Anyone been on french motorail to s. france?

[pooka]

Hi all

We've booked return trip with dd (nearly 2) and car to Toulouse. Couldn't bear flying with baby paraphernalia as will be 7 months pregnant and rather fancy a night in a couchette. Just wondering whether anyone has any experience of making this journey, particularly with little ones, and if so, whether you have any tips.

TIA

I have! Went form Lille to Marseille with a 3 yr old and 7 yr old when I was a nanny.

I would say take the usually distractions; snacks, books, colouring, stickers etc. It was ages ago that I went but I can remember playing eye spy most of the way!

Maybe we were unlucky; when we did the same to Nice with a 9mo, a 4yo and a 5yo, we had booked 2x double couchettes, with all beds at the lower level, (rather than the sort you climb up a ladder to reach iyswim). Dh was going to share with the 2 oldest, I with baby. All the beds were at the high level! I "slept" with baby dd strapped on to me all night 6 feet off the floor. Next door (at least they got that right) dh felt it was too dangerous to let our boys share a couchette, with him in the other - that had been the plan if the couchettes had been at the lower level. So he didn't get any sleep either! Otoh it was nice to have our own car without worrying about what sort of hire car would turn up at the airport. One other thing, our car battery had gone flat overnight as I think the motorail driver had left the ignition partly on, so once we staggered off our poor car didn't, and we had to get a local garage to sort it out pdq. Not the sort of happy French holiday phrasebook sort of chat we'd been hoping for at the syart of the holiday. Have to say we dumped the idea of doing the return trip and just drove home (stayed overnight en route) instead.#

We now have a 4th child aged 16m and are going to South of france again. Don't know how to do it as we hate airports too. I will probably be posting for my own advice soon...

Oh crikey! Have to admit, though, that am not expecting to really sleep very much. Am planning to take myself off to bed as soon as we arrive, and dh can deal with dd!
I'm actually quite excited, although nervous about the normal baby care and the size of my bump!