Texas Eagle With Kids: Every Stop, LA Through Cars and Kids Tickets

13 min read

Yes, the Texas Eagle is a good long train for kids, and it runs every day between Chicago and San Antonio. The trip takes about 32 and a half hours, through Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and the length of Texas, with stops in St. Louis, Little Rock, Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. Three days a week, a sleeper and a coach keep going from San Antonio all the way to Los Angeles on the Sunset Limited. Below is every stop on both parts, what kids can spot, and how child fares and sleepers work.

The short version

• One train a day each way between Chicago and San Antonio, about 1,306 miles and roughly 32.5 hours, with one night on board.
• Through cars to Los Angeles run three times a week, about 2,728 miles and 65 hours in all.
• Kids 2 to 12 ride at half the adult fare; sleeper room charges are full price.
• At Texarkana the stopped train sits across the Arkansas and Texas state line, so kids are in two states at once.
• Dallas to Fort Worth, about 1 hour 50 minutes, is an easy first ride with no overnight.
• Superliner double-deckers, a Family Bedroom, and a Sightseer Lounge that came back in March 2025.

From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

← All Amtrak routes with kids

Texas Eagle at a glance

Runs between

Chicago Union Station and San Antonio; through cars to Los Angeles three days a week

States

Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas (plus New Mexico, Arizona, California on through cars)

Distance

about 1,306 miles to San Antonio, 2,728 miles to Los Angeles

End to end

about 32.5 hours to San Antonio, about 65 hours to Los Angeles

Trains

one daily train each way; Los Angeles through cars three times a week

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

Flexible Dining and Cafe; Traditional Dining west of San Antonio

Sleeper rooms

Roomette, Bedroom, Bedroom Suite, Family Bedroom, Accessible Bedroom

Checked bags

Yes, between stations that offer it

Look inside the book

A friendly conductor, then Texas: bring Rally on the Eagle.

Rally Takes the Train is about five minutes long, shorter than the hop from Dallas to Fort Worth. Leaf through a few spreads below.

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 Texas Eagle
2. Every Texas Eagle 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 Texas Eagle?

When the conductor comes by, your 2 to 12 year olds are on half-price tickets, though a Family Bedroom still costs full price.

Kids 2 to 12 ride for half the adult rail fare with an adult 18 or older on the same booking, and one baby under 2 per paying adult rides free on a lap. Room charges for sleepers aren’t discounted for kids. That’s the national rule; the rest of this section is about this train.

• Want a room for the night? Amtrak lists the Superliner Family Room on the Texas Eagle. It sleeps two adults and two kids 2 to 12, has two big windows and uses the shared restroom and shower in the car. Meals are included with a room.
• Going to Los Angeles? Only one coach and one sleeping car continue past San Antonio, three days a week, as Train 421. Westbound they leave Chicago on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. With just one through sleeper, rooms to Los Angeles are limited, so book early.
• Expect a long San Antonio wait. Amtrak says the through cars sit 2 to 5 hours in San Antonio, overnight, while they’re coupled to the Sunset Limited. With sleeping kids, a room makes that middle-of-the-night wait much easier.
• Connecting at Fort Worth. The Heartland Flyer to Oklahoma City leaves from Fort Worth. Amtrak doesn’t allow unaccompanied minors on the Heartland Flyer, while Austin station is listed as allowing unaccompanied child travel.

Free for train families

Free Texas Eagle printables for the ride

A stop tracker for all 43 stops, a word search full of Texas Eagle 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 Texas Eagle activity book

Every Texas Eagle stop, from Chicago to San Antonio (and Los Angeles)

The Texas Eagle makes 29 stops from Chicago to San Antonio, every day. After those, the 14 stops from Del Rio to Los Angeles are served only by the through cars, three days a week, on the Sunset Limited.

Illinois

1. Chicago Union Station
2. Joliet Gateway CenterLook for: From the 2018 station, kids can watch Metra, Amtrak and freight trains. Right next door is the 1912 Joliet Union Station, with its tall round-arch windows.
3. Pontiac
4. Bloomington-Normal
5. Lincoln
6. SpringfieldLook for: Peek at the restored mural in the ticket office of the 1895 depot. The old Union Station in town is now the Lincoln Presidential Library visitor center.
7. Carlinville
8. AltonLook for: Three rivers meet here: the Mississippi, the Missouri and the Illinois. Between 150 and 450 bald eagles nest in the river cliffs, best seen in winter and spring, so look up, and look for the replica of the Piasa bird on a cliff above the river.

