Berkeley Parents Network: Taking the Train

Berkeley Parents Network

Taking the Train

Berkeley Parents Network > Advice > Going Places > Taking the Train

Cross-country trip via Amtrak
Where to take Amtrak for 2-year-old birthday party
Taking baby on the train - are there seat belts?
Sacramento Train Museum / Train Trip
Where to watch trains

Cross-country trip via Amtrak

Nov 2006

For many years, I have had the fantasy of taking a cross- country trip on a train in a sleeping car like the old Pullman trains of the past. I have a meeting in Chicago in early December and would like to consider flying to Chicago for the meeting, and then, meeting my wife and taking Amtrak back to the Bay Area (the ''California Zephyr''). The price of a ''bedroom'' for two (including meals) is about $1100.00, but the accommodations, as described online, appear fairly spare and cramped. Has anyone made such a trip on Amtrak recently? If so, feedback would be appreciated. Robert

We have taken numerous trips on Amtrak, but mostly up and down the west coast on the Coast Starlight. I have taken the train from Seattle to Chicago as a kid, but that was a long time ago. I have very fond memories.

First of all, the bedrooms are cramped. I suggest a Deluxe if you can swing it...it's the least cramped and you have your own bathroom. The food is pretty mediocre, but certainly palatable. The experience is fabulous! It's so fun sitting eating dinner in the dining car watching the world go by. It's fun sitting in the lounge car reading a book and talking with people. Your bedroom may not be spacious, but you're not stuck there, you have places to wander.

Oh, and be prepared to be late, very late. Amtrak leases track from other railroads, and they have to wait on sidings while other trains use the track. It's really annoying. Union Pacific is the worst offender, in my experience. Have fun! It is a blast! Jennifer

We took the California Zephyr from Denver to Reno two summers ago - my husband and I and our two kids (ages 4 and 15 months at the time).

We loved the scenery and the romance of the train travel. I think sleeping on a train is so wonderful - the rocking motion, etc. And its so much more relaxing than either flying or driving. We had a family bedroom and the space worked well. In fact, the long lower bunk was wide enough for my husband and I to sleep on together, and we used the upper bunk to store things. You will need to store your larger suitcases outside the cabin regardless. Our kids took the two little bunks and really enjoyed it. But I did think that the basic two-person compartment, which we saw from the outside, seemed a little snug. There is basically no floor space -- the seats/bunks take up the whole area.

We also planned to stop off in various places along the way, including an overnight in western Colorado and a stop-off in the Lake Tahoe area. I think if we had been continuously on the train all that time it would have made us a bit stir-crazy. I will say, however, that we got off a little early, in Reno. We had planned to get off in Truckee, spend a night near Tahoe, and get back on and go all the way to Emeryville. But by the time we got through Nevada we were running about 10 hours behind, so at that point we bailed out and switched over to driving the rest of the way. I am glad about the part we did on the train, but be aware that it is at times quite late.

Good luck with your trip
Fan of train travel

A few years ago my husband, 2-year-old son and I took the California Zephyr to and from Iowa. I would *never* take the trip again with a small child, but I would definitely take the trip again with my husband. If you look at it as an experience rather than a method of transportation, it is well worth the money.

Good points. If you enjoy reading, sleeping, talking with your wife, doing absolutely nothing, etc., the train is wonderful. You can spend hour upon hour just looking out the window at America as it rolls by. If you're the friendly sort, you can meet other travelers. The food is serviceable, and it's a blast to eat in the dining car as the aformentioned scenery rolls by. The noise and motion of the train can help you sleep really well.

Bad points. I'm afraid your fantasies of an old-fashioned Pullman car experience will be dashed! The sleeping compartment is beyond tiny -- you'll laugh when you see it. It's really just two seats facing each other with the only standing room in between them. It works for two adults, it's just very, very cozy. One thing you could try, though -- the train has an Accessible bedroom that they reserve for people who actually need it. Around a week before the trip (call to confirm the timing), if that room hasn't been booked, it becomes available to anyone. They then let you upgrade for a very reasonable price, and the room is (relatively) much bigger.

You can choose to have your meals in your room but it's a lot easier to use the dining car. However, if you use the dining car, you're going to be sitting and eating with strangers. I'm somewhat antisocial, so this was a drawback for me. But maybe you like that kind of thing.

The last thing to remember is that Amtrak is inefficient and clunky. You are almost always late to wherever you are going; the train can break down and/or lose air conditioning/heat/electricity (aside from meaning you might be cold/hot/in the dark for a while, it also means they might not be able to refrigerate/cook the food). The train uses the same rails as every other train in America, so it often has to stop and wait to let the other trains go by.

