Train journey with kids: the easy way to travel
A train is the most relaxed way to travel with children: they can walk, look out of the window, eat at a table and you don't have to drive. A little planning makes it even easier.
Booking: the seats matter
- A table gives you a play area, a dining table and a place for drawing.
- Near the luggage and the toilet, so you don't walk the length of the train with a toddler.
- Family areas or compartments exist on some trains. Ask when you book.
- Under-4s often travel free without their own seat. On a long trip, a seat of their own can still be worth it.
Luggage: less than for a car
You'll carry everything up the steps, along the platform and onto the rack, often with a child by the hand. A backpack each, one suitcase and a light pushchair that folds with one hand work better than many bags.
Activities for the table
Works at a train table
- Sticker books and colouring
- Playdough in a small tub (a train table survives it)
- Small figures and a toy train, of course
- Card games: memory, snap
- Spot it out of the window: cows, bridges, tunnels
Less good
- Loud toys in a quiet carriage
- Balls, which roll down the corridor
- Lots of small pieces near the gap by the window
Food and toilet
Bring your own food even if there's a restaurant car: it may be closed, far away or sold out. A packed lunch eaten slowly at the table is an activity in itself. Visit the toilet before it's urgent, and bring wipes and a spare pair of trousers.
Changing trains
- Leave at least 20 to 30 minutes for changes with children and luggage.
- Get the bags and coats ready before the station, not when the train stops.
- Agree who carries what and who holds whose hand.
Quick answers
Do children travel free on trains in Europe?
On many railways, children under 4 travel free if they don't take their own seat, and older children get a discount. Check the operator's rules when you book.
What do you do with a toddler on a train?
Look out of the window, walk the corridor, eat at the table, then a new activity from the bag: stickers, small figures, a book. Trains are easier than planes because they can move around.
Train or car with a small child?
A train lets you sit together, play and move around, and nobody has to drive. A car is easier with lots of luggage. Many families find the train less tiring for the same distance.
Want it ready-made?
Our boxes fit a train table: a set of activities for your child's age, quiet enough for any carriage. From €59, packed by hand for your child's age and delivered before you go.
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