My wife and I will be taking our daughter, who will be 9 months, to Disneyland for the first time and we are thinking about Amtrak. It would be about a 7 hour trip and as part of that trip we would have to transfer to a bus to get over the grapevine. I would like to hear any stories, good or bad, about taking an infant on the train. Also once we get to the train station in Anaheim how do you get to your hotel? I don't know what the law is as far as babies in cabs of if it is even an option. So is this a good idea or would we just be better off driving?

Depends on where you are coming from. But remember this, trains stop everywhere and this takes time. Then there is all the stuff that goes with a 9 month old baby that you will have to deal with through transfers and such.

I think I would load the family truckster (Suburban) and drive.

Personally, that sounds like a huge hassle, but that's just me. I don't know if money is an issue, but last time I checked, the train was crazy expensive. I say drive - you will save yourself a ton of grief and have transportation while you're there. Hope you have a great time!

I haven't taken an infant myself...but I know for a fact that my mom took me from Chicago to Los Angeles (a two night trip) every two years during my infancy-to the teen years.

Most cabs carry a baby seat and will be happy to put your infant in it.

Where are you coming from? Is there anyway to stay directly on the train or only 1 transfer? I have not traveled with an infant on the train, but we are planning on coming home on the train in feb. We will be traveling with an autistic child, which at times can be as much work as an infant.
When I looked into the train, we only had buses/trains with at least 3 or 4 transfers. Went into the multi city option and found we could go Anaheim to Union Station (LAX) and then take that same train all the way home, so only 1 tranfer.

Where are you coming from?

Be sure to really explore the amtrak site, b/c sometimes it looks like the ONLY route is a difficult one, but if you look in a different way, other options show up. For instance, I was looking at the Surfliner from Anaheim to San Diego, and I put in a specific time to see what happened. It only showed one time, and I think it included a bus. When I opened up the time to all day, I found MANY more scheduled trains.

We took the train from Seattle to Portland when DS was 3 months old, for our 1st wedding anniversary. It was wonderful. But we love the train anyway, and loved taking it before DS arrived...DH took the train to Oregon for our wedding, we took the train to BC for our honeymoon...I took the train while pg from Seattle to San Jose...we love the train.

I would NEVER trust a cab to have a seat, nor would I trust the seat, so when we took the trip to Portland we hauled DS's carseat for the 10 minute cab ride. There are no seatbelts on the train, of course, so the carseat just sat in the luggage area on our train car.

It's nice to be able to walk up and down the aisles if needed, and there's lots for baby to look at.

A year or so later we went to BC, and unfortunately DS got sick while we were there. We couldn't extend our trip until he was better, so we were in the bad position of having to bring a sick near-2 year old on the train. There's no emoticon to describe that! We felt SO guilty about it, we ended up having to medicate him (we don't normally but he was incredibly miserable and DH was newly recovered from the illness and it turned out I would get it a day after we got home, we had had only blips of sleep the night before while taking turns walking him around the hotel room so he wouldn't cry, and THEN the train stopped on the tracks for over an hour while a stalled freight train in front of us was fixed, which took away the motion aspect of the comfort of a train) so that he would SLEEP. Those around us were very kind, but I know they were probably angry with us.

So if the little one is getting sick, I don't recommend it (have a backup plan), but otherwise it's really nice!

And for a longer trip on a train where they are available, shell out the $$ for a sleeping car...that gets you 1st Class benefits, like an extra lounge and meals, along with the sleeping area for a nap if you want. Don't know if I'd pay that for a 7 hour trip, but if the money were just sitting there, I might. :)


Let us know where you are coming from, and maybe we can help find out if there are more options!

We've done Amtrak many times (with a dog in tow) and it is pretty nice. Our trip is down the valley, switch to the bus in Bakersfield, then back to a train in LA. From the Anaheim station, a taxi is $5 to most of the area hotels.

Thanks for all of the responses! We are starting from central california, Modesto area. I did talk to a friend of ours that thought that there was a train that went down the coast but it was a much longer trip and when I looked for it on the amtrak website I didn't see it but that might be another option. I personally enjoy driving so the real reason I am thinking about the train is so the baby doesn't have to sit in a car seat for 5 hours.

