Overnight with a Toddler in Coach?

[GG-1]

Relax. We are here to be helpful not lobby for everyone to take sleepers.

Hey, all I can do is point out how this looks from outside AU's echo chamber. Choosing to believe it or not is entirely up to you.

Actually as a newbie, I agree with you , after being here only a week, if you read only this site, unless you can travel with a sleeper, you are going to have a miserable time... I would suggest a coach only section. We have decided to drive as it became pretty apparent from reading here that traveling with kids is discouraged unless you have a sleeper.

Aloha

While a sleeper is more comfortable, Coach is OK, depending on a number of circumstances. The more flexible the body the better. Another thing none of us ere can tell how well your toddler will react. If your is a quiet one things will go well, If yours is a "squirmier" maybe not.

Since I turned 50 I have done several overnights in coach,with no problems, guess I have been lucky to have well behaved youngsters in these coaches, and I enjoyed seeing them observe everything around them.

 

[chandj]

I have to add that you can just as easily annoy your neighbors in a sleeper car, too, if you have the right toddler! Hubby and I had a bedroom and a 2 year old on the Empire Builder--he melted on the first night out of Chi and there was no stopping him. He cried inconsolably for about 2 hours when I'm sure all our neighbors were trying to settle in for some peace and quiet. I'm sorry the OP decided to go by car--I'm sure from my experiences with small children in coach she would have been fine and met some nice people as well. Maybe next time.

 

[Big Iron]

As someone who has done it before, I wholeheartedly agree with George.

Don't let the naysayers (who in many cases probably have very little experience in Coach) dissuade you from doing something that thousands of people do every day.

I'm going to pile on and support the original poster going coach. When I was a toddler, with my twin brother and older brother by two years, we would take trips to Illinois from Virginia to see my grandparents. In the Summer we would drive, winter take the train, mostly coach. Granted, not as long a trip as the OP is proposing. I asked my mother which mode she preferred back in the day and train was by far the winner. More room, relaxed, food readily available, etc..

The coach seats will be plenty safe and comfortable for your child........and for you too.

 

[ThayerATM]

I agree that a sleeper would be better if you can afford it, but if you can't don't worry about taking coach. It isn't as bad as people make it out to be.

:lol: Ryan,

No, it's not that bad. :unsure: But with a two-year-old, for me, a three day two night trip would be unbearable in coach. I'd rather walk.

I thought it was under 48 hours..more like 43 or so. How does that become three days/two nights? It's more like a day and half and two nights.

To original poster--go for it. You should do just fine.

Dan

Dan,

You're right, and I'll concede part of your point. I look at it this way ---

If it involves part of one day, then a night, then all of the next day, then that night, then part of the next day, it's a three day and two night trip to me. To me the Lake Shore Limited between ROC and CHI, the City of New Orleans, and Coast Starlight between EMY and SEA aren't LONG train trips, but they do involve part of one day, that night, and part of the next day, so to me those are two day, one night trips. With the current "adjusted" schedule, the Coast Starlight might currently be called, in my parlance, a one night, one day trip.

 

[Karl1459]

Coach is great. Romette better.

If you can lobby the coach attendent to let you have a seat at the rear of the coach, or just in front of the stairwell, you may be able to make a little nest area behind the seat for the critter. Also there is a little extra leg room at the front of the car and behind the stairwell. Falling out of the seat should be no big deal, no more than falling out of a recliner chair at home. The train should not be making any quick stops or changes of elevation that would throw anyone out of their seat. Do remember that there is freedom to move about which young kids need for long trips. Bring a couple of toys (including a train related one if possible... kids learn from playing and this will help them relate to the trip) and some interactive craft or games.

 

[dlagrua]

We are in no way demeaning people who chose the coach route

That's particularly rich, considering your posting history.

A preference for sleepers and pointing out what I view as an advantage makes no judgement on the quality of coach travel or those that prefer it. I take coach all the time on the NE corridor to D.C. or for day trips on the Pennsylvanian.

If you can get a good nights sleep in a chair on the LD trains then its an easy and economical way to go. The majority of people on the train do it this way.

