Recovering The SelfA Journal of Hope and Healing

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Amtrak Train to Tampa Offers Fun and Convenience

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Thinking of going on a trip to Tampa from Central Florida? If you are on a budget and don’t want to worry about driving all the way, the Amtrak train ride to Tampa offers fun and convenience. There are a number of reasons why you would love this ride over flying or driving. There is one limitation, though, that you must consider before choosing the train from Orlando to Tampa, and that is time. Given that there is only train daily that offers a trip between the two cities, you can only leave at a specific time and arrive at a specific time in Tampa. Currently the departure time for the Orlando–Tampa train is 10: 20 am and the train arrives at the Tampa Union Station around 12:30 pm.

So here are the multiple advantages of choosing the Amtrak train ride from Orlando/Central Florida to Tampa.

1. Cost-Effective

The Amtrak train ride to Tampa from Orlando/Central Florida is very inexpensive. It costs only $11 for a coach seat and $170 for a room. The prices are usually the same for the return trip, that is Tampa to Orlando (which is an evening ride, arriving in Orlando at around 7:20 pm).

2. No Airport Hassle or Traffic

Unlike flying, where you have to go through a lot of security protocol—feeling like a suspect all along—the train ride doesn’t bother you with the security queues. You buy your ticket online on the Amtrak website and save it to your phone or print it out, and that is all you need. Boarding is easy and quicker than a plane. Also, taking the ride spares you the worry that comes with driving because of the need to constantly watch bad drivers or other road bumps.

3. More Leg Room

There is no comparison when it comes to legroom and relaxed seating on an Amtrak train. You have about twice as much leg room as you get on a plane seat or in a small car. The foot rest for each passenger makes it quite comfortable, not to mention the reclining seat structure that lets you sleep or just lie back and relax through the ride.

4. No Seat Belts

Unlike a plane or car in which you are tied to your seat by a seat belt, the train lets you sit free. You can get up anytime to use the lavatory or go to the cafe to get some food (most Amtrak trains have the cafe car on board). But sitting relaxed in the seat without a belt or the eyes constantly revisiting the seat belt sign is comfort enough in itself.

5. Scenic Travel

Let’s admit it – flights are boring because you don’t get a good view of the outdoor scenery. Two hours of looking at the clouds is no fun for many people, especially when the windows are small and positioned in a way to allow hardly a glimpse for many passengers not sitting by the windows. The Amtrak train on the other hand gives you a real good view of the outside via long and wide windows.

On the Amtrak train from Orlando to Tampa, you see all the scenes of nature and infrastructure across the window: bridges, lakes, small town scenes, woods, farms, fields, and of course, the city of Lakeland—the main city falling midway between Orlando and Tampa—where the train stops for about 10 minutes or so.

6. Power and Internet

This is something you don’t get on a plane—freedom to use your cell phone as you like; you are not asked to turn your phone off or put your electronic devices to the plane mode. Not only has the train a couple power sockets by each seat so you can charge your devices, but you also get free wifi throughout your ride. So you can work on your phone, tablet, or laptop without losing connection with the world out there.

These are some of the reasons—and I am sure you could think of more once you take the Amtrak train ride from Orlando to Tampa or anywhere for that matter—which make the train a more comfortable and convenient carrier than others. If you have taken an Amtrak train ride anywhere and found it enjoyable, feel free to tell us about it using the comment box below.

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2 thoughts on “Amtrak Train to Tampa Offers Fun and Convenience”

  1. Having just returned from a plane trip, your train trip sounds like absolute Nirvana! It is tiring being strapped like a sardine into a seat where you really don’t have enough room to even scratch your back, much less get up and move around. My fantasy is to get on a train out of Chicago and ride it to the West Coast to take advantage of the scenery changes and really get a look at our nation at large. You make it sound almost luxurious!

    1. Ernest says:

      I enjoyed it, Maybe we can take a group trip across the country 🙂

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