus I’d much rather relax on a train with a ton of room then be stressed & cramped driving for 12 hours straight
@@andrewcunningham4524 There are no tolls on 95 south of Lorton to Florida. I live in Lorton and unfortunately get motion sickness on the train, so I drive. It's not a scenic drive, but it takes about 10 hours with lots of stops to get to Jacksonville.
@@tracyhasty6506I was just telling my kid this weekend that we should plan a trip to Florida using the auto train. I don't mind the 17 hours if I'm not driving.
Honestly, this is a fantastic idea for intercity rail travel in the US. One of the biggest challenges with increasing the allure of train travel in the US is the lack of good last mile transit in many American cities. These autotrains are a great interim solution until cities improve their walkability and transit connectivity
Even in Philadelphia, no one uses transit that much. In America, it’s all cars, they are addicted to those vehicles, more people get around by car than transit, walking and biking
I would guess you don't know much about South Florida. Miami has Amtrak, Tri-Rail, Metrorail, Metrobus, Metromover, Brightline. And starting soon, Brightline will connect downtown Miami to Orlando International Airport. ( Miami to WPB currently ) And at speeds between 79 and 125MPH depending on where you are at the time.
My dad takes his vehicle on the train with him from NY to FL every time they go on vacation. They drive to DC & take the train to FL. He says it saves on the hassle of renting a vehicle & he feels more comfortable having his own. They don’t have to haul all of their luggage around either. They just leave it in the car. He also saves added mileage on his vehicle. It works out well for him.
Had this overnight service in france, up until early 2000s, saved money and you arrived near your destination refreshed and ready to continue your journey.
I love Amtrak, always visted my aunt in chicago during summer break by traveling amtrak!!would be nice to have this service running north and south and east and west, I hate driving long distance!! never knew this existed!!
Everyone who travels to Florida from the North East has known about the auto train for 30 years. It doesn’t leave from Washington DC, it departs from Lawton Va. and stops in Sanford Florida. It take quite a bit of time to travel but saves roughly 800 miles of driving.
NGL if they had 3 more of these It would be a great way to move around the country. One for the west coast and one or two across the country to Dallas or Chicago would be awesome.
This is so cool! I wish I had that when I moved from Iowa to Texas! That would have saved so much money! They really need to look into more lines and train cars to do this for these long haulers moving that is quite expensive.
bro, you would totally make a full video involving the process. hope you editing full vid 🥳 curious if cars ever come out scratched or lil banged up. pros n cons, costs, etc. nice short tho 👍🏽 keep em comin
That would've been a great alternative for driving from Ohio to South Dakota. They definitely should expand this train. Just shipping classic cars around the country would keep them in business. There are so many cars sold online daily and semi-truck deliveries are not cheap.
it's actually quite insane that they haven't expanded the auto train network, as while 220,000 passengers (now 280,000 in 2022, a record number for the line) may seem small, the service is actually really profitable for Amtrak. in 2015, when they had 271,000 passengers, Amtrak had made $81.6m in revenue, the most of any of their long distance lines. i mean, even a minor expansion like having some extra stops in between the current two cities to service some other cities, would probably help to drive ridership and revenue even more. eventually expanding the system to have a circumference around the states would probably both help people to get interested in train travel more, and to help people ship cars, as i've heard of people using the auto train to ship cars from the northeast down south even if they aren't planning on riding on the train themselves.
2 Passengers, 1 Sedan Car, coach Tickets = $1000, Virginia to Sanford (North Orlando), 17 Hours, On a real 10 Hour drive, Nope Thanks!!! Unless you work for Amtrak and then It’ll be 70% Off, Three of my cousins work for Amtrak in Jersey so they have used this service.
My daughter and I did this about 10 years ago.... Very nice, Very restful and from Virginia to Florida. And we drove about another 200 miles to our final destination, to Boynton Beach.
to be precise, it goes from Lorton, Virginia to Sanford, Florida. That’s how I moved to Florida one time. We need more of these trains going to different locations.
I agree, the Auto Train should have other areas where it can be used. Say New York to Sacramento. Why Sacramento? You'll need a lot of space to line up the rail cars as you load/unload them. Maybe another from Los Angeles to Dallas?
We have this in the UK/France in the Channel Tunnel. The passenger/car trains are double deckers specifically built the for the Channel Tunnel. It then allows us to drive our cars around mainland Europe within about 20 ish minutes. It also enables passengers to take the train to the UK, France, Belgium and Netherlands.
My cuz worked for Amtrack 10years ago. He told me about it ❤ we regularly use Amtrack to travel from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to NY. My kids love traveling by train
If this train was from coast to coast, I’d definitely do that! But I don’t live anywhere near that train line.
It would be way cheaper and there be way less accidents from people going cross country
@@KSHAWK i agree. If I could visit family who live in the east coast and not have to fly or drive and still have my car, that’d be great! If I were a business man, I’d find a way to make that work.
