Floridian With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Floridian is two trains stitched together in November 2024, the old Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington and the old Silver Star from Washington to Miami, and Amtrak still calls it temporary. It is 47 hours and two nights, which I would not do end to end with a toddler. But the middle of it, Pittsburgh at dawn to Washington after lunch, is a mountain morning with a steam railroad at Cumberland and a tunnel into Harpers Ferry, and the Florida end has Tampa, which no other train reaches. We rode Washington to Tampa with a night in Raleigh. Below is every stop, including Lakeland twice, and the ones to sleep through.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Times are approximate from the fall 2026 timetable; checked against Amtrak and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: Orlando to Tampa and back.Two hours each way, Lakeland's lake, a marble station, the aquarium by free streetcar, and home by 6:34pm. No night aboard. Jump to Tampa.
- Ages 4 to 8: Washington to Harpers Ferry.Leave at 3:57pm, the Potomac bridge and the tunnel at 5:08pm, a night in Lower Town, and the southbound back the next morning. Jump to Harpers Ferry.
- The big one: Pittsburgh to Washington in daylight.Board at 5:25am, the Youghiogheny gorge at breakfast, a steam train at Cumberland if you stop, Harpers Ferry before lunch, and the Mall by 1:30pm. Jump to Pittsburgh.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, Lakeland is listed twice, LAK for the north and LKL for the south, because the train goes to Tampa and comes back through; book the right one. Second, Harpers Ferry, Martinsburg and Cumberland have stairs or no accessible platform, so a stroller family boards the mountain section at Pittsburgh, Rockville or Washington. Third, this is a single-level Viewliner train with no Family Bedroom; a Bedroom Suite sleeps four, and the dining car meals are included with any room. The train runs late more often than not, so keep the arrival day loose. Alerts are on the Floridian page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, rooms, what to pack for two nights, the dining car with small kids and how the Tampa loop works on a ticket are all in our Floridian parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Amtrak is replacing the switches in the tunnel south of Washington Union Station, and from Friday night October 16 until Monday morning October 26 the Floridian runs in two pieces, Chicago to Pittsburgh and Jacksonville to Miami, with nothing between, including Washington, Harpers Ferry, Raleigh and Savannah. Through trips return October 26. The Auto Train is not affected. Call 1-800-USA-RAIL about sleeper bookings.
Stop 1 of 46CHITrain 41 leaves about 6:40pm; Train 40 arrives about 8:45am
Chicago Union Station
The Floridian leaves Chicago at dinnertime, so the first evening is a meal in the dining car and bed, and the first morning is Pittsburgh at dawn. That makes the Chicago day a real day: the Great Hall's skylight and benches, the Riverwalk a block away, and Maggie Daley Park's slides 15 minutes off. Northbound you arrive at breakfast with the whole city ahead of you.
Walk the Great Hall and look up, then find your sleeper's door number on the platform. Two nights start here, so let the kids run the hall first.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
- 5 minThe Chicago Riverwalk and the architecture boats.
- 15 minMaggie Daley Park's giant slides and climbing wall, free.
- 15 minMillennium Park and the Bean.
- 10 minWillis Tower Skydeck and the glass ledge.
A few hours here
- Afternoon at Maggie Daley Park and the Riverwalk (2 hours).
- An early dinner in the food court, or wait for the dining car.
- Board by 6:15pm with snacks for two days.
Stay the night
Chicago is a weekend: the Field Museum's Sue, Shedd Aquarium, the Children's Museum at Navy Pier, the L as a ride. Then the Floridian out of the Great Hall at 6:40pm.
Snack stop: The station food court; the dining car serves dinner from 5pm, so board hungry.
Out the window: Rail yards and the South Side at dusk, then Indiana in the dark.
Union Station has checked baggage and a lounge for sleeper passengers. Amtrak posted new Great Hall hours effective September 30, 2026; check them if the hall is part of your plan. Families with small kids are often boarded first.
Stop 2 of 46SOBSouthbound about 9:10pm; northbound about 7:50amour honest take: ride on
South Bend
Notre Dame's town, with a Studebaker museum and a zoo, passed at bedtime southbound and breakfast northbound. The station is on the west side, not downtown. The clocks move forward an hour between Chicago and here.
None southbound; the first coffee northbound.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room.
- at stopThe Studebaker National Museum and the Potawatomi Zoo, by cab, for families who live here.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark southbound; Indiana farms northbound.
Southbound, set watches forward an hour after Chicago; South Bend is on Eastern time.
Stop 3 of 46EKHSouthbound about 9:30pm; northbound about 7:30amour honest take: ride on
Elkhart
Right across the tracks from the 1900 depot is the National New York Central Railroad Museum, with a huge steam locomotive and an electric engine outside. A train-loving kid will want to get off; the museum is closed at both of these hours. Point at the engines through the window.
The big black locomotive across the tracks, lit at night.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1900 depot with a waiting room open around the trains.
- 2 minThe National New York Central Railroad Museum (admission; daytime, check days).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip on this train; the Lake Shore Limited also stops here.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the museum's engines on the right southbound.
Stop 4 of 46WTISouthbound about 10:25pm; northbound about 6:35amour honest take: ride on
Waterloo
The stop for Fort Wayne, 25 miles away by car. A platform in a small town, at bedtime.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- at stopFort Wayne's Science Central and the Children's Zoo, by car.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 5 of 46TOLSouthbound about 11:40pm; northbound about 5:10amour honest take: ride on
Toledo Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza
Toledo has one of the best zoos in the country and Imagination Station, a hands-on science museum on the river, and the Floridian passes it near midnight southbound and before dawn northbound. The 1950 station has a glass map of the world on the wall. If Toledo is home, board here; otherwise sleep.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1950 station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, open around the trains.
- at stopImagination Station and the Toledo Zoo, by cab, daytime.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip on this train.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the Maumee River.
Toledo has checked baggage.
Stop 6 of 46SKYSouthbound about 12:40am; northbound about 4:00amour honest take: ride on
Sandusky
Cedar Point, the roller coaster park on Lake Erie, is five miles from this platform, and the train is here at 12:40am and 4am. Tell the big kids in the morning; you passed the tallest coasters in the Midwest in the dark.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station building and platform.
- at stopCedar Point, by cab, in season.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip on this train.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; Lake Erie is a mile north.
