Travel with a child (2,5 years old)

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groundhog

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I was checking prices for roomettes and I was surprised that they allow to book them only for 2 people and they consider that children over 2 years need a separate bed, although my child who is 2,5 years old can share a bed with us. So they suggest us to buy a family bedroom which is $660 upgrade(!!!) rather than a roommette which is $224. Why don't they have rooms for 3 people for reasonable prices?

Also do they check the age of a child? Can I tell that she is only 2 years old and not to buy a ticket for her?

I don't mind buying a ticket, but I don't want to buy an additional bedroom just for a baby.
 
Would the 2.5 Year old be able to fit in a Roomette Bed? If it could share with one of the parents they should let you. But the thing is her Meals won't be free you will have to pay for them. Did you try to call Amtrak on there Phone?
 
Always a touchy question.

I believe you can bunk one adult + one child on the lower and one adult on the upper, no problem.

Keep calling reservations until you get someone who says yes !!!!!!!
 
groundhog said:
I don't mind buying a ticket, but I don't want to buy an additional bedroom just for a baby.
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You might want to check the price of the second roomette. It would probably be cheaper than the family bedroom. If you or your five year old would be uncomfortable sleeping in a roomette by him/herself, you might want to look into the cost of a bedroom. Also Amtrak will permit three ticketed passengers to ride in a standard bedroom, and although two of you will be sharing a bed, you will all be in the same room.

Rick
 
if amtrak permits 3 in a standard bedroom does that include meals for the three? on the wesite the "suggested occupancy" for a bedroom is two. so can you book three people and one bedroom on-line and have meals and accomodation for all in the one bedroom?
 
I think we may have a partial failure to communicate here. I think the child in question is two and a half years old. i.e., a two year-old. I don't think there's a five year-old involved in the question. Maybe I read it wrong. Perhaps the European use of a comma instead of a decimal point is the problem. (2,5 instead of 2.5). Operating under the assumption that the child is two years old until he/she reaches the age of three, I would simply tell Amtrak he/she is less than three years old, and in that case he/she qualifies, I think.
 
From Amtrak.com

The "Child" Passenger Type

Passengers 2 to 15 years of age are classified as "Child" passengers for the purpose of determining base rail fare. Children usually ride for 50 percent off the full adult fare.

A 2 1/2 year old needs a ticket.

Rick
 
We have always gotten a "bedroom" not a roomette for our family of 3. We started traveling with son when he was just under 2 and since then have been on many long distance train rides with him, he is almost 7 now.

We have only done the family bedroom one time. I much prefer the deluxe bedroom and it does include meals for three. The bottom bunk is plenty of room for a small child and an adult with other adult on the smaller top bunk. I would not have put my small child up there on the top bunk when he was little. We are not large people but I could not have imagined traveling with a child 2 years old or older and another adult in a roomette. I would find it way too cramped. It also nice having a regular bedroom with a small child because of a private bathroom - we have found that to be a blessing when the regular bathrooms get gross or when it is 2:00 am and your 4 year old needs to go potty.
 
a child who is not yet three will be allowed to share a roomette with two adults, though as mentioned will not qualify for a third set of included meals; I have often seen one adult and two small (pre-teen) kids in one roomette, but rarely two adults with a child larger than an infant. it would be claustrophobic (and it's hard to seat more than just one adult in the seats in daytime position) - seriously consider any room larger than the roomette.
 
Thank you for your responses. Yes, I am talking about 2 and a half years old child.

Bedrooms are too expensive on that train and we can't afford it.

So roommette is the only option. It won't be small for us. I can be in observing car most of the time.

My main question is - will they check the age of a child.

I am going to say that she is almost 2 and take her for free, I don't need a meal for her.

I am just afraid that they won't allow us to ride at all.

gswager said:
The size of the bed in roomette is way too small for a skinny adult and a 2.5 years old child. Bedroom is the best bet.
Here's the diagram of roomette bed and also the bed of bedroom.

Compare the price between the family bedroom and a bedroom. The biggest difference is the bedroom has its own private bathroom.
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groundhog said:
My main question is - will they check the age of a child.I am going to say that she is almost 2 and take her for free, I don't need a meal for her.

