Brightline Orlando to Miami
I know I can't
But honestly
Won't someone stop this train? — Stop This Train (John Mayer)
When Brightline finally opened a route from Orlando to Miami, I couldn't wait to try it out. Not only do I love different modes of transportation, but I am fascinated by train travel. I've only taken trains for day trips, specifically Milwaukee to Chicago or Connecticut to New York. When the opportunity came to try out a Virgin Voyages itinerary out of Miami, I knew it was the perfect trip to test it out. It would have been less expensive for me to drive down to the port and park my car there. However, in the name of research for my clients, curiosity for my exploration needs, and the fact that I could check some stuff off my "To Do" list while riding on a train versus driving, I opted to ride the train.
Orlando Station View from the Premium Lounge
Tickets:
Brightline has two classes of tickets "Smart" and "Premium". "Smart" is what they label has "Business Class" and "Premium" is "First Class". Both ticket types include Complimentary WiFi and multiple plugs at each seat. Premium also includes slightly larger seats on the train, access to a private lounge with snacks and beverages, plus snacks and beverages on the train as well and one FREE checked bag. I decided to go with premium, because the idea of access to a premium lounge seemed like a good idea, plus I loved the idea of complimentary snacks and beverages on the train itself.
Arrival Experience:
November 10th arrived, and I was pumped to get to the train station at the Orlando Airport. I had been in Terminal C before, but not since the station had opened. The drop off process was very simple. Once you arrive at the airport area follow the road signs to Terminal C and look for the Yellow Brightline symbol. Our GPS was taking us a different route than the signs did, but we followed the signs and were led right to the passenger drop off point. One elevator (or escalator) ride up and you are a short walk from the station entrance. I dropped off my bag at the baggage check area. As I mentioned, one checked bag (under 50 pounds) is included with Premium tickets. They will accept up to 70 pounds, but there will be an extra fee. The total time from when I entered the building to dropping off my bag and getting through security was 5 minutes. It was SO simple and nothing like going through airport security. You do still go through a metal detector and your carry-on bags get scanned, but the crowd levels of an airport TSA check point are not comparable.
I did get dropped off at the station, but if you are someone that is looking to drive yourself (or drop off a rental car), be sure to factor in that time as the Orlando parking situation can be very busy! If you get dropped off at the main Terminal (A or B), there is a peoplemover that goes to Terminal C. Personally, I am always looking for an excuse to ride a peoplemover so that is a bonus for me!
Onboard Experience:
The first thing I noticed when I boarded my car was everything was so clean. You know that moment when you get onboard a plane, and you just know there were kids in the row prior to you because there are so many cookie and cheerio crumbs squashed into the carpet so much that the flight crew didn't have time to get them all up? None of that on the train! The seats in premium were so spacious! I could sit crisscross on my seat with no problem, which is a huge plus for me as that is my preferred comfortable seating position. It's hard for me to properly address leg room as I'm 5'3" and have very short legs, but there was plenty of room. I was looking to observe other passengers who were much taller than me and no one seemed to be squished like on a plane.
One MAJOR thing that I was surprised by was how much food you have access to! First, I was offered a beverage, and cocktails are included with the premium price, so I started my day with a mimosa. They gave me a snack box which had 5 items in it. Later, they came by with the snack cart again for another beverage and snack of choice. This is all in addition to the options they had in the Premium Lounge!
The train was quiet until we started picking up regular commuters and day-trippers in South Florida.
Arrival Experience:
I've only been to 2 Brightline Stations but I found them both to be well-lit and well-marked and I had no problems figuring out where to go.
Return Experience:
My experience was pretty much the exact same on the return. One note I will make is that there are more people utilizing the train spur of the moment from Miami versus a pre-planned trip so the lines were a little bit longer. I noticed that people comfortable with technology were utilizing the kiosks in the terminal (or the app), but those that were not comfortable were in the line to talk to an employee which happened to be the same line as the baggage drop off. Not a big deal for me, because I was dropped off 2 hours early due to needing to get off a cruise ship, but it's something to plan for! I happened to be in the lounge at the end of breakfast service and the beginning of lunch, which meant I was very well fed on the way home! I couldn't even eat the snack box they gave me because I was so full.
Note: The above experience is current as of time of writing (November 2023) but is subject to change with time. Please contact me at K.Duncan@keytotheworldtravel.com if you have any questions!