Stop 7 of 46ELYSouthbound about 1:15am; northbound about 3:30amour honest take: ride on
Elyria
A Cleveland suburb in the small hours.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 8 of 46CLESouthbound about 1:45am; northbound about 2:55amour honest take: ride on
Cleveland Lakefront Station
The station is on the lakefront between the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center, which has a real NASA capsule and a steamship to tour. You will not see any of it; the Floridian and the Lake Shore Limited both come through Cleveland between 1am and 6am. Sleep.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room, open overnight around the trains.
- 5 minThe Great Lakes Science Center and the Rock Hall, daytime only.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip on this train.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the stadium and the lake.
Stop 9 of 46ALCSouthbound about 3:05am; northbound about 1:40amour honest take: ride on
Alliance
The stop for Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 20 minutes away, passed at 3am.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the first Ohio hills.
Stop 10 of 46PGHSouthbound arrives about 5:05am, leaves 5:25am; northbound arrives about 11:40pm, leaves midnight
Pittsburgh Union Station
Pittsburgh is where the good part begins southbound, and the train gets there at 5:05am. The 20-minute stop is long enough to stand on the platform under Daniel Burnham's 1902 rotunda while the sky gets light, and then the seven hours to Washington are the best daylight on the route: the Youghiogheny River, the Allegheny ridges, Cumberland and Harpers Ferry. Pittsburgh itself is one of the best kid cities in the East: the Children's Museum on the North Side, two inclines up Mount Washington, the Carnegie Science Center's submarine and the Strip District's markets ten minutes from the station. Families who want Pittsburgh for its own sake should come by the Pennsylvanian from Philadelphia, which arrives in the afternoon, and then board the Floridian here early.
For families starting here: the Duquesne Incline the afternoon before, then a 4:45am alarm and the sunrise over the Monongahela from the dining car.
Right off the platform
- at stopA staffed station in an annex beside the rotunda, with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, open around the trains.
- 10 minThe Strip District's markets, bakeries and the Heinz History Center's trolley and sports museum (admission).
- 20 minThe Children's Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Side, with a waterplay floor, and MuseumLab next door (admission).
- at stopThe Duquesne and Monongahela inclines up Mount Washington, by bus or cab (fare).
- at stopCarnegie Science Center and its submarine, by cab (admission).
- at stopPNC Park, with the river behind the outfield, by the Clemente Bridge on foot.
A few hours here
- Southbound: 20 minutes on the platform at dawn.
- Northbound: arrive 11:40pm, a cab to a hotel, the Children's Museum in the morning.
Stay the night
Two nights in Pittsburgh: the Children's Museum and the inclines one day, the Science Center and the Strip the next, then the Floridian at 5:25am for the daylight run to Washington.
Snack stop: Nothing at 5am. The dining car opens for breakfast at 6:30am, in time for Connellsville.
Out the window: Leaving southbound the train crosses the Monongahela and follows it, then the Youghiogheny, through mill towns and the first hills.
Pittsburgh has checked baggage and a lounge. The Pennsylvanian from New York and Philadelphia arrives in the late afternoon and is the better way into the city with kids.
Stop 11 of 46COVSouthbound about 7:05am; northbound about 9:40pm
Connellsville
A river town on the Youghiogheny where the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail runs beside the tracks. Ohiopyle State Park, with its waterfalls, natural water slides and rafting, is 20 minutes upriver by car, and Fallingwater is just past it. Breakfast in the dining car southbound; the hour after this stop, up the Yough gorge to the state line, is the prettiest of the morning.
Right-side windows after Connellsville southbound: the Youghiogheny close below, cyclists on the trail, and the gorge narrowing toward Ohiopyle.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter beside the river trail.
- 5 minThe Great Allegheny Passage trail and the Youghiogheny riverfront.
- at stopOhiopyle State Park's falls, the natural water slides and the rafting outfitters, by car, 20 minutes (park free; rafting fare).
- at stopFallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright house, by car (admission; book ahead).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless a car is meeting you for Ohiopyle.
Stay the night
An Ohiopyle weekend by car from here: the water slides, a family raft trip on the Middle Yough, Fallingwater, and the train on.
Snack stop: Breakfast on the train; a cafe or two in town.
Out the window: The Youghiogheny gorge on the right southbound for an hour, then the Sand Patch grade over the Alleghenies.
Stop 12 of 46CUMSouthbound arrives about 9:25am, leaves 9:35am; northbound about 7:10pm
Cumberland
The best stop on the northern half, and the one I would get off at. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad runs a real steam engine, a giant 1949 2-6-6-2 called 1309, up the mountain to Frostburg and back from a 1913 station a seven-minute walk from the Amtrak platform. The same building holds the C&O Canal visitor center, where the towpath that runs 184 miles to Washington begins, and the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail ends. The train arrives at 9:25am southbound, which is enough time for the steam train on a day it runs.
Standing on the platform at the Western Maryland station when 1309 comes in with the whistle going. Then three hours up to Frostburg and back behind it (fare; seasonal, check the schedule).
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter with a waiting room on the site of the old Queen City Hotel. No checked baggage.
- 7 minThe Western Maryland Railway Station: the scenic railroad's depot, the C&O Canal National Historical Park visitor center with a canal boat model, and Canal Place's shops.
- 5 minDowntown Cumberland's pedestrian mall on Baltimore Street, with ice cream and a toy shop.
- 7 minThe start of the C&O Canal towpath and the end of the Great Allegheny Passage, flat and stroller-friendly along the river.
- at stopRocky Gap State Park's lake beach, 15 minutes by car (park fee).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 9:25am, the steam train at 11:30am to Frostburg and back (3 hours), ice cream on the mall, and a Cumberland night, then tomorrow's train at 9:37am.
Stay the night
Two nights in Cumberland: the steam train one day, the canal towpath on rented bikes or a trailer the next, and the Floridian on to Harpers Ferry and Washington.
Snack stop: Baltimore Street's cafes and ice cream, five minutes from the platform; Canal Place has a snack bar.
Out the window: Southbound, the Potomac appears on the right and stays with the train, through the Paw Paw bends, to Harpers Ferry.
The Cumberland platform is not accessible and there is no checked baggage. The scenic railroad runs on a seasonal schedule, mostly weekends, with steam some days and diesel others; check the day before promising a steam engine.
Stop 13 of 46MRBSouthbound about 11:05am; northbound about 5:40pm
Martinsburg
One of the oldest railroad stations in the country, an 1848 Baltimore and Ohio hotel and depot, and the children's museum shares the building: For the Kids, By George, with a play train and a little grocery. MARC commuter trains end here, so on a weekday a Washington family can ride MARC out in the evening and the Floridian back, or the reverse. Amtrak sends stroller families here instead of Harpers Ferry, which has stairs.
