[kfierle]

I am about ready to make my reservations on the train to come to my home in TV in August. I have read all the discussions on the train and still have a question.

I have the tendency to become motion sick. I doesn't happen all of the time but I always need to be prepared. For those of you who have used the train, is there tremendous motion, so much so that I will have to take my medication and feel drugged up during trip or is it a general, minor motion that an over the counter medicine would be able to handle? I just want to be sure that I am making the right choice by taking the auto train.

Being single, I do not want to drive from western New York state to TV all by myself. Since I am packing my car with items for my villa, flying at this time is not an option. If I drive, I will need to spend at least 2 nights on the road, both ways, which cuts in to the time I can spend in TV.

Any information you will be able to provide will be greatly appreciated. I know I can count on the members of this board to give me honest answers.

[chuckster]

Actually from your area, we drive from near Rochester, it is an easy 2 not 3 day trip. Staying over night in southern Va. then to the Villages the second day. Certainly less expensive than the train. We leave early in the am and stop between 5 and 6 at a Hampton Inn (free breakfast) or Holiday Inn Express (free breakfast) and arrive in the Villages before 5pm the second day. Have driven it alone both ways several times.

[kfierle]

Chuckster

If there were someone else traveling with me, I know I could do it with 1 night on the road. Since I will be driving alone, I am only good for about 8 hours max a day. When I drove down with my sister in 2008, we did it non-stop with no problem since there were 2 of us to drive. I am not fond of driving and realize it is a means to an end. I'm just looking for alternatives to make the trip a bit shorter for me.

[chuckster]

I see, then I guess the train is the option for you. Was trying to keep you out of the DC area traffic en route to Lorton, Va. for the Auto Train. The train is a fun experience and have taken it several times over the years to Sanford, Fl with the family. We all enjoyed the trip..........Hope this helps.

[EdV]

I’ve taken the Auto Train quite a few times and really enjoy it. Motion wise, it’s not like being on a boat, it’s pretty much like being in a car. And be sure to book a sleeper roomette cabin. They are tiny for sure but it makes all the difference in the world compared to an overnight in a coach seat dealing with leg cramps and noisy screaming youngsters. You can curl up in your private cabin with a good book until dinner is served in the evening. Then when you return to your cabin, the attendant will have converted it to a bed with sheets, pillows and blankets. You can then slip into something really comfortable for sleeping.

Be sure to book your trip over the phone with an Amtrak agent and ask her to assign you to a cabin that is in the middle of the car as opposed to the ends which are next to the noisy sliding doors that open and close frequently as people move about the train.

[Larryandlinda]

Originally Posted by kfierle

I am about ready to make my reservations on the train to come to my home in TV in August. I have read all the discussions on the train and still have a question.

I have the tendency to become motion sick. I doesn't happen all of the time but I always need to be prepared. For those of you who have used the train, is there tremendous motion, so much so that I will have to take my medication and feel drugged up during trip or is it a general, minor motion that an over the counter medicine would be able to handle? I just want to be sure that I am making the right choice by taking the auto train.

Being single, I do not want to drive from western New York state to TV all by myself. Since I am packing my car with items for my villa, flying at this time is not an option. If I drive, I will need to spend at least 2 nights on the road, both ways, which cuts in to the time I can spend in TV.

Don't know if it might work, but maybe consider a travel partner from the DC/VA area
While timing might not always work, it could be coordinated
I drove down and back twice from DC leaving 7pm arriving 10 am
once with another, once solo
before that, though much younger, my longest drive was 200 miles shorter.
Cell phones , navigators, and a few naps made the difference

there are DC people always looking for cars going and coming
you can even swap cars and drivers in the are in case there is a preference
L&L

[rmr02]

Living in NY's capital region, we've also taken the auto train a number of times. I like it; my wife - not so much. Don't plan on a good night's sleep - it appears that more than half the passengers hardly get any sleep, with all the rockin' and swayin'. A compartment, whether a roomette or a room, helps, but not as much as I might like. Next time we go (and, yes, there will be a next time for the train) we'll go coach - a whole ton of money cheaper, and only a marginally worse night. The good news is, it's only a 1 & 1/2 hour mostly non-stressful drive to The Villages, at most, and depending on where in TV you're staying. It also saves about 900 miles of, in my opinion, stressful heavy interstate driving. Of course, not everyone feels the way we do about that particular type of driving.

As was mentioned by an earlier poster, try to get either a seat or cabin as close to the center of the car as possible. Not only does it cut out a bit of the noise, it also gives you a slightly smoother ride vs sitting over the wheels.

Hope you enjoy your trip.

[kfierle]

Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to reply. I have made reservations on the auto train and will be arriving on August 1 to enjoy my villa for about 10 days. I would love to be able to stay longer but I need to return for some required training at my job. I can't wait until I can retire and I am able to spend more time in TV!

[EdV]

I do hope you booked a Roomette for the trip, but I know it seems like a lot more money and some people are on a tight budget But the Roomette makes all the difference in the world as far as I’m concerned.

In either case, please come back and post you’re experiences on this unique train travel experience because it comes up frequently and others would really like to hear about it from you.

To other TOTV members, the AutoTrain from Washington to Orlando is the only one in the entire US.