Maple Leaf With Kids: Every Stop, Niagara Border Tips and Kids Tickets
Yes, the Maple Leaf can work with kids, as long as you're ready for a long day and a real border stop. One train a day links New York and Toronto, about 12.5 hours northbound and 13 hours southbound. Kids 2 to 12 pay half fare on Amtrak tickets, and kids under 16 who are U.S. or Canadian citizens can show a certified birth certificate at the border instead of a passport. At Niagara Falls, everyone gets off with their bags for inspection and then climbs back on the same train, so pack like you'll be carrying all of it.
The short version
- One train each way a day. It leaves New York at 7:15 a.m. and gets to Toronto at 7:43 p.m.
- At Niagara Falls you take all your bags off the train for customs, then get back on.
- Kids under 16 with U.S. or Canadian citizenship can use an original certified birth certificate; travelers 16 and up need a passport or similar ID.
- Kids can't cross solo: Amtrak's unaccompanied minor service stops at the U.S. line.
- Once you're in Canada, the café takes only credit cards, prepaid cards and VIA Rail gift cards.
- Amtrak crews run the U.S. part, and VIA Rail crews take over at Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Maple Leaf at a glance
- Runs between
- New York's Moynihan Train Hall and Toronto Union Station
- States
- New York and Ontario
- Distance
- about 544 miles
- End to end
- about 12.5 hours northbound and 13 hours southbound, border stop included
- Trains
- one each way, every day
- Train cars
- single-level Amfleet coaches plus a club car with Business Class and the café
- Upstairs seating
- no; it is a one-level train
- Food
- café; card only (no cash) on the Canadian side
- Sleeper rooms
- none
- Bikes
- carry-on bikes only between New York and Niagara Falls, New York
- Border
- everyone leaves the train with bags at Niagara Falls for inspection
- Crews
- Amtrak in the U.S., VIA Rail in Canada
Look inside the book
Up early for the Maple Leaf? So is Rally.
Rally's story is about a five-minute read, short enough to finish in the border line. Page through a few spreads 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 Maple Leaf?
If you book through Amtrak, a child 2 to 12 costs 50 percent of the adult fare next to a traveler 18 or over, and each paying adult can bring one baby under 2 for free. Students 13 to 25 get the 15 percent New York Student Discount on Maple Leaf coach seats, but only while the trip stays in New York State, say New York City to Buffalo. It doesn't apply across the border.
Who sells your ticket depends on where you ride. Amtrak sells trips that start in the U.S., VIA Rail sells trips entirely inside Canada, and Canada to U.S. trips can come from either one. If you only want Toronto to Niagara Falls, Ontario, book it with VIA.
Border papers for children
Amtrak needs each traveler's birth date, citizenship and ID details when you book, and the document you carry has to match. Kids under 16 with U.S. or Canadian citizenship can show a certified, raised-seal birth certificate instead of a passport, and Canadian kids can also use a Canadian Citizenship Certificate Card. Leave the photocopies at home: copies and expired papers get turned away.
Is it just you and the kids, or are the grandparents taking them? A child under 18 traveling with only one parent, or with grandparents, should carry a signed permission letter from the parent or parents staying home, with their addresses and phone numbers. Amtrak also suggests custody papers for shared custody. You won't be denied a ticket without them, but the check at Niagara Falls may take longer.
Teens riding alone
Amtrak's unaccompanied minor service for ages 13 to 15 covers U.S. trips only. A young teen could ride alone from New York to Syracuse, but not to Toronto. A 16 or 17 year old may cross alone only when going home, as a citizen or resident, with a permission letter.
Free for train families
Print the free Maple Leaf activity book
Print it the night before. Kids color in each of the 22 stops as the train pulls in, check off things to spot out the window, play window bingo and finish with an “I rode the Maple Leaf” certificate.
Get the free Maple Leaf activity bookEvery Maple Leaf stop, from New York City to Toronto
There are 22 stations on the Maple Leaf: 16 in New York and 6 in Ontario. At the Ontario stops before Toronto, northbound trains only let people off and southbound trains only pick people up.
