Downeaster With Kids: Every Stop, Maine Day Trips and Kids Tickets
Thinking about the Downeaster with kids? Good call: it's one of the easiest Amtrak trains to start with, about 3 hours 20 minutes from Brunswick, Maine to Boston North Station, with five round trips a day. Kids 2 through 12 ride for half off, and every train has a café for when the snacks from home run out. Better yet, the stops are short hops between small New England towns, and a few of them put a children's museum, an ice cream counter or a beach pier close to the platform.
The short version
- 12 stops across Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts; the full Brunswick to Boston ride is about 3 hours 20 minutes.
- Five round trips daily, plus a late Event Night Train out of Boston after some big games and concerts.
- Ages 2 to 12 pay half fare. Kids under 16 can't ride alone, because the Downeaster isn't part of Amtrak's unaccompanied minor program.
- No assigned seats. Some coaches have a set of four, so get to the platform early if you want to stay together.
- Old Orchard Beach only gets trains part of the year, and the last day in 2026 is October 18.
- Pack a portable changing pad: GBH News reported in January 2025 that the Downeaster has no changing tables.
Downeaster at a glance
- Runs between
- Brunswick, Maine and Boston North Station, by way of Portland
- States
- Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts
- Distance
- about 145 miles
- End to end
- about 3 hours 20 minutes
- Trains
- five round trips a day, plus a late Event Night Train from Boston on some nights
- Train cars
- single-level Amfleet coaches plus a club car with the café and Business Class
- Family seating
- some coaches have a set of four seats; seats are first come, first served
- Upstairs seating
- none; single-level cars
- Food
- Downeaster Café on every train; you may bring your own food
- Sleeper rooms
- none; Coach and Business Class only
- Checked bags
- none; two suitcases and one personal item per rider
- Bikes
- up to three per train, with a reservation
Look inside the book
Heading up to Maine on the Downeaster? Bring Rally.
Reading it out loud takes about five minutes, roughly the hop from Brunswick to Freeport. Peek at a few pages.
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 the Downeaster?
The money part first. Kids 2 to 12 ride for 50 percent off the adult fare when they travel with someone 18 or older. A baby under 2 rides free on a grown-up's lap, one per adult, and a second baby pays the child price. The Downeaster's own deals page and the Visit Freeport listing for the line say the same thing.
Here's the part that's easy to miss: you need a reservation before you get on, and the conductor can't sell you a ticket on board. Book online, in the Amtrak app, at a Quik-Trak kiosk, or with a ticket agent at Portland or Boston North Station.
Got a teen who wants to ride solo? On this line, age decides it. The Downeaster is one of four routes Amtrak leaves out of its unaccompanied minor program, because too few of its stations are staffed, and the rider FAQ says kids under 16 can't ride without an adult. A 16-year-old needs a valid photo ID to buy a ticket and to carry on board, so a solo campus visit from Durham to Boston has to wait until then.
Riding often? The Downeaster sells Monthly, 10-Ride and 6-Tix passes that cost less per trip than single fares. Prices depend on your stations, and each pass has its own refund rules, so read the fine print before you buy.
Free for train families
Print the free Downeaster activity book
A stop tracker for all 12 stops, a word search full of Downeaster stops, window bingo, a maze, a ticket to fill in and a page to draw the view. It fits in a folder with a few crayons and weighs nothing in the diaper bag.
Get the free Downeaster activity bookEvery Downeaster stop, from Brunswick to Boston North Station
There are 12 stops between Brunswick and Boston. Old Orchard Beach is open only from mid-May to mid-October (the 2026 season ends October 18), and the earliest southbound train skips it, so check before you promise anyone the beach.
Maine- Brunswick (Maine Street Station)Look for: Bowdoin College and the Maine Street shops are about a quarter mile from the outdoor platform, an easy first walk for short legs.
- FreeportLook for: Tell them to watch for L.L.Bean and its famous boots: the platform sits in the center of town, steps from the store.
