should i take amtrak from ny to mia??

[Francis]

will be taking cruise later this year. i have been thinking if i should take amtrak from new york to miami. the airfare from ny to fort lauderdale is actually cheaper and there is pickup from airport to motel. whereas if i take the train, i have to get a cab from station to hotel and the fare is $99 per person and it takes about 30 hours. i want to take a train because if i take a train, it would give me and my wife an opportunity to see the east coast close up. have anyone ever ride amtrak?? any opinion would be much appreciated.

[kitty9]

Personally, going by train is not something for me. I just don't want to start the trip by sitting on a jostling train for 30 hours when I can get to the port city in just a couple of hours on a plane. I just think you're going to get there tired and who wants to start a cruise tired?

[trish1c]

Unless you have some real aversion to flying, take a plane.

[Francis]

we have no aversion to flying. i remember when i was young and stupid, i took a greyhound and had a 17 hour trip in the west. the trip was tiring, but i was amazed by the vastness of the land. it was really nice. i think amtrak has more space for me to move around and the seats are probably more comfortable.

so anyone has any suggestion, would be much appreciated.

[Chele60]

Spare yourself and take a flight! I would say that maybe, perhaps, might if you can get a 1st class sleeper than you might want to think about it.

 

Then again......no.

 

My absolute worst vacation blunder EVER was taking the Amtrak from New Orleans to Houston. A thing to keep in mind is that trains do NOT go through the most scenic routes at all times. They are trains, they share the same tracks as freight trains, and who in the h*ll wants train tracks taking up prime real estate? Therefore you see nothing of any interest. Also, once the sun goes down? You see nothing. It is dark out there. (Yeah, my mother thought it would be nice to sit in the lounge car after dark and look outside. I wondered what was wrong with her, but she wouldn't listen until she saw it for herself. She was going to look at "the lights".)

 

Another thing I learned on my fateful journey was that, because Amtrak shares tracks with freight trains, guess who has the right of way? Freighters. And do you know how long those things are? You find yourself slowing, then stopping, while a freight train goes wizzing by your window. It's even worse at night - you just feel the freight train's wind factor jostling the passenger train. (Like when you are stopped in your car and a huge truck rushes by? Think of that going on for, oh, 10 minutes or so.) Because of this funky right of way thing, and the Amtrak having to keep stopping, that means Amtrak does NOT run on time. The trip I took left New Orleans at noon sharp (they had had a 4 hour layover), and we were supposed to arrive in Houston at 9pm. We FINALLY got into Houston just after 11pm.

 

And have you thought about what you will DO on the train? Reading is fine....for a couple of hours. The train does have movies, but the train selects them, they are shown on a screen that is about the size of an average TV screen. There is only the movie - nothing else. You cannot write - the train moves too much. Don't think about taking a walk - it's hard enough to get to the lounge without stumbling. (The engineer usually has to go full speed to make up time from waiting for all those freight trains, which makes the train roll more) Also, with all that jostling forget about sleeping. You will wake up every 20 - 30 minutes. As far as scenery? Sure, you can see some nice places at times. It lasts, oh, about 30 minutes. After that, it all starts to look the same. And food? Well, unless you are willing to drag all your own food onboard, think expensive. Very. Especially the dining car. And the bathrooms? Um, I won't go there.

 

You also have to keep in mind that there might not be that many cabs at the other end. Not very many people travel by train, so cabs sitting at train stations waste time and money. When we pulled into Houston (which is an absolute dump of a train station!), there were 2 - t w o - cabs waiting. This was a major stop, and I don't even know how many passengers got off. Luckily, I was one of the first ones off the train (most train passengers seem to drag TONS of luggage on board!), and it was me and my mom late at night, as opposed to groups of men, so one of the cab drivers came to us. I know a large group grabbed the other cab. I'm not sure what the others did. Call for a cab and wait? And a couple of things: most train stations are a fair distance from anything, so a cab ride is very expensive, and most train stations are in the worst part of town.

 

Amtrak is terrific for short, commuter distances. And if you want to experience the "romance" of a train, then do a vacation just with train travel. Don't put yourself in a situation where you are aggravated and irritated before you even begin your vacation! Take a plane, kick back, and enjoy!

[ryansmemom]

Although I have never attempted this, I know people who have. They have universally regretted it. My in-laws used to take the train to Florida and told us it was sheer torture. The trip was exhausting. They were found it to be a miserable experience.