New York- New York (Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station)
- YonkersLook for: Peek at the 1911 neoclassical station as you pull in. Warren and Wetmore designed it, and Metro-North recently restored it inside and out.
- Croton-on-Hudson (Croton-Harmon)
- Poughkeepsie
- Rhinecliff
- Hudson
- Rensselaer (Albany-Rensselaer)Look for: Look for the clock tower on the red brick station, a local landmark, and the bright waiting area inside.
- Schenectady
- Amsterdam
- Utica
- RomeLook for: If Rome is your stop, find the bronze chandeliers inside the neoclassical depot and the pair of staircases with fancy iron railings.
- Syracuse (William F. Walsh Regional Transportation Center)Look for: The station opened in 1998 near Onondaga Lake, and city and intercity buses meet the trains here, handy if you're traveling on without a car.
- Rochester
- Depew (Buffalo-Depew)
- Buffalo-Exchange Street
- Niagara Falls (U.S. customs stop southbound)Look for: Southbound families get their papers checked here: U.S. Customs and Border Protection works on the second floor of this 2016 station.
- Niagara Falls (Canadian border stop northbound)Look for: Get the kids to the window early. This station is just over the Whirlpool Bridge across the Niagara River, so the crossing comes minutes before you arrive.
- St. Catharines
- Grimsby
- Burlington (Aldershot)
- Oakville
- Toronto (Union Station)
What kids can see from the Maple Leaf
The Hudson at breakfast time
Northbound, the Maple Leaf leaves New York at 7:15 a.m., so the Hudson River shows up in morning light out the left-hand windows. Coming home, the river is on the right, but in fall and winter the southbound train reaches the Hudson Valley around sunset or after dark.
Across upstate New York
From Albany the train heads west through Schenectady, Utica, Syracuse and Rochester. Amtrak's Maple Leaf page highlights New York wine country and the Finger Lakes gorges along this part of the route, and the Syracuse stop is near Onondaga Lake. This is the long middle of the day, so it's a good time to pull something new out of the bag.
Over the Niagara River
Between the two Niagara Falls stations, the train crosses the Whirlpool Bridge into Canada. It's a short crossing, but it's the moment your kids can say they rode a train to another country, so have them at the window for it.
The Canadian leg
In Ontario, VIA Rail crews take over, and the train follows the route of GO Transit's Lakeshore West line into Toronto. You'll pass St. Catharines, Grimsby, Aldershot and Oakville before Union Station.
Two railroads, one train
The Maple Leaf started on April 26, 1981, as the first joint train run by Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada. An earlier Lehigh Valley train carried the same name from 1937 to 1961. During the pandemic it stopped at Niagara Falls, New York, and service to Toronto came back on June 27, 2022.
Where to sit with kids on the Maple Leaf
Coach seats are 2 by 2 and fill up in boarding order, so line up early at Moynihan if your family wants to sit together. Business Class is in the club car, one seat plus two across the aisle, with more legroom, leather seats and a free non-alcoholic drink.
Pack for the border, not just the ride. Amtrak says passengers on Toronto trips get off with their baggage at Niagara Falls, show their ID, and get back on the same train. Every bag you bring, you carry, maybe along with a sleepy kid. Bring only what your family can manage in one trip, and give each child a small backpack.
The timetable allows about 45 minutes between the two Niagara Falls stations going north and about 1 hour 20 minutes going south, and Amtrak warns that border delays are common. The train won't wait for a rider who's held for more questions, so one adult should hold every family member's documents in one bag.
Carry-on bikes ride only on the U.S. part, between New York and Niagara Falls, New York.
Strollers and car seats ride free in place of a regular bag, but on the Maple Leaf they come off with you at Niagara Falls like everything else. Car seats can't be secured to Amtrak seats, so bring one only if you'll need it in Toronto.
Seats apart on the Maple Leaf? Try this
First, book the whole family on one reservation. Coach seats aren't assigned, so a ticket promises each of you a seat, not a particular row. Line up early at Moynihan for the 7:15 a.m. departure and ask whether staff are boarding families with small children first. Business Class, a single seat plus a pair, also works for a parent and child.
