Los Angeles to Seattle on the Amtrak Coast Starlight With a Baby (An Honest Guide)
Everything you need to know about taking the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle with a baby or kids — booking tips, what to pack, what it’s really like, and our honest 35-hour experience.
We took the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle when our daughter was 10 weeks old. It’s a ~35-hour journey through some of the most beautiful scenery on the West Coast — and it was surprisingly doable with a newborn.
If you’re considering the trip, this guide covers:
Prefer the behind-the-scenes story version? Listen to the podcast episode here: (embed/link)
Quick facts
Route: LA (Union Station) ↔ Seattle (King Street Station)
Duration: ~35 hours (delays can happen — build buffer time)
Best for: newborns–1 year or 4+ years
Hardest ages: 1–3 years
Our booking: roomette (private sleeper room)
Always check Amtrak for current schedules, stops, pricing, and room availability.
Start small: our LA → Santa Barbara test run
Before committing to the full route, we tested train travel with a day trip from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara. It was a minimal cost and I highly recommend doing this if you’re nervous or want a better understanding of seeing the types of rooms and spaces — short, scenic, and a great “proof of concept.” The train stop in Santa Barbara is also so close to the Santa Barbara pier and a bunch of fun things to do within walking distance.
What to book (coach vs roomette vs bedroom)
No matter which room you choose, all meals are included, as well as bedding, pillows, towels and linens.
Coach
This means you’re not getting a room but opting to have a seat on the train. If it was just my husband and I this would be fine (and much cheaper – starting at $166 vs $650) but definitely not ideal for a family with kids.
Best for: single or pair of adults. Not you will need to bring your own food or buy food.
Roomette (what we booked)
This includes two seats that transform into a bed, and a pull down bed on top to essentially create a bunk bed situation. We used our baby’s travel bassinet on the bed and she slept for 10 hours.
Best for: one baby + adults who want privacy and included meals.
Why it helped: door closes, you have a home base, you can reset.
Bedroom
We debated between the roomette and the bedroom. The bedroom would have been more space to move around, but not too much more sleeping space. So we decided we could survive one night if it was uncomfortable (I mean, with a 10 week old it wasn’t like we were getting consistent sleep anyways).
Best for: two adults, or one baby + adults who want privacy, and more space and comfort on the trip
Family Bedroom (consider for toddlers/older kids)
This space spans the entire width of the train care and is very spacious, meaning more room to spread out and more comfort. It’s suitable for 2 adults and 2 kids (although you can likely fit up to 3 or 4 depending on how old they are). More space, often more comfort—best if you need room to move.
Best for: families of 3 with an older child and 4+.
How to get there
Because we planned an overall 10 day trip that included exploring Washington and Oregon once we got to Seattle, we didn’t want to leave our car at the train station. So we opted to take the public transportation, going from a local metro stop station directly to Union Station in Los Angeles and then to the train. Note that different metro cars have an area for disability, strollers, and bikes – look for that!
We rented a car once we got to Seattle, and then we flew back home (another reason we didn’t want to leave our car at the train station). This was truly a multi-modal transport trip!
What it's really like (day-by-day highlights)
Day 1 highlights
Observation car ocean view and sunset: The observation car has windows that go from floor to ceiling giving beautiful views of the landscape, especially the ocean views at the beginning of the trip. We loved sitting and just watching the scenery go by. I encourage you to grab a seat as soon as you’re settled in so you can get a good spot — it’s first come, first serve, no reserving.
The food was actually really good: I loved that it’s assigned seating and they pair you with another passenger if there’s less than 4 people in your group. We met someone who did bail bonds and it was fascinating.
Settling into the night: After setting up our beds, we got settled and watched a movie (Wi-Fi is available!) before going to bed. Our daughter slept the longest she’s ever slept — 10 hours! Probably due to the swaying of the train.
Day 2 highlights
Waking up to snow near Mount Shasta: It was magical waking up to snow after having gone through the coastal ocean view. Even though it says “Coast” in the name of this train journey, you go inland at a certain point and really see a lot more trees and mountains than ocean.
Breakfast delivered to the room: You have the option to have meals delivered to your room, so we chose that for breakfast and it felt like in-room hotel service.
Fresh air stop in Portland: There are a few select stops that are longer times you have to get off. Portland gave us enough time for snacks/souvenirs and to walk to the front of the train to check it out!
Making it to King’s Station in Seattle: By the end of that 35 hours, we were ready to get off to our next adventure. And our hotel was within walking distance (like feet away) to the station.
Dining car tips (what to expect)
Meals are included with sleeper rooms for this journey (confirm on Amtrak with your booking) and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food and amount. It wasn’t like a Michelin star restaurant, but it was better than diner food.
Our last meal was a three course dinner with steak as the main entree. We brought and bought a few snacks, but the meals held us over really well.
You are given an assigned time, and are sat with other passengers depending on how many people are in your group which I found really fun. If you aren’t comfortable with this, you could ask in advance for an exception when you book or take meals in your room like we did for our breakfast service.
Best ages for the full ride (my honest take)
I’ll preface this with you know your family and your own capacity best. You could do this train ride with any age, but I personally feel that having an energetic toddler who still might require you to entertain them could end up feeling exhausting. While you can walk around the train and that is a benefit, it’s not a place to run and jump around.
Newborn–6 months: easiest
1–3 years: hardest
4+ years: fun again (they can appreciate the journey)
Shorter route alternatives
You don’t have to do the entire route if you don’t want to. There are plenty of fun stops you could do instead! The biggest thing is depending on which direction you’re coming from, consider stopping before any overnight spots. If 35 hours feels like too much, try:
LA → Santa Barbara (best intro)
LA → San Luis Obispo
Portland → Seattle (short + easy)
Wrap up
If you have time and want the journey to be part of the vacation, the Coast Starlight is magic. If you need efficiency, fly. If you want a story, take the train. It truly was a unique experience and highlight that we talk about often. We’d definitely like to do another train journey in the future!
Also, don’t let your journey end with this trip. Consider how to approach intentionally before the trip even starts how you’ll document these memories so you can talk about it for years to come!
