# trip tips for traveling w/ children



## Liz (Oct 14, 2003)

actually, i don't know if i should post some tips for traveling w/ kids for the couple of people who are going to be traveling w/ kids *here* or on the trip reports page. i don't have a regular trip report like you guys do, with the actual cars the train had, etc. I don't want to take up a trip report space with a trip report railfans aren't interested in, knim?

where should i post?


----------



## AlanB (Oct 14, 2003)

Liz,

If it's just going to be tips, then I would post it here. If it reads more like I trip report, then I can always move it over to the trip report forum once you've posted it.


----------



## Amfleet (Oct 14, 2003)

Liz said:


> actually, i don't know if i should post some tips for traveling w/ kids for the couple of people who are going to be traveling w/ kids *here* or on the trip reports page. i don't have a regular trip report like you guys do, with the actual cars the train had, etc. I don't want to take up a trip report space with a trip report railfans aren't interested in, knim?
> where should i post?


Liz,

Don't feel discoraged by posting in the Trip Reports board if you don't have equipment numbers, etc. A trip report can be a quick "hello, I'm back", a brief paragraph on how or trip went, or something a little bit longer and more detailed. It just all depends on your style.


----------



## Liz (Oct 14, 2003)

thank you Alan!

i'll start it here, and we'll see how much i rattle on as to whether you move it to trip reports

Traveling were myself, hubby, daughter (who turned 4 on our trip) and son (2 years old)... we had a deluxe sleeper, which i found wonderful for our kids. Well worth the cost to us. We traveled from Newark Penn Station, NJ to Orlando, Fl, and this was our first time on a train. We left Sunday around 11:30am and arrived around noon the next day.

We had brought a sheet to lay on the floor for our kids to play on, and it worked very well. I wiped down the bathroom and sink area and hard surfaces with lysol wipes, and wished i had brought a can of lysol for the rug and cushions (those of you who don't have children will think i'm a nut, anyone with small kids i'm sure will understand - hands and mouths touch *everything*)... the room was not dirty and was totally acceptable, i'm just a nut with germs because of the kids. Having our own private bathroom was wonderful for our small children too. again, very well worth the cost of the sleeper to us.

We were very happy with the dining car as well. The food was good with a nice selection for us all, and it was nice to get out of our room for the meals. I loved the linen cloths and flowers on the tables. They gave the kids take-out type cups with lids for drinks, which was great! The other passengers there were friendly, smiling, enjoying themselves a lot. Only one woman made a big "huff" and said "oh my goodness!" like she was the queen of england when our 2 year old son let out a little screech. The staff was split 50/50 as to who was "kid-friendly" and who was outwardly annoyed by kids. i'm assuming not too many families with little kids take the train by the reaction of some of the staff. not a big deal though. The wait staff's attitude towards adult passengers ranged from scarey and mean to extremely nice. One waitress actually yelled at a customer and told him loudly when he asked for something extra "I already took your order! I'll be back with you when it's your turn!" and he said something to the affect of "i've asked twice for xxx" and she replied "i'm NOT hearing you" with her head shaking side to side and her hand held out in front of her. she then ignored him and walked away. we felt like we were on candid camera a couple of times, her behavior was that unbelievable. we made a private joke of being "good" so she wouldn't yell at us. but we apparently weren't good enough, she snapped at us too... my husband was 5 minutes behind the kids and i for our dinner seating and wasn't at our table when i had asked her if they had chocolate milk & was told "no" (no biggie, got regular milk for kids), but when husband asked at the end of the meal if they had chocolate milk for him with dessert, she quickly turned to me and said in a very reprimanding voice "I already TOLD her we don't have chocolate milk!!" I had to bite my tongue to not laugh (i didn't want to get in more trouble

But another waitress was extremely sweet, nice and helpful, so it's just the luck of the dice who you get. The mean one provided us some entertainment, guessing who she would yell at next. Oh, and the nice waitress brought the kids their ice cream one time with smiley faces made from the whipped cream, which she said the chef did for them. very, very sweet of the chef! And she offered us her own anti-bacterial lotion when she saw we were wiping the kids hands and the bottle was almost empty. SOOOO nice of her!

