Live2Ride Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 So I'm thinking of taking my dd on a trip to grandmas to stay for a while...then go back and get her. How is train travel? I grew up flying since dad works for an airline, but I can not afford full price plane tickets! Any tips or suggestions? This would be a 20 hour trip one way... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 The last time I checked flying was actually cheaper than the train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renmew Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 My sister and I used to travel as teens together from So Cal to Washington State. We have some great stories and memories from those trips OMG. There are some strange people on trains, let me tell you. It's been years, but I say go for it... and pack your own food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Oh we will so pack our own stuff to eat. :tongue_smilie: I am funny about my food. I checked tickets for airline travel, it's over $340 each for tickets 1 month out. Amtrack was $216 for the both of us 1 month out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I LOVE traveling by train! It is so relaxing. I learned to bring a nice big pillow plus a neck pillow for comfort while sleeping. I was able to get in the downstairs room once which has very few seats (nice as it was more private and right by the bathroom). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 are you sure you are comparing round trip for both? Thats a LOT less than what I priced out for my family for a trip that was only 13 hours each way. But, if that price is for real then I'd do it. I love amtrack. I've used it for a shorter trip, about 4 hours, and loved it. I really liked that there were outlets to plug in laptops or phone chargers or whatever right at your seat. And the seats were very roomy considering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 My mom recently traveled to visit her brother from Central California to Southern California with three of her sisters and had a blast. I say go for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 are you sure you are comparing round trip for both? Thats a LOT less than what I priced out for my family for a trip that was only 13 hours each way. But, if that price is for real then I'd do it. I love amtrack. I've used it for a shorter trip, about 4 hours, and loved it. I really liked that there were outlets to plug in laptops or phone chargers or whatever right at your seat. And the seats were very roomy considering. Yep. I know I can get airline seats a little cheaper on places like priceline, but after looking around on the airline websites, it's still cheaper for us to go by train. It really was 222 and some change to travel on the amtrak round trip for the two of us. If I added my son, it was $60 more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Yep. I know I can get airline seats a little cheaper on places like priceline, but after looking around on the airline websites, it's still cheaper for us to go by train. It really was 222 and some change to travel on the amtrak round trip for the two of us. If I added my son, it was $60 more. That's surprising. I love the idea of trains. We used to take them all the time when we lived in New Jersey. But the last several times I've priced it, flying has always been significantly less expensive. For example, we're planning a trip to NYC in a few months. I checked a couple of days ago, looking at the same dates and destination for Amtrak and assorted airlines. Even without booking a sleeper, it was about 1/4 of the price to fly over taking the train. I can't imagine where you would be going that anyone could take a train anywhere for $60. I sent my daughter on Amtrak from Orlando to West Palm Beach and back just last week. Her round-trip fare was $120. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeteranMom Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 My family took a cross country train trip 4 years ago. We had quite a few delays. I remember us sitting and not moving for many, many hours at several points during the trip. Also, we ended up having to spend the night in Chicago, because we missed our connection. Amtrak paid for our room. Train travel is fine if you aren't on a tight schedule. My kids loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeTea Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I say go for it. Amtrak was a pleasant experience for me, and I think everyone that's interested should hop a train at least once in their lifetime. My daughter (age 10 at the time) and I travelled from Michigan to New Mexico a few years ago. Perfect age to be on a train, as is your own daughter. They're old enough to move around between cars to explore a bit, and it can really feel like an adventure if you look at it that way. We had a sleeper car because we had a 36 hr. or so ride to our destination (so I realize we had our safe little "cocoon" to retreat to) but really most of the time we spent in the club car with everyone else enjoying the scenery. We took pictures, talked with all kinds of friendly strangers, played cards and yahtzee, and just enjoyed seeing the countryside. Not all routes are going to be scenic in the same way, of course, but there's always something to look at. Besides your own food, bring ear plugs, favorite electronics, pillows and a small blanket. Also, your own water! Little cups and spigots are available but yucky, and bottled is expensive and not guaranteed to be available. Overhead luggage area is surprisingly large and open (no duking it out with fellow passengers IME.) Bathrooms can be gross. Explore the cars to find the least used bathroom, which can be handy for doing a little freshening up. The loud, brash, beligerent people that end up getting kicked off Amtrak make the headlines. But let's face it, airline travel has become unpleasant for the same reason. I will pick train over plane any time I am not in a rush. I've mentioned some negatives here and I'm deliberately leaving out some of the pleasant little surprises we found with train travel because you may find your own and I don't want to spoil it for you. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I was shocked at how cheap it was, when I priced a few trips at various points around the country. I hate short plane flights (4-6 hrs) and would rather drive or take the train. My kids would love to go on a train journey. I have fond memories of one I went on when I was a kid! I encourage you to consider it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Oh we will so pack our own stuff to eat. :tongue_smilie: I am funny about my food. I checked tickets for airline travel, it's over $340 each for tickets 1 month out. Amtrack was $216 for the both of us 1 month out. We took Amtrak from VA to Florida to go to Florida Legoland -- and absolutely loved it!!! It was so fun! BUT, our family bought two roomettes. A roomette holds two people and has great seats that turn into bunkbeds. It also has a potty which sounds really gross, but totally worked. Great meals come with this arrangement too. If I were doing 20 hours on the train I'd definitely do a roomette. You'll get privacy and comfort. Plus once you arrive you're functional because you've slept and eaten. Have a great time! Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 BTW my mom made a long train ride and she arranged it so she got off the train at a mid-point city in the evening, stayed the night there, and then got on again in the morning; she was pleased with the arrangement. An option if the roomettes don't work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We took Amtrak from VA to Florida to go to Florida Legoland -- and absolutely loved it!!! It was so fun! BUT, our family bought two roomettes. A roomette holds two people and has great seats that turn into bunkbeds. It also has a potty which sounds really gross, but totally worked. Great meals come with this arrangement too. If I were doing 20 hours on the train I'd definitely do a roomette. You'll get privacy and comfort. Plus once you arrive you're functional because you've slept and eaten. Have a great time! Alley We have done the auto train to FL twice and are taking it again next month. We don't get the roomettes because they are very expensive, but we love traveling by train! We have also found the food to be quite good, really, although we do bring some snacks for the journey. My dc love going by train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Depending on where you're going, prepare for delays. Some Amtrak routes (especially the really long ones) are notoriously late. Though on the east coast, I don't think it's a huge problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We took the auto train to Florida when I was pregnant with dd and it was great. We didn't get a roomette since that was a lot more expensive and didn't have enough room for all of us - 2 adults, an adult sized teenager and a 2 year old. It was still a really nice, comfortable trip and I was 9 months pregnant. DS was able to walk around the train, the meals were actually pretty decent, they could watch movies on dd's laptop and ds slept in his carseat on the floor in front of dd's seat (she always sleeps curled up). The seats allowed dh to completely stretch his legs out which during the day gave ds plenty of room to play on a blanket on the floor. I would definitely suggest bringing snacks, your own pillow/blanket and jacket since it can be chilly especially when trying to sleep. I bought anti-bacterial wipes and toilet paper since I knew I would be in the bathrooms a lot (9 months pregnant) but they were actually very clean and well-stocked. Amtrak prices can vary greatly. They run specials all the time that include children free or 1/2 price. When we went the first child (up to age 16) was 1/2 price and the 2nd was free. Airlines never seem to offer discount rates for children anymore. We were able to take the train to Florida for all 4 of us AND bring our car so we didn't have to rent one for less than 1/2 the price of flying. No issues with luggage, no worrying about car seats and being able to drive our own car around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We were able to take the train to Florida for all 4 of us AND bring our car so we didn't have to rent one for less than 1/2 the price of flying. No issues with luggage, no worrying about car seats and being able to drive our own car around. Really? You bring your car through Amtrak? Could you tell me more, please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I priced a train for us, it was almost double the cost to fly. Now if you don't mind sleeping in your seats then it is much cheaper, but our trip would have been at least 1 night over, can't sleep with three kids in our seats for that time. I would love to do it, I don't want to pay the costs for it though :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 (edited) We just did a train trip, and absolutely loved it. We did book the Family Bedroom (not available on all trains), which is designed for two adults and two kids