@@KSHAWKI wouldn’t say way less accidents but less accidents, yes
It would be amazing if we had trains going across the country, and you didn't need a car just to survive...
@@fatboy158 we do…
I've used the auto train for years. It's wonderful. They include dinner and a movie too. It's a great experience. As a single Mother, it's safer too. No shady rest areas or hotels to stop at.
No more meals for coach, and I’m pretty sure the theatres equipment is gone too.
@@Triley215 That's too bad. That's what made it fun.
I'll take care of you
Girl get yourself a concealed carry! Don’t let anyone else scare you out of enjoying life!
@@LWilli65 at one point the Auto Train used to be one of the flagships. Then…management wanted to simplify things and basically run all long distance trains the same way, unfortunately.
It’s so ridiculous that this isn’t a more common thing. Such a valuable service!
In America it isn't common but in Europe there's a lot of theses... but you stay on the car especially for short trips
They tried but it wasn't profitable. It was cheaper to drive back then. Cars were also very popular and new and people that could increasingly afford them wanted to drive cross country to explore.
It wasn't until recently, after cost of living doubled since the 70s and after cars became increasingly less reliable and more expensive/complicated to maintain, did people become more conscious of wear and tear.
This is definitely an attractive service but I don't know if it would be worth bringing back. Trains and public transportation in general do not break even. People still would rather fly and/or rent a car.
We have multiple of these in Switzerland. They are (obviously) shorter trips but its purpose is to have a shorter way, going through tough mountains instead of driving around them.
WTF DID YOU JUST SAY?!? THIS IS AMERICA AND CAR IS FREEDOMM!!!! FREEDOMM!!! CARSS!!! EVERYTHING MUST BE DESTROYED FOR CARSS!!!! ARGHHAHHHH!!!!!
I don’t believe it is a profitable service. Off hand, I don’t know the cost to ride of of these. But I’d assume compared to straight driving or flying/renting it might not be worth it. Train cargo is usually a 50% profit margin. I’d imagine what’s shown in the video cannot meet those numbers.
Amtrak is so underappreciated! I love taking the train, delays and all. (Can anyone say cold weather and no flights?)
Yet so many people fly when traveling long distances despite the stress and consequences followed by air travel. Even in Europe with great trains, people still fly
Unfortunately the U S. Hasn't built any new major train stations since 1963! But we're still building airports!
@@MrStark-up6fino they don't. I live in europe.
@@MrStark-up6fiflights are only really for if you want to go to the other side of the continent or to places without a train, otherwise people drive or use the trains
@@MrStark-up6fiHere in the baltics it’s kind of impossible. At the moment we only have our local cross country trains, but trains that would take us to like central europe, or at least poland, don’t exist yet. They are trying to constructing rail baltic right now, but people don’t understand what a benefit it would be and are protesting against it. Would be cool if the system had car trains too though.
Rode this with my parents when I was 10. Totally worth it. Inspired my love of train travel. In 2021 I got my first sleeper cabin, I'm never taking a plane again unless I have to.
How old are you now?
He is 15-16
@@OrigDreamzilla no hes 17 i know him
@@dominikborno4133name is Meghan but it’s “him” lol
@@dominikborno4133 actually he's 14, I'm his dad and he lied to you because of your disability
In my opinion, this is the best way to travel. It cuts off tons of driving time, the rooms are super comfortable, and the meals have always been tasty. We’ve used it for the past 20+ years. I hope to go on it again one day.
I'm just fixing how much gas you can save!
I'm not sure on the price, because I see multiple sites listings different prices. I see $208 dollars on one, and $39 on one both for one Way only.
Amtrak is truly a delightful service. Between autotrains and family sleeper cars, this was the best way for my family to travel when the kids were younger.
So sad it’s gutted in recent years. Hopefully the recent push for transit helps revive it somewhat.
@@usmansiddiqui1384oil and car monopolies don’t want that. 😢
I wish I could use Amtrak but in Texas their service stops at so many little stops that it takes more than a day to get places that I can make in a day by car.
It got gutted recently
Now it fucking sucks
Capitalist scum
I did the auto train back on the Thursday before thanksgiving in 2021. Had 300 cars on it that day going from Virginia to Florida. I paid $653 and that included a room, free dinner (w room service), free breakfast, shower, free coffee and hot chocolate as well and my car was one of the first 30 off the train (checked in at #8). The trip at the time too was when you had to wear masks on public transit so having the room eliminated that.