We didn't venture around too much besides the dining car... i didn't like walking between the cars w/ the kids more than was necessary. And let's just say the lounge with it's smoking car wasn't my "cup of tea"... i've seen pics of much, much nicer lounge cars... i think we were in very old cars for the trip down (i believe husband asked an attendant, and he said it was some of the oldest equipment in service). But it was still totally fine and if it weren't for us having the kids with us, i wouldn't think too much either way about it. Our nice attendant also showed us the empty handicap-accessible room, which i would like to get for our next trip for it's size (anyone know the policy regarding booking them if you're not handicap?)... but husband is wanting the center deluxe room (which we had going and coming home) because of the side of the room the beds are on (the left), thinking if we got into an accident, you wouldn't get thrown on the floor, but into the wall instead. any thoughts on that, because i'd love to talk him into the other room if they're available.

Caution for kids: when the train sways a lot sometimes, the little ones can get thrown around a bit... my son fell 2x's and bonked his head into the door and cabinet in our room. we just had to be a little more careful with him when we felt it starting to sway a lot, which we got the hang of quickly. our 4 year old daughter was fine though - a little more steady on her feet.

the beds were very comfortable (husband slept on the upper, and kids and I on the lower... i put the kids feet to feet on the inside next to the wall and i slept on the outside (switching myself back and forth as to which way i was laying depending on who woke up wanting comfort) and we had enough room. i also had the pull out chair (it's folded up under the couch, we didn't discover it till the ride home - duh!) next to me so i wouldn't feel like i would fall out.

the tv in the room showed a couple of re-runs of Tool Time, Friends, and 2 movies. we had brought our portable DVD player which we only used 2 times i believe. the kids were so entertained just playing at the window with the vents (open, close, open, close, open, close... you get the idea), opening and snaping close the curtains, looking out the window, pushing the attendant button (opps... sorry! it only happened once, but watch out for that, parents) and with the toys/books we brought. it was really easy to entertain them to our pleasant surprise. just the novelty of the train helped a lot.

another tip to parents - the cars vary greatly as to how hot or cold they are. our sleeper was stuffy as can be on the way down, but the dining car was freezing. on the way home, our sleeper's vents and AC worked much better and it was comfortable, and the dining car was even colder than the ride down. so just layer the kids clothes (and definitely bring extra for when they spill stuff when the train sways... i hadn't really accounted for that and needed more clothes for the kids).

i actually looked forward to our ride home on the train (and leaving disney, that's saying a lot!) and we weren't disappointed. it was even better in a way than the ride down, just knowing what to expect, how to sleep the kids, to watch out for the mean waitress (who was working our train again and actually asked how our vacation was, and i was so surprised i stumbled over my words to answer her). The sleeper car also seemed like a newer car on the ride back home.

we all enjoyed our trip on the train a lot! we will definitely travel this way from now on (we won't fly, and any drive over 6 hours from now on, we'll take the train)... it's actually opened up a whole new world of travel for us because we won't fly, we felt sort of confined to not travel far away, but now we really would.

oh, and the bum who approached us at the Kissimmee station asking for 87 cents and asking us where we were going, etc, kind of ruined our "station" experience. to anyone traveling with kids, make sure you get a station that is staffed when you'll be there, which ours was so i wasn't really nervous, but i would have been if there wasn't staff there.

hope this wasn't too long... again, we really enjoyed ourselves and felt very relaxed arriving at our hotel, which is a big difference from driving or even flying. Liz


----------



## AlanB (Oct 15, 2003)

Liz,

I think you did just fine with your report and your tips.  You certainly, IMHO, didn't rattle on. Most railfans enjoy reading about train trips, as much as they like taking train trips.

