California Zephyr With Kids: All 35 Stops, Tunnels and Kids Tickets

Amtrak With KidsTrains and Travel
Written By Kelsey Cecil

13 min read

Yes, the California Zephyr works with kids, as long as you plan for two nights on board and pick a seat on the right side of the train. It runs once a day each way between Chicago and Emeryville, across the San Francisco Bay from the city, and it climbs through the Rockies and then the Sierra Nevada. Below are all 35 stops, the tunnels and canyons worth waking kids up for, and how child fares and the Family Bedroom work. Every time on this page comes from Amtrak's current westbound timetable for Train 5.

The short version

  • Two nights on board: about 2,438 miles and roughly 52 hours from Chicago to Emeryville, on one train a day each way.
  • Kids 2 to 12 pay half the rail fare, but a Roomette or Family Bedroom costs the same at any age.
  • The best daylight for kids runs westbound from Denver at 8:46 a.m. to Glenwood Springs at 2:43 p.m.
  • The 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel goes under the Continental Divide near Winter Park, so warn kids about the long dark.
  • Superliner double-deckers mean stairs inside the car, coach seats on both levels, a Sightseer Lounge and a Family Bedroom.
  • The train stops in Emeryville; an Amtrak Thruway bus finishes the trip into San Francisco.
Watercolor page: Rally the corgi and his family ride through a dark train tunnel toward a bright light at the far end.
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

California Zephyr at a glance

Runs between
Chicago Union Station and Emeryville, CA (bus to San Francisco)
States
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California
Distance
about 2,438 miles
End to end
about 52 hours, two nights on board
Trains
one daily train each way (Trains 5 and 6)
Train cars
Superliner double-decker cars
Four-seat tables
Not in coach; tables in the Sightseer Lounge and dining car
Upstairs seating
Yes, coach seats on upper and lower levels
Quiet Car
None listed for this train
Food
Dining car (meals included with sleepers) and Cafe
Sleeper rooms
Roomette, Bedroom, Bedroom Suite, Family Bedroom, Accessible Bedroom
Checked bags
Yes, between stations that offer it

Look inside the book

Six miles of dark, then sunshine: Rally knows the feeling.

Rally Takes the Train is about a five-minute read, short enough for the stretch between Denver and the Moffat Tunnel. Peek at the first spreads below.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

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 the California Zephyr?

Watercolor of a conductor in a blue suit shaking Rally's paw while Rally sits on a red seat holding his ticket in his mouth. Text: Hello Mr. Conductor, are you a new friend? Rally hoped this ride wouldn't end.
On the Zephyr, a ticket for a 2 to 12 year old is half the rail fare, but the Family Bedroom price doesn't budge.

Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare when an adult 18 or older is on the same reservation, and one child under 2 per paying adult rides free on a lap. That discount covers the rail fare only. On a two-night train it matters, because the price of a Roomette or Family Bedroom doesn’t change whether your kid is 4 or 40.

Wondering where everyone will sleep? The Superliner Family Bedroom is sold on this train. Amtrak sizes it for up to two adults and two kids aged 2 to 12, with two lower and two upper beds and two big picture windows. The restroom and shower are shared, down the hall, and dining car meals are included for everyone in the room.

Three things that are only true on this line:

  • Buy before you get to Truckee. The old depot is a visitor center and museum now, and the local history society says tickets can only be bought online. Don’t count on a ticket window there.
  • Book the bus with the train. The Zephyr ends in Emeryville, not San Francisco. Amtrak Thruway Route 99 meets every train and runs to the Salesforce Transit Center, and Amtrak sells it as a connection, so add it when you book.
  • Solo teens only get a short daytime piece. Amtrak lets 13 to 15 year olds ride alone only on same-day trips between staffed stations, leaving after 5:30 a.m. and arriving by 9:30 p.m. Most of this route runs through the night, so the long haul is out.

Free for train families

Print the free California Zephyr activity book

Print it the night before. Kids color in each of the 35 stops as the train pulls in, check off things to spot out the window, play window bingo and finish with an “I rode the California Zephyr” certificate.

Get the free California Zephyr activity book

Every California Zephyr stop, from Chicago to Emeryville

There are 35 stops between Chicago and Emeryville, and every one gets a train daily in both directions. Heading west, you sleep through Nebraska and most of Nevada, and you’re awake for Colorado and the Sierra.