If you break it down though, hotel room about $150, food about $50, car gas $60 (it was a minivan), mileage on the car if it’s 50¢ a mile let’s say that’s $450. So it’s definitely worth it, plus my family got to fly to Florida and didn’t have to pay for checked bags or nothing because we could stuff the car with as much as we wanted for free. Plus the timing of the train was great because for the extra $60 of being one of the first 30 off the train, I got my car in 5 minutes and some people usually have to wait 2-3 hours. I’d definitely do it again in a heartbeat especially since you check in between 11-2 in VA, leave at 4, and arrive in Florida at 9am the next day
Nice article about your experience.Thanks for sharing
Yeah. Thanks for the deets. I may try that for Thanksgiving this year.
Update: Checked prices - roomette south = 700, roomette north = 250, standard car = 500 (presumably round trip though not clear). The roomette is smallest room available and is 6.5' x 4'. Website for booking definitely needs work. Jury still out on this. Not sure resting both directions is worth 1K to me yet....
That is if you don't have delays. Last trip North we were 5 hours late. Engine developed a fuel leak so we were stopped at Jax till we got an additional loco. Or have weather caused delays. As was the case several years back due to a Hurricane having hit the Carolinas. Train left Lorton 5 hours late, had slow orders with a hi-rail vehicle leading one block ahead, signals out so 15 mph in parts, and got to Sanford at the time when the train was supposed to be leaving going North. So we got a box lunch for dinner, no rush for breakfast, full meal for lunch. But it still beats driving the 900 miles.
Your article better than the content creator .
At least you provide us with some estimate.
I dont know if i am weird or the other creator are strange.
Why leaving or creating video with no price or estimate cost ...
@@hmt5oo price is dependant on a lot of factors. Time of year, when you book it etc. if I wanted to book it for the same exact time I did back in 2021 it would be $300 more now. They also have deals throughout the year and there’s other factors like type of car (minivan’s cost more than small 4 door cars). Plus with TH-cam shorts you only have a minute so it’s a lot harder and more complicated but there are plenty of videos online of people’s experiences on the auto train. Definitely worth checking out
We need this going coast to coast!
Thank you for giving the auto-train some props. I worked on the auto-train and it is a pleasure. We have regular ridership with our snowbirds, our bikers during bike week as well as our families every summer going to the amusement parks in Florida. It would be nice to see the auto-train at least on the west coast as well.
Those are steep ramps! Were the bikes ridden in or pushed in? I don't think I'd trust someone else pushing my bike in! A car is a different story though.
@@desertdweller9255 Bikes go on a cart. carts are then pulled into the lower level of a car by a tractor. Most times it is two bikes on a cart and have seen as many as 4 carts on one train.
I can't tell if you typed this comment in the past or present tense. You say you "worked" on the train, implying you no longer do but then you end that same sentence with it "is" a pleasure, implying you still work there. IM SO CONFUSED.
Check Eurotunnel Calais to Dover in service since 1990's
Typo mistake. I currently work on the auto-train.
Thanks for the acknowledgment of my misprint
I've been telling people we need this for years and didn't know it existed. I live in Arizona and would love to be able to get across the country like that.
They’re great! We have a lot of them in Europe, and they’re really handy for crossing mountain ranges in the winter, but by far the most useful is the one in the Channel Tunnel.
Drive onto a train in England, wait half an hour, drive off the train in France. Crossed an ocean faster than any car ferry, without the hassle of going through a port.
It's really slow and expensive tho. It's definitely cheaper and more convenient to ship your car and fly yourself down.
... just pack the car carefully ...hire a driver ... and pay his overnight fair ... thought about that as a driver when country club closed in winter ... we were at $350.00++ ... with air fare return ...
@@HoppingSkipperwhy dont they just drive through the tunnel ?
Why dont yiu take the train and rent a car when you get off instead of wasting fuel
Love this. We have a similar thing in my home town in Germany. I live at the South Western edge, near Switzerland and you can take the overnight train to Hamburg with your car. Similar service exists between France and the UK. Should have more of this as it is a really effective way of combining low carbon travel with freedom to move around.
Is it called the autobahn lol
Lörrach?
@@RatIsForRatthew genau
And UK France channel tunnel
@@WayneJohnsonZastil absolutely.
This man did exactly what I did every year for college, the auto train is far better than driving the 18+ hours from Philly to Miami
What was the price
@@yhwhechaddepends on the day. I just looked it up for a date in October mid week that cost $95 for coach and $652 for a private room and $1,377 for a family with a bathroom.
@@yhwhechad
Base coach seat 95 and up
Rooms start at 539 and up
Car Pricing:
Priority unloading: 95
Standard Vehicle: 285
Extended Vehicle: 325
Motorcycle: 155
All depends on the dates this train runs non stop from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL
Hopefully this was helpful. (This is One Way Pricing)
@@zdoginterprisesuper helpful, thanks!!
@@PeachShortcake_ Anytime!
Literally would move cross country if this was an option
What's stopping you from driving it ? Laziness ?
Wait tell you find out you can ‘drive’ across the country with the very car you intend on ‘moving’ across the country in a train.
