I've traveled a lot with my 3-year-old daughter, Allie. Whether it's flying from California to the East Coast, taking short train rides, or driving from Virginia to South Carolina, my husband and I are still trying to figure out which travel method is the least painful for this season of life.

So, when we decided to take a nine-hour Amtrak trip during a holiday weekend, we wondered how this mode of transportation would work for a toddler who is still potty training.

There may have been some tantrums along the way, but it went much more smoothly than I anticipated.

We loved that our toddler qualified for a half-price ticket.

Even though my husband and I were going to make different stops along this journey — my final destination was Pennsylvania to see some friends, whereas he and Allie were traveling an additional 80 minutes to see his pals in New Jersey — our total fare was reasonably priced.

Since I bought the tickets about three months before the trip, mine was only $48 one way, and my husband's — including my daughter's half-price ticket — was just over $70.

Trying to find seats together in coach was a bit stressful.

Once the train pulled up to the station in Norfolk, Virginia, we split up to find some seats in coach: my husband and daughter were somehow first in their boarding line, while I was in a slower one, but I got on just seven minutes after the train arrived.

My husband texted me that he had found seats, but soon realized they were in a "quiet car," a designated space that requires guests to limit conversation.

Fearing that we would get kicked out of that car for being there with a toddler, I power-walked to the last available non-quiet car to find somewhere else to sit.

Despite my daughter having her first meltdown minutes after we grabbed our seats, we departed the station right on time.

Entertaining a 3-year-old on a long train ride wasn't easy.

Once we settled, we attempted to get Allie to take a nap, but were repeatedly unsuccessful.

We took her to the bathroom six times, asked her to stop kicking the phone charger five times, and even enticed her by saying the "train goes faster when you go to sleep." Regardless, nothing worked.

Right before 3 p.m., just a few hours into our journey, Allie kept asking if we had reached our final destination.

Later, she enjoyed some water and carrots while perusing High Five Magazine. She also enjoyed her Toniebox reading toy and wandering the train.

As we cruised past downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia, we waved to people outside, which also helped entertain Allie.

We didn't know how potty training on board would work out.

Even though Allie said, "I went poop so I can go to vacation" the day before we left, we still wondered how the potty-training situation would play out once we were on the train. In case of any accidents, we had extra clothes, underwear, and wipes handy.

Luckily, the bathrooms closest to our seats were very clean, but after three hours, one of the two seemed to have stopped flushing, so we had to use the other one.

The spotty WiFi was frustrating, but at least my daughter was able to take a nap.

After Allie and her dad went to the café car — where she had yet another meltdown — they came back with a tasty $5 canned coffee from La Colombe, which my husband and I split.

I loved the coffee on board, but I wasn't thrilled about the WiFi barely working, making it impossible to upload any photos or play an episode of one of Allie's favorite TV shows.

Despite the inconsistent phone service, though, I was still able to communicate with friends and family throughout the ride.

Regardless of the challenges on the train, at 4:40 p.m., after I told Allie my sleep mask was "magical," she finally took a 70-minute nap, and I sighed with relief.

Overall, it was a worthwhile ride.

I got off the train in Philadelphia, with Allie and my husband having just about 80 additional minutes on board.

Despite the long travel day, we had a good experience taking a long Amtrak ride with our toddler, and we definitely considered the adventure worth the price.

We would absolutely do it again, since it was significantly less stressful than driving through traffic, stopping at questionable rest stops, standing in long security lines, or dealing with flight delays.

Plus, everyone on board was friendly, the restrooms were easy to access, and we even witnessed some amazing views along the way.

Business Insider reached out to Amtrak for comment.

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Jessica Thibault is a freelance writer/editor and supports social impact communications and events. She is an RRCA-certified running coach, has qualified for the Boston Marathon three times and loves hiking and weekend trips, ideally with her husband and daughter.

• Travel
• Transportation