Train or Plane?

Hi S.,
When my daughter was 18 months old we moved to England. With 2 lay overs and yes I thought the same thing, how will I ever do this? But it was great.

I learned something from the ticket agent that I didn't know to ask, which was, ask for "Bulkhead" seats. These seats are the first in the aisle and have more leg room, what made this great was there was no one in front of us and allowed my daughter to get down to stand up some and not have to sit for the whole 16 hour flight.

When we moved back to the states we had a 10 month old daughter and we requested the same seating and in that plane they gave us a bassinet that fastened into the wall. It was the best thing that I could ever pass on to anyone flying with children.
This also limited how many people could come in contact with, which I was afraid of because I know people like to play with kids but this causes the kids to get louder, (in my experience anyway). LOL.

I hope this helped.

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Fly - I'm not a fan of flying either, but I am a fan of traveling long distances in a short time. I do my best to control my anxiety and my kids love the adventure of flying. Think of it this way - It is like a short car ride where you are available to entertain your child. In the car kids must often entertain themselves in the backseat while you drive - in the plane you sit beside them and can help with games, snacks, etc..

I have flown alot with my kids. I have a few horror stories - temper tantrums, poopy diapers, restless toddlers - but I have had far more flights with no incident at all and even the horror stories are over in an hour or two.

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The train might sound great, but it takes a LONG time and reports I've heard recently are that train travel is a nightmare. I've heard about very bad food, uncomfortable sleeping compartments, and massive delays.
Flying is tough, but it's quick. The torture is over and done!
An alternative idea if you like driving (we do for the flexibility w/ 2 small kids) - rent a Prius or hybrid car. MY parents did this to drove from Texas to Alabama, and saved quite a bit in the end. Fabulous gas mileage. The only cons are finding one (this can be tough) to rent and the relatively small amount of storage (compared to an SUV).
Good luck. BTW, we bought a V-Tech Cyberpocket video game with learning games for my almost 4 year old. Priceless on long trips, as well as a dvd player with headphones. We use it at the doctor's during long waits and ER trips. You will never regret the purchase!

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Hey S., i can't give you any stories horror or otherwise but if you are that afraid of flying then your kids are going to sense that and at the least be apprehensive. I say try AMTRAK...good luck. R.

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I would definitely look into flying and try to find a direct flight. I have flown with my children a couple of times (they were younger than yours) and the only problem I ever had was when I had 2 kids in tow and tried to fold the stroller myself while the flight attendants watched. I believe most airlines don't require you to buy a ticket for kids under 2 (that's how it was when I flew with mine) but I would buy a seat for the younger child and bring the child's carseat and put her in it. Don't show your fear; if you do your kids will see it and be afraid, too.
I just think taking a train from LA to NV would be too much even without kids.

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S.,
I honestly prefer driving because I can stop when I want and where I want. If you have more than one driver you can take shifts driving so that you can drive thru the night and get in alot of miles while the kids sleep. Since gas mileage seems to be an issue, you could rent a car that will get better gas mileage than your SUV to keep the cost down that way. I did fly from OK to VA with my daughter when she was 2 and she did fine. I packed her a back pack with some small toys (travel etch a sketh and travel magnadoodle were a big hit because I could draw with her), small board puzzles and books to keep her entertained. You might also include a favorite stuffed animal for comfort. I put in some fruit snacks and crackers for her to snack on. I also had her stroller which you can leave at the door of the plane and it will be there when you get off at the other end for moving the kids thru the airport easier. She did very well on the plane. You only need to be prepared for layover in other places (we had a 6 hour lay over in Dallas). You can walk around and look in gift shops and that type of thing to keep you 17 month old entertained. You need to look at the cost of doing both and see which is more economical for you. Good luck.
G.

