amtrak and carseats and strollers?

krfogle88 · Jun 18, 2012

So were taking the amtrak from harrisburg pa to trenton nj with mil, fil, and bil. once there we will rent a car to get to our destination. (six flags). they like to make my life difficult... so are carseats allowed on? strollers? what seat do i bring for Emilee? i have a nautilus and true fit available right now. any help/advice would be great! thanks!

cantabdad · Jun 18, 2012

Luggage space is usually pretty ample on Amtrak -- there are racks at the end of each carriage, as well as (smallish) overhead bins. I take Amtrak all the time and have never had a problem bringing anything aboard.

The stroller will be fine as long as it folds up small enough to fit on a luggage rack.

Also, there is often a wedge-shaped space between the seatbacks where sets of backward- and forward-facing seats come together (if you can picture that). That might also be a good place to stash the carseat and/or stroller.

Amtrak doesn't have seatbelts so there is no way to install any child restraint, if that is what you were asking, but it's still an incredibly safe form of transportation.

I'm not familiar with the ins-and-outs of the two carseats you mentioned, so someone else might be able to advise you on which one would be more likely to fit in the rental car. It seems like either would be OK.

oliviacw · Jun 18, 2012

No seatbelts, so no way to install a seat. We have brought my daughter on board
In a Keyfit, but at that age you've gotta have some way to contain them. For an older child, as long as they will stay seated I think a car seat is not necessary on board. There is usually a fair amount of space above your seat and under, especially if you are willing to put bags under your feet. The baggage areas can get crowded, so bring as much as possible to your seat and only leave bulky items in the carry on bag space. If your route allows you to check bags, you get 3 free!

ketchupqueen · Jun 18, 2012

Bring the car seat if you'll need it on the other end; stroller ditto. They'll be stowed downstairs, with the rest of the luggage. Amtrak doesn't count 2 "baby/child items" per child or infant against your "carry on allowance" (which is quite generous anyway, I think three items of luggage per person, and that doesn't include your purse and stuff?)

Amtrak has always been REALLY good about kids for us. They've been known to open up an overflow baggage area just for my car seat and stroller, so there's no risk of them getting damaged when others shift their baggage around.

Qarin · Jun 18, 2012

ketchupqueen said:
Bring the car seat if you'll need it on the other end; stroller ditto. They'll be stowed downstairs, with the rest of the luggage.

Service between Harrisburg, PA and Trenton, NJ is on a single level, coach-only train called the Keystone; it doesn't accommodate a lot of luggage, and the trip is under 3 hours (total trip time for the Keystone, from Harrisburg, PA to New York (Penn Station) is 3-3.5 hours (some of the daily trains skip some stations, so arrive sooner)).

You would certainly bring your car seat, and can bring your stroller. I suspect that most passengers will have little, if any, luggage, so there should be ample space for your things (and for your outbound trip, since you're getting on at the start of the line, it'll be even easier).

Brigala · Jun 18, 2012

That sounds like the Cascades train out here. I took my daughter from Portland to Seattle and back on the Cascades not long ago. I didn't have any trouble at all stowing my car seat in the self-stow baggage area at the end of the car. I suppose in a pinch you could set it on the train's seat and put the child in it, but I doubt that would be necessary. We tried it for a bit because she would NOT fall asleep on the train and I thought maybe she would in her car seat, but it didn't work.

scoutingbear · Jun 25, 2012

We did a train trip with a car rental at the end on Amtrack last summer. On the way there, we had the 4 seats that face each other and put M in her seat on the floor in the middle of the seats where she slept almost the entire trip. On the way home we again put her in her seat hoping she would fall asleep. Nope. it became a jungle gym for climbing. But we had no problem taking our car seat and stroller on board. I know of other people who have had a larger seat and just braced it against the train seat in front of them.

amtrak and carseats and strollers?

krfogle88

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cantabdad

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oliviacw

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ketchupqueen

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Qarin

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Brigala

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