Illinois
  1. Chicago Union Station
  2. Naperville
  3. Princeton
  4. Galesburg
Iowa
  1. BurlingtonLook for: Get them to a window just before this stop: the train crosses the Mississippi River on a vertical-lift bridge between Gulfport, Illinois, and Burlington. The lift span went into service in 2011.
  2. Mt. Pleasant
  3. Ottumwa
  4. Osceola
  5. Creston
Nebraska
  1. Omaha
  2. Lincoln
  3. Hastings
  4. Holdrege
  5. McCook
Colorado
  1. Fort Morgan
  2. Denver Union StationLook for: Point out the orange “Union Station: Travel by Train” signs on both sides of the 1914 building. Inside, the 12,000-square-foot Great Hall is a hotel lobby and a waiting room at the same time.
  3. Fraser-Winter ParkLook for: Count down for this one. The train comes out of the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel at the base of Winter Park Resort, and the tunnel’s high point, 9,239 feet, is the highest spot on the whole Amtrak network.
  4. Granby
  5. Glenwood SpringsLook for: Have them find the towers on top of the red sandstone and brick depot from 1904. Just east of town, Glenwood Canyon runs about 13 miles with walls up to 1,300 feet high.
  6. Grand JunctionLook for: West of town the tracks follow the Colorado River into Ruby Canyon, named for its ruby-red sandstone cliffs. Tell kids that apart from rafts, the train is the only way in, and the canyon crosses into Utah.
Utah
  1. Green River
  2. HelperLook for: Ask them why a town would be called Helper. Extra “helper” engines were once kept here to push trains up Price Canyon to Soldier Summit. The Western Mining and Railroad Museum sits in the old Helper Hotel.
  3. Provo
  4. Salt Lake City
Nevada
  1. Elko
  2. Winnemucca
  3. RenoLook for: Watch the train sink into a trench: the tracks run below street level through downtown Reno. The 1926 Mission-style depot stands right next to it.
California
  1. TruckeeLook for: The depot was built in 1900 and now holds a visitor center and a small local history museum. West of town, keep faces at the glass as the train climbs above Donner Lake toward Donner Pass, 7,056 feet up.
  2. Colfax
  3. Roseville
  4. Sacramento Valley StationLook for: Getting off here? The California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento is a short walk from the station, with restored locomotives and railcars and a weekly Story Time for families.
  5. Davis
  6. MartinezLook for: Heading west, look out the right-hand windows. Around Martinez the train runs beside the water of the Carquinez Strait and then San Pablo Bay.
  7. Richmond
  8. EmeryvilleLook for: The end of the line, but tell kids there’s one more ride. Amtrak Thruway Route 99 buses meet every train here and carry you to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco.

What kids can see from the California Zephyr

Watercolor of Rally the corgi stretched out on a wooden floor beside his blue dog bed and a packed suitcase. Text: It was quite early to be out of bed, but Rally the Corgi had a big journey ahead.
The Denver morning train leaves at 8:46 a.m., so lay out clothes the night before and count down to the big tunnel.

Which side to sit on

Afraid you’ll pick the wrong side and miss everything? On the Zephyr, the canyons, the tunnel and the Sierra show up on both sides at different moments. The easy fix is the Sightseer Lounge, which Amtrak built for panoramic views.

Claim lounge seats early on the Denver morning and again on the last day before Truckee. Near the end, the train runs beside the Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay, so keep one person at a window that faces the water.

The Moffat Tunnel

West of Denver the train climbs the Front Range through a string of short tunnels, which makes good practice. Then comes the Moffat Tunnel under James Peak: 6.2 miles long, open to trains since 1928.

The windows go black for several minutes. Have kids count slowly or hum a song, and the train pops out at the bottom of a ski area.

Four canyons in one day

After Winter Park the tracks follow the Colorado River almost all the way to Utah. Amtrak names Gore, Byers and Glenwood canyons on this stretch, and Ruby Canyon comes after Grand Junction. Glenwood Canyon alone runs about 13 miles with walls up to 1,300 feet, so this is the day to put the tablet away.

Over the Sierra Nevada

The second mountain range shows up on the last day, right when everyone is tired of sitting. The train follows the Truckee River out of Reno, rounds Donner Lake and crests the Sierra near Donner Pass, then drops through Emigrant Gap toward Sacramento.

Near the top, trains now use a 10,322-foot tunnel under Mount Judah. The old summit track was abandoned in 1993.

