Europe holidays by train only!

[KennedyD22]

Hi!

Looking for some advice by some fellow plane avoiders… I absolutely love travel but unfortunately my partner is terrified of flying. We’ve flown to Italy once, but he is pretty adamant that he does not want to fly again in the near future.

We have 2 DC aged 2.5 and 1. Next year, we would really love to take them abroad, however with the no plane rule implemented by DP, and our children being young, we’re limited with where we can go.

Any one else have experiences of travel from UK to Europe by train? I personally do not like Paris & do not feel like Amsterdam would be good for my children at this age (when I went it was a party holiday). Looked into Nice as a potential & Switzerland which is a quick train from Paris (but terribly expensive & out of our budget atm).

Please recommend European holidays suitable for children this young!

We went to Brussels on Eurostar when my youngest was 3, and Disneyland Paris the next year. We ,loved both, but Brussles was unexpectedly great, loads to do for kids, the Atomium, Mini Europe, but my DC's favourite was the museum where you dress up Manneken Pis (the weeing boy statue).

Was just going to say this. Simple ferry journey, and only short drives to get around Brittany. Plenty to do and see there, and good food.

I love travelling by train, but when they're that young I think it could be awkward, particularly with all the extra kit you have to lug about for them!

Big cities in Belgium are the way to go. Bruges, Antwerp etc are very safe and have kids to do, plus the train are cheap by UK standards and pretty reliable.

Things*

If you can get the ferry from Plymouth to Roscoff, and since your children aren't school age, Eurocamp do £55 off ferry crossings in May and June. And they have a site called Les Mouettes which is only 17 kilometres from Roscoff.

If you do choose a campsite, if you can afford it, I recommend getting a mobile home rather than a ready erected tent - you have your own bathroom and a proper kitchen.

We did lots of holidays in Brittany, the Vendee and around Royan with our kids.

Or if you fancied Les Mouettes, you could organise the ferry crossing yourself and then book accommodation through Yelloh! and have more choice.
https://www.yellohvillage.co.uk/camping/les_mouettes?gclid=Cj0KCQjw8qmhBhClARIsANAtbod6J3vy-fSRUd1G_9XRm9xrLXXlK0NgFG_p_9BZ0C_ct9L94j9zYgIaAgUlEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

We're doing a train holiday this summer with our 3 DC (15, 11 and 6). We are starting in Amsterdam and then have a few days each in Hamburg, Brussels, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Berlin. I am most looking forward to the overnight train from Stockholm to Berlin. DP has booked it all so not sure exactly how the logistics all fit together but I am looking forward to it a lot.

We prefer cities on the whole.

Coastal but cities which I know you said possibly not, Marseille or Montpellier are a relatively quick train from Lille, which means you don't need to change in Paris which can be a pain.

@MotherofPearl ... give Hamburg a miss... the rest sounds amazing!!

Turns out we're actually going to Hanover (for one night), not Hamburg.

@MotherofPearl ... good call!! Phew!

When DS was about 3 we got the Eurostar to Paris, spent the afternoon there then sleeper to Barcelona, local train to Villanova I la Geltru, which has a Eurocamp and a beach. Local buses take you from the Eurocamp to the town centre and beach.

City break doesn't necessarily equal kids in a pram though. I love Germany for the way they integrate young children into city life, and often moan about how we didn't discover that until our DC were bigger.

In most German cities, the beer gardens have playparks! Getting around is easy, the parks are great, food is adaptable.

That all said, in your shoes - what I'd do is train out and then fly back with the kids. Your DH can then come back the slow way. Getting home is never as much fun as going away.

We've just booked a week's train trip down to the Basque Country in late May with Great Rail, really looking forward to it as DH can no longer drive and I don't want to have to do all the driving. We both love European trains, so can't wait.

Your DH doesn't sound exhausting at all - there are lots of great train options. Trains are great for small children as they can walk up and down the aisles rather than having to remain seated. Have a look at where you light want to go in France. Loads of people from Paris go on holiday by train and don't see it as the weird way of travel Brits do. I've always fancied going to Ile de re by train but have never made it.

Overnight ferries are fun for kids - there's lots to do on the ferry, so it feels like part of the holiday rather than part of the journey iyswim.

@pottydimley

We went to San Sebastian by train last year - the countryside looked so gorgeous! It was a quick trip so only got one day for walking (around Aia/Orio which is a lovely little town on the Euskotren route) but would love to go back.

Can you drive? There’s lots of nice places you can get to by ferry/ car.

Eurostar run a service direct to Avignon in S.France during the summer - and children under 4 travel free, although you have to be prepared for them to sit on your lap. We did this and picked up a hire car in S.France.

If you live in the SE of UK or can pick up Eurostar relatively easily then there are lots of great places within easy range by train - Nice and the Riviera, Italy, Switzerland, etc. Most require a change in Paris (and I'm not a fan of the areas around the main railway stations in Paris either). There's a Lonely Planet book about train travel in Europe that highlights the main high-speed lines. There are also lots of new sleeper services (like the one from Amsterdam to Berlin) that would be a fun trip.

My favourite things, Europe and trains. Where to begin? We have travelled by train from Santander to Madrid to Barcelona with toddlers.
Also from London to Paris to Milan and then on to Venice. The Italian lakes are amazing.
I also recommend Lake Bled.
Or anywhere in France. France is magical, and close. I would go to Paris and then on to the South I think, so sinple, but you will feel worlds away. Book Eurocamp, the kids will be so happy and everything is provided. It's reasonably priced outside of school holidays.
Or Brussels or Bruges or Holland. Germany is good. We have been to Munich and there are lakes and forest nearby.
So excited for you! It's way more fun than flying. The eurostar London to Paris is so easy and quick too.

For the first trip I would suggest not going too far. If you get off the train at Calais you can change onto a local train line that goes along the coast - Le Touquet, Boulogne, Wimereux. Sandy beaches, small pretty towns, good food, great aquarium in Boulogne.
Belgium also has some nice beaches that should be easy enough to get to from Brussels.

You can get Eurostar to París then take the train to Barcelona from there you can get buses or trains to any of the Costa resorts

So grateful for all the replies on here

But thought I’d add for anyone reading this for advice themselves, they haven’t done the directs to Avignon since before Covid and I think there isn’t plans to pick it back up again yet!

Many options for non flyers- have you considered an overnight coach? We did one from Dover when DCs were small and there were a surprising number of young families on the coach, many with babies. Had a lovely and cheap week in Spain.
we’ve also done train to South of France (Eurostar to Marseilles direct - not sure if that is still a thing) then onwards to Cannes, Nice etc.
Also Annecy has been mentioned- wonderful place for a family summer holiday, swimming in the crystal clear lake, trips to Chamonix, train to the glacier, luge, all wonderful.

Ferry Harwich to Hook of Holland, great fun if you book an overnight trip and sleep, then onward by train to Amsterdam or other Dutch locations.
Easiest option by far though is cruise from Southampton, holiday starts as soon as you get onboard, pools, kids clubs, theatres etc, amazing.