Coast Starlight With Kids: Every Stop, Family Bedroom and Kids Tickets

11 min read

Yes, you can ride the Coast Starlight with kids, and it's the one West Coast train where they can sleep in a real bed. Its double-decker Superliner cars have a Family Bedroom for two adults and two kids. The train runs once a day each way, about 1,377 miles between Seattle and Los Angeles, in about 34 to 35 hours. Kids 2 to 12 pay half the coach rail fare, but room charges aren't discounted, and below you'll find every stop, what to look for and which parts are worth riding in daylight.

The short version

• One train a day each way: train 11 leaves Seattle southbound at 9:55 a.m., and train 14 leaves Los Angeles northbound at 9:51 a.m.
• Want beds? The Family Bedroom sleeps two adults and two kids 2 to 12, and meals come with any private room.
• For the ocean between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, sit on the left going north and the right going south.
• Tunnel fans get 22 of them in a row between Chemult and Cascade Summit in Oregon.
• Washington Youth Fare does not work on the Coast Starlight, so free kids fares inside Washington mean taking Amtrak Cascades.
• Short Los Angeles hop? South of Santa Barbara, the Starlight only drops off going south and only picks up going north at most stops.

From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

← All Amtrak routes with kids

Coast Starlight at a glance

Runs between

Seattle and Los Angeles, by way of Portland, Sacramento and the Bay Area

States

Washington, Oregon and California

Distance

about 1,377 miles

End to end

about 35 hours southbound, about 34 hours northbound

Trains

One a day each way (train 11 south, train 14 north)

Train cars

Double-decker Superliner cars with a Sightseer Lounge and dining car

Four-seat tables

Not at coach seats; tables are in the dining car

Upstairs seating

Yes, coach seats on both levels

Quiet Car

No

Food

Dining car and cafe

Sleeper rooms

Roomettes, Bedrooms, Bedroom Suites, Accessible Bedroom and a Family Bedroom

Checked bags

Yes, at selected stations

Look inside the book

22 tunnels ahead. Rally knows the feeling.

Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute corgi story with a dark tunnel and a bright light, a good warm-up before the Cascade tunnels on the Coast Starlight.

Page 1 of 8

Click the page, swipe, or use the arrow keys to turn

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.

In this post

1. Kids tickets on the Coast Starlight
2. Every Coast Starlight stop
3. What kids can see
4. Where to sit
5. Best first ride
6. Food, bathrooms and naps
7. A train book for the ride
8. Questions parents ask

Do kids need a ticket on the Coast Starlight?

Kids 2 to 12 pay half the Starlight rail fare, but a sleeping room costs the same no matter how small the sleepers are.

Every child needs a ticket. Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult rail fare with an adult 18 or older on the same booking, and one baby under 2 can ride on each paying adult’s lap for free. The general rules live in our Amtrak with kids guide.

On an overnight train, though, the number that stings is the room. The child discount comes off the rail fare only. Sleeping room charges are not discounted, so a Family Bedroom costs the same whether your kids are 3 or 12.

Two state deals don’t stretch to this train. Washington Youth Fare, which lets kids ride free inside Washington, isn’t valid on the Coast Starlight, so a free Seattle to Vancouver, Washington hop for kids means taking Amtrak Cascades. California Everyday Discounts don’t work on long-distance trains like this one either.

Riding coach but hoping for the dining car? Since 2023, Amtrak has sold a limited number of dining car seats to coach riders on this train, based on availability, and kids’ meals were $20 when that started. Ask the attendant early in the day.

Free for train families

Free Coast Starlight printables for the ride

Eleven pages made for this train: a stop tracker for all 30 Coast Starlight stops, things to spot out the window, train window bingo, a word search full of Coast Starlight stops, a maze and an “I rode the Coast Starlight” certificate. Rally coloring pages come with it.

Get the free Coast Starlight activity book

Every Coast Starlight stop, from Seattle to Los Angeles

The Coast Starlight makes 30 stops. Planning a quick Los Angeles ride? South of Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys and Burbank are drop-off only on the southbound train, and Simi Valley and Van Nuys are pick-up only northbound, so take the Pacific Surfliner for short hops there.

