Palmetto With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Palmetto is the day train to the Lowcountry, and the trick to it is direction. Southbound it leaves New York at 6:02am and gets to Savannah after midnight, with the Carolinas in the dark. Northbound it leaves Savannah at 7:35am, crosses the marsh in low sun, reaches Charleston at 9:15am and spends the whole afternoon in North Carolina, where a town called Wilson has a park full of giant whirligigs a five-minute walk from the platform. There are no beds, so this is a seat day: a Business Class table for four, a bag of real food, and 23 stops to count. We rode it north from Savannah with the kids and my dad's old road atlas, and it was one of the good days.
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: Fayetteville to Wilson and back.Train 90 at 12:22pm, 80 minutes, the whirligigs and a science museum, and Train 89 home at 5:33pm. The only out-and-back on the route that fits in a day. Jump to Wilson.
- Ages 4 to 8: Savannah to Charleston.The 7:35am train, the marsh and the white birds out the window, Yemassee, and Charleston's aquarium by 10am. One way; sleep in Charleston. Jump to Charleston.
- The big one: the Washington layover and the Carolinas.Board in Washington at 12:55pm after three hours on the Mall, Alexandria, Richmond at 2:53pm, Wilson's whirligigs at 5:33pm, Fayetteville at dinner. Jump to Washington.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, there are no sleeping cars and no dining car; the cafe sells sandwiches, so for the full 16 hours pack two meals. Second, Business Class has two four-seat tables per car, chosen free when you book, and the table seats do not turn, so someone rides backward; it is the best family seat on the East Coast and usually the last car, a long platform walk. Third, the southbound timetable has a three-hour layover in Washington, 9:46am to 12:55pm, which is an outing, not a wait. Alerts are on the Silver Service and Palmetto page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab).
Tickets, the tables, the cafe, naps in a seat and what to pack for a 16-hour day are all in our Palmetto 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 Palmetto runs only between New York and Washington. Richmond, Wilson, Fayetteville, Charleston and Savannah have no Palmetto that week; Richmond has Amtrak Virginia buses to Washington. Normal service returns October 26.
Stop 1 of 23NYPTrain 89 leaves about 6:00am; Train 90 arrives about 11:25pm
New York Moynihan Train Hall
The Palmetto leaves New York at 6:02am, which is early even for a kid who is up at dawn anyway, and arrives back at 11:23pm. So New York is the start or the end, not a stop, and the Northeast Regional page (/trips/northeast-regional) has the Moynihan Train Hall and city notes. The one thing to know here: a Business Class table seat, chosen free when you book, is the best family seat on any Amtrak day train, and Business Class is usually the last car, a long walk down the platform with bags at 5:45am.
The skylight 92 feet up in Moynihan's hall, then the walk to the last car.
Right off the platform
- at stopMoynihan Train Hall: restrooms, a food hall (some stands open early), a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 5 minThe High Line's north end at 34th Street.
A few hours here
- Be in the hall by 5:30am with breakfast in the bag; the cafe car opens after Newark.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan for New York.
Snack stop: The food hall, if anything is open at 5:30am; bring breakfast.
Out the window: Dark under the Hudson, then the Meadowlands at first light.
Southbound the Palmetto allows local travel in the corridor, so a Philadelphia or Baltimore family can ride it short. Families with small kids are often boarded first; wait near the gate.
Stop 2 of 23NWKSouthbound about 6:20am (pickup only); northbound about 11:05pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Newark Penn Station
A pickup 20 minutes out. See /trips/northeast-regional.
PATH trains on the next platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopA big station with PATH and NJ Transit.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Passaic, then New Jersey waking up.
Stop 3 of 23METSouthbound about 6:35am; northbound about 10:50pm (drop-off only)our honest take: ride on
Metropark Iselin
A parking-garage station by the Garden State Parkway for central New Jersey families, which the Silver Meteor skips. Nothing to get off for. See /trips/northeast-regional.
None.
Right off the platform
- at stopA corridor station with a garage and NJ Transit.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Suburbs and the Raritan River.
Stop 4 of 23TRESouthbound about 6:55am; northbound about 10:25pmour honest take: ride on
Trenton
The Delaware River crossing comes right after the stop, with the Trenton Makes sign on the bridge upstream. See /trips/northeast-regional.
