Maple Leaf With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Maple Leaf is the only Amtrak train that takes a family from New York City to another country without a change, and for most of its 544 miles it is the Empire Service with a different name: the Hudson at breakfast, the Mohawk at lunch, Rochester and Buffalo in the afternoon. Then it crosses a bridge over the Niagara gorge and everything changes. Everyone gets off with their bags, stands in a line, and gets back on with a Canadian crew. That hour is what this page is about. For the New York stops, our Empire Service page has the full plans; here they are short, and the words go to the border and the six Ontario stops on the way to Toronto.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Times are approximate from the fall 2026 timetable; checked against Amtrak, VIA Rail and each attraction in October 2026. Hours change; read the "know before you go" notes.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: no border at all.Albany to Utica and back on the Maple Leaf's own times: out at 10:10am, the Children's Museum and a half-moon cookie, home on the 3:52pm southbound. Jump to Utica.
- Ages 4 to 8: Toronto in two days.New York at 7:15am to Niagara Falls, New York by 4:52pm, a night and a morning at the falls, then the same train at 5pm tomorrow through the border and into Toronto by 7:43pm. Jump to Niagara Falls, New York.
- The big one: Toronto for three nights.The aquarium's shark tunnel, the CN Tower, the roundhouse railway museum, the ferry to Centre Island, and the morning train home. Jump to Toronto.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, the border: at Niagara Falls everyone leaves the train with every bag for inspection and reboards the same train, so pack what one adult and one tired child can carry in one trip, and keep all documents in one bag. Second, the Ontario stops before Toronto are getting-off only northbound and boarding only southbound, so a stop in St. Catharines or Burlington means finishing on GO Transit. Third, the cafe takes cards only once you are in Canada. Alerts are on the Maple Leaf page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab), and the full Hudson and upstate plans are on our Empire Service trip page.
Tickets, which documents each child needs, the cafe, bathrooms and strollers at the border are all in our Maple Leaf parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Metrolinx track work near Toronto sends Trains 63 and 64 on a detour that weekend, skipping Oakville and adding at least 40 minutes. Use Aldershot instead; Amtrak is not providing extra transportation to Oakville. Pack an extra snack for the added time.
Stop 1 of 22NYPTrain 63 leaves about 7:15am; Train 64 arrives about 9:21pm
New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station
The Maple Leaf leaves the skylit train hall at 7:15am, which means an early alarm and breakfast in the food hall. Twelve and a half hours to Toronto is too long for most small kids in one go; the trick on this train is to split it at Niagara Falls. Everything about the Hudson stops is on our Empire Service page, which runs the same tracks nine times a day. This page spends its words on the border and the Canadian side.
Read the morning page of the book over breakfast under the skylights, then walk down to the track together.
Right off the platform
- at stopMoynihan Train Hall: the skylit concourse, a food hall, restrooms, a Mamava nursing pod and staffed counters.
- 10 minThe High Line and Hudson Yards, a 10-minute walk west.
- 15 minBryant Park's carousel and the library lions.
A few hours here
- Breakfast in the food hall, the skylights, the walk to the track (45 minutes).
Stay the night
New York is its own trip. The Maple Leaf is how you leave it for another country by dinner.
Snack stop: The food hall before boarding; the cafe in the club car opens once you are moving.
Out the window: The tunnel, then the Hudson on the left in morning light.
One adult carries every family member's documents in one bag from here on: passports, or certified birth certificates for citizen kids under 16, and a consent letter if one parent is staying home.
Stop 2 of 22YNYNorthbound about 7:44am; southbound about 8:42pmour honest take: ride on
Yonkers
A restored 1911 river station 20 minutes out. Metro-North does Yonkers better; on this train it is the first view of the Palisades.
The Palisades cliffs across the river, on the left.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1911 station, shared with Metro-North, with a waterfront park outside.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None you will have time for.
Out the window: The river widens; the Tappan Zee bridge ahead.
Stop 3 of 22CRTNorthbound about 8:03am; southbound about 8:22pmour honest take: ride on
Croton-Harmon
The big Metro-North yard station. Some riders get off here and the left-side river seats open up. The Empire Service page has the Croton plans, including the fall pumpkin Blaze.
Seats opening on the left. Move.
Right off the platform
- at stopA large station with a waiting room, restrooms and a counter.
