How to Transport a Car by Train

If you have the need to ship your car across the country by train, it can be done. But your options are pretty limited. In fact, there’s only one company, Amtrak, which ships privately-owned vehicles by train. All the other train companies only ship cars for commercial purposes, such as new cars moving from the factory to the dealership.

And Amtrak only has one route available to ship a car by train. It’s somewhat unoriginally-named Auto Train has daily bi-directional service between Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida. If that route isn’t convenient to your car shipping needs, you’ll have to choose another option, such as transporting your car via a truck, or paying to have it driven across the country for you.

Why Transport a Car by Train?

If you hate long drives, but want your car to be available to you on vacation to Disney World or the nation’s capital, the Auto Train is a good solution. Since you ride the train with your car, there’s almost no hassle involved in retrieving your ride at the end of your rail journey.

How to Ship a Car by Train?

Amtrak’s Auto Train takes bookings on their website. Simply fill in the details of what kind of vehicle you’re shipping, then choose seating for yourself and pick a date to get started.

You’ll need to keep some requirements in mind for the vehicle you’re shipping. If your car’s more than 16 feet long, you have to book it as an “extended” vehicle. If it’s more than 18 feet long, you’ll need to contact Amtrak (1-877-754-7495) to arrange for special vehicle shipping. And if you’re lucky enough to own an exotic with scissor or gull-wing doors, the downside is that you can’t ship it via the Auto Train.

Once you’ve got your car booked, you need to select accommodations for yourself. Coach is the cheapest option, sometimes adding less than $100 to your trip’s bill. You’ll get a forward-facing seat, plus access to a cafe where you can buy dinner and snacks. A continental breakfast the next morning is gratis. The main downside to a coach seat is that this is an overnight train, so you’ll have to sleep in your chair, if you can.

There are much more comfortable options available if you’re willing to spend a lot more money, starting with a “Roomette.” A private, though narrow, room with seating for two that converts into bunk beds, the Roomette is the lowest cost option if you want to sleep lying down. You’ll get access to a shared bathroom in the sleeping car, including a shower.

Moving up from the Roommette is the Bedroom. That’s a larger private space, with similar bunks as in the Roomette, but also an armchair and sofa. Best of all, there’s a shower, sink, and toilet in the room, so you don’t have to share with the unwashed masses.

If you need even more space, you can spring for the top option, the “Family Bedroom,” which gives you two sofas, and sleeps 2 adults and 2 kids. You’ll lose the private bathroom, however.

Once you’ve got your trip booked the process is pretty easy. The Auto Train uses the same schedule for both directions. On the day of your trip, you must have your vehicle at the station by 2:30pm. If you’re transporting a motorcycle, you need to be there by 2. Check in opens at 11:30, though, so if you can, it’s a good idea to give yourself extra time. Once you’ve checked your car in, you can board the train at 2:30pm. It’ll leave at 4pm after which you’ll roll through the night with a scheduled arrival just before 9am.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship a Car by Train?

Pricing for rooms is dependent on time of year, and how far out you book. In general, expect to pay around $100, or sometimes less, for a coach seat, all the way up to over $1,200 for the top-end private room. You’ll also pay for your vehicle’s transportation, which will depend on what kind of car you’re shipping. Note that you have two options for pricing. There’s the value pricing, which charges a 25% cancellation fee if you change your mind less than 15 days before your trip, or the flexible option which will offer you a full refund, as long as you cancel before the train departs. We priced the value option as it can be less than half the price of the flexible choice.

Here’s a sample chart of what you’ll pay for a trip from Washington, D.C. to Orlando. We got a quote for a trip 2 months out which at press time would put our travel at some time in November.

A larger vehicle would add $39 to the vehicle charge, while a motorcycle would bring that charge down to $146.

Considerations for Shipping a Car by Train

The main consideration if you’re thinking about car transport by train is whether or not the single available route makes sense for you. Folks living in California won’t get much advantage from it. On the other hand, anyone living anywhere near Washington or Orlando, and who want to travel to one of those cities, might find the Auto Train concept hard to beat. Especially if you can put up with sitting in a coach seat for 17 or so hours, it’s pretty hard to beat the price of transporting your car, and you, 900 miles away.

Pros and Cons

Preparing a Car for Transport by Train

There are a few things you can do to prepare your car for shipping, whether it is by train or truck. Doing these things will help ease the process and make it safer for your vehicle in the long run.

• Clean out your car. It’s a good idea to clean out any valuables from your vehicle before you ship it by train. Amtrak won’t be held responsible if your things disappear while they’re riding the rails. However, the train doesn’t check bags, which means if you have large luggage, it must ride in your car. Amtrak recommends you lock it in the trunk to keep it safe.

• Take time stamped pictures of your car before shipping. Amtrak will take responsibility for damage to your vehicle that may have happened during shipping, if you catch it before you leave the destination terminal when picking up your car. Make sure to document the actual status of your car before you leave to be able to document any damage sustained.

• Clean your car, inside and out. It’s a good idea to wash your car before you ship it. That makes it easier to find and document damage that’s there before it gets on the train. Then, once you arrive, inspect the car carefully before you leave and let a worker know if there are any new dings.

• Turn vehicle alarms off. Before you turn your car over to the Amtrak staff, disable its alarm if it has one, especially if it has a shock or impact sensor. If the alarm goes off en-route, no one will be able to turn it off, and your battery could die before you arrive.

• Lock your car. Make sure to lock your car before shipping. This is a safety feature and can minimize the chance of theft.

Recommended Companies for Shipping by Train

There’s only one company we can recommend for shipping a car by train, because there’s only one company in the USA that does it for private vehicle owners, and that’s Amtrak. And as we’ve covered, we can only recommend that option if you live in either Washington, D.C. or Orlando, and want to travel between those two cities. But if that describes you, Amtrak’s Auto Train is a compelling option for getting you and your car to your destination without having to drive the 900 miles yourself.

You can read more on Car Shipping and see our recommendations for the Best Car Shipping Companies in 2023 here.

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