Already split when you get on? Walk the coaches for two empty seats together, and grab neighboring rows while you look.
Ask for a switch early, before people settle in for a 12-hour day. Try: “Sorry to bother you. My youngest is 3, and we're one seat short. Would you take this window instead?” Offer the same sort of seat pointing the same direction, never a worse one for someone's window, and thank them either way.
When the conductor scans tickets, give your numbers and the kids' ages, and ask whether any car has more room. They can show you open seats and get bags off seats, one seat per ticket, but won't make anyone give up a seat. At Niagara Falls everyone gets off with bags, so move through the line together. Never leave a young child on their own, on the train or in that line.
The best first Maple Leaf ride with kids
Times come from Amtrak's current Maple Leaf timetable. Confirm before you go, and note that Amtrak posted service adjustments for October 17 and 18, 2026.
- Albany to Utica and back, about 1 hour 40 minutes each way. The northbound train leaves Albany-Rensselaer at 10:10 a.m. and reaches Utica at 11:51 a.m. Spend the afternoon in Utica and take the southbound train at 3:52 p.m., back in Albany at 6:35 p.m. No passports, no customs line.
- New York to Toronto in two days. Ride from New York at 7:15 a.m. to Niagara Falls, New York, arriving about 5:00 p.m., and stay the night. The next afternoon, board the same train at Niagara Falls around 5:00 p.m. for the border and Toronto, arriving at 7:43 p.m. Splitting it up means you face customs with rested kids, not worn-out ones.
- Toronto to Niagara Falls, Ontario, for Canadian families. The southbound train leaves Toronto at 8:20 a.m. and reaches Niagara Falls, Ontario at about 10:22 a.m. For the ride home, the northbound train leaves Niagara Falls, Ontario at 5:45 p.m. Book this all-Canada trip through VIA Rail.
Food, bathrooms and naps on the Maple Leaf
The café is in the club car. On the Canadian part of the trip it takes only credit cards, prepaid credit cards and VIA Rail gift cards, so don't count on cash from either country there. Pack a full lunch and plenty of snacks; 12.5 hours with a border stop is a long day for small stomachs.
No changing tables are listed for this train, so a foldable changing mat belongs in the diaper bag. Do a diaper change and a potty stop before Niagara Falls, because once you're off the train with your bags, you'll be standing in an inspection line.
The 7:15 a.m. start from New York means an early wake-up. Younger kids may nap in the Hudson Valley, so save the big activities for the afternoon stretch from Syracuse to Buffalo.
For the long middle of the day, slip a few pages of our free printable activity pack in with the lunch.
A train book for the ride
The first spread in Rally Takes the Train is Rally up early on the big morning. The Maple Leaf leaves New York at 7:15 a.m., so that's the page to read the night before, or over breakfast in Moynihan Train Hall.
The book's arrival page shows Rally's grand-paw-rents waving, and Toronto's Union Station gives kids their own arrival after the bridge into Canada. The upstate stretch is long, so print a few pages of the free Rally pack from our coloring pages, and keep the book handy for the border line.
The early-morning book for a 7:15 trainRally Takes the Train starts the way your Maple Leaf day will, with an early wake-up. Hand-painted watercolor, 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
- Empire Service with kids
- Adirondack with kids
- Lake Shore Limited with kids
Sources
- Amtrak: Maple Leaf route page
- Amtrak: Maple Leaf timetable (printed Oct. 12, 2026)
- Maple Leaf timetable, Aug. 29, 2026 (juckins.net)
- Amtrak: Crossing the U.S./Canadian border
- Amtrak: Unaccompanied minors policy
- Amtrak: Passenger discount for children
- Amtrak: New York Student Discount
- Wikipedia: Maple Leaf (train)
- Wikipedia: Niagara Falls, NY station
- Amtrak: Yonkers station
- Amtrak: Albany-Rensselaer station
- Amtrak: Rome station
- Amtrak: Syracuse station
- Amtrak: Toronto Union Station
Checked against Amtrak and partner railroad pages in October 2026. Schedules and policies change, so confirm on amtrak.com before you ride.
