Vacation by Train? Meeting up with Friends?

We haven't done it yet but have thought about it. The Amtrak site has a lot of good info, including diagrams of the sleeper cars. It looks fun and is cheaper than flying though it takes longer.

When I was in elementary school, my family did some train traveling.
And it was FUN! We had a cabin and slept in the train and everything. It was like a moving "hotel."
This was in Canada.
Don't know about the ones in your area.
But it is something that is fun/unique and remembered by a child.

I guess it depends on your budget.
And look at the reviews, of whatever train or travel package you find.

I took amtrak from NY to Florida. It was absolutely freezing. Us Florida babies had a heck of time staying warm. They had blankets for 15 dollars a pop but they sold out real fast. The food was just snack fast food. My daughter was so excited about taking the train too. If you go make sure you have blankets and some healthy snacks.

I'd do the train to the Houston area then head back across to the North. You could do the meeting up anywhere in the nation pretty much once you get to Chicago where the main terminal is.

I think this is a wonderful idea.

I've never done a train trip, but I had a friend who took a train on a 2 day trip (can't remember where he went), but he said he would NEVER do it again. Apparently the sleepers are not very comfortable, it is loud, and long.

I have never done this, but just want to second having plenty of food with you for you and your son, and asking your friend to do the same. (I'd have a cooler with you.) Warm clothes and blanketss (nods to the other warning advice) and medicine in case there is motion sickness or diarrhea.

Hope you have a good time!

Dawn

When taking a child, I think it might be best if your friends met you half
way.
I traveled from San Francisco, CA to Seattle, WA in my mid-twenties & it
took 2 full days.
It was fun because I was young, independent & on my own.
Not sure if a child might go stir crazy. Might still be a fantastic trip. Just
be sure ot find out the exact length of time for the trip then plan
accordingly. Take a backpack of toys for your son, his favorite blanket,
mini pillow etc. See if you can book an overnight sleeper car.

The only way my husband and I travel. We will fly if we have to, but prefer the train. Nowadays it can be expensive. Coach seats are not, but the bedrooms can be. Meals are all included and the food is not bad at all.
The cafe car food is not good. All microwaveable and expensive. Food from the cafe car is not included only dining car meals are.

I once planned a 7 week train trip around the perimeter of the U.s. it was amazing. Last year we did Canada and Alaska for five weeks.

When you look at train schedules be aware of arrival and departure times. Remember they do stop in the middle of the night. Also allow extra time. If you need to be somewhere at 2pm and train schedule says it arrives at 12 noon, there is a chance it will not be on time. Amtrak shares the tracks with freight trains. We have made some lifelong friends on our train trips. Kids love the train. All aboard. PM me if you have any questions. I am an Amtrak pro!

Just looked at schedules from Fort Worth. Very long and required three trains to Va. I would suggest going to Chicago. It gives you a taste of train travel and somewhat less money. Lots to do there. The museum of science and Industry is good for a day or two! Navy Pier, boat rides, just a suggestion.

The Coast Starlight is Amtraks signature train. So everything that Shane B is describing you will not find on other trains. No wine and cheese. Each car has an attendant for 12 rooms. No play car or theatre car. The Coast Starlight is wonderful and has many amenities that the other trains do not. However, train travel is still fun.

When I was a kid we traveled from Kansas City to Arizona aboard the Amtrack. My parents were afraid that train travel would quickly fall by the wayside and they wanted my brother and me to get the experience. I was probably like 6 or so as well and I fully remember the experience...it really was a lot of fun!

We live very near the Great Wolf Lodge here in KS and I say for sure to come here! There is a lot to do! As far as rental cars, that would be more of an issue, but I'm sure there is a rental place near the train station downtown and I would imagine if you pre-booked a car that they would come and pick you up. It's worth looking into. There are also lots of other places very near the train station that have shuttles that would probably pick you up, but none quite as fun as Great Wolf. Although the train station is near the Lego Land and aquarium.

OMG!!
The very best trip I took with my kids was on the train.
It was the Amtrak Pacific Coast Starlight trip. It was fabulous!!

The only bummer is that you don't get to really choose when to leave. You have to be at the train station when the train goes by. In our case, we drove three hours, found a hotel that would let me keep my car there for two weeks, and we spent the night because the train picked up at something like 3am. I had to make arrangements for a taxi to pick us up at the hotel, which they were actually quite familiar with due to the close proximity of the train station. I stayed up all night making sure I had things ready and had to wake my kids to get to the train. The train was running late so we had to wait for it, but once we got on the train, it was heaven.

We had our own "sleeper" quarters, complete with a bathroom and shower all to ourselves. Also, with having a "sleeper", all of our meals and drinks were provided for free. They had a dining car, a play car for the kids, a theatre car, and an observation car that was mostly windows. The food was amazing and each evening, they had free wine and cheese tasting. My kids could have popcorn and snacks and any drinks that we wanted. We also had a our own "butler" assigned to us who brought us anything we wanted and made our beds and put fresh mints on our pillows while we were dining. It was like a hotel on tracks. Seriously.

My kids and I travelled a lot and to this day, they have fond memories of the train. I want to do it again with my kids and grandson.

Check on packages. One thing that people who frequented the train told me is that they often bought just regular seats and were given a deal for upgrading to "sleepers" if there was space empty. I didn't want to risk that with kids, but they said they did it often because they were savvy train travelers.

For me, when we got off the train, I still felt like I was rocking and it took me a couple days to lose that feeling. It didn't bother my kids as much.

Get a "sleeper" so you have privacy and comfort. Your son is old enough that he will remember this trip forever. Honestly, travelling by train was one of the best experiences of our lives. The funky pick up and drop off times so early in the morning were tough, but it was just part of the experience.

I highly recommend it.

Best wishes and have a great time!!

This sounds like so much fun! My son used to love trains too, and we've taken Amtrak to various points between Philadelphia and Portland, ME, though not all in one trip.

Just two suggestions I can think of:

If you can, pack some of your own food for the trip. The dining car options are extremely limited and unhealthy (though they might appeal to 6-yr-old tastes).

And, if you want to go anywhere far afield of the train station, you may be in for a bit of a transit headache, since there aren't rental car agencies adjacent to train stations.

But I really recommend the whole trip!