Where to sit with kids on the California Zephyr

Watercolor of Rally's dad lifting Rally up the steps into a red train car. Text: Little legs and some very big stairs, meant he needed a boost from his Dad who cares.
Zephyr cars have two levels, so ask the car attendant which one suits your stroller and bags before anyone starts climbing.

Every car on the Zephyr is a Superliner, a double-decker, so yes, there are stairs inside the car. Coach seats are on both levels, and upstairs puts kids higher for the canyon views. If you’re hauling a stroller, a car seat or a pile of bags, ask your car attendant which level makes sense before you settle in.

How do you get through two nights in coach? Seats come in pairs with no middle seat, and Amtrak describes them as wide recliners with ample legroom. That’s what makes a night sitting up possible with a kid curled against you.

Zephyr coaches skip the four-seat tables. For coloring or a card game, go to the Sightseer Lounge, or eat a meal in the dining car, where diners share booth tables.

With a sleeper, the Family Bedroom spans the width of the car, so you get windows on both sides and room for four. A Roomette fits two, so one parent and one child can share. Amtrak lists no Business Class on this train.

Getting your family seated together on the Zephyr

Book every one of you on a single reservation. Where Amtrak assigns seats, it tries to keep a booking side by side, space allowing, but a Zephyr coach ticket buys each of you a seat, not a named one. Give the car attendant at the door your head count and the kids’ ages before anyone climbs the stairs.

Getting on at Denver for canyon day, after riders from Chicago have had a night to nest? Check upstairs, check downstairs, then try the coach next door. A seat holding only a duffel is fair game, because luggage doesn’t get a ticket, and the attendant can ask its owner to move it. Meanwhile, perch in whatever two seats are nearest each other.

Want a stranger to trade? Ask before the pillows come out, in one line (“Would you swap so I can sit by my 3-year-old?”), and offer a seat at least as nice as theirs. Never offer an aisle for someone’s window, and if they shake their head, smile anyway. The crew can’t evict anyone from a seat they’re sitting in. Through all of it, a little kid never sits alone out of arm’s reach, not even for the hop from Granby to Glenwood Springs.

The best first California Zephyr ride with kids

Not ready for 52 hours? You don’t have to ride the whole thing. These pieces of the westbound schedule work well with young kids:

  1. Denver to Fraser-Winter Park, about 2 hours. Leave Denver at 8:46 a.m., climb the foothills through short tunnels, ride the Moffat Tunnel and step off at 10:53 a.m. It’s the shortest ride that still has the big tunnel.
  2. Denver to Glenwood Springs, about 6 hours. Same start, then the river canyons, arriving at 2:43 p.m. Glenwood Springs has the largest natural hot springs pool in the world, so you get off somewhere worth staying.
  3. Truckee to Sacramento, about 4.5 hours. Board at 10:33 a.m., pass Donner Lake and the Sierra summit, and arrive at 3:05 p.m., a short walk from the railroad museum.

Eastbound times are different, so check them in the Amtrak app, and look up the train status before you leave for the station. For the two hours up to Winter Park, a few train coloring sheets give hands something to do between tunnels.

Watercolor of a red train car on a cliffside track heading into a dark tunnel, with Rally peeking out a window. Text: But then he saw some darkness ahead. Suddenly he wished he was back in his bed!
The Moffat Tunnel keeps the windows black for several minutes, so tell kids early that the light comes back at Winter Park.

Food, bathrooms and naps on the California Zephyr

What will they eat for two days? The Zephyr has a dining car and a Cafe. Sleeping car meals are included and served in the dining car, and the dining car menu has kids’ selections.

The Cafe sells snacks, drinks and simple meals to everyone, from early morning until late at night. Still, two days is a lot of Cafe sandwiches for a picky eater, so pack fruit, crackers and a refillable water bottle for each child.

Platform stops are great for burning off wiggles. Before anyone steps off, ask your car attendant how long that stop will be.

Every coach car has restrooms, though we couldn’t confirm changing tables on Zephyr cars, so tuck a portable pad in the diaper bag. The Family Bedroom has no private bathroom, so you’ll share the restroom and shower in the sleeping car; a small bag with each kid’s shower things saves trips. For the two nights, bring light blankets, small pillows, a headlamp and something dark to cover sleepy eyes.

A train book for the ride

Watercolor of Rally standing on a red train seat, looking out an arched window at the ocean and a white bird. Text: Choo choo! The train starting could be heard. Hello cute white bird!
Rally gets the ocean; your kids get Glenwood Canyon, where cliffs up to 1,300 feet tall fill the whole window.