 

We also know several people who took the autotrain. They had first class accomodations, which included sleeping compartments. They also reported "trip from h***" experiences. Not only were they very uncomfortable, but they almost missed their cruise when the train was delayed for over 24 hrs. The autotrain was considered low priority and was side tracked for other passenger trains (commuters) and freight trains. They spent hours waiting for clearance while other trains passed through.

 

My recommendation would be fly. If you want to see the country, consider driving. I think that would be a better option.

 

Linda

[ineedacruise]

It would be a great thing taking a train that far but remember, you will be very tired when you get off the ship and will just want to get home. I would suggest you fly for your cruise and take a different vacation and do the train.

 

* We also did the drive from Philly to Miami a few years back and getting there was fine but coming home we had rain from GA to PA. Not a great thing after a 7 day vacation.*

[ladyt]

When I moved to Florida I took the autotrain, when I moved back I took the autotrain again. I loved it.

 

But......I would not take the train to Miami just to go on a cruise. The trip is very very long and if there is any work being done to the tracks, it will be even longer!!!

[kdickers]

My DD (13 yr old) and I recently took Amtrak to visit my DH while he was working in Wisconsin. Granted . . . between where I live and Chicago I only had one train alternative (Cardinal) but I really didn't want the long drive by myself and even with "deluxe accomodations" (sleeper) it was still cheaper than flying for some reason.

 

Unfortunately . . . since our choice of routes was so limited, their schedule was NO CONDUSIVE to sight-seeking. We left Ashland, KY at midnight!!!! :eek: On the return trip we lost power in the sleeper cars :( (making things rather warm) and didn't leave CHI as scheduled (2 hrs late).

 

Even sleeping accomodations are TIGHT to say the least (unless you get a "family" size sleeper). :rolleyes: My daughter and I (both are about 5ft tall and between 85-125lbs) barely had enough room to cross our legs!!!!

 

We took our own portable DVD player so didn't have to rely on the "movie of the day" provided by Amtrak, but they also had additional TV stations too.

 

Would I travel Amtrak again . . . YES . . . if the timing, price and itinerary worked with my plans BUT . . . unless you were able to spend 2 wks traveling (traveling to cruise, the cruise itself, and returning home) I would recommend driving or flying . . . you'll get there more quickly and more comfortably!!

 

Kim

[vijoge]

Ok, now a word from the other side. We take the train whenever and wherever we can. We love it, but I'm the first to admit it's not for everyone.

 

Rule #1 It's almost always cheaper to fly:)

Rule #2 If you're over 25 do not consider an overnight trip without a sleeper;)

Rule #3 The train will be late. Maybe a little-maybe a lot.:D

 

We live in the Chicago area and we have taken the train to Ft.Lauderdale and NYC, and will be heading for Seattle in June. If there was a train to Europe, China, or Australia we'd be on it. But like I said, we really love to travel by train.

[cruzobsessed]

my husband and 2 kids were afraid of flying so for our first cruise we took amtrak from n.y. to miami. we had 2 sleeper cars. we treated it as an adventure. the cars are tiny and the bathroom (actually a bowl sink contraption) in right there with you. the meals were surprisingly good and they did have 24 hour t.v./movies. my kids behaved better than i expected and it wasn't .......horrible. having said that.....you will lose 4 days of your vacation, as for sightseeing....most of the "nicer" sites occur when you're sleeping (except washington d.c. was very cool). this past dec. i convinced my family to fly and that's how we'll go from now on. i agree with an earlier reply...unless it's a matter of a fear of flying....it really isn't worth the vacation days you're sacrificing.

[nybumpkin]

I'm a freqient train traveler (day trips) and do not like flying. Having said that, however, we're flying to NOLA for our July cruise - we just didn't want to take up vacation time with train travel. (They'll just have to sedate me before I get on the plane:p .) I would recommend that you look carefully at the schedules; the long-haul trains generally do not run as frequently as the shorter runs, and you may end up having to come in very early before your cruise or waiting an entire day after your cruise to catch a train home. If you plan to sightsee before/after, the schedule may work for you.

[Gingee]

We are using the train for our cruise this year. I have never taken a long distance train. My husband did when he was a kid (1000 years ago). We are picked up at our airport in a shuttle bus from Peoria, IL to Indy, IN. Then onto the train to NYC. Our girls have never been on a train. They will be l7 and 21 so they are old enough to have one possible sleepless night going and coming. We will have a full day in NYC before the cruise and two days after the cruise before our train takes off again. We haven't been to NYC so we are taking those days to check out the area.