The children's museum in the station (admission; check days), then the Floridian in with the whistle.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1848 B&O station and hotel, with a waiting room. The platform is not accessible; ask about the far platform.
- at stopFor the Kids, By George Children's Museum, in the station complex (admission; check days).
- 10 minDowntown Martinsburg's Queen Street and the Roundhouse, a huge 1866 B&O roundhouse open for events.
A few hours here
- A weekday out-and-back from Washington: MARC out at 4:55pm, dinner, a night, the Floridian back at 11:06am (arrives Washington 1:10pm).
Stay the night
A Martinsburg night for the museum and the Roundhouse, then the train on to Harpers Ferry 30 minutes later.
Snack stop: Cafes on Queen Street.
Out the window: Thirty minutes of farms and the first look at the Blue Ridge, then the Potomac bridge into Harpers Ferry.
MARC runs weekdays only. The station's platforms are reached by stairs.
Stop 14 of 46HFYSouthbound about 11:35am; northbound about 5:10pm
Harpers Ferry
The train crosses the Potomac on a long bridge, goes straight into a tunnel through Maryland Heights, and comes out at a tiny 1894 depot inside a national park, where two rivers meet under a cliff. Lower Town is a two-minute walk: John Brown's Fort, a dry goods store from 1850 with a clerk in costume, a candy shop, and the Appalachian Trail crossing the river on a footbridge beside the tracks. This is the stop I think about when I think about this train. The catch is stairs: the far platform has steps and no elevator, so a stroller family boards at Martinsburg or Rockville instead, or carries the stroller.
The bridge and the tunnel southbound, in that order, right before the stop. Then walk out onto the footbridge over the Potomac and watch your own train leave through the tunnel below you.
Right off the platform
- at stopAn 1894 depot with a small waiting room, inside Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Stairs to the far platform; no elevator, no checked baggage.
- 2 minLower Town: John Brown's Fort, the park's museums and shops in restored buildings, all free, and a candy store.
- 3 minThe Point, where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac, with rocks to stand on.
- 3 minThe Appalachian Trail footbridge over the Potomac beside the railroad bridge, to the C&O Canal towpath.
- 10 minJefferson Rock, up the stone steps, for the view Jefferson wrote about.
- at stopThe park visitor center and its shuttle bus, which runs every 10 minutes to Lower Town.
A few hours here
- Northbound from Washington: leave at 3:57pm, arrive 5:08pm, Lower Town and dinner, a night at an inn, and the southbound back at 11:36am, in Washington by 1:10pm. The best overnight on this route for a family with no car.
Stay the night
Two nights: Lower Town and the footbridge, a hike or the tubing outfitters on the Shenandoah, the ghost tour for big kids, and the train on either way.
Snack stop: A bakery and ice cream in Lower Town, two minutes from the platform; bring lunch for the train, the dining car's lunch starts at 11:30am.
Out the window: The Potomac bridge and the Maryland Heights tunnel right at the stop, then the river on the right to Point of Rocks and the Monocacy.
Amtrak lists the far platform as stairs only; passengers who cannot use stairs are directed to Martinsburg or Rockville. MARC also stops here on weekdays. Inns in Lower Town are a two-minute walk; book ahead in fall.
Stop 15 of 46RKVSouthbound about 12:20pm; northbound about 4:20pmour honest take: ride on
Rockville
A Maryland suburb with the Metro Red Line and MARC at the same station, which makes it the stroller-friendly boarding point for Harpers Ferry trips (level platforms, an elevator). Nothing to get off for otherwise.
The Metro train on the next track.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station shared with Metro and MARC, with elevators.
- 5 minRockville Town Square's splash fountain and ice cream.
A few hours here
- Board here northbound at 4:21pm for Harpers Ferry if stairs are a problem.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Town Square's cafes.
Out the window: Suburbs, the Beltway, then the Washington rail yards.
Stop 16 of 46WASSouthbound arrives about 1:10pm, leaves 1:50pm; northbound arrives about 3:10pm, leaves 3:55pm
Washington Union Station
The halfway point. The Floridian sits in Washington for about 40 minutes both ways, enough to walk the main hall under the gold ceiling and the Roman soldiers (46 of them; count) and cross the street to the National Postal Museum, which is free and has real mail cars. Many families split the Floridian here: Chicago to Washington as one trip, Washington to Florida as another, with a few Washington days between. The Mall's carousel, the Natural History elephant and the Air and Space Museum are a 15-minute walk from the platform.
The 46 statues in the main hall, then the Postal Museum's railway mail car across the street, and back on the platform before the whistle.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the main hall, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter, checked baggage and the Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
- 2 minThe National Postal Museum across Massachusetts Avenue, free, with a railway mail car and a stagecoach.
- 10 minThe Capitol grounds.
- 15 minThe National Mall: the carousel, the Natural History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, all free.
- at stopThe National Zoo, by Metro Red Line, free.
- at stopThe National Building Museum's Great Hall, a block from the station, with a play space for small kids (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: 40 minutes is enough for the hall and the Postal Museum; ask the car attendant before you leave the platform.
Stay the night
Break the trip here. Three Washington nights: the Mall one day, the zoo another, the Air and Space Museum's annex by bus the third, then the Floridian on at 1:48pm. The Northeast Regional plan (/trips/northeast-regional) has the full Washington day.
Snack stop: Union Station's food court; the dining car serves lunch until 2:30pm.
Out the window: The First Street Tunnel under Capitol Hill, the long Potomac bridge, then Alexandria.
Union Station has checked baggage and a lounge. The stop is scheduled at about 40 minutes but the train can leave early if it arrived late; do not wander far without asking.
Stop 17 of 46ALXSouthbound about 2:10pm; northbound about 2:45pm
Alexandria
Old Town Alexandria is the gentlest city stop on the whole route: a 1905 depot next to the King Street Metro, a free trolley down King Street to the Potomac, the Torpedo Factory with artists working in open studios, and a waterfront where kids throw bread at ducks and watch the water taxi. Both trains stop at mid-afternoon. The Northeast Regional stops here many times a day, so you can get off the Floridian, spend an afternoon, and ride a Regional on to Richmond or back to Washington.
The free King Street Trolley from the station door to the waterfront, then the Torpedo Factory's open studios and ice cream on the pier.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1905 station with a waiting room, next to the King Street Metro. No checked baggage.