Get rid of the middleman and enjoy the drive 😂
Nonsensical
@@MharveI see less chance of a car accident as a win! Plus less pollution
@SprinklerMan420 Yea seriously.
@@DicksonDaggerThen use a car carrier.
Quite common over here in Central Europe. Handy to cross the alps if there is a lot of snow.
Yeah, but is their government beholden to BigOil? Probably not.
Also in Northern Europe, especially when going to Lapland!
Friends did this with their whole family from Washington DC to Miami. They had a cabin car with beds and lavatory. Really relaxing trip. I've always wanted to make the trip down and drive back.
Did they stay in their own car while on the train?
@@aronbalabs9389it’s like a thousand bucks
@aronbalabs9389 no, you cannot access your car
Crazy how this is such a rare phenomenon. As an EU citizen I’ve known about these for as long as i can remember. Whenever we go to the UK its the question of, do we take the car train or plane. Crazy stuff
exactly, i live in germany and i was wondering if im the only one that knows these trains😂
Yeah because the Eurostar is so rip off expensive 😔
Dont they do this in the channel tunnel?
I lived in Europe for six years and NEVER heard of this. Visited 30 countries in Europe and most even once was I informed that this was an option. I’d be willing to say that if this service exists in Europe it exists in just a few countries (otherwise, what’s the point, given that there are only a few large countries that make it make sense), it’s just as rare, and probably just as few people know about it as it is known about Stateside!❤ PS-Which countries in Europe allow drivers to take their cars into trains?
@@amapparatistkwabenathere are quit a vew to and trough the alpes as most of these tunnels are too long for cars and you have the channel tunnel ofcourse. There isnt really a reason to have them in other places. (There might be more that i don't know of in the carpathian's and other mountain ranges)
Btw, these things are allowed in all countries i think. (Why wouldn't they) But there just isn't a reason to have them in most. And most of them are in/from/trough Switzerland and austria.
We need a comeback for these services this sounds amazing
This needs to come back, so many people move and so many people hate the drive this would solve so much
I agree so much
I moved from CT to FL for college and have taken this exact train multiple times. It is a convenient thing to take if you are traveling alone and don’t want to drive down/up the country with all your belongings. Would definitely love to see more of these trains to other parts of the country.
What is the cost?
How much was your trip?
How much was it??
What part of Connecticut? And that auto train comes into CT? Ive never seen one ever here. And ive worked for metro north rail from newyork to newhaven. So interesting you say that unless you drove to PA to do it then that makes more sense.
@@jayspixit goes from DC to FL.
That’s actually genius if you could go to more locations across the US. The amount of time and energy you save is so worth it.
Did you know that it's the longest passenger train in the United States? With two engines and up to 40 passenger rail cars and vehicle carriers, the Auto Train can stretch up to three-quarters of a mile in length. That's quite a sight when it's on the move!
We have been on it when it totaled 52 cars. We had three locos for that trip also so you couldn't tell any difference. And we got in an hour early.
What an awesome Amtrak service! Saves wear and tear on vehicles, the road, potential auto accidents... It'd be wonderful to have more of those routes!
plus the carbon footprint is a lot less to! all of those cars being shipped instead of driven. awsome all the way around
The train from the time it was created till now is priceless. We failed the transit system, it didn't fail us.
Trains are just chill like that
Yep, while we got the stress of going through isolation-like airport security and being in the air in a cramped cabin
@MrStark-up6fi yeah.. the extra leg room and seat recline on trains is really worth it too.
We need more passenger trains
Passenger trains are not that profitable because they don't generate enough revenue. That is why you don't see train stations at every rural town in America. and you wonder why public transportation trains and Amtrak are all government subsidized.
@@CheapThrillz420they're not profitable because they aren't reliable
They aren't reliable because Amtrak is second priority behind the cargo trains.
Countries like China make high speed rail work. There are plenty of options to get rail working in the states.
The Denver/Colorado springs valley area springs to mind.
@@dahorn100011 Reliability is not the reason. Amtrack has lots of debt , bad investments, high cost of maintaining infrastructure, limited revenue streams And other forms of transportation to compete with.
@@CheapThrillz420 profit is not the point. The point is to be able to help people get to work, bring people closer to their families and reduce the costs for the common man, even if there's no profit per ticket the economic benefits will be immense. This is why China has less poverty than the US 😋😋
@@Aka.Aka. Profit IS the point of a For-profit business. Business are in business to make money, there are many public transportation options in the United States, stop relying on the government and get a better job to make more money to afford proper transportation.
AutoTrain was so peak 1970s, when it was a Private Company. They had two routes, and was super chic.