- 15 minVan Cortlandt Manor and the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze in fall (tickets).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: The station counter.
Out the window: Haverstraw Bay, the widest water on the route, for the next 40 miles.
Stop 4 of 22POUNorthbound about 8:45am; southbound about 7:41pm
Poughkeepsie
A 1918 station with arched windows, a children's museum on the waterfront a few minutes away, and an elevator up to the Walkway Over the Hudson, a mile-long bridge park 212 feet over the river. On the Maple Leaf it is a pass-through at 8:45am; the full Poughkeepsie day is on the Empire Service page.
Look up as the train leaves: the Walkway crosses overhead.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored 1918 waiting room, restrooms and a counter.
- 5 minThe Mid-Hudson Children's Museum on the waterfront (admission).
- 5 minThe Walkway elevator at Upper Landing Park (seasonal; free).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard; use an Empire train for Poughkeepsie.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan: the museum, the Walkway, and a train home.
Snack stop: Waterfront cafes.
Out the window: The two bridges overhead just north of the station.
Stop 5 of 22RHINorthbound about 9:00am; southbound about 7:25pmour honest take: ride on
Rhinecliff
A small riverside station with Rhinebeck three miles inland by cab. Pretty from the window. The plans are on the Empire Service page.
The Catskills across the river, on the left.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1914 station on the riverbank, with an elevator up to the village.
- at stopRhinebeck's village and the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome's weekend air shows, by cab (seasonal).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: A cafe up the hill.
Out the window: The widest river and the mountains behind it.
Stop 6 of 22HUDNorthbound about 9:21am; southbound about 7:03pmour honest take: ride on
Hudson
A brick 1874 station with a riverfront park outside and a fire engine museum a cab ride away. The best toddler hop on the Hudson is Albany to here, 22 minutes, on an Empire train; see that page.
The lighthouse on the left just past the station.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored 1874 station, restrooms and a counter.
- 2 minHenry Hudson Riverfront Park and its playground.
- at stopThe FASNY Museum of Firefighting, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: Warren Street's bakeries.
Out the window: The Hudson-Athens lighthouse, then the river narrows toward Albany.
Stop 7 of 22ALBNorthbound arrives about 9:50am, leaves 10:10am; southbound arrives about 6:04pm, leaves 6:40pm
Albany-Rensselaer
The 20-minute pause across the river from Albany, with a clock tower on the station and a free state museum with a carousel a cab ride away. This is also where the no-passport Maple Leaf day starts: Albany to Utica and back, 10:10am out, home by 6:35pm. The Albany plans are on the Empire Service page.
The platform stretch during the pause, and the carousel at the State Museum if Albany is your stop.
Right off the platform
- at stopA big modern station with a waiting room, restrooms, a cafe counter and a garage.
- at stopThe New York State Museum and its carousel, 10 minutes by cab across the river, free (check days).
- at stopEmpire State Plaza and the Egg, by cab.
A few hours here
- The platform during the pause.
- Or the Utica round trip from here: 10:10am out, 3:52pm back (see Utica).
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan for an Albany day; then the Maple Leaf west in the morning.
Snack stop: The station cafe counter.
Out the window: Leaving west the train turns away from the Hudson and follows the Mohawk.
Stop 8 of 22SDYNorthbound about 10:34am; southbound about 5:39pmour honest take: ride on
Schenectady
A downtown station from 2018, a science museum with a planetarium a mile away. Plans are on the Empire Service page.
miSci's planetarium, if this is your stop.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern downtown station with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 20 minmiSci, the Museum of Innovation and Science (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: Jay Street cafes.
Out the window: The Mohawk and the first Erie Canal locks on the right.
Stop 9 of 22AMSNorthbound about 10:52am; southbound about 4:52pmour honest take: ride on
Amsterdam
A small Mohawk Valley station with a garden bridge next to it. Ride on.
The Overlook pedestrian bridge from the window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with a shelter.
- 5 minThe Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook bridge, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Canal locks and old mills.
Stop 10 of 22UCANorthbound about 11:51am; southbound about 3:52pm
Utica Union Station
The marble 1914 station where the Adirondack Railroad's tourist trains leave, with a children's museum that reopened in 2025 a cab ride away. The Maple Leaf's times make Utica the one easy round trip on this route with no border: Albany out at 10:10am, here at 11:51, back on the southbound at 3:52pm. The full stop is on the Empire Service page.
