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Original poster

Is 10 & 13 too young to travel unaccompanied on a 2.5 hour train journey?

164 replies

mymadworld · 27/06/2019 11:23

My parents want to have our children to stay in the summer holidays and we are trying to work out logistics of getting them there & back. By far the easiest & cheapest option is putting them on a train at London and my parents meeting them the other end (& vice versa for the return) but I'm not sure if they're a bit young to do a big journey on their own. Eldest regularly travels by bus on his own and youngest has walks himself to school/local shops but it's obviously a big jump dispatching them off 200 miles!
Any thoughts?

OP posts:
ThaliaLuxurySpa · 27/06/2019 11:46

I seem to remember hearing (most? all?) UK train companies won't allow under 12s to travel unless accompanied by someone over 16.

So, technically, that would rule it out for your 10 yr old.
Damn. Sorry.
(Worth checking out the up-to-date policy with train line in question? Not sure if is nationwide blanket rule).

notatwork · 27/06/2019 11:49

Single train without changes and terminating at the final stop?
Reserved seats near the loo and packed lunch.
Certainly they are old enough if the railway company will allow it.

Userplusnumbers · 27/06/2019 11:49

Don't know the rules now, but I used to regularly travel the three hours or so between Stafford and Cumbria at that age - one parent putting me on the train, the other meeting me off it.

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Families
starlight36 · 27/06/2019 11:52

If the rail company allows it then I would say it depends on your children and if the 10 year old listens to the 13 year old. I wouldn't be able to put my DD in that position as DS would cause her too many problems!

notatwork · 27/06/2019 11:53

LNER say yes

Butterflyone1 · 27/06/2019 11:54

I personally wouldn't be comfortable with it. What if they start playing up/there's an issue and there's no one there to help? If the oldest is responsible for the youngest and they don't listen then that's a lot of pressure on the oldest.

needsomesleepy · 27/06/2019 11:56

Travelling from where?

If it's down the east coast stick them on LNER in first class, you can book a 2 table so they have a plug socket each for devices and the crew will be round with free juice etc - when they get off the train make sure they have a meeting point in kings cross just in case they can't spot grandparents as it's pretty hectic.

Only thing is if something goes wrong on the line and they end up getting out on rail replacement bus or taxi, would you be ok with that?

Seeline · 27/06/2019 11:57

I think 13 is too young to be responsible for someone else that young.

What happens if the train falls apart and has to stop en route? Could they cope with finding the new train or the bus replacement etc?

Original poster
mymadworld · 27/06/2019 11:57

It would be pretty much as @notatwork says - reserved seats that we take them to & get settled in, packed lunch, film on the iPad and grandparents meet them off the train.

Thanks will check with the rail company and also have a chat with DC as they need to be comfortable with the idea and then decide.

OP posts:
Schoolchoicesucks · 27/06/2019 11:57

I have a 10 year old and 6 year old and would hope to be able to do this in 3-4 years time. Direct train, reserved seats and sensible children with a phone, don't see why not to...

aPengTing · 27/06/2019 11:58

I regularly traveled all over the UK on the train by myself from 11, if there are no changes it should be fine.

Btw, I saw a program on channel 4 (I think) where children aged between 4 and 6 were given the task of navigating across London without adult help. They just had a map of where to go and which busses to get.
They’ll all managed it very well.

Original poster
mymadworld · 27/06/2019 12:00

I would discuss contingency plans but honestly, chances of the train falling apart/breaking down are pretty slim. It's london to manchester.

OP posts:
PurpleCrazyHorse · 27/06/2019 12:03

I think it's quite a bit of pressure for a 13yo to be responsible for the 10yo if something doesn't quite go to plan - feeling ill, train problems, seat reservation issues (see other thread on MN!), sibling arguments. There's also not always staff around to ask for help either.

I think there's quite a difference between sending one teenager on their own and them being responsible for a younger sibling too.

We will have a similar conundrum but I expect we will travel down as a family, stay one night and then we'll return leaving the kid(s) behind. Will repeat at the end of the stay (or mum will come up on the train with them). Or could a parent go half way and a grandparent meet half way? Would potentially cut down on travelling time and cost.

MyOpinionIsValid · 27/06/2019 12:05

I seem to remember hearing (most? all?) UK train companies won't allow under 12s to travel unless accompanied by someone over 16.

rubbish !

needsomesleepy · 27/06/2019 12:09

It's london to manchester.

It's Virgin Trains from Euston.

The only thing is failed trains are really much more common than people think. It doesn't have to be their train that's the problem, but lines can get blocked by other trains, animals, signal failures and of course people jump in front of trains which can cause day long delays. All of these things take place weekly across the rail network.

Chances are the train will be absolutely fine, but you have to be sure that of something goes wrong you are ok with your kids being put on replacements and that they are capable of finding staff if they end up disembarked at a non planned station.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 27/06/2019 12:10

Definitely depends on the route though. It's a direct service from ours to mum's but it is routinely delayed and then cancelled so you have to disembark part way. I would do your research on the route first.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 27/06/2019 12:15

Exactly @needsomesleepy, my mum is on a different route and different operator and it seems that 20% of the time there's a problem. Hardly ever a problem with the train she's on, usually it's delays of some sort caused by something else. She usually disembarks at a major interchange which has the benefit of staff but it's obviously very busy.

Original poster
mymadworld · 27/06/2019 12:20

Thanks will check out the route reliability.

We've never managed the journey in less than 5.5 hours and it's normally more like 6 hours (& DP's could possibly meet up an hour or so from home but not much more) so going up at the weekend would be fine but we work until 8-6pm and don't have any holiday left to do the return journey. I think it will be train or not at all this summer unfortunately. Shame flying isn't a bit cheaper as I'd be much happier booking them as unaccompanied minors on a flight and we're both quite near the airport!

OP posts:
Aroundtheworldin80moves · 27/06/2019 12:23

At quite a few stations non travellers are not allowed on platforms, so have a back up plan for that

Have they done the journey with you? That would be a big deciding factor for me. I was doing London to Edinburgh at about 14 alone BUT I'd done from toddler age with my parents a couple of times a year.

Ilove · 27/06/2019 12:24

Megabus?

Pigpogtastic · 27/06/2019 12:25

If you drop them in their seat just make sure you get off in time. I was once on a train to Leeds where a mum was doing this and did not give herself enough time to make it back off through the crowds. She went to Peterborough. She was not happy.

needsomesleepy · 27/06/2019 12:25

Shame flying isn't a bit cheaper as I'd be much happier booking them as unaccompanied minors on a flight

There isn't an unaccompanied minor service on the airlines that serve Manchester- London

magpie24 · 27/06/2019 12:25

Manchester station is quite large so I would be worried about them navigating around there. Could they be met directly off the train? Do you not need a ticket to go through the barriers onto platforms?

Teddybear45 · 27/06/2019 12:26

Virgin Trains will allow it provided the children are bought first class tickets (it’s the only carriage that is supervised) and you request assistance.

sashh · 27/06/2019 12:28

Consider first class seats.Most trains with a first class have some form of steward in that carriage.

What happens if the train falls apart and has to stop en route? Could they cope with finding the new train or the bus replacement etc?

They can ask someone in train uniform and I'm fairly sure at least one will have a mobile phone.

I seem to remember hearing (most? all?) UK train companies won't allow under 12s to travel unless accompanied by someone over 16.

It's not unknown for children to travel to school by train.

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