Amtrak With Kids
If you're about to take little kids on Amtrak, you probably have the same questions every parent has: Do they need a ticket? Can we sit together? What happens when someone needs the bathroom right now? Here are the straight answers. Kids 2 to 12 ride for half price, babies under 2 ride free on your lap, and children under 13 can never ride alone. We'll also show you how to get the four-seat table nobody saves for you, what to pack for each age from baby to 5, and how to keep the whole crew happy on any Amtrak line in the country.
The short version
- Kids 2 to 12 ride Amtrak for 50% off with an adult; one baby under 2 rides free on each adult's lap.
- Children 12 and under can't ride alone; teens 13 to 15 can, only under Amtrak's unaccompanied minor rules.
- Most coach seats aren't assigned. Board early for a four-seat table, and book everyone on one reservation.
- On double-deckers, coach is upstairs; downstairs seats are for seniors and riders with mobility needs.
- Car seats aren't required and can't be strapped to Amtrak seats; strollers and diaper bags ride free with kids under 2.
- A five-minute train picture book plus a printable activity pack keeps kids busy without screens.
Quick answers
- Do kids need a ticket on Amtrak? Yes, from age 2. Kids 2 to 12 ride for 50% off with an adult. One baby under 2 rides free on each adult’s lap.
- Are seats assigned? On most coach trains, no. You pick any open seat after you board. Acela and some Business Class cars let you choose seats when you book.
- Can you get a four-seat table? Yes, on many trains. Board early, head straight for the table, and book everyone on one reservation.
- Do you have to sit upstairs on a double-decker? Usually. Downstairs seats are meant for seniors and people with mobility needs. Ask the conductor if you need one.
- Are car seats required on Amtrak? No. Amtrak doesn’t require them and has no way to strap one to a seat. Bring one only if you’ll need it in a car at the other end.
- Are there changing tables? On many trains, not all. Bring a portable changing pad just in case.
- Best way to keep kids busy? A short picture book, a printable activity pack, snacks within reach, and a walk to the Cafe car.
Look inside the book
Bringing kids on Amtrak? Pack Rally.
Rally Takes the Train is a little corgi’s first train ride: the early wake-up, the station, the window seat, the scary tunnel, and the people waiting at the end. It takes about five minutes to read, which is about one stop. Turn a few pages here.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Do kids need a ticket on Amtrak?
Yes, every child 2 and older needs a ticket. The good news is that Amtrak’s child fare is half price. Babies under 2 can ride free on a parent’s lap, but they still go on the same reservation as the adult.
| Age | Amtrak fare | Own seat? | Can ride alone? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 | Free on an adult’s lap (one per adult paying an adult fare) | Lap. A second infant per adult, or an infant in their own seat, pays the child fare | No |
| 2 to 12 | 50% off the adult fare, with an adult 18+ on the same reservation | Yes | No, never |
| 13 to 15 | Adult fare | Yes | Only under Amtrak’s unaccompanied minor rules, booked by phone |
| 16 and 17 | Adult fare | Yes | Yes, no restriction |
A few details that catch parents off guard, all from Amtrak’s children’s policy:
- Age is set on the first day of the trip. If your child turns 13 halfway through a long trip, the child fare still covers the whole itinerary.
- The 50% discount needs an adult 18 or older on the same reservation. A parent who is 16 or 17 can bring their own children with proof of parenthood.
- It does not apply everywhere. It isn’t valid on weekday Acela trains, and it doesn’t reduce Business Class, First Class or sleeping room charges.
- A free lap baby only gets an empty seat if no paying passenger needs it. On a busy train, the conductor can ask you to move the baby back to your lap.
- Riding in Washington State? Kids 18 and under ride free in coach on Amtrak Cascades trains for trips that start and end in Washington, under the Washington Youth Fare.
To book, choose at least one “Adult” and one “Child” in the Amtrak app or on amtrak.com. The discount applies on its own, with no code. Amtrak can ask for proof of age, so keep a birth certificate photo or passport handy.
Free for train families
Print a free train activity pack before your trip
A maze to the station, a train word search, a fill-in ticket, a suitcase to pack, a window to draw in and Rally coloring pages. Ten pages of quiet fun that fit on a tray table.
