First Trip on Amtrak with 15 y/o daughter

[Tina aka duke_gal]

Hello everyone, My 15 y/o daughter and I will be traveling our first Amtrak trip from NC to CA in June. I am so glad I found your website today. There is a lot of valuable information here. I have been on the Amtrak FB page and found information there to be helpful but since this is our first Amtrak trip, I want to make the BEST of it. Preparation being at the foremost of my thoughts. We will be coming from Fayetteville NC to Penn Station in NY. Decided to spend one night in NYC and catch the next train out the next day. We are stopping off in NYC for sight seeing and shopping (what else would a 15y/o girl want to do) :giggle: On to Chicago from NYC all by Coach up to this point. When we leave Chicago, we are booked in Roomette 6 on the Texas Eagle into Los Angeles. Then we're in Coach to San Diego. ANY HELPFUL NEW thoughts or ideas from all you seasoned Amtrakers would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rail Freak]

Hello everyone, My 15 y/o daughter and I will be traveling our first Amtrak trip from NC to CA in June. I am so glad I found your website today. There is a lot of valuable information here. I have been on the Amtrak FB page and found information there to be helpful but since this is our first Amtrak trip, I want to make the BEST of it. Preparation being at the foremost of my thoughts. We will be coming from Fayetteville NC to Penn Station in NY. Decided to spend one night in NYC and catch the next train out the next day. We are stopping off in NYC for sight seeing and shopping (what else would a 15y/o girl want to do) :giggle: On to Chicago from NYC all by Coach up to this point. When we leave Chicago, we are booked in Roomette 6 on the Texas Eagle into Los Angeles. Then we're in Coach to San Diego. ANY HELPFUL NEW thoughts or ideas from all you seasoned Amtrakers would be greatly appreciated.

Sounds like a great trip & I'm sure you're gonna enjoy it! Glad to see you'll only be one nite without a shower., as I'm not a happy camper with out at least one a day! I've been on the TE from LAX-CHI & found it to be a great trip. 3 Nights with bed,shower & food included for both of you will probaly spoil ya. I find Amtrak food to be quite good and the privacy of your Roomette or the views & conversing in the Observation car is the best of both worlds! Be sure to go to the Metropolitan Lounge in CHI as you'll be entitled as a Sleeper car passenger.

Have Fun

 

[the_traveler]

As said, because you are departing Chicago on the Texas Eagle in a roomette, you are entitled to use the Metropolitan Lounge (ML)!

Do so - and go to the ML as soon as you arrive. There is a place to securely leave your carry-on bags while you explore Chicago! And you board your train early from the ML.

Also remember that because you're in a roomette on the Texas Eagle, you are both entitled to 3 meals per person per day - in the Dining Car. (If you but anything from the cafe, you must pay for it!) You can chose ANY item from the menu! (It doesn't matter if it "costs" $7.00 or $22.00 - it's included!)

For breakfast, you can have ANY item, plus a side of meat if you wish. Coffee, tea, milk and juice are included.

For lunch and dinner, you can have ANY item, plus desert if you want. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and milk are included. The only thing not included are alcoholic drinks. (You must pay for them.)

Tipping is up to you, but I usually tip $1 for breakfast, $2-3 for lunch and $3-5 for dinner. I also usually tip my sleeping car attendant $5 per day per person. All these can go up or down depending on how attentive they are.

Enjoy your trip - and let us know how it went!

 

[RRrich]

Other than shopping what does your 15yo like to do? Take a DVD player if appropriate, if she is a facebook addict take along a way to access it - like maybe a netbook and an aircard?

Perhaps she will be fascinated by the scenery but be prepared in case she isn't

 

[Duke of Anhalt-Dessau]

LAX to San Diego, the ocean side view is on your right hand side, enjoy!

 

[coachseats]

Sounds like a great trip! Keep asking questions here as people are more than willing to help out. One question for you- did you specifically choose the Texas Eagle between CHI and LA or is that just what they gave you when you made your reservation? The Southwest Chief also runs between CHI and LA but is almost one full day faster- just something to consider. Good luck!

 

[had8ley]

A number of years ago I took my (then) six year old grandaughter from NOL to BOS and on to Portland (Maine.) Came back to Boston and rode 449 to Chicago. Did the Builder and returned back to Chicago. Trip ended with a lowly FOUR car consist on the City. In about a month we only had one incident~ the video player in the lower lounge broke and of course it was a Scoobie Doo movie. We had a few tears but my suggestion is bring TOO much to keep them entertained. Seems like once they leave the diner that they get bored in short order. Good luck and I commend you for your efforts. :hi:

P.S. Everybody, including my son (her father), told me I was crazy but we had the most fun of any train trip I've ever taken.

 

[ThayerATM]

As said, because you are departing Chicago on the Texas Eagle in a roomette, you are entitled to use the Metropolitan Lounge (ML)!

Do so - and go to the ML as soon as you arrive. There is a place to securely leave your carry-on bags while you explore Chicago! And you board your train early from the ML.