Washington

1. Seattle (King Street Station)Look for: That 242-foot clock tower was modeled on the bell tower in Venice, Italy, with a clock face on all four sides.
2. Tacoma Dome StationLook for: Fun one for the kids: the Amtrak building is tucked inside Freighthouse Square, a former Milwaukee Road depot near the Tacoma Dome.
3. Lacey (Olympia-Lacey)
4. Centralia
5. Kelso-Longview
6. Vancouver

Oregon

1. Portland (Union Station)Look for: Look for the blue and gold neon signs that say “Go by Train” and “Union Station,” put up in 1948 and still glowing.
2. Salem
3. Albany
4. Eugene-Springfield
5. ChemultLook for: A tiny mountain town of about 300 people. Get ready: between here and Cascade Summit, the train runs through 22 tunnels.
6. Klamath FallsLook for: Watch the shore of Upper Klamath Lake along the tracks, and on a clear day, look for Mount McLoughlin in the distance.

California

1. DunsmuirLook for: A railroad town on the upper Sacramento River within sight of Mount Shasta. Bonus trivia: its first station was a boxcar.
2. Redding
3. Chico
4. Sacramento Valley StationLook for: A short walk west is the California State Railroad Museum, with restored locomotives in six buildings.
5. Davis
6. Martinez
7. Emeryville
8. Oakland (Jack London Square)Look for: Near the station sits the little cabin Jack London lived in during the Klondike Gold Rush, moved here to the square.
9. San Jose Diridon
10. Salinas
11. Paso Robles
12. San Luis ObispoLook for: Just north of town, the train climbs the Cuesta Grade on a chain of horseshoe curves and tunnels. Tell the kids to watch the front cars bend.
13. Santa Barbara
14. Oxnard (drop-off only southbound)
15. Simi Valley (drop-off only southbound, pick-up only northbound)
16. Van Nuys (drop-off only southbound, pick-up only northbound)
17. Burbank Airport (drop-off only southbound)
18. Los Angeles (Union Station)Look for: After 35 hours, head for the two big shaded patios with towering palm trees and let everyone stretch their legs.

What kids can see from the Coast Starlight

Which parts you see in daylight

Here’s the honest truth about a 35-hour train: some of the best scenery goes by in the dark. Going south, the train reaches Dunsmuir at about 12:45 a.m., so Mount Shasta is usually just a moonlit shape. Going north, Dunsmuir is about 5 a.m., so early risers may catch the mountain at sunrise.

If you get to choose, we’d go north. You get the California coast in the afternoon and the Oregon Cascades the next morning, from Klamath Falls at 7:43 a.m. to Eugene a little after noon.

Tunnels and a lake in the Cascades

Between Chemult and Cascade Summit, the train passes through 22 tunnels as it crosses Willamette Pass. One rider describes a long reverse loop on the climb and indigo-blue Odell Lake near the top. Near Klamath Falls, the tracks run along the shore of Upper Klamath Lake.

The ocean side

After Santa Barbara comes a 104-mile stretch with clear views of the Pacific. Sit on the left heading north and the right heading south. The tracks pass Vandenberg and run along the cliffs toward Santa Barbara.

The Sightseer Lounge has floor-to-ceiling windows and is the main place to watch the view. Head there before the coastal stretch starts, because the good seats fill fast.

Where to sit with kids on the Coast Starlight

Superliner cars have stairs inside, so decide who carries the bags and who holds small hands on the way upstairs.

Every Starlight car is a double-decker Superliner. Coach seats are reserved and sit on both the upper and lower levels. Seats come in pairs with big legroom, so a family of four usually lands two pairs, one in front of the other.

For an overnight trip, a room changes everything. The Family Bedroom is 9 feet 5 inches long and 5 feet 2 inches wide, with seats for four by day and two upper and two lower beds at night. Roomettes and Bedrooms are the other choices, and any private room includes meals.

Sticking with coach? Bring a small blanket and pillow for each child. Going south, the train still stops at Redding around 2:30 a.m. and Chico around 4 a.m., so expect some shuffling in the night.

