Two adults, two young kids are traveling for the first time on the auto train Aug 5 (VA to FL). We booked two bedrooms so they could be "ensuited" but we were given cabins A and N. I called the 800 number but was told there were no cabins left to be joined. Even though there are plenty of people traveling with just 1 cabin they won't move them around to join ours. Kind of a drag to have two cabins so far away from each other with young kids. Not the end of the world but I was wondering if there were any tips to make this happen or something I should have done differently. Thanks!
First, book your travel as far in advance as you can (6 months would be ideal if possible). Second, the very second after you book the travel (if you do it on-line), call Amtrak immediately and try to get the rooms changed to be "ensuited." That's your best bet. Remember, that they fill very quickly during the "Snowbird" season (i.e. March - June Northbound, and October - December Southbound). Of course, if you do it by phone, you can ask them immediately when booking. That might actually be better.
The "ensuiting" is simply nothing more than the opening of a very flimsy partition between two full bedrooms that face each other (e.g. Rooms D-E, and C-B). Room "A" is at the far end of each car, and over the trucks (not the most pleasant). N is at the opposite end of the car in an "all bedroom car." In that "all bedroom" car (unique to the AT IINM), J-K and L-M face each other. See
these diagrams for assistance. It helps when calling Amtrak to tell them the room letters you'd like.
Sorry... This close to your travel date, it's probably not going to happen unless someone cancels and Amtrak is watching it for you.