Travelling with children; what are your tips? Share them with South Western Railway

[EllieMumsnet]

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We all know that travelling on family days out with children are not always the cheapest of experiences. However they can provide great family bonding and memories that will last a lifetime and just as importantly don’t have to burn a hole in your pocket every time. With that being said South Western Railway want your top tips for travelling with children, especially your best money saving tips!

Here’s what South Western Railway have to say: “If you’re savvy at looking out for great family deals then sign up to receive our customer newsletters. You’ll receive exclusive offers and inspiration on where to visit on the network, helping you to plan a fun family day out.”

Do you ensure you bring pack lunches and snacks for the whole family so you don't have to spend anything on food? Perhaps you like to bring along extended family or friends? Do you bring lots of fun games to use as distractions if and when needed on the journey? How do you decide where to go if you have children of different ages?

Whatever your tips are for travelling with children and saving money on family days out, share them on the thread below and everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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Individually packed lunches are best...it means you're not constantly stopping your own lunch to hand out more food
We play numerous alphabet games..countries, animals, capital cities etc

I try to keep them entertained for the first part of the journey with songs and chit chat and then allow them to play some games for a while.

Pens/paper, I-Spy books, travel games (choose carefully, nothing with fiddly bits that’ll be lost in 2 seconds flat!) spare undies/joggers - even if you don’t think you’ll need them! Snacks, snacks and more snacks......along with wet wipes for sticky hands, faces and tables. Oh and I always squash a handful of nappy sacks into a lidded pot, perfect for keeping rubbish tidied away.....and essential if someone does tiddle their pants!

We love the I spy books. I also pack plenty of snacks and easy, small, quiet toys.

Snacks and the iPad. And lots of wipes.

Leave them to their own devices. Encourage them to disturb other travellers while you have a nice kip. After all, children are all our responsibility.....

Plan plan plan

Headphones
Snacks
Books
QUIET games that can be played

Loads of snacks. We also go to the poundshop for things like play doh, colouring pads and pens, not stickers because they tire of them within 5 minutes.

Feed them properly before you go out for the day - stops them whinging half an hour into the journey, that they are hungry... I always take snacks too - you never know when you are going to get stuck in traffic on longer journeys. Best investment ever for us was dvd players for the car - they travel so much better now they are occupied. We do also play guessing games, alphabet name games on different subjects and also trying to make words up using the letters on number plates!

Obviously the Family and Friends railcard is going to be one of the biggest ways to save money. There are also often 2 for 1 discounts to museums if you show them your rail ticket.

If you've a group going on the underground, make a plan as to what happens if you get separated on the tube. (everyone get off the next station and meet on the platform or carry on to the destination station if they are older kids)

A trip to the loo is a must, booking a seat with a table, in advance, a friends and family railcard will save you £££££'s when you are making several journeys over the school holidays, and you can get other discounts which make for a cheap day out. Take a packed lunch, and for longer journeys a tablet computer (with wireless headphones) to pass the time on longer journeys,.

Leave as Early as you possibly can (I hate it when they nap)
Lots of fully charged tablets, a good mix of songs that suits and a small pot of finger sized snacks that won't create a mess!!

Water wow, sticker books and lots of snacks!!! Train trips with toddling triplets are way more fun when you’re prepared.

I'd say be organised, have food and drink, a toy and book or the dreaded ipad to keep them occupied

I hadn't seen the I spy books but they look great so I'll be grabbing those.

We tend to make up a big 'lunch box'to share at a meal time but then I'll have little snacks because whatever the size of the bag of sweets they'll eat them all. So it's better to have 3 mini ones for example.

We usually choose a magazine at the station and take a tablet but try not to be on it the whole journey.

Booking seats is essential but if your child is under 5 and so doesn't need a ticket you can't book one unless you buy a ticket which is really frustrating!

I take snacks and a packed lunch with me, as well as drinks. I always take a drink in a flask or bottle so that they can sip when they want, rather than a drink that once opened has to be finished. I also take a notepad and pencils/pens everywhere all the time! It's the easiest thing to carry and can be used for games, notes, drawing or even making paper aeroplanes with.

Snacks and entertainments key. Take a kindle/iPad for the journey

We have audio books for long journeys - the Hear it, Read it series are excellent. On a very long journey (to Scotland) we played 'Ink heart', which was awesome.

Always snacks, sometimes packed lunch, sometimes lunch out (fish and chips if we go to the beach!) to make it a treat for everyone. Hot chocolate in a flask if we are picnicking.

A bag of 'stuff' - 2 activity books, a reading book, pencil case and paper - we have a travel spirograph type thing which has been fab fun. we play hangman a lot. It has to be something you can see (like in I spy). 3 or 4 cars - dobble, uno and bananagrams and a fab game called wonder trumps. Like top trumps but much more fun!

Appropriate clothes and a change if required.

We travel a lot!!!

When doing the ferry or Chunnel we used to book 1 am crossings when ours were small. By setting off at bed time and driving through the night the journey goes smoothly. (You're a bit shattered on day 1 mind)

Take lots of snacks and food you know your children will eat! Don't rely on last minute expensive train station food options. Also pack surprise toys in your bag which they have never seen for those tantrums times or when they are getting really frustrated and upset at the long journey. Pack extra clothes for any eventuality (nausea/sickness, drinks/food spillages). Take a tablet with downloaded films/games. Oh and most importantly, make sure you have fun!

I have to go up from Plymouth to Waterloo for my child’s Operation at the London Children’s Hospital GOSH & I have to find the cheapest ticket, so I drive to Tiverton which is a faster quicker journey. I take food & drink & her Amazon tablet to while away the hours. I book a sear as the return journey is full.

Whenever we travel with my nephews or do days out we always try and get lots of the family together, that way they’re never bored as there’s so many people to play with. Cheaper days out by eating at home before, taking lunches or eating somewhere else on the way home (can normally find vouchers for pubs etc) and avoid paying in the place we’ve visited as it’s normally lots of money when you account for the whole family. Free days out are great, trips to local areas with a nice river front or beach area. We always look for deals where the kids go free! Or buy an adult get a kids entry free. They’re always more appealing

Take your own drinks & packed lunch/snacks

We always have a "bag of tricks" relevant to interests at the time. Once when my niece's were about to try and kill each other we whipped out a quiz sheet they could complete to earn there water safety badge for brownies and everything quickly went quiet whilst they got to work!

Always take snacks, colour pencils, paper/ something to draw on, wet wipes, books and more food!