I Took Amtrak Across Florida, And It Was An Experience

Typically my transportation focus here at OMAAT is on planes, but I also like to share other interesting experiences. Recently I traveled across Florida on Amtrak, and it was… well, an experience.

Why I traveled across Florida on Amtrak

Recently, I was going to visit my parents in the Tampa area. Living in Miami, I usually just decide to fly if I’m traveling alone, since I find it to be the most efficient. The flight takes around 40 minutes, but then of course there’s transportation required on both ends. Either way, I prefer it to the monotonous four hour drive.

Recently we were in West Palm Beach for a couple of weeks, and I needed to go to Tampa. West Palm Beach is quite a distance north of Miami. So I had three options:

• I could drive, which is a roughly 3.5 hour journey; however, Ford and I have just one car, so I would’ve had to rent a car, which seemed like a pain
• I could fly from Fort Lauderdale to Tampa; however, we’re talking about a 50+ minute drive from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale, in addition to the drive on the other end, and that didn’t seem efficient either, in terms of cost and time
• I could take Amtrak, which is a roughly four hour journey; Amtrak has once per day service between West Palm Beach and Tampa

Of those options, Amtrak seemed like the obvious choice. The stations on both ends are reasonably convenient, the price was right, it would allow me to avoid the long drive, and I can always be productive on a a train. So I booked a seat for $57 all-in.

Let me mention that in Florida, we’re blessed with Brightline, which is probably one of the best train systems in the United States. It goes between Miami and Orlando (with stops along the way). However, as of now, it doesn’t continue to Tampa, though that’s eventually in the cards, and I can’t wait (if it actually happens).

I was curious about Amtrak’s Floridian service

I understand that in the Northeast, Amtrak is a convenient way to get around between major cities. However, in most of the country, Amtrak’s network leaves a lot to be desired, reflecting larger public transportation issues in the United States.

For example, I was taking the Amtrak Floridian, which originates in Miami and goes all the way to Chicago. The Tampa stop is actually out of the way, as that’s a turnaround point for the train, presumably reflecting where there’s demand.

Big picture, I find this to be such a bizarre service. After all, who would take a 46-hour journey from Miami to Chicago, when you can get a flight for roughly the same cost.

So I was curious to experience this service firsthand. Who takes Amtrak on this route, and is the Miami to Chicago service really largely about regional connectivity that makes up part of a larger network, or are there people going all the way?

I’ve gotta be honest, I was tempted to upgrade to a roomette for $173, which includes meals in addition to a private space, though I was more curious to see what the crowd was like on this service, so decided against it.

My experience riding Amtrak across Florida

I was (perhaps naively) expecting that no one would actually take this train, and it would be mostly empty. To my surprise, it was well over half full, though almost everyone seemed to be traveling to Tampa. I saw the checked bags, and every single one was tagged for Tampa.

So I guess this train service really does provide regional connectivity in Florida, and shouldn’t so much be viewed as a 46-hour joyride from Miami to Chicago. By the way, you’ve gotta love how historic and cool so many train stations in the United States are, despite the limited connectivity.

The train itself was comfortable enough. It wasn’t modern, but seats were spacious, and I found it to be quite pleasant for an afternoon ride (though I sure wouldn’t want to be in a regular seat on an overnight journey).

Food was entirely for purchase from the cafe car, and there was an okay selection.

I got a greek salad and some pretzels. I also ordered an iced tea, but stupidly, I realized it was sweetened when I got to my seat.

The thing that stood out to me the most about the ride was the crowd. I’m trying to think about the polite way to describe this… I guess there was just an element of culture shock, beyond what I otherwise ordinarily see in public.

It’s weird, because you’d think that in theory, the customer profile would be similar to Brightline’s service, and you’d assume some people are just looking to travel between Tampa and other points in Florida as conveniently as possible. But… like…

For example, the people seated right behind me struck up a conversation, as they quickly found they had a lot in common — the man had just been released from prison the day before, and the lady was going to Tampa to visit her son, who was locked up.

Separately, at the station, a woman ran into an old colleague, and introduced her stepson to him. “We used to work together at the Bureau of Prisons.”

About 20 minutes before we arrived in Tampa, an older lady with two bags came up, and tried to take a seat in the first row, next to another woman (there’s no assigned seating on this train). The second she did this, the other woman spread her body across both seats and said “what do you think you’re doing, you b*tch, these are my seats?”

The woman who had approached explained she needed extra time to get off the train, and the other woman just repeated that she couldn’t sit there, and she also escalated her rhetoric, calling her a c*nt. Nice.

Since I was seated diagonally back from this situation and had an empty seat next to me, the lady asked if she could sit next to me. I said “of course,” and then I essentially became part of the conflict. “See, unlike you, he’s not an a**hole.” The woman then spent the next five minutes talking to me about how mean the other woman was, and I just nodded my head.

In the end, I helped carry the woman’s bags to her car (at her request), and she said that she’d marry me if I weren’t married, and that my “wife” is very lucky. Oh my. The train arrived around 30 minutes late, which for Amtrak, seems like decent performance.

Bottom line

When I recently needed to travel between West Palm Beach and Tampa, I took Amtrak, which offers the most direct option. While it’s not a particularly fast journey, I found it to be comfortable enough. The crowd onboard was definitely unique, compared to what I’ve otherwise found onboard most flights or Brightline. I wouldn’t hesitate to take Amtrak again, though next time, I might give a roomette a try…