Anyone done this? I am thinking about a trip to Florida, which would be 13 hours on the train. I am interested in hearing anyone's experience. Thanks!
I hate to tell you this, but you need to know: it's a very loooonnnnng ride with too many stops in between. You're better off flying on an airplane than riding on a train. You can get a plane ticket for under $185/roundtrip if you book it early in advance. With plane, it'll take you to Florida in less than 2 hours with no stop (SouthWest Airlines).
how old are the kids i did it with a 16 year old and 11 year old and saw many that had kids smaller. yes there are a lot of stops but if you pick a train that travels at night mostly they will sleep
Cake got that one right. DW and I went down for a Thanksgiving family thing. Booked and paid for a sleeper, didn;t get it. Meals were included, which turned out to be a sammich and a drink. Stopped near Baldwin FL for a three hour changeover for crews. Crews left, train turned off, no A/C. Got near Tampa. Took right at 17 hours. Never again. North of DC, train service is great. South of it, FORGET IT! Unless you're tkaing the auto train from Lorton, VA to Sanford, outside Orlando. Now, we fly Southwest, only.
I have taken the train to NYC with my kids to visit my sister. 13 hours each way. I can tell you that it is much better than driving (all the stops and are we there yet's). But it is not as good as flying. Keep these things in mind. Pack your meals. The food on the train is not good and costs alot. Pack snacks and drinks. Kids get bored and when they do they eat. Take plenty for them to do (portable TV's, IPods, Leapsters, Nintendo's and books). They do have plug-ins on the train every other row of seats. Take a blanket or wear heavy clothing. Even during the summer it is extremely cold. It has been 95 outside and I have came off the train wearing a sweat shirt and freezing. Very cold. But the kids love the train. I gave my kids the option of train, plane or driving to NYC in December (we have done all 3). They want to go on the train. They just love it! Good luck!
We did it with then both of our sons , 6 and almost 1 from Raleigh to San bernardino California . OMG talk about HELL , That whole trip was hell , From almost being robbed in Washington dc to almost being robbed in Chicago to almost being robbed in San bernardino ...hahaha That long of a trip with youngin's is an absolute no no !! Our trip was a 3 day trip on coach . Another thing , Amtrak rails no not have to be inspected in new Mexico so it was sooo bumpy at 90 mph , There were times that we all of us thought we were going to crash . My kids got sick from the other people on their . It was horrible . Now mind you this was oh a good 6 years ago . I don't know about anyone else but i am a smoker and was told when i bought the tickets there would be a smoking car the whole way , all 3000 miles of it . There was NOT and i almost died . I ended up getting a free ticket to use within 1 year for 240.00 but never used it . We paid back then for all 4 of us on coach 1,450 .:roll: I would not get back on a train EVER.:banghead: Even with our bad experience i would still recommend it for short trips and adults with no small kids . It is a great way to see some beautiful sites . That's one good thing i can say for the trip , we seen some very beautiful places and meet some great people . Sorry so long but i had to give my 2cents on this one
We went to FL with 5 kids (2 families). Right before you go, call and ask if they have any sleepers left. We got those for an additional $50. That was awesome...your private own potty! Brought a portable DVD player, snacks, etc... Came with a meal in the dining car, and a person who continuously ask you if you need coffee and water (free), he even turned down our beds!!! Was well worth the $50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I traveled by train once, by myself. From VA, to Boca Raton FL to meet with DH who was taking some training down there. I was petrified the entire trip, it took nearly 10 hours longer than it was supposed to due to some flooding somewhere along the route. I didn't get a sleeper because it wasn't supposed to be that long of a trip. Never again. :?
Thanks so much for the responses so far, ya'll are so helpful. The kids are young, they will be 8,4,and almost 2 at that time. The train I am looking at leaves in the evening and is all night so I am wondering how much sleep we would get. So the train stops even if there are no layovers?
DS & I took the train in 2005 up to DC... it was sooooooooooooooooo slow. This was a summer trip scheduled for 6 hrs- it took almost 10. Augh!!!! There was some sort of Summer hot weather slow down and then we had to pull over & let the big money trains pass us. (Orange juice going North & trash going south). I learned that Amtrak does not own their own track below DC so they are the low boys on the track. The trains were not too nasty, the bathrooms were -used-. There were many families that has built tent cities over the seats & were on board for the LONG haul (FLA to NYC). The food car was very limited, we brought our own snacks & drinks. The smokers break in Rocky Mount was about one hour.... Never again.
I road Amtrak one time. ONE TIME. Raleigh to Charlotte for a Panthers game. The stops are relentless and not to mention boring. Your kids would go bat crazy.
The trip from Raleigh to Charlotte take 3 hours (about as long as it takes to drive). Guess what? Trains have to stop every once in a while to pick more people up. There are only 7 stops in between the two cities and most people on the Panthers train do not have much luggage so the stops shouldn't be that long. 2 of the 7 stops are unmanned stations so there is no baggage check anyway. At those 2 stops you're lucky if the train slows down enough for you to get on. I will agree that cross country train travel might be dicey given the fact that state DOT's have much to do with track condition, crossing safety and rail equipment. Each state is different in how they value the rail. I will say that the NC only trains (between Raleigh and Charlotte) are very well run and worth the ride.
Having had two over nighters in airports in the last year I would argue that airline travel is not without its issues. On a train from Raleigh to Charlotte you can: Use your cell phone Go get food (such that it is) at your leisure Actually plug in your laptop Enjoy the country side Lean your seat back immediatley upon sitting down Pack over 3.4 ounces of shampoo Keep your shoes on the entire time (unless you decide to take them off) Hear your self think Reduce greenhouse emissions Avoid paying for parking Avoid nerve-wracking encounters with logging trucks Arrive in the same time it would take to drive In my opinion the US railways have been neglected way too long. We need to invest in infrastructure so we have other options when traveling. There will come a day when the roads and airways are too clogged and begin to breakdown.