Also remember that because you're in a roomette on the Texas Eagle, you are both entitled to 3 meals per person per day - in the Dining Car. (If you but anything from the cafe, you must pay for it!) You can chose ANY item from the menu! (It doesn't matter if it "costs" $7.00 or $22.00 - it's included!)

For breakfast, you can have ANY item, plus a side of meat if you wish. Coffee, tea, milk and juice are included.

For lunch and dinner, you can have ANY item, plus desert if you want. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and milk are included. The only thing not included are alcoholic drinks. (You must pay for them.)

Tipping is up to you, but I usually tip $1 for breakfast, $2-3 for lunch and $3-5 for dinner. I also usually tip my sleeping car attendant $5 per day per person. All these can go up or down depending on how attentive they are.

I'd like to toss in a little "aside" here. <_<

Personally, I don't particularly like coffee, and soft drinks are also provided free at breakfast. Actually, an "eye opener" in not unexpetcted on certain trains, but since that might be a bloody mary or a screwdriver, that's on your tab.

Carrying on with that thought, Traveler and I differ a bit on tipping. I don't make a distinction between breakfast and lunch. I'll do the $3-$4 for each, depending on the service. I think it's a little harder to serve dinner, so I'll do the $4-$6 for dinner, but it's usually $6 if the service is half way decent. (and in usually is)

As for the sleeping car attendant goes, the service provided can be all over the chart. I've been known to leave no tip, and I've been known to leave $50. A couple of long distance train attendants have been remarkably forgettable. While most are OK, they get middle of the road tips. One was remarkably rememberable. (if there's such a word). :lol: Guess which one got the $50? :lol: Somehow he turned our "average" trip into a remarkable adventure by anticipating our every /whim/.

In September, the Empire Builder stoppen in Minot. He warned us that we would want something warm to wear outside. We said we'd be OK, and went outside. In about five minutes it became evident that he was right, and I walked toward the door into the car. He was standing there at the door holding my "fleece vest", jacket, and hat. I still don't know how he did that, but I sure was glad. :blush:

 

[dlagrua]

On LD train trips in a sleeper We have found that taking along a portable DVD player, laptop (w DVD) or an iPad device can really help the evening hours pass quickly. You might also try carrying a small cooler bag with your favorite drinks like wine, coolers or even Starbucks Frappucinos and a few magazines to pass the time. A small foldable camping pillow like the Colman may give you more sleeping comfort. This is a long trip for a 15 yr old and it could be difficult for her to adjust to four days on a train.

Depending on how much time you have to kill for the layover in Chicago; its a town w great dining and lots of fun things to do. For fine shopping take your daughter to the "Magnificent Mile" that sits on North Michigan Avenue ( you will need a cab or public transportation to get there) For museums Chicago has some of the best. The Museum of Science and Industry and the Shedd Aquarium are particularly enjoyable. If you do not have the time to venture too far from Union Station then the Willis Tower a couple of blocks away offers some spectacular views of the city (but only on clear days) and Greektown three blocks West is full of good resturants ranging from Greek to pizza. The Greek Isle restaurant is particularly good and not expensive. There is also a large supermarket in Greektown

IMO, unlike with air travel, your vacation begins the moment you board the train. Enjoy the trip.

 

[Stellar1]

Two years ago, took my daughter (then 14) from Philadelphia to Seattle via the Cap Ltd and Empire Builder. She had a great time. During our between train time in Chicago, we went up the Sears Tower and walked to Millenium Park to see "The Bean". She enjoyed the walk through the city, seeing the Elevated subway trains, old buildings, etc. On the trainfrom Chicago to Seattle, we had a roomette. Would definitely recommend a laptop, iPod, books/magazines. If she has a camera, she might enjoy taking pictures from the train, and at any long service stops, get off the train (stay close though), and take pictures at the different stops. My daughter enjoyed sitting in the lounge car - you can sit at a table and play cards,etc, and it's a great place to talk to others. You can bring your own snacks on board, but kids tend to enjoy going up to the snack car to buy their own snacks, so give her a few dollars to do this on her own. She may also want to keep a diary or travel log of her trip. It's a great opportunity for the two of you to spend a lot of time together.

 

[PaulM]

Your trip being in June, I suspect that unless your daughter is on the shy side, she should be able to make friends with others her age, especially in the SSL.

Years ago we traveled between CHI and SEA on the EB with our 14 year old son who made friends with someone in the SSL. Fortunately, the friend was more on the ball than our son (and us for that matter) because he made sure he transferred from the SSL to the SEA section when it stopped in Spokane in the middle of the night while we were fast asleep. Otherwise, he would have had found himself in Portland rather than Seattle.

 

[saxman]

I also like to recommend a pillow if you can find the room. That or a sweatshirt for the overnight in coach. When I sleep in coach, I like to wear a hooded sweatshirt with a good eyemask. If no pillow, I'll just lean up on a small jacket, but Amtrak does supply the airliner style pillows, but they are small. In your sleeper, you'll get normal sized pillows, but sometimes they are way too flat for me. I like thicker pillows and sometimes I have to put some clothing under it to raise my head a little. Pretty much everyone hit the nail on the head. Bring things to do! Also take off your watch! Amtrak sometimes has to deal with freight trains and could run late sometimes, but don't worry about it. If you miss a connection, Amtrak will put you on the next train and if you have to overnight, they'll give you money for cab and meals, and even pay for a hotel! But this is very unlikely, and just wanted to make you aware. Enjoy!