- at stopThe free King Street Trolley to the waterfront, every 15 minutes.
- 20 minThe Torpedo Factory Art Center and the waterfront park, free.
- 20 minFounders Park and the Mount Vernon Trail along the Potomac.
- at stopMount Vernon, George Washington's farm with animals, by bus or the trail (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 2:09pm, the trolley, the waterfront (2 hours), dinner on King Street, and a Northeast Regional on.
Stay the night
An Alexandria night: Old Town, a boat to Mount Vernon in the morning, and the Floridian south the next day.
Snack stop: King Street's bakeries and the ice cream shop on the waterfront.
Out the window: The VRE yards, Quantico's Marine base on the right, then the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg (no stop).
Stop 18 of 46RVRSouthbound arrives about 3:55pm, leaves 4:05pm; northbound about 12:45pm
Richmond Staples Mill Road
The Floridian is the daylight train through Richmond, which the Silver Meteor passes at night. The station is a 1975 building seven miles out in Henrico County, so the city is a cab ride, but the city is worth it: the Science Museum of Virginia is in the old Broad Street Station with a steam engine and a planetarium, the Children's Museum of Richmond is next door, and Belle Isle's footbridge puts kids on rocks in the middle of the James River. Both trains come through around lunchtime or mid-afternoon.
The steam locomotive outside the Science Museum, then the Children's Museum's cave and art studio, in the same block.
Right off the platform
- at stopA staffed station with a waiting room and checked baggage, with parking. Nothing to walk to.
- at stopThe Science Museum of Virginia and the Children's Museum of Richmond, side by side on Broad Street, by cab, 15 minutes (admission).
- at stopBelle Isle's suspension footbridge and the James River rocks, by cab, free.
- at stopMaymont's farm, gardens and nature center, by cab, free.
- at stopLewis Ginter Botanical Garden's children's garden with a treehouse, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 3:57pm, cab to a downtown hotel, Belle Isle before dinner, the museums in the morning.
Stay the night
Two nights in Richmond: the two museums one day, Maymont and Belle Isle the next, and the Floridian on at 4:07pm or the Palmetto (see /trips/palmetto) at 3:01pm.
Snack stop: Nothing near the station; downtown has everything.
Out the window: Suburbs, then the James River crossing and the flat Virginia pine country toward Petersburg.
Staples Mill has checked baggage. Richmond's Main Street Station downtown is served only by Northeast Regional trains; the Floridian uses Staples Mill.
Stop 19 of 46PTBSouthbound about 4:45pm; northbound about 12:05pmour honest take: ride on
Petersburg
The station is in Ettrick, across the river from Petersburg's old town and the Civil War siege battlefield. Pamplin Historical Park has a good soldier's-life museum for big kids, by car. Mid-afternoon both ways, but a cab ride from anything.
The Appomattox River from the bridge.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room, beside Virginia State University.
- at stopOld Towne Petersburg's shops and the Siege Museum, by cab.
- at stopPamplin Historical Park and Petersburg National Battlefield, by car.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, on this train.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Pine woods and tobacco fields to the North Carolina line.
Stop 20 of 46RMTSouthbound about 6:15pm; northbound about 10:35am
Rocky Mount
An 1893 brick station downtown, restored, with an old Atlantic Coast Line business car parked beside it that kids can look into. Rocky Mount Mills, a restored cotton mill on the Tar River a mile away, has a brewery, a playground and a riverside path. The Imperial Centre's children's museum and planetarium is a 20-minute walk. Dinner hour southbound; late morning northbound, which is the useful one. Four Amtrak trains a day stop here, so it is easy to get off and catch another.
The business car beside the platform, then the children's museum's two floors (admission; check days).
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1893 station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, and a bus terminal.
- 5 minDowntown's Main Street and a candy shop.
- 20 minThe Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences: a children's museum, a science center and a planetarium (admission).
- at stopRocky Mount Mills on the Tar River, by cab, with a playground and a riverside path.
- at stopSunset Park's playground and the Tar River trail, by cab.
A few hours here
- Northbound: get off at 10:36am, the children's museum, lunch at the Mills, and the Carolinian or Palmetto on to Richmond or Washington in the afternoon.
Stay the night
A Rocky Mount night: the Imperial Centre, the Mills, and the Palmetto or Carolinian on (see /trips/palmetto and /trips/carolinian).
Snack stop: Downtown cafes and the Mills' food hall.
Out the window: Southbound the train leaves the Northeast Corridor route here and turns southwest toward Raleigh, through tobacco country at dusk.
Rocky Mount has checked baggage. This is where the Floridian's inland route splits from the Palmetto and Silver Meteor's coastal route.
Stop 21 of 46RGHSouthbound arrives about 7:40pm, leaves 7:55pm; northbound arrives about 9:05am, leaves 9:15am
Raleigh Union Station
Raleigh Union Station is a 2018 building made from an old steel shop in the Warehouse District, with a big civic hall, and the two best kid museums in North Carolina are within a 15-minute walk: Marbles Kids Museum, with a pirate ship and a toddler floor, and the Museum of Natural Sciences, with a whale skeleton and a giant globe you can walk into, free. The Floridian arrives at dinnertime southbound and 9:06am northbound. Twelve trains a day use this station (the Piedmont and Carolinian run to Charlotte), so a Raleigh stop does not trap you.
Northbound: get off at 9:06am and be at Marbles when it opens, then the Natural Sciences museum's dinosaur across the street, then any afternoon train on.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a civic hall waiting room, a staffed counter, checked baggage and level boarding, open 6am to 11pm.
- 5 minThe Warehouse District's cafes, the Morgan Street food hall and Boxcar's arcade.
- 15 minMarbles Kids Museum and its big-screen theater, ages 0 to 10 (admission).
- 15 minThe North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, free, and the Museum of History next door, free.
- 15 minThe State Capitol grounds and the Bicentennial Plaza fountain.
- at stopPullen Park's 1911 carousel, train ride and pedal boats, by cab or a 25-minute walk (small fares).
A few hours here
- Northbound: Marbles at 9:30am, the Natural Sciences museum, lunch in the Warehouse District, and the Carolinian or Piedmont on (3 to 5 hours).
Stay the night
A Raleigh night: the museums, Pullen Park's carousel and little train, and the Floridian on at 7:54pm southbound or 9:17am northbound. The Carolinian page (/trips/carolinian) has the full Raleigh day.
