Travel by Auto Train???

Hi K.! I have not done it myself, but my parents just went in Feb. My mother was extremely impressed by the train and found it to be comfortable. She said there were a lot of families traveling on her leg of the trip and that the kids seemed to have a nice time. I guess there is a car that has some kids stuff in it and that you can bring them into to keep them occupied for a bit. You will have to let me know how it went, we are thinking about taking our two daughter ( 4 and 20 months) on it next year for a Florida trip. K.:)

We have done this trip several times, and enjoyed it very much. The kids think it's cool how the beds and bathroom work! I will say that the rocking of the train can be soothing to some. I am a very light sleeper and didn't get much sleep that night, but we enjoyed the adventure. You can roll towels as a sort of bumper/bed rail for the open side of the kids' beds. The stewards can get you extra blankets or sheets to use for this purpose if you want. I found them to be very helpful and accommodating - they set up the beds for you. There isn't much room for this so we went to the dining car, but if the kids want to watch from the passageway, it's kind of interesting! My son really enjoyed the dining car - thought it was awesome. I traveled a lot by train with my mother as a child, and enjoyed it. Most of the trip will be at night but the kids can watch some scenery as the train pulls out of the station. They will also enjoy walking from one car to the next, especially the 3 year old. It's completely enclosed - not like the open connecting platforms on the train when I was a kid!

Bring a small CD player with their favorite lullabies, buy a few special toys (SMALL!) and books just for the trip (especially books about trains), and of course have snacks on hand.

For the little one, you can trying lying down with him if you have to - the beds are tight, but he's little. Once the lights are off and there's nothing to see outside, and after all the excitement, he may drop off sooner than you think. The train goes through some very isolated areas so there isn't too much to see except trees once you get out of Virginia - maybe he'll get bored! Pull the shades, and everyone settle down for the night!

Good luck!

Hi K.,
I have no info on this but would love to know how your trip goes. I'm not big on the idea of flying with my 2 girls and think this would be a great alternative to getting to Disney. If you wouldn't mind sharing the info I'd really appreciate it : ) I hope you have a great trip!!

I've traveled by train all over the place and love it! I've done many small trips as well as larger ones--Atlanta to NYC to Boston and back; Chicago to Denver to CA coast to Texas and back; Springfield, MA to Denver to San Francisco to Glacier National Park and back. The last trip was with our son and he loved it, too! He was a bit older (7-8 years old) so he has very fond memories of it to this day. (It's too bad you're not going to take the train from Boston to VA. The area around Mystic, CT is really pretty.)

If I remember correctly, the upper bunks have a little bit of a harness that helps keep your child safe, but I couldn't swear by that 100%. Our son thought it was wonderfully cozy on the top and ASKED to take naps (he hadn't taken naps in years!). Another person also mentioned extra towels or blankets rolled up to provide a barrier which could be a good idea on a lower bed.

Will you have two adults? If so, that will give you a lot of flexibility. If not, people are generally very helpful and friendly on the train--both riders and porters. (My husband traveled with our son back from England to Boston via airplane when our son was just one. People were very accommodating and helpful on the plane and I find them equally so on the train.)

One thing I would recommend is to make sure you venture beyond your little room. Walking up and down the train burns off little kid energy and it's fun to meet others. Half of the experience of the train is meeting all of the interesting people who have the time and inclination to travel this way. Generally the Lounge Car and Dining Car are the best places for conversation beyond your room. As long as you are respectful of people's space, you can also just walk the train from end to end if your 3-year-old really needs to walk. You'll get a lot of smiles along the way.

If your children have special cuddly toys, make sure you bring one for each. Also, books are a godsend on the train as well as those sketching toys where you draw and then wipe it out to start over again (Magnadoodle). Crayons or markers are fine but beware of them rolling under seats, etc. The Magnadoodles are self-contained, without parts to lose. Also, don't forget to just look out the windows and see what is passing.

