All Aboard: Riding the Rails from Pittsburgh to Trenton

Eight hours. One toddler. Two carry-ons, a stroller, and a car seat bag. On paper, that sounds like a lot. In practice, it was one of the best travel decisions we made on this entire trip.

We took the Amtrak Pennsylvanian from Pittsburgh Station all the way to Trenton, NJ, and swapped a 6-hour car ride for an 8-hour train ride, and honestly, it wasn't close. We originally booked coach, then placed a bid to upgrade to business class, and it was worth every penny. We ended up with a whole row to ourselves, plus free drinks from the food car the entire way. The staff was also incredibly helpful getting us and all our gear loaded into the car, which as any parent traveling with a toddler knows, is half the battle.

We kept her busy with arts and crafts, a dry erase board that turned out to be an absolute hit, and what I can only describe as seat gymnastics. The views didn't hurt either. We got to see the famous Horseshoe Curve along the way, which was genuinely one of the coolest sights of the whole trip.

She napped through a good chunk of Rapunzel, which meant I got a little nap in too. If you're planning a ride like this, download a few movies ahead of time. The wifi was solid enough for basic use, but reception got spotty for streaming or calls once we were out in more rural stretches.

One fun stop along the way: we had a longer layover in Philadelphia so the train could switch engines. I had no idea until this trip that trains switch from diesel to electric before heading into the NYC corridor. Small travel fact, but the kind of thing that makes a long ride feel a little more interesting.

A few things worth knowing before you go:

• Bring your own snacks and food, especially if you've got a picky eater. There is a food car, but the ride is long enough that you'll want backups.
• The accessible bathroom is large enough to fit a parent and a kid together, which made diaper changes and bathroom trips so much easier.
• If you can swing the business class upgrade, do it. Free drinks, more space, and it made the whole ride feel less like an endurance test and more like part of the vacation.

Overall, we'd do this again in a heartbeat. It's cheaper than a rental car, easier than a long car ride with a toddler, and honestly, it turned into one of our favorite memories from the whole trip.

Lean more about the Amtrak Pennsylvanian - https://www.amtrak.com/pennsylvanian-train

Local Publisher Spotlight

There are some amazing publishers in the Pittsburgh area! They are dear friends of mine and amazing at what they do. If you're ever headed that way, you're going to want to make sure to check them out.

Lisa Williams covers City of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh North:
👉 City of Pittsburgh: https://cityofpittsburgh.macaronikid.com/
👉 Pittsburgh North: https://pittsburghnorth.macaronikid.com/

Emily Papa covers South Hills and Pittsburgh West:
👉 South Hills: https://southhills.macaronikid.com/
👉 Pittsburgh West: https://robinson.macaronikid.com/