The river and the sign, right side.
Right off the platform
- at stopA corridor station shared with NJ Transit and SEPTA.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Delaware, then Pennsylvania.
Stop 5 of 23PHLSouthbound about 7:30am; northbound about 9:55pm
Philadelphia 30th Street Station
New York to Philadelphia on the Palmetto is 90 minutes and the parent guide's pick for a first ride with a kid who is up at dawn: the 1933 hall, the big board, and the Please Touch Museum and Franklin Institute a cab away. The full Philadelphia day is on the Northeast Regional page: /trips/northeast-regional.
The winged bronze statue in the hall and the big arrivals board.
Right off the platform
- at stop30th Street Station: a food court, restrooms, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 10 minThe Schuylkill River Trail and its boardwalk.
- at stopThe Please Touch Museum and the Franklin Institute, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 7:26am for a Philadelphia day and a Regional home.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: The station food court.
Out the window: The Schuylkill, refineries, the Delaware marshes.
Stop 6 of 23WILSouthbound about 7:55am; northbound about 9:30pmour honest take: ride on
Wilmington
A 1908 station with the Delaware Children's Museum ten minutes away on the riverwalk. See /trips/northeast-regional.
The Christina River from the platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1908 station with a waiting room and a staffed counter.
- 10 minThe Delaware Children's Museum on the riverwalk (admission).
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip, on this train.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: The long Susquehanna bridge at Perryville, right side, then Baltimore's tunnels.
Stop 7 of 23BALSouthbound about 8:45am; northbound about 8:40pm
Baltimore Penn Station
The B&O Railroad Museum, with a roundhouse full of engines and a short train ride, and the National Aquarium are the two best kid stops on the corridor, both a light rail or cab from the 1911 station. The Palmetto is here at 8:43am southbound, early enough for a full Baltimore day. See /trips/northeast-regional.
The B&O's roundhouse, then a ride on its mile of track (admission; check ride days).
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1911 station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, with the light rail outside.
- at stopThe B&O Railroad Museum and the National Aquarium, by light rail or cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 8:43am, the B&O when it opens, the aquarium, and a Regional home.
Stay the night
See the Northeast Regional plan.
Snack stop: Cafes near the station; the cafe car.
Out the window: The tunnel out of the station, then suburbs to the airport.
Stop 8 of 23BWISouthbound about 9:10am; northbound about 8:25pmour honest take: ride on
BWI Airport Linthicum
The airport station, with a free shuttle to the terminals, which the Silver Meteor skips. Useful for flying in and taking the Palmetto south the same morning.
Planes landing.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station with a waiting room and a shuttle bus to BWI's terminals.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Planes, then the Patuxent woods.
Stop 9 of 23NCRSouthbound about 9:20am; northbound about 8:10pmour honest take: ride on
New Carrollton
A Metro Orange Line transfer in the Maryland suburbs, which the Silver Meteor also skips. Ride on ten more minutes to Union Station.
The Metro train pulling in alongside.
Right off the platform
- at stopA station shared with Metro and MARC.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: The Anacostia and the Washington rail yards.
Stop 10 of 23WASSouthbound arrives about 9:45am, leaves 12:55pm; northbound arrives about 7:10pm, leaves 7:55pm
Washington Union Station
Here is the strange gift of this timetable: the southbound Palmetto sits in Washington for three hours, 9:46am to 12:55pm, while the electric engine is swapped for a diesel. Three hours is a real outing. The National Postal Museum is across the street, free, with a railway mail car. The Capitol grounds are ten minutes. The carousel on the Mall and the Natural History Museum's elephant are 15 minutes, and you can be back with an hour to spare. Ask the conductor before you go, take the valuables, and be on the platform by 12:30pm.
The railway mail car at the Postal Museum, two minutes from the platform, then the 46 Roman soldiers in Union Station's main hall on the way back.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: the main hall, restrooms, a food court, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 2 minThe National Postal Museum across Massachusetts Avenue, free, with a mail car, a stagecoach and a stamp room.
- 10 minThe Capitol grounds and the Botanic Garden's children's garden, free.
- 15 minThe National Mall: the carousel, the Natural History Museum and the Air and Space Museum, all free.
- 5 minThe National Building Museum's Great Hall and its play area for small kids (admission).