Right. Calling them "little people" and "lower classes" is a term of endearment, I'm sure.

Why would you want to sit in coach with all the little people when you paid a premium for your own private sleeper that has a chair and couch/bed and you are in a first class setting where all the aristocrats are!!!!!!

Earlier this year we rode the NE regional coach to DC and returned "business class" We really didn't see that much of an advantage except that you don't find many of the lower classes there. You already have a good amount of room on any train. On an airlime flight they cram you in like an animal.

Not to sound like a snob but why would you want to be in coach when you have a nice first class room to sit in that's quiet (Ok relatively quiet) and a private toilet. Personally if I have the opportunity on LD trains I always make sure I have a room where I can work on my computer or listen to my iTunes.

Thats true. Why would anyone want to sit in coach with all the "little people" when you can have the privacy of sitting or even relaxing on a couch where the elite hang out When we buy and pay for private accomodations we use and enjoy them.

I'd no more take your advice on a LD trip in coach than I would take swimming advice from someone that grew up in a desert and has never seen water.

Your reply shows that you have absolutely no sense of humor! Lighten up, laugh and you'll feel better.

 

[the_traveler]

Relax. We are here to be helpful not lobby for everyone to take sleepers.

Hey, all I can do is point out how this looks from outside AU's echo chamber. Choosing to believe it or not is entirely up to you.

Actually as a newbie, I agree with you , after being here only a week, if you read only this site, unless you can travel with a sleeper, you are going to have a miserable time... I would suggest a coach only section. We have decided to drive as it became pretty apparent from reading here that traveling with kids is discouraged unless you have a sleeper.

I hope you change your mind!

I do admit a room is better, but coach is OK too. And as mentioned, also factor in the food cost in your comparison. Assuming you both eat 3 meals per day in the Dining car, you need to add the following:

• 3 dinners @ approx $17 each for 2 people = $102
• 2 breakfasts @ approx $10 each for 2 people = $40
• 1 lunch @ approx $12 each for 2 people = $24

Thus, this added cost of $166 + must also be considered. And if you drive, I can almost be sure you would spend more than $166 on food and hotels!

BTW: I've done coach myself many times. And do you really think that I travel in the "Penthouse Suite" (on the 3rd level) and there is a "Pool and Spa" below the lower level?

It's called "humor"!

BTW #2: I may say "little people" are being cheap, but as many here on AU know - I am one of the cheapest people you will ever meet!

 

[fairviewroad]

Assuming you both eat 3 meals per day in the Dining car, you need to add the following:

• 3 dinners @ approx $17 each for 2 people = $102
• 2 breakfasts @ approx $10 each for 2 people = $40
• 1 lunch @ approx $12 each for 2 people = $24

Who in their right mind would eat that many meals in the diner while traveling coach? You may as well leave your wallet

on the table and allow Amtrak to dip into it at leisure. The "food value" you get with a sleeper is not what the menu prices are

of the things you order, it's the price of what you would have spent if you were riding coach. Lots of LD coach pax bring sandwiches,

fruit, chips, cookies, etc and supplement it with one or two meals in the diner and a few items from the cafe car.

 

[the_traveler]

Assuming you both eat 3 meals per day in the Dining car, you need to add the following:

• 3 dinners @ approx $17 each for 2 people = $102
• 2 breakfasts @ approx $10 each for 2 people = $40
• 1 lunch @ approx $12 each for 2 people = $24

Who in their right mind would eat that many meals in the diner while traveling coach? You may as well leave your wallet

on the table and allow Amtrak to dip into it at leisure. The "food value" you get with a sleeper is not what the menu prices are

of the things you order, it's the price of what you would have spent if you were riding coach. Lots of LD coach pax bring sandwiches,

fruit, chips, cookies, etc and supplement it with one or two meals in the diner and a few items from the cafe car.

OK, scrap that. They would probably go to the cafe and buy a sandwich, chips, drinks, and a snack to eat (that is only a few items, right

) - and have their bill come to $15 or $20 instead!

