Advice on Amtrak travel with little children

[minstrel]

I am planning a trip from Houston to Los Angeles over Christmas on Sunset Limited with my wife and two daughters, 5 and 3. I have made the reservations for a couple of roomettes on Sunset Limited (I know...it's early). Now I am having second thoughts about a round-trip on the train. The other option is to fly back from LA. The costs are about the same. Taking the flight also gives us an extra day in Southern California, though it does subject us to the holiday season air-travel nightmare.

I am interested in advice from other parents that have travelled with young children on a long distance Amtrak train. Is there enough to keep the kids engaged? I am mostly concerned about how the kids will handle two long train rides, specially once the novelty has worn off on the ride back. I am not overly concerned about the parents not being able to handle the train ride since we have travelled extensively on long distance trains abroad. This would be our first Amtrak trip though.

Thanks..

 

[roxane1640]

Well,,

you seem to be asking the question is there enough to entertain the kids provided by the train.The answer is a definately NO.

The question you should be asking is "what shall I myself bring or do to entertain the children."That would be pretty much everything.3 and 5 yr olds are hard press to be interested in much of anything for a long period of time, anywhere .You will need to bring lots of activities,books,personal dvd, games ,snacks, plenty of patiences and answers to hopefully many wonderful questions.You might very well consider taking the train only one way. As a mother of now raised 5 (3 on their own now, two that still count )they all react differently.Look at it as a chance for some good quality family time thats what they'll remember.

You know them better then anyone.You know how well they'll adapt.

Don't be afraid of the new experiences. After all todays dramas can be tomorrows funniest memories.

Half my kids loved the train ,the other half hated it...

Guess which ones I left home...

just kidding

 

[TransAtlantic]

realistically, you just need to ask yourselves "can I keep the kids entertained for one full day?"; since you'll board in Houston around bedtime, and even though arrivals to L.A. are frequently late, it's still mostly a matter of keeping them busy for the one full (and LONG) day that you're crossing Texas. There's electricity in your rooms, and acess to the diner and showers, but the lounge car will most likely be a "panic box" (lower level of a coach car, with very limited seating and table space), and the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited isn't that long a train, so you won't be able to take any major "walks" to stretch your legs; however, there are several stops where you'll all be able to get out and look around. If you've seen west Texas at ground level, and don't mind seeing it two more times, I'd actually recommend taking the train both ways just to save the ever-increasing hassles at the airports.

 

[RailFanLNK]

Load there "snacks" up with Tylenol PM when they start getting "unruly"! I'm Kidding! When I rode the California Zephyr on Memorial Day there was a women with children your age who had taken the train RT from NY to SF and back. I mean....she was on the train almost 6 days if I remember correctly but she was a single parent and gotten a good fare to go see family. Yes, her kids were starting to kinda get "cabin fever" but for the most part, her kids were eating it up and she was on the "way home". They also slept alot and she had coloring books, dvd's etc. Remember, if you have a dvd player, they have to have headphones.

 

[Boxcar]

They also slept alot and she had coloring books, dvd's etc. Remember, if you have a dvd player, they have to have headphones

As well as radio's, cd players and other electronics that might disturb fellow passengers. Just last week I came off the Texas Eagle where the conductor

had to enforce this with a Grandmother with three early teen granddaughters occupying the family room. Even with the doors closed, sound travels very well......

 

[Everydaymatters]

I have 9 grandkids and in order to get to know them all individually, I take each one on a trip, usually Amtrak.

My advice would be to hook up with another passenger with children around the ages of yours and try to sit by them. Kids tend to gravitate toward other kids. They share toys back and forth and socialize. You won't have to find ways to entertain them quite as much.

However, if you have a room, you're pretty much on your own, unless you spend a lot of time in the observation car and seat yourselves near other families.

 

[Guest_minstrel]

Thanks for all the feedback. I do intend to make sure we take along plenty of entertainment, snacks for them.

How is the scenery on the route? I love the desert, but is there much for the kids to see outside the window (not that I am counting on that) ? I realize this is not the Empire Builder or the Zephyr.....but hopefully it is not completely devoid of character.

 

[Everydaymatters]

I should add that when I've taken the grandkids, they've been older than your children. Seems to me the older ones are easier to entertain.

I wouldn't attempt a long train trip with kids under 8 years old in coach. However, a room might work out ok as long as they're not real active and don't need to do a lot of running.

 

[PennCentralFan]

I first road Amtrak when I was six. It was a short ride, but I remember being fascinated by the changing scenery and looking out the window. I wasn't bored at all and was happy to sit still and look out the window. Put the kids right next to the window and maybe they'll soak it all in. I think people will be more tolerant of kids in the lounge and observation car since it's a common area. The nice thing about a train is that you can move around.

