Travel by Train with Baby

We travel the train often, and let me tell you, if you can afford the roomette, it is TOTALLY WORTH IT when you have small children with you.

Another poster is half correct; IF the train is not fully booked, there should be an extra seat for your baby in coach. BUT, if the train is fully booked, you will be expected to hold them. You can call Amtrak to confirm this.

The benefits of the roomette are many. You get a private space with a small table in it. You have a door that can slide closed (which is great if baby is fussy/loud, or if other passengers are loud!). You have a place to keep the diaper bag and gear when you are walking about the train. First class roomettes have a bathroom that is not open to coach class (it's usually much cleaner). We love that table: my husband loves to play cards or put his laptop on it - the roomettes also have plugs, while most of the regular cars don't. On long trips, it's also great for portable DVD players (keeps the kids busy). The table is great for snacks and games for the kids, too. And for us, one of the nicest things is that in a roomette, the bed is COMPLETELY FLAT - you can lie down with your child - unlike the regular seats that only recline (= actual rest). Plus, you have privacy with the sleeper, and your meals are included, and you get to sit in the deluxe lounge (and board first) in Chicago.

There are things you can do to make your trip easier on yourselves. If it's super late/super early/baby is super fussy, you can pay the Red Cap to drive you from the check in counter to the train, and vice versa (I think we tip about $2 per bag/stroller). Depending on which track your train is on, it can be a LONG haul with a small child, strollers, and luggage. The nice thing is that they will take you right to baggage claim, and will usually wait for you! :-)

Buy a carseat bag for your carseat - they have a zippered pouch, and some even have wheels. It'll keep the carseat clean, and it's great to be able to drag it along. You can check your regular luggage, and can even check the car seat (I always put a sign on mine that says FRAGILE, INFANT CAR SEAT), and by law they are not allowed to charge you any extra for checking a baby car seat. They do have an area for carry-on bags & strollers on the train (right when you get on, you can ask the conductor). It's usually on the first floor if you are on a double-decker train.

Don't get me wrong, coach is do-able with a child, people do it all of the time. We've found it's just ten times easier with your own room when the trip is long, and overnight.

Good luck!
M.

Hi N.:

When I took my long train ride to Utah, there were mom's who had baby buggies, not the big monster ones, the smaller ones so that their baby could sleep comfortably and not have to worry about holding them the length of their trip.

No Amtrack does not have seat belts, so a carseat would not work. Pay the extra money and request the handicapped car,
because in front of the first set of seats on one side of the car is a large enough space for people in wheelchairs and moms with baby buggies. That's where one gal sat with her baby.

The train ride was awesome for us, but of course we didn't have a baby to worry about just carrying heavy luggage.

Hope that helps.
S.

We've taken our daughter on a train & it's been fine. Our trip is only 6 hours though and there is no option for a sleeping car. They don't charge you for an extra seat for the baby but you will have an extra seat (it's not like on a plane where they make you hold the baby on your lap unless you buy an additional seat & if you're boarding at Union Station in the city, if you're early you can get 4 seats that face each other so you can all sit together comfortably. He will be comfortable in his car seat and although there are no seatbelts to strap the car seat down, it's ok and stable. The seats are pretty big. As long as you & your husband are comfortable sitting in these seats overnight, it's not a bad deal. I would say that the comfort factor of the train seats are much better than an airplane. They recline, they're bigger also. There will be an area in your car where you can put the stroller and all of your bulky luggage and then there's storage space for things you'll want with you (diaper bag, purse, etc.). I like taking the train - it doesn't take any longer than driving and it feels like your vacation starts sooner since both you and your husband can relax and pass the baby back and forth when you're not sleeping.

N.,
I have traveled by train two times with my daughter and we are going again next month. Each time, I've purchased the roomette and was grateful. They are much smaller than you might think, so keep that in mind with two adults in there. There are two narrow bunk beds (or seats during the day), about 12 square inches to stand and a teeny toilet/sink. What I appreciate about them is that you have privacy and a bit of space to take care of the baby. You can also lay flat to rest versus half sitting in the regular seats. The prices also include some food in the dining car and access to juice/water in the sleeping car area. The first time I took it, my daughter was 6 weeks and the porter even brought dinner to my room. That might have changed with budget cuts. Another word on porters: some are very nice, but some seem half-asleep so you need to be very patient to get your bed made, etc. My daughter was 3 last year when we went, and she LOVED everything about it. She thought it was magical and stayed awake half the night (not fun) trying to look out the window, etc. In terms of your stuff, the porter will store it for you and should help you get it off and on the train. On one of my trips, there was an empty roomette, so my stuff was put in there. I've taken my daughter on numerous trips alone on both planes and the train, and I find the train much less stressful. You do have to realize that it does get delayed, for many hours at times, so you need to have to relax and enjoy the experience (and bring a lot of kid-friendly snacks/toys.)

Please email me if you would like to know more.
J.

If you could afford the sleeper go for it. If your baby is fussy then he will be able to move around a little better on the bed. Hopefully, the sound of the train and its rocking movement will lull your baby asleep.

Have fun!
J.

Hi N.,

I took a 7hr train ride with my 3 month old daughter (she was 3 months old then) from Carbondale to Chicago and we turned out ok. It I were to make a longer trip however, I would consider having additional privacy/room. We were lucky that the Amtrak was not full and it was a very early morning (1am) ride and therefore she slept through most. We did not use the car seat so I held her throughout the trip. I have not seen what the roommett's are like so I can't comment on this. You may also be in luck if your son is a good overnight sleeper. Safe journey! Let us know what you ended up doing!

N., we did an 8-hour Amtrak ride with our daughter when she was 3, so it's a little different. But compared to a plane, there is more floor room, especially if you can get seats in the front of the car, or 4 seats facing. Then you can put the car seat on the floor. Also, on the long trips, people walk around quite a bit and there's a dining car and a viewer car, so it will help keep your son interested in what's going on. Not sure about a roomette. If it's daytime, I wouldn't think it would help much. Luggage and strollers go in the storage spots, but you typically have access to them. Have fun on your trip.