 

If you want a web site to talk to other train people, e-mail me at rcw02@insightbb.com and I will give you the site.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We took the Coast Starlight from Oxnard, CA to Seattle last summer before our cruise. Reasons: our daughter had never been on a train, we wanted to see scenary, my hubby didn't want to endure long lines at LAX, and I'm a white knuckle flyer (drives my hubby crazy).

 

Disadvantages:

1. as someone said, you get sidetracked a lot. We got in 3 - 1/2 hrs late one way and 4 hrs the other. You can check Amtrak.com and see how your train does on anyday within the last couple of weeks. You'll get a good idea of how on time they are with your route.

 

2. It is a really bumpy ride esp. due to condition of tracks. And if conductor decides to speed up as happened with us, you're holding on to your seat.

 

3. We didn't care much for the food. They have one lunch menu and one dinner menu going up and the same thing going down. If you're on for more than one day, it's deja vu with the food. We had a sleeper car so the cost of food is included but I'm not quite sure if I would pay those prices if we were in coach.

 

4. the condition of the train: we had major plumbing problems with the restrooms on our car which couldn't get fixed during a stop in SLO. Not pleasant having to roam other cars looking for an available restroom. On the way south, electrical problems.

 

5. The entertainment was the same two movies: Shrek 2 and Jersey Girl. No TV. There was a wine tasting for sleeper car passengers.

 

6. I have problems sleeping anyway but hubby had too. Little one fell asleep easily, though. That was a plus.

 

7. A little confusing finding way around (they really need diagrams given out) and also finding out about dining.

 

8. Some stations don't take luggage aboard. That's why we boarded at Oxnard, not at a closer station. And they gave us static about the weight until the guy weighed it and found we were under the limit.

 

9. If there's a problem it can set you back too. A tunnel had caught on fire a few days after we went though. On our way back home, that was the first day they were using the tunnel again. Before that, passengers were taken off in one town, put on buses for nine hours, and taken past that tunnel.

 

 

Advantages:

1. We had great scenary. Especially Mt. Shasta. I brought maps along with our route so I can keep track of where we were.

 

2. Like cruises, you can strangers at your dining table and we had interesting ones.

 

3. We did find cabs, even at 11:30 pm (Seattle) and midnight (Oxnard).

[kryos]

we have no aversion to flying. i remember when i was young and stupid, i took a greyhound and had a 17 hour trip in the west. the trip was tiring, but i was amazed by the vastness of the land. it was really nice. i think amtrak has more space for me to move around and the seats are probably more comfortable.

so anyone has any suggestion, would be much appreciated.

Personally, I would plan the train trip as an entirely separate vacation. Pick a scenic route ... and take the train purely for the adventure. I think mixing such a long train trip with a cruise will be exhausting. Of course, if you have unlimited time available, then maybe it might work.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[MikeNJ1109]

My wife and I took the Silver Star last year r/t between NY and MIA...while the trip was relaxing (we even splurged on a compartment), we also arrived in MIA about 5 hours late, and 6 hours late on our return. As an earlier poster mentioned, other then the DC/NY/BOS corrider, Amtrak doesn't own its own lines...as such, it's at the mercy of the freight lines.

 

You have to ask whether you want to risk being late for your cruise and plan accordingly. If it were me, knowing I had a cruise waiting for me...I'd hop on a plane and travel that way.

 

Just my 2 cents,

 

Mike

[JudyKa]

<<Another thing I learned on my fateful journey was that, because Amtrak shares tracks with freight trains, guess who has the right of way? Freighters. And do you know how long those things are? You find yourself slowing, then stopping, while a freight train goes wizzing by your window. It's even worse at night - you just feel the freight train's wind factor jostling the passenger train.>>

 

Sorry to contradict what you are saying.......freight trains never have the right of way to passenger trains. My locomotive engineer husband is always talking about how he has to maneuver his trains to stay out of the path of passenger trains. Of course, they have to share two sets of tracks with all trains.....just like autos on the roads. Life is like that, ya know.

[Chele60]

Sorry to contradict what you are saying.......freight trains never have the right of way to passenger trains. My locomotive engineer husband is always talking about how he has to maneuver his trains to stay out of the path of passenger trains. Of course, they have to share two sets of tracks with all trains.....just like autos on the roads. Life is like that, ya know.