Snack stop: The Morgan Street food hall and the Warehouse District's bakeries, five minutes from the platform.
Out the window: Dark southbound after Cary. Northbound, the Neuse River bottoms and tobacco barns toward Rocky Mount.
Raleigh has checked baggage and level boarding, the easiest on this route with a stroller.
Stop 22 of 46CYNSouthbound about 8:10pm; northbound about 8:25amour honest take: ride on
Cary
A restored depot in downtown Cary, ten minutes from Raleigh, with a model railroad club inside it on some weekends and a playground a few blocks away. A boarding point for western Wake County; ride on to Raleigh otherwise.
The model railroad in the depot, if it is open.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored depot with a waiting room and a staffed counter.
- 5 minDowntown Cary's park, playground and ice cream.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, unless this is home.
Snack stop: Downtown Cary's cafes.
Out the window: Dark southbound; pine woods northbound.
Stop 23 of 46SOPSouthbound about 9:30pm; northbound about 7:15amour honest take: ride on
Southern Pines
A Sandhills resort town where the depot sits on Broad Street between two rows of shops, with the tracks running right down the middle of downtown. Golf country, and the Weymouth Woods preserve has a boardwalk through longleaf pines. Bedtime southbound, breakfast northbound.
The train stopping in the middle of Main Street.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored depot on Broad Street with a waiting room.
- 2 minBroad Street's shops, a bookstore and a bakery.
- at stopWeymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve's trails, by car, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, on this train.
Snack stop: Broad Street's bakery, northbound.
Out the window: Dark southbound; longleaf pines and horse farms northbound.
Stop 24 of 46HAMSouthbound about 10:10pm; northbound about 6:35amour honest take: ride on
Hamlet
The prettiest depot in the Carolinas: an 1900 Queen Anne station with a round tower, moved across the tracks in 2004 to save it, with the National Railroad Museum inside and old engines outside. Hamlet was the Seaboard railroad's hub, and the yard is still big. Late evening southbound and early morning northbound, so the museum is closed; the building is lit.
The depot's tower from the window, and the engines parked beside it.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1900 Seaboard depot, with a small waiting room and the National Railroad Museum and Hall of Fame (free; weekend hours, check).
- 5 minDowntown Hamlet's Main Street.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip on this train.
Snack stop: None at these hours.
Out the window: The Hamlet yard's rows of freight cars, then South Carolina in the dark.
Stop 25 of 46CAMSouthbound about 11:40pm; northbound about 5:05amour honest take: ride on
Camden
South Carolina's oldest inland town, with a Revolutionary War park and horse farms. Near midnight southbound.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 26 of 46CLBSouthbound about 12:30am; northbound about 4:15amour honest take: ride on
Columbia
South Carolina's capital has EdVenture, one of the biggest children's museums in the South, with a 40-foot kid you can climb inside, and Riverbanks Zoo with a zipline. The Floridian is here at 12:25am and 4:11am. If the grandparents are in Columbia, this is their stop; the station is a 1991 building west of downtown, by cab.
None at these hours.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1991 station with a waiting room, open overnight around the trains.
- at stopEdVenture Children's Museum and the State Museum, by cab (admission; daytime).
- at stopRiverbanks Zoo and Garden, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip on this train, unless Columbia is the destination.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark; the Congaree River.
Stop 27 of 46DNKSouthbound about 1:30am; northbound about 3:05amour honest take: ride on
Denmark
A small railroad junction town in the small hours.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark.
Stop 28 of 46SAVSouthbound arrives about 3:20am, leaves 4:05am; northbound arrives about 12:55am, leaves 1:40amour honest take: ride on
Savannah
The Floridian sits in Savannah for 45 minutes in the middle of the night both ways, which is the worst luck on the route, because Savannah is the best city on it for a child: the squares, Forsyth Park, the railroad museum's roundhouse and a children's museum in a train shop. The Silver Meteor gets here at 6:49am southbound and 6:45pm northbound, so do Savannah on that train and read its page: /trips/silver-meteor.
The car going still for 45 minutes; most kids sleep through it.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1962 station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, open all night. Four miles from downtown; cabs.
- at stopThe Georgia State Railroad Museum and the Savannah Children's Museum, by cab, daytime (admission).
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Skip on this train; come on the Silver Meteor.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark both ways.
Savannah has checked baggage and is staffed overnight.
Stop 29 of 46JAXSouthbound arrives about 6:30am, leaves 7:00am; northbound arrives about 10:15pm, leaves 10:35pm
Jacksonville
Morning. The Floridian arrives at 6:32am southbound and sits for 25 minutes at a 1974 station on the northwest edge of the city, nowhere near anything, and then the third day begins: the St. Johns River, DeLand, Winter Park, Orlando by 10am, Tampa by lunch. Jacksonville is the sensible place to start a Florida-only ride, with a zoo and a beach the day before. The Silver Meteor page has the fuller Jacksonville notes: /trips/silver-meteor.
Breakfast in the dining car as the train crosses the St. Johns River south of the station.
Right off the platform
- at stopA staffed station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage. Cabs meet the trains; book ahead.
- at stopThe Jacksonville Zoo's splash park and train ride, by cab (admission).
- at stopJacksonville Beach, 30 minutes by car.
A few hours here
- Southbound: stretch on the platform during the stop.
Stay the night
A Jacksonville start: the zoo and beach the day before, then the 6:58am train for Orlando at 10:05am or Tampa at 12:27pm with no night aboard.
Snack stop: Breakfast on the train, 6:30 to 9:30am.
Out the window: The St. Johns River bridge, then pine flats and the first palms.
Jacksonville has checked baggage. The station is isolated; a cab is the only way out.
Stop 30 of 46PAKSouthbound about 8:00am; northbound about 8:45pmour honest take: ride on
Palatka
A 1909 depot with a volunteer railroad museum inside, on the St. Johns River. Look for the model layout through the window; the Silver Meteor page has more.
The St. Johns, wide as a lake, right after the stop.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1909 depot and the David Browning Railroad Museum inside it (free; limited days).
- 20 minRavine Gardens State Park's suspension bridges (park fee).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, on this train.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The river, then orange groves and cattle toward DeLand.
Stop 31 of 46DLDSouthbound about 8:55am; northbound about 7:50pm
DeLand
The north end of SunRail since 2024, which means a family can get off the Floridian here, see Blue Spring's manatees by car in winter, and ride a commuter train on to Winter Park or Orlando. The 1918 depot is two miles west of downtown. The full DeLand plan is on the Silver Meteor page: /trips/silver-meteor.