Get the free coloring pages and activity packCan kids ride Amtrak alone?
Not under 13, ever. Children 12 and under must travel with someone 18 or older. Teens 13 to 15 can ride alone only under Amtrak’s unaccompanied minor policy, and those trips are booked by phone at 1-800-USA-RAIL, not online.
- Daytime only: departure no earlier than 5:30 a.m. and arrival no later than 9:30 p.m., on a single day, with no transfers.
- Both stations must be staffed, and the teen pays the full adult fare.
- An adult checks them in at least 60 minutes early, signs a release form, and waits until the train leaves. Another adult with ID picks them up.
- Teens 16 and 17 can ride with no restrictions.
Are Amtrak seats assigned?
On most trains, no. In coach you choose any open seat after you board, according to Amtrak’s coach seating page. Your ticket guarantees you a seat on the train, not a specific seat. Once the train is moving, the conductor scans tickets and may tuck a small seat check above your row.
The exceptions are worth knowing if you want your family together:
- Acela: every seat is assigned, and you pick from a seat map.
- Business Class on the Northeast Regional, Carolinian, Palmetto and Vermonter: you can select seats for free.
- Book everyone on one reservation. Amtrak says it will assign seats together for travelers on the same reservation, subject to availability. Separate bookings won’t be linked.
How to get a four-seat family table on Amtrak
A table is the best seat on the train for a family. Kids face you, there’s room for crayons and snacks, and nobody is kicking a stranger’s seat. Not every train has them, and on most of the ones that do, tables are first come, first served.
| Train | Four-seat tables? | How to get one |
|---|---|---|
| Acela | Yes, a handful in Business Class | All seats are assigned. Pick the table on the seat map when you book. They go fast. |
| Palmetto (Business Class) | Two four-seat conference tables per car | Choose them in seat selection. Some face backward. |
| Amtrak Cascades | Yes, “family style” tables for up to four in coach | Coach is first come. Board early and head for a table. |
| Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner | Yes, six four-seat tables upstairs in each California Car coach | Unassigned. Board early and go upstairs. |
| Pacific Surfliner | Yes, two four-seat table bays in each Business Class car | Buy Business Class for a guaranteed seat, or board early in coach. |
| Northeast Regional, Carolinian, Vermonter | Mostly two-by-two seats; tables are in the Cafe car | Book Business Class to pick seats together, or sit as two pairs across the aisle. |
| Long-distance Superliner trains | No tables at coach seats; tables in the Sightseer Lounge | Use the lounge for games and meals, then go back to your seats. |
Here is how families actually land one:
- Get to the station 30 minutes early. Amtrak suggests it in its tips for traveling with kids, and it puts you near the front of the boarding line.
- Use family boarding. At busy stations, Amtrak staff often board families with small children first. Have your tickets open in the app and say you’re traveling with little ones.
- Know which cars are coach. On the Pacific Surfliner, for example, coach is cars 4 to 6 and Business Class is cars 1 and 2. Walk to the coach doors before the train arrives.
- Go straight to the table. Grown-ups sit first, kids slide in after. On double-decker trains, the tables are upstairs.
- On assigned trains, book early. Acela table seats tend to sell out, so pick them the day you buy tickets.
- If a solo traveler has a table, ask kindly. “Would you mind swapping to that open pair so our kids can sit with us?” works more often than you’d think, especially early in the trip. If they say no, take two pairs across the aisle.
How do conductors handle table seats for families?
There is no Amtrak rule that saves tables for families. On unreserved trains, a table belongs to whoever sits there first. What the crew does enforce are a few seating basics:
- One seat per ticket. Bags, coats and food don’t get their own seats. On a full train, the conductor will ask passengers to clear seats, including a spread-out table, so everyone can sit.
- Paying passengers come first. A free lap baby or a car seat can use an empty seat only until a paying passenger needs it.
- Downstairs seats are for people who need them on double-decker trains (more below).
- On long-distance trains, a conductor or coach attendant often points each party to its seats at boarding and usually tries to keep families together. Tell them how many you are and the kids’ ages before you climb on.
If you can’t find seats together
Ask a fellow rider early, before everyone settles in, and offer a seat that’s as good or better: window for window, aisle for aisle. Never ask someone to give up a table or window for a worse spot, and take no kindly. Until you sort it out, sit across the aisle or a row apart, and never leave a young child sitting alone away from you.
