Sanford Auto Train Station
600 S Persimmon Ave, Sanford, FL 32771, USAAbout
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Added by Jopie, at 27 December 2016
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12 Reviews
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20 December 2017
I've never been inside a vehicle that killed a man before, but thanks to the Sanford Auto Train, I got to cross that off my bucket list. Our train struck and killed a man and his dog, leading to a three and a half hour delay the next morning, throwing any plans we had previously made out the window. The true highlight was eating dinner while we watched police clean up the scene. After one freezing cold night in the worst sleeping positions possible, I can now 100% recommend the Auto Train to anyone who wants to have the worst experience of their life.
Hey, and least they offered me a $50 dollar voucher after I emailed corporate. I will never get onto one of Amtrak's vehicles of slaughter again.response / report this review -
14 November 2017
I have a really good time on the train and the kids. Better then driving. Great associate's. They care alot about you and the family. Great dinning area and food.
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06 November 2017
Great experience both down to Sanford, Florida and back to Lorton, Virginia. Staff was exceptional. Food was good and everyone very nice. Love the autotrain!
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19 September 2017
Love auto train and both station are very clean and neat. Best way to travel.
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03 September 2017
Train was on time, crew was very friendly and helpful. Food was great!
Would do this again.response / report this review -
25 August 2017
Both station and train ride are nice. Great service! Staff is very helpful and polite. Bring a blanket with you, inside the train, to keep you warm at night.
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05 August 2017
First time ever riding a train. I was nervous in the beginning. The friendly staff made me feel at ease. The view was great. I'm ready for the next ride.
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08 June 2017
The auto-train from Sanford, Florida to Lorton, Virginia was AMAZING. I arrived at the station around 12 o’clock. They require people to be checked in by 2:30 pm, and recommend being checked in by 2 pm. For people who arrive early, they offer FREE shuttles to historic downtown Sanford, and guarantee shuttles that will return in time for boarding. We boarded the train around 2:30 pm, and departed the station at 4 pm. I had a private room that had two single beds in it. The attendant turned down the beds while we were at dinner, or at a different time if we preferred. There were 3 bathrooms and one shower/bath room for the 6 private rooms in my train car. Towel and linen service was included in the fare. My room had a plug for me to charge device(s) and had a radio built into the wall so that I could choose to listen to music over my room’s speakers if I wanted.
Dinner and breakfast were included in the fare. Dinner was GREAT. There were three seating options, 5 pm, 7 pm, and 9 pm. There were three courses. The salad was a garden salad and we had our choice of dressing. I had the steak, but the menu also offered chicken, pork chop, vegetarian lasagna, and a couple of other options I’ve forgotten. For dessert I chose the cheesecake. I had the option of strawberries or chocolate sauce on it and the waiter put fresh whipped cream on top. Breakfast was continental, but there were still uniformed waiters serving coffee and juice. We had pastries, cereal, and a few other options I can’t remember. At both meals there were linen tablecloths on the table. The silverware was embossed with the Amtrak logo. The plates had the Amtrak logo on them. At dinner we could order alcoholic beverages and the waiter brought them to the table and people just paid cash or credit card directly. When not at meals, the lounge car was open. It had a bar that served beer, wine, and a few mixed drinks. The bar in the lounge car also served ala carte food items (hamburgers, etc) for an additional cost.
We arrived to Virginia an hour earlier than planned. My car was one of the last ones to come off the train, about an hour after they started taking cars off. For an additional $50 someone could guarantee that their car would be one of the first ones off, but that hardly seemed necessary to save at most an hour of time.
In all, it was a very decadent experience. I enjoyed the trip and loved looking out the window at the scenery. During daylight hours the conductor would come over the speaker system and tell us when we were passing something notable so that we could look out and see it. I slept well. The room attendant, the conductor, and the waiters/bartender were all so attentive and thoughtful. Definitely a MUCH better experience than flying or driving. I can hardly wait to go again!
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24 May 2017
This part of the review is about the TRAIN STATION: The Sanford Auto Train Station is a modern clean station with plenty of seating. There is a playground for children and a gift shop selling periodicals, local gifts, snacks, an assortment of soft drinks, and lottery tickets. Where Sanford louses a star is that there is nothing within walking distance, you will need to plan before you arrive. There are plenty of places to get something to eat close by but you will need your car. There is a shuttle you can take downtown but catching it can be tricky at best, plan to arrive at the station only after you have had lunch and bought what you might want to snack on for the trip.
This part of the review is about the AUTO TRAIN: I personally enjoy the train, it is a chance to just do nothing but relax and look out the window at an ever changing landscape. I have done it several times over the years and I have gotten used to the fact that they will get me there about when they say they will, and almost always early. It can be difficult for people that have have never traveled on the Auto Train to get used to the train stopping for no apparent reason because they are used to transit the does not stop, the train will stop several times to wait for other traffic and they have this figured into the trip, you will get there on time. The food on the train is really great with five dinner choices, Beef, Chicken, Fish, Vegetarian, and pasta or chicken for kids (or adults that ask for it). The service at dinner is normally excellent. For breakfast there is a selection of baked goods cereals and fruit. Coffee flows the whole time you are on the train and it is free, other beverages are available in the lounge and they have a selection of Pepsi Products along with adult beverages and a selection of snacks including sandwiches. The lounge car is the social hub of the train and can be a lot of fun , EDIT 5/23/17 There used to be Movie information here but Amtrak no longer has movies End EDIT.. It is helpful to remember that you are not locked into your seat so you should get up and move now and then so you don't get stiff. Now for the down side of the trip, if you are in coach you will be in a rail car for 17 hours with about fifty other people that will not have the same habits or sense of boundaries as you might, and some will feel the need to bring everything onto the train with them. There isn't much you can do but try and tune it out and look out the window or sleep if you can. I will mention that while coach has really nice bathrooms there are no bathing facilities in coach so you will be looking to bathe when you reach your destination. If you have a sleeper things are a bit better, but still unless you are really used to it do not expect the best of sleep, not many people can sleep well in unfamiliar places and adding motion does not help. If you have a sleeper I highly recommend taking a shower in the morning, that will make you feel more refreshed and ready to go than your night of intermittent sleep. I will mention that for short duration trips the train may not be the best option because you spend a full day in transit. If you can deal with the lousy sleep and other people this can be a really great trip.response / report this review -
17 May 2017
I love traveling on the auto train. The staff are very nice and friendly. The food is good and the ride is sweet. For me it's the only way to travel when I want to travel up north but don't want the long drive.
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10 April 2017
Usually as a regular Customer you would have received 5 stars, this time I was talked into a Business Class sitting cause the seats were supposedly bigger and more comfortable, which they weren't I received 1 bottle of water, no newspaper, and a blanket for the extra money, definitely not worth the extra money.
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03 January 2017
It's a great train station that serves exclusively the auto train.
To check in, be sure to approach from the north. The road has two lanes in that direction and the right lane will be cars waiting to check in. The entrance is in the middle of an active railroad crossing, which can be iffy and people from the other direction will try to cut in line. There will be someone directing traffic.
The station itself is modern, has a bathroom and a small gift shop, and a ticket counter to get your boarding passes and even to buy tickets. To just buy tickets, you can skip the line and enter by the exit.
You have to check in by 2:30 and boarding is around 3:00pm. There's nothing within walking distance of the station and no pedestrian access (there are small shuttle buses), so plan accordingly. We dropped off our car at 2, which seemed perfect.response / report this review