In winter, hundreds of manatees in the clear spring run at Blue Spring State Park, 15 minutes by car (park fee).
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1918 depot with a waiting room and a staffed counter, shared with SunRail on weekdays.
- at stopBlue Spring State Park, by car, November to March for manatees.
- at stopDowntown DeLand's shops and a children's museum, by cab.
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 8:55am, a car to Blue Spring, lunch downtown, SunRail or a cab south.
Stay the night
A DeLand day, then the Floridian or SunRail on.
Snack stop: Downtown DeLand's cafes; nothing at the depot.
Out the window: Oak hammock, then the St. Johns valley and Orlando's suburbs.
SunRail runs weekdays only.
Stop 32 of 46WPKSouthbound about 9:40am; northbound about 7:05pm
Winter Park
The platform is in Central Park, with Park Avenue's ice cream across the lawn and the Scenic Boat Tour's dock ten minutes away. The Floridian arrives at 9:39am southbound, early enough for the boat tour's first run and lunch before a SunRail train on. The Silver Meteor stops here at lunchtime, and that page has the full Winter Park plan: /trips/silver-meteor.
The Scenic Boat Tour: an hour through three lakes and two narrow canals under the oaks.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 2014 Craftsman depot with a waiting room, a staffed counter, checked baggage and SunRail, in Central Park.
- 2 minCentral Park's lawn and Park Avenue's shops and ice cream.
- 5 minThe Morse Museum's Tiffany chapel (admission; kids free).
- 10 minThe Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour on Lake Osceola (fare).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 9:39am, the 10am boat, lunch on Park Avenue, SunRail or a cab to Orlando (3 hours).
Stay the night
Winter Park as the Orlando base: two nights, the boat and the lawn, the theme parks by car.
Snack stop: Park Avenue's ice cream and bakery, three minutes away.
Out the window: Lakes both sides, then Orlando's towers.
The stop is two minutes; bags at the door. Winter Park has checked baggage.
Stop 33 of 46ORLSouthbound arrives about 10:05am, leaves 10:20am; northbound arrives about 6:35pm, leaves 6:50pm
Orlando
The theme park stop, at a 1926 Mission Revival depot with two domes, a 25-minute drive from Disney and Universal. This is also the start of the best first ride on the Floridian: Orlando to Tampa, two hours, leaving 10:19am, with the northbound back at 4:49pm and home by 6:34pm. The grandparents-on-the-platform scene from the book happens here. The Silver Meteor page has the full Orlando notes: /trips/silver-meteor.
The Orlando to Tampa day: board at 10:19am, Lakeland's lake, Tampa Union Station's marble hall at 12:27pm, the aquarium, and the 4:49pm train back.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1926 depot with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, with SunRail and Lynx buses beside it.
- at stopThe Orlando Science Center, by cab or SunRail (admission).
- at stopLake Eola's swan boats and playground, by cab.
- at stopWalt Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld, by car or rideshare, 25 to 35 minutes.
A few hours here
- Southbound: the Tampa out-and-back, 10:19am to 6:34pm.
Stay the night
The theme park week, then the Floridian north at 6:50pm (sleeping through the Carolinas) or the Silver Meteor at 12:36pm for the daylight run.
Snack stop: Cafes on Orange Avenue near the station; the dining car serves lunch from 11:30am.
Out the window: Downtown on the left leaving southbound, then Kissimmee and cattle country.
Orlando has checked baggage. Kissimmee, the next stop, is closer to Disney.
Stop 34 of 46KISSouthbound about 10:40am; northbound about 6:10pm
Kissimmee
The closest station to Walt Disney World, in a 1910 depot downtown with a steam engine weather vane on its cupola and a lakefront park with a splash pad ten minutes away. Look up as the train stops. The Silver Meteor page has the Kissimmee plan: /trips/silver-meteor.
The locomotive weather vane on the cupola, then Lakefront Park's splash pad.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1910 depot with a waiting room and a staffed counter, shared with SunRail.
- 10 minKissimmee Lakefront Park's splash pad, playgrounds and gators (free).
- at stopWalt Disney World, by car, 20 minutes.
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 10:43am, the lakefront, and the drive to the hotel.
Stay the night
The Disney week from here.
Snack stop: Downtown Broadway's cafes.
Out the window: Lake Toho on the left, then an hour of pasture and phosphate country to Lakeland.
No checked baggage at Kissimmee.
Stop 35 of 46LAKSouthbound about 11:40am (drop-off only); northbound about 5:25pm (pickup only)
Lakeland first stop, for points north
The Floridian stops in Lakeland twice, and this is the first time southbound: the train lets passengers off here, runs 30 miles west to Tampa, and comes back through Lakeland an hour and a half later to pick up for points south. Amtrak lists this stop as LAK. The station is on the north shore of Lake Mirror, with a promenade, swans and Hollis Garden a five-minute walk around the water. Tell the kids to watch for the same station twice.
Lake Mirror's swans and the promenade, right across from the platform, while the train is in Tampa.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a waiting room and a staffed counter, open around the trains.
- 5 minLake Mirror's promenade, swans and Hollis Garden, free.
- 10 minDowntown Lakeland's Munn Park and a candy shop.
- at stopThe Florida Children's Museum at Bonnet Springs Park, by cab, with a big new park around it (admission).
- at stopBok Tower Gardens and its children's garden, 30 minutes by car (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 11:38am, the lake and lunch downtown, and reboard the same train at 1:19pm at the other Lakeland stop (LKL) after it returns from Tampa.
Stay the night
A Lakeland night: the swans, the children's museum at Bonnet Springs, Bok Tower by car, and the train on.
Snack stop: Downtown's cafes on Kentucky Avenue, ten minutes away.
Out the window: Lake Mirror on the right as the train stops, then 30 minutes of pasture to Tampa.
Book the right Lakeland: LAK for trips to or from the north, LKL for trips to or from the south. A family getting off here and reboarding after Tampa needs two tickets, Orlando to LAK and LKL onward.
Stop 36 of 46TPASouthbound arrives about 12:25pm, leaves 12:45pm; northbound arrives about 4:30pm, leaves 4:50pm
Tampa Union Station
A 1912 Italian Renaissance station with a marble waiting room, saved by volunteers and reopened in 1998, on the edge of downtown. The free TECO streetcar is a few blocks away and runs to the Florida Aquarium, the Glazer Children's Museum and Ybor City's brick streets. The Floridian backs in and out of Tampa, which kids notice. Orlando to Tampa and back makes one of the best day trips in Florida on a train, two hours each way, with four hours in between.
