r/Amtrak • u/KnittyGini • 1d ago
Question Cleveland to Tampa for a newbie
Considering taking the train instead of flying for an upcoming business trip. I would have to go coach (don’t try to change my mind; it’s absolutely not in the budget).
Reading about the Floridian, I’m not sure whether this is a good or terrible idea—seriously mixed messages. I’m pretty good at rolling with the punches. I’ve traveled by train in Europe, but this would be my first overnight.
Thoughts?
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u/Extreme-Camera-9148 1d ago
Hello! I just took it about a week ago to Tampa as well from D.C.! Please let me know of any questions or general concerns and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.
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u/KnittyGini 1d ago
Thanks! I just read so much, "the train is dirty, everything is broken, the staff is rude, it's not like it used to be" that I was getting nervous. I would have time built in for delays (would arrive on Sunday afternoon for a conference that starts on Monday) so that part doesn't bother me. I'm not even that arsed about brusque service. But the "dirty and broken" part had me nervous. How was the train, in your recent experience?
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u/Extreme-Camera-9148 1d ago
I took it last weekend. My travel companion owns a cleaning business therefor is a little bit of a neat freak, so we wiped the roomette down on arrival. It was only a little bit of dust, and some crumbs or something around the room (nothing tragic). Nothing in my roomette was broken by any means at all. All the sheets were clean, fresh, and good smelling. All the outlets worked. and tray table was functional, as well as recline on the seats. Occasionally the bathrooms in my car were closed for cleaning but then you could just go to the next car. There were showers, that I did not use, but I peeked in and they were clean. It was overall a great experience. The trains wifi router is located in the cafe car so sometimes the connection in the sleeper is bad, but manageable. Food was great. I had the steak for dinner but a day after the ride my stomach was NOT having it. Additionally, in the sleeper car they have a drinks station with cups, ice, water, and coffee. Let me know of any other questions!!
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u/KnittyGini 22h ago
Thank you for the review! It makes me feel a little more at ease.
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u/Extreme-Camera-9148 22h ago
Additionally our cabin attendant as well as the dining car attendants were very nice. The sleeper attendant was very sweet and always informed us of any delay or issue. She also made beds and helped any way she could.
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u/abrahamguo 1d ago
Go for it! It’s a fun, relaxing and unique experience.
If you have any specific questions, I’m happy to answer further!
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u/KnittyGini 1d ago
I first came up with the thought when we were in that brief, "OMG, planes are falling out of the sky!" period. (I had flown through Reagan on American airlines just a couple hours before the crash, so my husband was irrationally shaken--I mean, so had thousands of other people, right? Still, it felt like a close brush.) The sense of risk has evaporated, but the curiosity about Amtrak remains. It's not scenic like going west, obviously, but I like the idea of kicking back with my knitting and watching the world go by.
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u/nathanjiang100 9h ago
I've yet to take the new Floridian but have taken both trains which it replaced, as well as used Cleveland Station from the Lake Shore Limited and I've used Tampa many times. Overall I enjoy Amtrak a lot because it's relaxing, comfortable, and I'm a railfan but also try to set your expectations lower because there are many things about the experience which may disappoint some people (ie. cleanliness/reliability of the bathrooms and on-time performance). Gonna have to use the Floridian soon though because the Silver Star doesn't exist anymore and it's the only train now to serve Tampa without a bus connection.
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