Driving back to D.C. after a long weekend in New York in March, my husband and I were dreaming of a different kind of trip: no bathroom stops, no need to gas up, no shrieks from kids tired of their car seats, no traffic jams.
It’s a shame, we agreed, that it would be so expensive to take the train from D.C. to NYC as a family of four.
But wait. Would it? We started to consider the cost of fuel and tolls - and the toll of meltdowns, frequent bathroom breaks for a preschooler and stop-and-go traffic. Then we discovered Amtrak’s half-price tickets for passengers between the ages of 2 and 12, and a free ride (on an adult’s lap) for a child under 2.
We ended up booking three round-trip tickets for a total of $255 - only slightly more than I’ve paid for a trip just for myself. Take a forgiving baggage allowance, invaluable assistance at the train station, bathrooms in close proximity and the ability to have mini-adventures in transit (cafe car, anyone?), and my husband and I agreed: It felt like we were on vacation the moment we got on the train. Arriving in less time than it takes to drive - under three-and-a-half hours to New York and a little bit longer on the way home - was another perk.
Some Amtrak regulars might wince at the idea of sharing train space with a 3-year-old and 9-month-old, so I’ll just say this now: We avoided the quiet car. Here’s what we learned about riding the rails with tiny passengers. - - - I read that families with kids are allowed to pre-boa.