- Portland Transportation CenterLook for: Ask if they'd like to board a train after the train: the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine, near the station at Thompson's Point, has a Downeaster exhibit on its second floor that kids can climb aboard.
- Old Orchard Beach (seasonal, mid-May to mid-October)Look for: Sandals on: the Old Orchard Pier and the Palace Playland rides are within a quarter mile of the platform.
- Saco Transportation Center
- Wells Transportation CenterLook for: Beach day, no car needed: the year-round Shoreline Explorer bus leaves from the station for Wells Beach.
- DoverLook for: The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is within a quarter mile of the platform, about a five-minute walk.
- Durham-UNHLook for: Point out the restored railroad semaphore signal on the roof, then head inside: this old brick depot on the UNH campus holds the Dairy Bar café.
- Exeter
- HaverhillLook for: Have them find the big clock in a lattice frame on the shelter. The station sits up on an embankment on the north bank of the Merrimack River, right where the tracks cross the water.
- Woburn (Anderson Regional Transportation Center)
- Boston North StationLook for: Here's a fun one to share: the station is under a sports arena, so the hockey and basketball games happen right over the tracks.
What kids can see from the Downeaster
Don't expect cliffs and canyons on this line. The good stuff is rivers, small depots and old mill towns, plus a few quirks that get kids asking questions.
The duck race bridge at Haverhill
Haverhill's station stands on the north bank of the Merrimack, and the line crosses the river right beside it. Tell your kids it's a duck race bridge: at the town's September River Ruckus festival, thousands of rubber ducks have been dropped off that railroad bridge for a race.
Why are we waiting?
Between Portland and Brunswick the line is mostly one track, so trains going opposite ways have to take turns. A 4-mile passing track at Royal Junction was built in 2017 and 2018 for exactly that, and your train may slow down to let another one by. When someone asks why the train is waiting, that's your answer.
The Portland detour
Portland's station sits on a short branch off the main line, which adds about 15 minutes to trips going on to Freeport and Brunswick. So if the train seems to pause and change its mind near Portland, that's why.
A train that came back
Passenger trains between Portland and Boston stopped in 1965. The Downeaster brought them back in 2001 on the old Flying Yankee corridor, and now it carries more than half a million riders a year, with a record 598,426 in FY2024. On some trains you may meet volunteer hosts from TrainRiders Northeast, who share travel tips with riders, so save your questions for them.
Where to sit with kids on the Downeaster
Nobody gets an assigned seat. Coach rows have two seats on each side of the aisle, and the Downeaster FAQ says it's first come, first served, with some coaches holding a set of four where a family can sit together. Our advice: be on the platform a few minutes early with bags in hand, so you aren't splitting up the family in the aisle.
Some seats face backward, and Amtrak won't promise which way yours faces. If you have a kid who gets queasy riding backward, grab the first forward-facing pair you see and sort out the rest later.
Business Class in the club car has single seats on one side and pairs on the other, with extra legroom, leather seats and a free soft drink. It's a calm spot for one parent and one child, and if plans change before departure you get the full fare back.
There's no checked baggage, so pack light. Each rider may carry two suitcases up to 50 pounds and one personal item up to 25 pounds, and bags ride on the overhead racks. Each train takes up to three bikes with a reservation and the front wheel removed.
A folding stroller or a car seat can stand in for one of those two suitcases at no charge, and a baby under 2 gets one extra infant item on top. Car seats can't be buckled to Downeaster seats, so only bring one if you'll be driving in Maine.
Split up on the Downeaster? Here's what to do
Put the whole family on one reservation. On this train, boarding is the seat assignment: your ticket promises a seat, not a particular one. Be near the front of the line at Boston North Station or Portland and head for the first set of four you see.
Train already busy by Dover or Haverhill? Walk your coach end to end for two empty seats side by side, then try the car behind it. Until something opens, one grown-up can perch in the row right behind the kids.
Need a stranger to move? Ask before the laptop comes out: “Hi, I have a 3-year-old with me. Would you mind this window seat so we can be together?” Swap like for like, window for window, facing the same way. Never offer a worse seat for their window, and smile at a no.
