All kids seem to have an obsession with trains. We often see little choo-choo toy trains or memories come flooding when we see Thomas the Train cartoons pop up.One weekend, a friend asked if I wanted to take the kids on the train for a day of adventure. My mind was blown. How did I not think of this myself?! Kids LOVE trains and I always look for fun and different things to do with my daughter.
We are lucky enough to have a train system that can quickly and easily get us up and down the Connecticut Coastline, but today I will map out a fun day trip with fun pit stops throughout Fairfield County. Download the MTA app for an easy way to manage your trip and buy tickets.
Hop on wherever you’d like, and let’s begin our adventure!
First stop, Fairfield. Filled with endless restaurants and shops within walking distance from the train station. These are my favorite spots to visit.
- Breakfast: Playa Bowl, Starbucks, or Rise and Shine Coffee Shop
- Lunch: Colony Pizza, Old Post Tavern, or Firehouse Deli
- Dinner: Quattro Pazzi, Bonchon, or Centro
- Treats: 16 Handles, Bonkers Cupcakes, or Milkcraft
- Activity: Pop into any of the cute shops, and check out what’s happening on Sherman’s Green or the Community Movie Theater.
Just 12 minutes down the coast is Westport.
- Breakfast: Donut Crazy or Kneads
- Lunch: Romanacci, Black Duck Cafe, or Match Burger & Lobster
- Dinner: Kawa Ni, Viva Zapata, Rizzuto’s or Tutti’s
- Treats: Saugatuck Sweets
- Activity: Walk to the waterline and admire the beautiful houses and boats. I often see rowers practicing going up and down the river.
A quick 7 minutes will bring us to Sono.
- Breakfast: Sono Baking Company or Cafe Social
- Lunch: Sono Seaport, Sono Harbor Deli, or Donovan’s Pub
- Dinner: Mecha Noodle Bar, Oishi, Washington Prime, or Taproot Restaurant
- Activity: Explore the Maritime Aquarium, visit the Sono Collection, or check out the Sono Riverwalk and the playground at Oyster Shell Park.
The last leg is 16 minutes to Stamford.
- Hop on the trolley to bring you to Harbor Point, where you can easily spend a few hours exploring what this up-and-coming neighborhood offers.
- Breakfast: Patisserie Salzburg
- Lunch: Bareburger or grab Corbo’s Southside Deli for a picnic on the lawn
- Dinner: Fortina or Crabshell (you will need to take a free water taxi, hours vary)
- Activity: Visit Commons Park for a picnic or bring some outdoor games to play on the big beautiful field, check out the newest playground on Harbor Point Road South, and walk up and down the boardwalk.
