TuscMoms.com

The three kids (15,14,2) and I are heading up to New Haven, Ct. this summer and I am having trouble deciding what to do.


If by automobile:

2 days (or more) of driving; stopping for food/bathroom/sleeping; crying toddler; angry toddler; fussy toddler; grumpy teens. I REALLY don't want to drive. This one is out!

If by plane:

One day and we're done; still have to drive to Bham or ATL; 1 or 2 layovers; lines; cramped; and all that toddler/teen stuff.

If by train:

24 hrs on train--2 days shot; Board in Tuscaloosa; one transfer (DC or NYC); 2 carry-ons allowed each(we need to take a lot of stuff); 2 "roomettes" available--i hope--w/2 beds each (comfy, I'm sure); Meals included (Yummy ); and, all that toddler/teen stuff.

I have never taken a train, so I'm thinking I might give it a shot. If nothing else, I'll have an experience that is so horrible I'll KNOW to never do it again. Maybe I should think of it as an adventure.

I would take the shortest, least stressful option. Which could be either the plane or train. Your toddler might be excited to look out the windows on the train. And you could take handheld Gameboys or something similar to keep the teens happy.

It doesn't sound like any of them are particularly great, but here's hoping it is a smooth trip there and especially back home. (Coming back always seems to take sooooo much longer than going, doesn't it?)

I think a train would be really cool if you have that option!
But we always go by car, especially with our toddler. And we've driven to my sister's in North Carolina (nine hours normally; 10 to 11 with a tot!) Washington DC (even longer) and Disney (about seven or eight hours) with the LO.
I think it's better because you can stop & get out & stretch & let the LO play at places like McDonalds, rest areas, tourist traps etc, whenever you need to.
And besides - the trip is half the fun, isn't it? Schedule some sightseeing and pitstops along the way, and make it a family event.
That said - my teen never travels with us anymore. Could it be that a ten hour car trip with a preschooler doesn't sound as fun to him as it does to me? Hard to believe!

I would love to be able to leave a few days early and make a leisure trip out of it, but my daughter will be at camp until the day before my son has to be in CT. For her to even go, I'll have to go get her out of camp a day early. So, it will be a bit of a rush to get there. (Another plus for the plane.) I might even leave the daughter with relatives. After all, she gets out of school on the 28th, leaves the next day for the beach with a friend, comes home only to leave the following day for camp! Leaving camp to go to with us would have her traveling nearly an entire month with only 2 nights spent at home. On the way back, I can take my time. But by then, I'll probably be thinking of nothing but wanting to get home.

I think it would be fun to take a train. I've never went anywhere by train. You'd be able to look out the windows and see all the sights, like you would in a car, without all the hassle of having to stop over and over for bathroom breaks, diaper changes, to eat, get gas, stretch legs, etc... I'd also guess it would be easier to keep a toddler entertained on a train.

However, if the train is more expensive than a plane ticket, I'd take the plane instead. It wouldn't really make sense to me to spend more $$$ only to get there slower.