Amtrack with children — Farai Harreld

We recently took a 30+ hour train ride from Kansas to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We rode Amtrak’s “Southwest Chief” whose journey is from Chicago, IL to LA, CA with multiple stops in between the two states.

The train ride itself was not unpleasant. Both legs of our journey were mostly during night time which made the journey not as long. We road coach, which reminds me a lot of flying economy on an airline except with way more leg room and space to recline. The bathrooms are still tiny and gross- but theres an observation deck with huge windows and awesome views of the landscape as the train whizzes by.

Speaking of whizzing- much like air travel, you are at the mercy of the train schedule. If it is late, there are no other trains to catch. You sit there and wait till it arrives. Our local train station had comfy sofas, and a 20 minute delay . The returning station in ABX had skinny metal benches and a 2 hour delay that day. If comfort is really important, the trains do offer the more expensive Sleeper cabins which have showers and their own bathrooms as well as food service. Everyone else can take advantage of the microwavable food for sale at the cafe downstairs in the train or bring their own snacks which is what we did. I did try the cheeseburger for dinner on the way back and could not stomach more than a couple bites of it. We packaged sandwiches, water, fruit, and snacks in a narrow rolling cooler.

The trains do not have wifi and tend to lose network in the mountains so make sure to bring your own entertainment. We dowloaded a couple Netflix movies, brought books, activities, and downloaded books on to my kindle. You are allowed two checked bags, and two personal items while strollers and car seats check for free. We had no issues with bag check in and getting our luggage back, but there is a weight limit on checked bags so watch you don’t exceed it. Since there were no transfers, the likelihood of your luggage getting lost was very minimal which I liked. On our ride home I learned a fellow passenger used Amtrack to successfully move twice a year. Spending winter and fall up North and spring and summer in the Southwest of the country. Another passenger used Amtrack to take the same route she had taken the year before by car but after being in a car wreck she no felt longer comfortable driving long distances.

In terms of speed- It seemed like the train is a roughly an hour or two slower than car travel. So a 19 hour car ride could potentially be a few hours longer by train except you don’t really have to stop for bathroom breaks, refueling or to stretch your legs/rest because you can do all that from the safety and comfort of the train. Also riding by train means you also arrive to your destination without your vehicle which we remedied by renting one with Turo.

Riding the train was incredibly cost effective. Our 6yo’s fare was half off, our baby was free and we spent a total of $300 on our return tickets. There are a few fresh air/smoke stops on the ride where you can get off and stretch your feet for a few minutes. The conductor announces each one with instructions. I’m not sure how accessible the train is if you use a mobility device like a wheel chair. The staircases to the train are incredibly narrow and only one person can go up and down them at a time. Definitely bring blankets, and a pillow for comfort if you are riding overnight as it can get chilly. Also dress in layers so you can take something off if you get hot. I dressed my 6yo in a merino wool set because wool helps regulate body temp so she never got hot or cold on the train. She snuggled in her blanket at night and used her dad as a pillow.

I think a train-ride would be really fun for older children. According to my 6 year old- she loved the grilled cheese she got eat on the train, the screen time and the novelty of a new experience. She also got to meet and chat with a lovely family of Mennonite grandparents she really wouldn’t come across where we live and have an array of new experiences. We also picked up a few activities for her to complete on the train and she fully loved those along with converting the trash we created into art. With a baby, we walked the observation car a lot during nap time . As for diapering , I had two seats to myself so we just changed him at my seat on a changing mat, from home but there is a bathroom with a changing station I never visited available on the train. We also tried to shorten a trip by a day and there was a $150 fee that wasnt worth it.

Would I ride the train again?Yes, but never again with a baby this young ( 12 weeks) . It did a number on my body and his. Also probably never for that long. Im not sure if the combination of trying to nurse and sleep while keeping him safe on that train but my body is need of a lot of TLC post trip because as I write this my back is still spasming for a solid 24 hrs. My partner and I tagged teamed their care and on the way back my son ONLY wanted me which made things harder. Also quiet time isn’t till 10 pm on the train so even if baby was ready for bedtime at 6/7 he was continuously woken up and kept up by the chatter of our train mates and the jostling from the train. That alone is enough to drive sleep loving me up the wall. I did not sleep well at all both times.

I think Amtrack is incredibly affordable and actually fun for the right people and families. I just would never do it again for that long or that far again or with such a young child ever again.

Housekeeping / Fun links

Baby carrier we used

The basket store in Santa Fe with the sweetest shopkeeper

Brain Quest activity I carried in my purse for when we had to wait in long lines

A couple other activities she loved here and here

The Zimbabwean recipe i’m gonna cook after finding dried hominy/posole/stampa in NM

My favorite changing pad

Sanitizing wipes for gross public spaces.

Wet bag for soiled baby clothes.

Blowout proof diapers for traveling with

Reel with some video from the train

Rolling cooler bag