The friendliest approach works best. Ask the conductor before the train fills: “We’re a family of four. Is there anywhere we can sit together?” Crews deal with seating all day, and many will point you to an open table or a car with more room.
Do you have to sit upstairs on Amtrak double-decker trains?
Mostly, yes. Amtrak runs double-decker cars on its long-distance trains in the West (Superliners) and on California’s corridor trains, including the Pacific Surfliner, Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner. Almost all of the coach seats are upstairs. A Superliner coach has about 62 seats upstairs and about 12 downstairs, according to Trains magazine.
Can you sit downstairs with kids?
The downstairs seats are set aside for riders who can’t easily climb stairs. The Pacific Surfliner says its lower level is intended for passengers with mobility needs and seniors. Families don’t get those seats by default, but you can ask the conductor if you’re carrying a baby and a stroller, are pregnant, or have a child with a disability. If they’re open, crews will sometimes say yes; if someone who needs them boards later, you may be asked to move up.
For most kids, upstairs is the better ride anyway. The windows are bigger, the view is higher, and the stairs are part of the adventure. Hold little hands on the narrow staircase, fold the stroller first, and carry bags up in a second trip.
Amtrak rules every parent should know
- Strollers and diaper bags ride free. With a child under 2 you can bring one extra infant item, like a stroller or diaper bag, that doesn’t count toward your carry-on limit.
- Carry-on limits: two bags up to 50 lbs and 28 x 22 x 14 inches each, plus one personal item that fits under the seat. On the Pacific Surfliner, bags can be no deeper than 11 inches.
- Car seats aren’t required and can’t be strapped in. See the car seat section below.
- Headphones are required for any tablet or phone with sound.
- Skip the Quiet Car. On trains that have one (Acela, Northeast Regional, Keystone, Hiawatha and some others), conversation must stay low and calls aren’t allowed. A chatty toddler will be happier one car over.
- Food: you can bring your own snacks, and most trains have a Cafe car. Amtrak says families with babies can ask the dining car staff for help preparing bottles.
- Restrooms: every car has at least one. Changing tables are on many trains but not all (more below).
Are car seats required on Amtrak?
No. Amtrak does not require a car seat for any child, and you won’t find a train seat you can buckle one into. Amtrak’s children’s policy says plainly that child car seats “cannot be secured to any seat” on its trains or buses. Car seat laws are written for cars; a passenger train has no seat belts and no LATCH anchors, so there is nothing to attach a seat to.
Are they encouraged? Not by Amtrak. Its rules only say what you may do with one:
- You can set a car seat on an empty seat, but only if no paying passenger needs that seat.
- A child under 2 on a free lap ticket may be asked to ride on your lap, with the car seat stored in the luggage area.
- If your child has their own paid ticket (age 2 and up), they have their own seat, and you can sit an infant seat on it unbuckled. It isn’t a safety restraint on a train, just a familiar spot.
The child passenger safety group Car Seats For The Littles agrees there’s no way to secure a restraint on a train. Their tips: a lap or a baby carrier works well for infants, a rear-facing-only infant seat can sit on the floor if it fits, and the biggest risks for kids around trains are on the platform, so hold hands near the tracks.
Should you bring a car seat on the train?
- Bring it if you’ll need it at the other end, for a rental car, a ride from grandparents, a taxi or a rideshare. Car seat laws still apply the moment your child gets in a car.
- It travels free, but it takes up a bag spot. Car seats, booster seats and folding strollers can ride onboard or in checked baggage in place of a regular bag, with no fee, up to 50 lbs, according to Amtrak’s special items rules. With a child under 2, you also get one extra free infant item, like a stroller or diaper bag.
- Leave it home if someone at your destination has one, or if you’re going station to station on foot or transit. One less thing to carry up the stairs.
- Booster seats aren’t needed on the train. Older kids sit in a regular seat like everyone else.
- Big strollers (jogging, all-terrain or double strollers) may have to be checked instead of carried on, so an umbrella stroller is easier.
Diapers, potty breaks and Amtrak bathrooms
Every Amtrak car has at least one restroom, so you never have to wait for a rest stop. Amtrak’s tips for kids point out a small feature that helps: a light shows when the restroom is occupied and turns off when it’s free, so older kids can check for themselves.