Best part of taking the AutoTrain is the overnight sleep; wake up refreshed, showered and have breakfast before arriving in Sanford FL to continue your trip to the keys…
Lmao wtf
As a resident of Sanford, I finally understand what those ten minute long waits for amtrak trains are. And i still didnt know this was a thing somehow…
Or you could fly for a fraction of the cost and a fraction of the time idk about you but i have a real job and cant spend half my vacay on just getting there and back
We have this in the UK for getting to northern france under the English Channel but you don’t get out of your car… you just drive on and sit in your car for 35 minutes and then drive off when you get to france. All passport controls are done on the side you are boarding on which makes it really nice that you can just drive straight off and get on your way… and coming home because I only live about an hour from Dover it really doesn’t take long when getting off the train to get home but you really do have to think twice and make sure to drive on the right and think in Kilometres when going over to france and then think left and miles when coming home to Britain. The service is about £200 for a regular 5 seater vehicle and all the passengers. It is by no means luxurious but it is really quick and you can get out of your car to stretch your legs in the air conditioned train carriage.
That sounds absolutely amazing. You are truly fortunate to live in the UK.
Blessings and cheers from the U.S.
I live in the US, but have been on that train. It is amazing. Of course it is not as long as the one from DC to Orlando, but it was really fun, and knowing you are going under the ocean is amazing too. @@Kittymancer78
@@Kittymancer78we have another one in the uk that does the same thing, except you don’t take your car on, it used to go straight from London to Disney land in under 2 hours which is pretty cool
I generally prefer to take the ferry than the tunnel. By the time you check in, sit and wait, board, and then unload at the other end, the time difference isn't that great, and going on the ferry it feels like you're going somewhere. You can do some duty free shopping and have something to eat. Having said that, I have taken the Shuttle several times, both by car and by coach.
What a great idea,, imagine just how many journeys it could save people , i hope it catches on nationwide.
I used it ,I drove from Philly to Virginia, where I boarded the train.
Had lots of fun and entertainment going down just outside of Orlando to Disney World. The only thing is if you get to the train early, your car goes first, but when you arrive, your car is last to come out. It paid to be late, your car came out first.
i bet everyone took advantage of that
@@robertstrickland3870yep, they all came out first. Lol
Someone has to go in first 😅
You’re wrong about first on last off.
The drive on then drive off. They don’t back the cars off. So first on is first off.
th-cam.com/video/llmRQE9NbEE/w-d-xo.html
Also pays to be late for Vegas shows.
They keep VIP seats up front and don't want people to think the show's not successful with a lot of empty seats.
So they'll jam the late arrivals into the open seats. 😊
You're welcome
When we lived in Spain we use the service like this to travel from Madrid to Barcelona. It was great. We took the overnight train so that we were fresh and ready to go destination. If they had this service available in Texas I would definitely use it.
Madrid to Barcelona is similar to the distance from new york to Boston or New York to Washington DC, it isn’t very far. The state of Texas is probably bigger in area than Spain is so you should petition that type of train down there you might have a chance. 😂
@@Tyrant_PopperI lived in Europe and you can take trains across the continent with a Euro pass. I traveled that way during my college years. It was super cheaper. This was about five years ago. There are connecting trains from the UK all they way to Eastern Europe.
The idea of traveling with your car by train is so fantastic! I would LOVE this to be available across the country, specially now that flying is such a terrible experience with so many uncertainties. One very important issue is the lack of awareness … advertising is everything!
I did this with my motorcycle from sanford, Florida to Washington DC. Sleeper car was well worth it. Good food.
How much did it was up costing you? Thanks
Motorcycle, that’s all I needed to hear.
Real fun with Motorcycle is when you ride across country
@@ShafinMH Sorry. I didn’t see I had a comment till now. It was in 2007. It was my first long distance trip with my dad after graduation and he paid. It sets you up great to hit the coast and ride though. We took the coast to Nova Scotia and then a ferry to Newfoundland. There was only one other biker on the train.
@@ShafinMHtotally depends where you're departing from and what accommodations you would like. Roommate or bedroom. $706 or $1406.
I used this train to move to Florida years ago. I had a bedroom compartment, took my cat, and enjoyed the whole experience. Only problem was that you can't lock the door from the outside, and I was scared that the porter or someone might let Wumper out of the little room while I was stretching my legs or in the dining car. Didn't happen, and Wumper mostly hid under one of the seats.
Hopefully Wumper is in cat hell now
A Pennsylvania entrepreneur business man and his wife got the idea from Auto Train and started the first car and passenger transport Auto-Bus. Transportation for you and your car included an overnight hotel stay from the Northeast to Florida. No longer in service but it was a fantastic idea and excellent way to travel to and from Florida for you and your car.
Somebody start it up again, please!
You're a life-saver! Wife and I wanted to take a trip to florida but didnt want to break the bank, this station is right down the street from me.
Lol you need to get better at using Google, there is no reason why you needed a random video from the algorithm to figure out you lived right down the street from the train station.
@@Tyrant_Popper and you need to quit being condescending to a stranger for no reason other belittle them.