I am just afraid that they won't allow us to ride at all.
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How could they check the age of your child? You're not required to carry her birth certificate with you, and I'm hoping that she doesn't have a drivers license yet. :lol: So as long as she doesn't look like she's 5 you'll be fine. Worst case scenario might be that the conductor would make you purchase a ticket for her if he/she really doesn't believe that she's two. But they wouldn't throw you off the train.
 
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AlanB said:
How could they check the age of your child? You're not required to carry her birth certificate with you, and I'm hoping that she doesn't have a drivers license yet. :lol: So as long as she doesn't look like she's 5 you'll be fine. Worst case scenario might be that the conductor would make you purchase a ticket for her if he/she really doesn't believe that she's two. But they wouldn't throw you off the train.
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Groundhog:

Are you coming from outside the USA? Will your child have a passport with a date of birth printed in it?

Also another trick I learned to verify the age of a small child when I worked in an amusement park is to ask the parent how old the child is and watch the child out of the corner of my eye. Children don't understand the big picture, and that misinforming the ride operator or conductor is a 'good' thing. As mommy and/or daddy lie and say the three year old child is two, the child will usually correct the parent and state his or her age. I've had kids say, "No mommy, I'm three" or to pull on a skirt and hold up three fingers. This only works if the child is a native English speaker and if you're coming from overseas, that may or may not be true.

Rick
 
rmgreenesq said:
AlanB said:
How could they check the age of your child? You're not required to carry her birth certificate with you, and I'm hoping that she doesn't have a drivers license yet. :lol: So as long as she doesn't look like she's 5 you'll be fine. Worst case scenario might be that the conductor would make you purchase a ticket for her if he/she really doesn't believe that she's two. But they wouldn't throw you off the train.
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Groundhog:

Are you coming from outside the USA? Will your child have a passport with a date of birth printed in it?

Also another trick I learned to verify the age of a small child when I worked in an amusement park is to ask the parent how old the child is and watch the child out of the corner of my eye. Children don't understand the big picture, and that misinforming the ride operator or conductor is a 'good' thing. As mommy and/or daddy lie and say the three year old child is two, the child will usually correct the parent and state his or her age. I've had kids say, "No mommy, I'm three" or to pull on a skirt and hold up three fingers. This only works if the child is a native English speaker and if you're coming from overseas, that may or may not be true.

Rick
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Again, even if the above scenario were to happen, the most that the conductor would do would be to insist that you pay him for her fare. They won't kick you out of the room.
 
George Harris said:
I guess I tend to be a believer in if you lie about small things you will lie about big things, and if you want to be trusted, you just lost it.
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I have to agree and honesty is still the best policy. Pay what is due. Honesty may not always be the easiest thing, but in the end, it will make your life more happy.
 
printman2000 said:
George Harris said:
I guess I tend to be a believer in if you lie about small things you will lie about big things, and if you want to be trusted, you just lost it.
Click to expand...
I have to agree and honesty is still the best policy. Pay what is due. Honesty may not always be the easiest thing, but in the end, it will make your life more happy.
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Guys,

The OP isn't so much trying to get out of paying for his daughter, he just doesn't want to be forced into a bedroom. He has no objection to buying her a ticket, but the reservationist with whom he spoke refused to book 3 people into the roomette. This despite the fact that many of us have seen two adults and one small child in a roomette before.
 
AlanB said:
printman2000 said:
George Harris said:
I guess I tend to be a believer in if you lie about small things you will lie about big things, and if you want to be trusted, you just lost it.
Click to expand...
I have to agree and honesty is still the best policy. Pay what is due. Honesty may not always be the easiest thing, but in the end, it will make your life more happy.
Click to expand...
Guys,

The OP isn't so much trying to get out of paying for his daughter, he just doesn't want to be forced into a bedroom. He has no objection to buying her a ticket, but the reservationist with whom he spoke refused to book 3 people into the roomette. This despite the fact that many of us have seen two adults and one small child in a roomette before.
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Sorry Alan. If you must lie to get what you want, it is wrong. Perhaps Amtrak is making a mistake, but resorting to dishonesty should not be promoted.
 
