Floridian With Kids: Every Stop, Two Nights Aboard and Kids Tickets
Yes, the Floridian is still running daily in October 2026, but Chicago to Miami is a big trip with kids: about 47 hours and two nights aboard. Kids 2 to 12 pay half the rail fare, and a Bedroom Suite sleeps a family of four. Amtrak made this train in November 2024 by joining the Capitol Limited and the Silver Star, and it still calls it temporary. You don’t have to ride the whole thing, either; a piece like Orlando to Tampa or Pittsburgh to Washington works too.
The short version
- It’s still running daily in October 2026, while the separate Capitol Limited and Silver Star are not.
- Kids 2 to 12 pay half the rail fare, but sleeper charges are not discounted.
- The sleepers are single-level Viewliners, so there’s no Family Bedroom; a Bedroom Suite holds up to four.
- The train stops in Lakeland twice, once on each side of Tampa, so book the right Lakeland.
- Harpers Ferry has no elevator and stairs to the far platform, so stroller families may prefer Martinsburg or Rockville.
Floridian at a glance
- Runs between
- Chicago and Miami, by way of Pittsburgh, Washington, Raleigh, Savannah, Orlando and Tampa
- States
- Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida
- Distance
- about 2,076 miles
- End to end
- about 47 hours (two nights)
- Trains
- one per day each way (40 and 41)
- Train cars
- single-level Amfleet II coaches and cafe lounge, a Viewliner dining car and three Viewliner sleeping cars
- Four-seat tables
- not in coach; tables are in the dining car
- Upstairs seating
- none
- Quiet Car
- none listed on Amtrak’s Floridian page
- Food
- dining car (meals included for sleeper passengers) and a cafe
- Sleeper rooms
- Viewliner Roomette, Bedroom, Bedroom Suite and Accessible Bedroom; no Family Bedroom
- Checked bags
- yes, checked baggage service is listed for this route
Look inside the book
Floridian bound? Rally fits between stops.
Rally Takes the Train takes about five minutes, so you can read it between almost any two Floridian stops in Florida. 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.
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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 Floridian?
Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult rail fare with an adult 18 or older on the same reservation, and one baby under 2 rides free on each grown-up’s lap. Amtrak sets the fare by the child’s age on the first day of travel, which matters on a two-day trip if a birthday lands mid-ride.
On a 47-hour train, the room is the big cost, and the child discount doesn’t cover sleeping room charges. The Floridian uses single-level Viewliner sleepers, so there’s no Superliner Family Bedroom. For four people, look at a Bedroom Suite, two Bedrooms joined, which Amtrak says holds up to four, or book two Roomettes.
Booking Lakeland takes care. Amtrak lists it twice: LAK for trips to or from points north, and LKL for trips to or from points south. Pick the right one, and a Lakeland family won’t ride the Tampa loop for nothing.
The timetable marks West Palm Beach as drop-off only southbound and pick-up only northbound, the same pattern the Silver Meteor follows down to Miami. So don’t plan short South Florida hops on this train; Tri-Rail covers those.
Free for train families
Free Floridian activity book
Print it the night before. Kids color in each of the 46 stops as the train pulls in, check off things to spot out the window, play window bingo and finish with an “I rode the Floridian” certificate.
Get the free Floridian activity bookEvery Floridian stop, from Chicago to Miami
Amtrak lists 46 Floridian stops, counting Lakeland twice because the train calls there before and after its Tampa visit. Harpers Ferry, Cumberland and Martinsburg have no accessible platform, so check those before you book with a stroller.
Illinois- Chicago Union StationLook for: Take a minute in the Great Hall, Union Station’s famous waiting room, often lit by soft daylight from above. Amtrak posted updated Great Hall hours effective September 30, 2026, so check them before you go.
- South Bend
- ElkhartLook for: Right across from this 1900 station is the National New York Central Railroad Museum. Point it out to your train fan.
- Waterloo
- Toledo (Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza)Look for: Look for a colorful map of the world made from Vitrolite, one of the glass products Toledo is famous for. Can your kids find home on it?