This is literally the most American train system ever and I love it
Yeah. I can understand why cars would ride a train you know underneath the channel. But over land? Its really strange.
Europe have had it for years. Its literally called eurotrain
This is the best service ever. I used it 7 years ago to relocate from New Jersey to Florida. Made moving a breeze. I was the only driver but it made that 17 plus hour drive so easy. I got a full night sleep on the train with breakfast, lunch and dinner. Well worth the money
The train actually runs from Sanford, Fl to Lorton, VA. I took it in June.
How much did it cost you and how did you make your reservation? Thanks!
It starts I’m dc dummy
I used to take the Autotrain twice a year from FL to my college in MD. Good times. It was much better than making that drive. I made a lot of friends on those rides.
This is a great service; it saved me a lot of money.
I agree with you completely and I hope it happens! Great informative video. Thanks
Only an American would salivate over the opportunity to drive everywhere, and then when they're tired of driving hitch their car to a train so that they can ride around on a train without leaving their car behind...
Instead of investing in a working train system that would reduce their dependence on cars from the get go, so they don't feel insecure leaving it at home
Thats just so American to us a train to ship your car so you dont have to us the train 😂
@@xythiera7255 In America, the trains are few and far between. The trains simply don't go where people want to go. As evidenced by this single train in the entire country that offers this service.
So if you want to go somewhere, you need to use your car. This is why we place such importance on our cars, and invest so much money in them, they are quiet simply our freedom of movement.
Additionally, there are those of us , like me, with disabilities that require a very expensive heavily modified vehicle. If this service was anywhere near me, I would certainly use it.
Sadly, the crooked politicians and greedy corporations that control the media and write the laws in America would never allow it. It is far too fuel efficient (environmentally friendly), and cost effective for them to ever allow widespread services, or proper public transportation here.
Why would they allow us to spend a small amount of money to take public transportation somewhere when they can make trillions of dollars selling us vehicles, fuel, and giving us the opportunity to pay high taxes to build roads that we can pay tolls to drive on?
@@goldsilvervscrisiscollapse4320 In America, the trains are few and far between. The trains simply don't go where people want to go. As evidenced by this single train in the entire country that offers this service.
So if you want to go somewhere, you need to use your car. This is why we place such importance on our cars, and invest so much money in them, they are quiet simply our freedom of movement.
Additionally, there are those of us , like me, with disabilities that require a very expensive heavily modified vehicle. If this service was anywhere near me, I would certainly use it.
Sadly, the crooked politicians and greedy corporations that control the media and write the laws in America would never allow it. It is far too fuel efficient (environmentally friendly), and cost effective for them to ever allow widespread services, or proper public transportation here.
Why would they allow us to spend a small amount of money to take public transportation somewhere when they can make trillions of dollars selling us vehicles, fuel, and giving us the opportunity to pay high taxes to build roads that we can pay tolls to drive on?
You’ve obviously never driven through Texas; you probably cannot afford a car in your socialist paradise. Waaah 😂@@goldsilvervscrisiscollapse4320
we need more of these in service
NOW!
Probably good for fuel conservation too
@@robertg9334 Right. So you know it doesn't have a chance.
Or just build more trains so we don't have to be so car dependant. This is stupid.
@@drewshubeck3000 The auto and oil oligarchs made sure of it. Now they're after electric, wind, solar, etc. Making sure people have fewer choices is a full time job.
@@drewshubeck3000 Nope. Transportation in the USA is a trillion light years from being a free market. We buy what they force us to.
I would love for them do this all over the country. I really wish I would of known about this when I was younger!
I went from Los Angeles to New Orleans on a double-decker Amtrak by myself and it’s still the best “vacation trip” I ever had ❤❤❤❤
I’ve done CA to NY a few times alone in the 90’s had fun
why tf would you go to new orlenas.
How much did you pay?
Just curious.
@@uzin0s256 I’m from Louisiana and that’s where the train station is 🫤
@@Swampgurl777 Oh. Thats depressing.
If you like having your car but hate the drive, its easily the best way to get to Florida from the northeast.
My Dad worked for Auto-train back before it was taken over by Amtrak. He was a driver that loaded the cars. he said it was a lot of fun and helped pay his way through college.
We got stuff like this across all the EU and UK, its great stuff
Yeah like the tunnel between the UK and France
This service is available in Canada as well. America needs to catch up with the times.
Eurotunnel is amazing gets you across the channel in half an hour
Yes but we dont have people driving the car onto the train for us, do we? At least in Austria you need to do it yourself. And the car waggons are not covered.
Do people forget that North America is REALLY HUGE. And somewhat sparsely populated, especially Canada. The ENTIRETY of Europe is only SLIGHTLY larger than the US (excluding Eastern Europe, of course). This isn't even talking about Canada yet.
Think about how far a 3 hour gets you in Europe, maybe even end up in another country or 2. In Canada or the US, sometimes you get to another city.