In Rally Takes the Train, the window goes dark in a tunnel, and then the world comes back bright. The Moffat Tunnel is that page, only a lot longer. Read it the night before Denver, then let your kids watch for the light at the Winter Park end.

The free Rally activity pack has coloring pages that fit a fold-down tray table. We’d print a stack for the canyon day.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A tunnel story before the real tunnelRead about a corgi in a dark tunnel before you ride through a long one. Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute watercolor book for ages 0 to 8, $13.99 on Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Watercolor view from inside a dark tunnel looking out at a sunny beach, cliffs and the train track. Text: And with his big ears, Rally heard the sound of happy cheers. Goodbye tunnel! You caused us no trouble.
Two nights sounds huge, but the Zephyr comes in small pieces: a tunnel, a canyon, a meal, a nap, then the Sierra.

More for train families

Sources

Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.

California Zephyr with kids: questions parents ask

Do kids need a ticket on the California Zephyr?

Yes, from their second birthday on. A Zephyr seat for anyone aged 2 to 12 runs at half the adult rail price, provided a traveler 18 or over is on that booking too. The age they are on the day you leave decides it. On a two-night train the room is often the bigger bill, and Roomette or Family Bedroom prices stay put for kids.

Do babies ride free on the California Zephyr?

Yes, one per grown-up. Every adult holding an adult ticket can bring a baby under 2 along on their lap at no cost. If one parent has twins, or you’d rather give the baby a Zephyr seat to themselves, that extra child is charged the child fare. Over 52 hours, think hard about that: a lap baby only gets an empty coach seat if no paying rider wants it.

Do I need a car seat on the California Zephyr?

No, and there’s no way to buckle one in, because Amtrak seats have nothing to secure a car seat to. You may set it on an open seat, but only while no paying passenger is using that seat. Bring yours if a car waits at the end, say a rental out of Denver or a ride from Emeryville. Amtrak counts it instead of a normal bag, free, at up to 50 lbs.

Are there changing tables on the California Zephyr?

We couldn’t confirm changing tables on the Zephyr’s double-deckers. There’s no official Amtrak policy on diaper changing, so what you find shifts from car to car. A portable changing pad is the safe bet, and the bigger accessible restroom gives you the most elbow room. With a Roomette or Family Bedroom, a pad on the seat becomes your private changing spot for both days.

What are the bathrooms like on the California Zephyr?

Every coach car on the Zephyr has restrooms, and a little light shows if someone’s inside. Walk kids under school age there yourself, because these double-decker cars have stairs inside and the floor is moving. Warn them the flush is loud. Families in sleepers share a restroom and shower along the hallway, since the Family Bedroom has no private bathroom.

Can I bring a stroller on the California Zephyr?

Yes. A baby or toddler under 2 earns you one bonus infant item, either the stroller or the diaper bag, that sits outside the usual limit of 2 carry-on bags plus 1 personal item. If you’d rather check a folding stroller, Zephyr stations that handle bags take it for free. Jogging or double strollers might need checking. Collapse it before the Superliner stairs, then ask your car attendant which level works.

Can I breastfeed on the California Zephyr?

Yes. Every state in the country makes breastfeeding in public legal, including all seven on the Zephyr’s route. Need a hand with bottles? Amtrak’s family tips say to ask the dining car crew for help preparing them, and this train carries a full dining car. Still pack formula and clean bottles for two days, and a sleeper room gives you a door to close for night feeds.

What food is there for kids on the California Zephyr?

The Zephyr has a dining car plus a Cafe. Sleeper meals come with the room and are served in the dining car, which offers kids’ selections. Coach families can pick up snacks, drinks and simple meals at the Cafe from early morning until late at night. Two days of Cafe sandwiches gets old for a picky eater, so pack the food your child will really eat, plus a water bottle.

How do I keep kids busy for two days on the California Zephyr?

Cut each day into pieces. Westbound, the Denver morning brings foothill tunnels, the Moffat Tunnel and four river canyons, so that’s window time with the tablet put away. Save shows, with headphones, for the evenings. Print a few sheets from the printable Rally activity pack, read Rally Takes the Train before the big tunnel, and treat a walk to the Sightseer Lounge as its own activity.

Can we sit together on the California Zephyr?

Zephyr coach seating is two and two, upstairs and down, with no middle seat, so a family of four needs two pairs. Booking everyone on one reservation is the first step. Upstairs sits higher for the canyons. Coach skips four-seat tables entirely, so play cards in the Sightseer Lounge or at the dining car’s shared booths. The Zephyr sells no Business Class.