All of that said, I would take the train trip from Chicago in a heartbeat, and look at it as an adventure. You can see some of the country, do absolutely nothing for three whole days, and spend a lot of time with your wife. Tori

We took a cross-country Amtrak trip 11 years ago - my husband, son (who had his 10th birthday on the train) and myself. We left from Oakland on the Coast Starlight to LA and then I don't remember the name of the one that went across the bottom of the U.S. to Winter Haven, Fl. It took 4 days. We were on a budget (I think it was $450 roundtrip for the 3 of us) so didn't have a sleeper and it was pretty uncomfortable in terms of sleeping accomodations (basically reclining in our seats) but it was a major high point in all of our lives. I think the fact that we didn't have a sleeper, forced us to mingle more with other passengers. It was so incredibly enjoyable to meet folks picked up along the way going across the southern U.S. and stopping at places we probably would never get to otherwise and seeing scenery that was untainted by human activity. We still talk about that trip and enjoy very much viewing our videos. Such a wonderful adventure though the sleeping arrangement was a little too spartan. My son made friends with other kids on the train (coincidentally one of them shared my son's exact birthday) and they'd wander freely. There were movies to view, a snack car, a dining car (with HORRIBLE food), people playing card games, my husband and son spent a lot of time with other folks teaching each other card tricks, and wonderful porters. I'm happy just thinking about it again. If we were behind schedule (which other folks mentioned in their replies) I guess that part didn't make a significant impact on us. If you're in a hurry, maybe it's not the best way to travel. In my experience riding trains over the years, waiting is often just part of the total train ride experience. Joan

Every child should have at least one trip on a train to remember!

Amtrak is very cheap when you book well in advance, and it isn't necessary to get a private bedroom--the seats are extremely wide, long, comfy and tilt way back. They are sufficient for an adults for a few days, and certainly fine for kids. Bring your own blankets. Food is adequate, kid-friendly & overpriced but not terribly so. There is plenty of room for your own cooler if you prefer to go that way. Some people order takeout at the longer stops that are in cities--ask the porter. Beer and wine are for sale.

If you bring a laptop or DVD player, there is actually plenty of room to operate it. (Grab a seat with an electric outlet next to it as soon as you board.) I used to train to LA and work on the train, with piles of files next to me. (Impossible to do on an airplane.)

Typically the scenery is fabulous. The trains snake thru places they don't send cars. In Colorado you go thru long gorges with the Colorado River right next to you on one side and a cliff face on the other. The Coastal Starlight to LA travels right next to the water for many miles--you can watch the surfers and sometimes see whales.

Multi-stop tickets are extra but there are some wonderful places to visit. The northern train that ends up in Seattle goes to Glacier National Park. The train to Chicago from Emeryville goes thru Colorado ski country. (When you plan this, be sure to factor in the arrival time--could be the middle of the night.) After a certain age your kids will be OK on their own. Mine got card/video games going with other kids in the snack bar car. I checked in with them occasionally, but mostly read and enjoyed the scenery.

The biggest drawback: Amtrak is almost never on time. (Freights get priority, so the trains are often sidetracked--literally--for long periods.) This can be an advantage if your arrival is scheduled for the middle of the night--otherwise, it is something you have to factor in. Call before you leave for the station, and have anyone meeting you on arrival do the same. If renting a car, talk to the rental agent about whether they are willing to leave it at the station for you if the train is late. If not, carry motel names with you so you can call ahead for a room if you need one.

The website is amtrak.gov (I think) and it is worth visiting just to see where they go. Train fan

Where to take Amtrak for 2-year-old birthday party

Nov 2006

My son, like many toddlers his age, is obsessed with trains. We've spent many a day at the Tilden Park steam trains. He turns 2 in December, and given the weather risk here in Berkeley at that time, we thought an indoor birthday party would be smart. But why not on a train? We could catch the train in Emeryville or Berkeley and head north perhaps for a fairly short trip -- like 1 hour or less each way. Any ideas? Anyone know if there are fun spots in Suisun or Martinez that are in a short walking distance from the train stations in those towns? Has anyone done this -- a birthday party on the train? The party-goers will be mainly adults with perhaps 4 toddlers. Alternative ideas would also be great -- like I understand there is a great steam train ride near/through the Santa Cruz mountains? Thinking maybe something closer (but not Tilden since we do that commonly) would be fun. Thank you! Holly