They need this everywhere. Especially big cities like LA.
No then it would make it easier for ppl to move and crowd other states I heard about all the ppl moving from Cali plz stay over there 😭
I wish they had this all across the country.
It's truly sad that Americans ignore an awesome way to see America...
It's even sadder when you realize that the only widely available passenger train company (Amtrak) doesn't even own the rails they run on the majority of time. You could be stuck not moving just because a freight company says their train takes priority.
Sad? I pay $3 a gallon for gasoline. Why would I load my nearly new car into a train? 😂 "Sad" is gasoline and car prices in Europe.
@@andrewgorman9836the dumbest part is that legally they still should have priority of the rail but the freight companies lobby so it's not enforced
@@Duke_of_Prunes If gas prices were as high as they should be then more people would consider alternatives
@@Duke_of_Prunes"I make up gas prices with no credible sources"
In the uk and France we have eurotunnel you queue up drive on and then it takes you across the English channel then you drive off again. You stay with your vehicle and the carriages have bathrooms. The mobile signal isn't great though
This concept should definitely be expanded across the country! Reduced accidents and reduced fuel consumption nationally. The government should subsidize it to reduce air pollution.it’s a win win!
I lived in Virginia when I was younger, and my mom used to work driving the cars onto the train. I used to love going to watch her and the other employees drive all the different types of vehicles onto the cars.
Amtrak also had roadrailers and boxcars i’m sure every railfan knows that
Iirc that was for the postal service right?
What ze heck is a roadrailer? I guess boxcars are just old timey freight containers but with doors in middle
I’m a railfan and I didn’t know that, I don’t really like Amtrak
I know Amtrak has mailcars (boxcars) but never had roadrailers. Amtrak never did a roadrailer service
20 years ago they had roadrailers
Amtrak really needs to expand this service!!!
This needs to be everywhere it’s the smartest idea
If it were smart it would’ve been implemented and it wouldn’t have failed
@@mainhalo117yeah we need another Eugen Garfield in todays world he had a plan to make this available nationwide
I did this in 2018 when I moved from Richmond to Orlando and booked a roomette sleeper. Was so amazing and fun!
Whats the cost?
trains are the most efficient mode of transportation for us it beats everything else by a long way
Was a great idea during OPEC oil prices and 55 mph top speed years.
If you enjoyed this, definitely recommend Le Shuttle between the UK and France. Positively futuristic vs this.
Le Gay
As an european, I am impressed by how many people didn't know that this service is actualy there.
Man, this would have been nice when I made my move from Michigan to California. That was one hell of a drive 😥
Laughs in channel tunnel from England to France
Just chillin underwater on the Eurostar 🗿
Laughs in that’s like traveling across a single state 😂
@@Ryan-cb1ei europe has plenty of autotrains that arent the eurotunnel
A great idea by Amtrak! This service should be emulated world wide! It will save billions in fuel costs, cut down on pollution and maintenance costs.
I've known of the Autotrain since the 70s. Our next door neighbor used it to go from his home in Virginia to his home in Florida.
In Switzerland, this is a very convenient way to cross mountains in the Alps, even without leaving your car at all and stay seated.
It was launched in 1976 & on ever since. It's nice & relaxing!
U haul and amtrack need to merge lol
The chunnel has something like that, but you drive in and sit in your car.
I've never heard anyone call it the chunnel lol
But the journey takes less than an hour, so it’s not too bad.
Lol chunnel
@@RealUlrichLelandIt's been called that from when it was being built. It's the tunnel that runs from England to France under the English Channel
@@tobykenobeits called the channel tunnel hence the obvious jump to Chunnel.
My friend told me about this. It would definitely incentivise domestic travel without having to book a flight and a rental, especially for people who like to drive at their destinations like myself.
Wouldn’t it have been cheaper just to drive to Florida?
Not really. A small van costs like 75 dollars to put on the train
Yeah trains are usually the cost effective mode of travel if your just willing to deal with the longer times and other people. And I’m sure the longer travel time depends on if your a go getter or if grandma is driving cause in which case for grandma the trip is probably way faster haha
Maintenance, gas, and a shit ton of tolls make the train way less expensive. Plus I’d much rather relax on a train with a ton of room then be stressed & cramped driving for 12 hours straight
@@andrewcunningham4524
There are no tolls on 95 south of Lorton to Florida.
I live in Lorton and unfortunately get motion sickness on the train, so I drive.
It's not a scenic drive, but it takes about 10 hours with lots of stops to get to Jacksonville.
@@tracyhasty6506I was just telling my kid this weekend that we should plan a trip to Florida using the auto train. I don't mind the 17 hours if I'm not driving.