and gave us a lot of room to spread out. It was wonderful to have outlets for things like my iPod or the DVD player, to be able to move around, and to have meals on the train (included in a sleeper-as was bottled water)-as well as simply to be able to relax and rest as needed. It cost MUCH less than flying, even with the sleeper, because the sleeper charge was per room, not per person, so we paid for two adults and one child (1/2 fare) coach seats, plus the extra $150 for the sleeper. The downside is that the schedule was less than ideal-the only departure we could take was at 6:00 in the morning, and we ended up arriving back on the return at 10:45 at night-neither wonderful for a 7 yr old. Edited January 1, 2012 by dmmetler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Really? You bring your car through Amtrak? Could you tell me more, please? This is true, but we priced it and we figured out that we would have had to stay for two weeks or so in Florida to make this cost effective. We only stayed six days. Plus only certain stations do this drag-the-car-with-it service. The station we wanted to use didn't allow it. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Yep. I know I can get airline seats a little cheaper on places like priceline, but after looking around on the airline websites, it's still cheaper for us to go by train. It really was 222 and some change to travel on the amtrak round trip for the two of us. If I added my son, it was $60 more. Ok, maybe you are in a part of the country where it is cheaper, but just to be sure...when you click on round trip it will come up with a price, but that price is for one way. Then you have to "add to cart" and it will show up with the return trip price. I didn't realize this the first time and got some sticker shock. I just priced out a trip from Orlando to DC and it was $230 per person. I can't imagine how you are going on a 20 hour each way trip for less than that for two people put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug's Mom Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We LOVE Amtrak. We take the Empire Builder from WI to WA every couple of years. I've also done trips to CA & TX with dd. Definitely bring a pillow & blanket. I use a fleece throw and put it inside the pillowcase to make it easier to carry. If you get a room, your meals are included, so if you can get a good price on that, it's a great deal. If you have electronics with you, please use headphones. Eat at least one meal in the dining car. I can only think of one meal ever on the train that we were seated with someone who just really didn't want to chat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armymomma Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 My two college boys travel on Amtrak to and from school and it is much cheaper than flying. The trip is about 16 hours. At least half the price or more. And more flexible. You can get a refund or change plans at the last minute. It takes a bit longer but they love to sleep so that is not a problem. They're also starting to add wifi on some routes. I would love to travel by train! But I would want a sleeper car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 That's surprising. I love the idea of trains. We used to take them all the time when we lived in New Jersey. But the last several times I've priced it, flying has always been significantly less expensive. For example, we're planning a trip to NYC in a few months. I checked a couple of days ago, looking at the same dates and destination for Amtrak and assorted airlines. Even without booking a sleeper, it was about 1/4 of the price to fly over taking the train. I can't imagine where you would be going that anyone could take a train anywhere for $60. I sent my daughter on Amtrak from Orlando to West Palm Beach and back just last week. Her round-trip fare was $120. Because right now up two children can go with an adult for half price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live2Ride Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Ok, maybe you are in a part of the country where it is cheaper, but just to be sure...when you click on round trip it will come up with a price, but that price is for one way. Then you have to "add to cart" and it will show up with the return trip price. I didn't realize this the first time and got some sticker shock. I just priced out a trip from Orlando to DC and it was $230 per person. I can't imagine how you are going on a 20 hour each way trip for less than that for two people put together. I'm glad you said that! :tongue_smilie:, but now I see, but it will still be a little over 400 and airline tickets would have been over 600... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Just never believe the train schedules, and if you can be flexible you'll be fine. They do run awfully late at times. Like more late than the travel time itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We enjoyed our Amtrack trip. It was nice to be able to walk around. We went went they offered multiple stops on the way to a specific destination. It worked out well. We traveled to Montreal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivka Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We've only taken a 5-hr Amtrak trip, but it was so much more comfortable than flying! The seats are bigger and further apart, and the kids don't have to be buckled in to seatbelts. I loved being able to look out the big windows, compared to tiny airplane windows. And you don't have to show up hours early and go through a humiliating