The Florida Aquarium's coral reef tank and the outdoor splash pad, by streetcar, then the streetcar back to the station.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a 1912 marble waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, with a high-level platform.
- 10 minThe TECO Line streetcar at the Channelside stops, free, to the aquarium, the Riverwalk and Ybor City.
- 20 minThe Florida Aquarium's reef tank, splash pad and the stingray touch tank, by streetcar (admission).
- 20 minThe Glazer Children's Museum and Curtis Hixon Park's splash fountain on the Riverwalk, by streetcar or a 20-minute walk (admission; park free).
- at stopYbor City's cigar-shop streets, the chickens and a Cuban sandwich, by streetcar.
- at stopBusch Gardens, by cab, 20 minutes (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound from Orlando: arrive 12:27pm, the streetcar to the aquarium (2 hours), the Riverwalk, and the 4:49pm northbound back.
Stay the night
Two Tampa nights: the aquarium and the children's museum one day, Busch Gardens the next, and the Floridian on either way. Clearwater's beach is 40 minutes by car.
Snack stop: Ybor City's bakeries and the Riverwalk's cafes, by streetcar; the dining car serves lunch until 2:30pm.
Out the window: The train reverses out of Union Station and runs back east past phosphate mines to Lakeland.
Tampa has checked baggage and a level platform. The Floridian is the only Amtrak train here; the Silver Meteor skips Tampa.
Stop 37 of 46LKLSouthbound about 1:20pm (pickup only); northbound about 3:35pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Lakeland second stop, for points south
The same station again, 90 minutes after the first time, now picking up for Winter Haven and the south. Amtrak lists this stop as LKL. Whoever noticed first gets the window.
"We were here already."
Right off the platform
- at stopThe same Lakeland station, by Lake Mirror.
A few hours here
- Reboard here at 1:19pm if you got off at the first Lakeland stop.
Stay the night
See the first Lakeland stop.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Citrus and lakes toward Winter Haven.
Book LKL for trips to or from the south.
Stop 38 of 46WTHSouthbound about 1:40pm; northbound about 2:55pm
Winter Haven
The stop for LEGOLAND Florida, five miles away by cab, with a water park and a hotel at the gate. The Floridian arrives at 1:41pm southbound, which leaves an afternoon in the park. The Silver Meteor page has the full plan: /trips/silver-meteor.
LEGOLAND's Driving School and the water park.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1925 depot with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- at stopLEGOLAND Florida, by cab, 15 minutes (admission; check park days).
- at stopDowntown Winter Haven's splash pad, by cab.
A few hours here
- Southbound: arrive 1:41pm, cab to the LEGOLAND hotel, the park until close.
Stay the night
Two LEGOLAND nights, then the train on.
Snack stop: Nothing at the station; the dining car.
Out the window: Fifty lakes, or some of them, then cattle country to Sebring.
Book a cab ahead; Winter Haven has checked baggage.
Stop 39 of 46SBGSouthbound about 2:20pm; northbound about 2:10pmour honest take: ride on
Sebring
A 1924 depot a mile from a downtown laid out in a circle, with a cypress-swamp boardwalk at Highlands Hammock State Park 15 minutes away by car. From the train, lakes and pasture.
Lake Jackson on the right.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1924 depot with a waiting room.
- at stopHighlands Hammock State Park's boardwalk, by car (park fee).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, unless the grandparents are here.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Cattle, sugar cane and sawgrass.
Stop 40 of 46OKESouthbound about 3:05pm; northbound about 1:35pmour honest take: ride on
Okeechobee
A 2011 depot built to look old, in a cattle town four miles from the north shore of Lake Okeechobee, which is so big you cannot see across it. The Silver Meteor skips this stop. The lake is behind a dike and out of sight from the train, but the Herbert Hoover Dike trail on top has a view, by car.
The dike at Okee-Tantie or Lock 7, by car, for the lake.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a shelter and palms.
- at stopLake Okeechobee's dike trail and the Okee-Tantie boat ramp, by car.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Sugar cane and sawgrass for 90 minutes; the dike on the right, with the lake hidden behind it.
Stop 41 of 46WPBSouthbound about 4:30pm (drop-off only); northbound about 12:35pm (pickup only)
West Palm Beach
The first beach stop, at a 1925 Spanish Revival depot shared with Tri-Rail, 15 minutes on foot from Clematis Street and the waterfront. The zoo and the science center share a park ten minutes away by cab, and the ocean is across the bridge on Palm Beach. From here south the Floridian is drop-off only. The Silver Meteor page has the full West Palm plan: /trips/silver-meteor.
The Palm Beach Zoo's fountain and the aquarium next door in Dreher Park (admission).
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1925 depot with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, shared with Tri-Rail.
- 15 minClematis Street and the waterfront's splash fountain.
- at stopThe South Florida Science Center and the Palm Beach Zoo, by cab (admission).
- at stopPalm Beach's Midtown Beach, by cab, 15 minutes.
A few hours here
- Southbound: arrive 4:31pm, dinner on Clematis Street, the beach in the morning.
Stay the night
Two nights in West Palm, then Tri-Rail on.
Snack stop: Clematis Street's ice cream.
Out the window: Tri-Rail trains alongside, suburbs to Delray.
West Palm Beach has checked baggage. Tri-Rail covers the short hops south.
Stop 42 of 46DLBSouthbound about 4:55pm (drop-off only); northbound about 12:15pm (pickup only)our honest take: ride on
Delray Beach
A Tri-Rail station two miles from Atlantic Avenue and a fine town beach. Get off if the grandparents are here.
Delray's beach, by cab.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station shared with Tri-Rail.
- at stopAtlantic Avenue and Delray Municipal Beach, by cab, 10 minutes.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless Delray is home.
Stay the night
A Delray beach week.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Interstate and suburbs.
Stop 43 of 46DFBSouthbound about 5:05pm (drop-off only); northbound about noon (pickup only)our honest take: ride on
Deerfield Beach
A Tri-Rail station three miles from a pier and beach, with Quiet Waters Park's splash playground a mile away. A drop-off for locals.
The pier, by cab.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station shared with Tri-Rail.
- at stopQuiet Waters Park and Deerfield's pier, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, unless this is home.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Suburbs.
