By train or auto?
 

Does anyone have any suggestions for an 8 month old going on a long distance trip, 1800 miles to be exact, where air travel is not possible. Time really is not that much of an issue, so the slower forms of car or train are feasible. The train sounds good as we can get up an walk around, but you need a place to sleep when travelling with an infant and Amtrak charges a significant amount for their sleeping compartments. So I was thinking car may be the only way that we can go without breaking the bank, and just taking 3 or 4 days to make the trip, driving only for 8 hours or so a day with long breaks in driving every couple hours. Does anyone have any other suggestions for this trip? I know it's going to be a lot tougher than when it was just my wife and I, so I hope we are not biting off more than we can chew here!

We traveled with our 8 month old daughter from Long Island NY to Orlando (just over 1000 miles) by car, and she was a doll. Of course, it helped that she had her 5 and 4 year old brothers in the back seat to amuse her!

If your child is normally very content in the car seat, I would say that it should be no problem. I know some kids are car seat squirmers. I never had any of those. If you do, 3-4 days in the car might really be testing it. Be sure to bring extra of everything accessible to you.....diapers, drinks, snacks, toys, wipes, you name it. Your child may be too young for audio tapes or movies, but they are a great option for traveling with older kids so you may want to think about it for yours.

Someone introduced me to rice cakes when my daughter was about your childs age. They were a great self contained and somewhat healthy (I think!) snack that really saw us through a lot of trips when she was younger. They come in many flavors and travel well. My daughter still eats them as an on-the-go snack to this day, and she's 11. She loves the white cheddar.

I would really be hesitant about traveling by train. You are a captive audience in cramped quarters, and if your child has one of those "moments", you just have nowhere to go to get relief. Additionally, Amtraks fares are usually not significantly less than what it would cost you to fly.

Which brings me to the real reason I responded to your post. I know you said air travel is not an option. If you say that due to budgetary restraints, you may want to reconsider. Many markets have extremely low fares these days, fares that you might not even be aware of. You might be able to hold your child on the flight and thus you'd only be buying two plane tickets. The idea of spending 3 hours in a plane or 3-4 days in a car might be well worth a few dollars (or even less) that you might be saving by driving or taking a train. Also, it's 3 less nights each way that you have to pay for a hotel in a place you really didn't want to visit to begin with. Better to use those extra hotel nights at your destination.

Whichever way you go, have a great trip!

On trains outside of the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak is often delayed. They often can't help it because in parts of the country, freight trains have priority over the tracks. So you might want to check their on-time record of the particular Amtrak itinerary which interests you.

Thanks all for the advice. I am thinking the train is a no-go, instead now my decision is tryting to figure out if we should rent a car, say something less cramped in order to make the drive a little easier. Overall he is pretty good, but for stretches. He really needs a break every now and then to get out of the seat. While he seems interested in tv at home, I'm not sure if it would help him on the road. My wife is willing (actually she always does) to sit in the back with him during the trip, so she can keep him entertained when he is awake. I would much rather get there quicker, say by air, but we have someone who is way too worried about him having a "moment" while in close quarters-much like the train would be as well. No convincing is getting her to change her mind on that! Anyway thanks all for the info, he is just starting the rice cereal stuff now, so who knows what he'll be eating in 2 months come trip time, those rice cakes may come in handy!

YES! For 10 years, 5 of them as a parent, I drove a fuel-efficient, compact sedan. Fine around town, miserable on long road trips. For our last 4 long driving trips, we rented a midsized car or small SUV, and all of us were more comfortable. Also saved putting about 4,500 miles on my car, between the trips.

Also, I do not belong to the "pack light" school of travel. I find life on the road much, much easier when we have what we need with us, instead of trying to find an open store at 2 am to buy children's Tylenol.

But just last month, we traded in the sedan and bought a Passat Wagon. Am currently planning its first road trip...

If she's that worried about the child having a "moment" (not sure what you mean by that), just stay home. :(

One note on the train -- the coach seats on Amtrak's long distance trains aren't that bad. You actually can sleep in the seats unless you require a bed in order to sleep. The legroom is far greater than on a plane or bus, and usually there are enough seats that you can spread out a bit.

Like Analise said, the trains are often delayed due to freight trains, but on an 1800 mile journey, what's another six hours? It would be like a 10 minute delay on a plane.

So, my recommendations are in this order, from best to worst:

1) fly (quit worrying!)
2) Amtrak
3) rent a minivan
4) drive your own car