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When we lived in Europe my daughter loved to travel by train, but it does take some plaining. It was always nice never having to stop for the potty and we could take snacks with us and for long trips there shouldbe a dining car. YOu also get to see areas you other wise would not see by plane or train. Also coming from LA could mean a weird route by air. We know from AL we can waste 10 hours in airports to get anywhere. If you do go by train try to get a sleeper car for the little ones can nap. Happy travels.

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Hi S.,
I got married in the "gambling mecca of the universe." It wasn't so bad, of coure I lived there for over 30 years, growing up through all my school and on and on. But, if I were to travel there today, I'd take a plane. I have traveled with babies, toddlers, school age, teen age...every age you can imagine cause my kids are
s p a c e d apart. Go by plane!

There are some interesting things to do in Las Vegas. If I was going today, I'd make reservations at the Embassy Suites Hotel. They are not on the Strip but close and have free breakfast which if you have a family is a good deal. (they make omlets to order and more)

Last time we were there, we went to the Shark Reef at the Mandalay Bay. That was fun. There are all kinds of mountains to visit. There is Mt. Charleston to the N. West which is cool all summer long and they have skiing in the winter. There is Red Rock, which are the moutains to the west of LV, and they are desert mountains with wild donkeys and lots of neat rock formations. Out by Lake Mead you have the Valley of Fire which is also unique rock formations and of course the lake itself which has some pretty amazing features. If you like, you could take the Hoover Dam Tour- I can't even say how many times I have done it but it is fascinating, go on the extended tour if you can and....defininately watch National Lampoon's LV Vacation first.

Anyway, LV is home to many people, normal people like you, who do not work or participate in the casino environment...except maybe to eat cause there are some great restraunts...the buffets in the Station Casinos will spoil you forever.. All you have to do is go North, South, East or West from the casino environment on one of the major streets and WOW this is really Las Vegas.

(Stay away from downtown, Fremont St., the streets with letters A, B, C, D, right off the freeway, and Bonanza not so nice!)

Have fun and definitely fly!

B.

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Hi. I took my son on a train from OKC to Ft. Worth, TX when he was two months old. The whole trip was only about four or five hours, but he did very well. I don't remember having any unusual problems with him other than what would have happened while sitting at home (spitting up after eating, for example). We were able to get up and walk around if we needed to (you might want to hold on to something if you do this though because the train sort of had a floaty feeling to it). It really just seemed like we were on this big bus or something. I would recommend a train over a plane with small children even though I have never taken my kids on a plane. I have flown before, and I just don't think it is very kid friendly for the little ones. Also, with you being terrified of flying, your children will pick up on that and act accordingly. I hope this helps, and have a safe trip!

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I have taken both the train and plane with my children and would have to go with traveling by train. My husband and I purchased a bedroom on our train trip from Louisiana to Chicago with our son who was 26 months at the time. We loved it! My son got to play around the room and wasn't restricted to a seat, and my husband and I got to sit back and relax. Plus, meals were included in the price of the bedroom. The only con was how long the trip actually takes, other than that, I would travel by train before I would travel by plain again.

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Hey S.!
My family and I just got back to Tulsa from Colorado. My kids are 5,4, and 10 months. Honestly, I was so worried about something going wrong, that I over-prepared!
Everything was amazing! We packed the kids video games, and a bag of snacks, and for the baby we packed a juice cuppy, toys and finger food snacks like the baby dried fruit and the freeze-dried yogurt bites.
I swapped out my purse and a diaper bag for a bagpack, and we brought an umbrella stroller for the airport. Our flight was great! The kids were so good and entertained, we will definitely be flying again as a family. Good luck!

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I have flown all over the US with my kids and if you have a backpack for each with a few new little toys and some non-messy snacks, you should be fine. Remember that over one BILLION people have flown in the US the last 2 years and there have been NO deaths. Flying is far safer than driving. If you take some lollipops, that should help with swallowing to keep the ears from building up too much pressure. There are some fun things to do in Vegas for kids, but it isn't quite as kid friendly as they say it is. It is fun go walk from one hotel to another and look at the sights. So, take your stroller. The kids will love the pool! The kids will be nervous if you are. You might Google "Flying phobia" and other related subjects for suggestions to help your fear. If that doesn't take care of it, get some counseling to help with your fear. Have a good time!

