Train Travel Tips

Say that 5 times fast! The trip to Washington, DC was wonderful! And tiring, of course. Any activity with 2 little kids is going to be tiring - but it was worth it. We had a blast. I've got a lot to report, but first I want to tell you about the train. It was an 8 hour train ride one way, and I spent a ridiculous amount of time prepping for it.


I didn't want to have too much stuff to carry - so I limited us to one big rolling bag for our clothes, diapers, etc. Each kids got a backpack to carry, and I brought my diaper bag. I filled up their bags with markers, stamps, iTouch and headphones, a tag blanket, a stuffed animal, tape, scissors and paper. My mom had some silly putty in her bag, and I had loads of snacks in mine.

The biggest hit was the unlimited use of the iPhone! Cam is now a master of finding videos and playing the games. Maggie wasn't AS entertained as Cam - but if Curious George was playing, she would watch for about 15 minutes at a time.


I brought Maggie's car seat, and a friend who had traveled on the train to Philly suggested using it for naps - and it was a huge help:

Cam passed out for maybe 5 minutes on the way there. The train was a bit too exciting:

But on the way home, he was super burned out from everything we did, and I got to experience a very rare Cameron cuddle:

In summary - the train ride was great. It was definitely more expensive than if I drove down, but less stressful. I would recommend some sort of video watching device and headphones for he kids - along with stuff you don't normally let them play with (the tape dispenser and scissors was a huge hit, along with the silly putty). The hardest part was getting our stuff on and off the train. The double stroller I borrowed (total lifesaver, btw) was a bit unwieldy if you needed to carry it folded up. Once on the train, the kids were awesome and most people really helpful!