Minimalist travel and Amtrak

[jelbe5]

Our family is considering a trip next spring and we are thinking of taking Amtrak. The vacation will be for 10-14 days and the train ride would be approximately 24 hours. I would love to hear from those who have taken Amtrak and any tips are appreciated. I would also appreciate ideas on packing light. I am thinking one duffle bag and backpack per person. I would be grateful for suggestions for types of bag/backpacks I might be interested in purchasing as well as specific packing tips. Thanks!

[Luckymama]

Which Amtrak route(s)?

[kiana]

I have ridden Amtrak and it was quite comfortable. I no longer do because I no longer live near a train station. It is nice to be able to get up and walk around etc. and it is much easier to take your own food (the train food is incredibly expensive) than it is on an airplane.

 

As far as packing light, the one thing I consider incredibly important is making sure you have enough underpants. I pack mine last, roll them tightly and fit them into the nooks/crannies/outside packages. If possible, pick clothes (especially trousers) that you are ok with re-wearing -- they occupy a lot more space than tightly rolled tops and underwear. I pack a grocery bag and put worn underwear and anything else that I'm not re-wearing into it so that I'm 100% aware of what I've got left and also so that if it's smelly it's not contaminating the rest of my luggage. 

[Amira]

I don't have much experience with train travel, but I think that two bags each is plenty. Stop at a laundromat once if your trip is around 10 days and twice if it's closer to 14 days to get all the laundry done quickly. Take as few clothes as possible- you really don't have to have a lot. You might consider having everyone take a backpack that they can carry easily and then bringing along just one larger rolling bag that everyone shares with heavy or bulky stuff. L.L. Bean has good rolling duffles in different sizes that are flexible if you want something like that.

 

What fun!

[jelbe5]

Luckymama,

 

We are planning on taking the California Zephyr from Chicago to Glenwood Springs, Colorado. My parents have taken this route several times and travel light, but it is just the two of them - I still want to help my kids.

 

We have vacationed with one large suitcase in the past and while it has worked to some degree I would like to try individual bags. I hate digging through the shared case trying to find clothes for myself. I will take a look at LL Bean luggage. It has been years since we have looked at and purchased luggage.

[whitestavern]

We take the auto train to FL each year, about 17 hours. Two years ago we did a cross country trip starting and ending in Denver. We trained out from Boston, through Chicago. Each of those legs was 20 something hours. Our family really enjoys traveling by train. You can get up and walk around, the seats are comfy, there are no luggage restrictions, food is decent though you can bring your own. And the scenery is built in entertainment!

 

When we first board, each family member takes a row of two seats. If the train doesn't fill up, we each keep the two seats, which is a Godsend for sleeping :)

 

There is no wifi on the trains but there are outlets. If you have laptops or iPads, you can download movies ahead of time to watch on train. I don't find the Amtrak movies family friendly at all, though they are supposed to be. We also bring lots of snacks and water bottles.

 

We bring a small blanket each, as well as a pillow. The kids put the blanket right in the pillowcase so it's somewhat easy to carry. We use backpacks as carryons to keep our hands free to hold other stuff. The kids like to put PJs on so they pack those, and don't forget toothbrushes and paste, hairbrush. Don't forget coloring books, puzzle books, reading books, etc. If you don't want to deal with pajamas dress comfy in sweats or something.

 

Try for seats in the middle of the car. The doors between can be loud at night. It also keeps you a little bit from the stairs down to the bathroom, which every once in a while can get smelly. Try to sit in a car about three cars from dining. Too close and the traffic is busy, too far away and you're schlepping far 3x a day.

 

We did not pack light - I think we had 11 bags for 4 people - so I have no suggestions there.

[Dmmetler]

We love Amtrak as well. It may be worth it to check the cost of a bedroom for a 24 hour trip-more comfortable for sleeping, and meals are included.

 

Since Amtrak is far more reasonable on luggage than planes are, we usually don't try to be terribly minimal on Amtrak.

[kiana]

Oh! Once, for a pillow on the train, I packed a pillowcase filled with squishy clothes (no buckles or buttons or stuff). It was an amazing space-saver. 

[3 ladybugs]

I have went from NYC to Tampa 2 times round trip. I have also went from NYC to Portland or Seattle twice round trip. The last time we got off in Wisconsin for a few days before coming all the way home.

