Taking the Train

More environmentally friendly than driving and flying, travelling by rail can be a great – and yes, sometimes even relaxing! – of getting to your family holiday destination, whether in the UK or abroad. But advance planning is essential to make this option work for you. This is all the more true if you’re travelling with an active toddler who likes to move around a lot – in which case, it’s advisable to try to time the journey(s) with his/her nap as much as possible. (Having said that, it’s easier to walk a fidgetty child up and down a train carriage or corridor when needed than it is to constantly restrain them in an aircraft.)

Unless you book well in advance and travel off-peak, train travel can be fiendishly expensive both within the UK and for getting to destinations within Europe – the two places you’re most likely to travel with kids. With rail fares frequently far outstripping low-cost airline fares on the same routes, it can be difficult – especially in the current economic climate – to put concerns about the planet before your personal finances. One way of approaching the dilemma is to view the journey as part of the overall holiday – taking a long-distance train, especially overnight, can be an adventure that your kids will remember for ever. 

If you do travel to Europe, think about breaking the journey in Paris if you travel there withEurostar – the French capital heaps for families to do, and you get to stretch your legs and have a good meal. (Note that if you do this, you need to book by phone as the online system will put you on the next available train). Raileurope can book both Eurostars and onward journeys in Europe, while The Man in Seat 61 is a good source of information on timetables, sleeping arrangements, restaurant cars and other practical matters.

If you need to travel a long distance but want to take your own car, there are various ‘auto-train’ options within Europe, although again, these are not cheap and most only run in summer. As of the time of writing, the Motorail service between Calais and theSouth of France had been suspended due to the effects of the recession, but you can still put your car on an AutoTrain in Paris (having crossed the Channel by ferry orEurotunnel), then travel on a separate day or night train and catch up with it in Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulon, Avignon, Marseille, Nice and other destinations handy for Italy orSpain. For details, see Rail Europe. 

Alternatively, you can put your car on a train direct to the South of France or Italy from ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands (the ‘autoslaaptrein’) or from Düsseldorf in Germany(the ‘Autozug’) to the South of France, Italy or Austria. In Italy (Venice), you can then put your car on a ferry to Greece, while in Austria you could link to further Motorail services to Greece or Turkey. The Man in Seat 61 is a good source of information on all Motorail options.

Takethefamily can help you with UK train tickets, Eurostar, other international train tickets and taking your car on the train on Eurotunnel; see our Trains page for details.

Top 10 Tips for Train Travel with Kids
- Invest in a Family & Friends Railcard, which for £26 a year saves you one-third on most adult rail fares and 60% on child fares for up to 4 adults and 4 kids travelling (there has to be a least one child travelling in the party). It should pay for itself after just a couple of journeys, and with it comes free membership of the YHA (Youth Hostels Association) plus up to 35% off hotel rooms with IHG (Holiday Inns and Crowne Plazas).

- Remember that on British trains, children under 5 travel free. That said, if you can afford it, especially on longer journeys, it may be worth splashing out on a seat for them (at a child’s fare) for the extra room. Note that on Eurostar and European trains, children 4 and up pay for seats (again, it may be a good idea to book one if you can afford it).

- Reserve seats in advance wherever possible, and if given a choice, make sure you’re close to both the buffet car and the toilets. The latter is particularly if there’s one parent or carer travelling with more than one child – it can be tricky taking multiple kids to the loo and leaving your luggage unattended too, but if you’re close to the loo you may be able to leave one child in the seat and keep an eye on them from the toilet doorway. Some trains, including Eurostar, have dedicated family carriages near baby-changing facilities. In some cases, you may have to book by phone to get such seats, since online booking may not give you the choice.

- Take toys and gadgets to entertain your kids: iPods, Gameboys, colouring materials, story books and comics, small toys and portable crafts materials such as packs of plasticine. For longer journeys consider bringing a laptop with DVD drive, or a portable DVD player.

- Ask staff for any goodie bags that are available for kids – Virgin Trains, for instance, offer free activity packs in school holidays but may not necessarily hand them out (you may just be able to pick them up in the buffet car).

- Bring along enough drinks and non-messy packed meals/snacks to keep you going not only for the journey but in case of any delays that involve remaining aboard the train.

- Travel with a fully charged mobile, in case delays mean you need to speak to waiting relatives, booked hotels or onward travel providers.

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