Do Amtrak trains have changing tables?
Many do, but not every train, and Amtrak has no official diaper-changing policy. In January 2025, GBH News reported that changing tables were on Northeast Regional and Acela trains between Boston and New York, but not on the Downeaster to Maine. Amtrak told GBH that all new cars entering service will have changing tables in their accessible restrooms. On California’s Capitol Corridor, the railroad says its restrooms have baby changing tables.
Congress is working on it too. The Baby Changing on Board Act, which would require changing stations in the restrooms of new Amtrak cars, passed the House in 2025 and the Senate in May 2026, and has to go back to the House for a final vote before it can become law.
Diaper changes on the train
- Pack a portable changing pad. If your car has no changing table, a pad on the restroom counter or on your lap seat makes it easy.
- Use the biggest restroom. The accessible restroom has the most room. On double-decker trains it’s on the lower level.
- Bring a diaper kit you can grab in one hand: two diapers, wipes, a spare outfit and a bag for the dirty diaper.
- Change before you board and right after a big feed, so you’re not doing it on a crowded train.
Taking kids to the bathroom on a moving train
- Go with them. The train sways, the doors are heavy, and the toilet is loud. Little kids should never go alone.
- Hold the handrail. Teach kids to hold on while they stand, and to wait for a straight stretch if the train is rocking.
- Warn them about the flush. Train toilets are loud vacuum flushes. Let them know before you press the button, or flush after they step out.
- Potty training? Bring a folding potty seat insert and use pull-ups for the trip. Go right before boarding, then offer a try every hour.
- On double-decker trains, plan for the stairs. Most coach seats are upstairs and many restrooms are downstairs, so go a little before it’s urgent.
- Hold hands between cars. The walkway between cars moves and the doors close on their own.
What to bring on Amtrak for kids ages 0 to 5
Every age needs something different. Here’s what to pack, plus how to use Rally Takes the Train at each stage.
Babies under 1 · free on your lap
- Baby carrier, plus a stroller or diaper bag (one free infant item)
- Portable changing pad, diapers for twice the trip length, wipes, spare outfit
- Bottles, formula or snacks, and a burp cloth (dining car staff can help prepare bottles)
- Light blanket and a pacifier clip
With Rally: babies love bold color and a parent’s voice. Point to the corgi on each watercolor page and let them pat the pictures.
Age 1 · free on your lap until age 2
- Carrier for walking the aisle and boarding
- Finger foods in small containers and a spill-proof cup
- Two or three new small toys to hand out one at a time
- Diaper kit and a changing pad
With Rally: say “choo choo!” with Rally on the station page, then point out real trains and birds out the window.
Age 2 · half-price child ticket, own seat
- Snacks they know and like, plus a water bottle
- Stickers, chunky crayons and a coloring page
- Kid headphones and one downloaded show for later
- Pull-ups or a potty seat insert if you’re potty training
With Rally: find the white bird out the train window, then look for real birds out yours. Read it at the station so they know what’s coming.
Age 3 · half-price child ticket
- A small backpack they carry themselves
- Coloring pages, a maze and a pencil case
- A lovey or small blanket for nap time
- A favorite snack saved as a surprise
With Rally: let them finish the rhymes (“A train, a train! Rally ran forward with…”) and count the pretzels and the seats.
Age 4 · half-price child ticket
- The printable activity pack: maze, word search, fill-in train ticket
- A small notebook to draw what they see out the window
- Travel games like I spy or a counting game
- A refillable water bottle they open themselves
With Rally: talk about the dark tunnel page before you hit a real tunnel. Rally was scared, then saw the bright light, and so can they.
Age 5 · half-price child ticket
- The activity pack’s word search and “what happens next?” page
- Their own fill-in ticket to show the conductor
- A watch or the Amtrak app’s live map to track the stops
- A chapter book or audiobook for the long stretch
With Rally: let them read it to a younger sibling, then write or draw what Rally does at his grand-paw-rents’ house.