Thank you for this I’ve been thinking about moving from upstate ny to Orlando so this is perfect
Honestly, this is a fantastic idea for intercity rail travel in the US. One of the biggest challenges with increasing the allure of train travel in the US is the lack of good last mile transit in many American cities. These autotrains are a great interim solution until cities improve their walkability and transit connectivity
why would you move from Philadelphia a really nice city to Florida. A horribly designed state with no transit.
@josephmarlow9573trump lost btw 🤣
Even in Philadelphia, no one uses transit that much. In America, it’s all cars, they are addicted to those vehicles, more people get around by car than transit, walking and biking
I would guess you don't know much about South Florida. Miami has Amtrak, Tri-Rail, Metrorail, Metrobus, Metromover, Brightline. And starting soon, Brightline will connect downtown Miami to Orlando International Airport. ( Miami to WPB currently ) And at speeds between 79 and 125MPH depending on where you are at the time.
What a great idea. I hope the increase the lines to go across the country. We might have fewer car crashes!
My dad takes his vehicle on the train with him from NY to FL every time they go on vacation. They drive to DC & take the train to FL. He says it saves on the hassle of renting a vehicle & he feels more comfortable having his own. They don’t have to haul all of their luggage around either. They just leave it in the car. He also saves added mileage on his vehicle. It works out well for him.
Had this overnight service in france, up until early 2000s, saved money and you arrived near your destination refreshed and ready to continue your journey.
I love Amtrak, always visted my aunt in chicago during summer break by traveling amtrak!!would be nice to have this service running north and south and east and west, I hate driving long distance!! never knew this existed!!
Everyone who travels to Florida from the North East has known about the auto train for 30 years. It doesn’t leave from Washington DC, it departs from Lawton Va. and stops in Sanford Florida. It take quite a bit of time to travel but saves roughly 800 miles of driving.
We need more trains like this all over The US 🇺🇸
I definitely needed this when I was moving from NY to CA.
I had to leave my motorcycle, because i couldn't find a cheap shipping company.
We need more trains in this country
NGL if they had 3 more of these It would be a great way to move around the country. One for the west coast and one or two across the country to Dallas or Chicago would be awesome.
This is so cool! I wish I had that when I moved from Iowa to Texas! That would have saved so much money! They really need to look into more lines and train cars to do this for these long haulers moving that is quite expensive.
I've been on the auto train before when I was a lot younger. It's such a cool memory for me!
If this service is available from Denver to Vegas or LA, I would definitely use it all the times.
This service should be expanded nationwide. It would certainly clean up the air.
bro, you would totally make a full video involving the process. hope you editing full vid 🥳 curious if cars ever come out scratched or lil banged up. pros n cons, costs, etc. nice short tho 👍🏽 keep em comin
That would've been a great alternative for driving from Ohio to South Dakota. They definitely should expand this train. Just shipping classic cars around the country would keep them in business. There are so many cars sold online daily and semi-truck deliveries are not cheap.
it's actually quite insane that they haven't expanded the auto train network, as while 220,000 passengers (now 280,000 in 2022, a record number for the line) may seem small, the service is actually really profitable for Amtrak. in 2015, when they had 271,000 passengers, Amtrak had made $81.6m in revenue, the most of any of their long distance lines.
i mean, even a minor expansion like having some extra stops in between the current two cities to service some other cities, would probably help to drive ridership and revenue even more. eventually expanding the system to have a circumference around the states would probably both help people to get interested in train travel more, and to help people ship cars, as i've heard of people using the auto train to ship cars from the northeast down south even if they aren't planning on riding on the train themselves.
2 Passengers, 1 Sedan Car, coach Tickets = $1000, Virginia to Sanford (North Orlando), 17 Hours, On a real 10 Hour drive, Nope Thanks!!! Unless you work for Amtrak and then It’ll be 70% Off, Three of my cousins work for Amtrak in Jersey so they have used this service.
My daughter and I did this about 10 years ago.... Very nice, Very restful and from Virginia to Florida. And we drove about another 200 miles to our final destination, to Boynton Beach.
to be precise, it goes from Lorton, Virginia to Sanford, Florida. That’s how I moved to Florida one time. We need more of these trains going to different locations.
Loved it. I had to drive to D.C. to pick it up. What a wonderful relaxing way to travel.
I agree, the Auto Train should have other areas where it can be used. Say New York to Sacramento. Why Sacramento? You'll need a lot of space to line up the rail cars as you load/unload them. Maybe another from Los Angeles to Dallas?
Man do you know how easy this would make traveling, moving and vacations? Even driving to the other side of the state would be cut in half
We have this in the UK/France in the Channel Tunnel. The passenger/car trains are double deckers specifically built the for the Channel Tunnel. It then allows us to drive our cars around mainland Europe within about 20 ish minutes.
It also enables passengers to take the train to the UK, France, Belgium and Netherlands.
My cuz worked for Amtrack 10years ago. He told me about it ❤ we regularly use Amtrack to travel from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to NY. My kids love traveling by train