Amtrak AUTO TRAIN from Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL

After returning from France to visit my family in Virginia I quickly tired of the cold temperatures and decided it was time to head back to Florida, my home. Fortunately I was nearby Amtrak’s Lorton station which is the origin point for the south-bound Auto Train, a one-of-a-kind in the USA train that combines both car and passenger transport into one train.

Faced with the option of driving for 14 hours through increasingly wintery conditions, with multiple fuel stops and potentially a hotel for the night - I elected to book a roomette and a car space on the auto train and went south. This video shows most of the process of getting to and onto the autotrain, as well as some looks behind the scenes as the car haulers are loaded and then linked up to form one, large (¾ mile) train.

0:00 - Intro
0:43 - Getting snacks and fuel
1:29 - Coffee for the road
1:39 - Arriving at the Lorton, VA station
4:57 - Checking out the car haulers
6:30 - Giving Amtrak my car
7:28 - Loading the cars onto the train
8:31 - Lounge, dining, and lounge dining cars
8:53 - The Yard Locomotive
9:52 - Our new ALC-42 engines are hooked up
10:30 - Connecting the car haulers with the yard locomotive
11:24 - Boarding Time
12:58 - Roomette Tour
14:22 - Walking the Train
15:56 - Dinner on Amtrak (Steak)
16:09 - Roomette conversion to a bedroom
17:50 - Waking up in Florida
18:16 - Disembarking and getting our cars

Episode 28 | Filmed December, 2024 | Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL

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Who is Nick Henderson, and what is NickGoesFar?! Originally from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, I have been traveling the world since I was 3 years old, and have led a fairly uncommon life ever since. Now, I'm a commercial pilot flying in the United States, a full-time nomad and traveler. NickGoesFar was originally "The Roaming Pilot", a travel blog where I would share my adventures, tips on expat life, and photography. As I leapt headfirst into content creation, film making, and wanted to be able to share with more people - a change was needed, and after a few iterations I landed here. I am incredibly grateful that years of hard work allow me to continue doing something I love, seeing the world and immersing myself in it. 😊🎥🌎

[FlatEarthMath]

Very informative, and beautifully filmed and edited. You are a pro. I'm traveling with my family of 6 in a few months, and your video is very helpful!

[honestharry]

Tip: you can an actually check in as soon as the station opens at 8am. Once checked in you can take your car and leave the station and return around 2:00-2:30pm. There is no need to sit and wait all day in the station. I have taken the auto-train at least 4x per year for 20 years. There are many tips and tricks that even the most seasoned users are not aware of.

[kaylahernandez]

This was so helpful- I didn’t feel like I was coming to the station completely blind! Thank you!!

[flashbike]

I live in Lorton VA for 15 years, never knew Lorton station had a auto train option. Learned something new today

[JaxBpold]

Great video! I’ve taken the Auto Train back in April 2009 to Disney we all had fun! Plus, the Auto Train is the best train ever!! Along the East coast! I love it so much it rocks

[aldiaz]

I took my 350Z on the autotrain back in 2009. It was a fun experience! Drove my NYC to VA to catch the Autotrain - thanks for bringing back memories for me.

[Sadskacivan]

I love the autotrain! There’s a really unique wine store nearby called The Wine Attic of Lorton, it's a great place to buy wine and beer and other provisions for our journey!

[joninpgh]

My wife and I, and in the past with the kids, have taken it 16 times. Usually in the summer when it costs less. Strongly recommend getting at least the Roomette, you'll sleep better especially if you're tall like me. If a sleeper is not in your budget then get a lower level coach seat. The cars connect on the upper level so the lower level is much quieter without people walking back and forth and the doors slamming.

[BDRichmondify]

Excellent video - very cool to see how they handle the auto cars

[vinalboy]

I took the Auto Train South in 2023. Driving to Florida on I 95 from where I live in the Northeast is stressful. I thought about the stress of taking i95 all the way to my final destination in Florida. Remember, to calculate the cost of fuel, food, lodging, and wear and tear on your vehicle as well as the physical toll depending on where traveling to Florida from when comparing the cost of the journey.

[ZonicTheRobot]

I always wanted to try the auto train! Thanks for showing this!

[mgv]

Great job on the video. I have to drive 2.5 hours north to board the Auto Train. For me it’s totally worth it. Ninety percent of the time, I ride coach. I think the car haulers are called auto racks.

[yechielbenchasya]

We have taken this trip in both directions many times. Is it cheap? No, but it compares favorably to the cost of shipping your car and flying to FL. Just drive if you don’t want to spend the $$. The issue with most car shippers is that you have no control over when the car arrives as they are taking other cars all over the place as well. So you might get to your final destination and then have to wait a day or two for your car. Or, as happened to me recently, the car shipper told me it was going to take 6 days and it only took 2, so we had to scramble to accept the delivery when we had just landed in FL and the driver was already on our street. The good news is that there are ample choices to consider based on your schedule and budget. A lot of people do not like to fly or flat out will not fly and those are a lot of the passengers on the AutoTrain.

[watchyourattitudeaviation]

Epic!! Took this south one summer. Was fun!

Great video.

[kathychurray]

Amtrak needs to make an auto train to the west like Washington State or California. They also need to fix the tracks from Jacksonville to New Orleans.

[Peter-fz]

I also learned the hard way about being early. My car was one of the first on and one of the last off. I should have used the Griswald system.

[ChristopherPlatt]

Inlaws did this when they retired from Long Island to Florida. Cheaper and less stressful than having the car transported and flying.

[digitaloracle]

Granted I don't fly, so there's some bias, but I've taken my family to FL a few times via the auto train. Wouldn't do it any other way. Driving takes too long and someone could easily end up murdered in the commute as 10 minutes in the car with them is often testing limits. We get two adjoining bedrooms and the attendant removes the dividing wall, creating one larger space (though you have to call Amtrak when setting up the reservation to get this set up). End result: two bathrooms, which is necessary, but also multiple chairs, tables, and seating areas for the four of us to spread out in for the trip. Much better than being in a cramped car, anyhow....and far less of a concern for packing as we just load up our vehicle with what we'll need for the 1-2 week stay without fretting over ensuring it fits into a suitcase. The worst part, as you eluded to, is the less than desirable conditions in the two stations. Fine for adults to wait in for a couple hours, but it's been challenging with two kids for that long.

[dianerivera]

Having taken the AT over a dozen round trips I keep saying "no" that's not how it works. You have to check in inside the station and then you sit and wait until boarding which is usually around 2:30. You don't board as soon as you get in. You have to check in at the counter. It's very different than regular Amtrak. We always arrive around 1130 or 12, check in and get the dining time we want (bedroom) and then sit and wait. You can always tell when it's someone's first time.

[RailfanDavid]

I went on the Auto Train back in August 2024 Round Trip and it was amazing.