Holiday in the UK? Not if you need to travel by train!

[Magneto]

This may be old news for some of you who travel by train regularly but I just want to have a rant. I travel by local train every day but have never really needed to travel across the country by rail until now and I'm bloody shocked and fuming!

I may have to go on holiday on my own with ds next month as dh may possibly be starting a new job the week the holiday was booked for (over a year ago!). I don't drive, so I decided to plan ahead and see how much it would cost to get the train to our destinition, which is in the UK. I know train prices can be steep and I expected quotes of about £100-£150.

They want at least £350 for a return ticket! I would have to change trains 3 times (with suitcase, toddler and pram) and it would take 9 hours!

The same journey by car would take 6 hours in good traffic and dh estimates it wouldn't cost him half as much in fuel.

For that price I would rather have gone to Paris than stay in the UK.

I couldn't agree more

We're going on honeymoon to Skye in July. I'd love to take the sleeper train to Fort William - I remember reading the Sadler's Wells book as a child and the girls were always getting the sleeper and I remember thinking how romantic! .... well, not at £450 it's not!!

We'll be flying - £225 and it takes just over an hour.

I just don't know what the rail companies are thinking. They're not even trying to compete....

BlackAffronted - It says it on the link. From Memory, 'SunNorthWest' or something (?) but it's there in the text. You just ignore the other box, it still lets you register.

In summer at least there are some direct trains, virgin trains,direct from the scotland and the north west to penzance and you would have to alight at the station before, st erth, and whilst you can get a train then to st ives, it is such a short distance, i would hop into a taxi.Remember to reserve seats both ways when you book, even with a toddler the train journey is lovely, the scenery from exeter onwards is fantastic and st ives is paradise!
Good luck, you will be fine, i regularly used to travel cornwall to london return with 3dc and also all the way to euro disney, but did have dh with us on that occasion!

It may be worth booking a hotel night through superbreak, or one of those kind of companies who also offer train travel. I recently went on a 6 hour train journey - south yorkshire to aberdeen return for £53.00. The train ticket was valid for travel for 1 month after the date of the first hotel night (and yes, you can book 1 night only)

I've done a long train journey by myself with 18 month old and two large suitcases. DH got me to the platform, and then the train manager was really helpful too. Don't be afraid to ask for help from the train manager, people are very friendly and always willing to help.

I used to take trains across the country all the time for work until fairly recently (18 months ago but I imagine things may have gotten even worse since then) and I would never recommend anything but a direct train. They are never in time, you risk missing the connecting train and then you discover that there are a million restrictions on which other train you can take.

My favourite trip was starting at Cambridge trying to get to Shrops only to end up at Milton Keynes 9 hours later! Three of us hopped into a taxi at that point to get home and paid LESS than we had paid for our combined train tickets! Madness!

Okydoky, we've decided to extend our holiday for an extra day at the start to allow dh to drive us there and spend a little time relaxing himself, then I will be getting the train back.

I've found a ticket gets me back home without any changes (well it gets me onto local train services that I know well and can navigate easily!) and to upgrade to first class is not that much more expensive.

But... do you have to be quiet in first class? We will be travelling on a Friday so I would hopefully not disturb as many commuters as it would on a Monday. I will of course be taking an some quiet) toys and probably sacrificing my phone and ipod to entertain him but it is still going to be 7 hours on one train and he is a toddler. I know he will scream at one point and I won't be able to hush him. Will I get kicked off the train? How do you manage with a restless toddler in confined spaces and everyone judging and tutting you?

Or should I just stick to the standard fare and forget about first class?

(by the way I've ordered a 16-25 railcard which I found through the links you kind people have provided, which will also save me half of my train fare to work every day for the next year so thank you very much! I also paid for the railcard using clubcard vouchers so it didn't cost me a thing. )

If you have bought a first class ticket then you have as much right to be there as anyone else. However, of course you need to be considerate, as you would anywhere else on the train. You won't get kicked off for having a noisy toddler but you might get a few cat bum faces. Just smile politely and do your best, no one can ask any more :)

I know people have said that under 5s travel for free, but bear in mind that they're not entitled to a seat unless you buy one for them. Out of season, it isn't usually a problem as there will be spare seats but in peak season, trains to/from Cornwall get very busy & you're not going to want your toddler on your knee for the entire journey.
Booking direct with the trainline may not be any more expensive than the deals you can get on the internet and will ensure that you can book a seat with a table which will probably be invaluable.
There's only a branch line from St Ives to St Erth so you're going to have to do one change. As one of the other posters has said, it may be easier to get a taxi to St Erth as it will just make things easier. You're probably going to have to get a taxi from whereever you're staying to the station in St Ives anyway.

When we did a short first class journey on Cross Country trains, the train manager spoke to us about 5 min in to the journey. We were with our 8 month dd. She wasn't crying but had been a bit noisy (and a normal baby) when I nipped to the loo.

The Train manager had had a 'complaint' from another passenger that he didn't think children were allowed on and that the baby was distracting him from his work/calls TM had kindly told him that first class wasn't a "quiet" coach and children were allowed in first class.