When the Starlight seats your family apart

The fix starts at booking. Put every person on one reservation, because coach seats on this train are reserved, and where seats are assigned, Amtrak keeps travelers on a single booking together when there’s room. With seats in pairs, a family of four normally ends up with two pairs, one in front of the other.

Still apart? The conductor or car attendant is your best bet, and the time to ask is at the door while you board or the moment tickets get scanned. Give the headcount and ages, and ask whether another car or the other level has a free pair. Luggage riding in a seat can be asked to move, since a seat belongs to a ticket, but no seated passenger will be told to leave.

Trading with a neighbor goes best before the blankets come out for the night. A toddler who can’t sit alone is a reason most people understand. Offer a trade that costs them nothing, a window for a window on the same level, and let it go if they’d rather stay. Until it’s sorted, sit across the aisle. On a train that runs all night, a small child should never be seated away from you, even briefly.

The best first Coast Starlight ride with kids

Twenty-two tunnels in a row can feel like a lot, so count them out loud together and cheer every time the light comes back.

You don’t have to do all 35 hours. Each of these pieces gives kids a real taste of the Starlight.

1. Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo, about 2 hours 40 minutes. Northbound train 14 leaves Santa Barbara around 12:15 p.m. and arrives about 2:52 p.m. Sit on the left for the ocean, then take the Pacific Surfliner back.
2. Seattle to Portland, about 4 hours. Southbound train 11 leaves King Street at 9:55 a.m. and pulls into Portland around 1:55 p.m. Plan lunch in the dining car, or pack a picnic.
3. Klamath Falls to Eugene, about 5 hours. Northbound train 14 crosses the Cascades in morning light, through the tunnels and past Odell Lake. It makes a great second-day leg for kids who already slept on board.

Food, bathrooms and naps on the Coast Starlight

For a night on the Starlight, pack a small bag with pajamas and toothbrushes, plus one blanket and pillow per child.

The dining car serves traditional sit-down meals, and food is included for sleeping car passengers. Coach riders can use the cafe, and some trains sell dining car seats to coach when there’s room. Breakfast is first come, first served.

Pack your own food too. A picnic dinner at your seat beats a long cafe line with tired kids. Sleeper riders share restrooms and showers down the hall, so pack a small bag with pajamas and toothbrushes for the night. We couldn’t confirm changing tables on Superliner cars, so bring a portable changing pad too.

Wi-Fi is weak or missing in a lot of places, especially in the mountains. Download shows before you leave home, and print some free coloring pages for the train for when the signal quits.

A train book for the ride

Grab Sightseer Lounge seats early for the 104 miles of Pacific coast after Santa Barbara, where the windows run floor to ceiling.

In Rally Takes the Train, the tunnel page is the big moment: the train slips into the dark, then pops out into bright light. On the Coast Starlight, kids get that 22 times in a row between Chemult and Cascade Summit, and again on the Cuesta Grade north of San Luis Obispo. Read that page just before Chemult, then have everyone shout “light!” at each exit.

With 35 hours on board, you’ll want quiet activities too. Print the free Rally activity pack and coloring pages and save one sheet for each state.

A tunnel story for a tunnel trainRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, dark tunnel and all, hand-painted in watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Thirty-five hours sounds huge, but with a dining car, a lounge full of windows and a place to sleep, it comes in pieces kids can handle.

More for train families

• Every Amtrak route with kids: find another train by city or station
• The complete guide to Amtrak with kids: tickets, car seats, changing tables, family tables and what to pack by age
• Free Rally activity pack and coloring pages to print before your trip
• Pacific Surfliner with kids
• Amtrak Cascades with kids
• Capitol Corridor with kids
• Empire Builder with kids

Sources

• Amtrak: Coast Starlight
• Coast Starlight timetable (Aug. 2026)
• Amtrak: Discounts for children
• Amtrak: Family Room
• Amtrak Cascades: Traveling with kids
• Capitol Corridor: Deals and promotions
• Trains: Coach passengers can buy dining car meals
• Wikipedia: Coast Starlight
• Trainchasers: Coast Starlight
• American Rails: Coast Starlight route guide
• Curbside Classic: Riding over Willamette Summit
• Great American Stations: Dunsmuir
• Great American Stations: Portland Union Station

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

Coast Starlight with kids: questions parents ask

Do kids need a ticket on the Coast Starlight?