 

[Tina aka duke_gal]

Sounds like a great trip! Keep asking questions here as people are more than willing to help out. One question for you- did you specifically choose the Texas Eagle between CHI and LA or is that just what they gave you when you made your reservation? The Southwest Chief also runs between CHI and LA but is almost one full day faster- just something to consider. Good luck!

I tried the Southwest Chief but all the roomettes were already booked on the dates we needed to travel. I will keep asking questions :help: AND appreciate all the help everyone has given....

 

[RRrich]

If your plans are still flexible, you might want to keep checking the SWChief for empty rooms - sometimes they open up and at real good prices too

 

[RailFanLNK]

Welcome! Something to do with bringing an "extra" pillow as Saxman pointed out.....you can bungee cord it to your rolling carryon if you have one. Then you have it all in one spot and then stuff a small blanket into the pillowcase just in case your train/hotels are chilly. The bungee cord works great with keeping your pillow on your carryon as you roll to or from the train after/before departure. Also, if you do this, bring a pillow with a dark pillowcase, that way if your pillow smudges up against anything dirty as you roll it, it just doesn't look absolutely filthy when you go to lay your head down on it! Do you have a place to stay in NYC? Are you on a budget? We found the Big Apple Hostel for my family of four to be a inexpensive place to stay and cook meals since we were on a budget. Its not far from Penn Station.

 

[Tina aka duke_gal]

Welcome! Something to do with bringing an "extra" pillow as Saxman pointed out.....you can bungee cord it to your rolling carryon if you have one. Then you have it all in one spot and then stuff a small blanket into the pillowcase just in case your train/hotels are chilly. The bungee cord works great with keeping your pillow on your carryon as you roll to or from the train after/before departure. Also, if you do this, bring a pillow with a dark pillowcase, that way if your pillow smudges up against anything dirty as you roll it, it just doesn't look absolutely filthy when you go to lay your head down on it! Do you have a place to stay in NYC? Are you on a budget? We found the Big Apple Hostel for my family of four to be a inexpensive place to stay and cook meals since we were on a budget. Its not far from Penn Station.

I will probably have to bring my pillow since I LOVE my FEATHER PILLOW.... but will probably put it in a space bag to collapse it and protect it from the DIRTY AREAS .... Yes we booked thru HOTWIRE :wub: LOVE HOTWIRE and was able to get a 4 star hotel on Park Avenue for what most 1 star places were running I had looked at hostels but the ones I looked at didn't impress me especially with a 15 y/o young lady with me :huh:

 

[duke_gal_05]

I also like to recommend a pillow if you can find the room. That or a sweatshirt for the overnight in coach. When I sleep in coach, I like to wear a hooded sweatshirt with a good eyemask. If no pillow, I'll just lean up on a small jacket, but Amtrak does supply the airliner style pillows, but they are small. In your sleeper, you'll get normal sized pillows, but sometimes they are way too flat for me. I like thicker pillows and sometimes I have to put some clothing under it to raise my head a little. Pretty much everyone hit the nail on the head. Bring things to do! Also take off your watch! Amtrak sometimes has to deal with freight trains and could run late sometimes, but don't worry about it. If you miss a connection, Amtrak will put you on the next train and if you have to overnight, they'll give you money for cab and meals, and even pay for a hotel! But this is very unlikely, and just wanted to make you aware. Enjoy!

I have been picking up odds and ends for the trip i.e. Space Travel bags...travel size Lysol...travel pillows etc... I found that my LOVEY feather pillow :wub: fits wonderfully well in one of the Medium sized space bags and once rolled up will fit nicely in my carry on bag or if I leave it "rolled up" I can attach it to the strap on the carry on bag... I found Space Bags INVALUABLE for our trips on the Harley ... DEFINITELY not alot of room for LUGGAGE there :giggle: ... My husband tells me I am the QUEEN of PACK WHACK AND RESTACK... so I should be able to have all my ESSENTIALS without any problem... I can fit 3 days of clothes and toiletries for both of us into 2 saddle bags and a T-Bag on the Harley

 

[hello]

duke_gal_05, I need you to come and pack for me!!

 

I had never thought of space bags for travel ... great tip, thank you!!

 

[duke_gal_05]

duke_gal_05, I need you to come and pack for me!!

 

I had never thought of space bags for travel ... great tip, thank you!!

WOO HOO I was able to help someone else and I am a NEWBIE to train travel ... check out Wal Mart... they have a brand in the luggage section...as good as Space Bags but cost less. The TRAVEL style does not require a vacuum... just follow the directions for packing DO NOT OVERFILL and then SQUEEZE out the air by ROLLING the bag. DOES a great job!!! Let me know how they work for you....

 

[hello]

I'll check this week ... and I'll let you know how we do with them ... thanks again!!

 

[hello]

I'm so disappointed ... our Wal-Mart only had the regular size space bags ... but I am going to use them ... with my fingers crossed!!