Auto Train From NY to Florida or Ship Your Car Door to Door?

Is There an Auto Train From New York to Florida?

No. Amtrak's Auto Train does not start in New York. It runs nonstop between Lorton, Virginia, near Washington, DC, and Sanford, Florida, near Orlando, carrying you and your car on the same train, as Amtrak's Auto Train route page describes. A New York driver who wants to use it has to get to Lorton first.

That first leg is a real drive. Rome2Rio puts New York City to the Lorton Auto Train station at roughly 245 miles, or about four and a half hours with clear roads. At the other end, Sanford is north of Orlando, so the trip is only finished once you drive from the station to your Florida address.

This guide compares that option with door to door auto transport for a New York to Florida move. For transit times and price ranges on the lane itself, see our New York to Florida car shipping page.

How Does the Auto Train Work for a New York Driver?

The schedule is the same every day. Amtrak's current timetable shows a 4:00 pm departure from Lorton and a scheduled arrival in Sanford the next morning, about 17 hours later. Vehicle check-in opens at 11:30 am and closes at 2:30 pm for standard and extended vehicles, and at 2:00 pm for motorcycles, oversize vehicles and cars booked with Priority Offloading. Amtrak states that it cannot make exceptions to those times.

Work backward from that cutoff and the New York leg becomes the planning problem. Amtrak tells travelers to allow for traffic around Washington, DC, and four and a half hours is the time with no delays at all. A same-day start from the city leaves little margin, so you may want to leave very early or spend the night near Lorton.

Once the car is checked in, you cannot reach it until Sanford. Amtrak advises packing a carry-on with overnight necessities, keeping valuables out of the car and switching off the car alarm so it cannot drain the battery on the way. You ride in Coach or a First Class private room, and the Auto Train experience page lists what each includes. After arrival the cars are unloaded, and Priority Offloading, available when you book or at check-in subject to availability, puts yours among the first 30 vehicles off the train.

What Vehicles Can Go on the Auto Train?

Amtrak publishes firm size and type limits on its boarding and vehicle requirements page. Check your vehicle against them before you book:

• Standard vehicles: up to 192 inches long including racks, 85 inches high, 84 inches wide including mirrors, with at least 4 inches of ground clearance.
• Extended vehicles such as trucks, vans and three-row SUVs: up to 216 inches, or 18 feet, long, with the same height, width and clearance limits.
• Vehicles over 18 feet need special arrangements and a second vehicle space, booked by phone. Amtrak lists some full-size pickups and SUVs in this group.
• Nothing wider than 84 inches with its mirrors. Amtrak staff cannot remove mirrors, so you remove them yourself or arrange it with a nearby shop.
• No dual wheel vehicles and no gull wing or scissor doors. Can-Am motorcycles, Rewaco trikes and Polaris Slingshots are not permitted.
• Roof racks must be factory installed and empty. Bicycles may ride only on a rear rack, with a signed loss or damage waiver.

Two responsibility rules matter as well. Anything you leave in the car rides at your own risk, and Amtrak accepts responsibility for vehicle damage only if you report it to an Amtrak representative before you leave the terminal.

What Does Door to Door Auto Transport Change?

Door to door transport removes the parts of the Auto Train that depend on you. Rivalane coordinates door to door transport from New York to Florida with licensed, insured carriers. There is no drive to Virginia, no check-in deadline and no need to travel with the car, so you can fly, take a different train or arrive on your own schedule.

The carrier collects the car at your home, or at a nearby meeting point where a full-size trailer cannot work your street, and delivers it to your Florida address rather than a station near Orlando. We typically assign a carrier within one to three working days after you book. Pickup and delivery dates are estimates, not guarantees, and the timing depends on the season and on how flexible your pickup window is.

At pickup the driver inspects the car and records its condition on the bill of lading, and the same check happens at delivery. Open car transport is the standard choice on this lane. If you want the car covered, the way the Auto Train carries it in an enclosed rail car, enclosed car transport is the road equivalent.

Who Is the Auto Train Right For, and Who Should Ship Instead?

The Auto Train suits travelers who want to arrive in Florida at the same time as their car and do not mind the bookend drives. If your household is heading south together, your vehicle sits comfortably inside the limits and your Florida home is within an easy drive of Sanford, the train replaces most of the I-95 drive with a night onboard.

Shipping tends to fit better when one of those conditions breaks. Common cases include travelers who would rather fly, vehicles that miss the size or door rules, and anyone who cannot make a midday check-in in Virginia. It also suits a Florida address in Miami, Naples or the Panhandle, far from Sanford, and snowbirds who want the car waiting when they land, which our page on snowbird car transport covers.

Distance on the Florida side deserves a second look. The Auto Train ends in Sanford every trip, while door to door transport delivers to your own address, and our page on car shipping in Florida covers delivery across its regions.

How Should You Decide Between the Two?

Four questions settle most cases. Where in Florida is the car going, and how far is that from Sanford? Would your household rather fly than drive to Lorton and spend 17 hours on a train? Does the vehicle clear every Auto Train limit, including mirror width and door type, and how fixed are your dates?

The answers usually point one way. A fixed daily train rewards travelers who can plan around a 2:30 pm cutoff in Virginia. Transport rewards people who want the car moved while they get on with the rest of the move, and who can accept an estimated pickup window instead of a timetable.

Compare costs on the same terms. Amtrak charges for your seat or room and separately for the vehicle, and both change by date, so check current Auto Train fares on amtrak.com and add fuel, tolls and any hotel for the drives at each end. For the shipping side, see typical ranges on our New York to Florida route guide or price your route with the car shipping calculator.

If you are leaving New York for good rather than for the winter, the New York side of the move has its own steps, and our guide to returning New York license plates covers them. For pickups across the state, see car shipping in New York.

Frequently Asked Questions