security scan. The one thing that was tricky for us was handling our luggage. Because there's no checked luggage, you have to carry all of your suitcases and bags on with you and carry them down the train, sometimes through several cars, before you find seats. It's particularly challenging if you have baby gear like a carseat and a stroller in addition to your suitcases. I did find that people were more than willing to offer to help us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Really? You bring your car through Amtrak? Could you tell me more, please? Yup, they call it the Auto Train. It's only on certain routes but the biggest one seems to be the Virginia to Orlando one. It is more expensive if your car is huge but we chose to bring our Honda Civic instead of our Chevy Suburban. We were down there for two full weeks but when we priced rental cars even for one week (we stayed with family and could've done without for one of the weeks) it was cheaper to bring our car. It would not have been cheaper for the Suburban. At that time the first child was 1/2 price and all subsequent children were free. Children includes up to 16 years old. We did not get any kind of room, just coach seats, for what was a 16 hour trip. This route leaves around 4pm and arrives around 10am (if I remember correctly). Dinner and Breakfast were included in our ticket price and seating was assigned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Ok, maybe you are in a part of the country where it is cheaper, but just to be sure...when you click on round trip it will come up with a price, but that price is for one way. Then you have to "add to cart" and it will show up with the return trip price. I'm glad you said that! :tongue_smilie:, but now I see, but it will still be a little over 400 and airline tickets would have been over 600... I wondered if that might be the situation. Do remember, too, as you weigh cost, that the plane will get you where you are going more quickly and with fewer incidentals. Spending so many hours on a train does encourage spending money on more snacks and things to pass the time. Those incidentals may not add up to $200, though. So, it may still be worth it for you. The thing we always run up against when considering the train is that it would require my husband to take more time off work, which either uses up vacation days or costs us hours (depending on how he is being paid at the moment). Again, if you are not dealing with someone taking time off for the trip, that isn't a factor. And, as others have said, do be prepared for delays. The first time I came to Florida as an adult was from New Jersey. I took the train and was hours and hours late arriving. It wasn't a huge deal for me, but if time is of the essence, it is something to consider. Something similar happened to a friend of mine when she was travelling to Florida from Texas. She and her two kids were stuck on their train for nearly eight extra hours and eventually arrived to a different station than the one they had planned. Fortunately, I was available to go collect them. But if they had planned for or reserved ground transportation in advance, it would have been more of a crisis. On the other hand, as I said, I recently sent my daughter on a short train trip from Orlando to visit a friend in south Florida. The price was reasonable ($120 round trip), and the trip was uneventful. For a comparable trip by plane, it looks like the fare might have been as high as $600 with lots of restrictions on dates. So, for some trips, the train can work really well. I'll say again that I LOVE train travel, or at least the idea of it. I wish we could take trains much more often than we do. There are just so many reasons why it often doesn't seem to make sense. And I hope some of the information here will help you make an informed decision that works for your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheTwinsMom1 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 With amtrack's website you have to make sure you are looking at the price for round trip. It quotes one way at a time, for us it was actually way more expensive to take the train than it was to fly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 We've only taken a 5-hr Amtrak trip, but it was so much more comfortable than flying! The seats are bigger and further apart, and the kids don't have to be buckled in to seatbelts. I loved being able to look out the big windows, compared to tiny airplane windows. And you don't have to show up hours early and go through a humiliating security scan. The one thing that was tricky for us was handling our luggage. Because there's no checked luggage, you have to carry all of your suitcases and bags on with you and carry them down the train, sometimes through several cars, before you find seats. It's particularly challenging if you have baby gear like a carseat and a stroller in addition to your suitcases. I did find that people were more than willing to offer to help us. This may depend-we were able to check baggage on our recent trip, and much more than on a plane-2 checked bags of up to 50 lbs each per person, plus carry-ons. I think that requires having a station with an on-site crew, though-not all do. As far as delays go, my last plane flight had a 5 hour delay before we even got in air-so a flight that was supposed to take an hour in air and should have taken about 3 hours or so total once you counted check in, security, and so on ended up taking about 9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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