I do think that what you've typed up definately qualifies as a trip report, so I'm going to move it over to that forum. It's probably better off there anyhow, as it won't get burried in all the regular Amtrak stuff. So others looking for your tips, might actually have an easier time finding them under the Trip Reports forum.

I'm glad that you and your family had a great time both on the train and with Mickey. I did think that I had warned you about watching your little one when the train bounces, but then I've typed up so many replies with tips that they've all started to blur. This past May my almost two-year-old nephew had the same problem. He was fine when the ride was smooth, but give him a good bounce and he would go flying.


----------



## Liz (Oct 15, 2003)

thanks again Alan... and you probably did remind me about the little ones bouncing around a bit. i must say, i even bounced around till i got the hang of it. i'm really looking forward to our next train trip and i'm so glad i found this board! Liz


----------



## jccollins (Oct 15, 2003)

Sounds like a great trip Liz - thanks for sharing it with us!  I actually enjoyed reading your report without being bogged down by all the uninteresting technical jargon stuff (car #s, etc.). Sorry you had to deal with a rude waitress in the dining car - most of the good waitresses will serve you chocolate milk if you ask for it (after all, they have chocolate for the desert toppings). Try asking for chocolate milk on your next trip and I bet you'll get it!


----------



## Anthony (Oct 15, 2003)

jccollins said:


> Sounds like a great trip Liz - thanks for sharing it with us!  I actually enjoyed reading your report without being bogged down by all the uninteresting technical jargon stuff (car #s, etc.). Sorry you had to deal with a rude waitress in the dining car - most of the good waitresses will serve you chocolate milk if you ask for it (after all, they have chocolate for the desert toppings). Try asking for chocolate milk on your next trip and I bet you'll get it!


LOL - to expand on that a small bit, Liz, what JC is saying is that they take regular milk and stir Hershey's syrup into it to make "chocolate milk". :lol:

It is rather funny to watch them do this but I'm sure it tastes great!


----------



## candi (Nov 5, 2003)

Thanks for the info.. I'll be traveling in Dec with my 2 year old and 7month old. I've did the bus thing with my 2 year old and thought this would be alot better, more relaxing. I'm booked for a sleeper so hopefully all goes well.. Thanks


----------



## AMTRAK-P42 (Nov 5, 2003)

Thanks for a great report! Enjoyed reading it.


----------



## canoe86 (Feb 20, 2004)

Just kicking around on here for the first time and your post is great!!! We will be taking our first train vacation in march, with a 6 and 2 year old. We will remember your advice and tips. I'm curious about the kids/train attitude you encountered. did this persist throughout the trip? If any one else has tips or comments about traveling with the wee ones, it would be appreciated!


----------



## Tammi (Mar 2, 2004)

Liz said:


> actually, i don't know if i should post some tips for traveling w/ kids for the couple of people who are going to be traveling w/ kids *here* or on the trip reports page. i don't have a regular trip report like you guys do, with the actual cars the train had, etc. I don't want to take up a trip report space with a trip report railfans aren't interested in, knim?
> where should i post?


Great report. We are booked for our first train tour this April with a 5&9 yr old. We are travelling from Seattle Wash. to LA. We are all looking forward to it but had no idea what to expect, this site and these comments are great.

I have heard there is a car or section that is dedicated to kids with movies, games etc. Anyone heard of this?

Any feedback would be great! Thanks again.


----------



## WICT106 (Mar 2, 2004)

A couple of years ago, the Coast Starlight used to run with part of one sleeper car converted into a play area for the kids. I don't know if that is still the case, though.


----------



## Amfleet (Mar 2, 2004)

WICT106 said:


> A couple of years ago, the Coast Starlight used to run with part of one sleeper car converted into a play area for the kids. I don't know if that is still the case, though.


It's actually a converted Superliner II Coach with a childrens playroom on the lower-level and standard coach seating on the upper-level. I believe there are various games and toys as well as video and live entertainment throughout the day.