- at stopThe National Zoo, by Metro Red Line, free, for a longer layover than this one.
A few hours here
- Southbound: the three-hour layover. Postal Museum (45 minutes), the Mall's carousel and the Natural History Museum (90 minutes), lunch from the food court, back by 12:30pm.
Stay the night
Washington as the start: fly or ride in, two Mall days, and the Palmetto south at 12:55pm with the Carolinas before dinner. The Northeast Regional page (/trips/northeast-regional) has the full Washington plan.
Snack stop: Union Station's food court, and the cafe car once you are moving.
Out the window: The First Street Tunnel under Capitol Hill, then the Potomac bridge.
Southbound you may get off during the layover, but confirm with the conductor and take what you need; the train can be moved. Washington has checked baggage. North of here the Palmetto runs under wires; south of here it is diesel.
Stop 11 of 23ALXSouthbound about 1:15pm; northbound about 6:35pm
Alexandria
Old Town Alexandria is the easiest town on the whole route to do with a stroller: a 1905 depot beside the King Street Metro, a free trolley down King Street to the Potomac, the Torpedo Factory's open artist studios, and a waterfront with ducks and a water taxi. The Palmetto is here at 1:14pm southbound and 6:34pm northbound. Northeast Regional trains stop here all day, so this is an easy place to break the trip.
The free trolley from the station to the river, then ice cream on the pier and the Torpedo Factory's glassblowers.
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 river.
- at stopMount Vernon's farm and animals, by bus or by boat from the waterfront (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 1:14pm, the trolley and the waterfront (2 hours), and a Northeast Regional on to Richmond or back to Washington.
Stay the night
An Alexandria night: Old Town, the boat to Mount Vernon in the morning, and the Palmetto south the next day at 1:14pm.
Snack stop: King Street's bakeries and the waterfront ice cream shop, by trolley.
Out the window: Quantico's Marine base on the right, then the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg (no stop on this train).
The Palmetto skips Fredericksburg and Quantico; the Northeast Regional stops at both.
Stop 12 of 23RVRSouthbound about 2:55pm; northbound about 4:35pm
Richmond Staples Mill Road
Richmond in daylight, which the Silver Meteor cannot offer. The station is a 1975 building seven miles out, so a cab is the first step, but the city pays it back: the Science Museum of Virginia lives in the old Broad Street Station with a steam locomotive out front and a planetarium inside, the Children's Museum of Richmond is next door, and Belle Isle's footbridge puts kids on flat rocks in the middle of the James. Maymont has a farm with goats and a Japanese garden with stepping stones. The Palmetto arrives mid-afternoon both ways.
The Science Museum's steam engine, then the Children's Museum's cave and its art studio, both in the same block on Broad Street.
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, 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 and treehouse, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 2:53pm, cab downtown, Belle Isle before dinner, the museums tomorrow.
Stay the night
Two nights in Richmond: the museums one day, Maymont and the river the next, and the Palmetto south at 3:01pm or north at 4:41pm. The Carolinian (see /trips/carolinian) also stops here by day.
Snack stop: Nothing near the station; downtown has everything.
Out the window: Suburbs, the James, then flat pine country toward Petersburg.
Staples Mill has checked baggage. Richmond's downtown Main Street Station is served only by Northeast Regional trains.
Stop 13 of 23PTBSouthbound about 3:35pm; northbound about 3:45pm
Petersburg
The station is in Ettrick, by Virginia State University, across the Appomattox River from Petersburg's Old Towne, a cab ride away. Old Towne has a Siege Museum, a toy soldier shop and the Petersburg National Battlefield, where the Crater is a short walk from the parking lot. Pamplin Historical Park, by car, is the best Civil War museum for a big kid in Virginia. A mid-afternoon stop both ways and a real option for history families.
The Crater at the battlefield, with the park film first for big kids.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with a waiting room, beside the university. No checked baggage.
- at stopOld Towne Petersburg's shops, the Siege Museum and the riverfront, by cab, 10 minutes.
- at stopPetersburg National Battlefield's Eastern Front, by cab or car (free).
- at stopPamplin Historical Park and the National Museum of the Civil War Soldier, by car (admission).
A few hours here
- Southbound: get off at 3:35pm for an Old Towne evening and a Petersburg night.
Stay the night
A Petersburg night: the battlefield and Pamplin by car, Old Towne, and the Palmetto on.
