You have to want the rail experience to make it worth it
I needed to move a Chevy Bolt from VA to FL and wasn’t going to deal with the painfully slow charging to drive it down. Best shipping rate I got was $800. My plan was to make a weekend out of it. Ride train, drop off car, head to airport and fly home. This was going to cost me ~$450. Had a family member end up volunteering as tribute because they wanted to ride the train lol. Their feedback was that they wouldn’t do it again.
From my experience without the express load out purchase and being delayed around Jacksonville area we did not leave Sanford until 1130am.
You’ll need a charger for your phone. IIRC they dont have usb port on the train but they have power outlet.
I have done it twice during the jeep mania, no complaints except food, so i suggest you bring your own samosas 
you know what i mean brother!! And yes the cheapest seat is wide and comfortable enough
Anyone needing to attend a funeral or starting a Disney vacation on the day of arrival should have flown instead. Not that flying guarantees an on-time arrival but still…
Thank you all for your great input on this topic. Just booked the trip and going to proceed. Will post back if it was a hit or miss !
Its mainly for my 3 year old and 13 year old as they haven’t ever been on a train ride and I feel the timing of the train along with summer hours will be perfect for them as they get to enjoy enough day time view from the windows. And hopefully gives us a jump start on our road trip vacation as we will be taking the train on a Friday morning so start the actual drive to Quebec City from VA on Saturday.
BTW Anyone here from Rhode Island and Maine ? Need suggestions on a nice cities (Water front would be great) within those states for overnight stays while we drive up to Quebec.
Want to stay an overnight in RI, then in Boston and then in Maine.
Thanks in advance !
Honestly, Amtrak is trash. Do it because it’s cheap (if it is for shipping a car), not for the experience. We did a buffalo to NYC room train and it was so trash that I refuse to ever go on an American train ever again unless it was 50% off vs. the competition. (this means I’m always riding the subway in NYC lol)
Too late lol. its booked now. But I believe the Auto Train is different from the one you did. Have a look.
it is but I hated it lol. It was so trash
RI: Newport. Check out one of the gilded age mansions and do the cliff side/ocean view walk behind them. If the time is right maybe there will even be a concours car event going on
Boston: if you want to stay in the city then near the aquarium & fanuel hall rather than Copley or seaport, but have a meal near the seaport at Yankee Lobster, Moxies or Temezcal. SpotHero app for parking
Maine: Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park and whitewater rafting north of Bangor. Portland and many other picturesque lighthouses / seaside towns are on the way
This is awesome. Little tied up right now but will get back to you with followups on areas doe Boston.
We decided to spend 1 overnight in Boston as opposed to 2 initially so we can rather do 2 overnights in Maine.
1st in Portland and then 2nd in Bar Harbor.
Taking the scenic US1 route from Portland to Bar Harbor.
My 13 year old needs wheelchair assitance so moat of our trip is driving based with less walks.
Like you mentioned the Mansion in Newport, definitely doing that. Also doing the Park Loop drive within Acadia to see the most we can with her.
2400 seems pricey to just skip a day of driving. What isn’t expensive now though? I’d just fly up cheap and spend the $ on a nice rental car/hotels closer to your destination. Lots on Turo with unlimited miles under $200/day.
The drive is terribly boring though so I get it. I did it a few times, never again. Just driving from sofla to sc seems like an eternity. I’m a 2hr $30 spirit/frontier man though I’ve never really had a bad experience. They lost my kids stroller once but delivered it to our house the next day.
Don’t lick anything.