----------



## EmpireBuilderFan (Mar 2, 2004)

WICT106 said:


> A couple of years ago, the Coast Starlight used to run with part of one sleeper car converted into a play area for the kids. I don't know if that is still the case, though.


Yep, it's still there. I just got off of the Starlight, and it's still there. Good thing too, because there were quite a few young children in the diner during lunch today.


----------



## Amtrak OBS Employee (Apr 27, 2004)

jccollins said:


> Sorry you had to deal with a rude waitress in the dining car - most of the good waitresses will serve you chocolate milk if you ask for it (after all, they have chocolate for the desert toppings). Try asking for chocolate milk on your next trip and I bet you'll get it!


I hope this is not the case for your future trips, Liz. I hope you don't have to deal with another "meanie" waitress. Sounds to me she needs to find other employment. Thanks for the great report, Liz. I enjoy reading and knowing whether passengers had a good trip. Every trip will be different as there is no one trip the same!!!!

As for "chocolate" milk, all, don't bet on it! It is not on the menu in the dining car! The commissary provides us with only one bottle (once in a blue moon we'll get two bottles here on the East Coast trains) of syrup for the whole trip, and we need it for our dessert topping! I, for one, will not fill orders for chocolate milk in the diner. It is sold next door in the lounge, and I will offer to go and get it, but "most" of us (waiters and LSAs/Stewards) will not make using the syrup intended for our desserts! There is no problem, however, if the passenger brings their own syrup to make chocolate milk. Basically, this is one of those deals where if one employee starts it then it causes problems later either there with that crew or with other crews. Be well.........


----------



## ciship (May 4, 2004)

Enjoyed your "review". A couple of months ago, we (7 year old, 11 year old, grandma and myself) took the train from Kansas City to California to go to Disneyland. WOW! I came home and wrote a 7 page typed review/complaint to Amtrak customer service. We had the attendant from "hell" on our trip out there and the station desk agents were some of the rudest people I have ever had to deal with. Other than that, we loved taking the train and will try it once again in August. We had a Family Sleeper before, but just my son and I are going this time so we will probably just get the standard sleeper. We loved the dining room and lounge car. I wish we would have had a kids playroom on our train!! That sounds fantastic!

Oh....by the way.....I received a prompt letter from Amtrak customer service after they received my letter (novel is more like it). She was pleasant and said Amtrak was glad to get the letter and will get it to the right people (??).

Hope the prices on accommodations go down pretty soon. They are WAY to high right now.

cq


----------



## gswager (May 4, 2004)

Glad that you are still riding on Amtrak despite the complaint. That's a smart move to write a complaint to Amtrak about the problem.

As with airline, if you book early, probably several months in advanced, you'll most likely to have lower price. Each time the available of rooms is getting less, the price will go up. Plus, the summer season traditionally the higher price due to high demand for tickets. It will slacken off when the schools, all type, are back in session in the fall.


----------



## bmlock (May 11, 2004)

We used the "kiddie car" on the Starlight the one time we traveled with my son when he was a toddler and he loved it and it made the trip easier on everyone. I wish they would do that on all trains, I don't think the cost of converting to one is too great. yes it lowers capacity a bit, but I think the positive reviews and future repeat ridership would cover it.


----------



## battalion51 (May 12, 2004)

Well the Coast Starlight is the Pride and Joy of the West Coast. The Managers who run the train care about their passnegers which is the reason the Starlight has features like the Parlour and Kiddie cars that other trains don't. I think Auto Train should take a hint, but then again the kiddies are asleep for most of the trip on Auto Train.


----------



## engine999 (May 12, 2004)

battalion51 said:


> Well the Coast Starlight is the Pride and Joy of the West Coast. The Managers who run the train care about their passnegers which is the reason the Starlight has features like the Parlour and Kiddie cars that other trains don't. I think Auto Train should take a hint, but then again the kiddies are asleep for most of the trip on Auto Train.


It wasn't always that way, they just revamped it a few years ago to increase ridership and it worked. Maybe Amtrak should look into other trains to add specail ammenities.


----------