Yes. The rail fare for kids 2 to 12 is cut in half when a grown-up 18 or older shares the reservation. Their age on departure day sets which fare applies. Don't count on free Washington fares: Washington Youth Fare isn't valid on the Starlight, and California Everyday Discounts skip long-distance trains too. For a free kids ride inside Washington, take Amtrak Cascades instead.

Do babies ride free on the Coast Starlight?

Each adult with an adult fare can bring one under-2 lap baby at no charge. Add a second baby to that adult, or give a baby a coach seat, and you pay the child fare. On a 35-hour train, think hard about whether a lap works overnight. Your lap baby may spread out on a spare seat, but only if no paying passenger wants it.

Do I need a car seat on the Coast Starlight?

No. Amtrak says car seats cannot be secured to its seats, so there's nowhere to buckle one in. One can sit in a vacant seat if no paying passenger needs it, or it may go in a baggage area while your baby rides on your lap. Since the Starlight checks bags at selected stations, you can check the car seat free in place of a regular bag if you'll need it for a car later.

Are there changing tables on the Coast Starlight?

We couldn't confirm changing tables on the Superliner cars this train uses. Amtrak has no system-wide diaper-changing rule, and what's on board changes from car to car. Bring a travel changing pad; if your car has an accessible restroom, its extra space makes changes easier. If you booked a private room, you also have your own space for a quick change behind a closed door.

Where are the bathrooms on the Coast Starlight?

You'll find a restroom in every car, with a little light to say when it's in use. In the sleeping cars, restrooms and showers are shared down the hall. These are double-decker Superliner cars, so getting there may mean stairs; hold small hands on the way. At night, walk kids to the restroom yourself, and warn them ahead of time that the flush is loud.

Can I bring a stroller on the Coast Starlight?

Yes. Fold it and keep it with you, or check it for free instead of a suitcase at Starlight stations that handle checked baggage. Families with a child under 2 also get a free extra infant item, such as the stroller or a diaper bag, beyond the normal carry-on count. Superliner cars have stairs inside, so a big jogging or double stroller is easier to check than to haul up to your seat.

Can I breastfeed or bottle-feed on the Coast Starlight?

Yes. Nursing in public is protected everywhere in the country, so go ahead and feed your baby right at your coach seat. The Starlight carries a dining car, and Amtrak notes that dining car staff can lend a hand preparing a baby's bottle. A private room gives you more privacy for night feeds. Still pack enough formula and bottles for the whole 35 hours.

Can coach passengers with kids eat in the Coast Starlight dining car?

Often, yes. Meals come with sleeping car rooms, and since 2023 Amtrak has sold a limited number of dining car seats to coach riders on this train when there's space; kids' meals were $20 when that began. Breakfast is first come, first served. There's also a cafe, and packing your own food covers you if the dining car fills up.

How do I keep kids entertained on the Coast Starlight?

Head to the Sightseer Lounge, where the windows run floor to ceiling, and grab seats before the 104 miles of ocean after Santa Barbara. In Oregon, count the 22 tunnels between Chemult and Cascade Summit. Wi-Fi is weak, so download shows at home. Print our free Rally activity pack, save one sheet for each state, and keep Rally Takes the Train handy for right before Chemult.

Can we sit together on the Coast Starlight?

Coach seats on the Starlight are reserved, so you won't be racing other riders for them, and they're on both the upper and lower levels. Seats come in pairs with big legroom, so a family of four usually ends up with two pairs, one behind the other. There are no tables at coach seats; those are in the dining car. For four seats facing each other, book the Family Bedroom.

Coast Starlight coach split our family up. How do we fix it?

Stay close while you sort it out, across the aisle or one pair away, and don't leave a young child sitting on their own overnight. Booking everyone on a single reservation helps, since Amtrak tries to seat one booking together when seats allow. If you're still apart, look for an open pair on the other level or in the next coach car, and talk to nearby riders early, before they settle in for the night.