The conductor is worth a word when your ticket gets scanned. Give them a quick count of riders and kids' ages. A Downeaster conductor can point out empty seats and have backpacks lifted off seats a rider needs, since bags don't get seats. Making a seated passenger move isn't part of the job. Keep a young child next to you, even for the 15 minutes from Portland to Old Orchard Beach.
The best first Downeaster ride with kids
New to trains? Start short. These come from the current Downeaster timetable, so check amtrak.com for your date.
- Portland to Freeport, about 30 minutes. A northbound train leaves Portland at 11:25 a.m. and gets to Freeport at 11:55 a.m. Walk over to L.L.Bean for lunch and a look at the boots, then ride back on the 1:08 p.m. or 5:58 p.m. southbound train.
- Boston to Durham-UNH, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Leave North Station at 8:50 a.m. and arrive in Durham at 10:12 a.m. That's mid-morning ice cream at the Dairy Bar in the depot, if you're that kind of parent today. Walk the campus, then catch the 12:55 p.m. or 2:50 p.m. train home.
- Boston to Dover, about 1 hour 30 minutes. The same 8:50 a.m. train reaches Dover at 10:20 a.m. Walk five minutes to the Children's Museum of New Hampshire, then ride the 2:42 p.m. train home, back in Boston at 4:15 p.m.
From mid-May to mid-October there's a fourth idea: Portland to Old Orchard Beach is only about 15 minutes by train, and the pier is a short walk from the platform. Sand in the stroller is part of the deal.
Before any of these, print the counting page and the maze from our free Rally activity pages, so the ride home has a job built in.
Food, bathrooms and naps on the Downeaster
The Downeaster Café is on every train, selling snacks, light meals, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks, and it takes cash and major cards. You can bring your own food and eat it at your seat, which is where the one snack your kid will actually eat should come from. The café tables are saved for people buying from the café.
The potty dash is short here, because every car has a restroom. Changing tables are another story: a January 2025 GBH News report said the Downeaster has none, unlike the Northeast Regional and Acela trains between Boston and New York. Amtrak told GBH that new cars, including the ones planned for the Downeaster, will have changing tables in accessible bathrooms.
Those new Airo trains were starting on the West Coast in 2026, and we found no news of them reaching Maine yet. Until then, bring a portable changing pad and plan on lap changes or a station stop. In season, the Old Orchard Beach Chamber of Commerce building next to that platform has restrooms.
About 3 hours 20 minutes is a nice nap window for a toddler. The first southbound train leaves Brunswick at 4:30 a.m., so if your kids wake early anyway, pajamas and a blanket can turn it into a sleepy morning ride.
A train book for the ride
Before Rally ever boards, the book spends a page at the station. The Durham-UNH depot, with its brick walls, slate roof and old semaphore signal, looks a lot like the station kids picture from that page. Read that spread on the platform, then see who spots the signal on the roof first.
Rally gets a pretzel from Mom on the way, and a Downeaster ride can have its own snack moment: a cone from the Dairy Bar inside the Durham depot, or a café treat at your seat. Our free Rally activity pack is on the coloring pages page, ready to print for the ride to Maine, and the book is there if you want Rally in the bag.
A five-minute story for the Maine lineRally Takes the Train follows a real corgi on his first train ride, in hand-painted watercolor pages for kids up to 8. Read it on the platform at Durham while you wait. $13.99 on Amazon.
Buy on Amazon
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
- Vermonter with kids
- Northeast Regional with kids
- Acela with kids
Sources
- Amtrak: Downeaster route page
- Amtrak Downeaster: About Us
- Amtrak Downeaster: Rider's Guide FAQs
- Downeaster timetable effective May 18, 2026 (juckins.net)
- Amtrak: Unaccompanied minors policy
- Amtrak: Passenger discount for children
- Visit Freeport: Amtrak Downeaster children's discount
- GBH News: Changing tables aren't required on Amtrak or commuter rail (Jan. 2025)
- Boston.com: Amtrak's new trains are arriving soon (Feb. 2026)
- Wikipedia: Downeaster (train)
- Amtrak Downeaster: Old Orchard Beach station
- Amtrak Downeaster: Dover station
- Amtrak Downeaster: Freeport station
- Amtrak Downeaster: Brunswick station
- Amtrak Downeaster: Wells station
- Great American Stations: Durham-UNH
- Great American Stations: Haverhill
- Great American Stations: Boston North Station
- Boston Globe: New Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine opens (2021)
Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.