12 tips for traveling on Amtrak with kids
The train bag checklist
- Snacks in small containers, plus a refillable water bottle
- A short picture book about a train ride (it helps kids know what’s coming)
- A printed activity pack and a pencil case of crayons
- Kid headphones and a downloaded show
- Wipes, a change of clothes, and a light jacket (train cars can be cool)
- A small blanket or lovey for nap time
- Start short. A one- or two-hour corridor ride is the perfect first trip. Save the overnight train for when you know how your kids ride.
- Pick the time around naps. A train that leaves at nap time can buy you an hour of quiet.
- Book the whole family on one reservation so assigned seats are placed together.
- Arrive 30 minutes early and watch the train pull in. For many kids, that’s the best part.
- Track the train together. The Amtrak app has a live map kids can follow from home.
- Keep the fun bag in reach, not in the overhead rack.
- Choose the view side. On coastal routes like the Pacific Surfliner, the ocean is on the left heading north and on the right heading south.
- Walk the aisle. A slow trip to the Cafe car is a built-in wiggle break.
- Listen for the horn. Amtrak suggests turning the horn into a game, which also helps kids who are startled by it.
- Narrate the stops. Count stations, read the station signs out loud, and wave at the conductor.
- Bring layers. Kids nap better with a blanket in an air-conditioned car.
- Save one surprise (a new book or sticker sheet) for the last half hour, when everyone is getting restless.
How to keep kids quiet and entertained on the train
Trains are easier than planes or cars: kids can move, the view keeps changing, and there’s room to spread out. The trick is having a few calm, screen-free things ready before the wiggles start. Here’s what works best, in order:
- Read a train book on the train. Kids love reading about the exact thing they’re doing. Rally Takes the Train follows a little corgi through his first ride: waking up early, the station, the window seat, a snack from Mom, a friendly conductor, a dark tunnel, and his grand-paw-rents waiting at the end. It rhymes, it’s painted in real watercolor, and it takes about five minutes, so you can read it twice between stations.
- Hand out the activity pack. Our free Rally activity pack and coloring pages were made for exactly this: quiet, pencil-and-paper fun that fits on a tray table.
- Play window games. I spy, count the cows, spot the water, wave at people at crossings.
- Save the screen for last. A downloaded show with kid headphones is a great backup, not a first move.
What’s in the free Rally activity pack
- A maze from Rally’s house to the station
- A train word search with 12 words and an answer key
- A train ticket to fill in with your own trip
- A suitcase to pack and a train window to draw in
- Tracing and counting pages for little hands
- A “what happens next?” page for kids who like to tell stories
- Plus five coloring pages drawn from the book
Print it before you leave, slip it in a folder with a few crayons, and you have a train kit that weighs almost nothing. Get the free printables here.
Pack the book that matches the rideRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming read about a corgi’s first train trip, hand-painted in watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8, and small enough for the diaper bag.
Buy on AmazonOvernight Amtrak trains with kids: coach or a Family Bedroom?
Kids can sleep in coach, and plenty of families do it on a budget. The seats recline far, with lots of legroom. Bring blankets and eye masks, and expect a few wake-ups at night stops.
If you can splurge, the Superliner Family Bedroom is made for this. It fits two adults and two children ages 2 to 12, with four seats by day that turn into two upper and two lower beds at night. It runs the full width of the car (about 9 feet 5 inches by 5 feet 2 inches), shares a nearby restroom and shower, and includes meals. Note that the child discount covers the rail fare only, not the room charge.
Amtrak routes across the United States for families
These family tips work on every Amtrak line in the country. Each route below has its own guide with every stop, kids ticket notes, where to sit and what kids can spot out the window. Tap your line, or search every route by city or station:
Short corridor trains (Northeast Regional, Keystone, Hiawatha, Pacific Surfliner, Capitol Corridor, Amtrak Cascades) are the easiest first rides: no overnight, frequent stops, and you can bail out early if anyone melts down. Long-distance trains like the California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Coast Starlight and Southwest Chief are bucket-list trips once your kids are seasoned riders.
Why we wrote a book about a train ride
Rally is a real corgi, and the train in the book is the real Pacific Surfliner, rolling along the coast with the ocean right outside the window. Kelsey wrote the story to bring her mom Deb’s dream to life, and you can read the story behind the book. Leslie Dunn hand-painted every page. If your family is about to take its first train ride, we hope Rally makes the trip feel familiar before you even get to the station.
