We will be traveling on the Empire Builder with our 18-month old. We will be staying in a bedroom. Should we bring a travel bed for her? Is there room to sleep in a bunk with an adult and child together? Does anyone have ideas for keeping an almost toddler busy? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Overnight travel with 18-month old
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You are in for quite an experience if this is your first trip! There will likely not be enough room for an extra toddler bed, although it's been many, many years since I have seen such a thing. However, there should be plenty of room for an adult and an 18 month old in the lower bed. During the day there should be enough room for your child to roam even in the room but certainly down the hallways but remember they will be busy with a lot of people going to and fro. Just remember the ride could get bumpy at times so she might end up on her rear end at times. The lounge is a good place to visit with tables. Others here can give you ideas on keeping her busy.
Go to a dollar store and buy up a load of little toys and fluffy or shiny or sparkly things. It doesn't really matter what they are--they just have to be something new to explore and play with. (We used to travel with a bag of such items back when we did a fair number of long-haul flights to the UK with our daughter.) Crayons and paper are always a good idea, and there is a little table in the room perfect for scribbling. Favorite snacks that don't need refrigeration are a must--for grownups, too! Playdo might be good--though I think our daughter didn't really get into its squishy possibilities till closer to 2--but every kid is different. How about some balloons to blow up and bat around the bedroom? A jar of bubble fluid that she can squeal over as you blow them so that she can pop bubbles to her heart's content. Books to be read to her, over and over and over...and of course, her favorite lovey--whether it's a stuffed animal or a blanket, it will be a comfort in an unfamiliar place. Keep in mind there will not be wifi or cellphone coverage for long stretches, so if you plan to use an internet device to amuse her, you'll need to download what you want in advance of the trip. You can build a 'tent' in the room by putting down the top bunk and draping a blanket down from the top bunk to the bottom bunk. Probably only one grownup could fit inside with your little one, but that's what the armchair is for! Also, that would be a great activity to bridge into naptime, when maybe a storybook being read will help ease her into a nap for a bit inside the 'tent.'
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Portable inflatable booster seat (Amazon) for the diner is a must. We did 6 nights with our then 10 month old in 2018. Doing Chicago area to Los Angeles in December with her and her 2 year old sister. We got the family room this time with the two kids. You’ll be fine in the full bedroom. Bring a cheap picnic foldable blanket or something to put on the floor of the room for them to play on. We got one at Walmart for 10 bucks or so. Get out and walk at all the long fresh air breaks as well. The bib I bought on the website for 4-5 bucks. Depending on his or her size and comfort level car seats fit in diner booths as well. All crews were great.
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In 1977 we took our two-year old son on the Super Continental from Montreal to Edmonton (3 nights) in a bedroom. My wife found a tip that worked really well. Before the trip she bought a kid sleeping bag and as a "special treat" let him sleep in it a few times on top of his bed. Then he slept in it on the floor of our sleeper room. In the daytime he could play on it.
We also used some of the methods mentioned by others. He was willing to watch out the window for long periods of time looking for beavers or other wildlife and watching the Northern Lights.
In Winnipeg he and I got off to watch the eastern diner (quiche) being replaced with the western diner (pyrogies).
We also used some of the methods mentioned by others. He was willing to watch out the window for long periods of time looking for beavers or other wildlife and watching the Northern Lights.
In Winnipeg he and I got off to watch the eastern diner (quiche) being replaced with the western diner (pyrogies).
It was December 2017 on the TE about 6 hours north of San Antonio headed to Chicago. I had lunch in the Cafe and on my way up to the lounge two men came down the steps gently lowering a small crib followed by the mother carrying a small child. They got set and I went upstairs in the lounge/observation car.
That evening I enjoyed the sunset in the observation car and wrote some then before the Cafe closed (around 10PM) I bought an OJ and a water.... then I wrote past 11. I was on the far end of the lounge (near the Dining Car) and noticed at the other end the young women with her baby. I’d seen her in the cafe at noon. She was seated on the floor with a long flowing earth tone and flower dress. She was watching over her baby who was asleep in the carrier on a seat. As I passed her I offered an OJ and she happily accepted.
Anyone would have given up an OJ for a moment of grace. I had absolutely no problem sleeping that night. Since that trip I’ve had eight consecutive Amtrak overnights where I slept like a baby ...
That evening I enjoyed the sunset in the observation car and wrote some then before the Cafe closed (around 10PM) I bought an OJ and a water.... then I wrote past 11. I was on the far end of the lounge (near the Dining Car) and noticed at the other end the young women with her baby. I’d seen her in the cafe at noon. She was seated on the floor with a long flowing earth tone and flower dress. She was watching over her baby who was asleep in the carrier on a seat. As I passed her I offered an OJ and she happily accepted.
Anyone would have given up an OJ for a moment of grace. I had absolutely no problem sleeping that night. Since that trip I’ve had eight consecutive Amtrak overnights where I slept like a baby ...
We were just getting off a two day trip with our almost-one-year-old just as you wrote this!
There won't really be room for a travel bed in a normal bedroom. They would likely fit in a family bedroom. Our travel playpen might have just barely fit in crib mode between the chair Mom is sitting in and the bench seat. Both Mom, Baby and I slept in the lower bunk and it wasn't that tight of a squeeze. Worst case, the other parent just takes the upper bunk.
While there are diaper changing tables in the bathrooms downstairs and outside of your room, we usually just changed their diaper on a diaper changing sheet on the lower bench seat.
That being said, the bathroom shower was *great* to have for baby-related accidents.
My only other bit of advice on top of what's been said here is to make sure your child does not walk on their own in the sleeper cars, unless Mom and Dad are watching from both sides! The stairwells in the middle of the train are easy for even adults to trip down.
Let us know if you have any more questions!
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