Amtrak Silver Meteor Service

By James | Last updated September 20, 2024

This page may contain compensated affiliate links. Please read the Disclaimer for more information

Amtrak’s Silver Meteor service offers access to Florida’s Atlantic Coast from the Northeastern Seaboard.

Amtrak runs several trains on the Atlantic Coast Service on the eastern seaboard, namely the Amtrak Silver Meteor (Trains 97 and 98) and Amtrak Silver Star (Trains 91 and 92) between New York and Miami.

Save on your Train Journeys

We work with a fantastic partner, Omio, a well-established provider of train tickets across the U.S. Check out their prices today.

Another service, the Palmetto, operates from New York to Savannah, Georgia.

If you wish to travel with your car, there is also the Amtrak Auto Train, which operates between Lorton, just outside Washington, D.C., and Sanford, near Orlando.

The Silver Meteor runs one service daily in each direction, covering89 miles (2235 km).

Inside an Amtrak Train
Inside an Amtrak Train

Train 97 operates the southbound service, leaving New York Penn Station at 3:15 p.m. each day and arriving in Miami at 6:39 p.m.

The stops include Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., Virginia, North and South Carolina, Charleston and Savannah in Georgia, and Jacksonville and Orlando in Florida.

The northbound train 98 leaves Miami at 8:10 a.m. and arrives in New York at 11:00 a.m.

Florida stops include Jacksonville, Palatka, Deland, Winter Park, Orlando, Kissimmee, Winter Haven, Sebring, Okeechobee, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Miami.

A Thruway motor coach service caters to a number of destinations on the Gulf Coast (see below).

The Silver Meteor takes a similar route to the Silver Star but it takes a more easterly route through the Carolinas and does not go to Tampa on the Gulf Coast

To see the complete list, check out the list of Amtrak stations in Florida, including Thruway connections.

On-time performance (within 15 minutes) for the last fiscal year (up to September 2018) was only 42.5%, and for the first seven months of 2019, it averaged 50.9%. Delays are caused mainly by freight train interference from CSX/Central Florida Rail and track/signal work (over 70% of the rail network is owned by freight railroad companies).

Amtrak Train in the USA
Amtrak Train in the USA

Seating and sleeping cars

All seats must be reserved, and the cheapest ticket is a Coach Seat in one of the Amfleet coaches. This seat is a bit like a typical Business Class airline seat, reclining with a fold-down tray and individual reading lamp.

If you want a bit more privacy and to sleep in a bed, you can choose a Viewliner Roomette or Viewliner Bedroom.

The Viewliner Roomette is designed for one or two passengers. It has two comfortable reclining seats facing each other by a large picture window. At night, the seats convert into a bed, and a second upper berth with its own picture window folds down from the wall. The cabin also includes a washbasin and a toilet (not enclosed), a garment rack, a fold-down table, and climate control. Public showers are located nearby.

The Viewliner Bedroom resembles the Roomette but can accommodate three passengers at a pinch (two sharing the lower berth). Most of the facilities are the same as the Roomette, but the lower berth converts from a two-seater sofa. The room also has an enclosed toilet, private shower, and separate armchair.

Two Viewliner Bedrooms can be combined to make a Viewliner Bedroom Suite.

The Viewliner Accessible Bedroom has space for wheelchair storage and can also accommodate three passengers at a pinch. A large sofa seating three converts into the lower berth and is suitable for a passenger with a mobility impairment. A second upper berth is suitable for a companion. There is also a wheelchair-accessible toilet in the cabin, and meals can be served in the cabin if required.

Amtrak Train Crossing USA
Amtrak Train Crossing USA

Dining & Entertainment

The Silver Meteor has a full-service Dining Car and a Lounge. Hot meals are prepared for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for both Coach and First-Class passengers.

Breakfast menus include a variety of hot and cold entrees, such as pancakes, omelets, cooked-to-order eggs, or continental breakfast. For lunch, choose from burgers, sandwiches, pizzas and salads. At dinner time, menu items include New York strip steak, catfish, chicken, pasta, other entrees, and a selection of wines and desserts.

Coffee, tea, milk, or juice are included in the price of the main entree for all meals, and there is a separate children’s menu.

You can watch movies in the Lounge (headphones can be purchased onboard) or grab a sandwich, snack, and beverage.

Note that the Silver Meteor is a strictly no-smoking service. Passengers wishing to smoke may do so on some station platforms during stops, but they must listen out for the “All Aboard” announcements.

Tickets

With a Viewliner ticket, you are given First Class status, and all your meals are included in the price of the ticket. This includes fresh towels and bed linens, soap and shower amenities, turn-down service, bottled water, and a wake-up service with coffee, tea, juice, and the daily newspaper.

With a First Class ticket, you also have access to the Club Acela® lounges in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, as well as the private waiting area at Miami station.

Thruway Connections

Thruway Connections provides a coordinated train/motor coach or taxi service with connections at the Amtrak stations.

On the Silver Meteor service, you can connect from Orlando to Lakeland, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, and Fort Myers on the Gulf Coast and from DeLand to Daytona Beach on the Atlantic Coast.

Baggage

Each passenger is entitled to bring aboard up to two pieces of carry-on baggage (weight limit of 50 lbs per bag and maximum size of 28 x 22 x 14 inches), excluding personal items such as briefcases, purses, laptops, and infant items such as strollers, diaper bags, and car seats.

At most stations, you can check in up to three pieces of luggage at no charge (weight limit of 50 lbs per bag and maximum size of 36 x 36 x 36 inches). An additional three pieces can be checked in with a charge of $10.00 per bag.

When arriving at the station, look for the official Red Caps to help you with your baggage (they are not available at all stations).

Palmetto Service

The Palmetto follows the same route as the Silver Star but only goes as far as Savannah, Georgia.

It offers business-class service, including complimentary non-alcoholic beverage service, newspapers, audio/video entertainment, priority boarding, and other amenities.