A first train ride, in five minutesRead it the night before your trip and again on the train. Rally Takes the Train, $13.99 on Amazon.
Buy on AmazonSources
- Amtrak: Special Items in Baggage (car seats, boosters, strollers)
- Amtrak Cascades: Traveling with kids
- Car Seats For The Littles: Travel by train
- GBH News: Changing tables aren’t required on Amtrak (Jan 13, 2025)
- Rep. Lauren Underwood: Baby Changing on Board Act passes Senate (May 14, 2026)
- Capitol Corridor: Onboard amenities
- Amtrak: Terms of Transportation, Children’s Policy
- Amtrak: Passenger Discount for Children
- Amtrak: Unaccompanied Minors Under Age 16 Traveling Alone
- Amtrak: Seat Selection
- Amtrak: Coach Class Seating on Reserved Services
- Amtrak: 7 Smart Tips for Traveling by Train with Kids
- Amtrak: Quiet Car
- Amtrak: Carry-On Baggage Policy
- Amtrak: Family Bedroom
- Pacific Surfliner: How to Ride
- Amtrak Cascades: Seating
- Trains magazine: Riding, eating or lounging in an Amtrak Superliner
- Wikipedia: California Car (railcar), seating layout
- Runway Girl Network: Hugging the coast on Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner (business class tables)
- Upgraded Points: NextGen Acela business class review (table seats)
Policies checked against Amtrak’s official pages in October 2026. Amtrak can change fares and rules, so confirm on amtrak.com before you book.
Amtrak with kids: questions parents ask
Do kids need a ticket on Amtrak?
Yes, every child 2 and older needs a ticket. Kids ages 2 to 12 pay 50% of the adult fare when they travel with an adult 18 or older on the same reservation. One infant under 2 rides free on each adult's lap, but still goes on the reservation. Teens 13 and older pay the adult fare.
How much is an Amtrak ticket for a child?
Children ages 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare on most Amtrak trains. The discount applies automatically when you add a Child traveler in the Amtrak app or on amtrak.com. It isn't valid on weekday Acela trains and doesn't reduce Business Class, First Class or sleeping room charges.
Do babies ride free on Amtrak?
One baby under 2 rides free on the lap of each passenger paying an adult fare. A second infant with the same adult, or a baby who takes their own seat, pays the child fare. A free lap infant can use an empty seat only if no paying passenger needs it.
Can a child travel alone on Amtrak?
Not if they are 12 or under. Children under 13 must travel with someone 18 or older. Teens 13 to 15 can ride alone under Amtrak's unaccompanied minor policy: daytime trains only, staffed stations, no transfers, full adult fare, booked by phone at 1-800-USA-RAIL. Teens 16 and 17 can ride with no restrictions.
Are Amtrak seats assigned?
On most coach trains, no. You choose any open seat after you board, and your ticket guarantees a seat, not a specific one. Acela seats are assigned, and Business Class on the Northeast Regional, Carolinian, Palmetto and Vermonter offers free seat selection. Booking everyone on one reservation helps keep assigned seats together.
How do I get a table seat on Amtrak with my family?
Board early and go straight to a table. Tables are first come in coach on trains like Amtrak Cascades, Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner, where they're upstairs. On Acela and Palmetto Business Class you can pick a table in seat selection when you book. If a solo rider has a table, politely ask if they'd swap to an open pair.
What if my family can't find seats together on Amtrak?
Walk the train for two open pairs near each other, try the next coach car, or sit across the aisle while you keep looking. On most trains coach is open seating, so your ticket guarantees a seat but not a specific one. Never leave a young child sitting alone away from you, even for a short ride.
How do I ask someone to switch seats so my kids can sit with me?
Ask early, before people settle in, and keep it short: 'We're traveling with a three-year-old. Would you swap to that open seat so we can sit together?' Offer a seat that's as good or better, window for window and aisle for aisle, and never ask anyone to give up a table or window for a worse spot. If they say no, thank them and keep looking.
Can the conductor help my family sit together on Amtrak?
Yes, ask. Catch the conductor at the door while boarding or when tickets are scanned, and say how many you are and your kids' ages. They can point you to open seats or another car and ask riders to clear bags off seats, since it's one seat per ticket. They won't make anyone give up a seat they're sitting in.