 

If you are at a checked baggage station (on both ends), you get 3 bags per person. So you don't need to worry about packing light. Get a Amtrak miles card for everyone you pay for (or over 2) because they don't expire. Get a room if you can afford it. You get better restrooms (cleaner, less use) and meals. Also jet leg doesn't seem to happen on the train. 😉

 

I LOVE taking the train and do it whenever I can. I am currently saving my miles for another trip out to my family in Portland. I have almost enough for half my family first class. So I am getting there.

 

If you really do want to pack light, my father has gone to China 3 times (twice to get my 2 sisters) carry on only! He is an expert at packing light! He says that you pick the size of bag that works best for you. When it is filled, you are done. Sounds simple but it is the opposite of how I think about packing. I normally think of what I need and find a bag to fit it.

[jelbe5]

These are great tips! Please keep them coming. One main concern is entertaining my son who has autism, so we were planning to bring an iPad with movies on it. He also tends to be a hoarder and loves to bring a ton of toys, books and other items anytime we go somewhere. We have slowly been able to reduce the amount of stuff he brings with but I need to make sure we reduce it further if we do this trip.

[Starr]

We generally follow the rule, one rolling carry on size bag/suitcase and backpack or tote bag for each of us. We do this for any trip.  On occasion for longer, far away trips we take one extra suitcase to share for coats and things. So two bottoms, five tops and you are good to go if you can do laundry.  The train will be entertaining and there is time for food and sleep. Maybe you should pack some things for your ds that you can bring out of your bag as the day goes on, rotate activities. 24 hours will go by quickly. Trains or planes, bring snacks and water. I wouldn't buy suitcases or backpacks unless I didn't have anything workable at home. Everyone needs to be able to manage their own luggage. It sounds fun!

[Bug's Mom]

We have taken Amtrak from WI to WA and/or OR several times. Sometimes we ride in coach, sometimes we have a room. After having trouble in coach with my backpack being to big to easily put it on the shelf above my seat, I discovered the Embark Jartop backpack at Target. All 3 of us have them now. They fit up top and because of how they open, they're easy to set on the floor and find things.
We also pack a feather pillow in a jersey pillowcase (because it's stretch) and then put a fleece blanket inside that. Because they were on sale, we ended up with king-size pillowcases. This worked out great, as we couldjust gather the end and hold it easily.
Bring headphones. Especially if you're in coach, watch the volume of them so as to not disturb others.
Hoodies. The train temp can change drastically. They're also good for blocking the lights when sleeping.
 

 

[Momling]

I'm on an Amtrak train right now (from NYC -DC) and posting from their wifi - it's a little laggy, but not terrible. Definitely bring a sweatshirt to wear - the ac is cold. The tickets were much cheaper bought several months in advance. NonRefundable but cheaper. The cafe car is pretty uninteresting and overpriced. We packed lunch.

[MEmama]

We did Europe by train for 3 weeks and took 1 small bag each. DS took a kid size backpack, DH had a small backpack suitcase and I used just a tote bag. We were all responsible for our own stuff. Now and again we would use a string bag for walking about cities or packing picnic foods, but those don't take up any space. We kept all our clothes and toiletries sorted in individual ziplock bags to save space and stay organized. It made finding everything and repacking very simple. Next time we'll do it the same way, but with probably half the stuff. I'm a big, big fan of traveling light. :)

 

Layers, water, lots of healthy picnic food, sporks for everyone (seriously, we found them incredibly useful to have on us at all times) are essential to keep easily accessible. Quick dry clothes are easy to hand wash and dry in hours. Plus they pack up very small and weigh almost nothing. One of the best tips I used was to take old undies (ahem) and just toss them as we went. Double bonus in that I gained bag space as we tavelled and now I don't have a bag of unwearable unmentionables at home anymore. :)

 

Have fun!

[Catwoman]

We have taken Amtrak from NYC to Rochester, MN, and I wouldn't do a long trip without being in one of the bedrooms, because it is so much more comfortable than spending all that time in a coach seat, and also because the price isn't that much higher when you consider that all of your meals in the dining car are included, and you will be getting "real" meals. Be sure to choose a room with a private bathroom. The tiniest bedrooms only have a toilet concealed within the room, and those rooms only sleep two people, so you won't want that option.

 

I remember that to get the bedroom that could sleep three people and also had a bathroom, we had to order our tickets over the phone. The online ordering system would only allow two people in the room (although the description specifically said three people could fit in it.) Is your ds okay with being in the top bunk or sharing a bed with your dh? I only ask because that particular room setup has a single bunk on top and a double bed on the bottom.