TERRIFIED! long train journey with 2 under 2

[CKMUM]

Have nobody to come withe me to help, journey is 8 hours; any tips on how to cope?

I will have to go in the quiet coach as that is the only one where there is room for a buggy. Need to keep the buggy up rather than fold it so youngest can sleep in there.

Goodness knows what I'll do when eldest wants to sleep, if i have her on my lap asleep then little one needs to come out of buggy, what do I do with eldest? Eldest wakes if you transfer her to buggy. Although she loves cuddles, when you'd like her to sit cuddling you, she instead wants to run around getting into mischief and screams very very loudly if you don't let her do it!

Have you booked already? How many seats have you booked? Top tip: Get a family railcard and pay for a seat for each of them - that way you have guaranteed space to spread out. And don't go in the quiet coach - you will only antagonise people. I've always found people to be helpful and sympathetic, but that's unlikely to be the case in the quiet coach.

Where are you going? If you're going to visit rellies, can they borrow a buggy for you to use? If at all possible I would not take the buggy with you - it's a pain to get them on and off, and if a wheelchair user wants to get on, you will have to collapse it and try and find somewhere to put it.

If there are nice looking people nearby, then encourage them by offering them little jobs to do to help you: Like fetching you a coffee from the buffet car, or making friends with your toddler so you can leave her if you need to change the baby or something.

Finally: Enjoy it! It really is a very civilised way to travel.

Btw I have travelled by train from ds2 being 6 wks old. (22 months between them).

I recently travelled by train on a 14 hour journey with my 10,7 and 2 yr old, took lots of books to read to them,new small toys and food, maybe things you don't normally let them have, plenty to drink, I agree with roisin, its worth paying for an extra seat, and depending which train company you are on, it might be worth paying for 1st class if possible, on virgin, someone will collect things from the buffet for you. I travelled with a huge rucksack and a buggy, some of the time it was possible to leave this in the wheelchair area as no one needed to use it, otherwise I just put it on the luggage rack. Good Luck. Oh and ds2 cuddled up with a fleece blanket on the seat next to me to sleep.

I know mine are older, and don't want to worry you, but our return journey took 17 hours ( hence the upgrade to 1st class) and it really wasn't that bad, children seem to adapt very well and I think if you manage to be relaxed they will too.

I travelled with a 6 year and a 3 month old last year although the journey was only 3 1/2 hours. Ditto what roisin and bensmum have said - very good advice. Especially the tip about having a seat for each of you. I found that very worthwhile. Also took dd's car seat as she refused to sleep in her pram unless it was moving and as I didn't have space to even have the pram near me (it was in the luggage carriage)and at least I could rock her in that.
Tbh I found the journey quite difficult but a lot of that was due to dd being quite a difficult baby at the best of times.
The worst part was having to get dd, ds, a pram, a car seat and three bags off the train at Leeds station in the few minutes it was stopped there. Someone from Virgin Trains was supposed to meet me to help me off, but surprise surprise they didn't turn up