Traveling with kids

Traveling in Oregon or Canada

Children 2-12 can travel at 50% off the adult fare

Make memories and save money when you take the kids on a journey they’ll never forget. They’ll experience the wonder of the train, while you enjoy a trip without baggage fees or traffic. 

Infants ride free

One infant under the age of two may ride free with each passenger paying an adult fare. Free infants ride on the lap of the adult. Additional infants per adult travel at the child fare.

Child and infant discounts are automatically applied when adding travelers to your booking – No Promo Code needed.

Discount restrictions

  • Children and infants must be accompanied by at least one adult (18+) in the same reservation.
  • Children 2-12 years of age may not travel unaccompanied.*
  • All persons 13 years of age or older, and all unaccompanied minors, pay adult fares.
  • Children under 2 years occupying a separate coach seat will be charged the fare for children aged 2-12 years.
  • Children’s ages are determined by actual date of birth.
  • The age of the child at the start of the trip determines the fare that applies for the entire itinerary.
  • Amtrak reserves the right to require proof of age at any time.
  • Not valid for travel on certain Amtrak Thruway connecting services.
  • Additional restrictions may apply.

Traveling with car seats

Child car seats cannot be secured to any train or bus seats. Passengers traveling with an infant/small child in a child car seat may place the seat in a vacant seat only if it is not needed for a paying passenger; children under 2 years of age may be required to ride on the passenger’s lap and the child car seat stored in an appropriate baggage area.

Unaccompanied minors

  • Children age 12 and under may not travel unaccompanied. They must travel with another person who is at least 18 years old.*
  • Children 13, 14 and 15 years old may travel as unaccompanied minors only under certain conditions.
  • No unaccompanied minors can travel to or from these stations: Kelso, Mt. Vernon, Olympia, Oregon City, Stanwood, or Tukwila, because no staff is available to ensure their safety. 
  • To make reservations for unaccompanied minors you must call us at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
  • Additional rules and restrictions apply.

*Exception: A minor who is 16 or 17, who is a parent to children of any age, may bring those children without restriction. The 16- or 17-year-old must bring proof that he or she is the parent of the children.

Traveling in Washington

The state of Washington offers free Amtrak Cascades travel for youth 18 years of age or younger. This program is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.

Eligibility

  • All passengers MUST have a ticket to ride the train, this includes those riding for free.
  • All children aged 15 and under traveling with an adult are eligible for the free fare.
  • All youth aged 16, 17 and 18 traveling alone or with an adult are eligible for the free fare.
  • Infants younger than 2 must travel in the lap of an adult and will need to be identified when booking the adult ticket.
  • Free fares are only available for trips beginning and ending within Washington state.
  • Free fares are only available for coach seating, not business seating.
  • Free fares are only available on Amtrak Cascades trains in Washington and Amtrak Cascades buses stopping at Seattle, Everett, Mount Vernon and Bellingham.
  • Free fares do not apply to Amtrak long-distance trains, including the Coast Starlight and the Empire Builder.
  • Children aged 13, 14 and 15 traveling alone as unaccompanied minors are not eligible for the free fares and will continue to pay the full fare.
  • Only eight people can be booked on a single reservation. Larger groups must book through the Amtrak Group Desk:
    • You can make a request for group travel using our online group travel request form.
    • You can also call 1-800-USA-1GRP (1-800-872-1477), fax your request to 1-800-872-3298 or send an e-mail to the group travel department at groupsales@amtrak.com.

Traveling beyond Washington state’s borders

If your travel takes you beyond Washington – to/from Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada or to/from stations in Oregon – you can still take advantage of the free youth fare for the Washington portion of your trip. However, you will need to purchase two (or three) tickets – one for the Washington segment and another for segment(s) outside of Washington. Those who do not book separate tickets for travel outside of Washington will be charged the regular fare for their entire trip.

If you are an adult traveling beyond Washington with children under 16 years old, you must book two separate tickets for yourself as well. Your reservations must match those of your children. Note that this might result in a slightly higher total adult fare but will usually be less expensive for your entire group because of the free youth fare.

What if I already bought a ticket?

If you are eligible for the youth fare and you already bought a ticket for future travel at regular prices, you must cancel your original ticket and book a new reservation to get the free fare. Cancellation fees may apply based on the type of ticket originally purchased.

Ways to purchase