Stop 44 of 46FTLSouthbound about 5:30pm (drop-off only); northbound about 11:45am (pickup only)
Fort Lauderdale
Two miles west of downtown, shared with Tri-Rail. The Museum of Discovery and Science, the Riverwalk's water taxi and the beach are a cab away, and this is a good end point if the family is anywhere in Broward. The Silver Meteor page has the full Fort Lauderdale plan: /trips/silver-meteor.
The water taxi down the New River to the beach.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and a staffed counter, shared with Tri-Rail.
- at stopThe Museum of Discovery and Science, downtown by cab (admission).
- at stopThe Riverwalk water taxi and Fort Lauderdale Beach, by cab, 20 minutes.
A few hours here
- Southbound: arrive 5:31pm, a beach hotel, the museum in the morning.
Stay the night
Three beach nights from here.
Snack stop: Las Olas Boulevard's ice cream, downtown.
Out the window: The airport runways on the right.
Stop 45 of 46HOLSouthbound about 5:45pm (drop-off only); northbound about 11:30am (pickup only)our honest take: ride on
Hollywood
A Tri-Rail station three miles from the Broadwalk, the brick beach promenade with a playground and a splash pad. The last stop before Miami.
The Broadwalk at sunset, by cab.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station shared with Tri-Rail.
- at stopThe Hollywood Beach Broadwalk, by cab, 15 minutes.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
A Hollywood Beach week from here.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Rail yards toward Hialeah.
Stop 46 of 46MIATrain 41 arrives about 6:10pm; Train 40 leaves about 11:05am
Miami
The end, 47 hours and two nights from Chicago, at a 1978 station in Hialeah that Amtrak decided in 2024 to keep rather than move to the airport. A half-mile walk or short cab reaches the Tri-Rail and Metrorail transfer station for trains downtown. The Miami Children's Museum, the Frost Science aquarium, Zoo Miami and South Beach are all a cab away. The northbound Floridian leaves at a civilized 11:05am, which is the one kindness this station offers. The Silver Meteor page has the full Miami notes: /trips/silver-meteor.
Who is waiting on the platform. Then the Frost Science museum's three-story aquarium in the morning.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1978 station with a big waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage. Cabs meet the trains.
- 10 minThe Tri-Rail and Metrorail transfer station, a half-mile walk or a short cab.
- at stopThe Miami Children's Museum on Watson Island, by cab (admission).
- at stopThe Frost Museum of Science, downtown by Metrorail (admission).
- at stopZoo Miami, by cab (admission).
- at stopSouth Beach and Lummus Park's playground, by cab, 25 minutes.
A few hours here
- Arrive 6:09pm, a cab to the hotel, a swim.
Stay the night
A Miami week, then the Floridian north at 11:05am with Tampa at 4:31pm and Pittsburgh two mornings later, or the Silver Meteor at 7:05am for New York.
Snack stop: Nothing near the station.
Out the window: Northbound, the Hialeah yards and the Atlantic suburbs.
Miami has checked baggage. Take the cab, not the walk, with bags and kids.
Two rivers become one
My dad liked maps, and the thing he would have loved about this train is the spot at Harpers Ferry where you can stand on a rock and see the Shenandoah come in from the right and the Potomac from the left and go on together as one river, with the train bridge and the tunnel mouth right there. My son, who was three, did not care about the rivers. He cared that our train went into the mountain and came out somewhere else. That is the book, more or less, and it is why we got off here and not somewhere easier.
Next in this series: the Silver Meteor, the one-night train from New York that shares the Florida stops and gets to Savannah in daylight; the Palmetto, the daytime train to Charleston and Savannah; the Carolinian, which shares Raleigh and Cary by day; the Auto Train, which brings your car to Orlando; and the Northeast Regional for Washington and Alexandria. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Floridian trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Floridian from Chicago to Miami?
About 47 hours and two nights. Train 41 leaves Chicago at about 6:40pm and arrives in Miami at about 6:10pm two days later; Train 40 leaves Miami at 11:05am and reaches Chicago at about 8:45am on the third morning. Washington is the halfway point, at about 1:10pm southbound.
What is the best part of the Floridian for kids?
The second morning southbound, Pittsburgh at 5:25am to Washington at 1:10pm: the Youghiogheny gorge at breakfast, Cumberland's steam railroad, the Potomac bends, and the bridge and tunnel into Harpers Ferry at 11:36am. In Florida, the Tampa loop, where the train stops at Lakeland twice.
Which Floridian stop is best for a night with kids?
Harpers Ferry if you can handle stairs: Lower Town, the footbridge and a candy store are two minutes from the platform, and the northbound from Washington arrives at 5:08pm. Cumberland for the steam train. Raleigh for Marbles Kids Museum and level boarding.
Why does the Floridian stop in Lakeland twice?
Because it goes to Tampa and comes back. Southbound it drops off at Lakeland (LAK) at 11:38am, runs to Tampa Union Station, reverses, and picks up at Lakeland (LKL) at 1:19pm on its way to Winter Haven. Book LAK for trips to or from the north and LKL for the south.
Can we ride just part of the Floridian with a toddler?
Yes. Orlando to Tampa is two hours each way with four hours in Tampa, 10:19am out and 4:49pm back. Washington to Harpers Ferry is 71 minutes northbound at 3:57pm. Jacksonville to Orlando is three hours with no night.
Which Floridian stops should we skip with kids?
The first night (South Bend through Alliance) and the second (Camden through Savannah), plus the small platforms: Waterloo, Elyria, Connellsville unless a car waits, Rockville, Petersburg, Cary, Southern Pines, Hamlet, Denmark, Palatka, Sebring, Okeechobee, Delray, Deerfield and Hollywood. The trip is Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cumberland, Harpers Ferry, Washington, Alexandria, Richmond, Raleigh, Jacksonville, Winter Park, Orlando, Tampa, Winter Haven, West Palm Beach and Miami.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Floridian timetable, August 2026 revision (Trains 40 and 41), and Amtrak station pages including the Harpers Ferry accessibility notice
- Western Maryland Scenic Railroad (2026 season), Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Marbles Kids Museum, Florida Aquarium, Glazer Children's Museum, For the Kids By George: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- MARC Brunswick Line and SunRail schedules; TECO Line streetcar; Amtrak's Pause for Progress notice for the October 16 to 26, 2026 Washington work
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station and route articles for addresses, the Lakeland LAK and LKL codes, Tampa Union Station's history and the November 2024 merger, cross-checked with Amtrak
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.