Snack stop: Old Towne's cafes and an ice cream shop, by cab.
Out the window: Pine woods and tobacco barns to the North Carolina line.
Stop 14 of 23RMTSouthbound about 5:15pm; northbound about 2:15pm
Rocky Mount
The first North Carolina stop, at an 1893 brick station downtown with an old railroad business car parked beside it. The Imperial Centre's children's museum and planetarium is a 20-minute walk, and Rocky Mount Mills, a cotton mill turned into a food hall and brewery on the Tar River, has a playground and a river path. Four Amtrak trains a day stop here, so a family can get off the northbound Palmetto at 2:13pm and ride the Carolinian on at 5:32pm.
The business car beside the platform, then the children's museum (admission; check days) and dinner at the Mills.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1893 station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, plus a bus terminal.
- 5 minMain Street's shops and a candy store.
- 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 2:13pm, the children's museum, the Mills for dinner, and the Carolinian or Floridian on later.
Stay the night
A Rocky Mount night, then the Palmetto on at 5:13pm south or 2:13pm north.
Snack stop: The Mills' food hall and downtown cafes.
Out the window: Tobacco country, then Wilson's purple canopy 20 minutes on.
Rocky Mount has checked baggage. NC By Train's kids-ride-half-off deal is the same Amtrak child fare, not an extra discount.
Stop 15 of 23WLNSouthbound about 5:35pm; northbound about 1:45pm
Wilson
The surprise of the route. Wilson's 1924 Mission-style station has a 378-foot canopy on purple posts, and a few blocks away is Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, two acres of giant whirligigs built from bicycle wheels, road signs and fan blades by a retired farmer, all turning in the wind. Kids stand under them with their mouths open. The Imagination Station science museum is a few blocks the other way, in an old federal building, with live honeybees and a strength test. The northbound Palmetto arrives at 1:43pm, and the southbound back from here is 5:33pm, which makes Wilson the one out-and-back on the route you can do in a day from Fayetteville.
The whirligigs on a windy afternoon, then the Imagination Station's bee hive. Stay for the whirligig lights after dark if you are sleeping here.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1924 station with a long purple-posted canopy, a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- 5 minVollis Simpson Whirligig Park, 30 whirligigs up to 50 feet tall, free, lit at night, with a Saturday market.
- 5 minImagination Station Science and History Museum (admission; closed Mondays).
- 5 minDowntown Wilson's Nash Street cafes and the Edna Boykin Cultural Center.
- at stopThe Wilson Rose Garden and Lake Wilson, by cab.
A few hours here
- From Fayetteville: Train 90 at 12:22pm, arrive 1:43pm, the whirligigs and the science museum (3 hours), dinner, Train 89 home at 5:33pm, in Fayetteville by 6:57pm.
Stay the night
A Wilson night to see the whirligigs lit, a barbecue dinner (Wilson is barbecue country), and the Palmetto on.
Snack stop: Nash Street's cafes; eastern North Carolina barbecue is the local lunch.
Out the window: Flat tobacco and sweet potato fields toward Selma.
Wilson has checked baggage. The Carolinian also stops here, so there are two trains a day each way.
Stop 16 of 23SSMSouthbound about 6:05pm; northbound about 1:10pm
Selma-Smithfield
A 1924 Union Depot where two railroads crossed, restored, with a small railroad museum inside and a model layout some days. Selma's Railroad Days festival each October fills the platform with equipment and rides. Smithfield, the twin town, has the Ava Gardner Museum for grandparents and the Carolina Premium Outlets by car. The Palmetto's early-afternoon northbound stop works for a short visit; the southbound is at dinnertime.
Watching for the crossing where the north-south and east-west tracks meet, right at the depot, and any freight train coming the other way.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored 1924 Union Depot with a waiting room and a small railroad museum (check days).
- 5 minDowntown Selma's antique shops on Raiford Street.
- at stopSmithfield's Ava Gardner Museum and the Neuse Riverwalk, by cab, 10 minutes.
- at stopCarolina Premium Outlets, by car.
A few hours here
- Northbound: get off at 1:11pm, the depot museum and a walk, the Carolinian on at 6:27pm.
Stay the night
Railroad Days weekend in October, with a night in Smithfield.
Snack stop: Downtown Selma's cafes.