Thanks for all of the responses! We are starting from central california, Modesto area. I did talk to a friend of ours that thought that there was a train that went down the coast but it was a much longer trip and when I looked for it on the amtrak website I didn't see it but that might be another option. I personally enjoy driving so the real reason I am thinking about the train is so the baby doesn't have to sit in a car seat for 5 hours.:::waving:::: OK, we do it from there too! Its not a bad ride, and it really isn't bad changing to the bus. One thing to consider. There is sometimes a 90 min layover in LA. If there is, consider a Limo into Anaheim, much faster.

To do the coast, you would leave from Modesto going NORTH to Emeryville, spend the night in a hotel, then catch the one down the coast and spend ALL day and evening going down. It is NOT worth that.

I do like Amtrak as I can relax and when I arrive in Anaheim, I am ready for Disneyland. We take the 8:05am out of Modesto, and get into Anaheim by about 4pm.

I don't know if I can help, but just out of curiousity and conversation.

The train you're thinking of taking is the "San Joaquins
San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento - Bakersfield/Southern California"? This might be the page (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081442673773&ssid=132) for it.

I'm sure the coast one you heard about is the one I took to San Jose, the Coast Starlight (http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/am2Route/Vertical_Route_Page&c=am2Route&cid=1081256321841&ssid=137). (hope those links work)

Personally, I would see if I could find a way to get over west and catch that train, rather than deal with the whole bus thing. But I did my time on buses, as my dad was a Greyhound driver, and the last bus trip I took was 36 loooooong hours from Yakima to Denver, and am thoroughly "over" them. :p

I pretty much got off the train where you'd be getting on, and you would need to expect that train to be at least an hour late, if not more, picking you up (Amtrak is not known for punctuality, as they share the rails with everyone else, and a freight train problem becomes a passenger train problem) b/c they are coming all the way from Seattle. But you might have some most excellent views!

Good luck making your decision!

Oh by the way, if you are a AAA member and you're booking ahead of time, be SURE to mention it to the reservations person or choose it in the dropdown box while going through online booking. 10% off. Your kiddo is free. You might have already known that.

Finally figured out how to get "onto" the Coast Starlight. :) Had to use the Jack London Square station (figuring that Oakland is shorter to get to than San Jose), then Los Angeles rather than Anaheim. The other Oakland and the Anaheim were throwing me back into the San Joaquin system.

But yeah, your friends are right, the Coast Starlight is quite a bit longer!


Ooh oh wait, I just put in SJC to LA and got the Coast Starlight, a bit over 10 hours just to LA. Might be a bit much, even I might have to bite the bus bullet, lol. Unless the extra time was worked well into travel plans, and I was going to look into the roomette for the time we were on the train.


Rambling rambling rambling. Sorry. :)

And if you are leaving from Modesto, add a couple hours to get there. The bus ride is not that bad. The bus is big and comfortable. It will be nice if Amtrak ever sets the trains up to go over the Grapevine though.

I pretty much got off the train where you'd be getting on, and you would need to expect that train to be at least an hour late, if not more, picking you up (Amtrak is not known for punctuality, as they share the rails with everyone else, and a freight train problem becomes a passenger train problem) b/c they are coming all the way from Seattle. But you might have some most excellent views!

Good luck making your decision!I know the morning train is usually ontime, as I see it almost every morning. The night train is also ontime most nights (see it too....) I live less than a mile from the Amtrak station there. (Modesto.)

OH I'm keeping my fingers crossed for ontime service for you. We took our 4 year old on the train from Sacramento to Davis (literally like 10 miles) and it took 20 min to get there and THREE hours to get back. We had no choice to stay on the train, they left the station and parked about 500 yards out. According to the conductor, Union Pacific owns the right of way and they had a train coming thru so we had to wait. and wait. and wait.

Our family who lives in Modesto has driven to San Luis and taken the train from there with great success. For whatever reason, it seems to run better out of there!

My wife & I just did the Coast Starlight from LA to Central Oregon and back at the end of last month. We saw several kids of varying ages on it both ways.

We were 12 minutes late arriving on the trip us, which is really good. Coming back we were a few hours late, but that's because a guy driving a (big) truck didn't clear the tracks and we plowed into him (engineer tried to stop, but it just wasn't possible). No one was hurt, just a bit inconvenienced, but the staff worked really hard to take care of us. My understanding from others on the train who ride frequently said that for the most part it takes something major like that for the train to be very late.

I have to say, we loved the trip both ways and would do it again. It's nice to have no stress on your journey. No worries about direction or traffic. The train was pretty comfortable, with some great views. I highly recommend it.