TM come over to us to be seen to be 'having a word' but basically said, get her to make as much noise as possible and other passenger was being an arse.

DP kept trying to get her to squeal and make more noise but she fell asleep after 10 min!

I don't think they can kick you off OP. I would have some good retorts in case you're challenged by mardy business men

"redspottedhanky.com as there are no booking fees unlike train line"

Yes, had seen / heard similar comment about looking on almost any of the other similar websites for train times (many use the same 'ticket search engine' as the train line, but few of the others have booking fees added on - nasty to find an extra fiver or whatever added to your bill when you are finally happy you havefound the right tickets for your trip).

helenlynn - yes someone did mention MSE Tickety Split

www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/travel/2012/05/moneysavingexpertcom-split-ticket-app-hits-top-ten-on-app-store Tickety Split

Has your Dh told employer he has a holiday booked? Employers normally honour holidays booked prior to joining a company

Don't worry OP. First class has no age restrictions.
If people want a quiet coach then many trains give them that option.#
First class does not equal quiet coach.

The same journey by car would take 6 hours in good traffic and dh estimates it wouldn't cost him half as much in fuel.

I must point out that the real cost of car travel is generally 2.5x the fuel cost. So if OP is saying that it would cost her DP £150 in fuel (4x6hr journeys), then the real running cost on the car would be in the region of £375+, more than the max train fare. (that cost does not include depreciation, insurance, MOT or VED, either).

Also depends how you value the nuisance of travel time, but I think OP's options are
A) one adult x 18 hours
vs.
B) one adult x 24 hours + one adult x 12 hours. = 36 hours of adult time.

So on a purely cost basis, train wins.

You could hire a car?

The OP has already stated that she doesn't drive.

OP am I being thick? my DC is the same age as yours - in what way, shape or form will a week in a strange place with sole care of a toddler constitute a holiday for you? With a feckin massive journey either end??? Do you have access to really good sedatives for your DC? Or I am I missing something?

Suitcase, toddler and pram?? Why?

Small rucksack/handbag strapped around front, plus large backpack ( plus bumbag for valuables if absolutely necessary round waist) = all hands-free,

• toddler + lightweight collapsable buggy that you can carry in one hand.

I used to travel from one side of the country to the other on the train with a toddler this way every fortnight, with a long trip acroos London on the Tube (plus changes) at either end, to allow DS to have contact with ex-DP.

grobagsforever No you're not thick but I'm bloody stupid I couldn't face the thought of throwing away the holiday but I'm now panicking about what I'm going to do with ds for the week except maybe spend every day at the beach.

Does anyone know what public transport is like in St Ives? How easy will it be for me to get to some of the local attractions?

LapsedPacifist I've almost given up on the pram idea all together because it's impossible to keep hold of the pram and ds when he wants to walk because he goes in all directions, so I have bought one of these so that I don't need to take a sling and my changing bag (which is also my handbag). I also have a little backpack with reigns on for ds.

I'm going for a week so will need to pack enough clothes for me and ds/towels/swimming stuff/basic toileteries/nappies and wipes/sleeping bag and blanket for the week and some little toys and books to try and keep him entertained on the journey. I am good at packing as little as is needed but it's still going to be tough to fit it all in one suitcase.

It's a self catering holiday too, could really do with having dh there but life's a shit. I still need to figure out the meal plan and budget for eating out (because I hate cooking).

So it's all booked, we drive down on the Saturday and holiday with dh (in a travelodge ) until Monday because he doesn't want to miss out on the entire holiday, then he drops me and ds off at the holiday par early in the morning and heads back home in time for work. I spend the week there alone and then get the train back to Manchester on Friday and then hop on and off the local trains until we end up at home.

Final price for the train ticket was £50, using railcard, the red spotted hanky promo code posted above and tesco vouchers so very pleased about that.

This is the most least relaxing holiday I've ever had in my entire bloody life. I am NEVER doing this again!

Public transport in Cornwall? Good luck OP!

But St. Ives is gorgeous though.

SpottedGurnard I was afraid of that... a week on the beach it is then .

Next time I am going to Paris.

I think you deserve it! Leave DH and DS at home and spend a weekend moochong around galleries and shopping in Paris.

Failing that I think you should at least go for a day at a spa.

Rail fares are hilarious. My mum needed to travel at very short notice once and was quoted £300. She was horrified, and said don't you have any cheaper fares? They said yes, she could also travel for half that.

Wtf.

magneto, you could spend a day at paradise park which is ideal for toddlers, it is a combo of animals,gardens and indoor/outdoor play, don't forget the socks!Not too big either. It is at hayle, only 5miles from st ives and reached by bus or train.
Don't bother about flambards at helston, for older children.
Tate st ives often have free activities for little ones.
Also an indoor swim pool in st ives.
Honestly if you have fine weather as we have had down here in corrnwall this weekend, you won't want to budge from any of the3beaches in st ives, they are so beautiful and clean, you could be in the carribean, it is so idyllic. I don't work for the cornish tourist board,promise!!!!

Why dont you buy nappies and wipes and some basic shower gel / sun cream type toiletries when you get there rather than lug it around on the train. It would be easier for you and then fill in part of the first day going shopping to get your essentials?