taking the train to Prague with 2 small children - madness?

[elportodelgato]

We have some friends who live about an hour outside Prague and we quite fancy going to see them next Spring when I will be on maternity leave. DD will be 2.10 and the new baby will be about 3 months. I'll be bf-ing exclusively I hope.

We decided years ago not to fly any more and so we'd be attempting this by train. Looking at seat61.co.uk it seems the best way is overnight - Eurostar to Brussels, intercity to Cologne, overnight sleeper to Prague. Obvs we would shell out for a private compartment etc.

I just wondered really if anyone else has attempted something like this and if you have any top tips for long overnight train journeys with small DCs? Or is it too ambitious?

sounds wonderful

How many hours from the moment you leave your house to the time you walk out of Prague train station?

It is manageable with a young baby, no doubt. With a 2 year old.... it's madness. Unless he is a very good sleeper.

I did this trip, without children, by coach years ago before cheap flights were widely available, and it was not bad at all. Long stretch through Germany overnight, arrived in Prague early the next morning. If you're in a private compartment on the train I'd say it's certainly doable, no worse than a flight of the same length would be. What's your 2 you like as a traveller and sleeper? Is she easy-ish to entertain?

I think it would be great! We have travelled a lot with our small DC and travelled around Germany and Austria with 3 under fives earlier this year.

Trains are much easier than cars as they are not cooped into their seats and can walk up and down. After the initial excitement they do tend to calm down and not run up and down quite as much - and I think a nearly 3 year old would be big enough to get the general idea that you can't run around too madly.

And sleeping on a train -what an adventure for a child and it means half of your journey they will probably spend crashed out asleep after so much excitement!

Just take lots of snacks, drinks and puzzles, colouring etc - go for it! I think as long as you are prepared to spend lots of time walking up and down the train (you can still observe a lot of scenery etc) it would be great!

Thanks for the advice all. TBH I think my DD will be better on a train than on a plane where she can't move around as freely. Certainly long car journeys are WAY worse than the train IME and I am hoping you're right hattyyellow, she'll be so excited she'll wear herself out and should sleep like a dream (she's a fabulous sleeper actually which I am supremely grateful for). She's also pretty good at understanding when to calm down and not go too nuts and loves reading books so as long as we have lots of those and lots of snacks etc we should be OK.

Quite a lot of the journey is overnight, I think we get into Prague about 8.30am and then we'd have to get to our friends' house (and collapse)

I am feeling quite enthused about it actually! I know there will be stressful moments but worth it, could be an adventure...

Where would the baby sleep?

I was thinking the baby would sleep in with me so I can bf easily in the night. I don't really go for co-sleeping as a rule but one night would be fine

I was worried you were going to say that because afaik the bunks are very narrow, a bit like in a caravan. So, narrower than a standard single bed. I'd check that out if you can.