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To take a baby first class on a train?
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(70 Posts)
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I am taking DD to visit my parents next month (on my own) and am planning on traveling by train. It is approximately 2 hours on one train then a short tube journey, then another hour on another train.
My husband has often found in the past that by booking online, a first class fare is cheaper than a standard fare if you travel at certain times and has suggested I do this.
I am tempted by the free food and drink & bigger seats
DD will be 7 months and is currently fascinated by new surrounding & therefore very amenable in most circumstances. If she did make a fuss then, assuming there was anyone else in the carriage I could always take her into standard class!
I can't find anything on the website about traveling with babies apart from the fact that they go free but I would hate to break some sort of 'train etiquette' and get horrible looks from the other passengers!
What do you think?
Go first class if you want.
Only place to avoid with a baby or toddler is the quiet coach - available in both first and second class generally.
Noone should compain about it.
If they do, tell them they should go to the quiet coach.
First class does not mean quiet coach.
First class does not mean business people only.
I travelled first class eurostar with a baby and a toddler.
It was great.
We ended up having a whole 'quad' to ourselves, so i didn;t need to keep Ds on my lap the whole way. The steady stream of snacks kept Dd happy. What's not to like?
It's called 'first class' not 'business class' or 'quiet area'. It's for people who are happy to pay a bit more for extra space and service. When i'm looking after young kids, extra space and service is just what I need!
Glad you cleared that up, the eye rolling and dirty looks started as soon as I entered the carriage, nothing like being condemned before the trial
Sorry, I should have said that I would give dirty looks to loud/ irritating children, not to children playing with 'inside voices'.
I give dirty looks to business people too, and have politely asked them if they would mind switching their phones to silent on many occasions.
I'm not a business person myself, just a traveller in search of a bit of peace.
I'm a proud and self confessed 'grumpy old woman' who no longer cares about looking cool or being liked - if people are behaving inconsiderately then I will either politely ask them not to, or make my feelings known with a bit of eye rolling.
Us grumpies have the right to travel first class too
Go for it but see if you can get a reserved seat that's one of a pair rather than a single. The single seats are actually a bit useless if you've got more than one slim briefcase with you. If the train's not busy you might do better with a double in standard class than in one of those.
Also watch out for them fully reserving all the seats in one section of first class so everyone's crammed all together, and leaving the other bits unreserved. If they have done that, move if you want to.
MorrisZapp, why should I have to put up with dirty looks just because I like to travel first class with young children?
What gives so called business people the right to think that 1st class travel is for them and them alone?
My children were very quiet on the journey down, much quieter than some of the so called adults!
The journey back home was different and I spent a large proportion of that standing in the area between the two first class carriages.
I just wish some of my fellow passengers had had the same discretion when making mobile phones calls.
At times, it was reminiscent of the Dom Joly mobile phone skits!
Just to the bit between the carriages where the toilets are. He enjoyed playing with the free biscuits/mugs so much that everytime I took him out he calmed down straight away and then would be good as gold (for at least 5 minutes!)
TSH Good idea but I'm not keen on using headphones with children and I don't think the other passengers would be impressed if they had to listen to ITNG!!
LOM Where did you take him out to?
On First GW i have often put my buggy in the wheel chair space so ds has somewhere to sit. (Before i get flamed obviously i move if someone in a wheelchair gets on)
annoyingly though in FC the wheelchair space is in the quiet carriage - i guess they assume all wheelchair users are quiet.
he was fined £30 we did complain but got no where with it we make sure we reserve seats for any distance now!
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