Missouri

1. St. Louis Gateway Station
2. Arcadia
3. Poplar BluffLook for: The “Gateway to the Ozarks” has a 1910 brick depot and sits about ten miles from the Mark Twain National Forest.

Arkansas

1. Walnut Ridge
2. Little Rock Union StationLook for: Have them find the clock tower. The 1921 Union Station kept it from the depot that stood here before.
3. Malvern
4. Arkadelphia
5. HopeLook for: The depot holds a visitor center and a museum about President Bill Clinton. Hope is also the watermelon capital of Arkansas, and a local grower holds the world record with a 268.8-pound melon.
6. TexarkanaLook for: Tell kids the state line runs right through the platform, so the stopped train is in Arkansas and Texas at the same time. The buff brick station dates to 1930.

Texas

1. MarshallLook for: The restored 1912 Texas & Pacific depot is both the Amtrak stop and the home of the Texas & Pacific Railway Museum.
2. Longview
3. Mineola
4. Dallas Union StationLook for: A Beaux-Arts station opened in 1916. A climate-controlled tunnel connects it to Reunion Tower and the Hyatt Regency next door.
5. Fort Worth Central StationLook for: Look for the 70-foot clock tower with four faces and the life-size game board in the shaded courtyard. Over in the Stockyards, longhorn cattle drives happen twice a day.
6. Cleburne
7. McGregor
8. Temple
9. Taylor
10. AustinLook for: The brick depot dates to 1947. Downtown, up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge from late winter to fall and fly out at sunset.
11. San Marcos
12. San AntonioLook for: The station sits between the Alamodome and historic Sunset Station, a depot that opened in 1903.
13. Del Rio (through cars only)
14. Sanderson (through cars only)
15. Alpine (through cars only)
16. El Paso (through cars only)

New Mexico

1. Deming (through cars only)
2. Lordsburg (through cars only)

Arizona

1. Benson (through cars only)
2. Tucson (through cars only)
3. Maricopa (through cars only)
4. Yuma (through cars only)

California

1. Palm Springs (through cars only)
2. Ontario (through cars only)
3. Pomona (through cars only)
4. Los Angeles Union Station (through cars only)

What kids can see from the Texas Eagle

Day one and day two

Southbound leaves Chicago at 2:10 p.m., so the first afternoon is Illinois farm country, with Springfield at 5:26 p.m. and the Mississippi crossing between Alton and St. Louis in the evening. Missouri and Arkansas pass at night, which is when you want everyone asleep anyway.

Day two is mostly Texas in daylight: Marshall at 8:22 a.m., Dallas at 12:38 p.m., Fort Worth at 2:28 p.m. and Austin at 7:22 p.m. That’s a long sitting day, so plan lounge time, meals and a quiet hour around those stops.

What Amtrak points out

Amtrak’s route notes list Illinois farmland, the Mississippi River crossing, the Ozarks, East Texas pine forests and Hill Country wildflowers in spring. West of San Antonio, the through cars reach the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park. For kids, the East Texas pine forests on the second morning are the first big change of scenery after the night.

Two states at once

At Texarkana, the state line between Arkansas and Texas runs right through the Amtrak platform. Southbound, the train stops there at 6:20 a.m. Set an alarm if your kids want to say they were in two states at the same time, or let them sleep and tell them at breakfast.

Which side to sit on

There’s no single best side on this route, because the sights switch back and forth. Use the upstairs Sightseer Lounge for the Texas day; it was taken off the Texas Eagle in October 2020 and put back in March 2025.

A 2:10 p.m. departure from Chicago means no crack-of-dawn alarm, just a normal morning and a lot of excited waiting.

Where to sit with kids on the Texas Eagle

The Texas Eagle runs Superliner cars with an upper and a lower level, so plan on climbing a few stairs. Coach has seats on both floors, in pairs, with no middle seat. Upstairs puts kids above the platforms with a wider view; if you have a stroller or lots of bags, ask your car attendant which level works best.

Texas Eagle coaches have no tables for four. For a table to color on, go to the Sightseer Lounge, or to the dining car at mealtime, where diners share booth tables.

