to let an 8 year old and a 10 year old travel cross country by train alone.

[LadySybil]

I think i am. but cant work out any other way of making half term work. tell me if i am being ridiculous

My 9yo would know to find the conductor/station master to ask for help in a situation like this. He would also know to call me if he felt he couldn't deal with situation himself.

Seriously, I feel some people don't give their kids enough credit. It's train travel, not a solo dog sledge trip across Antarctic

I was about that age between 8 and 10 and was put on a train and got lost at paddington station - very scary for both me and my mum
we have done succesful half way journey - eg each adult goes half the way and child exchange

It's fine if the kids are both sensible and nothing unexpected happens to the train.

It's when things don't go to plan that the danger enters.

Slightly different but I put my Dad, in his mid 70s, on a train for a 90 min journey to be met at the other end by my brother. The train was terminated mid way and he was told to get on another train. He ended up halfway to Yorkshire when he was travelling to Cheshire and didn't get to my brother for several long, stressful hours. He hadn't yet been diagnosed with dementia but was obviously more easily confused than any of us expected.

2 young children could struggle to deal with train terminations and could easily get overlooked by station staff.

I would not do this. I used to travel alone by coach at 13 (dropped and met at the end) but too much to ask a 10 yo to take responsibility for the 8 yo. I think no.

We know loads of kids who go to school in Cambridge by train every day. Not sure if they are as young as 8 but certainly 11 and under - and they have to walk to school when they get the other end.

I would not do it espically as you want a 10 year old to have sole charge of a younger child

What happens if the train gets strained like what happens on the euro star they wer on the over night I believe no food or water

If they got of at the wrong stop or fell asleep which even happens to adults got off to early

And god forbid one jumped of the train and one didn't get of in time

If some one was making them feel uncountable they can't escape

If they are nit albe to get a seat or are worried

Far to young

This is not 1911 its 2011

At the end of the day, responsibility fall onto you,if anything happens to them the buck stops at you. Is it really worth it! There is plenty of time for them to be independent, they are still young.

YABU for all the reasons said !

I was on a direct train to london the other year, with my two DCs, the train broke down, and we had to wait for another one, it was chaos, we were stressed, no where to sit etc...

you say half term is unworkable . there must be another solution other than this

YES you are being ridiculous

send them by plane so they can be unaccompanied minors and get someone to meet them

trains are not appropriate

I would do this. I used to spend school holidays in Devon with a friend, from age 10 - I would be put on the train at Reading and met at Plymouth. I don't think there would be a problem with an intercity train. Trains such as Virgin seem to be fairly heavily staffed as well.

If you don't want to do the train, is there a coach? My cousins used to come to us on the Green Line coach every summer, when they were about 9 and 10. No problems, despatched at one end, call to say what time they would be arriving, met at the other.

I was getting the boat and train to Alsace at the age of 15 - no-one ever thought twice about it. Had I not done the Plymouth trips and visits to London with a friend at an earlier age, I might not have been happy about doing it, but there was really no problem. And today is even easier, with mobile phones.

I was put on a 2 hour train journey to my grandparents on my own at age 11, was put on the train and then collected off it the other end. I remember being really scared about it though so make sure the children are really happy about this OP.

I personally think 8 and 10 is too young but I think with a sensible 14 year ld this would be fine if it is as described and doesn't involve changing trains or anything like that, and they had a fully charged mobile phone with them.