Last month, I did something I’ve wanted to do for a while…I took a daytrip on the Brightline!
A childhood friend (who was more like my little sister for many years) was having a baby shower in Boynton Beach and a group of us (the self proclaimed “Party Train to Jenelle’s Baby Shower”) decided that instead of driving down we would take the train!
For a variety of reasons the train made a lot more sense for me for this particular occasion. Our family was in the middle of our most chaotic time of year with swim, my husband had been traveling extensively for work, and I really HATE driving in unfamiliar places.
Taking the Brightline gave me a chance to be there for Jenelle’s special day (she’s expecting her first daughter after two sons), but it also helped me preserve a weekend day with my own family. There were five of us traveling together; my mom, a pseudo aunt and cousin, and a longtime family friend (friends really are the family you choose)! Brightline was running a promo for 50% off groups of 4 or more, so we took advantage of the savings! I’ve found they usually have some sort of promo going on. Check here for the current deals!
The most stressful part of taking the Brightline was actually parking at the Orlando airport! However, I’ve recently learned that there are several new surface lots that are for the exclusive use of Brightline customers. You do need to have a Sun Pass in order to park there (they charge your Sun Pass account) but it will save you the hassle and stress of parking in the garage.
We walked into the Brightline terminal about 30 minutes before the train was boarding. Security was SUPER easy (think scanning your bags at the airport, but no shoe removal) and we all had our digital tickets on our phones. Once through security we were waited about 15 minutes before they announced our train’s arrival and welcomed us onto the platform to board. It was SO easy!
The terminal had a refreshment stand, souvenirs from Orlando, and even a bar! You could bring your own snacks in through security, but they had plenty of options to purchase just before boarding.
We didn’t have luggage because it was only a day trip, but there was overhead storage, similar to an airplane, and luggage racks in every coach. We had four seats around a table and one seat behind us. But the coach wasn’t full and we were able to move around without an issue. We used the table to complete the baby shower favors and just catch up with each other! Some of us hadn’t seen each other in years! It was so wonderful!
Two and a half hours later, right on schedule, we arrived at the Boca station, called up an Uber, and headed over to help decorate and finish setting up for the shower! It was absolutely seamless!
The return trip was even easier! We took an Uber back to the station (worst Uber ride EVER!) and arrived just ten minutes before departure. Because this station is much smaller it took us literally one minute to walk through the door, through security, and into the waiting area! This station had snacks, but no bar. BUUUUUUT they do serve alcohol on the train!
When I’m with my mom, we tend to make friends everywhere we go, and this trip was no exception. We actually talked to the train attendants quite a bit. They told us that Brightline is scheduled to continue opening stops westward from Olando over to Tamps (this will be amazing) and they are expanding from Vegas to Los Angeles! They said the train usually runs right on time, but there are the occasional hiccups in service. We did not experience any of this during our trip.
We did not have a table on the return trip, but we basically had an entire half of a coach to ourselves. Good thing, because we aren’t exactly a quiet bunch! After an afternoon of mimosas it was so nice to just sit back and continue socializing without needing to drive home!
Tickets for the Brightline from Orlando to Boca cost each of us approximately $80. So it IS more expensive than simply driving. But it offered us something more valuable than saving a few dollars…time together! The trip wasn’t stressful. There was no traffic. And we didn’t have to worry about anything but catching up on laughter!
I am seriously considering taking the Brightline further south this summer with my kids and Jason so that we can visit the beach! We’ll make it an overnight trip for that! And Jason mentioned last weekend that maybe we could take it to go see a Marlins game!
I really do love mass transportation like this. I wish Florida had a better public transportation network. But for now, I’m hoping to add some Florida adventures to our summer list using the stations serviced by Brightline!