A half-moon cookie on the marble benches, then the Children's Museum.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the marble waiting room, restrooms, a cafe and the Adirondack Railroad platform.
- at stopThe Utica Children's Museum on Memorial Parkway, by cab (admission).
- at stopAdirondack Railroad excursions in season (check the calendar).
- at stopUtica Zoo, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Arrive 11:51am, cab to the Children's Museum, lunch, a half-moon, and the 3:52pm southbound (4 hours).
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan: the Adirondack Railroad day, then the Maple Leaf on.
Snack stop: The station cafe; Holland Farms bakery by cab.
Out the window: The Mohawk flattens into farm country.
Stop 11 of 22ROMNorthbound about 12:05pm; southbound about 3:33pmour honest take: ride on
Rome
A neoclassical depot with bronze chandeliers and a reconstructed fort downtown by cab. Ride on; the Empire Service page has it.
The chandeliers, through the door, if you are getting off.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1914 depot with a waiting room.
- at stopFort Stanwix National Monument, by cab, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: A diner downtown.
Out the window: Flat farms and the canal.
Stop 12 of 22SYRNorthbound arrives about 12:49pm, leaves 12:59pm; southbound arrives 2:40pm, leaves 2:50pmour honest take: ride on
Syracuse Regional Transportation Center
A 10-minute pause at a bus-hub station near Onondaga Lake, a cab from everything. Lunchtime northbound: this is the moment to pull out the real food. Plans are on the Empire Service page.
Lunch, unpacked, as the train sits.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe transportation center: a waiting room, restrooms, counters and buses.
- at stopThe MOST science museum, the zoo and Destiny USA's carousel, all by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard; lunch.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan.
Snack stop: Station counters during the pause.
Out the window: Onondaga Lake on the right leaving west.
During the State Fair around Labor Day the train stops at the fairgrounds instead.
Stop 13 of 22ROCNorthbound about 2:19pm; southbound about 1:25pm
Rochester
The Strong National Museum of Play, 20 minutes on foot from the station, is the best indoor place for kids on this route. If you are going to Toronto in two days instead of one, this is the other place to stop. The full Rochester stop is on the Empire Service page.
The Strong: Sesame Street, the carousel, the butterfly garden.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe Louise M. Slaughter station: a bright waiting room, restrooms and a counter.
- 20 minThe Strong National Museum of Play (admission; a full day).
- 15 minHigh Falls downtown, free.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, or get off at 2:19pm for the Strong and sleep here.
Stay the night
A Rochester night for the Strong, then tomorrow's Maple Leaf at 2:19pm on to the border and Toronto by 7:43pm.
Snack stop: The Strong's cafe.
Out the window: Orchards and canal towns.
Stop 14 of 22BUFNorthbound about 3:25pm; southbound about 12:30pmour honest take: ride on
Buffalo-Depew
A suburban station with a big lot. Nothing walkable. Exchange Street downtown is 15 minutes on.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with a waiting room, restrooms and a lot.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Freight yards and the edge of Buffalo.
Stop 15 of 22BFXNorthbound about 3:40pm; southbound about 12:15pm
Buffalo-Exchange Street
A small downtown station five minutes from Canalside, with a children's museum on the water, a 1924 carousel and navy ships to board. A good place for a Buffalo night before the border day. Plans are on the Empire Service page.
Explore and More Children's Museum, then the carousel outside.
Right off the platform
- at stopExchange Street station: a waiting room, restrooms and a counter, next to the arena.
- 5 minCanalside: the carousel, the Naval Park's ships, paddle boats in summer.
- 5 minExplore and More Children's Museum (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, or get off here for Canalside and a night.
Stay the night
See the Empire Service plan, then tomorrow's Maple Leaf at 3:40pm to the border.
Snack stop: Canalside's stands; downtown cafes.
Out the window: The Niagara River's upper rapids on the left as you head north.
Stop 16 of 22NFLNorthbound arrives about 4:52pm, leaves 5:00pm; southbound arrives 10:38am and sits about an hour for U.S. inspection, leaving 11:40am
Niagara Falls, New York
The last American stop, in a 2016 station with the Underground Railroad Heritage Center on its first floor and U.S. Customs upstairs. Northbound, this is the best place to split the trip: get off at 4:52pm, see the falls in the morning, and board the same train tomorrow at 5pm for the border with rested kids. Southbound, everyone gets off here with every bag for U.S. inspection and gets back on. The full falls plan is on the Empire Service page.