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Hello and god bless you, i know that travel with little ones is very scary! We took my son to minnesota when he was 8 months old which took four planes on the way, (i live in alabama, so it was a long trip!), and due to an error 5 planes on the way back. I was terrified because i had had some serious ear effects a few times when i had flown in the past, from pain to being completely deaf for a short time after landing. So, i was really scared. He did great!! I just put a bottle in his mouth every time we were taking off or landing so that he would be sucking and we never had a single problem. Now, your 17 month old may not still take a bottle like mine did at 17 months!! But, a pacifier, a juice cup, anything to keep those ears open due to the sucking motion. We flew again when he was 3 years old and i was really afraid of that one. No bottle and very strong willed. I was terrified that we would get on the tarmac tube and he would just refuse to go! Again, he did great, in fact, he loved every minute of it! As for a train, i've never traveled by train, but have always thought it would be a neat way to go. There of course shouldn't be any worries about the ears or fears on a train, but it will take a lot longer, i would imagine. I, myself, am looking at his first car trip over four hours this summer, (he's now 5). I terrified about that!! It's about an eight hour trip and he is not one to want to be inactive for long periods of time. Thank god for video games!! Anyway, if you choose flying, i would have both of their ears checked out by the doctor right before the trip to make sure there is no fluid or any symptoms coming on of a cold or allergy just to be on the safe side. But, both times that i have taken mine on a plane, it has worked out beautifully. Of course, i only had one to deal with and two makes it harder, especially if there are any problems and they both want mommy!! I will tell you this, my mother in law used to fly with seven little ones without her husband from time to time when her kids were growing up and she made it just fine! Best of luck to you and i since you've taken the car trips, i would love any advice you have about that!!
Have a fabulous day and god bless!!

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Have you looked up the time frame for going to Las Vegas by way of Amtrak? It's nearly 40 hours...I say drive. You can stop anytime you want, drive at night if there is another driver, stop and have play times at parks and fast food restaurants, pack your own food, sit where you want with your children in their own car seats that they are used to sitting, play movies, etc.... It is about 30 hours to drive it. Most of it can be done while they area asleep.

I think the comfort of your own vehicle out ways any issues. If gasoline really is an issue consider renting a car or van that has better gas mileage.

I am terrified of flying and would explore any option that kept me on the ground.

So it looks like you options are:

Train: 40 hours of dealing with kids

Driving: 30 hours of dealing with kids but control of when you stop, what you do while traveling, stopping to see some sights, have your own vehicle to travel around town, etc

Plane: Hours in the air, trapped, kids may like or hate, food limited, activities limited but shorter time by far.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
S., I did some more research and there isn't a train that goes to Las Vegas. Here is a link to Amtrak routes.

http://www.amtrak.com/pdf/national.pdf

You can go to New Orleans and get on the "City of New Orleans" train at 1:45pm and head up to Chicago which is 19 hours and 15 minutes, 9am, then wait until 3pm and get on the "Southwest Chief" for 34 hours and 24 minutes to get to Kingman Arizona, 11:30 pm, then get a bus or rent a car to go on into Las Veges and you'll have to wait until morning to get rent it because it will be so late.

The return trip consists of getting back to Kingman, returning the car, then waiting until 3am on the "Southwest Chief", get back to Chicago around 3:30pm, then wait until 8pm for the "City of New Orleans" and get into New Orleans about 3:20pm. Here's a link to the trip.

http://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak/FareFinder?_tripType...

When it comes right down to it you really only have 2 choices unless you really want to spend 108+ hours on the train with layovers of over 10 hours in Chicago. In other words 5 days on a train...and spend over $2000.00 on fare and carry on food and water for snacks and to keep hydrated. Then still rent a vehicle.

Drive or fly, gasoline is much less expensive. Flying is much less time.