- Sandusky
- Elyria
- Cleveland Lakefront Station
- Alliance
- Pittsburgh Union Station
- Connellsville
- CumberlandLook for: Maryland’s “Queen City” is a favorite stop for cyclists on the trail network between Pittsburgh and Washington. Have kids count the riders with bikes.
- MartinsburgLook for: The station joins an antebellum Baltimore and Ohio station and hotel, and a children’s museum shares the complex. Good to know if your ride starts or ends here.
- Harpers FerryLook for: Tell them the depot is part of Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, right where the Shenandoah River meets the Potomac.
- Rockville
- Washington Union StationLook for: Count the Roman soldier statues. Sculptor Louis St. Gaudens made 46 of them, one for each state at the time. Then look up: the waiting room ceiling is 96 feet high.
- Alexandria
- Richmond (Staples Mill Road)
- Petersburg
- Rocky Mount
- Raleigh Union Station
- Cary
- Southern PinesLook for: A historic depot in a Sandhills town that grew up as a resort in the late 1800s. Downtown shops are just steps away.
- Hamlet
- Camden
- ColumbiaLook for: Spot the small cupola on top of this 1991 depot. The University of South Carolina is within walking distance.
- Denmark
- Savannah
- Jacksonville
- Palatka
- DeLand
- Winter Park
- Orlando
- KissimmeeLook for: Point up when you pull in: this 1910 depot’s cupola has a weather vane shaped like a steam locomotive.
- Lakeland (to and from points north)Look for: The station sits on the north shore of Lake Mirror. Ask kids to say something when they see it again, because the train comes back here after Tampa.
- Tampa Union StationLook for: An Italian Renaissance station that opened in May 1912 to serve three railroads. A Friends group looks after it today.
- Lakeland (to and from points south)
- Winter HavenLook for: This town is known for more than fifty freshwater lakes linked by a canal. Have kids guess how many before you tell them.
- Sebring
- OkeechobeeLook for: This depot went up in 2011 but was built to look like an old small-town station. Look for the palms and native plants around it.
- West Palm Beach
- Delray Beach
- Deerfield Beach
- Fort Lauderdale
- Hollywood
- MiamiLook for: End of the line! The station opened in 1978 in the Hialeah area, with a two-story waiting room, big walls of glass and a cantilevered roof.
What kids can see from the Floridian
Why this train exists
On November 10, 2024, Amtrak joined the Capitol Limited (Chicago to Washington) and the Silver Star (Washington to Miami) into one train, the Floridian. Amtrak gave two reasons: fewer train moves through New York’s East River Tunnels during repairs, and freeing up double-decker Superliner cars for Western trains. It calls the Floridian temporary but had posted no end date as of October 2026.
Mountains and rivers in the north
Amtrak describes the northern half as a climb through the Allegheny Mountains into Pittsburgh, then a run down the old Baltimore and Ohio line through the Potomac Valley, past Harpers Ferry, to Washington. Harpers Ferry sits where the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers meet, so have your kids watch two rivers turn into one.
Don’t promise anyone a Cleveland view. The Lakefront station sits by Lake Erie near the Great Lakes Science Center, but on the late 2024 schedule the Floridian and the Lake Shore Limited both called there between about 1:00 and 5:50 a.m.
The Tampa double-back
In Florida the train leaves its straight line to reach Tampa. It stops at Lakeland, runs to Tampa Union Station, then comes back through Lakeland and heads on toward Winter Haven. Sharp-eyed kids will notice they stopped at the same station twice, and grown-ups should know this loop adds time.
Which side to sit on
Southbound through Florida in the morning, from Jacksonville toward Orlando, the sun is on the left-hand (east) side. Put a sleepy toddler on the right for shade and your sun lover on the left.
Where to sit with kids on the Floridian
Coach is a reserved seat in a single-level Amfleet II car, with a wide recline, no middle seat, an outlet and a reading light, and restrooms in every car. Two nights sitting up is a lot to ask of small kids, so most families on the full route book a room.