(Oh, and when it comes to cost, it can be pretty expensive for short trips, but to go from here to Oregon, factoring food, gas, and lodging, it was about the same to take the train with a "superliner roomette" (basically a very small sleeping car room) which includes meals as it would have been to drive it, but with less hassle, worry about the car, etc. and the ability to arrive relaxed at the beginning and to "ease out" of vacation at the end.

I really like the idea of being able to relax and having the option of walking around with the baby. The idea of taking the train down the coast that is an option depending on how much time we can take off because let's face it the time spent on the train is time that could be spent in Disneyland! I also checked into renting a minivan and that would be more expensive but it would also give us more flexibility and we do like to try to make it to Mrs. Knott's for at least one meal. I don't know but this is going to be a tough decision! Another question I have is how much space do they allow you for luggage? I know we will have a bunch since we will have the stroller and car seat with us.

I would suggest that since you have a baby taking the Coast Starlight down the coast instead of the San Joaquin train. My son and I have taken that train many times but you have to transfer to a bus in Bakersfield that goes into LA and it might be a little more trouble with a baby. On the Coast Starlight, which we have only taken once, you stay on the train the whole time and can walk around and even get off the train for a few minutes when they make a stop. It does take a little longer but worth it in my opinion.

I really like the idea of being able to relax and having the option of walking around with the baby. The idea of taking the train down the coast that is an option depending on how much time we can take off because let's face it the time spent on the train is time that could be spent in Disneyland! I also checked into renting a minivan and that would be more expensive but it would also give us more flexibility and we do like to try to make it to Mrs. Knott's for at least one meal. I don't know but this is going to be a tough decision! Another question I have is how much space do they allow you for luggage? I know we will have a bunch since we will have the stroller and car seat with us.It varies depending on how crowded it is, but they have size limits. The stroller and car seat would be carry on baggage, but not counted against your 2 piece per person carry on. You can also take 3 pieces checked baggage, not bigger than 36x36x36.

How far in advance would you recommend booking?

If we get a family bedroom, would it be possible to have at least one meal in the room? Thinking that might be easier with our autistic DD.

Some of the routes with a room let you have breakfast in your room, or did. Depends on the length of the trip and the type of room. Calling Amtrak direct should clarify.

I go up and down from Irvine or other Orange County stops to San Luis Obispo on various routes. I have a bad back and being able to walk around is great. Also, when driving on the coast, I tend to get distracted by the view, so this way I can ensure the safety of others. :)

I like the Coast Starlight route on the coast if the time suites me. I've been known to use the commuter train or other options if it suites my time frame better and none of them have ever been a hassle. Last time I was on the Coast Starlight it had a kids car with videos and toys where kids could comfortably make noise without bothering anyone. Definitely, you will see many families on most of the trains and they understand that kids can be noisy. (Again, a call to Amtrak should clarify what routes offer a kids car). Most of the cars have seats that face each other as well, which is nice for families.

My sister, on the other hand, does not like to use the train on the exact same route. Why? Because sometimes it stops and this makes her feel very out of control. I personally have no problem with this. The Grapevine gets stopped up all the time and LA and Orange county traffic are frequently nightmarish.

I think it really comes down to how you like to travel. I can't wait for my sister to decide her kids are ready for the train. In the interim, I kick back on my trips with a glass of wine and enjoy the view.

E

P.S. Unless you are in a full service dining car, the hot food on Amtrak is truly horrible. Take your own snacks/picnic if you don't have access to, or don't like using, a full service dining car.

If we get a family bedroom, would it be possible to have at least one meal in the room? Thinking that might be easier with our autistic DD.

With the exception of my most recent trip, I've gotten meals brought to the Family bedroom or Roomette at least once on every trip we've taken on the Coast Starlight, usually because my youngest had fallen asleep for a nap at a mealtime (and she was minor pest in the dining car; it was certainly a relief to get to eat in relative peace/privacy)- this last trip she didn't nap at all, and was a relative model child (she's three now) in the dining car and we ate all our meals there. The attendant had no problem helping us out by bringing meals to our room, and I tipped accordingly- be understanding that the attendant has other things to do and don't be pushy about how long it takes, but it is among the things they do.

Question, why are you afraid of a 5 hour drive. We do it two or three times a year from Phoenix since my youngest was 6 months (now near 3 yrs.) This is what we do. Pack the night before. Get up early, like 4:30am, shower, get the kids in the car at 5am and pull out. The kids sleep the first two to three hours, then Disney videos the rest of the way. One or two stops for diaper change/potty breaks and breakfast, then we are there. 5 hours is not that long in a car.