Downeaster with kids: questions parents ask
Do kids need a ticket on the Downeaster?
Anyone 2 or older needs one. Downeaster riders from 2 through 12 get 50 percent off when they travel on a booking with someone 18-plus. Buy it before boarding, because the conductor can't sell you one on this train. Riding a lot? The Monthly, 10-Ride and 6-Tix passes can bring the per-trip price down.
Do babies ride free on the Downeaster?
They do, one per grown-up. Each Downeaster adult on an adult-fare ticket can hold one under-2 free. Twins, or a baby you'd rather seat, means that child pays the half-price child fare. Downeaster seating is first come, first served, so the empty spot beside you is the baby's to use only if no paying rider claims it.
Do I need a car seat on the Downeaster?
No. There's no way to fasten a car seat to a Downeaster seat, or to any Amtrak seat. You could set one in an empty spot, but only while no paying rider wants it, and first-come seating makes that a gamble. Bring it if a car is waiting in Maine or New Hampshire; it counts as one of your two suitcases, free.
Does the Downeaster have changing tables?
Not as of the latest report we found. GBH News reported in January 2025 that the Downeaster has none, while Northeast Regional and Acela trains between Boston and New York do. Amtrak said new cars will put tables in accessible restrooms, but we found no news of them reaching Maine. Pack a portable pad and use the bigger accessible restroom for changes.
Where are the bathrooms on the Downeaster?
Each Downeaster car has its own restroom, so it's never more than a car away. Check the little light by the door: lit means someone's in there. Go in with any kid too small to manage the lock, and mention that the Downeaster flush is a loud one. In season, the Chamber building next to the Old Orchard Beach platform has restrooms too.
Can I bring a stroller on the Downeaster?
Yes, but think compact. The Downeaster has no checked baggage, so everything rides with you. A folding stroller can replace one of your two suitcases for free, and a Downeaster parent with an under-2 gets one infant item, stroller or diaper bag, beyond the usual limit. Jogging and double strollers are ones Amtrak may make you check, so leave the big one home.
Can I breastfeed or bottle-feed on the Downeaster?
Yes. Every U.S. state allows breastfeeding in public, so nurse at your Downeaster seat whenever the baby asks. Bottles are your job, though. Amtrak's help with bottles comes from dining car crews, and this train has a café instead. Pack formula, water and clean bottles for the 3 hours 20 minutes to Brunswick, and one spare.
What food is there for kids on the Downeaster?
The Downeaster Café rides on every train, selling snacks, light meals and drinks, and it takes cash and major cards. You're also free to eat your own food at your seat, so pack the crackers your kids already like. The café tables are meant for café customers, which means the picnic from home happens in your row.
How do I keep kids busy on the Downeaster?
Give them things to find. Look for the L.L.Bean boots at Freeport, the old signal on the Durham-UNH depot roof and the Merrimack River at Haverhill. A stroll to the café car is a mini adventure. Print our Rally activity pack for free, Rally Takes the Train fits in a backpack, and until October 18 there's the Old Orchard Beach pier.
Can my family sit together on the Downeaster?
Usually, if you board early. Seats aren't assigned, and the Downeaster FAQ says some coaches have a set of four where a family can sit together. Get near the front of the line with bags ready so nobody is juggling a backpack in the aisle. For one parent and one child, Business Class in the club car has single seats on one side.
What if we can't find seats together on the Downeaster?