The Floridian has three Viewliner sleeping cars, up from two after April 2025. A Roomette has two seats that become upper and lower beds, with shared restrooms and showers. A Bedroom has its own sink, toilet and shower, and a Bedroom Suite, two Bedrooms opened up, gives a family of four two of each, which makes it the closest thing to a family room here.
Room passengers get their dining car meals included. Car seats can’t be fastened to Amtrak seats, so lap babies ride and sleep with a parent.
Seats apart on the Floridian? Try this
For the long haul, a room solves it. In coach, one reservation that covers every traveler is your best start; Amtrak tries to keep one reservation together, though coach guarantees a place to sit but not which place. Chicago Union Station and Washington often let families with young children on early, so wait near the boarding area.
Split up? Head into the next Amfleet II coach and scan for a free pair, and with 46 stops, keep looking as people get off. Meanwhile, sit one row apart, close enough to pass snacks. When you approach a stranger about trading, catch them before they nest: “Any chance you’d swap? My kid is three and wants me close.” Offer something equal or nicer, so a window rider gets a window back, never a downgrade. If the answer is no, thank them anyway.
Find the conductor or a car attendant at the door or the ticket check and tell them how your group breaks down, grown-ups and kids. They can point out free seats and ask riders to move their bags, which never get a seat of their own, though nobody sitting down will be made to move. Across two nights, a young child never sleeps in a seat away from you.
The best first Floridian ride with kids
For a first Floridian ride, we’d pick a daytime piece in Florida. Times below come from the 2026 timetable and can change.
- Orlando to Tampa, about 2 hours. Southbound train 41 leaves Orlando around 10:19 a.m. and reaches Tampa around 12:27 p.m., stopping at Lakeland on the way in. Northbound train 40 leaves Tampa around 4:49 p.m. and is back in Orlando around 6:34 p.m., so you can go out and back in one day.
- Jacksonville to Orlando, about 3 hours. Train 41 leaves Jacksonville around 6:58 a.m. and reaches Orlando around 10:05 a.m., through Palatka, DeLand and Winter Park. It’s an early start, but you’re done before lunch.
Amtrak posted service adjustments south of Washington for October 16 to 26, 2026. Check the alert page before booking those dates.
Food, bathrooms and naps on the Floridian
The Floridian has a Viewliner dining car with its own Floridian menu. Amtrak describes traditional dining car meals as a complimentary benefit for First Class (sleeper) passengers. In coach, plan on the cafe, which sells meals, snacks and drinks from Amtrak’s national cafe menu.
For two days aboard, pack food your kids will eat no matter what, plus a refillable water bottle and the free Rally activity pack. Dining car hours on Amtrak’s long-distance trains are breakfast 6:30 to 9:30 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Give each child a small night bag with pajamas, a toothbrush and a stuffed animal, so you never have to dig through big luggage in the dark. Changing table locations aren’t posted for this train.
A train book for the ride
One of the funniest pages in Rally Takes the Train shows Rally’s fur “glitter” drifting down the aisle. Amtrak lists small dogs and cats under its pet program on the Floridian page, so your kids might meet a real four-legged rider. If you’re bringing your own, check the pet rules first.
On a two-night train you’ll read the book more than once. Print the free Rally activity pack and coloring pages for the long stretch between Washington and Savannah.
A read-it-again book for the FloridianRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in watercolor and short enough to read again and again. Ages 0 to 8, $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
- Silver Meteor with kids
- Auto Train with kids
- Palmetto with kids
- Lake Shore Limited with kids
Sources
- Amtrak: Floridian route page
- Amtrak: Service alerts
- Wikipedia: Floridian (train)
- Wikipedia: Capitol Limited
- Wikipedia: Silver Star (Amtrak train)
- Amtrak timetable archive, effective July 2026 (juckins.net)
- Amtrak: Child discounts
- Amtrak: Viewliner Bedroom Suite
- Amtrak: Dining car
- Amtrak: Harpers Ferry station
- Wikipedia: Lakeland station
- Wikipedia: Cleveland Lakefront Station
Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.