Out the window: The Fayetteville Cutoff begins here southbound: a straight 1890s line through pines and farms.
Stop 17 of 23FAYSouthbound about 6:55pm; northbound about 12:20pm
Fayetteville
Fayetteville's 1911 depot has a barn-shaped Dutch Colonial roof and sits downtown next door to the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, which is free and has a full-size glider, a parachute drop to stand under and a motion simulator for bigger kids. Fascinate-U, a children's museum built as a small town where kids shop and run a bank, is a few blocks the other way. The northbound arrives at 12:15pm and the southbound at 6:53pm, so Fayetteville is the midday stop going north and the dinner stop going south. The Wilson day trip starts here.
The Airborne Museum's glider and the parachute drop, two minutes from the platform, free.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1911 depot with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, open around the trains.
- 2 minThe Airborne and Special Operations Museum, free (the simulator has a fee).
- 5 minFascinate-U Children's Museum, ages 1 to 10 (admission; check days).
- 5 minHay Street's cafes, the Market House and a bookstore.
- 10 minCape Fear River Trail and the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, by cab (admission).
A few hours here
- Northbound: get off at 12:15pm, the Airborne Museum and Fascinate-U (2 hours), lunch on Hay Street, and the next day's train, or Train 90 to Wilson at 12:22pm the following day.
Stay the night
A Fayetteville night: the museums, the botanical garden, and the Palmetto on. Or the Wilson out-and-back the next day, 12:22pm to 6:57pm.
Snack stop: Hay Street's cafes and an ice cream shop, five minutes away.
Out the window: Southbound the Cape Fear River and the last light over the Sandhills; dark by Dillon in fall and winter.
Fayetteville has checked baggage. The station is open in two windows, daytime and overnight, around the trains. A new ballpark and parking deck are being built beside the station; expect construction.
Stop 18 of 23DILSouthbound about 7:50pm; northbound about 11:30am
Dillon
A 1904 depot with a four-faced clock that is also a thermometer, in a town that exists because a farmer named J.W. Dillon gave the railroad land in exchange for a station. South of the Border, the neon sombrero rest stop on the interstate, is ten minutes away by car and will delight a six-year-old and mystify everyone else. The Silver Meteor skips Dillon; the Palmetto stops at 7:50pm southbound (dark in winter) and 11:29am northbound.
Finding the clock, then reading the temperature off it.
Right off the platform
- at stopA restored 1904 depot with a waiting room and the four-faced clock.
- 5 minDillon's Main Street.
- at stopSouth of the Border's tower, mini golf and ice cream, by car, 10 minutes.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless South of the Border is the plan.
Stay the night
Skip, mostly.
Snack stop: Main Street's cafes, northbound.
Out the window: Pine plantations and cotton; the Pee Dee River before Florence.
Stop 19 of 23FLOSouthbound about 8:45pm; northbound about 10:50am
Florence
A 1996 station on the east side of a railroad town, where the Auto Train also stops to change crews without opening its doors. Downtown Florence, two miles away, has a county museum with a kids' gallery and a rail trail, and the Florence Railroad Museum keeps an old Atlantic Coast Line engine. The Palmetto is here at 8:45pm southbound and 10:49am northbound, which makes it a possible morning stop going north and a dinner stop going south.
Northbound: watch for the Auto Train's long string of car carriers in the yard, if it is in.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1996 station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage.
- at stopDowntown Florence's Evans Street, the Florence County Museum and its children's gallery, by cab (admission).
- at stopThe Florence Rail Trail and Timrod Park's playground, by cab.
- at stopLynches River County Park's splash pad, 30 minutes by car.
A few hours here
- Northbound: get off at 10:49am for the county museum, lunch downtown, and tomorrow's train.
Stay the night
Skip unless Florence is home; Charleston and Savannah are the stops to spend a night at.
Snack stop: Downtown's cafes, by cab.
Out the window: The Pee Dee swamps, then pine and the first live oaks toward Kingstree.
Florence has checked baggage.
Stop 20 of 23KTRSouthbound about 9:25pm; northbound about 10:10amour honest take: ride on
Kingstree
A Lowcountry town of live oaks on the Black River, with a small depot. Bedtime southbound; a mid-morning platform northbound.
The live oaks' low branches from the window.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot and platform.