If you are open to other ideas, the Sunol-Niles Canyon historic train is a lot of fun. It's not too far from the Berkeley area - about 30-40 min car ride. The ride itself roundtrip is about 1 hour. They have party rentals on the train. When we went on it, they had wine tasting (there's a whole wine country developing out this way) so that made it extra fun for the adults! Here's a web link http://www.ncry.org/home.htm Amy

I don't know how many kids you're planning to invite to your 2 year old's birthday party. But if it is just one friend or a few family members, you should consider taking Amtrak to Sacramento. There is a stop in Old Town Sac that is right across from the Train Museum. It is a surprisingly fun museum for the whole family. There are big train cars of every variety housed in a big warehouse-type space. You can go into many of them. I took my kids a few years back when they were 3 and 7, and they had a fabulous time. We did not take Amtrak, but I know others who have and enjoyed it. It's worth checking out

Hi - we have done the trip from either Emeryville or Berkeley to Martinez as a birthday party, and there is a great park about a block away. There's even a walk from the Martinez over a hill to see the water, but the park itself is quite great for a picnic. I don't know of indoor places in martinez though. Martinez is just the right amount of time on the train each way, a bit less than an hour I think.

If you have more stamina, you can go to sacramento - closer to 2 hours but a nice ride, and go to the train museum which is indoors and great cause you can go in all these old trains.

We have done the bday party thing on the train, and if it's not crowded we got a whole car top level, had snacks and presents there and everything. GREAT for the right kids, and they have a blast, very relaxing for you too as no driving, just a bit of cleanup before arrival.

Allow a bit of time n case the train is delayed but normally those routes are within a half hour of schedule. remember to get the AAA discount. (from berkeley you have to have tickets ahead of time though, or pay a premium to buy them on the train, so Emeryville is easier in that way as a departure station)

Have fun! isabel

It's not on Atrak, and is a little bit of a drive, but you should check out Train Town in Sonoma. Of course, it's a little weather-dependent, but that's what raincoats are for! It has a lovely train ride, and a very low-key amusement park (just a few rides, including some good kiddie-ones, and a great ferris wheel). http://www.traintown.com/ If you take Amtrak all the way to Sacramento, you can go to the Railroad Museum there. http://www.csrmf.org/ It takes about two hours to get there, but that could be a good time to have cake (there are tables ont he train), walk around the train, maybe buy a snack in the dining car. The museum is within walking distance of the Sacramento train station. Of course, this would have to be a full-day activity, and maybe a little pricier than you had in mind. The museum is in ''Old Sacramento'', which is also nice to walk around.

For a short Amtrak ride, get on at the Richmond BART station, then get off at Jack London Square (about 1/2 hour). At Jack London Square, you could go to a book store, for pizza, or take a ferry ride.

On Amtrak, kids under 2 ride free, and kids two and up are half-fare. AA members also get discounts R.K.

We've done this several times and it is so EASY! Take Amtrak to the train museum in Old Sacramento. When you get off the train in Old Sacramento, you only need to walk about 50 yards and you are at the train museum. The ride is NOT too long (about 2 hours) for the two-year olds b/c there's a lot to see along the way, the novelty of being on Amtrak keeps 'em going for a while and many will sleep on the way home! The train museum is FANTASTIC! ngp@bayarea.net

Take the Amtrak from Emervytille station to Sacramento. At the end of the line, walk a few blocks to the Sacramento train museum. http://www.csrmf.org/ The steam train ride through the redwoods at Roaring Camp in Santa Cruz is very scenic, but the cars are open-air, so it's probably not something you want to do with a 2 y.o. in December. Definitely check it out in the spring or summer CC

We took our then-3-year-old on an Amtrak train trip from Emeryville to Martinez. It was great! It's not too long - maybe 40 minutes? - and there is a big public park right there at the Martinez station with a lot of play structures and running around room. We played at the park for a while, found a place near the station to get burgers, and then came back home. It was a low-stress parent-pleasing experience that will also please train buffs. Ginger

Hi! What about BART? My kids love to ride on BART are there are several fun destinations: 1) SFO (the people movers, air travel museum, restaurants); 2) Embarcadero Center (glass elevators in the Hyatt, walking around Embarcadero Center); 3) Downtown Berkeley (Habitot, children's section of the Berkeley Library) Helena

It's more than an hour away (closer to 2) but the California Railroad Museum in Sacramento is a great place to visit by train. The museum is about a two-block walk from the station. It has great exhibits (lots of old engines and rail cars) that kids can look at, walk through and, in some case,climb on, and there's a nearby restaurant (the Silver Palace) in a historic rail station with a cheap and kid-friendly menu. There are also plenty of nicer restaurants on the river and in Old Sacramento. And it can be fun to watch the boats go by and the drawbridges go up and down.