Floridian with kids: questions parents ask
How much is a kids ticket on the Floridian?
On the rail fare, kids 2 to 12 are half price when they travel with someone 18 or over on the same booking. Amtrak sets the fare by age on the first day of travel, which matters on a two-day trip if a birthday falls mid-ride. Sleeping room charges are not discounted, and on this train the room is most of the cost.
Do babies ride free on the Floridian?
Yes, one per adult paying an adult fare: a baby under 2 rides free on that grown-up’s lap. Add a second baby, or give an infant their own seat, and you pay the child fare. Two nights with a lap baby in coach is a lot to ask of anyone, so for the full Chicago to Miami run we’d look hard at a room.
Can I bring a car seat on the Floridian?
Bring it for the drive from Tampa, Orlando or Pittsburgh if you need it, but it won’t buckle into any Amtrak seat. A spare seat can hold it only if no paying rider wants that seat; otherwise your under-2 rides on you and the car seat rides with the luggage. The Floridian checks bags, and a car seat goes free instead of a regular bag.
Where do I change a diaper on the Floridian?
Changing table locations aren’t posted for the Floridian, and we couldn’t confirm any. There’s no official Amtrak changing policy to lean on, either. In coach, spread a portable pad in the larger accessible restroom. Rooms help a lot: Bedrooms and the Bedroom Suite include a private sink and toilet, which makes changes across two nights aboard much easier than a trip down the aisle.
Are there bathrooms on every Floridian car?
Yes, each Floridian car has at least one restroom, and a light comes on when it’s in use. Go in with young kids, handle the lock for them and mention that the flush is loud. Families in Roomettes share the sleeping car’s restrooms and showers, while Bedrooms have their own. Over two days on board, a quick shower can reset a cranky kid.
Can I bring a stroller on the Floridian?
Yes. Folded, it counts as one bag with no fee, and with a child under 2, the baby’s stroller or diaper bag doesn’t count toward your carry-ons. Large jogging or double strollers may need checking. Pick your station with care: Harpers Ferry has stairs to the far platform and no elevator, so Amtrak points riders who can’t use stairs to Rockville or Martinsburg.
Can I breastfeed or get bottle help on the Floridian?
Yes. All 50 states make breastfeeding in public legal, so nurse in your Amfleet seat or your room. The Floridian has a Viewliner dining car, and Amtrak says its staff can help families prepare bottles. Over 47 hours, still carry plenty of formula and clean bottles, because the diner closes between meals.
What food is on the Floridian for kids?
Sleeper passengers get traditional dining car meals included, from the Floridian’s own menu. In coach, the cafe sells meals, snacks and drinks from Amtrak’s national cafe menu. The diner opens for breakfast at 6:30 a.m., lunch at 11:30 a.m. and dinner at 5:00 p.m. For two days, pack food your kids will eat no matter what.
How do I keep kids entertained on the Floridian?
Use the route. Up north, watch the Shenandoah and Potomac meet at Harpers Ferry, and if you have time in Washington, count the 46 Roman soldier statues in Union Station. In Florida, the train stops at Lakeland twice, so see who notices first, and Winter Haven has more than fifty lakes. For the Washington to Savannah stretch, print our free coloring and counting pages.
Can we sit together on the Floridian?
Coach is reserved seating in Amfleet II cars, with wide recliners, outlets and reading lights and no middle seat. The surest way to keep the whole family together for two nights is a room. The Floridian now runs three Viewliner sleeping cars, and a Bedroom Suite, two Bedrooms opened up, holds four people. Two Roomettes are the other option.
What if we can’t find seats together on the Floridian?
Keep each young child beside an adult right away, then look for better. Walk to the next Amfleet II coach for an empty pair, and check again after big stops like Pittsburgh, Washington or Jacksonville, when riders leave. Being an aisle apart works for a while, but with two nights aboard, settle it before bedtime. Nobody small should sleep in a seat out of your sight.