- 5 minKingstree's Main Street and the oaks.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Live oaks, swamps, then the Cooper River toward Charleston.
Stop 21 of 23CHSSouthbound about 10:25pm; northbound about 9:10am
Charleston North Charleston
This is the way to do Charleston by train: the northbound Palmetto leaves Savannah at 7:35am and arrives here at 9:15am, with the whole day ahead, and the southbound arrives at 10:21pm, which works if the hotel is booked. The station is a 2018 transit center in North Charleston, ten miles from downtown, so a cab or the CARTA bus is the first step. Downtown Charleston has the South Carolina Aquarium with its sea turtle hospital, the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry a block from the market, the boat to Fort Sumter, and the pineapple fountain at Waterfront Park that kids are allowed to wade in. Folly Beach is 20 minutes by car.
The sea turtle hospital at the aquarium, then the pineapple fountain at Waterfront Park, where wading is encouraged.
Right off the platform
- at stopNorth Charleston Intermodal Center: a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, open mornings and evenings around the trains, with CARTA buses.
- at stopDowntown Charleston by cab, 20 minutes: the South Carolina Aquarium, the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry and the Fort Sumter boat (admission).
- at stopWaterfront Park's pineapple fountain and the Battery, free.
- at stopRiverfront Park in North Charleston, by cab, with a playground on the Cooper River, free.
- at stopThe North Charleston Fire Museum, with 20 antique engines and a kids' play area, by cab (admission).
- at stopFolly Beach and its pier, 30 minutes by car.
A few hours here
- Northbound from Savannah: arrive 9:15am, cab downtown, the aquarium and the children's museum (3 hours), lunch at the market, the fountain, and a Charleston night.
Stay the night
Three nights in Charleston: the aquarium and Fort Sumter one day, Folly Beach the next, a carriage ride for the grandparents, and the Palmetto on north at 9:15am or south at 10:28pm. The overnight Silver Meteor (see /trips/silver-meteor) also stops here, at 4:50am and 8:30pm.
Snack stop: The City Market's candy and praline shops downtown; nothing at the station.
Out the window: Southbound, dark. Northbound, the Lowcountry marsh in morning light to Yemassee, with the Ashley River bridge right after the station.
North Charleston has checked baggage and is staffed in two windows, early morning and evening. Book a cab for the 10:21pm arrival ahead of time.
Stop 22 of 23YEMSouthbound about 11:15pm; northbound about 8:25amour honest take: ride on
Yemassee
A 1955 depot in a tiny town known for its shrimp festival, and the stop for Beaufort and Hilton Head, 30 and 50 minutes away by car. Northbound at 8:23am the marsh is at its best; southbound it is after 11pm.
Northbound: the tidal creeks and white birds out the window from Savannah to here. This is Rally's window page.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot and platform.
- at stopBeaufort's waterfront park and Hunting Island's beach and lighthouse, by car.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard, unless a car is meeting you for Beaufort.
Stay the night
A Beaufort or Hilton Head week by car from here.
Snack stop: None at the station.
Out the window: Marsh, creeks, herons and egrets; the Savannah River bridge before Savannah.
Stop 23 of 23SAVTrain 89 arrives about 12:20am; Train 90 leaves about 7:35am
Savannah
The end of the line, after midnight southbound, and the start of the best ride on the route northbound: Savannah at 7:35am, Charleston at 9:15am, the Carolinas by lunch. Savannah itself is the easiest Southern city to walk with a small child: 22 squares a block apart, Forsyth Park's fountain and playground, River Street's candy shops and the free ferry across the river. The Georgia State Railroad Museum has a working turntable and short train rides on some days, and the Savannah Children's Museum is next door in the ruins of a railroad shop. The station is four miles out in an industrial area; cabs meet the train.
A train ride at the Railroad Museum's roundhouse, then the children's museum's giant slide next door (admission; check ride days). Northbound, the Lowcountry marsh out the window for the first hour.
Right off the platform
- at stopA 1962 station with a waiting room, a staffed counter and checked baggage, open all night. Cabs meet the trains; no walking route downtown.
- at stopThe Georgia State Railroad Museum and the Savannah Children's Museum at Tricentennial Park, by cab, 15 minutes (admission).
- at stopForsyth Park's fountain, playground and Saturday farmers market, by cab.