Will the Coast Starlight car attendant or conductor help seat our family together?

Yes, so speak up early. As you climb aboard, or once your tickets are scanned, explain who's in your party and how little they are. Staff can steer you toward free seats in another car and have bags moved, because each ticket covers one seat. A lap baby or car seat borrowing an empty seat can be bumped for someone who paid. A passenger already sitting down stays where they are.

Is there a Quiet Car on the Coast Starlight?

No, the Coast Starlight doesn't have a Quiet Car. Coach still turns into a bedroom after dark, so keep voices low at night and use headphones for any device with sound. During the day, restless kids can stretch their legs in the Sightseer Lounge instead of bouncing in the aisle next to people trying to rest.

What should I pack for kids on the Coast Starlight?

Treat it like a sleepover. Pack one small bag with pajamas, toothbrushes and a change of clothes so you aren't digging through big luggage at night. Coach families should add a blanket and pillow for each child. Bring a picnic dinner, plenty of diapers, and shows and audiobooks downloaded at home, since Wi-Fi drops out in the mountains of Oregon and Northern California. A free printable maze and word search weighs nothing.

Can kids sleep on the Coast Starlight?

Yes. The Superliner Family Bedroom sleeps two adults plus two kids 2 to 12 in four beds, two up and two down, and meals come with any private room. Roomettes and Bedrooms are the other choices, and room charges aren't discounted for kids. In coach, bring pillows, and know that southbound stops at Redding around 2:30 a.m. and Chico around 4 a.m. can wake light sleepers.

What is the best first ride on the Coast Starlight with kids?

Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo, about 2 hours 40 minutes. Northbound train 14 leaves Santa Barbara around 12:15 p.m. and arrives about 2:52 p.m., with the ocean on the left. Take the Pacific Surfliner back. Skip short Los Angeles hops on the Starlight, because southbound it only lets people off at Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys and Burbank.

Can a teenager ride the Coast Starlight alone?

Kids 12 and under can't; they need someone 18 or older with them. Riding solo at 13 to 15 means going through Amtrak's unaccompanied minor program, booked by phone, and it allows only daylight trips that start and end at staffed stations, with no transfers. So the overnight legs of this train are off the table. Teens 16 and 17 are allowed to ride on their own.

How early should we get to the station for the Coast Starlight?

Plan on about 30 minutes early, and give yourself extra time if you're checking bags at a station that offers it. The Starlight runs once a day each way, so missing it means waiting a full day. Staff at busy stations often wave families with young children aboard first. Coach seats are reserved, so you can skip the seat scramble and focus on the stairs.

What if my child gets scared on the Coast Starlight?

Start with the tunnels, since this train has plenty: 22 in a row between Chemult and Cascade Summit, plus more on the Cuesta Grade north of San Luis Obispo. Read Rally's dark-tunnel page beforehand, then shout 'light!' at each exit. Warn kids about the horn, and if a night stop wakes them, a hand on the back and a whisper go a long way.

Is the Coast Starlight safe for kids?

Yes, with a few house rules. Platforms first: keep hands held and feet behind the safety line until the train has stopped. Inside, use the handrail on the Superliner stairs, hold hands walking between cars, and make sure kids are seated or gripping something whenever the train is moving. Shoes go on for every trip down the hall, even the 2 a.m. bathroom run.

What if the Coast Starlight is delayed?

Keep an eye on your train in the Amtrak app, and look over travel advisories the morning you head out. On a 35-hour trip, a delay can push your arrival well past the timetable, so pack more snacks, diapers and wipes than the schedule says you need. With only one train a day each way, there's no next train to hop on. Keep a printable fill-in train ticket in reserve for the extra hours.

Which direction of the Coast Starlight is best with kids?

Northbound, from Los Angeles to Seattle, if you have the choice. You leave at 9:51 a.m., see the ocean north of Santa Barbara in the afternoon, and cross the Oregon Cascades and their tunnels the next morning, from Klamath Falls at 7:43 a.m. to Eugene a little after noon. Southbound passes Mount Shasta after midnight.