Our son LOVED sleeping on the train. It's gentle rocking motion and the sound of the tracks were very soothing to him. We didn't bring any electronic devices along with us. We either just sang to him or he sang to us. But if singing is not your family's thing, a device for favorite bedtime tunes might be helpful.

Your meals will be included with your room. But I would recommend bringing some simple snacks if you have the room--goldfish, grapes, raisins, etc. in ziploc bags that don't take room when they're empty. Otherwise, you can buy some snacks at the Lounge Car, but they will cost more than what you could bring along yourself.

Have a wonderful time! I highly recommend taking the train as your kids get older, too. Especially west of Chicago, the tunnels are taller, so you can ride on the trains with the second-level viewing cars. Plus, the tracks are more in the open spaces so you get to see more great scenery!

If you ever do take another trip, the advice I give anyone who is traveling by train is that spring and fall are the best times, with fewer chances of delays. In the winter, you may run into snow delays. Out west in the summer, you may run into heat delays because the 1/2-mile tracks swell, requiring the trains to travel slower for safety.

The other tidbit I recommend on long trips is to work in a day or two layover when you're switching from one train route to another. That is for two reasons. It gives you more of an opportunity to visit new places or to visit friends/family. But it also builds in a little flexibility in case you end up with a delay. That way, you don't miss your connection for the next leg of the trip, thus, stressing you out and potentially ruining a wonderfully planned trip.

Again, enjoy your trip! You'll be surprised how well the bedrooms work for your needs, especially if you think of the entire train as your path for meandering and adventure in visiting. Enjoy!

P.S. I forgot there was a car that had Legos/Duplos, etc. in it. Not sure if all trains have it or not. It was in the same car as the sleeping cars but it was on the lower level. Our son was more enamoured with the trip itself, though. But, remember, he was also older.

I don't know about the autotrain, but my husband and I received a baby tent as a gift and (though we thought it was a little crazy) we use it all the time! It is very small, light, and easy to carry, unfolds and pops up in three seconds, and can zip all the way around, so the kid can't get out, though you can see in through the mesh or you could cover it to make it dark inside. It has a soft inflatable mattress and comes with a little bike-tire-type pump. We tuck normal size crib sheets around the inflatable mattress and our son loves it so we never use a pack-and-play. Ours was Bill & Teds, which I have seen at Isis Maternity but I know other companies make similar ones. Hope this helps,
L.

We took Amtrak once to go to the Midwest from VA. We got a family room. We had 2 adults and 3 kids. If you are the only adult...I would have him sleep with you on the lower adult berth. Otherwise, you will be close enough to him with him sleeping in the lower child berth. Once the beds are all pulled out there really isn't much room to walk around. You will be nice and snug.
We really enjoyed our ride. The bathrooms weren't too far away either. I loved it that they set your dining time too. You can get up and walk the train and leave your stuff in your room. It's great.
I hope you enjoy your ride.

Hi K.,
i have never traveled by auto train before. But, I have traveled with my kids by plane and auto at all different ages. You can prepare your 3 year old for the trip by talking about it. You can also bring a few familiar items from home that will help them feel secure. (a favorite stuffed animal or blanket or books)(also some favorite snacks) I'm not sure if a portable crib will fit in the room with you.(maybe it will when the beds are up) I'm not sure if you can walk around on the train when it's going--- I imagine you can. That may be helpful too. I would try to make use of the space in the room while they are awake and when you know they are tired, put the beds down and go through your usual bedtime routine. It is always a little scary to travel when the kids are little. They look to you for security. They may know that things are different and they aren't home, but as long as you are with them they usually feel secure. I usually find that with planning and organizing ahead of time everyone does ok. Many times other parents are helpful if they see you are traveling alone. Also, try to pack well in advance of the trip-- make your list now-- so that you can make sure you are well rested before the trip. If you are exhausted before you leave, it makes it harder. I'm sure you will do fine! Good Luck!
M.