Below are our tips for travelling by train – split into overground and underground sections – to read our forum on this topic click here

Overland trains

Regardless of whether you intend to travel in the UK or abroad the key to success when traveling by train is forward planning. By buying tickets in advance you will not only get the best ticket price but will also be able to reserve seating so that your family are seated together. When purchasing tickets try to book the most direct train with as few changes as possible (this not only reduces the stress of the journey but also the chance of loosing luggage). Also enquire about about priority boarding often this is free/small charge if booked when booking your tickets.

When reserving seating top tips are to reserve seating with a table for easy entertaining (colouring books, toys, meals etc) and window seating so that your little ones can watch the world go by.

If you do have a table you could incorporate the use of a “me too” chair like this one by Phil and Teds – this chair clamps on to the table top and allows your little ones to sit right up to the table, it is light, collapsible and suitable for any child once they can hold up their head unaided – it’s also perfect for eating out!

If your trip is a long one – especially overseas – consider booking a sleeper cabin and taking the trip overnight – this would certainly be a adventure for your little ones and would give you more time at your destination.

Make sure that you have ample supplies of snacks, entertainment, wipes/tissue – for the toilet, and travel sickness tablets on you.

Underground trains

Underground trains such as the London Underground and the Paris Metro for example can be busy places. However whilst on a city break they offer cheap and quick transport to places of local interest. Using the city underground train is also arguably safer when compared to a local taxi without a car seat.

Tickets- if you are staying in a city for more than one day you may save money by buying a multi day pass, you could save even more by buying a pass which only allows travel off peak (e.g. after 9am and not within the evening rush) given that you are travelling with children it would be best to avoid the commuter rush anyway. Unlike overland trains there is usually no benifit in buying tickets for underground travel in advance, therefore if there is more than one adult in your party it would be best to leave the children with an adult in a station meeting point – a coffee shop for example – and send one adult into the station to buy tickets for the whole party, this will avoid a lot of unnecessary stress!

In most cities that we have visited the underground system is more than 50 years old – therefore you can expect a combination of steps/staircases, escalators and long corridors – a nightmare to navigate with a conventional pram or pushchair, especially when you factor in the crowds.

Our advice is dependant on how many children you are travelling with and their ages but we would recommend carrying babies in a baby carrier like this one. The advantages of this are that your baby is kept close, easily manoeuvrable and will feel more secure closer to mum or dad.Also if you find yourself standing on a busy carridge baby is close to you at all times whilst taking up minimal room. We would recommend buying a carrier that allows babies to face either direction and if you wouldn’t normally use a carrier have a few practice runs with baby at home before your trip.

You may find that you are happy to use the carrier exclusively throughout your city break, allowing you to hop on and off of underground trains and explore the city’s sights. However a baby is heavy to carry about for a whole day so you may wish to team up your carrier with the “me too” seat above so that you can take regular breaks in coffee shops and put baby down for a bit or invest in a cheap, lightweight stroller that packs down and can be carried easily on the underground train.

The Uno Buggy Stroller is a specialist lightweight stroller that packs down into its own carry case (provided) and only weighs a few Kg’s – it also costs less than £25 at the time of writing so is ideal for travel – especially if your destination involved a flight to get to in the first place.