Has anyone taken the auto train with their car. I'm told that in order to board the vehicle you need 4 inches of ground clearance and it seems that the stock ground effects front air dam is only a few inches from the ground and not 4 inches. Will it bend enough to allow the auto train folks to drive it on/off etc without damaging the air dam.

Anyone with Auto Train experience - please let me know. I was planning on a trip to Canada this summer and the Auto train would cut some considerable driving out of it.

 

Just did it.. took my Vette from VA to FL (Orlando, Key West and Miami) the week between Xmas and NYE'11 less than a month ago. You'll be fine. Not only was my Vette on the train, several other Vettes were too. Your Vette wiil be in good hands, the AutoTrain staff puts down floor mats and plastic in the interior.. and videotapes the entire car before loading it. That guarantees your car comes off the train to you.. in the same condition you delivered it to the staff.

Any more questions, let me know. Ill be glad to answer.

Here some pics of a GS being loaded onto the AutoTrain:

 

Last Summer I took my '10 GrandSport on the Autotrain from Lorton, Va. to Sanford, Fla. And, back. No problems at all. Their staff was careful with the Car. Not a mark. I saved 1,500 miles of the long boring/hazardous I-95 drive. Would I do it again? Probably.

 

Wow- that is a company I can get behind. I always end up having to do this myself anytime my car is left somewhere

 

bump

 

well, not quite, it guarantees it went on the train in a certain condition, not that it will come off in the same condition.....
I think mine is way to low to go on a train....

 

I've done this several times over the past few years, most recently this past December As mentioned before, they video each car before loading. They also make you sign a statement that says they are not responsible for any damage since it sits below 4". With that said, I have never had an issue and will be doing it again.


Wendell

 

What does it cost to go from Va to Fla?

 

where you located and where in Canada you going, eh?

 

I just looked. Sanford FL to Virginia beach VA coach...$242FOR Two adults and $220 for a standard car.

Much less than I thought. No discounts were applied and it would leave tomorrow (late booking).

 

I found this topic very interesting. I had never even heard of this before. I had to go to Google to learn more. Here where I live we dont even have Amtrak Passenger Service. We drive everywhere...

 

This sounded like a great idea so I googled it. Unfortunately for me the only route is from Wash. DC to Florida. That doesn't help my cause any.

 

WOW! I regularly drive from the Gulf Coast to Illinois and it takes 11 1/2 hours driveway to driveway. I looked into this. The shortest trip is 59 hours 57 minutes on the train with about 200 miles driving on the ends. 3 days on a train to save 600 miles of driving? I doubt I will be doing this until the federal government mandates it because too few people are doing it.

 

The Auto Train only goes between Lorton, Va (Just south of Washington) and Sanford, FL (Just north of Orlando). Someone in your booking party must book an Auto to ride it. It does not make any stops along the way to take on or let off riders. One leaves Lorton, Va about the same time as one leaves Sanford, heading in the opposite directions passing each other along the way. They leave around 1600 in the afternoon each day.

We usually get a sleeper which is extra. With the showers on board, along with the other amenities it is a relaxing trip. We using get on board, have some drinks in the lounge car before dinner, watching the country side go by. Head to the Diner car, have dinner, and back to the lounge car where they also show a movie. The porter turns our room into beds during this time. We can grab a shower and hit the bunks looking out as we pass through towns all long the way. When you get up the next morning, they have breakfast set up.

Each time we have done it, they have had free wine and cheese in the lounge car during boarding till right after you get under way. They always have show cased Virginia wines during this time frame.

They serve dinner 2 to 3 times in the evening depending on how many folks are on board.

The train can reach capacity in the spring and early winter when the snow birds make their annual pilgrimage. It can also fill up during holidays as it did when my wife and I rode it this past Christmas. It was sold out. It carries 650 passengers and 330 vehicles. The price also varies depending on the time of year and direction you are headed. It is not the cheapest way to get there, but it sure is the least stressful as there is no TSA folks hollering at you to take off your shoes or belts to pass through security.

It is the longest passenger train in the world, 3/4 of a mile of long with 18 passenger cars, 33 auto carriers and two engines.

For us, it is a lot of fun and we meet other couples taking the train. It can be very relaxing and you don't have to worry about road rage or getting passed on I95 by a mini-van from NY doing 95.

 

Did you leave on Christmas day last month? From Lorton to Sanford. If so, I probably snapped a picture of your GS being loaded. Its in first post in this thread (2nd post overall).

And I have never signed (nor was asked to sign) any damage waiver agreements. Its my 2nd roundtrip on the Autotrain. Took my motorcycle down to Florida, roundtrip on it in May 2005.

 

Did you price a sleeper cabin?

 

No I sure didn't. Sorry.

 

Yep, it was this past Christmas Day. We got there not too long before they started boarding. My GS is SSB with factory chrome wheels. Was one of the last loaded in Lorton and one of the first unloaded in Sanford.

The only time they ask for the waiver is when you have a vehicle they believe is lower than 4", which of course is any Vette. This is due to possible under carriage damage.

Wendell

 

Please explain this...

 

Oops, missed that. They put the full Amtrak system on the Auto Train page so that is what I tried to schedule. You are correct that the Auto Train is a single non-stop route from DC to Orlando and back. I wonder why the federal government funding Amtrak would have such limited service.

So the route I quoted was the best Amtrak could do for simple passenger service. No wonder no one takes the train. Even Chicago to New York City is more than 20 hours for a trip that doesn't take more than 12 hours by car.

And as far as avoiding the TSA - http://blog.tsa.gov/2011/02/screenin...-savannah.html But the highways aren't immune either - http://www.theatlantic.com/national/...by-tsa/247243/