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I hear you. I hate flying too! It seems so unsafe these days. I live in MS and my mom lives in Phoenix. We have contemplated the train also. We have taken the train to Atlanta and it was fun and safe. If you travel long distances though it requires alot of time that you may not have and you would have to allow for stops that may not be scheduled, as trains have alot of problems. It can be very trying without a place to sleep and unless you can afford a sleeper, the coach chairs would be your only sleeping place. I would check with Amtrak. Im my opinion train is far better than plane!
B. s.

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I do not think I would fly if I was you because of your own fear. The fear you experience may rub off on the kids and I am sure you would not like to do so. I take a train from RI to Az when I was six, the only thing I remember about the trip being hard on my Mon was that the conductor turn the heat off and it was in the mid of the winter. My sister and I had to go to the hospital when we arrive in Tucson. But I think being about to see the countryside and teach the kids something about it would be wonderful.

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My advice is to take the plane. The overall travel time will be easier for you and your children. It can be a great learning opportunity for your older daughter, and the baby will be fine, be sure to give her a bottle at take off and landing. I travel a good bit with my son, and that was a lifesaver when he was an infant! I am also a very nervous flyer, but the shorter travel time will be best for everyone. Good luck.

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I have done both plane and train and say that if you have the time to travel, take the train. We took it this past summer from Arkansas to LA Calif. We were in coach and basically it took 48 hours to get there. My daughter is 18 so it was a great way for her to experience something new. There were lots of families traveling on board, but I would recommend getting a sleeper car if you can afford it due to the time spent onboard. Kids really love traveling that way as they are not as restricted as they are on a plane. The only downside I found was 1) folks snoring and worrying somewhat if someone would take our things while we were sleeping. It's great as there are stops where you can get off the train and stretch for a 5-10 min, food was wonderful, staff was great, it was relaxing. You can take along snacks and bring a games/laptop/portable dvd player to pass time. Visit their website www.amtrak.com for more info and see what others had to say.

I also have traveled alot on planes with my daughter since she was 6 weeks old. The upside to flying is how fast you can get somewhere. The downside, is having to pretty much stay in your seat for a few hours which can be tough for young children. It all depends on your children's temperment, and what you and your husband can do to help your fears. I really dont' have any real horror stories on either as I love to travel by any means and I'm really laid back. The worst time I had was flying overseas on a packed plane for 25 hours with a 7 yr old that wanted to get up and go to the bathroom every 30 minutes. Good luck in whatever way you go.

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we flew from AR to CA last Summer with our 7, 3, and 18 month old and suprisingly, it went VERY well. We brought snacks, comfort items of course, and bought some new toys that they got that day on the plane. That kept them busy a while, then they napped. They did so well! I think the quicker the better. We had layovers but we ate and let them run up and down the isle to burn some energy and they were great. Good luck!

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We flew with our children, the oldest was 4 at the time and the youngest was 18 months old. They both sat in our laps, and they had fun.

They were more interested in looking out the windows and asking tons of questions.

The train would be fun, but it is a lot longer trip than flying.

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I would totally go for the train ride! It is more than likely a lot cheaper, and it would give you piece of mind. (especially after hearing about all the plane wrecks recently, I'd be too terrified to fly!!) You can check online about times and all that. For example, I know from Memphis to Chicago it is about 8 hours, but the train leaves at midnight, so when you wake up you are in Chicago. Now, I know it will be longer from Lousiana to Vegas, but it would probably be a lot easier on you and the kids. If you get your own room deal on the train, they can move around and not be strapped into a plane seat for 5 million hours. Good luck....another plus is that it will be a new experience for your 6 year old. Kids love trains, and it will give him something to talk about to his friends. Flying is overrated! and as to the response of nobody dying mentiooned below, there was a plane crash in San Diego not too long ago where the plane crashed into a neighborhood, killing a family-- and what about the plane that went down in NY? Nobody was killed, but the plane went down 7 miles after taking off...NO WAY would I risk flying!!