Will the conductor save a table for my family?
Amtrak has no rule that holds tables for families, so on unreserved trains the first people to sit there keep them. Conductors do enforce one seat per ticket and can ask riders to clear bags off seats on busy trains. Ask the conductor early, before the train fills, and many will help you find seats together.
Do you have to sit upstairs on an Amtrak double-decker train?
Usually. On Superliners and California's double-decker trains, almost all coach seats are upstairs. The few downstairs seats are meant for seniors and passengers with mobility needs. Families can ask the conductor about them if they have a real need, like a baby and stroller, but may be asked to move if someone else needs the seat.
Can you bring a stroller on Amtrak?
Yes. If you're traveling with a child under 2, you can bring one extra infant item, such as a stroller or diaper bag, and it doesn't count toward your carry-on limit. Fold the stroller before boarding and store it in the luggage area or overhead rack. Each passenger also gets two carry-ons and one personal item.
Are car seats required on Amtrak trains?
No. Amtrak does not require car seats for children, and its policy says child car seats cannot be secured to any seat on its trains or buses. You may set one on an empty seat if no paying passenger needs it. Bring a car seat only if your child will ride in a car at your destination.
Can you use a car seat on Amtrak?
You can bring one, but you can't strap it to a seat, because Amtrak seats have no way to secure a car seat. You may set it on an empty seat if no paying passenger needs it. Otherwise it goes in the luggage area, and children under 2 may need to ride on your lap.
Does a car seat count as a carry-on on Amtrak?
A car seat, booster seat or folding stroller can travel onboard or as checked baggage in place of a regular bag, with no fee, up to 50 lbs. If you're traveling with a child under 2, you also get one extra infant item, like a stroller or diaper bag, that doesn't count toward your limit.
Do Amtrak trains have baby changing tables?
Many do, but not all. Amtrak has no official diaper-changing policy. Changing tables have been reported on Northeast Regional and Acela trains between Boston and New York and on Capitol Corridor trains, but not on the Downeaster. Amtrak says new cars will have them in accessible restrooms. Pack a portable changing pad.
Where are the bathrooms on Amtrak trains?
Every Amtrak car has at least one restroom, and a light shows when it's occupied. On double-decker trains, such as Superliners and California's corridor trains, the large accessible restroom is on the lower level, and some cars also have one upstairs. Go with young kids, since the train sways and the doors are heavy.
What should I pack for a toddler on Amtrak?
Pack snacks in small containers, a water bottle, a short train picture book, crayons, kid headphones, a spare outfit and diapers or pull-ups. Our free printable train activity pack adds a maze, a word search and coloring pages that fit on a tray table. Keep it all in one bag at your seat, not the overhead rack.
Can kids sit in the Amtrak Quiet Car?
They can, but it's not a good fit. The Quiet Car, found on Acela, Northeast Regional, Keystone, Hiawatha and some other trains, requires low voices, no phone calls and headphones for all devices. Most families are much more relaxed one car over, where normal conversation is fine.
How do I keep a toddler entertained on the train?
Start with a short train picture book, then hand out our free Rally coloring pages, a few stickers and crayons. Play window games, walk to the Cafe car for a wiggle break, and save a screen with headphones for the end. A book like Rally Takes the Train helps toddlers know what's coming next.
What is the best Amtrak train for a first trip with kids?
Pick a short daytime corridor train of one to two hours, such as the Northeast Regional, Keystone Service, Hiawatha, Piedmont, Pacific Surfliner, Capitol Corridor or Amtrak Cascades. Short trips have frequent stops and no overnight, so kids can enjoy the ride before they get restless.
Can my family sleep on an Amtrak train?
Yes. You can sleep in reclining coach seats, or book a private room. The Superliner Family Bedroom fits two adults and two children ages 2 to 12, with two upper and two lower beds, and includes meals. The child discount applies to the rail fare, not the room charge.
Can you bring your own food on Amtrak?
Yes, you can bring snacks and meals for the trip, which is the easiest way to keep picky eaters happy. Most trains also have a Cafe car with snacks and drinks, and overnight trains have dining service. Amtrak says families with babies can ask dining car staff for help preparing bottles.