Maple Leaf with kids: questions parents ask
Do kids need a ticket on the Maple Leaf?
Yes, from age 2. On Amtrak-sold Maple Leaf tickets, children 2 through 12 cost half of an adult fare when traveling with someone 18 or older. Who sells the ticket depends on the trip: Amtrak for trips starting in the U.S., VIA Rail for all-Canada trips like Toronto to Niagara Falls, Ontario. Students 13 to 25 save 15 percent only within New York State.
Do babies ride free on the Maple Leaf to Toronto?
On Amtrak tickets, yes: one baby under 2 per paying adult rides free on a lap, and an extra baby, or one in a seat of their own, is charged the child fare. Crossing into Canada, babies need papers too. A U.S. or Canadian baby can show a certified, raised-seal birth certificate, and it must match the ID you entered when booking.
Do I need a car seat on the Maple Leaf?
No. Nothing on the Maple Leaf, or any Amtrak train, can hold a car seat in place. If you need one in Toronto or Niagara Falls, it rides free instead of a suitcase, but you'll lug it off the train for customs. It can sit in a vacant seat on the Maple Leaf only when no ticketed rider claims it; otherwise your under-2 rides on your lap.
Are there changing tables on the Maple Leaf?
None are listed for the Maple Leaf, so plan as if there aren't any. Amtrak has no official changing-table policy, and it varies by car. Pack a foldable changing mat, use the larger accessible restroom, and do a fresh change before Niagara Falls, since you'll soon be standing in an inspection line holding your bags.
Where are the bathrooms on the Maple Leaf?
Yes, every car has one, with a light that shows when it's in use. Take little kids yourself and warn them about the loud flush. On the Maple Leaf, timing matters more than usual: get everyone to the restroom before Niagara Falls, because the border stop means stepping off with your bags and waiting your turn.
Can I bring a stroller on the Maple Leaf?
Yes, but you'll carry it at the border. A folding stroller counts as one of your bags at no cost, and for a child under 2 it rides outside your two carry-ons. At Niagara Falls everyone takes all their bags off for inspection, so bring a light stroller that folds fast. Big jogging or double strollers may get sent to checked baggage, Amtrak says.
Can I breastfeed or bottle-feed on the Maple Leaf?
Yes. Public breastfeeding is legal throughout the U.S., so nurse wherever you're sitting. The Maple Leaf's club car has a café, but there's no dining car, so pack baby bottles, formula and water to cover a day of about 12.5 hours. Once you're in Canada the café takes cards only, so don't plan on paying cash there.
Is there food on the Maple Leaf, and can I pay cash?
Yes, there's a café in the club car. On the U.S. side it works like other Amtrak cafés. Once the train is in Canada, Amtrak says it takes only credit cards, prepaid credit cards and VIA Rail gift cards. Pack a full lunch and plenty of snacks so the border stop isn't also a hungry stop.
How do I keep kids entertained on the Maple Leaf?
Break the day into chapters. Morning brings the Hudson out the left windows, the long middle runs past Utica, Syracuse and Rochester, and then comes the Whirlpool Bridge over the Niagara River into Canada. Save a new activity for that middle stretch, walk to the café, print a few free Rally coloring pages, and keep Rally Takes the Train for the border line.
Does the Maple Leaf have Business Class, and can we sit together?
Yes. Business Class is in the club car, one seat plus a pair across the aisle, with extra legroom, leather seats, a free non-alcoholic drink and a refundable ticket. The child discount doesn't reduce the Business Class charge. Coach seats are two and two and fill in boarding order, so line up early at Moynihan to keep your family together.
What if we can't find seats together on the Maple Leaf?
Start walking. Check each coach for two free seats side by side, and take neighboring rows until something opens, with every young child next to an adult. At Albany-Rensselaer and the big upstate stops, look again as riders get off. Fix it before Niagara Falls if you can, since everyone steps off with bags there and you'll want to move as one group.