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My daughter was 18 months when we flew and she did just fine. No vomiting, no ears popping, none of that. Just a thought: children feed off of their parents emotions. When I read what you typed: "I am terrified of flying" I became somewhat nervous for you taking your kids on a plane. If you believe you can remain cool, calm and collected during the whole airport/plane ride process, I would say go for it. However, if you are terrified and anxious, your children will react that way, too. If you are calm and relaxed, they will have a calm and relaxed flight. Let me know what works out! I'll pray for you to make the right decision.

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Hi S.,

I'm also from Louisiana but I can't offer you any horror stories. I've been fortunate and only have happy ones. We have traveled several places by plane with our child and my nephew. We've flown to Florida, Colorado, New Mexico as well as Canada. The flight to Las Vegas is really not very long. My son has had serious ear problems so I talked to the doctor before he flew for the first time and he gave him some drops to numb them but on the way back I didn't put them. Instead I gave him a piece of gum or a candy and the swallowing helped the ear popping. Once you reach a certain altitude, the popping will stop. Just make sure you have plenty of things for them to do while in the plane. I brought books, coloring books, travel games, dvd players, etc. I brought new ones so they would be excited to use them. If you're lucky enough to get a non stop flight, then you'll only have one departure and one landing which is great but if you have more than one stop make sure you're layover is long enough for you to haul yourself, your husband, your children and all your extras to the next gate. It's very stressful and tiring to have to run out of a plane and across an airport to the next gate to catch your connecting flight. Also, I never did this but I have seen several parents who brought their child's umbrella stroller with them on the airplane. This makes it alot easier than having to carry your child, purse, diaper bag, etc. Once you get on the plane, either try to put it in the overhead compartments or ask the stewardess (I don't know what they're called now)where you can put it. They're usually very helpful.

You're going to have to try to control your nerves because your kids can pick up on your nervousness. You would be surprised how easy it is to become relaxed while you're trying to pretend you are relaxed. Just make sure you enjoy yourself! Take deep breaths and SMILE! It's a great experience for you and your kids.

HAPPY TRAVELING!!!!!!

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I've flown three times with my son, once to VA from AR when he was 7 months old and to India twice with him, when he was 2 and a half months old and again when he was 20 months old. He never had a problem with planes or the ear pressure. He did get hyper a few times, but the plane trip you would be taking shouldn't be too much of a problem since it probably wouldn't last that long. He loved having a window seat looking outside. I think your children might pick up on your fear, but if you act like it's going to be a fun adventure, they'll probably play into that.

We also rode on trains both times we went to India, and that was awesome. I don't know how long the train ride for you would be, but we were on the train for about 8-10 hours each trip. We would usually get the train that left at night so that we could sleep. I don't know how the trains are set up here, but in India, we had a bunk of four sleeper beds, two on bottom and two on top. We were traveling in a group, so the whole bunk was ours, with a curtain to close it off. My son could walk around, lay down, play, sleep, etc. I preferred the train so that he could get up and have more room to run about, however, the same train trip is only an hour by plane, so if the train wasn't so cheap, we would have taken the plane. My son would usually fall asleep to the rocking of the train pretty quickly and I would follow soon after. If you can get a night train, I'd say do that, especially if you are scared of flying, unless your kids get motion sickness easily. Sorry I don't have any horror stories, but maybe your kids will end up being good travelers! Good luck!

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It sounds to me like you answered your question. If you are afraid of flying, your children will pick up on it and everyone will be miserable. I don't believe in sharing every single horror story unless there is something helpful to learn fromt them. It is so much better to be prepared, but not be dreading what "might" happen. That can lead to a "self fullfilling prophacy" situation. In other words, if you expect the worst and look for it, you will find it. In whatever you decide, do be prepared, but focus on the positives. Literally say them out loud and you will be training your children to have positive attitudes and to focus on the silver linings in difficult situations. Good luck!