Amtrak Auto Train 2024 Review - Top 5 Travel Tips!

#amtrak #2024 #autotrain #train
Our 4th trip on the overnight Auto-Train with Amtrak. 24 hours in a small bedroom suite with 2 kids because of multiple mechanical breakdowns.
There are only one, maybe two outlets in the rooms so a travel charger with at least two ports is a must to keep your devices (ex. Phone, tablet) going is strongly recommended. Extra pillows are welcomed to have in case you don’t get enough support. You’re going to want to bring light, thinner backpacks or wide duffle bags to pack your overnight items, either will stow up top nicely. Also any kind of collapsible bag with odds and ends (ex. Light snacks in a reusable grocery bag). Recommend grip slippers for nighttime bathroom trips, rather than going in your socks. Also from the bookstore, some funny books (my fav) and attachable reading lights. And a belt Fanny pack is great for going to the club car or dining car and keeping your valuables safely on you without having to lug a pocket book. Hope this is helpful and have a great adventure on the Auto Train!! Check out the collection of ideas if you are looking for ideas here www.youtube.co...
00:12 Tip 1 Packing
00:51 Tip 2 Checking-in
01:13 Tip 3 No Carts Allowed
01:43 Best places to watch the cars get loaded
03:48 Age of the cabins
04:14 Tip 4 Things to watch out for
05:27 Dinner Seating rules
05:58 Tip 5 Tipping (the ultimate Tip? 😬 )
06:24 Sleeper Car Layout
08:13 BONUS TIP and ULTIMATE TIME SAVER!
💺Room review of the 3 person sleeper cabin with its own toilet: • Amtrak Auto Train Virg...
💺More Details on the Room we had ("Bedroom Suite"). www.amtrak.com...
DISCLAIMER
This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission.
This content is for entertainment purposes only. The information being presented is not intended for instruction or replacement of manufacturers installation instructions. For your safety, always consult the manufacturers instructions for any installations, maintenance and/or configuration changes.
Thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the reviews!!

[@puttothetest]

There are only one, maybe two outlets in the rooms so a travel charger with at least two ports is a must to keep your devices (ex. Phone, tablet) going is strongly recommended. Extra pillows are welcomed to have in case you don’t get enough support. You’re going to want to bring light, thinner backpacks or wide duffle bags to pack your overnight items, either will stow up top nicely. Also any kind of collapsible bag with odds and ends (ex. Light snacks in a reusable grocery bag). Recommend grip slippers for nighttime bathroom trips, rather than going in your socks. Also from the bookstore, some funny books (my fav) and attachable reading lights. And a belt Fanny pack is great for going to the club car or dining car and keeping your valuables safely on you without having to lug a pocket book. Hope this is helpful and have a great adventure on the Auto Train!! Check out the collection of ideas if you are looking for ideas here kzbin.infoSCUCSMMbsxWFa8cM0-pdhYgTo9OgIPY5nTq2g?scp=EAM%3D

[@oxford14]

The staff is first class. Great trips are even better with the thoughtful attendants. Can't wait to go again!

[@puttothetest]

Same here! They make all the difference! They were so kind to my daughter and I. She has special needs and had an issue with the noise in the station and they were so, so kind and understanding. I cannot express in words how much it meant to me.

[@Retiredtraveler1961]

I've taken the auto train four times now and use it every spring and every fall, I'm a Snowbird. Tips you missed. 1. Take an ambien or lunesta when you try to go to sleep in the sleeper because the tracks are designed for freight and they're very uncomfortable and they thrash, it's not like European trains that are very smooth. I've even tried melatonin, but just you dose off the train will surge left or right and wake you. 2. The cost for early offloading is $95, steep but worth it. I've had to wait up to two hours to get my car. 3. Number three if you don't want pay the $95 , arrive as late as possible to the 3 o'clock deadline. it's first on last off so you could be waiting two hours if you arrive there early. 4. Arriving as late as possible to have your car off first means you'll probably be stuck with a 9 PM dinner seating time.(it happened to me) 4. You can bring all the booze and all the snacks you want from home to enjoy on board the train. Snacks in the shops at the station are VERY expensive. I recommend that buy snacks ahead of time and save money. You can bring your own beer on board and enjoy it in the café or in the privacy of your roomette. 5. if you're an older couple, say over 50 I recommend you get the full room not the roommette which is tiny. In summary, the auto train is a convenient option over driving 1100 miles from Annapolis to Fort Myers, but it's not exactly comfortable. Just relaxing, and avoids the stress of driving 95 especially in the North Carolina South Carolina area where 95 is only two lanes each way.

[@puttothetest]

Thank you so much for the comment!! These are great tips! I got stopped for 6 hours on my last trip so I ate a meal at the snack bar. Learned my lesson. I won't do it again without packing some of my own food for just such an occasion.

[@DawsJust23]

Thanks I am going on the auto train in July

[@puttothetest]

Have a great trip and thank you for commenting! It's an adventure!

[@Jon_from_LI]

If they ever extended the Auto-Train up North; at least to New York, it would be infinitely more popular than it currently is. It's at least a five hour drive down to VA in the first place. They wouldn't necessarily have the New York stop in Manhattan; but ideal outside of the City zone where you'd have more room to load cars onto the trains; like Long Island for instance. There has been talk of extending Amtrak service through Long Island.

[@puttothetest]

That would be awesome. From the north, that last part of the drive to the Virginia station, is through the beltway around DC and it’s no fun to say the least. I completely agree with you, extending it north would remove a lot of obstacles to the greater northeast area being able to taking more advantage of it. Thanks for the comment!

[@oxford14]

It's not something that can be done. The tunnels further north are too small for the car carriers. Also, the guage of the tracks are different.

[@heresnotdave]

@@oxford14 No the track gauge is not different, but the tunnels are the problem.

[@quinterofelixchidez]

New orlean to pensacola option trin bus video also vancover socal video

[@donaldgodwin3419]

The real problem of late trains and they happen a lot is the “TRACKS” Amtrak does not own them the freight companies do. So if a freight train is late a they often are you have to wait for them to clear the tracks. Been there done that, no more thanks

[@puttothetest]

I did not realize that! Thanks for the information.

[@jjjsss3869]

why do you blur some workers faces but not others?

[@puttothetest]

So that was the result of a technical learning curve on my part. KZbin offered the option to blur some faces so I said ok, that would be respecting people’s privacy so, good, let’s do that. then it randomly blurred some other faces and even objects the flowering tree outside the train station in Lorton.