 

 

 

Interesting, because that was the exact information we received from the conductor. And that was after the engineer told the conductors over the PA system to respond to passengers what was happening since many of us were becoming irritable. Maybe it was just the New Orleans - Houston corridor?

 

I know where I live (we get roughly 70+ trains a day through a major insection in town) we get freight trains that are extremely long, Amtrak, and Metrolink and I have seen at times 2 freight trains sitting outside of the area waiting for either an Amtrak or Metrolink to go by.

 

I just know that when we were out in the "open landscape" it was the Amtrak train that stopped while the freighters wizzed by. Only thing I can think of is due to the extreme length of freighters there wasn't enough room for them to sit on a side track and let the passenger train go by. Anyway, I just know the conductor told us Amtrak didn't have the right of way. I also get the impression there is no love lost between freight operators and passenger operators. I'm just glad to realize that if I get stuck behind an 18 wheeler on a road, I can always pass! Seems trains don't have the same options!

[vijoge]

<<Another thing I learned on my fateful journey was that, because Amtrak shares tracks with freight trains, guess who has the right of way? Freighters. And do you know how long those things are? You find yourself slowing, then stopping, while a freight train goes wizzing by your window. It's even worse at night - you just feel the freight train's wind factor jostling the passenger train.>>

 

Sorry to contradict what you are saying.......freight trains never have the right of way to passenger trains. My locomotive engineer husband is always talking about how he has to maneuver his trains to stay out of the path of passenger trains. Of course, they have to share two sets of tracks with all trains.....just like autos on the roads. Life is like that, ya know.

 

Not true and I have several long distance train trips to back this up. The tracks are owned by the freight companies and they have the right of way. Amtrak trains have to wait on the sidings for the freight trains to pass. This is a contributing factor as to why passenger trains are so often late. The only tracks owned by Amtrak are those in the northeast corridor. For more information visit www.trainweb.com. This is discussed frequently there.

[Francis]

i must thank all those who replied to my question. thank you so much.

after reading all the comments. i have decided to fly from ny to mia (we were going to fly on return trip anyway).

i guess greyhound bus would be a better way to see the east coast, but 30 hours in a greyhound bus would be torture!!(that 17 hour trip i took when i was young was bad enough, no way i would do 30 hours).

 

i guess i will do amtrak later when i really have time to travel and see the land. but for now, you're right, i should not torture myself before a wonderful cruise holidays (back to back on carnival victory and then explorer of the seas).

 

once again, i thank you so much for all your insightful replies.

 

cruise is the way holiday should be!!!!!!!!

[BrianMD]

-error-

[Grandpaul]

Freight trains do have the right of way because of the contracts they have with some of the companies they are shipping for. If they are late with their delivery they pay a penalty to that company.

 

Here's another option for the trip the OP talked about. WHy not just take a cruise out of New York? No planes, no trains, no automobiles. Oh wait, that was a movie.

[thecook]

Francis, It has been awhile since I rode Amtrak..but rode Winter Pk Fl to Trenton, N.J. I can tell you that I found the train to be very dirty..the food expensive and not very good. I wouldn't consider the trip again unless there was a great improvement in the condition of the train.

[bikergal78]

Fly! I took Amtrak Auto Train out of Virginia down to FL. It sucked! :rolleyes:

[platformb]

Personally, going by train is not something for me. I just don't want to start the trip by sitting on a jostling train for 30 hours when I can get to the port city in just a couple of hours on a plane. I just think you're going to get there tired and who wants to start a cruise tired?

 

 

Actually the movement of the train will prepare you for the up and down up and down up and down and tilting sideways on the ship should you run into a bad storm which we seem to be destined for now that global warming as overwhelmed the planet and we are all doomed anyway.

but seriously, There is no better way to see the east coast than by train.

 

I always travel by either car or train no cattle car airline transport for me.

 

Between Boston and Washington DC you will see not only wonderful waterfront scenery but every junk yard on the East Coast but that is part of America. Once you leave Washington, DC the scene is much more rural passing through quanit southern towns etc. The food is decent in the diningroom, comporable to NCL's basic menu and if you book a room the meals are part of the fare. Because of the high demand and limited number of bedrooms they are pricy $300 plus for the night but you will arrive rested, relaxed and will have all of your luggage with you and not in Los Angeles or Brazil rather than Florida. You can each take two bags on board and check three other bags each, free. That alone beats the airlines hands down.

 

I say take the train and let it be part of the vacation. Great fun enjoy.