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Original poster

Travelling by train to the continent

43 replies

Indecisivelurcher · 04/02/2022 07:59

Anyone done this, with young kids? Looking for suggestions for a super easy first destination, beyond Paris.

OP posts:
MissAmbrosia · 04/02/2022 11:17

www.eurocamp.co.uk/campsites/rivieraandprovence/rv014-la-baume/ataglance.html Campsite

Train from Lille - to St Raphael - 13.01 - 19.44, changing in Marseille.

Original poster
Indecisivelurcher · 04/02/2022 11:34

Does anyone know what impact covid is having in France wrt train travel?

OP posts:
MissAmbrosia · 04/02/2022 11:37

At the moment - no food or drink is allowed. The onboard restos are closed and you have to wear a mask. They will be more lenient with children. Hoping this will change before the spring/summer

Original poster
Indecisivelurcher · 04/02/2022 11:40

Thanks @MissAmbrosia
If it doesn't then I don't think we could do it this year. Snacks are the main way I was planning on getting the kids through!

OP posts:
Spudina · 04/02/2022 11:58

@dreamingbohemian there was a change in Paris on the way back that I recall as DD2 didn’t get in the escalator and I had to run up it to get her!! Can’t recall that I changed on the way there but not 100% sure.

dreamingbohemian · 04/02/2022 12:08

Thanks @Spudina !

I just did some googling and it seems that normally you can take Eurostar direct to Lyon, Avignon and Marseilles but not at the moment due to covid.

Soffit · 04/02/2022 12:15

Zurich and beyond there you could explore the rest of Switzerland - Lucerne, Lugano, Geneva. You could even visit Munich from there and go onto Salzburg.

Spudina · 05/02/2022 09:58

@dreamingbohemian that’s a shame, I had started planning it in my head for this year!

middleager · 05/02/2022 10:03

Did Nice area. One train to the South then a connecting local train. Never again. Main Eurostar train stopped for five hours on the return as somebody had a serious medical issue.

Armed guards and medics ran up train, no food served, all announcements in French, kids upset, missed our connections then in the UK. Missed work and school the next day.

Felt stuck on the train, with no idea what was going on. It was quite scary with the arned guards coming on.

I appreciate we were really unlucky as the journey there was perfect.

Spudina · 05/02/2022 11:45

Eurostar train food is also massively expensive.

pitterpatterrain · 05/02/2022 11:48

Soffit that’s what I’m pondering at Easter - do Paris/Disney for a bit then over to Zurich and maybe then into Germany to meet a friend

I would think the trains will be fine, just packing lightly enough and figuring out what to do etc

Soffit · 05/02/2022 12:31

@pitterpatterrain

Soffit that’s what I’m pondering at Easter - do Paris/Disney for a bit then over to Zurich and maybe then into Germany to meet a friend

I would think the trains will be fine, just packing lightly enough and figuring out what to do etc

Its a great journey. The mainline Paris station from where the train departs to Zurich has some fabulous meal options beside/within the station. There is a definite culture contrast as soon as you step off the train at the other end so it is not just more of the same.
dreamingbohemian · 05/02/2022 12:44

[quote Spudina]@dreamingbohemian that’s a shame, I had started planning it in my head for this year![/quote]
Me too! I love Avignon

deplorabelle · 10/02/2022 22:48

Don't forget you can do Eurostar to Amsterdam as well now. Are you hoping to get to a beach? Because you can get to lots of different north sea beaches easily from Amsterdam or go to Brussels for Belgian destinations. I am not sure what the rules are for eating on Belgian and Dutch trains but it might be better than the French rules?

We much prefer German trains to the TGV these days. Cologne is perfectly doable and lovely to visit. It has an amazing zoo which is worth the trip on its own (we are not zoo people hyt adored it). We have also done Antwerp and Bruges pretty much effortlessly on Eurostar.

deplorabelle · 10/02/2022 22:54

Avignon is also a lovely place. We did it before through trains were available and it was fine. However, if planning to change in Paris, be aware the Paris metro is phenomenally inaccessible if you have a wheelchair, pushchair or can't lift your wheely suitcase.

Wbeezer · 10/02/2022 23:01

I haven't done a lot of train travel to europe (live in Scotland so Eurostar not so accessible) but used to travel up and down to London with 3 small children and found they were easier to manage on the train than in the car.
We also recently had a holiday to Leiden via Amsterdam by ferry then train and that was very straightforward. There were a lot of children on the ferry having a great time!
Got the travel itch in the station in Amsterdam, so tempting to go off exploring.
I did eurorailing in the 80s when i was 18, all over the place with no internet or online booking to plan it and no mobile phones! I struggle to imagine my 17 year old managing that! Sorry, off at a tangent.
Do it! Start a trend!

DdraigGoch · 12/02/2022 23:56

Nightjet now serve Zürich from Amsterdam as well as the Brussels - Vienna/Innsbruck route. Just book a four berth couchette. Much less hassle to do a long journey overnight. The best holiday I had as a child was Interlaken in Switzerland.

DuringDinnerMints · 18/08/2022 19:49

Sleeper trains are great with kids. Instead of having to entertain them for hours on a journey, you wake up at your destination and you've covered a greater distance.

France and Belgium both have double decker trains which kids like and you can get to both in a day.

Places I'd recommend
Nice
Avignon
Ghent
The Hague
Cologne

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