Don't settle for split seats right away. Check every row of your coach for a pair of open seats, then the next car back. In the meantime, a grown-up can sit directly behind the kids, as long as any preschooler has an adult right beside them. When riders step off at Portland, Durham-UNH or Haverhill, look again. A neighbor may trade if your offer is a seat as good as theirs.
Can I ask the Downeaster conductor to help us sit together?
Yes. Catch them as they come down the aisle scanning tickets, say how many of you there are and how young the kids are, and ask whether another coach has room. On the Downeaster, the crew knows which seats are open and can have bags cleared off any seat a rider needs, since one ticket equals one seat. Bumping a seated rider is off the table, though.
Is there a Quiet Car on the Downeaster?
We couldn't confirm one. The Downeaster pages we used don't mention a Quiet Car, so we can't say either way. Should you find one, expect whispers only, with no calls and no tablet audio, a big ask for a chatty preschooler. Anywhere on the train, Amtrak wants headphones on devices that make noise, so pack a kid-size pair.
What should I pack for a toddler on the Downeaster?
Pack for about 3 hours 20 minutes with a cushion. Diapers and a portable changing pad come first, since we know of no changing tables. Add snacks your toddler will eat, a water bottle, headphones, a spare outfit and one small new toy. A few pages of free train coloring pages slide flat into any bag. With no checked bags, it all fits in two suitcases and one personal item per rider, plus one infant item.
Can a toddler nap on the Downeaster?
Yes, and the full ride of about 3 hours 20 minutes fits one long toddler nap. Early risers can ride the first southbound train, which leaves Brunswick at 4:30 a.m., in pajamas. Skip the late Event Night Train for little ones. It leaves Boston North Station at 11:25 p.m. after some games and concerts, and it reaches Brunswick after 2:30 a.m.
What is a good first ride on the Downeaster with kids?
Portland to Freeport, about 30 minutes, is our pick. A northbound train leaves Portland at 11:25 a.m. and reaches Freeport at 11:55 a.m., with the platform in the middle of town near L.L.Bean. Have lunch, look at the boots, then ride back on the 1:08 p.m. southbound train. Check amtrak.com for your date, since times can change.
Can my teenager ride the Downeaster alone?
Only once they're 16. The Downeaster is left out of Amtrak's unaccompanied minor program because too few stations are staffed, and the Downeaster FAQ says kids under 16 can't travel without an adult. A 16-year-old has to show a valid photo ID to buy a ticket and must carry it on board, so make sure it's in their pocket, not yours.
How early should we get to the station for the Downeaster?
Aim for about 30 minutes before departure, with tickets already bought, since conductors can't sell them on board. Seats aren't assigned, so being near the front of the line matters. At a big station like Boston North Station, ask whether families can board first; Amtrak often does that for small children at busy stations. At small stops, wait on the platform with bags zipped.
What if my child gets scared on the Downeaster?
Warn them about the horn before it blasts, and keep a hand on their knee the first time. The other odd moment here is a stop in the middle of nowhere: north of Portland the line is mostly one track, so your train may wait for another to pass. Explain it ahead, then flip to Rally's dark tunnel spread together.
Is the Downeaster safe for young kids?
Yes, with a few family rules. On the platform, hold hands and wait well back of the edge until the Downeaster has fully stopped, especially at outdoor stops like Brunswick. Shoes stay on, and while the train rolls, kids sit or grip a seat back. Walk with them through the car ends on the way to the café, with no solo wandering.
What if the Downeaster is delayed?
Before leaving home, open the Amtrak app, peek at the live map and scan any travel advisories. North of Portland, a short wait on the single track is normal. Pack a few more diapers and snacks than three hours seems to need. If a delay drags on, every Downeaster has a café as backup for drinks and food, and a stash of free coloring pages for the train covers the boredom.
Does the Downeaster go to Boston South Station?
No, and this one catches families with connections. The Downeaster uses Boston North Station, about a mile from South Station, and Amtrak doesn't provide a transfer between them. Amtrak suggests a taxi or the MBTA Orange Line. With kids and bags in tow, leave yourself extra time if your next train leaves from South Station or Back Bay.