- at stopRiver Street's candy shops and the free ferry to Hutchinson Island.
- at stopTybee Island's beach and lighthouse, 30 minutes by car.
- at stopWormsloe's oak avenue and Skidaway Island's marsh boardwalk, by car.
A few hours here
- Southbound: arrive 12:21am, a cab to a hotel on the squares, and the squares in the morning.
Stay the night
Three Savannah nights: the museums and the squares, Tybee's beach, Wormsloe's oaks, then the 7:35am Palmetto north with Charleston at 9:15am, or the Silver Meteor (see /trips/silver-meteor) south to Florida at 6:49am.
Snack stop: Leopold's ice cream on Broughton Street and the candy shops on River Street.
Out the window: Northbound at 7:35am: the Savannah River bridge, then marsh and tidal creeks in low sun to Yemassee. Sit on the left for shade.
The station is staffed around the clock and has checked baggage. Book a ride for the after-midnight arrival; cabs usually meet the train but confirm. The Railroad Museum's train rides are seasonal; check before promising one.
Find a white bird
Rally's favorite page in the book is the window seat, where he watches a white bird fly over the water, and the first hour north out of Savannah is that page: tidal creeks, low sun, and egrets standing in the mud every few hundred yards. I gave my daughter the job of counting them and she got to 31 before Yemassee and then fell asleep against the window, which is also a page in the book. My dad would have had the atlas open on the table, tracing the line with his finger. I had it open for him.
Next in this series: the Silver Meteor, the overnight train that continues from Savannah to Florida; the Carolinian, which shares Rocky Mount, Wilson and Selma and turns west to Raleigh and Charlotte; the Floridian, the two-night train from Chicago; the Auto Train, which brings your car to Florida; and the Northeast Regional for the New York to Washington stops in full. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Palmetto trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Palmetto from New York to Savannah?
About 18 hours southbound (6:02am to 12:21am, with three hours in Washington) and about 16 hours northbound (7:35am to 11:23pm). Washington to Savannah is about 11 and a half hours. There are no beds; it is a day in a seat.
Should we ride the Palmetto north or south with kids?
North. The 7:35am train from Savannah crosses the Lowcountry marsh in morning light, reaches Charleston at 9:15am and spends the afternoon in North Carolina. Southbound the Carolinas are in the dark in fall and winter and Savannah comes after midnight.
What is the three-hour stop in Washington on the Palmetto?
The southbound train arrives at 9:46am and leaves at 12:55pm while the engine is changed. Ask the conductor, take your valuables, and walk to the National Postal Museum across the street or the Mall's carousel 15 minutes away. Be back on the platform by 12:30pm.
Which Palmetto stop is best for a night with kids?
Charleston, by the northbound train: arrive 9:15am, the aquarium's turtle hospital, the children's museum and the pineapple fountain, and a hotel downtown. Savannah is the other, with the roundhouse train rides and the squares. Wilson, for the whirligigs lit at night, is the quiet pick.
Can we ride just part of the Palmetto with a toddler?
Yes. Fayetteville to Wilson and back fits in one day, 12:22pm out and 5:33pm home. Savannah to Charleston is 100 minutes on the morning train, one way. New York to Philadelphia is 90 minutes on the 6:02am train, for a kid who is up anyway.
Which Palmetto stops should we skip with kids?
The corridor platforms (Newark, Metropark, Trenton, Wilmington, BWI, New Carrollton), Kingstree, and Dillon and Yemassee unless a car is waiting. The trip is Washington, Alexandria, Richmond, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Fayetteville, Charleston and Savannah, with Petersburg, Selma and Florence as honest maybes.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Silver Service and Palmetto timetable, September 2026 revision (Trains 89 and 90), the Northeast Corridor timetable for New Carrollton, and Amtrak station pages
- Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park and Imagination Station (Wilson), Airborne and Special Operations Museum and Fascinate-U (Fayetteville), South Carolina Aquarium and Children's Museum of the Lowcountry, Georgia State Railroad Museum and Savannah Children's Museum, Science Museum of Virginia: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- NC By Train's Wilson family destination guide and Palmetto schedule; Amtrak's Pause for Progress notice for the October 16 to 26, 2026 Washington work; Amtrak's Business Class seating page
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station and route articles for addresses, station history and the Fayetteville Cutoff, 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.