 

[DET63]

Assuming you both eat 3 meals per day in the Dining car, you need to add the following:

• 3 dinners @ approx $17 each for 2 people = $102
• 2 breakfasts @ approx $10 each for 2 people = $40
• 1 lunch @ approx $12 each for 2 people = $24

Who in their right mind would eat that many meals in the diner while traveling coach? You may as well leave your wallet

on the table and allow Amtrak to dip into it at leisure. The "food value" you get with a sleeper is not what the menu prices are

of the things you order, it's the price of what you would have spent if you were riding coach. Lots of LD coach pax bring sandwiches,

fruit, chips, cookies, etc and supplement it with one or two meals in the diner and a few items from the cafe car.

And if you brown-bag it (so to speak) the cost differential between coach and a sleeper becomes much greater.

As far as getting rid of disposable diapers is concerned, I would assume that the plea not to flush would also apply to female travelers with their pads during "that time of the month," if you know what I mean.

 

[Alice]

Lucinda, Add me to the list of people who are sorry you decided to drive.

I'm one of those adults with no kids who doesn't really like them. And now I usually travel by sleeper. But I do walk through coach on the way to lounge cars and also to look out the back window sometimes. Lots of single parents with children of all ages travel coach. They make up nests in the seats. Often the kids from different families make friends. I think your children will be easier to handle in coach than in a car. On other threads, parents have suggested different ways to keep your kids occupied, favorite games, coloring books, that kind of thing. Sure, sometimes a kid is noisy. Well, that isn't limited to trains and you probably already know how to handle those situations so something disruptive to the whole car doesn't last all night.

 

[PA Traveler]

On the EB last year, a woman in the roomette across from us had a fairly young infant, not a toddler. She had always traveled coach before on what was a common run for her on an overnight trip somewhere between Montana and Minnesota. Her thoughts were that she would never travel in coach again now that she had a child. This was an infant, though. Since I have a 17-month old granddaughter, I can see the advantages of coach and roomette were I to travel with her. Coach would give her a little more freedom to move; a roomette would confine her more than she would like. Probably one of the bedrooms would be best, I would guess, but they are a lot harder to get, from what I've been able to tell.

We have done coach on a daily run, say from Pittsburgh to DC, but roomettes from Pittsburgh to Seattle and back. I don't think I could handle coach for that long a trip, but I'm not a good sleeper, so a roomette is much better for me at night.

 

[oldtimer]

Assuming you both eat 3 meals per day in the Dining car, you need to add the following:

• 3 dinners @ approx $17 each for 2 people = $102
• 2 breakfasts @ approx $10 each for 2 people = $40
• 1 lunch @ approx $12 each for 2 people = $24

Who in their right mind would eat that many meals in the diner while traveling coach? You may as well leave your wallet

on the table and allow Amtrak to dip into it at leisure. The "food value" you get with a sleeper is not what the menu prices are

of the things you order, it's the price of what you would have spent if you were riding coach. Lots of LD coach pax bring sandwiches,

fruit, chips, cookies, etc and supplement it with one or two meals in the diner and a few items from the cafe car.

And if you brown-bag it (so to speak) the cost differential between coach and a sleeper becomes much greater.

As far as getting rid of disposable diapers is concerned, I would assume that the plea not to flush would also apply to female travelers with their pads during "that time of the month," if you know what I mean.

The Superliner waste system can only handle human waste and the toilet paper that Amtrak uses. I'm the guy that wrote the previous posts about my years of experiences working on the system. I even gave a presentation in Philadelphia to management regarding the system and the effectiveness of the modifications that have been done over the years. So please do not put anything but human waste and the supplied toilet paper into the bowl as the results of foreign objects can be catastrophic to the system. Use the waste container in each washroom for all other objects.

I have enjoyed many trips in coach from the time I was 3 and that was almost 60 years ago. It even can be fun, perhaps the children can even meet some others that are close in age for the older ones and develop a new friend or two!

Use your brain and take the train!

You can PM me with any questions.