Northbound: a potty stop and a diaper change before the train leaves at 5pm, because the next hour is the border.
Right off the platform
- at stopNiagara Falls station: a waiting room, restrooms, a counter, U.S. Customs on the second floor, and the Underground Railroad Heritage Center (admission).
- at stopNiagara Falls State Park, 10 minutes by cab or the free seasonal shuttle: Goat Island, Cave of the Winds and the Maid of the Mist (admission; boats roughly May to early November).
- 20 minThe Aquarium of Niagara (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard for the border, or get off at 4:52pm, sleep, the state park in the morning, and the same train at 5pm tomorrow.
Stay the night
Two nights: the state park, the boat, the aquarium, and a walk over the Rainbow Bridge with the kids' documents for the Canadian view. Then the Maple Leaf on at 5pm.
Snack stop: Third Street near the station; the park's cafes.
Out the window: Leaving north the train crosses the Whirlpool Bridge over the Niagara gorge, 200 feet above green water, and you are in Canada in under a minute. Get the kids to a window on either side.
Southbound, the hour here is the U.S. inspection: off with bags, a line, officers, back on. Amtrak warns the train will not wait for anyone held for questions.
Stop 17 of 22NFSNorthbound arrives about 5:05pm and sits about 40 minutes for Canadian inspection, leaving 5:45pm; southbound leaves about 10:22am (boarding only)
Niagara Falls, Ontario
The border. The train crosses the Whirlpool Bridge and stops at a 1879 Great Western station on Bridge Street, and everyone gets off with every bag, lines up, shows documents to Canadian officers, and gets back on. The timetable gives it 40 minutes; Amtrak says delays are common. A VIA Rail crew takes over here and the cafe switches to cards only. The falls are about four kilometers south, a 10-minute cab, with Clifton Hill's arcades, the boat, the tunnels behind the falls and a skywheel. Canadian families booking only Toronto to here buy through VIA.
The line. One adult holds the documents, the other holds the hands. Tell the kids ahead of time what the officer will ask and that the train is waiting. Then, out the far side, the first Canadian flag.
Right off the platform
- at stopNiagara Falls, Ontario station: a small waiting room, restrooms, Canadian customs and immigration, and cabs outside.
- at stopThe falls and Clifton Hill, 10 minutes by cab or the WEGO bus: Niagara City Cruises, Journey Behind the Falls, the Skylon Tower and the Niagara SkyWheel (admission for each; boats roughly April to November).
- 20 minWhite Water Walk, a boardwalk beside the gorge rapids north of the station (seasonal; admission).
- at stopThe Butterfly Conservatory at the Botanical Gardens and the Whirlpool Aero Car, by cab (admission).
- at stopBird Kingdom, an indoor aviary near the Rainbow Bridge (admission).
A few hours here
- The inspection, and the train on to Toronto (40 minutes if it goes well).
Stay the night
Get off here and stay: the boat into the mist, Journey Behind the Falls, Clifton Hill at night, the Butterfly Conservatory in the morning. Then GO Transit or VIA to Toronto, or the southbound Maple Leaf home at 10:22am.
Snack stop: Nothing in the line; have it in the backpack. Clifton Hill has everything after.
Out the window: North of the station the train leaves the gorge and crosses the Welland Canal; watch for a lake freighter in the lock.
Every bag, stroller and car seat comes off the train with you. Pack light enough to carry it all in one trip with a tired child. Certified birth certificates work for citizen kids under 16; copies do not.
Stop 18 of 22SCANorthbound about 6:08pm, getting off only; southbound about 9:58am, boarding only
St. Catharines
The Garden City on the Welland Canal, with a 1917 station in the north end. Lock 3 has a viewing platform where ships climb the Niagara Escarpment, with a free museum beside it, and Port Dalhousie's Lakeside Park has a 1905 carousel that still costs a nickel in summer. The northbound train only lets people off here; to continue to Toronto you take GO or VIA.
A freighter rising in Lock 3, slowly, with the whole family leaning on the rail. Then the nickel carousel.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe 1917 station with a waiting room; cabs outside.
