Beautiful beaches, vibrant flora, fascinating fauna, thrilling theme parks—Florida is known for many things. One thing we’re known for that isn’t so great is how difficult it can be to get around my beloved, oddly-shaped home state. Anyone who’s driven on I-4 knows exactly what I’m talking about!
Thankfully, Florida travel—at least as it pertains to Central and South Florida—has a bright side: Brightline! I recently had the pleasure of riding Brightline from Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale, but if you haven’t yet, read on to see if it’s for you!
What Is Brightline?
Originally known as All Aboard Florida, Brightline is a high-speed passenger train connecting Orlando to Miami with stations in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Aventura, with other stations planned in the future. It gets you from the City Beautiful to the Magic City in about three and a half hours with none of the hassle of navigating congested highways. Yes, some people will say “I can drive there in the same amount of time.” While this “can” be true (if traffic is on your side that day), it was far more relaxing and productive for me to take Brightline. Read on for specifics.
Brightline is also the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the US, so that’s one more distinction for Florida.
What It’s Like On Board Brightline
After you board the train with your luggage (and even your bike and your pets, if you choose), you’ll settle in for your 69 mph journey in reclining leather seats with multiple outlets and complimentary Wi-Fi. If you’re riding in coach (“SMART”), you can also enjoy snacks and drinks for an extra charge. The Wi-Fi — great job here to Brightline. It might have been the best experience I’ve ever had on any mode of public transit with Wi-Fi. It was excellent. This was probably my fav reason to take Brightline vs. driving. I was able to get a lot of work done, take a meeting, do some research, etc. And it made the time zip by. If you need food, they have a cart that staff rolls past you periodically. You can see the menu here.
Want a first-class experience? When you purchase what Brightline calls a PREMIUM ticket, those seats get a little wider and the bites and sips become complimentary. Even better, you’ll get access to the Premium lounge within every Brightline’s station, with iPads, scanner, printer, adapters, chargers, and even private conference rooms available for you to use.
My experience overall: 10/10. Everything was efficient and it was fun. My only complaint? Or rather wish? Extend Brightline to Tampa!
Future Stops on Brightline
Brightline’s ridership is rapidly growing, so naturally, we can look forward to more stations being constructed! Stuart, Tampa, Cocoa, and Jacksonville have all been discussed as potential additions. Closer to my neck of the woods, there’s also been much talk about stations being added near Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
How to Book Your Tickets for Brightline
Anyone looking to ride Brightline will be pleasantly surprised to find that booking a trip doesn’t have to be any more complicated than searching Google Flights or your favorite budget travel site. If you think you’ll find yourself needing more than round-trip tickets for you and yours, they also offer bulk pricing. Regardless, I recommend getting an Uber or a Lyft to the Brightline station you’ll be starting your journey at if you can, or else you’ll be paying to keep your car in their parking garage. Learn more about booking here.
If you’re not yet ready to book your trip or you just love a good deal, you might want to consider subscribing to their newsletter. Brightline also has a page on their website dedicated to discounts and special offers.
Riding trains isn’t a common experience where I’m from, but is it where you grew up? Have you ridden Brightline or any other rail? What was your experience? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Love & Sunshine,
Frances