Traveling with kids: by train | The Family Without Borders

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Travel tips: with kids

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Traveling with kids: by train

Berlin - Warsaw Train: Traveling with kids by train; Photo: Anna Alboth

A lot of people, usually no facilities for changing diapers, often delays or cancellations. We do love trains, also with kids. Do you?

Fresh topic: we just yesterday came from Berlin to Warsaw by train. Actual topic: during Christmas time a lot of you is or will be in the trains. I think it’s our favourite way for moving in space. Even if sometimes challenging.

Yesterday was very special, we were in one compartment with our friends and their two little kids and their one huge dog (do you remember the picture? this one!). So it was not boring at all, a lot going on, but with no stress.

What can make stress, when you are in the train with infants or kids? A lot of luggage. Hungry, tired and naughty kids. Unfriendly, annoyed co-passengers. A lot of cigarettes smoke. Or a sudden health problem, like throwing out in the worst place and moment of the trip. In last 4,5 years of travelling with our girls (by this Warsaw-Berlin-6-hours-train something like 100 times, I guess) we had it all.

Berlin Ostbahnhof (Germany): Our kids waiting for the train; Photo: Anna Alboth
Berlin Ostbahnhof (Germany): Mila and Hanna waiting for the train; Photo: Anna Alboth

And at the end I really love trains and I think none of those challenges is a reason not to travel with kids by train. I was often going alone, with a tiny Hanna, or with a little Hanna and being pregnant, or with tiny Mila and little Hanna. The worst what happened was when after 5 hours of fights with tired and a bit sick girls, one fell asleep and the other one through out on the all things in the compartment, and at this moment the train broke up, another train came and the passengers had few minutes to change the train. Was after midnight, I had thousands of bags (Tom was supposed to get me at the station in Berlin), one sleeping kid and another one super dirty. The other train couldn’t wait, so I already had this vision of staying forever alone in the empty train. But there was this stranger guy, who said he can’t leave me alone in such a situation, and that it doesn’t matter how long they will repair the train. Kids were sleeping, I had enough time to clean up everything, the crew of the restaurant car brought us warm tea, there was plenty of time for talking and I got a new, good friend. So that was the worst what happened ;)

The train is much cooler than a plane: there is more places to discover (trips there and back, to the front and to the back of the train), more people to meet and those people are usually changing. For us usually there is no real need to take toys or books, the trip itself is so entertaining. Rarely happen that it the whole passengers car there is nobody who badly wants to play with kids, or that there is no other kids, who will be happy to play with your kids. But in case of problems, it’s good to have few things (here I will just repeat a part of the „travelling by plane“ post).

You should never forget wet wipes (ALWAYS useful), more than needed diapers (sometimes the trip is much longer, the train is broken or has to wait) and clothes for change.

We also always had with us a favourite teddy bear, a little pillow, a blanket (or we just use our jacket, to make it all homey and cosy), some new little toys, few books, paper, pencils and some little bullshit (balloons or little ropes). It’s worth to remember that everything can be a toy, from a cup for coffee to ropes of papas pullover.

Berlin - Warsaw: Hanna and Mila built a house; Photo: Anna Alboth
Berlin – Warsaw: Hanna and Mila built a house; Photo: Anna Alboth

Because in the train there is more space than in the plane, our girls love to climb or build houses. Few scarfs, sweaters, curtains – and the house is ready. Then they are hiding there, we can only hear sweet giggling from under the construction. If the passengers are friendly, you have also much more options to spend time on: singing songs, playing guitar, playing some board game on the floor or whatever else you wish. I love those grannies, who are happy to tell fairy-tales, or those grandpas, who would sing some old-school songs! (and then I can read my newspaper, hihi).

If you are alone, don’t be afraid of asking for help: with a luggage, or to leave your kid with others, when you want to go to the toilet. It has never happened to me, that people didn’t want to help. And they are happy about it! Travelling with baby, travelling with kids, nothing easier than by train, seriously.


Our first book is out!

We have published our first book (for now just in Polish:) about our Central America Trip.
See, read and order here »

4 Comments

  • Posted January 7, 2014 at 22:38 | Permalink

    Świetny wpis. Mam nadzieję, że się nie obrazisz, jeśli dodam Cię do mojej listy najlepszych
    blogów o tematyce podróżniczej – blogipodroznikow.blogspot.com. Łatwiej będzie Twój blog znaleźć. Pozdrawiam, Ewka.

    Reply
  • K
    Posted February 11, 2014 at 21:54 | Permalink

    Cześć!
    Bardzo fajnie, że tak pozytywnie piszecie o podróżowaniu z dziećmi różnymi środkami lokomocji. Ale tak z praktycznej ciekawości: co robisz/robiłaś jeśli musisz pójść do toalety w pociągu (jadąc z nimi sama)? Może teraz Wasze dziewczynki już są większe to prosta sprawa, ale jak miały tak około powiedzmy roku albo półtora? Za odpowiedź będę bardzo wdzięczna!

    Reply
    • Anna Alboth
      Posted February 11, 2014 at 23:47 | Permalink

      Hej! Albo zostawiałam je z kimś w przedziale (jeśli złapały kontakt albo spały), albo zabierałam ze sobą. Nie widzę innych opcji :)

      Reply

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