If Sacramento is too far, and it's a nice day, there's a nice park at the Martinez Marina, a short walk from the station. There's also a hot dog place near the station, and several restaurants downtown, but many are closed on weekends. Mike

Take the kids to the Train Museum in Sacramento! It's the perfect day trip for a train-crazy two-year-old, like mine was. You leave from Emeryville @ 8 a.m., have a beautful, scenic ride that's the perfect length - about 2.5 hours - long enough to enjoy exploring the dining and observation cars, and short enough to get off before boredom sets in.

Then the train museum is only a short, one-block walk from the station. You'll have time to explore it and get lunch at one of the many kid-friendly places along the historic Sacramento River Walk before catching the train home, which leaves around 2 p.m. You arrive in Emeryville @ 4 p.m., before anyone is so worn out they melt down.

I think having a birthday party on the train is a great idea. Wish I'd thought of it when my little engineer was two! Trainster Mom

I haven't been there myself and am not sure how close it is to an Amtrak station, but there is the Western Railway Museum in Suisun, which has vintage cars and offers a 1 1/2 mile loop trip on site. http://www.wrm.org

If the kids are really into trains, then taking Amtrak to Sacramento to the train museum (right next to the station) is a great daytrip. It's about two hours each way, which for our two year old seemed short with so many things to see from the train. We also did this for our three year old's birthday with just one friend (three kids, including older brother) and it was ideal... a bigger group of younger kids might be harder. If the weather is iffy having a huge indoor train museum as your destination could be helpful.

If a shorter ride is more appealing I'd shoot for Davis because the downtown is so walkable and there's a big park maybe not too far where they have the farmers market, but I don't know anything about Suison, etc - Charis

Taking baby on the train - are there seat belts?

Aug 1999

I will be taking a trip to New York in October. We will fly round trip through JFK, but will be spending part of our time in up-state New York. I will be travelling with my mom and my 9mo baby (age at time of trip). We are currently weighing the option of renting a car and driving up-state (and back) vs. taking a cab to Penn Station and taking the train. Does anyone have a recommendation as to which is better with a baby and a car seat? If we rent a car I know I can buckle him in and he will be safe. What about the cab and train? I read on this list that lots of cabs don't have belts, but can't remember if that applied to US or foreign cities. I have never taken a train, other than BART or the Subway, are "real" trains the same, with no seat belts? Rose

The last time I rode one of the trains going to upstate, there were indeed no seat belts. If you rent the car at JFK, it will be expensive but you can head straight up from there and cross the river farther up. The position of JFK gives you a serious headstart over taking a cab all the way to the center of the city and then waiting for a train. Plus you'll have transport when you are upstate. I'd vote for car, if it's not prohibitively expensive (2-way cab won't be cheap either). Heather

Trains have much to offer. Last summer my wife and I took our two kids (ages 4 and 8 at the time) on an Amtrak from Los Angeles to Santa Fe, New Mexico and back to visit old friends. The train trip was fantastic. The seats were roomy, we could wander around the train, read, watch the beautiful scenery go by, or play games (we made sure the kids had plenty with them). The trip one way was 17 hours. The train left L.A. at 8:00 pm, so we spent a good part of the trip sleeping. In the morning we had breakfast in the dining car, with the beautiful scenery of northern Arizona to gaze at out the window as we ate.

Of course, traveling with a 9 month old would be different. Every baby is different, of course, so you will be the best judge of how your 9 month old might handle a car trip, but I know that our youngest couldn't stand being strapped into a car seat for much more than about 45 minutes. Before we moved to California, he couldn't even handle the drive from Santa Fe to Albuquerque (about one hour). Consequently he made even short trips miserable for everyone. In contrast, the freedom from having to concentrate on driving, and the freedom to move about, that the train provided made for an enjoyable and relaxing trip for all of us. Hope this helps. Carl

All of the cabs I've ridden in the USA--SF, LA, DC and NYC have had seatbelts in the back seats--I think "it's the law." Some drivers act impatient when I take the time to strap in a car seat, but--tough. Most drivers seem to have their own kids or grandkids, and are very understanding.

I have never seen a seatbelt on a train, and I've travelled on quite a few, although never the line you're planning to do. In general, the idea on a train is that it is safe to move around at all times--there shouldn't be any reason to really need a seatbelt. In addition, on a train, you typically have good access to the floor, so you could set up the carseat there, and wedge it in well--it won't go anywhere.

My two cents on which mode of transport to take would probably be the train, because you can easily move around on a train to care for the baby and/or yourself. Plus no driving stress on unfamiliar roads. Meg

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