Toddler on Virgin Trains

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Hi, I am thinking of taking my 16 month old by train from London Euston to Birmingham. Has anyone done this or a similar journey on Virgin trains?

Will a folded Mclaren Quest fit in the end of carriage luggage racks ok?

Would you book a separate seat for him or hope that a spare would be free if I book an airline style aisle seat? I plan to travel mid morning on a Friday and then back on a Sunday.

I am keen to avoid changing nappies on the train but know that he is likely to want to 'go' shortly before our journey! What are changing facilities like at Euston or Birmingham New Street?

My thoughts on the travel time are:

Travel at 10.30 ish and hopefully get there before lunch.

Have early lunch at home and then travel afterwards, with the hope that he would nap on the train. Does the train motion reliably send them off to sleep?

Any other tips much appreciated.

Thanks.

I don't know about Maclarens = i have never had one. But ime if you want them to have a seat - book one! Window seat + aisle seat with table will be best ime. Change him before you go and he should be ok until you get where you are going. I don't recall seeing a change station in the loo's anyway.

Take snacks even if it means filling him up before lunch - it makes the journeys sooooo much easier. Take some toys to play with too - i keep a few cars in the change bag along with random crayons and scraps of paper.

Try and keep everything to one bag that way if you have to do a wander round the train you aren't worried about your bags. If you have to take more than one bag, keep all your important things in one bag that can be carried round.

When you get ON the train push the buggy forwards but getting OFF is easier going backwards. (obviously with child in the buggy)

You will be fine.

Travelled with ds since he was 9 months old usually Glasgow to Newcastle (2 1/2 hours)

Traveling outside of peak times will mean the chances of getting a spare seat will be greater - FWIW I have never booked a seat for ds, and he has always had his own, although obviuosly the trains from Euston are probably busier than Glasgow.

Table seats are better - more space to spread out - strangely enough, if you and ds sit at a table, with your crayons/grapes/sausage roll/fruit shoot, its unlikely that anyone will come and sit next to you - cant think why

Just divide it up into segements, first 1/2 hour getting settled, loioking round, chatting about things that you can see. Next 1/2 hour walk along to the buffet carriage, get a cup of tea, sandwich whatever. Take a wee picnic for ds - grapes, raisins, snadwichs nothing too messy. Next half hour, colouring/reading/playing. Hopefully that will be the journey just about done. He might sleep - ds never did, but we use to travel 8am ish and travel home tea time.

Buggy will fit I would imagine - there will certainly be somewhere to put.

I bought a travel dvd for ds when he was 2, so we could watch cbeebies with headphones.

You will be absolutely fine. I've been taking my 2 year old DD on the train since she was about 6 weeks. We regularly take Virgin trains to Manchester & to Birmingham from Euston. Really easy journeys.

I've never booked DD a ticket (cheapskate!) & we have always been able to have a seat for her. I prefer to sit a table so that we can spread our stuff around. Travelling during the day time it's never a problem, not sure about rush hour.

What I do is book myself a ticket in advance so that we do have a seat sorted, then I dash to the train when its announced & try to get the wheelchair seat (if it's not prebooked - it doesn't tend to be - & obviously I would vacate it if someone who needed it came along). Think it is in coach D or E on Virgin trains. You have space here for your buggy if your baby will nap in it, otherwise you have to stand in the corridor with the baby in the buggy. Having booked yourself a seat elsewhere means that if the wheelchair seat is full or the train is busy you are still safe. Lots of parents do this so we generally meet another kid to play with as well!

My Maclaren (4 seasons I think) won't fit in the overhead luggage racks, nor are the ordinary luggage racks deep enough - the wheels stick out a bit - not massively but someone has once tripped over my buggy wheels. If you get the wheelchair space that's not a problem. I say stupid Virgin designing trains with no space for buggies!

I've never changed DD at the stations, but the trains have changing tables (those pull down ones you find in toilets) in the disabled access toilet. They've been fine.

As to the timing, that depends on your little one! When DD was small, I would time a train journey for her nap time since she would sleep on the train. Then there was a period when she wouldn't nap on the train, & I timed journeys to be home for nap. Now she sleeps on the train again so I time it for naptime for a nice easy journey. Just don't forget to pack something for yourself to read!

Most of the time (sometimes they are out of stock) you can pick up a free activity pack from the buffet car. It's designed for kids aged 3 & other I think but it gives you something to tear apart, & there are crayons & notepads.

Sorry for essay - clearly this is my specialist subject!

I would reiterate what the others have said - for those of us without cars its a completely normal commonplace thing to do.

the Maclarens dont fit in the luggage spaces no - you have to fold them up nd shove them under the seats in the back rows - at least you do on Great Western trains -the disabled spots are a lot better as obv toddler can sleep there in the buggy.

The only difference for me from the others is that we always book the dcs a seat - with the family railcard its really cheap and just gives you extra peace of mind - otherwise you have to race on and find 2 unbooked seats and its stressful.

I take my DC from Bristol to Herts (change in London) fairly regularly to see my parents. Love the train compared to the car journey as you can get up and move around, the DC don't have to be strapped in etc.

Only things I would add are travel light, minimise the number of bags that you have. It's easier now my oldest is 4 as he has his only little bag (as others have said, many snacks and activity things are the way to go). I usually take my big rucksack with all our clothes in, with tickets, purse etc in an easily accessible pocket, then DS has his small rucksack.

And if you can choose the time you travel, don't travel in rush hour...

Yes, travel light! I take our things in a rucksack on my back, & then a nappy bag to have with us on the seat.

Falsemessageoflethargy, do you have a F&F railcard for kids under 5? I really want to get one to save on my fares, but thought I had to wait until I was buying DD a ticket?

Another here who's been doing Exeter to Manchester regularly since DS was about 6 months.

F&F railcard worth it as usually adult + child on railcard is cheaper than adult return (even for really short journeys) - you do end up buying your under 5 a ticket which they don't need, but the reduction in your own fare is so great it's worth it.

Agree with toys/books/planning round naps. I used to pick a couple of new wheeled things from a charity shop and present them to DS with a flourish on the train - he'd then crawl up and down the aisle with them happily. And the moving about thing is one of the great pluses of train travel.

I don't usually book and have never had a problem. Also agree with the rucksack plan (I once managed to cross London from one mainline station to another with rucksack, buggy and car seat slung from the buggy handles - Londoners are much more helpful than everyone makes out).