Can I ask the conductor to help us sit together on the Maple Leaf?
Yes. When the Amtrak conductor comes through to scan tickets, say how many are traveling and list the kids' ages, then ask if another car has open seats. They can direct you to open spots and have riders shift bags that are hogging seats, since a ticket covers one seat, but they won't make anyone give up a seat they're using. VIA Rail crews take over in Canada, so ask early in the day.
Is there a Quiet Car on the Maple Leaf?
We couldn't confirm one; the pages we used for the Maple Leaf don't mention a Quiet Car. If your train does have one, it's for near-silence, with no phone calls and nothing playing aloud, which few toddlers manage for 12 hours. A regular coach is the easier pick for families. Bring headphones for any device with sound, whichever car you choose.
What should I pack for kids on the Maple Leaf?
Pack for carrying, because every bag comes off at Niagara Falls. Give each child a small backpack, and keep one bag for all documents: originals, a signed permission letter if only one parent is going, and custody papers for shared custody. Then add lunch, snacks, diapers, a changing mat and something new for the stretch from Syracuse to Buffalo, like our pack-the-suitcase coloring page.
Can kids nap on the Maple Leaf?
There are no sleeper rooms, so it's seat naps. The 7:15 a.m. start from New York makes a morning nap in the Hudson Valley likely for younger kids. For an easier day, split the trip: sleep over at Niagara Falls, New York, then ride the same train on to Toronto the next afternoon, about 2 hours 45 minutes, with rested kids.
What is a good first ride on the Maple Leaf with kids?
Albany-Rensselaer to Utica and back keeps you on the U.S. side with no passports. The northbound train leaves Albany at 10:10 a.m. and reaches Utica at 11:51 a.m.; the southbound train leaves Utica at 3:52 p.m., back in Albany at 6:35 p.m. Check amtrak.com first, since Amtrak posted service adjustments for October 17 and 18, 2026.
Can my child ride the Maple Leaf to Canada alone?
No. Amtrak's solo program for ages 13 to 15 stops at the U.S. border, and its rules bar anyone 15 or under from crossing without an adult. A 16 or 17 year old may cross alone only when returning home as a citizen or resident with a permission letter. Otherwise, an adult 18 or older has to come along.
How early should we get to Moynihan for the Maple Leaf?
About 30 minutes before the 7:15 a.m. departure, and ask at Moynihan about early boarding for families with small children, which busy stations often offer. Expect to board twice. After the Canadian check at Niagara Falls, Ontario, you climb back on the same train with all your bags, so one adult should hold everyone's documents and the family moves through together.
What if my child gets overwhelmed at the border on the Maple Leaf?
The border line is the part most likely to rattle a small child: off the train with bags, a wait, then officers asking questions. Tell them the plan ahead, keep a snack, a favorite toy and our free counting and tracing pages in reach, and read Rally's tunnel page together, a scary moment with a sunny ending. Warn them about the train horn too.
Is the Maple Leaf safe for little kids?
Yes. The busiest safety moment is Niagara Falls, when everyone steps off with bags, so hold hands on the platform and keep kids behind the line. On board, kids sit while the train is moving, keep shoes on, and go between cars only with you. Don't let a child run ahead in the inspection line.
What if the Maple Leaf is delayed?
Plan for it at the border: Amtrak warns that border delays are common, and the train won't wait for a rider held for more questions. Look at the Amtrak app and advisories, especially around the October 17 and 18, 2026 service adjustments. Pack extra snacks and diapers, and keep all documents in one bag so nobody in your family is held up.
How does the border stop work on the Maple Leaf?
Amtrak says passengers on Toronto trips get off the train with their bags at Niagara Falls, show their ID, and get back on the same train. Going north, Canadian officers check you at Niagara Falls, Ontario. Going south, U.S. officers work at Niagara Falls, New York. The timetable allows about 45 minutes northbound and about 1 hour 20 minutes southbound.