Going through to Los Angeles? Make sure your coach seat or room is in the through car, not one of the cars that stop in San Antonio. For sleepers, the Family Bedroom spans the full width of the car. Business Class isn’t sold on the Texas Eagle.

Can’t get seats side by side on the Texas Eagle?

Book the whole crew on one reservation. Where Amtrak assigns seats, it seats a booking together if space allows, though an Eagle coach ticket promises each rider a seat rather than a particular one. Before the 2:10 p.m. Chicago departure, staff often board families with small children early, so stay within earshot of the gate. Step on and tell your car attendant the headcount and ages.

Getting on in Dallas or Fort Worth, after the Chicago crowd has slept in their seats? Walk both decks of your coach, then the next one. A backpack sitting on a cushion is worth asking about, since luggage never gets its own seat, and your attendant can get it cleared. Riding through to Los Angeles? Search only inside the through coach. While you look, sit on opposite sides of the aisle.

When you ask someone to switch, catch them before they’ve settled in for the night, keep it short, and offer a seat as good as the one you want. A window seat is theirs to keep, so only propose fair swaps, and take a no gracefully. The crew won’t move a seated passenger for you. Even on the short hop from Dallas to Fort Worth, no small child sits by themselves away from you.

The best first Texas Eagle ride with kids

Want to try the double-decker before a night on board? These southbound pieces work with kids:

1. Chicago to Joliet, about 1 hour. Leave at 2:10 p.m. and arrive at 3:05 p.m., if the app sells this short hop, then watch the trains from the Gateway Center before heading home.
2. Dallas to Fort Worth, about 1 hour 50 minutes. Board at 12:38 p.m. and arrive at 2:28 p.m. Fort Worth’s courtyard game board is waiting when you get off, which is a good reward for sitting still.
3. Marshall to Dallas, about 4 hours 15 minutes. Board at 8:22 a.m. at the old Texas & Pacific depot, ride through the East Texas pines, and reach Dallas at 12:38 p.m.

Northbound Train 22 runs on its own schedule, so check the Amtrak app for times in that direction. Print a few free Rally coloring sheets before even the shortest hop.

First overnight train? The Texas Eagle has just one night to San Antonio, a good place to try sleeping on board.

Food, bathrooms and naps on the Texas Eagle

Is there a real dining car? Between Chicago and San Antonio, Amtrak lists Flexible Dining and Cafe service. Traditional Dining, with a full dining car, is offered only between San Antonio and Los Angeles on the through route. Meals are included for sleeping car passengers, and Amtrak lists kids’ selections on its dining menus.

Everyone on board can shop the Cafe for meals, snacks and drinks. With one night on board, a coach family can get by on the Cafe plus a packed bag: dinner on day one, breakfast after Texarkana, and lunch near Dallas.

Coach riders have restrooms in their own car, and since we couldn’t confirm changing tables on the Texas Eagle, bring a changing pad. In the sleeper, the Family Bedroom uses the shared restroom and shower down the hall, so keep pajamas and toothbrushes in one small bag. Some small stops, like Poplar Bluff, have no station restrooms, so do the potty run on the train.

With one night to San Antonio, pack pajamas, a breakfast for after Texarkana and the toys that turn an evening train into bedtime.

A train book for the ride

One page of Rally Takes the Train belongs to a friendly conductor. On the Texas Eagle, keep the book handy, and when a real conductor comes through to check tickets, show your kids the page so they can compare the two.

At Texarkana, ask which state Rally would pick. Then print the free Rally activity pack for the Texas day.

After the night, the East Texas pine forests are the first big change outside the window, so get kids up and looking.

A conductor story for the Texas EagleShow your kids the conductor page, then meet the real one. Ages 0 to 8, about five minutes, painted in watercolor: Rally Takes the Train is $13.99 on Amazon.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Sleep through Missouri and Arkansas, ride through the pines and reach Dallas by lunch: the overnight part is behind you by morning.

