The Auto Train is a trip you take with your car. You drive to Lorton, Virginia, ride overnight, and drive off in Sanford, near Orlando, the next morning. Shipping with Geyers Towing works the other way around. Your car leaves Maryland on one of our own carriers, and you fly down and meet it at one of our Florida stops.
If you’d like to make the trip together and your winter place is near Orlando, the train is hard to beat. If you’d rather fly, or you’re headed to South Florida, Fort Myers or Naples, sending the car with us usually fits better. Our Maryland to Florida car transport page covers the route itself.
What the Auto Train to Florida cost two people on a December train
Amtrak advertises fares “as low as $95” plus your car. That isn’t what we found. For two adults on a December train from Lorton to Sanford, when we checked in November 2026, the cheapest coach seat was $155 each.
Here is what that trip came to.
| Cost | Two of you in coach | Two of you in a Roomette |
|---|---|---|
| Seats or room | $3102 × $155, Value fare | $924one price for the room |
| Standard car | $285 | $285 |
| Total one way | $595 | $1,209 |
Those are one-way prices. You’ll be coming home in the spring, so the whole winter is two of these trips, the second one priced on the date you head north.
Want your car among the first 30 off the train in Sanford? Priority offloading was another $125. A pickup, van or three-row SUV rides as an extended vehicle, which was $325 instead of $285. The Value coach fare can’t be changed and keeps 30% if you cancel; the Flex fare was $171 each and refundable before departure.
Amtrak’s fares move with the date and with how full the train is, so look up your own date on amtrak.com before you plan around them. Seniors get 10% off, and kids 2 to 12 ride for half price.
The fare also leaves out the drive to Lorton, about 40 miles from Germantown, and whatever driving you have left once you’re off the train in Sanford.
You can’t ship your car on the Auto Train without riding with it
A lot of people hope they can put the car on the Auto Train and fly down themselves. You can’t. Amtrak sells the Auto Train as a trip for “you and your car.” Every booking on amtrak.com starts with the people riding, and the car gets added to that trip. There’s no way on Amtrak’s site to send a car on its own.
So the real question is whether somebody wants to spend the night on the train. If one of you is happy to ride down with the car while the other flies, the train still works. If neither of you wants to, the train is out. That’s the trip we make every week: you fly, and the car comes down on our open carrier with one of our own drivers.
The Auto Train stops in Sanford. Where are you going in Florida?
The train pulls into Sanford at 8:59 in the morning, just north of Orlando, and that’s where your car comes off. If your place is in Orlando or up toward Daytona Beach, you’re nearly there. If it’s farther south, the drive starts when they hand you the keys.
Where’s your winter place?
Pick the closest town. Drive times are from the Sanford station, without traffic.
After a night on the train, four hours down to Fort Myers is a long morning.
Our carriers keep going. On the east side we drop off in Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach, Davie and Opa Locka. On the Gulf side, it’s ParkSmart at Fort Myers Airport, our Fort Myers transport yard, or Naples Jet Center if you’re flying in there. You fly down, pick up the car at the stop closest to your place, and skip the long drive from Sanford.
If you’re staying around Orlando, the train gets you closer than any of our stops. If you’re anywhere from Port St. Lucie south, or over on the Gulf, one of ours is closer.
The Auto Train boards in Lorton by 2:30 pm. We pick your car up in Maryland.
From Germantown, the Lorton station is about 40 miles, roughly 55 minutes with clear roads. On a weekday the Beltway and I-95 add to that, and it matters, because Amtrak’s check-in window is firm. It opens at 11:30 am and closes at 2:30 pm for a standard or extended vehicle, or 2:00 pm if you’ve paid for priority offloading. Amtrak’s boarding and vehicle rules say “Exceptions cannot be made.” The train leaves at 4:00 pm. Once the car is loaded you can’t get back into it, so put what you need for the night in a carry-on.
With us, the car’s trip starts here in Maryland. We pick up on Fridays, or Thursdays in snowbird season, and we can come to your house in most of Maryland for an extra charge. Before the car goes on the truck, you and our driver walk around it together and mark any scratches or dents on an inspection sheet, and you both sign it. Our guide to preparing your car for transport covers the rest of pickup day.
Your Auto Train day
- MorningDrive to the Lorton station. Check-in opens at 11:30 am.
- 2:30 pmLast check-in for a standard car, 2:00 pm with priority offloading.
- 4:00 pmThe train leaves Lorton.
- 8:59 amNext morning, you arrive in Sanford and wait for your car to come off.
- ThenDrive on to your place.
Your car’s week with us
- Thu or FriWe pick up in Maryland. You and our driver sign the inspection sheet.
- Your callFly down in time to meet the car.
- MondayThe car arrives at our Florida stop.
- ThenYou check it against the pickup sheet and drive it to your place.
