Traveling by train with under 5's

[Valkarie]

I have travelled on local trains before, but need to do London and longer journey. I am finding the information available confusing! I will be only adult and have a 3 year old and baby in a push chair. I can't do escalators as older one panics and can't get on and off them by himself. I can't lift him and the push chair.

Firstly, I am finding it very confusing to work out which tubes we can use. Do they expect push chairs to use escalators?

Secondly, I am trying to pre book the ticket as it is 1/3 of the on the day price. It says under 5's don't need tickets, but then if I have a seat allocated for the inter city part of the journey, how will I know if there will be a spare seat? The baby will be on my lap, but it would be a long uncomfortable journey with only 1 seat for 3 of us!

Is this inner London? Look at the tube map for the step free access symbol. That means there’s a lift from platform to street level. Unfortunately they aren’t at every station. Where is your journey to - from? We might be able to help you with the route.
If it’s trains most stations have lifts to the platform. Seat wise you’re obviously fine on the tube as it’s unallocated, depending on the train route it may be the same then. Give us a bit more detail and there will be someone to help out I’m sure

If you look on the transport for London website it will tell you which stations are suitable for disabled access, those are the ones with lifts and no stairs/escalators. Would it be an option putting the three year old in the buggy and carrying the baby in a sling?

If you get a family railcard it can often work out cheaper to buy under fives a ticket and then you get your own ticket discounted too. They also are entitled to a seat reservation on trains which allow them.

Another idea is that the bus may be an easier, less stressful, but slightly slower option to go between London stations, depending on which stations you are travelling between.

If you have a family railcard, it's cheaper to buy an adult plus child with a railcard (the under 5 doesn't NEED a ticket but they CAN have a ticket, then you get a seat for them. Don't risk there being no seat for either child - it would be horrendous). For a longer journey, it's probably cheaper to also buy the family railcard!

For the tube, is there any way you can take a sling, if you have to cross London you don't have much choice about which station you are going to/from and so many don't have lifts. If you are lucky and someone helps you with the buggy up a few steps that's fine but I don't think there's a full list of stations that have escalators vs a few steps - only ones that are step free.

You could take a sling for the journey and a wheeled case, and then maybe borrow a buggy when you get there if you really need one?
When we went to London on holiday when DD was still in the buggy we took the sling too - we used the buggy for the bus and sling for the tube.

Yes I was also going to suggest the bus, or possibly a taxi.

Thank you! My train line can do London Bridge, Waterloo East Or Charing Cross. I then need to get to Paddington for Bristol Temple Meads. That is the part where seating would be allocated for a cheaper ticket.

Stairs I don't mind as can just bump the buggy down and ds can do them fine on his own. I will have a sling, but would prefer not to do the whole journey with only that as it is a very long time to not be able to put the baby down and I don't know that my back could handle it. I don't need luggage, just food, nappies etc for the journey, so was going to take a small backpack for that.

I suggest you take a carrier for the baby. It makes it so much easier for getting on and off the train, tube, bus etc. Then you’ll have your hands free for the pushchair and toddler.

If I were you I’d try and stick to the bus or tube stations with step free access, but if you can’t avoid tube stations with stairs/escalators then I suggest taking a single pushchair that’s reasonably light and easy to fold so you can carry it. Baby in carrier, toddler in one hand, pushchair in other.

We always purchased a family railcard and a ticket for dd so she could have a seat. Worth it for the peace of mind

My train line can do London Bridge, Waterloo East Or Charing Cross. I then need to get to Paddington for Bristol Temple Meads

Map of step-free tube access here:

content.tfl.gov.uk/step-free-tube-guide-map.pdf

Probably London Bridge and walk over to Cannon Street, or Charing Cross and walk to Westminster. The Circle Line is very easy in general with a push chair, and easier now than it was even a few years ago.

Waterloo East (you will need to walk over to Waterloo) or Charing Cross is direct Bakerloo line to Paddington. London Bridge you’d probably take the Jubilee line to Waterloo then get on the Bakerloo line there. Very easy journey but you would need to use escalators. So I’d suggest baby in the sling and toddler in the pushchair for the tube bit. Or just get a black cab across town. It’s more expensive but you can just wheel the buggy straight into the back and go straight to Paddington with no hassle.

Or yes as PP has suggested walk to get the circle line, that’s mostly step free.

Thank you everyone. I know there are lots of children in London, but I don't know how the parents manage it!

They get the bus mainly!

If you have a local train station call in when they are quiet and ask for advice about the seating, they were always very helpful when I travelled with children.