 

[Kitty]

Hi, everyone -

Thanks so much for the advice. We're still planning on traveling via train to California, but we decided to compromise and get a roomette for Mama and Baby Boy Blue (our 2-year old) and a coach ticket for Dad. We hadn't considered a roomette before (due to the cost), but we're starting to panic thinking that we'll have a screaming toddler running down the aisles annoying the other passengers. And, our little guy is really a sweet-natured, happy boy who would love watching people and the scenery MOST of the time. But, it's the rest of the time that worries us. He probably could use a place to spread out his toys and play or take a nap without a lot of activity going around him. I guess this means that I can't sit with Dad, but I hope that I can have Dad babysit in coach for a while so that I can take a break once in a while. Does anyone know if I can do that? I'm also hoping that they'll let Dad have Baby Boy Blue's free meals as our little guy has a small appetite and is still eating from my plate. Or can't Dad even sit with us in the dining car? We're never traveled by train before, so we don't know what to expect.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

K.

 

[AlanB]

Kitty,

If you call Amtrak you should be able to get all three of you booked into the roomette if you like. But please do not go into that blindly either, things will be snug. Very snug!

If you've seen the old Superman shows where he runs into an old style phone booth, take 2 and a half of those phone booths, push them together, and that's about the size of the roomette. So again, it would be very snug with 3 people in the roomette and there are only 2 seats. Take a look at Amtrak's websitefor the actual demensions of the room, as well as a virtual tour, before you make any decision to try and put 3 into the room.

 

[Chatter163]

If you've seen the old Superman shows where he runs into an old style phone booth, take 2 and a half of those phone booths, push them together, and that's about the size of the roomette. So again, it would be very snug with 3 people in the roomette and there are only 2 seats. Take a look at Amtrak's websitefor the actual demensions of the room, as well as a virtual tour, before you make any decision to try and put 3 into the room.

An excellent caveat from our moderator. (However, being a fan of old Superman and Batman days, I must point out that in fact, Superman never once on television changed into his costume in a phone booth.)

 

[Dan O]

Dan,

You're right, and I'll concede part of your point. I look at it this way ---

If it involves part of one day, then a night, then all of the next day, then that night, then part of the next day, it's a three day and two night trip to me. To me the Lake Shore Limited between ROC and CHI, the City of New Orleans, and Coast Starlight between EMY and SEA aren't LONG train trips, but they do involve part of one day, that night, and part of the next day, so to me those are two day, one night trips. With the current "adjusted" schedule, the Coast Starlight might currently be called, in my parlance, a one night, one day trip.

I guess we count differently. If I leave in the mid-afternoon of one day, am on the train all the next day and wake up in LA in the morning, I don't think that is anything more than 2 days. In fact, a bit less than two days or I'd be arriving in LA around noon or later. Semantics.

Dano

 

[LucindaH]

I wasnt the OP, but thank you all for your advice. I am reconsidering take the train, albeit coach. We just cant swing the sleeper and I really want the kids to see their Nana before she passes. My 4 and almost 7 yr olds are awesome travelers, but I do worry about the 14 month old...we will see, thanks so much!

 

[Ryan]

Excellent! I think that you'll find the train far superior to driving, even in coach.

 

[AlanB]

I wasnt the OP, but thank you all for your advice. I am reconsidering take the train, albeit coach. We just cant swing the sleeper and I really want the kids to see their Nana before she passes. My 4 and almost 7 yr olds are awesome travelers, but I do worry about the 14 month old...we will see, thanks so much!

Lucinda,

I'm glad to hear that you are reconsidering things! While I've personally never done an overnight in coach, the simple reality is that plenty of families do exactly what you're considering every year. Yes, I won't deny that sleepers are nicer. But just like if one is considering a hotel for a night, one doesn't pick the Plaza in NY when one can only afford the Best Western.

Learn as much as you can about the train; get the older kids to pack some of their favorite toys, books, coloring books, etc into a small backpack that they can carry; and then sit back and enjoy the ride. I'm sure you'll find it far easier to deal with the 14 month old's needs while on the train than if you're sitting behind the wheel of your car.

Regarding learning about the trains, in addition to reading things around here and asking questions, you might also want to check out these hints & tips from OTOL.

 

[Tara]

Thank you so much about the advice of a sleeper/roomette. My daughter will be traveling from Ca. to Chicago with a 2 yr old with tons of energy.....it would make for a long exhausting trip for everyone.....