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
• Sunset Limited with kids
• Heartland Flyer with kids
• Lincoln Service with kids
• Southwest Chief with kids

Sources

• Amtrak: Texas Eagle
• Amtrak: Texas Eagle timetable
• Wikipedia: Texas Eagle
• Amtrak: Sunset Limited
• Great American Stations: Texarkana, AR
• Great American Stations: Joliet, IL
• Great American Stations: Alton, IL
• Great American Stations: Hope, AR
• Great American Stations: Dallas, TX
• Great American Stations: Fort Worth, TX
• Great American Stations: Austin, TX
• Great American Stations: Poplar Bluff, MO
• Amtrak: Family Room
• Amtrak: Discounts for children
• Amtrak: Unaccompanied minors
• Amtrak: Traditional Dining

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

Texas Eagle with kids: questions parents ask

Do kids need a ticket on the Texas Eagle?

Yes, from age 2. Between Chicago and San Antonio, your 2 to 12 year old’s seat costs half the grown-up rail price if an adult 18 or older shares the booking, and their age on day one of the trip is what counts. The discount stops at the rail fare, so Roomette and Family Room charges aren’t reduced for kids on the Chicago to San Antonio run.

Do babies ride free on the Texas Eagle?

One child under 2 per adult paying an adult fare rides free on a lap. Add a second baby to the same adult, or give a baby their own seat, and that child pays the child fare. With a night on board between Chicago and San Antonio, a lap baby gets an empty seat only when no ticketed rider is after it, so a room is worth pricing out.

Do kids need a car seat on the Texas Eagle?

No. Nothing on an Amtrak seat can hold a car seat in place, and one can sit in an unsold seat only until a paying rider shows up for it. Bring one if you’ll be in a car after you get off, maybe for a drive from Austin or San Antonio. It takes the place of one bag at no charge, up to 50 lbs, carried on or checked at stations that check bags.

Are there changing tables on the Texas Eagle?

We couldn’t confirm changing tables on the Texas Eagle. Amtrak keeps no official diaper-changing rule, so it’s luck of the car. A travel changing pad and the wider accessible restroom are your fallback. Do changes on board before small stops like Poplar Bluff, which has no station restrooms, and keep a spare kit in reach for the overnight stretch through Arkansas.

Where are the bathrooms on the Texas Eagle?

Coach riders have restrooms in their own car, and a light switches on when someone’s using one. Take small kids yourself, since there are stairs inside these double-decker cars and the flush is loud. In a sleeper, the restroom and shower are shared spaces down the hall. For the one night on board, a small flashlight makes the late potty walk less confusing for a half-asleep kid.

Can I bring a stroller on the Texas Eagle?

Yes. Having a child under 2 adds one free infant item, stroller or diaper bag, to the standard 2 carry-ons and 1 personal item. Prefer to check it? A folding stroller goes free, up to 50 lbs, at Texas Eagle stations with checked baggage. Large jogging or multi-child strollers may have to be checked. Ask your car attendant which level suits a stroller.

Can I breastfeed on the Texas Eagle?

Yes. Nursing in public is protected in Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, as it is in every state. Amtrak’s tip that dining car staff can help with bottles fits the through route west of San Antonio, which has Traditional Dining. Between Chicago and San Antonio the train uses Flexible Dining, so pack formula, clean bottles and water for the night.

Is there a dining car on the Texas Eagle?

Between Chicago and San Antonio, Amtrak lists Flexible Dining and Cafe service, not a traditional dining car. Traditional Dining runs only on the through route from San Antonio to Los Angeles. Sleeping car meals are included, kids’ selections are on the menus, and everyone can buy snacks in the Cafe. Coach families should pack food for dinner, breakfast and lunch near Dallas.

How do I keep kids entertained on the Texas Eagle?

Let the stops set the schedule. Day one has Illinois farmland and the Mississippi crossing near St. Louis. Day two is all Texas: East Texas pines, Dallas at 12:38 p.m., Fort Worth at 2:28 p.m. Print the free coloring and activity pages, ask kids at breakfast which state they’re in, and take breaks in the Sightseer Lounge, back on this train since March 2025.

Can we sit together on the Texas Eagle?

On both decks, coach seats sit in twos, so put the whole group on one booking and count on two pairs for a family of four. Upstairs puts kids above the platforms with a wider view. Coach has no four-person tables, so use the Sightseer Lounge or the dining car’s shared booths at mealtime. Going to Los Angeles? Make sure you’re in the through car. No Business Class is sold.

Our family got scattered across a full Texas Eagle coach. Any tips?

