Let’s Go!!
I decided to ride the Amtrak train up to Orlando. There are several factors that made this an attractive option. First, I would not need a vehicle while in Orlando. I was coming to town for the Florida Touch Open and staying with my buddy who is an organizer for the tourney. It was gonna be all Touch events all weekend long and I knew I’d just be riding around with him everywhere. Secondly, the cost of the trip one-way was $41 which was not bad…a bit more than gas would cost but way less than the IRS mileage expense rate. Even after factoring my Lyft ride to the Amtrak station ($20) I was still coming out ahead. Thirdly, I would be able to get some work done. The train ride was scheduled for 5 hours and 40 min, substantially longer than the expected 4-hour drive, but if I could sleep/work/relax then it would be worth it. Lastly, but perhaps the most significant detail, is that for months I had been searching for an opportunity to ride on Amtrak. I had accumulated over 20k Amtrak miles over the years and since my last ride was in September of 2016, I was quickly approaching the 3-year expiration of those miles.
My train departed Miami station precisely at 8:10a as scheduled. My Lyft ride from home cost $20 and took about 25 minutes, which got me to the station with just a few minutes to spare. The station looked decent but I didn’t spend any time looking around and went straight up to board. The Amtrak train shares its railroad tracks with Tri Rail, which I have been on numerous times, but this was my first time riding Amtrak this far south. The service is called Silver Meteor and travels all the way up to NYC.
Seats were quite comfortable with ample room for stretching out and conveniently placed outlets. With significant recline space, a leg rest and a foot rest, it is easy to get some zzzs, or at least to relax in comfort if you aren’t one to sleep well while traveling. Overhead compartments are quite large and I imagine would accommodate most luggage. The train cars designated for central FL did get full, so the empty seat next to me didn’t remain that way for long. But as I said, there was still plenty of space for one individual. As I made my way back to visit the dining car, I passed several mostly empty cars carrying passengers to various cities farther up the coast. This seemed like it would be a comfortable enough ride for the 24-48 hours it would take for them to reach their destinations, but considering time and cost I’d expect flying to be much better if you’re able to do that. The dining car was also quite pleasant and comfortable for an extended sitting. The food is mediocre and overpriced but pretty much as expected. Free wifi was available and working on the train, not incredibly well and not all the time, but enough to be useful during stretches where regular cell phone coverage cut out.
We arrived at my final destination, Winter Park station just north of Orlando, about 30 minutes behind schedule, putting total travel time at 6 h 10m. Arriving at Winter Park is pretty awesome!! The station is in a nicely manicured park and overlooks a very charming but lively street with cute shops and restaurants.
Yay We’re Here!
I have nothing really to share about my time in Orlando. Just stayed at my friend’s house and participated in the Florida Touch Open and related activities, so of course I had a great time. If you are interested in learning a new sport and getting in shape, then give Touch Rugby a try!
Heading Home
For my return trip, Amtrak’s schedule was not ideal. So I turned to the bus as an alternative. This region is served by Megabus and Redcoach, which I will choose over Greyhound 99.99% of the time. Besides somewhere with decent service like the Northeast, I consider Greyhound to be a last resort. To be fair it has been over a decade since I’ve used them, but I’m not terribly interested in trying again anytime soon. Like Amtrak, Megabus’ schedule was not great either so I went with Redcoach’s “Business Class” bus, departing Orlando at 5:35p and arriving in Miami at 9:30p. The travel time is actually pretty short and not far off from what it would be if I just drove myself door-to-door. Plus at just $15 the one-way ticket was very economical.
At 5:20p I arrived to the Redcoach Orlando station, a nondescript fast-food style building very close to Orlando International Airport (MCO). The ticket lady checked me in and I took a moment to wander the “station,” including purchasing snacks and drink from very reasonably-priced vending machines and using a clean, albeit dingy, restroom. Boarding the bus was smooth and by my watch we departed at 5:34p with a nearly full bus. I was seated in 1A and had another passenger next to me, but the bus provided ample room to not feel cramped. No foot or leg rests here but there was fantastic seat recline and outlets for each passenger.
The bus interior looked and felt a bit dated, with the air flow from the vents almost non-existent. Overhead compartments were small but adequate for simple bags and personal items. All large bags would go in the luggage hold beneath the bus. The wifi either did not work or was slow enough that it fooled me. But I had no issues dozing off and overall I’d say the quality of the bus was better than expected. We hit a little bit of traffic and our driver seemed hell bent on making up the time wherever possible. I never felt too uncomfortable or unsafe, but sitting in 1A I could definitely tell when he was pushing the limits of the accelerator pedal. The Miami stop is located at concourse H of Miami International Airport (MIA) and we arrived about 5 minutes behind schedule. Considering the insane traffic coming into the airport that was no small feat! A $23 Lyft ride got me home just after 10p and I must say that overall I was very pleased with my train and bus experience!! Once Virgin Trains USA commences its higher speed luxury rail service in 2-3 years, I imagine it will be my go-to alternative to driving this route. But until then, for a solo traveler, I have no qualms about Amtrak or Redcoach in this region.
