Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There is no direct service to Florida from Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chicago or the Mid-
west. Trains from these destinations connect to the
Silver Service
route, but the transfer
adds a day or so to your travel time.
Amtrak's
Auto Train
takes you and your car from the Washington, DC, area to the Or-
lando area; this saves you gas, the drive and having to pay for a rental car. The fare for
your vehicle isn't cheap, though, depending on its size and weight. The
Auto Train
leaves
daily from Lorton, VA, and goes only to Sanford, FL. It takes about 18 hours, leaving in the
afternoon and arriving the next morning. On the
Auto Train,
you pay for your passage, cab-
in and car separately. Book tickets in advance. Children, seniors and military personnel re-
ceive discounts.
Sea
Florida is nearly completely surrounded by the ocean, and it's a major cruise-ship port. Fort
Lauderdale is the largest transatlantic harbor in the US. Adventurous types can always sign
up as crew members for a chance to travel the high seas.
GETTING AROUND
Once you reach Florida, traveling by car is the best way of getting around - it allows you to
reach areas not otherwise served by public transportation.
Air
The US airline industry is reliable and safe, and serves Florida extremely well, both from
the rest of the country and within Florida. However, the industry's continuing financial
troubles have resulted in a series of high-profile mergers in recent years: Midwest joined
Frontier; Orlando-based Air Tran merged into Southwest; Continental merged with United,