What if our family is seated apart on the California Zephyr?

Take the nearest two seats you can, then go hunting. Check both decks of your car and the coach next door for an open pair, counting seats that hold nothing but a backpack, since luggage doesn’t get a seat of its own. With two nights ahead, sort it out on day one, before neighbors build pillow forts, and keep your littlest one within arm’s reach of a grown-up throughout.

Will the California Zephyr crew help us find seats together?

Yes, as far as they’re able. Find the car attendant as you board, or flag the conductor when tickets are scanned, give your party size and each child’s age, and ask which coach still has room. They can steer you there and tell riders that a duffel doesn’t get its own seat. They won’t force anyone out of a seat they’re using, and a free lap baby may need to hand back a spare seat to a paying passenger.

Is there a Quiet Car on the California Zephyr?

No Quiet Car shows up in Amtrak’s listing for the Zephyr. Still, a coach car turns into a shared bedroom for two nights, so headphones for every device with sound are a must and soft voices go a long way after dark. If a crying baby at 2 a.m. is your worry, a sleeper room lets you shut out the rest of the car.

What should I pack for a toddler on the California Zephyr?

Pack for 52 hours, not an afternoon. Light blankets, small pillows, a headlamp and something to cover sleepy eyes make coach nights easier. Add a change of clothes per day, extra diapers and wipes, a shower bag for each child if you have a room, a real food bag and a folder of Rally coloring printables. Keep tomorrow’s outfit and toothbrushes on top so nobody digs through suitcases at 7 a.m.

Where do kids sleep on the California Zephyr?

In coach, kids sleep in wide recliners with ample legroom, usually curled up against you. A Roomette fits one parent and one child. The Superliner Family Bedroom has four beds, two up and two down, for two adults plus two children between 2 and 12, with windows on both sides and dining car meals included. Showers and restrooms are a short walk down the hall.

What is the best first ride on the California Zephyr with kids?

Denver to Fraser-Winter Park, about 2 hours. The westbound train leaves Denver Union Station at 8:46 a.m. and arrives at 10:53 a.m., after the short foothill tunnels and the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel. Want more? Stay on to Glenwood Springs, arriving at 2:43 p.m., for the canyons and a red sandstone depot from 1904. No night on board either way.

Can kids ride the California Zephyr alone?

Never at 12 or under. A 13, 14 or 15 year old can go solo only under Amtrak’s unaccompanied minor policy: booking by phone (1-800-USA-RAIL), adult fare, no transfers, and a same-day trip between staffed stations, with departure no earlier than 5:30 a.m. and arrival no later than 9:30 p.m. The Zephyr rolls through two nights, so only a short daytime piece could work. At 16 and 17, teens can go on their own.

How early should we get to the station for the California Zephyr?

About 30 minutes early, and a bit more with a stroller and two days of bags. Busy stations often board families with young kids before everyone else, so keep the kids near the boarding area. Getting on at Truckee? Buy tickets before you go: the old depot is a visitor center and museum now, and tickets there are sold online only.

What if my child is scared of the Moffat Tunnel?

Tell them before Denver that one tunnel is very long: 6.2 miles, with black windows for several minutes. The short tunnels in the foothills come first and make good practice. Count slowly, hum a song or hold their hand, then watch together for daylight at the Winter Park end. Reading Rally’s tunnel page the night before helps, and covering ears for the horn is fine too.

Is the California Zephyr safe for kids?

It’s an easy train to keep kids safe on if the rules start early. On the platform, everyone holds a hand and waits behind the line. Once aboard, shoes stay on, kids sit or grab something solid while the train is moving, and a grown-up goes with them on the Superliner stairs. At stops long enough to stretch, check the time with the car attendant and keep everyone close.

What if the California Zephyr is late with kids?

Build a cushion into a 52-hour trip either way. Keep Amtrak’s app open to the live map, and look at travel advisories before you head to the station. Pack an extra day of snacks and diapers, plus the free train maze and word search, so a late train is dull, not stressful. If you’re riding on to San Francisco, book the Emeryville bus as an Amtrak connection so it sits on the same itinerary as the train.

Does the California Zephyr go to San Francisco?

Not by rail. The train ends in Emeryville, on the east side of the bay. Amtrak Thruway Route 99 buses meet every train there and run to the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco. Amtrak sells the bus as a connection, so add it when you book the train and you won’t be sorting it out at the curb with tired kids.

Kelsey Cecil
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