- at stopWelland Canal Lock 3 viewing platform and the St. Catharines Museum, 10 minutes by cab, free (check the ship schedule).
- at stopLakeside Park's carousel in Port Dalhousie, by cab, five cents a ride (summer).
- at stopNiagara-on-the-Lake's main street and lakefront, 20 minutes by car.
A few hours here
- Not on this train; the northbound is discharge only and the southbound is boarding only.
Stay the night
Get off the northbound at 6:08pm, a night in St. Catharines, Lock 3 and the carousel in the morning, and GO Transit on to Toronto.
Snack stop: Downtown's cafes; a Port Dalhousie ice cream.
Out the window: Vineyards and the escarpment on the left, Lake Ontario on the right.
Discharge only northbound, boarding only southbound. Check the Lock 3 ship schedule; empty canal days happen.
Stop 19 of 22GMSNorthbound about 6:27pm, getting off only; southbound about 9:38am, boarding onlyour honest take: ride on
Grimsby
A small shelter stop between the escarpment and the lake, in wine country. Grimsby Beach's painted cottages are a few minutes away, but there is no reason to break the trip here.
The escarpment's cliffs out the left window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and shelter.
- at stopGrimsby Beach's gingerbread cottages, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Orchards, vineyards, the lake on the right.
Stop 20 of 22ASTNorthbound about 7:04pm, getting off only; southbound about 9:01am, boarding only
Aldershot
A big GO Transit station in Burlington where VIA trains also stop, and the gateway to the Royal Botanical Gardens, whose children's garden and trails are a few minutes away by cab. Burlington's lakefront park has a splash pad and a pier. If family lives in the west end of Toronto's region, this is their stop.
The Royal Botanical Gardens' Hendrie Park and the children's garden, then Burlington's pier at sunset.
Right off the platform
- at stopAldershot station: a waiting room, restrooms, a GO ticket counter and parking.
- at stopRoyal Botanical Gardens' RBG Centre and Hendrie Park, 5 minutes by cab (admission).
- at stopSpencer Smith Park on Burlington's lakefront, with a splash pad and the Brant Street Pier, by cab or GO bus.
- at stopGO trains to Toronto Union every half hour or so.
A few hours here
- Not on this train; discharge only northbound.
Stay the night
Get off at 7:04pm, a night in Burlington, the Botanical Gardens in the morning, and a GO train into Toronto.
Snack stop: Burlington's lakefront cafes.
Out the window: The lake's shoreline, Hamilton's steel mills across the bay to the left.
During the Metrolinx track work on October 17 and 18, 2026 the Maple Leaf skips Oakville; Aldershot is the stop to use instead, and the detour adds 40 minutes or more.
Stop 21 of 22OKLNorthbound about 7:19pm, getting off only; southbound about 8:45am, boarding onlyour honest take: ride on
Oakville
A commuter station in a lakeside suburb, the last stop before Toronto. Downtown Oakville's harbor is a few kilometers away. Ride on; Union Station is 25 minutes.
The first glimpse of the Toronto skyline and the CN Tower ahead.
Right off the platform
- at stopA GO station with a waiting room and parking.
- at stopDowntown Oakville's harbor and Lakeside Park, by cab.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburbs, then the Humber River and the skyline.
Not served on October 17 and 18, 2026 because of track work; use Aldershot.
Stop 22 of 22TWOTrain 63 arrives about 7:43pm; Train 64 leaves about 8:20am
Toronto Union Station
The train arrives at the big 1927 station in the middle of downtown, across the street from the Hockey Hall of Fame and a 10-minute walk from the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium and a railway museum with real locomotives in a roundhouse. From the ferry docks 15 minutes away, Centre Island has a kids' amusement park and the best skyline view there is. It is the best Canadian arrival by train for a family, and the Grandmommy and Papa page of the book if you have family here.
Ripley's Aquarium's moving walkway through the shark tunnel, with the CN Tower outside the door afterward. Then the ferry to Centre Island on a summer evening.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the Great Hall, restrooms, VIA counters, a food court, the subway and the UP Express to the airport.
- 5 minThe Hockey Hall of Fame, across Front Street (admission).
- 10 minRipley's Aquarium of Canada, with the shark tunnel (admission; book ahead).
