happyWImom Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 Okay, I saw a previous thread where someone was going from WI to Seattle w/out a sleeper car & it sounded awful. We are going to try from here to Portland with a sleeper-2 adults & 2 kids. Please tell me your great experiences. And, any advice is helpful!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 When we had 3 dc (9 mos, 3yo, 6yo), I took the kids from Portland to Minneapolis and back. We had a family sleeper. There isn't much to do especially with kids that little. They got bored with the observation car quickly. Each night there was a family friendly movie in the observation car. Mostly I hid out in the sleeper. We had lots of books and hot wheels cars and some legos. When I bought the tickets, I was told that I could have meals delivered to the sleeper instead of eating in the dining room. That didn't happen. The one time I asked for food in our room, our porter returned over an hour later to tell me the dining car was out of food. :glare: (My older two had each spilled things in the dining car and I wasn't looking forward to that again!) I ended up having to spend $15 on three hot dogs from the snack area. I suggest packing a few snacks. I think it would be more fun now that the kids are older. I know I would have enjoyed the trip more if I wasn't so stressed out! We did get off the train at the longer stops. Some stops are about 15 minutes. We stayed right next to the train though because I was scared we would miss the all aboard call. If your dc are older, it will be easier. Well, and 2 adults with 2 kids will be better than 3 against 1. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 We did an overnight on Amtrak a very long time ago with two kids in a sleeper. It was a lot of fun! They treat you like a queen! We had turndown service and dinner (on real plates!). And, my then-2 yo didn't want to stay for the full 4 course dinner, so I left with him. About 30 minutes later, there was a knock on our door and they had boxed up the rest of our food and brought it to us! It was such a nice touch! We all slept so well - there's something about the movement of the train that was just soothing. The shower is fun! It's a tiny little thing. But, I loved the fact that it was an option! As I said, ours was just an overnight. So, I'm sure after a couple more days, we'd be dealing with more boredom. But, we loved it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 We just did a trip from Los Angeles to Chicago. The kids all enjoyed it, but it did get a little boring for my youngest towards the end of the trip. I would suggest packing plenty to do, snacks to eat, and some dramamine if needed. My oldest son got motion sickness, and the dramamine saved us! Also tip your sleeping car attendant. I tipped throughout our trip, and we were very well taken care of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 I did it many ages ago, without the sleeper car. It was amazing and wonderful in many ways. They used to do a deal where you could pay a set price and go to your choice of any three cities they served. A friend and I did it when we were young and had a blast, going both through the southern end of the country and the northern. That line, the Empire Builder, from Seattle and Portland (the train hooks up together in eastern Washington) through to Chicago was insanely late and I've heard from others about it being late still these days. The sites out the window are what makes it unique and fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted July 1, 2012 Author Share Posted July 1, 2012 We just did a trip from Los Angeles to Chicago. The kids all enjoyed it, but it did get a little boring for my youngest towards the end of the trip. I would suggest packing plenty to do, snacks to eat, and some dramamine if needed. My oldest son got motion sickness, and the dramamine saved us! Also tip your sleeping car attendant. I tipped throughout our trip, and we were very well taken care of. Oh, no-motion sickness!! My dd gets car-sick when we drive around the corner! Seriously, that's one reason we never do long car trips. For some reason, I was thinking it wouldn't happen on the train. Thanks so much for mentioning it, though. Now we'll be prepared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoLuRu Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 We took an overnight trip on Amtrak last year when I was pregnant and suffering morning sickness. I would recommend that anyone with known motion sickness or morning sickness AVOID AVOID AVOID!! Throwing up repeatedly in a tiny, moving bathroom is really awful. The kids, almost 3 and almost 6, LOVED it. They thought eating in the dining car was awesome. Sleeping on the top bunk was exciting. But I brought lots and lots of little activities because there just isn't much to do on the train. I brought self contained activities like wipe off activity books and Klutz "Chicken Socks" books for them to do, plus crayons, cards, toy trains (naturally!), etc. Snacks are also a good idea. I would NOT do it without a sleeper room overnight with kids. Opt for the first seating for meals and get there early if you want any hope of having a choice in what you get. They run out. Also, be aware that there may be delays. Long delays. Our train was 14 hours late getting us to our destination and we missed most of the views we hoped to see because they were hit at night instead of during the day. Pack and plan accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted July 1, 2012 Author Share Posted July 1, 2012 Okay, taking note here. Sleeper, for sure; eat at the first service; have dd take dramamine; bring books, dvd's, lots of things to do; bring snacks. Anything else? The delay thing makes me a little nervous; that's why I always go non-stop when we fly anywhere-to avoid the delays & missed connections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Strawberry Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 I went from Louisiana to Los Angeles and back with a 6 yr old, 2 yr old and 4-6 months pregnant and again with a 6 yr old, 3 yr old and 4-9week old and no sleeping cars. It was one of the best experiences of my life and had an enormous impact on our kids, esp the oldest. It really wasn't bad at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoLuRu Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 strawberrymama, I think it might depend on the disposition of the kids and parents. I couldn't have done our two day trip without a bit of privacy and space to lay down. But my kids surely did enjoy the trip and have still talked about it all year! It's a short cabin and if I was too much taller I wouldn't have been able to stretch out, but at 5'8" I fit fine lengthwise. I'm chubby and was pregnant and snuggling the 3 yo, which was a tight fit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 The trains I've been on had electrical outlets right at your seat, so you could plug in a laptop or portable DVD player to watch movies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 More Amtrak cross country tips??