I am thinking about travelling overnight (NC to FL) on a train with an infant but can't figure out what type of accommodations to reserve. He is too oyung to sleep in a bunk in a sleeper compartment but I doubt there is enough room to set up portable bed for him. Do car seats fit into regular train seats? Can they be buckled in?

I'd love to know if anyone has had any experience with this!

Kim

Hi,

I haven't done this, but my memory of the sleeper compartments is that they are so tight that if you have one of those combo car-seat/stroller thingies it would wedge pretty snugly into the space between your bunk and the wall and wouldn't roll around much, so you could conceivably use that (maybe get an extra pillow or use carryon case to make it secure). Just a thought. But no, there certainly aren't seat-belts on the train seats -- most often I've seen mothers with handled baby-carriers on the floor by their feet or else in a sling on their chests - and I wouldn't want to go 18 hrs. doing that!

Another comment: there is usually one handicapped-accessible restroom in the sleeper cars, which would allow you to have your child in with you if you didn't have facilities in your compartment.

after having 4 children i know how to travel!!!! we have gone on trains before and used the hadicapped room, but that was a reall pain. i recomend just flying which is much eaisier!!! and waiting to do the train trip when your child is older.
if you have any more questions just post it!
laurie

I noticed that some parents must have requested the front seat in the car. this provides you with a wall and an area to utilize for the children.The seats in the train are large and comfortable. A car seat would fit in one.If there are empty seats you could lie the child down across seats as well. The train seats probably would not recline enough to be comfortable the other way.

I, my husband and my 5 year old took Amtrack from SC to NYC lastyear. For a trip that long(approx.14hrs )a sleeper is a MUST. The sleeper is small but our daughter loved being up on the top bunk and played, colored the whole way. I'm not sure how long the trip is from NC to FL. probably 8-10hrs. You don't really need a sleeper. Coach is very roomy. The seats are bigger than regular coach airline seats and you have much more leg room. Also you can move around, go to the dinning car etc. Yes you can buckle in and it seemed to me that an infant\child car seat would fit fine. We enjoyed our first train trip and would definately do it again.

Uh, oh, some say you can buckle in, others say you can't. Is this dependant on the train?

Buckle? Actually i don't thinf the trains have seatbelts.