Travel with your family can either be a high stress struggle, or a smooth sail, depending upon how you prepare yourself and your children. Follow along with Family Magic for tricks and tips about how to make travel more fun, less stressful, and better prepared!
Train Travel is Making a Comeback!
Have you ever traveled by train? Perhaps it’s time to give it a try! There are so many good reasons to travel by train. For a young family, the best reason to chose train travel is that your adventure can start as soon as you board.
8 Great reasons to take the train:
- Adventure – A family trip can be mighty tricky with young children. Keeping them happy, occupied and seated is a hard thing to do in a car or a plane due to the cramped quarters and safety rules. In a train, there are large, comfortable seats, multiple cars to explore, and often plenty of room to take a walk and look at scenery.
- Economy – The highest class tickets on a train still tend to be cheaper than first class plane tickets, of course, depending on the train. You can pack snacks for a train trip, saving you money on food, and even if it’s just a day trip, you will likely spend less on train travel than you will on car travel.
- Ecology – Train travel is one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly ways to travel. Trains have considerably lower emissions than other vehicles, use less energy, and create less noise.
- Better food and drink options – Most trains have a dining car or a snack bar where you can chose from a variety of food and drinks including child appropriate options and alcoholic beverages. These options tend to be larger and higher in quality than you might find in flight.
- Fewer luggage restrictions – Take up to 2 50 pound bags with you for no additional cost! Traveling heavy? No problem! As parents, we know what traveling heavy means!
- You can bring your own entertainment – On a plane, you will be asked to put your electronics away at various points in the journey, but on a train, you can watch movies, play games, listen to music or podcasts, color, take a walk, or visit with other passengers at any time.
- You can rent a private compartment – One way to get to your destination feeling awake and well rested is by renting a sleeper car. Sleeper cars cost a bit more, but often include meals, and special concierge service. The added privacy of a sleeper car may be just what you need for naps and bedtime routines.
- You can travel by train in most places around the world – Train travel is available the world over and will usually deliver you to the city hub unlike airports that have to be outside of most city limits. Trains tend to be clean, comfortable, and affordable.
Tips for Train Travel With Children:
- Pack a special bag – Pack a special carry on bag for your children filled with movies, coloring books, books, mad libs, games, and snacks.
- Wear comfortable clothes and footwear – Sweats and jammies are the ideal travel togs for small children. Slip on shoes with cushy socks are a great choice for quick changes and toasty feet!
- Keep a pillow and blanket somewhere handy – If you have a small travel pillow, pack a pillow and blanket that you can easily access for when your child gets sleepy. If you don’t have a small pillow, a soft stuffed animal can be just as comfortable.
- Pack a surprise – A new book, a new game, or a new movie can go a long way towards making a train trip easier. The novelty will give you more time fully engaged with your children.
- Ask questions – Ask your children about their observations on the train. Ask them to describe the scenery, describe the people, or talk about how fast the train moves and how it feels beneath your feet. Bring a book about trains and talk about how they work and what kind of train you’re on.
No matter where you go or how you get there, Make the trip more interesting with a real, old world pocket telescope! Great for observing anything on land and in the sky!