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug's Mom Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 I've taken several cross-country trips on Amtrak. Sometimes with a room, sometimes in coach. The most recent was in April when dd & I went from WI to WA (almost to Seattle). We had a roomette and had a great time. The trip before that, dh was with us and we splurged on the family room. It's great! The other plus of having a room is that all of your meals are included. On our last trip, dd & I ended up skipping a meal, as we weren't hungry from the last meal. The Empire Builder (the route you'll be on) is great. If you're really lucky, you'll get Curtis as your room attendant. He's super-nice. Also, look for Antonio in the dining car...he'll be singing and asking trivia questions. :D All 3 of us are going to Portland on the train in September. We'll be in coach this time, as we'll be staying in a hotel rather than with friends/family, and can't afford a room on the train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renmew Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 It's been years, but my sister and I used to travel from Los Angeles to Seattle when we were teens. We never got sleeper cars. The only thing I can say is bring whatever food you can. Because of the long and frequent delays, our trains often ran out of food before getting anywhere near Seattle. One time this happened Amtrak had KFC delivered at a stop. They began passing out the food from the back of the train, and soon the smell of chicken was coming through the door. They ran out of chicken in the car before ours, so we were sooooooooooo hungry by the time we got to Seattle. Enjoy your trip! I would love to take my kids somewhere by train, but I am going to wait until they are a bit older. Although not too old, as I got my first kiss on one of those trains... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 I've taken several cross-country trips on Amtrak. Sometimes with a room, sometimes in coach. The most recent was in April when dd & I went from WI to WA (almost to Seattle). We had a roomette and had a great time. The trip before that, dh was with us and we splurged on the family room. It's great! The other plus of having a room is that all of your meals are included. On our last trip, dd & I ended up skipping a meal, as we weren't hungry from the last meal. The Empire Builder (the route you'll be on) is great. If you're really lucky, you'll get Curtis as your room attendant. He's super-nice. Also, look for Antonio in the dining car...he'll be singing and asking trivia questions. :D All 3 of us are going to Portland on the train in September. We'll be in coach this time, as we'll be staying in a hotel rather than with friends/family, and can't afford a room on the train. I'm not sure if we're going in September or October-maybe we'll be on it at the same time! So the family sleepers don't have a bathroom, correct? Anything I should know about the bathrooms? How close are they, usually? We go to the bathroom a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug's Mom Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 I'm not sure if we're going in September or October-maybe we'll be on it at the same time! So the family sleepers don't have a bathroom, correct? Anything I should know about the bathrooms? How close are they, usually? We go to the bathroom a lot! We're going late-Sept. Getting on the train here (WI) Friday, Sept. 21, I think it is...would be too cool if we were on the same train! The family room does not have a bathroom, but they're just down the hall. The family room is on the bottom level, at one end of the car. It's not far at all. There are a few photos of our room in this blog post: http://thebugslife.blogspot.com/2010/10/washington-oct-2010-part-1.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 I went from Louisiana to Los Angeles and back with a 6 yr old, 2 yr old and 4-6 months pregnant and again with a 6 yr old, 3 yr old and 4-9week old and no sleeping cars. It was one of the best experiences of my life and had an enormous impact on our kids, esp the oldest. It really wasn't bad at all. I have very fond (but vague) memories of some extended train trip with my mother at age 5. I wish I had the patience and need and money to take my kids on a trip like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyWImom Posted July 2, 2012 Author Share Posted July 2, 2012 We're going late-Sept. Getting on the train here (WI) Friday, Sept. 21, I think it is...would be too cool if we were on the same train! The family room does not have a bathroom, but they're just down the hall. The family room is on the bottom level, at one end of the car. It's not far at all. There are a few photos of our room in this blog post: http://thebugslife.blogspot.com/2010/10/washington-oct-2010-part-1.html Thanks for the pics! We are booking our trip ASAP, so we'll see what's available. If it ends up that we do the 21st, I will let you know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug's Mom Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Thanks for the pics! We are booking our trip ASAP, so we'll see what's available. If it ends up that we do the 21st, I will let you know! That would be so cool! Dd is 10 and would love to meet some homeschoolers on the train. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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