What do you think if you organize a great trip being the train the main means of transport? Traveling by train with children is really cool. The little ones in the house get excited and enjoy, while the parents can relax and enjoy as much as they do.
You are organizing your big trip for this holiday but you are not sure which is the most comfortable transport to travel with your family. Why never think of the train as a means of transport when traveling? The same goes for boats… We always think about taking planes and for nearby destinations take the car, we do not usually think about traveling with children by train.
We always choose the same transport, the car and the plane, when there are more options. Clearly, if it is a trip to another continent you will have to take a plane, but if it is through pain or even Europet the most comfortable option may be to go by car, but with the risk that throughout the trip we are accompanied by the same phrase: “Dad have we arrived?
On the other hand, if you decide to travel with children by train, it will be a completely different experience, more relaxing and quiet for all members of the family. What’s more relaxing than watching the scenery from the window and letting yourself go? You can also attend to all the needs of the little ones at any time and play with them.
Train journeys are much more entertaining because children have more freedom of movement and parents can meet their needs without stopping. If you travel with a baby you can offer him at any time the or bottle or change the diapers and he will not have to be sitting in a chair but will be in your arms.
Why not take advantage and make a train route visiting many places or even countries?
We are specialists in making train routes to travel an entire country or even visit several countries. In this way we squeeze the most out of our vacation days. How do we organize our train trips with children? Very simple, we choose the country or countries and investigate their train routes, how to get to the main cities… All the info we get with Google Maps and then we look for more information on the official pages of the train companies in each country.
To travel around Europe there is an application called Rail Plannerin which you can check all the trains of all countries, with the routes and schedules.
Our experiences traveling by train with children
Many are already the incredible trips that we have lived traveling by train with children but also without them.
Before having children we remember train tours such as boarding the old trains in third class without air conditioning in Thailand to go fromBangkoktoAyuttayaor the train fromhell from Kanchanaburito Myanmar, the mythical trams of Istanbul and Milan. And if we move to the other side of the pond we remember the rack railway that goes up to the Christ of Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro.
But it has been now when traveling with children when we have most used trains to move around many countries in the world. We consider that the train has been the most comfortable way to travel with them from a very young age.
From Belgium to Holland by train
Combining these two countries is the same trip is a very good option. We arrived inBelgiumand visitedGhentandBrugesduring Christmas market time. After a couple of nights, we went to discover, the city of canals in Holland, Amsterdam.
From Barcelona to French Provence with the SCNF train
You can go to France from Spain in a short time without having to take a plane. SCNFhigh-speed trains depart fromMadridandBarcelonatoParisorMarseille. We decided to travel to French Provence and there rent a car to get around. We arrived at theFrench Alps, we met the beautifulAnnecyandLyon, to finish discovering the most beautiful corners ofFrench Provence.
It was the first big train ride being four, our oldest daughter was 3 years old and baby 6 months old. Here we tell you more about our trip discovering French Provence.
To all these train trips with children we can add the mythical Portuguese trams fromPortoorLisbonor the charming trams fromTorontoorPrague, the Postojna Cave train in Slovenia, the LaRhunerack railway and the cog railway that climbs the theMontenvers glacier in the French Alps. Also the subways of large cities such asNew York, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong
Why travel with children by train?
Kids love to travel by train! Not only did we parents enjoy resting and relaxing while we look at the scenery through the window. Traveling by train you can share with the little ones moments and experiences to remember.
A train journey we will never forget
If we had to choose our favorite train trip it would be the golden Pass of Switzerland that connects Lucerne with Montreux via Interlaken. Through its large windows, you can see a country full of contrasts, where the main protagonists are the mighty rivers, the lakes with crystal clear waters, the mountains and the snowy massifs. We boarded this train aswe toured Switzerland with our Interrail pass.
Why does Viajar con Chupetes like to travel by train so much?
It is a means of transport that is very comfortable for us and more now traveling with our children. Why? No need to check in luggage or be an hour before the airport, you do not have to get tired driving, you have more legroom and you can enjoy the scenery and even sleep.
The kids are more entertained, they can paint, watch a movie or just look out the window, it is also more comfortable to play with them.
The only downside is that if they are very small when you do not pay for the seat you usually have to carry them in your arms and it can be a bit tiring especially when they grow up and are almost 4 years old. Normally on most trains up to 4 years old they do not pay seats and have to go on top of their parents unless there is a free seat nearby.
In the case of European trains when you travel with the Interrail pass and children do not pay until the age of 11, children can use seats that are not reserved without any problem.
In many trains, you can be surprised with details such as a children’s area, with games, with television with drawings or with special compartments to travel with children and not disturb other travelers who want to rest. Also on most European trains there are changing tables in the bathrooms and sockets in the seats.