With the meteoric rise of gasoline prices over the last several months the typical road trip to and from Florida and places north of Washington DC is not necessarily the cheapest way to travel. I found this out first hand when planning a trip from my Orlando-area home to visit my mother in New York City several weeks ago. I’m an experienced long distance driver but even I didn’t have the stamina to drive the entire distance for this trip in one fell swoop. So, in addition to the cost of gasoline I would have to factor in a one night hotel stay, tolls and some food.
Taking an airplane was not really an alternative for this trip since I was planning to bring a lot of things with me and with some airlines now charges just to check one bag there was no way I was going to easily be able to take several large packages with me. And, the money I would save in a hotel stay I would quickly spend two or three times over in rental car fees to get around the New York City area.
So, I thought I would give Amtrak’sAuto Train a try for the return leg of the trip. The Auto Train is Amtrak’s unique route that carries both your car (or SUV or motorcycle) from Lorton, Virginia (located just south of the Washington DC I-495 Beltway) to Sanford, Florida (just north of the Orlando metropolitan area). This very long train runs daily each way with no stops in between.
Why didn’t I take the train from Orlando to Lorton? I couldn’t get a reservation for the time I wanted to leave. Even though the total price to go North in the late spring and summer months for one person in coach and car is close to $500, the train was fully reserved. Most of the travelers going north at that time of the year and during the alternate peak southbound season of late-fall and winter seem to be senior citizens (i.e., snowbirds) that have packed their cars full of stuff and may not have the stamina to be taking to the roads for long periods of time. I thank them for that.
But you don’t have to be a senior citizen to appreciate the potential savings of taking at least one leg of a road trip on the Auto Train. This strategy helped me compare the cost of driving all the way versus “training” it at least part way back.
So what did it really cost and was it worth it? My car, a Buick LaCrosse, isn’t exactly a gas guzzler but it’s not a miser either. My typical highway mileage is about 22 to 25 miles per gallon and the car has about a 17 gallon tank. Obviously, your own costs might vary depending on your car’s typical mileage, where you tend stop for gas and what hotel / motel you choose to stay in.
The costs to drive North were as follows:
Gasoline (one way): $201.00
Lodging (one night) $138.60
Food (for the entire trip) $ 75.00
Tolls $ 23.25
Grand Total: $437.85
I drove north on I-95 from the State Road 434 exit on I-4 and stopped for gas at stations located not far off the exit ramps on I-95 in Georgia, southern Virginia (the most expensive stop), and in northern New Jersey at the last rest stop before getting off to take the Goethals Bridge from New Jersey to Staten Island. New Jersey always has the cheapest gas (at least 20 cents cheaper than in most of the metro NYC area) so if you drive keep that in mind.
I stayed overnight in the Woodbridge area of Virginia. Staying in North Carolina is probably cheaper but I wanted to get past some really bad weather that was headed for the area. Woodbridge is just south of the Washington DC metro area. That leg of the trip took about 10 hours.
The next day was horrendous. The weather in the Northeast was terrible and traffic was jammed both in the DC and New York City areas. That part of the trip took over 8 hours (normally a 4.5 to 5 hour trip).
Driving south a few days later the weather turned out to be just as bad but I left very early in the morning avoiding a lot of the rush hour traffic. And, I needed to get to Lorton, Virginia by no later than 2 pm for a 4 pm departure. Amtrak does need time to load the cars onto the train. As it turns out I arrived at about noon and had time to chill before boarding.
On the way down, there was no avoiding the toll costs but they are located in different places since some crossings only charge one way versus the other. And, I did top off my gas tank in southern New Jersey so that when I reached Florida I would have a cheap tank of gas in my car when I got off the train. I never thought I would refer to a $3.53 per gallon gas price as cheap but that’s the way it is these days.
The Auto Train has reserved, assigned seating and I was happy to note that the coach I was in was clean, comfortable and not crowded – one of the perks of traveling during off-peak seasons. The reclining seats have foot rests and are the equivalent of sleeping business class in an airplane. I always travel with ear plugs and eye shades and they help to deaden the extraneous noise of the train whistle blowing and the doors opening and closing between cars.
Auto Train cars have upper and lower levels so if you have Special Needs for Accessibility you can request a Lower Level Seat. I had an Upper Level Seat and it was nice to be able to look out my window and see above railings and other things that can be missed in a typical rail car. And, because my car was packed with my belongings I only needed to bring a small bag on board with reading materials and toiletries to get me through the trip. All seats have electrical outlets so I was able to charge my cell phone and play some solitaire on my laptop to pass the time.
The Auto Train coach fare includes dinner and breakfast. Like a cruise, dinner hours are set and seating reservations are taken when you check in. I had the 5 pm seating and made my way to the dining car to share a table with others about an hour into the train’s journey. I ordered the Chicken Thighs Provencal with Rice Pilaf and Southwestern Corn. I was happy with my choice but my dining companions who ordered Tilapia were not. They did rave about the mashed potatoes though so although this isn’t five-star dining it wasn’t all bad. The meal also included rolls and a carafe of white wine to shared with others at the table which seats four. Dessert is also included and I opted for the Cinnamon Apple Tart while the others at my table had Vanilla Ice Cream with Strawberry Topping. Nobody complained.
If you reserve a sleeper car your dining options are much better but you do pay a premium for the privacy of a compartment and for the higher grade food.
There is also a Lounge where snacks, coffee and tea are available. I grabbed an orange as a midnight snack but opted not to stay in the lounge for very long. Unfortunately, the non-smoking lounge is located just above the smoking lounge where the smell easily wafts through the whole car. Not my cup of tea but it is a good place to meet other riders or have a conversation on your cell phone.
In Coach, pillows and blankets are provided for the overnight trip and the lights are turned down so people can sleep. Announcements are also kept to a minimum. Since this is an express train you don’t have the typical interruptions of people getting on and off the train in the middle of the night.
Surprisingly, we arrived in Sanford, Florida about an hour earlier than scheduled. This also meant that the crew wanted to rush people through breakfast. Breakfast on Coach consisted of a meager choice of bagels, muffins and pastry along with a banana, and dry cereal. Of course, coffee and tea are included. Rushing through breakfast proved easy enough to accomplish.
Even so, I had slept reasonably well, had the opportunity to wash up a little bit in one of the washrooms located on the lower level of the car, and was happy I didn’t add lots more miles to my car.
The costs of the trip via Auto Train were:
One Coach class seat (with 10% AAA discount): $ 99.00
Auto Train car cost (a vehicle is required to ride the Auto Train) $147.00
Food (breakfast, lunch at rest stop on the way down to Lorton) $ 10.00
Tolls: $ 23.25
Gasoline: $ 13.50
Grand Total $292.75
That turned out to be a savings of about $145.10. Obviously, the savings would be less for two people traveling versus one but taking into account the time saved and less wear and tear on the car, the Amtrak Auto Train approach can be a money-saver depending on when you plan to travel and the typical gas usage of your car. Plus, the overall stress factor of not having to drive the whole way down was eliminated.
In this instance taking the Auto Train was definitely worth it and I would recommend anyone factor in this alternative when planning to drive up or down the East Coast of the United States, especially if gas prices continue to rise over the rest of the year.
