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

[mymadworld]

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?

But I'd never forgive myself if anything went wrong.

We've really got stop putting our anxieties on our children in this way and preventing them from developing their confidence and resilience. Children are starting to suffer from excessive anxiety in increasing numbers in the UK. Yes, anything can happen but life is about weighing up risks.

I find the idea that a 13 yr old couldn't cope with a 10 year old a bit ridiculous. A young teen and a child soon to start secondary school should be capable of sitting on a train together for 2 hours.

I sometimes wonder if this is partly why children who go to very expensive schools seem so forward and annoyingly precocious. They're often used to travelling alone or in groups with friends (flights, trains, coaches) on holidays and between homes or even to and from school.

Put the fear of god into them about misbehaving

I would be ok with it so long has they had a mobile phone so you could stay in contact.

Mine are 12 and 9 and I can’t imagine being happy to do this in a year.

12yo does catch the train home from school once a week but it’s two relatively sleepy easy-to-manage stations which he is very familiar with and a journey of one stop, 10 minutes. I wouldn’t send DS2 with him even on that journey.

Well DC think it's a brilliant idea and are very excited eldest even said "it's fine mum you can just drop us off we'll find our way to the train" (I won't!) but pleased they have the confidence in themselves to not be daunted at the prospect of solo travel.

flowery- can you say what you think might happen?

Id do it. My kids have been doing a direct train for a coupe of years now, a bit shorter than yours but not much. Currently they're 13 & 14.

They much prefer it to the car.

They've also been doing bus train and train bus to and from school on a semi regular basis for 3 years. Both shortish journeys but potentially quite complicated. They also do it with our 2 other kids so youngest was 7 when we started doing it.

Great news mymadworld! They'll feel so grown up and capable for having done it too.

Well done them!

Honestly you’d think you were considering allowing them to cross India on the trains without a map reading some of the replies

Too many Kids are FAR too heavily wrapped in cotton will these days it’s no wonder they can’t cope when they go to university

I hope they have a great holiday

I'd allow it but I'd be panicking until I knew they were there safe I'd be calling them every 30 minutes to check they were ok

"flowery- can you say what you think might happen?"

There are some unpleasant people out there. Many times I've had to deal with (by which I mean ignore, and not be worried by) drunk people, intimidating people, groups of people behaving badly on trains. A rowdy group of sports fans can feel intimidating, for example.

Of course not all the time, and usually it's fine, but I sometimes feel vulnerable, and I wouldn't be happy putting two young boys (in my case) in that position where I couldn't easily go and get them.

I'm also conscious that DS1 who is 12, actually looks about 8, and is the same height as my 9yo, and that would influence me as well.

If he's had a growth spurt by a year's time my view might change, but he seems (and is) very little at the moment, and also takes the weight of the world on his shoulders, (unlike DS2!) and would worry.

“I'd be calling them every 30 minutes to check they were ok”

Seriously- what do you think might happen?

“Many times I've had to deal with (by which I mean ignore, and not be worried by) drunk people, intimidating people, groups of people behaving badly on trains”

Seriously? Many times? In the morning?

Many times yes. Although I've been on a lot of trains!

Not in the morning generally, no.

I fully admit I'm not necessarily being logical and the chances of anything unpleasant happening are small. But there's plenty of time for them to travel by themselves as they get into their teenage years and are less vulnerable, so I wouldn't do it now unless absolutely necessary.

Nope,far too many things can go wrong. Coach,yes if they're sensible.

No , not on a train. Coach,yes if they're allowed to and they're sensible.

I think I'd be worried about them on a National Express coach at 23, let alone 13.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-48742121

My kids did it, the rules were (bizarrely) non existent on what age, we arranged assistance to change trains at Birmingham. 11&13

...... and yet every time we drive our children anywhere in our own cars or as pedestrians , they are more likely to come to harm!

My DD did Cardiff to Paddington on her own many times from age 9. In the days before mobile phones too!

They will be fine - in the event of train break down etc there's stewards onboard who will help them, just do check the rules for virgin, they were none 8 years ago but mine are now adults

floribunda18

That's one driver and very unusual.

You are much more likely to encounter drunk, rowdy passengers , delays, suicide on a train.

I wouldn't do this but I'm not outraged at the thought of another parent being happy with it.