Brightline ORLANDO ⇌ MIAMI

Saturday night a lot of people asked me about the higher speed Brightline train which we took from Orlando to Miami this past Friday night. Taking the train to Miami wasn't in our plans but with our booked flight getting one delay after another due to thunderstorms over the airport, Brightline became the choice. Although it takes longer than flying, trains don't care about thunderstorms and we knew we'd get there. The Brightline station is adjacent the airport's new Terminal C and you can park in the C-Garage if you arrive by car.

Inside the station, displays constantly provide information about the status of trains heading south.

There is a bar and snack/souvenir shop.

 

There are three fares you can purchase. Smart Saver (Basic Economy), Smart (Economy with advance seat selection) and Premium (First Class). The latter includes access to the Premium Lounge in the station which has complimentary food & snacks, pour your own beer & wine, soft drinks, etc. When selecting seats on the train, take care to select a forward-facing seat if that's important to you. Half the seats in each coach face backwards away from the direction of travel. 

Ten minutes before departure the gates open and you can access your train and seats.

Brightline is operated with Siemens Chargers with one locomotive located at each end of the consist. 

Overhead signs show advertising during the ride and also upcoming stations. Trains from Orlando run nonstop to West Palm Beach. All trains go there plus Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Some trains also stop at infill stations Boca Raton and Aventura. A new infill stop is planned for Cocoa where passengers will be able to connect to Port Canaveral.

Economy coaches have 2/2 leather seating with 19" width and excellent seat pitch. This is much nicer than you'll find on an airplane. Premium seating is 1/2 leather seating with 21" width seats. All seats have electric outlets.

In Economy, snacks and drinks cost extra and are ordered via a scanned barcode located between the seats. In Premium, all the snacks and drinks are included, including alcoholic beverages. You are limited to two free alcoholic drinks between ORL and WPB plus another two between WPB and MIA. There are also complimentary salads and sandwiches to choose from.

The ride to Miami takes about 3.5 hours. Sure, you can probably drive to Miami but at some point you hit heavy traffic down there, expensive charges to park, tolls, etc. And you can sleep on the train!

MiamiCentral Station in downtown Miami. MetroRail,Tri-Rail and the free MetroMover stations are nearby although the signs to find them could be better. Club Space was a 10 minute taxi/rideshare away. Come check out Brightline for your next journey south. Check here for specials and reservations.