How do I ask a stranger to swap seats so the kids can sit with me on the Floridian?
Ask before they nest in for the night, and keep it short: “Would you trade so I can be next to my three-year-old?” Offer an equal seat, never a worse one, and take a no kindly. If nobody can switch, ask the conductor or a car attendant whether another coach has room; they can show you where, but they won’t unseat anyone.
Is there a Quiet Car on the Floridian?
Amtrak’s Floridian page doesn’t list one, so plan as if there isn’t. Over two nights, good manners do the job: headphones on any device with sound, quieter voices after dinner, and a walk to the cafe lounge when a toddler needs to wiggle. A sleeper door you can close helps most of all when someone melts down late.
What should I pack for kids on the Floridian?
Pack for two nights and about 47 hours if you ride end to end. Each kid gets a small bag with sleepwear, toothpaste and one comfort toy, so you never dig through big luggage in the dark. Add diapers, wipes, a changing pad, spare clothes, headphones, a water bottle, fill-in train ticket and tracing pages and plenty of familiar food for between meals.
Does the Floridian have a family bedroom for sleeping?
No. The Family Bedroom only exists on double-decker Superliner cars, and the Floridian runs single-level Viewliners. Your choices are a Roomette, whose two seats become upper and lower beds; a Bedroom with its own sink, toilet and shower; or a Bedroom Suite that fits four. In coach, kids sleep two nights in a recliner or on a lap.
What is a good first ride on the Floridian with kids?
Orlando to Tampa and back fits in one day. Southbound train 41 leaves Orlando around 10:19 a.m. and reaches Tampa around 12:27 p.m.; northbound train 40 leaves Tampa around 4:49 p.m. and is back around 6:34 p.m. That’s about two hours each way, with time to see Tampa’s 1912 Union Station. Jacksonville to Orlando, about three hours, is the longer option.
Can kids ride the Floridian alone?
Children 12 and under never can. Teens 13 to 15 have one path, Amtrak’s unaccompanied minor policy: the booking happens by phone at 1-800-USA-RAIL, travel must happen in daylight, both stations must be staffed, there can be no transfers and the fare is an adult one. The overnight legs won’t fit that. At 16 and 17, teens may ride the Floridian alone.
How early should we get to the station for the Floridian?
Plan on about 30 minutes early. At busy stations such as Chicago or Washington, families with small children are frequently boarded early, so ask where to wait. If you’d like a few minutes in Chicago’s Great Hall, check its hours, updated September 30, 2026. At Harpers Ferry, the far platform is reached only by stairs, so give yourself extra time with bags and kids.
What if my child gets overwhelmed on the Floridian?
Break the big trip into small moments and say what’s next. The horn is loud, two nights in a moving train are new, and the Lakeland double stop can confuse a kid. Explain that the train stops in Lakeland, visits Tampa and comes back, so nobody thinks you’re lost. Read Rally’s tunnel page together, and keep a comfort toy in reach.
Is the Floridian safe for kids?
Yes, with simple habits. Keep hold of small hands on every platform and wait behind the line, especially at Harpers Ferry, where the far platform means a passage under the tracks. When the train’s rolling, kids stay in a seat or hold a handhold, and you cross between cars as a group on the way to the dining car. Shoes go on for every walk, day or night.
What if the Floridian is delayed?
Watch your train’s progress in the Amtrak app and read the travel advisories. For trips south of Washington between October 16 and 26, 2026, Amtrak has posted adjustments. On a route this long, pack snacks, diapers and free train coloring pages to print for more time than the schedule shows. If someone is meeting you at the end, like grandparents in Tampa, share the live map so they’re not waiting at the station.
Is the Amtrak Floridian still running in 2026?
Yes. As of October 2026, Amtrak lists the Floridian as a daily Chicago to Tampa and Miami train. Amtrak created it on November 10, 2024, by combining the Capitol Limited and the Silver Star. It still calls the train temporary, with no posted end date, and neither the Capitol Limited nor the Silver Star runs on its own right now.