Here's how we handled a similar situation. We booked a roomette for myself and our son, and my husband booked a seat in coach. We all hung out in the roomette, and we paid for one additional meal. I don't know whether that was the proper thing to do, but both the reservationist and the attendant knew and neither seemed to object. Had there been an objection, my husband can sleep on a rock and would have spent the night in his coach seat.
 
I wanted to do the same, but I was told by reservationist that if I have a coach ticket then I will not be allowed to go to the sleeper car even if my family is there. They told me I won't be allowed even to visit them. Is that true?

Guest said:
Here's how we handled a similar situation. We booked a roomette for myself and our son, and my husband booked a seat in coach. We all hung out in the roomette, and we paid for one additional meal. I don't know whether that was the proper thing to do, but both the reservationist and the attendant knew and neither seemed to object. Had there been an objection, my husband can sleep on a rock and would have spent the night in his coach seat.
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groundhog said:
Guest said:
Here's how we handled a similar situation. We booked a roomette for myself and our son, and my husband booked a seat in coach. We all hung out in the roomette, and we paid for one additional meal. I don't know whether that was the proper thing to do, but both the reservationist and the attendant knew and neither seemed to object. Had there been an objection, my husband can sleep on a rock and would have spent the night in his coach seat.
Click to expand...
I wanted to do the same, but I was told by reservationist that if I have a coach ticket then I will not be allowed to go to the sleeper car even if my family is there. They told me I won't be allowed even to visit them. Is that true?
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Well you probably wouldn't just be allowed to walk into the sleeper unescorted, at least initially. But as long as your your wife came back to escort you to the sleeper, I can't imagine that any attendant wouldn't allow you to visit. And of course they can always come to the lounge to meet up with you during the journey too, and you can coordinate meals in the diner too.
 
Groundhog, I can only tell you that it was not my experience that my husband had any problems being our roomette.

In fact, we all entered the train together at the sleeper car, gave all three tickets to the sleeper car attendant, explained our situation to the attendant, and he did not offer any objections nor even seem to convey that it was out of line. I don't even have any idea where he placed my husband's seat card in the coach car...or even if he did. He may have made an exception for us, but he didn't give me any impression that he was in any way fazed by what we were doing. I believe we changed attendants at one point in the journey, and he didn't object, either. On the return trip, we had a deluxe bedroom, so it was a non-issue.

I actually think there were unescorted visitors in the sleeper car periodically -- people 'checking out' other cars. I wasn't bothered by it, didn't think anything of it, and had no idea it was improper to do it. I felt like it was sort of to be expected that people would wander the corridor to see what a sleeper looked like (there were several vacant roomettes and the doors were opened), and my only expectation was that our own compartment was 'ours.' I suppose the attendant would have discouraged others from taking advantage of some of the services in our car, but to wander through during daylight? Didn't seem to be a problem...
 
Guest said:
I actually think there were unescorted visitors in the sleeper car periodically -- people 'checking out' other cars. I wasn't bothered by it, didn't think anything of it, and had no idea it was improper to do it. I felt like it was sort of to be expected that people would wander the corridor to see what a sleeper looked like (there were several vacant roomettes and the doors were opened), and my only expectation was that our own compartment was 'ours.' I suppose the attendant would have discouraged others from taking advantage of some of the services in our car, but to wander through during daylight? Didn't seem to be a problem...
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The attendants are indeed supposed to stop and discourage any unescorted visitors from the sleepers. Under normal circumstances, coach passengers are not allowed to wander the sleepers, even to just check them out to see what they look like. Normally both dining car staff if they are paying attention, as well as the sleeping car attendants will turn away anyone that they don't recognize as being a sleeping car passenger.

There are a few exceptions, like the Texas Eagle which used to put a coach behind the thru sleeper for the Sunset Limited. That extra coach ran from Chicago to St. Louis, where it was taken off. So under that circumstance, there was no choice but to allow coach passengers to pass thru the sleeper, since that was the only way that they could reach the rest of the train. But again that was the exception, not the norm.
 
I believe I have seen signs posted on the dining car door that leads to the sleepers that says something to the effect, no coach passengers beyond this point.
 
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