Three day train ride?

[aleutsi]

Does that sound like a good idea for an on the verge of adulthood teen trying to define herself & her independence?

She wants to solo visit an out of state relative and this is turning up the cheapest way there. Other than flying, but the airline we fly cheaply doesn't go there. It would be for one leg of the round trip, the other leg would be by car - driven by me, I'll either be dropping her off or picking her up - I'll stay a week, she'll stay 2-3 weeks, I'm still deciding which end of the trip I want to go.

I'm thinking a long, slow train ride would be perfect for her in this stage of her life. Can anyone think of a reason it wouldn't? She's never been all on her own like that... she has always been with family or friends.. so I wonder how she'll handle the aloness of it. Of course she'll have her phone and can text/call when there is service.

What are multi day train rides like? Where do people sleep? Do you ever get off the train and risk being left? Is security a concern?

[jump4joy]

It's gotta be better than the 2-day Greyhound ride I took at 15 from here to Los Angeles. :rofl: In general, I've had very positive experiences traveling on Amtrak, at least here on this coast. The trains have been clean and passengers pretty respectable. The staff has been great to me (even offering to bring me dinner when my nursing baby and toddler fell asleep on top of me and I couldn't make it to the dining car).

[~PQ]

Would you be buying her a sleeper car? it's quite a bit more, but it is a little safer. I have done overnight train trips and had a blast but there can be some questionable sorts on there as well. Amtrak trains have lounges and some people get pretty wasted to pass time away. Actually she's probably old enough she can fend off the creepies, but I think if it were my kid I'd want to know they were able to at least go to sleep at night and not have to worry about anyone creepy copping a feel, yk?

Trains can be really fun! If she steps off at a station she can be left behind because they don't do roll call or anything, but honestly at most stations it'll be a few mins in and out and she won't even have the opportunity to get off and as long as she plays it smart at the bigger stations it'll be fine.

[aleutsi]

I feel much better about that... although the 3 day trip sounded very exciting and adventurous.

She will have only one 4 hour layover in a town where other relatives live, so she could hang out at the station all alone or call her same aged cousins to come hang with her while she's there.

[Annamarie]

I think it sounds fun at her age!

[Kathy]

I feel much better about that... although the 3 day trip sounded very exciting and adventurous.

She will have only one 4 hour layover in a town where other relatives live, so she could hang out at the station all alone or call her same aged cousins to come hang with her while she's there.

That sounds like a great opportunity for her! I took a trip of almost the same length when I was 18, and really enjoyed the chance to slow down and really *see* the landscape. I got a lot of good thinking time away from other people, and it's a trip I still look back on with a lot of fondness.