children + contiguous seats?

[bobell]

I 'm new to this forum, but have some Amtrak experience - I used to take the Surfliner from SBA to LAX a few times a year. I'm wondering if any of you have a suggestion about the following issue that I can't find answered anywhere else.

I am traveling with my wife, father, and toddler son on the Amtrak "City of New Orleans" between McComb(MS) and Memphis in July. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice for traveling with Children on this train. My kid is 22 months, and he LOVES trains (I ride commuter rail here in New York) - he'll probably sleep some, but will want to explore otherwise. So, with a rambunctious child (who LOVES to climb and run), would you recommend upper or lower level reservations? Both are currently available. I was thinking upper to avoid him bothering sleeping/elderly patrons, but am wary of the stairs - hard to let him walk off some energy if he could tumble headfirst, even with one of us following him up and down the aisle.

Also, is it kosher to walk the aisles with your kid? I don't know etiquette on this train.

Finally, I can't tell how to reserve particular seats so that we can sit together. I am concerned that when we board (which will be mid-route), we won't be able to get 3 or even 2 seats together, thus making it much harder for us to handle our son. I didn't see any way for you to reserve a specific seat. I remember that on those Surfliners, people who got on mid-route often would not be able to sit together. The Surfliners were unreserved tickets, and these are reserved; but I've read that they're reserved NOT assigned. Do you get to pick seats in advance? Any advice?

 

[darien-l]

A reserved seat simply means that you're guaranteed a seat on the train, and there is no way to assign specific seats ahead of time. That said, conductors and coach attendants are usually pretty good about finding seats together for families. If space is very tight, they sometimes ask people to switch seats so that families can sit together.

It may not matter much anyway, actually, because my suggestion to you is to spend most of your time in the sightseer lounge. Your kid will enjoy it, and you can sit with your family, sip a beverage, and enjoy the scenery.

 

[the_traveler]

Also, the ONLY access between the cars is from the upper level ONLY! So if you're on the lower level, you would have to climb the stairs anyway!

Oh, and welcome!

 

[zephyr17]

It is fine to walk with your child up and down the aisles. It isn't to let him run up and down by himself.

 

[Chatter163]

I would definitely NOT allow a toddler to climb or descend the steep, winding Superliner stairs himself. I would carry such a tyke.

 

[Trainmans daughter]

Regarding your seat arrangements, email customer service with your concerns. Then follow up with a phone call. I had the same concerns when we boarded coach in the middle of the night with our granddaughter. I explained that while I realized that the 3 of us might not be able to sit together, it was imperative that our granddaughter sit next to one or the other of us. I did not want her sitting next to a stranger.

I guess they got the message, because when we boarded, the conductor said "I've been waiting for you!" and assigned us seats together. I really appreciated it.

 

[sunchaser]

Regarding your seat arrangements, email customer service with your concerns. Then follow up with a phone call. I had the same concerns when we boarded coach in the middle of the night with our granddaughter. I explained that while I realized that the 3 of us might not be able to sit together, it was imperative that our granddaughter sit next to one or the other of us. I did not want her sitting next to a stranger.
I guess they got the message, because when we boarded, the conductor said "I've been waiting for you!" and assigned us seats together. I really appreciated it.

I like to hear stuff like this. It's great that they are paying attention to the needs of their customers. I would call first, though.

To the Original Poster, you may want to bring a couple of small toys (we used to have a bag of car toys for the car) like a stuffed animal, crayons/coloring books, etc. You also may want to bring a small cooler with snacks/juice etc, too. I would not let your toddler near the stairs alone-I would carry him. Of course you will also want to be cautious taking him from car to car as well. Welcome to the board-and have a great trip!