- 10 minThe CN Tower and its glass floor (admission).
- 10 minThe Toronto Railway Museum at Roundhouse Park: locomotives, a turntable and miniature train rides in season (admission for rides).
- 15 minThe ferry to Centre Island and Centreville's kiddie rides and farm (ferry fare; seasonal).
- 10 minSt. Lawrence Market, for peameal bacon sandwiches and butter tarts (closed Mondays).
- at stopThe Royal Ontario Museum's dinosaurs and the bat cave, by subway (admission).
A few hours here
- Arriving at 7:43pm: dinner and bed. Before the 8:20am southbound: St. Lawrence Market does not open in time, so the station food court.
Stay the night
Three nights. Day one: the aquarium, the CN Tower, the railway museum. Day two: the ferry and Centre Island. Day three: the ROM's dinosaurs, the market, and the 8:20am train home with the U.S. inspection at Niagara Falls, New York.
Snack stop: St. Lawrence Market; the PATH underground food courts under the station.
Out the window: Arriving, the CN Tower and the stadium fill the right-side windows as the train slows into the rail lands.
Trips entirely inside Canada (Toronto to Niagara Falls, Ontario) are sold by VIA Rail, not Amtrak. The cafe takes cards only on the Canadian side. Homeward, the U.S. inspection stop at Niagara Falls, New York runs about an hour.
A train to another country
My daughter's passport photo was taken when she was five months old and furious, and the Canadian officer at Niagara Falls looked at it, looked at her, and laughed. That was the whole inspection. The hour everyone dreads is mostly standing in a line with a snack, and the minute before it, on the bridge over the green gorge, is one of the best on any train I know. Split the trip at the falls, carry less than you think you need, and let them be the ones to say we are in Canada now.
Next in this series: the Empire Service, the same route to Niagara Falls with the full stop plans, and the Adirondack, the other border train, to Montreal. For the corridor south, the Northeast Regional; for Pennsylvania, the Keystone Service and the Pennsylvanian. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Maple Leaf trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Maple Leaf from New York to Toronto?
About 12.5 hours northbound and 13 hours southbound, border stop included. Train 63 leaves New York at 7:15am and arrives in Toronto at 7:43pm; Train 64 leaves Toronto at 8:20am and reaches New York at 9:21pm.
How does the border stop work on the Maple Leaf with kids?
At Niagara Falls everyone gets off with every bag, shows documents to officers, and reboards the same train. Northbound it is Canadian inspection at Niagara Falls, Ontario, about 40 minutes; southbound it is U.S. inspection at Niagara Falls, New York, about an hour. Delays are common and the train will not wait for someone held for questions.
What documents do kids need on the Maple Leaf?
A passport is simplest. U.S. and Canadian citizen children under 16 can show a certified, raised-seal birth certificate instead; copies are refused. A child traveling with one parent, or with grandparents, should carry a signed consent letter from the parent or parents at home.
Do kids pay on the Maple Leaf?
On Amtrak tickets, kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult fare and one under-2 rides free on each adult's lap. Trips entirely in Canada, like Toronto to Niagara Falls, Ontario, are sold by VIA Rail with its own fares.
What is the best way to do the Maple Leaf with young kids?
Split it at Niagara Falls, New York: arrive at 4:52pm, see the falls in the morning, and board the same train at 5pm the next day for the border and Toronto. Or skip the border entirely with the Albany to Utica round trip.
Which Maple Leaf stops should we skip with kids?
Yonkers, Amsterdam, Rome, Buffalo-Depew, Grimsby and Oakville. The Ontario stops between the border and Toronto are getting-off only northbound. The trip is the Hudson stops, Utica, Rochester, Buffalo-Exchange Street, both Niagara Falls stations and Toronto.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Maple Leaf timetable, August 2026 revision (Trains 63 and 64), Amtrak's border crossing page and the October 17 and 18, 2026 Oakville advisory; VIA Rail station pages
- Niagara Parks (WEGO, Niagara City Cruises, Journey Behind the Falls, Butterfly Conservatory), St. Catharines Museum and Lock 3, Royal Botanical Gardens, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Toronto Railway Museum, Centreville: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Government of Canada on documents for children; Amtrak's unaccompanied minor policy
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station articles for addresses and station history, cross-checked with Amtrak and VIA Rail
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.