Mumsnet users hare with Trainline their top tips for travelling by train

[EllieMumsnet]

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Travelling on the train with your family for a day out, especially if you have little ones, can feel like a daunting experience, but it doesn’t have to be; the train journey can be an exciting part of the day out adventure for you and your DC’s and not just a way to get there. To help make sure this is the case for you and your family, Trainline would like you to share your top tips for travelling by train on family days out.

Here’s what Trainline have to say: “We’re always trying to make travel simple, giving our customers information they can count on. And planning a day out with the kids is one scenario where the simpler and more predictable the better. As it’s winter we’ve been thinking about the best ways to get out the house for some fresh air, without breaking your budget. We’ve come up with some “wild” train trips to zoos and animal parks across the UK which are perfect for letting off some steam (for you and your DC’s!).”

Do you research the stations that are on your journey beforehand so you can tell your DC’s fun facts about them? Do you use mobile tickets? Perhaps you pack a great picnic full of their favourite foods to keep everyone happy? Maybe you pack fun, entertaining games to play on the journey? Or do you keep them distracted by talking about all the things you’re going to get up to you on your day out?

Whatever your top tips are, please share them on the thread below to be entered into a prize draw where on MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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Train picnics are popular with us and we take toy trains with us to play with

Plan it well, take food on the journey and something to keep them occupied.

Make sure you have plenty of things to keep occupied as you're almost guaranteed to be delayed.

Book in advance so you are guaranteed seats together

Keep a wet bag easily accessible in case of spilled drinks / toilet accidents / etc. For travel with toddlers, expect lots of walking up and down the carriage! Some train companies provide kids' puzzle/activity books.

Take plenty of snacks .

last time we took snacks and entertainment, it really helps if you can reserve seats too

Be organised and have everyone well drilled.

Book in advance and book a table too! Pack an activity book if it's for a long journey and don't forget most trains now offer films to watch on mobile devices when traveling

Book a train seat with a charging point especially on long journeys

Snacks are always a must!

Try where possible to get a seat with a table but if not sit your child near the window rather than on the aisle seat - it stops the risk of them running down the aisle mid journey and you having to do a mad dash to catch them.

If you can prepare something for them to do on the journey from colouring in and doodling to reading a book or playing a simple game of i-spy. You can even try and make a game of train bingo where they have to tick off when they see certain items such as a tree, a sheep etc

Family and Friends Railcard and a ton of snacks. Oh, and lots of wet wipes.

1. Book in advance
2. pack small snacks and drinks, saves money but not easy to get a drinks/food on the train with children in tow.
3. I normally I pick up "stocking filler type items) small colour book, small crayons puzzle book, story book, anything small quite without multiple parts that will hold my children's attention, I choose things they have not got and keep them hidden away until the journey. Every so often open the bag and produce a new item, put the old one away. Also play old favorites like eye spy. Or counting cows

Go prepared with family-friendly games such as Uno. Play visual and verbal games such as I-Spy and home-made bingo (e.g. a bird, a van, a hedge). Take the opportunity for wonderful family time.

Book in advance and arive with plenty of time to spare.
Pack a small backpack with drinks, wet flannel in a bag, snacks, lots of activities that can be done on a table but are not messy or too noisy. Colouring with colored pencils, travel games, word games, ipads, books. I usually google for a few new ideas for games when travelling so that there is something fresh and new up my sleeve.

We always take plenty to do on the train...books and games. When I book the seats I try to arrange that web have a table ...a god send with children.
Before the train pulls into the station I check with the porters whereabouts my carriage is likely to stop.

Always have lots of snacks, drinks and things to do. Make sure that tissues and wipes are to hand.

Own food & drink to cut down on expense, gadgets/books for the children to pass the longer journeys...

We prepare for the fact that the train will be late (or just cancelled), far too small for the number of passengers tickets have been sold too, will likely have filthy toilets which probably won't work, that reserved seat tickets won't have been out out or if they have and someone is sitting in a seat that you paid to reserve the train staff will do nothing about it, that the train staff are likely not to be at their best as they have had hours of dealing with fed up passengers made angry by appalling decisions taken way over the train staff's heads and having no one else to address them to, and that thanks to to exorbitant costs of the tickets no you cannot have an eye wateringly overpriced snack from the trolley that for some reason staff are attempting to roll up and down the train despite nearly all the available floor space being full of travellers who haven't a hope of getting a seat.

Travelling by train for my three DC is an adventure in itself because of the scenery compared to travelling by car. I also make sure that we have plenty of snacks with us and things to keep them entertained if need be, e.g comics etc.

Don't sit in the quiet carriage! Bring drinks, snacks, colouring, kindle and reserve a table

lots of snacks, sometimes I make a list of things for he kids to find on the way and tick off.

When we use the train service I always research train times and distance between each transport and the costs of each before booking to ensure an easy day of travelling. I pack a couple of bags for the kids, with a jumper and raincoat, plenty of snacks and juice to keep them busy as well as a couple of activities such as a travel game set, colouring in or a tablet for reading books and playing games. It is great to have the chargers at your seats for longer journeys to keep the battery life full. I keep the kids busy by talking about what we see out the window when on a train. I do struggle when i take both kids myself on a train when one needs the toilet, I cannot leave one child by themselves at the table but i also hate leaving the table unoccupied with any luggage, food etc or incase someone sits at our seat while we are gone. It would be handy to have a lockable storage area.

travel as lightly as possible. take drinks you can dispose of when finished. take just enough food x

drinks, snacks, entertainment.