Your AMTRAK Expertise needed

hidetherum

Pirate Princess
Joined
Nov 2, 2006
Messages
133
Our family has never done Amtrak before and plan to ride from San Diego to Anaheim in January. We are a group of 12 on a week long trip including kids with strollers so we are worried about the luggage limit.

Can someone clue us in on the luggage regulations?

Do we need car seats for a 20 month old and a 2 year old?

Thanks very much! :wave2:
 
Luggage regulations vary with the train (for example some of checked baggage and some don't).

Also, having taken Amtrak many many times, I can't say I have ever seen anyone with a carseat.
 
We've used Amtrak alot from northeastern Ohio to Kissimmee Florida and have never seen anyone with a stroller on board. There is no place for it let alone a place to push one. As for car seats, never seen one of those either. Baggage has changed over the years, they now state, in our travels, a 2 bag limit not exceeding 50 pounds. Remember, you have to haul these around and some train stops have no baggage service so its up to you to get them on board and off. For a 8-12 night stay at WDW, my wife and I each have a rolling duffle type bag, no baggage at our boarding depot and 2 carryons plus a food and drink bag. Where possible we use the Red Caps, they take you to the train before the other boarding passengers all for tip money only. Our transfer in DC we sometimes have a roomette, if we get a good price booking far enough out, or try for an empty roomette after boaqrding in DC when they give up these accommadations at a reduced rate. They only hold 2 people, great for wife and I, wife likes the upper bunk and window, we board in DC around 4 pm and its the night leg for us to WDW, its first class so all meals are included in the price.
 
The trains from SD to LA and on to points northward are the "Pacific Surfliner" train sets which are a little more like commuter rail and a lot less like intercity trains used in the east by Amtrak from my experience. They are bi-level cars which means you can't use the stroller due to the stairs up or down to the seating areas. Also, due to the two level cars, the racks above the seat are narrower than normal and I had a hard time fitting a roll onboard case above me - my computer bag barely fit. The seats are spacious with leg rests and fixed armrests not bench seats, but you need to ask yourself if you want an active 20 month and 2 year old on you or partially on your lap for the whole ride. Coach seats are usually unreserved which means you may find it hard to find seating all together for a big party at peak times (I've never seen this happen yet, but I do remember three couples wanting to sit together walking through looking for free groups of two seats together to sit in as a group). This link will tell you a bit more:

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...ons_Page&c=am2Copy&cid=1080080554456&ssid=182

The train station is very handy to Disney - probably a five minute cab ride and less than two miles west - map here:

http://stations.amtrak.com/amtrak/DetailedAreaMap.jsp?txtStationID=ANA&ssid=80&cid=1080080551774

Enjoy your trip!!
 














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