 

[TransAtlantic]

re: the scenery, it's pleasant, but a lot of it is not that unusual with one exception: there is one bridge crossing a canyon (I believe it's the Rio Grande down there) which is absolutely spectacular, something like a mile STRAIGHT down the sides, and on a bridge that is very narrow and with no substantial structure above the rails, so it's like floating in air across this incredible feature. There are some views of the lake that was created on the border, and some other similar stuff, so most of your best views will be between El Paso (fascinating view of the border from 30 feet away) to Del Rio.

 

[AlanB]

I've taken my nieces and nephews on the Auto Train with me more than once, at varying ages from 2-1/2 up to 12. Each time we did get a family bedroom, but all enjoyed the trip and we were able to keep them occupied with various things, including meals, trips to the Sightseer Lounge, and various things that we brought with them.

I recommend getting, if you don't already have them, 2 small backpacks for each one and lettting them help you fill them with things that they like to play with and do. They may even be able to help carry them onto the train. This will make them feel like they are part of the adventure, since they helped to pack.

Note that there won't be much floor space in the roomette for the 3 year old to play on the floor, so you may want to try to bring things that work best on a table.

 

[TransAtlantic]

also, per the previous post, maybe you could request that your attendant leave one of the lower beds down in one of your rooms, since it makes a nice play mat for one or two kids, especially small ones; also, your rooms should be across the hall from one another, but if they aren't, see if your attendant can arrange that, too, so that you'll always be within sight of one another...

 

[Boxcar]

I am planning a trip from Houston to Los Angeles over Christmas on Sunset Limited with my wife and two daughters, 5 and 3. I have made the reservations for a couple of roomettes on Sunset Limited

minstrel, I don't know what date you are traveling but I was curious as to why you booked 2 sleepettes as to the family bedroom? I just checked and it was still available on December18th.

The family bedroom showed to run for $773.00 + $363.00 rail= $1136.00

2 sleepettes showed to run $296.00 x 2 = $592.00 + $363.00 rail = $955.00. I know thats $141.00 more but may be much more comfortable than 2 sleepettes.

The family bedroom is located on the lower level about 10 feet from 4 restrooms and the shower. You have people coming down to use the facilities but not as much traffic passes through the asle. There are only 4 sleepettes and the handicap room down there also and is usually much more quite than the top section. Most noise usually comes from the Family room

It also has a double bed and a single bed at floor level and 2 fold downs

above. It is the width of the car and has windows on both sides of the train. The sleepettes are very small. about 3'6" wide and 6'3" long and I don't know how others feel but I personally would be afraid to place a really young child in the upper bunk even with the harness in place.

 

[RailFanLNK]

I took the Zephyr for the first time with my girlfriend in March. We only took it one way thinking, "we may not like the train so lets cover our bases and fly home." Well....WE both wished we would have taken the train home. You think EXACTLY like I do: "we can do MORE if we fly." Well, if you live life like I have, I have always tried to do MORE, MORE and MORE on a vacation. I come back and I need MORE rest when I get home because I did so much MORE on the vacation that I was suppose to be resting from my job that has me working MORE hours MORE of the time! You know what we all need most? MORE time on the train, to relax, get to know ourselves, our kids, our friends, gain some MORE sanity, MORE relaxation, we get to read MORE, sleep MORE, get MORE rest! I'm in recovery now since my first trip on Amtrak in March 2006. My name is Al and I was a "Moreaholic"!

 

[GP35]

Everytime I take my young cousin, 6 year old girl, and 12 year old nephew on the train, they meet other kids on the train. I need do nothing but say, "ok we are at our stop". So far I'm batting a 1.000 on other kids on the train.

 

[minstrel]

Boxcar, we are leaving Houston on 20th and LA on the 29th. I was also not sure about 2 roomettes as opposed to the Family bedroom, but went that way since my younger daughter still needs afternoon naps. We just wanted the ability to separate them in the afternoons when one wants to sleep and the other does not. The roomettes are across from each other.

I think most of you have convinced me to stick with our current plans. Obviously we need to be well prepared and need to pack our patience along with everything else. Other than the charm that any train travel has for me, there is also a - possibly mis-placed - romantic motivation here. Given the uncertain future that Amtrak long distance trains face (please see this link), there might not be too many such trips out there. I would also rather give my money to Amtrak than to an airline.

Of course I might be singing a different tune when I step off the train come the morning of 12/31...

 

[AlanB]

The family bedroom is located on the lower level about 10 feet from 4 restrooms and the shower.

Small correction.

There are only three restrooms on the lower level in the sleeping car. The 4th room is on the upper level.

The 4th space downstairs is taken up by the shower.

 

[Boxcar]

The family bedroom is located on the lower level about 10 feet from 4 restrooms and the shower.

Small correction.

There are only three restrooms on the lower level in the sleeping car. The 4th room is on the upper level.

The 4th space downstairs is taken up by the shower.

Yepper Alan....your correct as usual.

Minstrel, Good thinking on the seperation of kids part...........