Grab the closest seats you can, even across the aisle, and keep each young child beside an adult. Then check upstairs and downstairs, and the next coach, for a free pair or a seat holding only a bag, because one ticket means one seat. Going on to Los Angeles? Stay in the through coach, since the other cars end at San Antonio. Ask around early, before the car settles in for the night.

Will a Texas Eagle conductor move people so we can sit together?

The crew won’t uproot a seated passenger, but they can still help. Talk to the car attendant as you board or the conductor during the ticket check. Tell them you’ve got, say, two adults and a 3-year-old, then ask whether a different coach has space. They can walk you there and ask riders to shift their bags. A free lap baby stretched across an empty seat could lose it the moment a paying passenger needs it.

Is there a Quiet Car on the Texas Eagle?

None is listed for this train. Once coach settles in for the night across Missouri and Arkansas, though, your neighbors are trying to sleep, so pack headphones for any show or game and save the giggles for the lounge in daylight. A Family Room or Roomette gives you a door if your toddler tends to talk in the middle of the night.

What should I pack for a toddler on the Texas Eagle?

Pack for about 32 and a half hours from Chicago to San Antonio: one night on board and food for dinner, breakfast and lunch. Put pajamas and toothbrushes in one small bag. Spare diapers, wipes, headphones, a blanket for the coach seat and the printable train ticket page come next. Riding the through car to Los Angeles is about 65 hours, so roughly double everything.

Where do kids sleep on the Texas Eagle?

Coach families sleep in their seats, which come in pairs with no middle seat. Sleepers include the Roomette and the Superliner Family Room, sized for a pair of adults with two children 2 to 12, plus four beds and two big windows. You’ll walk down the hall for the shared restroom and shower, and meals come with the room. Only one sleeper goes through to Los Angeles.

What is the best short Texas Eagle ride with kids?

Dallas to Fort Worth makes a great first ride. The southbound train leaves Dallas Union Station at 12:38 p.m. and reaches Fort Worth Central Station at 2:28 p.m. Kids get the double-decker train and a downtown station at each end, and Fort Worth has a 70-foot clock tower and a life-size game board in its courtyard.

Can my teen ride the Texas Eagle alone?

Not at 12 or under. A 13 to 15 year old can travel solo only through Amtrak’s unaccompanied minor program: the trip is arranged over the phone with 1-800-USA-RAIL, an adult fare is charged, travel happens in daytime between staffed stations, and nobody changes trains. Austin station is listed as allowing unaccompanied child travel. The Heartland Flyer from Fort Worth doesn’t allow it, so no solo hop to Oklahoma City. Ages 16 and 17 can ride alone.

How early should we arrive for the Texas Eagle?

About 30 minutes before departure, which means around 1:40 p.m. for the 2:10 p.m. train from Chicago. Chicago Union Station is busy, and staff there often let families with small children board ahead of the crowd, so stay close and listen. Boarding at Joliet instead? The Gateway Center is a good spot to watch Metra, Amtrak and freight trains while you wait.

What if my child gets scared on the Texas Eagle?

Warn them that the horn is loud and that big stations like Chicago and Dallas can feel crowded. If you’re early in Dallas, the climate-controlled tunnel from Union Station to Reunion Tower makes a gentle practice tunnel, and Rally’s tunnel page in the book shows the light at the end. A hug, headphones and the “what happens next” page take care of most of the rest.

Is the Texas Eagle safe for kids?

Yes, with a few habits. From Chicago to San Antonio, platforms mean holding hands and standing well behind the line. Inside, keep shoes on, have kids sit or hang onto a seat back when the train is moving, and walk the inside stairs together. Crossing between cars toward the lounge, hands stay linked. If you’d like to step off at a stop, ask your car attendant how long it lasts.

What if the Texas Eagle is delayed?

Track the train in the Amtrak app and scan its travel advisories before leaving home. Pack extra snacks and diapers. Through riders to Los Angeles already sit 2 to 5 hours in San Antonio overnight while their cars are coupled to the Sunset Limited, so a room and a full snack bag make that stretch easier, delay or not.

Does the Texas Eagle go to Los Angeles?

Part of it does, three days a week. One coach and one sleeper are added to the Sunset Limited in San Antonio and continue to Los Angeles. Westbound, those cars leave Chicago on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday and reach Los Angeles at 5:35 a.m., about 65 hours later. The rest of the train ends in San Antonio every day.