Taking a child to university by train and what to buy there?

[Boxingshibes]

Anyone taking their dc to uni by train?
I'm trying to figure out how much stuff we can take by train and how much we'll need to buy once we're there.
So far - clothes/personal stuff by train
Everything else - buy at Tesco/dunhelm/ ikea once we've seen the accommodation.
Trying to explain to dd we cant buy bedding/kitchen stuff now seems to be going in one ear and out the other!!!

My friends have kids there and love it! Their friends at other unis were particularly envious of their accommodation once they moved out of halls - so much cheaper than other cities (and halls) that they had lovely houses instead of grotty flats!

Compression bags on Amazon!

Just to warn you, Lumo trains have just put out an announcement reiterating their luggage policy before the train sets off!

@Boxingshibes Lumo cancel a lot of trains, just look at their live departures from Kings Cross for a few days. They cancelled a train on me a few weeks ago, I’m still fighting for a refund for having to pay for an expensive LNER ticket as the next Lumo was 4 hours later and I had to be there for an event. You’ll need a back up plan as even if they let you have all the luggage, they do seem to cancel or run short a lot.

Check the uni website, some do 'starter' packs'.

Worth checking what the halls provide before doing the big shop — most uni kitchens already come with a microwave (49 of the 54 unis I checked list one) and a kettle (45 of 54), and lots of halls beds are not single-sized: the most common bed across 884 room types was actually a 120cm small double, so single bedding sets are the most-wasted purchase. The uni's own accommodation page usually lists all this, or the checker I built collates it free with links to each uni's own pages: whatsinmyhalls.co.uk (bed size plus what's provided plus what's banned, per hall). Declaring my interest: it's my site.

Most Halls don’t allow kettles in rooms now and if you share a kitchen without one you may prefer to chip in together with your new flatmates rather than have one each.

Just be aware that most train lines cap luggage amounts at one standard suitcase, one wheelie hand luggage suitcase and a personal bag like a laptop per person. National Express allows you to pay for extra baggage. Better is to use a send my luggage service

I don't think you have said what accommodation she's going into, e.g. catered halls, self-catering flat etc., but maybe I missed it. I can speak from my own experience going to university at the other end of the country on the train. It was easier for me because I travelled from the start of the journey to my uni town without having to change trains. However , we did not want to be carrying loads of luggage so what we did was send a large suitcase/trunk on ahead with bulky items in and pots, pans etc. which could be picked up at the other end. This was something that even people with cars used to do. I'm not sure who we used for this, whether it was a service provided by the university or via Royal Mail, but there are lots of couriers who do this kind of service.

We think we'll send stuff up. Its a self catered flat.
I did see a tip on MN to get charity shop plates as they will be different from all the ikea stuff.

Ah fun times travelling with stuff for uni. When I was a student my term finished earlier, so I used to go up at the end of term to stay with my friend and then help her get her stuff back. A big group of us who all replied on the same train line used to ride South together and help each person off with their bags at each stop in turn. My friend and I were the last stop. (Perhaps your DD will be able to organize something like this in future terms)

You will not be able to rely on getting a huge amount of luggage on the Lumo. It's hit and miss whether they enforce it but if it's university moving day you won't be the only people on the train trying to take big cases and Lumo services are hemmed in with people and luggage at the best of times.

Your DD needs to pack lighter and send some stuff up at a later date. Or invite an extra friend to come with you and carry a couple of cases.

Can you just buy a starter pack from uni? They usually have all the essential bedding and kitchen stuff.
Most offer them as they know overseas students will find them helpful.

Remember Taxis can’t take all that much luggage either. It is not just the train journey to think about but the bits at the ends.

There’s no ‘normal’ IKEA in Dundee - just a plan and order point if you want to order a kitchen or something. It does not have any marketplace stuff (I was so disappointed!). There is a large Tesco close to the centre though. Dunhelm’s further away but there’s also TK Maxx close to the centre.

Has anyone made the train journey yet?! We are going next week. I would like to say we are all packed and organised but I would be lying...

@MamOfTwo we getting on the train on the 21st. DS has a suitcase and so far it's already half full and that's only pants and socks!! I think some rationalisation will have to happen.

@MamOfTwo Yes - to second year accomodation - so most stuff should have been in storage - though I refused to carry up a stack of books and sent up later by carrier.

We had three suitcase and three back packs - DH called a taxi for three -- used to be able to call bigger ones for luggage but they no longer like that - so ordinary car turned up - could only get two cases in boot so one large bag/case went in passenger seat and we had to cram with backpacks into back which was very tight. Did say to him do you belive me now it's a lot.

Once there the cases were as bad as previous years ie too heavy so we could walk from overnight hotel to new digs in private halls. We had one train change which was fine in end thanks to a member of staff helping orgainzie the luggage rack and having seats reserved which we got.

We told him to sort delivery before he left here but he didn't so he's not yet got the cases in storage. My older two do not seem to travel light.

We're here. Came up by train last night. It took 9 hrs tired but ok.
We got a taxi to halls and unpacked then went to Tesco for bedding and kitchen stuff. Then to primark for cute stuff.
Im knackered. We're going food shopping tomorrow.
Its been perfectly fine doing it by train.

So glad that the trip went well. Is she able to lave everything in her room over Christmas and at Easter?

Sounds like you've had it all worked out - well done.

*leave

DS is on his way to his year abroad. He ended up flying part way with his brother so they had a large suitcase checked in and a backpack each on the plane plus one under seat bag. They spent the weekend together on a city break then DS2 came back with just his own backpack, leaving DS2 with two suitcases, a backpack and an underseat bag (it has a pass through strap so can sit on top of one of the suitcases). He's taking regional trains over to his university city for cheapness, and also the luggage space is more flexible. I'm waiting to hear from him that he's arrived and got his accommodation.

A large proportion of his packing is books and course notes so he will need to buy things gradually. He thinks bedding is provided for international students but he's got all day to shop for some in a large European city if not....

I'm on the train home now and I think I should have just hired a car!!

The train was packed with so many suitcases, then it broke down before it even left the station so we had to decant into another train. Then because of the delay it didn't stop at our stop so we had to get off and cram onto other train. Standing room only.

DS' stuff was so heavy because he'd managed to put his PC monitor in the suitcase!

I was glad when we arrived! Not the best start.

However the sun was shining and his campus looked great!

Oh @AuntyBulgaria that sounds horrendous! Well done for getting through it.

Our train journey was relatively smooth. I think it helped that we went on a Thursday night so it was quite quiet.