Train journey- can't reserve seats

[TheMallard]

We're thinking of visiting my DF at Easter with 5yo DS.
We'd have to travel back on Easter Monday, which means a 7 hour journey on 4 trains which we can't reserve seats on. 2 of the trains are 2 hours-ish.
DH says it will be fine without seat reservations but I'm not convinced.
I'm leaning towards visiting in the next school holidays.

It probably won't be any better in the next school holidays @TheMallard unfortunately!

To be fair, I'm sure someone would allow a five year old a seat, it may mean though that you and your partner have to stand/sit on the floor.

Is there any reason you can't fly? (If it's near an airport? Trains can be really expensive! You'd be surprised how cheap flights can be (and guaranteed seats!).

Which segments can you not book on? I can never book my local line but I have never had to stand

Our nearest airport is 1hr 40 away, DF's is 3 hours from him, so flying is not an option.

The two shorter trains we can never book on, it's the longer ones without guaranteed seats that concern me.

Oh, and it would be better in the next school hols as I know we could book seats. Easter is special as they always do engineering works which prevents us booking seats.

I wouldn't risk that for a 7-hour journey with a 5-year-old unless you're happy to spend a lot of time sat on floors. Or unless you already know that route very well and know it's usually really quiet even over Easter, which it sounds like is not the case.

Do the engineering works mean rail replacement buses or just being sent round a different route?

It's a different route to our usual one, albeit one we go on sometimes. Usual route has rail replacement buses, planned route does not. I've no idea how busy it will be.

I think I'll keep an eye out to see if seat reservations are opened, otherwise leave it. Sitting on the floor for hours does not sound fun!