4 tips for relaxing train travel with children

4 tips for a relaxing train journey with children

Increasingly concerned by current issues, we wanted to reflect on how we spend our time. This inevitably includes ‘travel time’. This time also has the advantage of being 'nice' and 'relaxing' for creating family memories. Here are some tips for making it quality time. Happy reading 🙂

1: Preparation: essential!

A train journey needs to be prepared. Whether it's for 30 minutes or 8 hours, the better the journey is prepared, the more relaxed the parent will be (and therefore the children too 🙂

Buy tickets in advance, reserve seats to be together, print everything to have a paper version (and avoid a crisis in case of a flat battery). If the journey involves several trains/metros/buses, clearly note the different routes, connections, platforms, and departure times on a roadmap. Why a sheet? To reduce screen time (yes, relaxing for everyone 🙂

Finally, explain the different stages of the journey to the children the day before departure. Whatever their age, they understand well, it involves them, they will be interested and proactive, rather than passively dragging their feet. (Why not print the roadmap for the older ones as well?)

2: Activities: Vary them!

Keeping children busy for 8 hours is possible! And the good news is that on a train, it's even easier than in a car or on a plane 🙂 Indeed, no worries about traffic jams, gas, or a seat being too small; we have time, space, and a liberated mind to be 100% focused on the children. Here’s how to keep all that hustle and bustle occupied:

Provide each child with their own backpack. This gives them responsibility; they are proud to fill their own bag with their belongings and treasures. The mini backpack, available on the website, is ideal because it fills easily, has an easy opening for small hands, and is suitable for everyone thanks to its adjustable straps.

For activities, the key is variety: provide activity books appropriate for their age (coloring, dot-to-dot, Sudoku, calculations, crosswords) and a book to read for quieter moments. Bring material to listen to a podcast (list of podcasts to download here), print the travel bingo (available on the website), which encourages observing the landscape in search of a bridge, a horse, or a wind turbine. Great discussions ahead 🙂

Bring 'easy' games, such as UNO, Dobble, or Happy Families—small games that don't require a large board or much space (no Stratego or Monopoly, for example 🙂). Our tip is not to bring the boxes, which are often bulky, but to slip the cards into a personalized pouch, also available on the website. This takes up less space in the backpack and on the train.

A complete list of ideas is available here, feel free to pick some if needed to fill the last hours of the trip 🙂 great ideas on the blog.

3: Picnic and drinks

A good picnic, prepared in advance, is essential for a nice break during long journeys. It’s best to enhance the picnic with unusual little surprises (small cherry tomatoes, small dried fruits, small biscuits) to make the picnic more festive. It’s an activity in itself, so make the most of it 🙂

It's important to set a picnic time, also to structure the train journey. Children will quickly say 'I'm hungry' (even if they've just left the table), and clearly telling them 'we'll have the picnic at 12 p.m.' prevents them from asking the question 10 times in a row.

4: An identification bracelet

Giving each child an identification bracelet with a phone number is essential. Even if it's often unused (fortunately), you'll bless it the day a child disappears in a second. If the journey involves several parts with train changes, don't forget to give them a way to contact you in case of trouble. These bracelets are the ideal solution for every age.

Have a good trip!