Originally Posted By: gman2304
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XFvZzGThBI
This guy has nice videos from Tampa to Skyline drive in Va and back. I think he has two videos on youtube. Personally, after watching the videos, I'd rather ride.
That's cool. Pretty much the reverse trip I had. I can see Skyline Drive out my back window and took the Autotrain to Florida - final destination Tampa.
We made this trip in May 2009. My wife and I took my parents (bucket list trip for my dad who was dying of cancer) to the white sand beaches of the gulf coast of Florida. We reserved two of the "best" rooms - the ones with bathrooms, I think.
We live an hour from Lorton. It took a couple of hours to load. Amtrak rides on tracks that it doesn't own, so its trains have the lowest priority. Many times we sat on tracks in the middle of nowhere, waiting for a freight train to pass.
It was loud and bumpy - clickety clack, clickety clack. I was the only one of the four of us that slept over night. My wife and parents couldn't sleep at all.
My only complaint is that the train trip takes longer than a car trip down 95. Add in the time waiting at the stations and you can save a lot of time by just driving.
In the end, I wouldn't be opposed to riding the Autotrain again, but I prefer to just drive (and my wife says never again - ha!). The train was loaded with older people and people with motorcycles - both groups who the train probably makes total sense for.
In the end, it's a neat thing to do. I would give it a try!