Train Travel for Families: For a Relaxing, Stress-free Family Vacation Consider Traveling By Train by Carrie Watts

When planning our recent family vacation, my husband and I wanted to avoid the typical stresses of travel. To do this, we opted to forego airports for the grand old method of train travel.

Wanting a true break from as much of life’s demands as possible, we spurned the challenge of finding adequate flight options, managing airport security and surviving insufficient waiting areas as part of the travel burden. Instead, we reveled in the simplicity of hopping on the Caledonian Sleeper in Inverness, Scotland, getting cozy in bed and waking up in London in the morning.

Rather than worrying about getting from the airport to Disney some 30 miles outside of Paris (car hire, taxi?), we thrilled with the comforts of the Eurostar and an arrival at Disneyland’s own train station. Instead of grumpy and spent, we arrived fresh and excited for enjoying the rest of the day, the start of five fabulous days of family fun.

Photo: Sleeper.scot

The trip back was even better. With the station so close, we stayed in the park until 45 minutes before our train left. A zippy ride on the bullet train, an easy transfer back to the Eurostar and a streamlined security process (we went through security, immigration and customs within 15 minutes) meant we were back in London and heading to the Caledonian Sleeper in no time at all. With access to the Virgin Train First Class Lounge, we could shower, snack and rest in comfort and peace until boarding. Then it was into our jammies for another great sleep as we zoomed through the night to Inverness.

One-hundred percent Watts family approved, we all agree that train travel is the easiest means of getting there and back again.

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