Auto Train vs shipping your car: the train lets you pack more, we go farther south
| Question | Auto Train | Geyers carrier |
|---|---|---|
| Where it starts | The Lorton, Virginia station | Maryland or Northern Virginia, or your house in most of Maryland for an extra charge |
| Where it ends | Sanford, near Orlando | Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach, Davie, Opa Locka, Fort Myers (ParkSmart at the airport or our yard) and Naples Jet Center |
| Who travels with the car | At least one of you, on the train | Nobody. You fly, and our driver hauls it |
| When it runs | Every day, in both directions | Every week. Maryland pickup on Friday (Thursday in snowbird season), Florida pickup on Monday for the trip home |
| How long it takes | About 17 hours, 4:00 pm to 8:59 am | Picked up Friday (Thursday in snowbird season), delivered Monday |
| What you can pack in the car | As much as you like, but you can’t get to it on the way | Up to 100 pounds, with the windows clear and the seats up |
| What it takes | Cars, trucks, vans, three-row SUVs and two-wheel motorcycles, up to 84 inches wide with mirrors; over 18 feet needs a second space | Cars, SUVs, pickups and minivans that start, steer and stop on their own; lifted or larger vehicles once we confirm them; no motorcycles |
| What you pay | The fare for your date on amtrak.com ($595 for two in coach plus a standard car on that December train) | Our quote for your car, paid in full by your transport date by cash, check or card (cards have a processing fee) |
| If you find damage | Report it to an Amtrak representative before you leave the Sanford terminal | You and our driver, or one of our staff, check the car against the pickup inspection sheet and sign it again |
What shipping your car to Florida with Geyers costs depends on your trip
We don’t post prices, because no two trips are the same. Your price comes from where we pick the car up and which of our stops it’s going to, how big and heavy the vehicle is, and whether we come to your house. A car that’s packed past our 100 pounds, or a truck with a lift kit or big wheels, adds to it.
People ask us whether it’s cheaper to ship a car by train or by truck. Honestly, it depends on your trip, and we won’t tell you one always wins. Compare the whole trip instead. For the train, that’s the fare for your date plus the drive to Lorton and the drive on from Sanford. For us, it’s our quote plus your flights to whichever stop is closest to your place. Call us and we’ll give you the number for your car before you book anything.
When you call, you’re talking to the company that owns the trucks and employs the drivers. Our guide to brokers and carriers explains why that matters.
The Auto Train is worth it if you want to ride down with your car
Plenty of people love the train, and for some trips it’s the better choice. If you want the two of you and the car to get there together, and your winter place is around Orlando or up toward Daytona Beach, it’s hard to argue with. It runs every day, so you choose your departure date rather than fitting into ours. You can fill the car with everything you want to bring for the season. And if you’re taking a motorcycle south, the train will carry it and we won’t.
We’re the better fit if you’d rather fly than spend a night on a train, or if neither of you wants to ride. We also make more sense when your place is in Port St. Lucie or farther south, or over in Fort Myers or Naples, because the car comes to a stop near you instead of to Sanford. If you’d like us to pick the car up at your house, we can do that in most of Maryland. Snowbird trips fill up months ahead, so plan on booking about 90 days out.
Then there’s spring. Coming home, we pick up in Florida on Mondays and have the car back in Maryland that Friday, or Thursday in snowbird season. The train runs north every day too, so you’ll be making this same choice again when it’s time to come back.
Tell us where your car is spending the winter
If the train fits your trip, enjoy the ride. If you’d rather fly and pick up the car near your place, call us. We’ll give you a price and a pickup day for our weekly trip down I-95.
Snowbird trips fill up months ahead, so most people book 90 days or more before they go.
Auto Train and car shipping questions from Maryland snowbirds
How long is the Auto Train ride?
About 17 hours. The southbound train leaves Lorton at 4:00 pm and gets into Sanford at 8:59 the next morning. It runs every day, and the northbound train keeps the same times from Sanford to Lorton.
Can I pack my car full?
On the Auto Train, yes. You can fill the car, but you can't get into it during the trip, so keep your overnight things in a carry-on. With us, you can leave up to 100 pounds of your things in the car, as long as the windows are clear and the seats are up.
Does the Auto Train take pickups and big SUVs?
Yes, up to 18 feet long and 84 inches wide including the mirrors. Anything longer needs a second vehicle space, booked by phone with Amtrak, and Amtrak names the Ford F-150 and Chevy Suburban as examples. We take pickups and SUVs too, and lifted or larger vehicles once we've confirmed them.
Can Geyers bring my car back to Maryland in the spring?
Yes. We pick up in Florida on Mondays and deliver in Maryland that Friday, or Thursday in snowbird season. Every trip needs a reservation, so tell us your return date when you call.
How far ahead should we book?
With us, 90 days or more for a snowbird trip, because those fill up months ahead. With the train, look up your dates on amtrak.com as soon as you know when you're going.
