Going on holiday with your little ones? Travelling with children, whether it’s for the first time or not, can sometimes be a challenge as you need to consider more than just yourself at every step. Often, we’re travelling for hours or at unsociable times of the day which can be a lot for little legs, so we’ve compiled our top family travel tips to help you have a smooth, stress-free RailAir journey and beyond.
By nature, RailAir is an extremely family friendly service. You can buy a ticket for your little ones aged between 5 and 15 years at our child’s fare . All children travelling to Heathrow Airport must be accompanied by an adult passenger too.
We also accommodate those travelling with babies - two children aged 0-3 years inclusive can travel free on charge when accompanied by an adult far-paying passenger.
All customers, including children (not infants), have an allowance of two luggage pieces each (up to 30kg) which are securely carried in the luggage compartment. This includes any pushchairs that you might need for your little ones.
In addition to the luggage compartment, you are also able to take one piece of soft hand luggage (max 10kg) on board the coach. So, you can easily access any essentials during the journey like teddies and toys.
Our coaches are readily available to accommodate little passengers. There are toilets on board each of our Heathrow Airport buses which can be used for baby changing facilities if needed during your journey. We also welcome any parents who might need to breastfeed on board.
Whilst RailAir is a great service for families or those travelling with children, we know that your trip doesn’t end when you step off one of our coaches. Here are some more general family travel tips to make your experience with your little ones as stress free as possible!
This applies to all areas of your holiday but especially for your RailAir journey. Buying your tickets ahead of time not only guarantees the best price but also helps you feel organised, getting rid of any worry about securing tickets - especially if you’re travelling during peak times like the school holidays.
Bear in mind that planning ahead also means arriving in plenty of time for your flight at Heathrow which is ideally at least 3 hours before.
Keeping your kids occupied during your coach journey, flight and beyond is one of the best ways to ensure a smoother travel experience. Including things such as their favourite toy, book or electronic device can help to keep them occupied, while you think about the next phase of your journey or maybe even get a few minutes of rest!
In addition to distractions, make sure to add some small snacks or drinks, which can also be taken onto the coach, as travelling with hangry little ones is not a calming experience for anyone!
Depending on where you’re jetting off to, your travel day can be quite long so it’s essential that both you and your little ones are wearing comfy clothes that they can spend a long time in. It is also a good idea to bring different layers, as you adjust from the colder temperatures of England to hopefully somewhere sunny! Likewise when travelling home, it’s nice to have an extra layer to keep you warm when you touch down at home.
Once inside of Heathrow, look out for family friendly spaces such as restaurants and play areas. This will help to keep your kids occupied in the airport and allow them to let off any steam before boarding your flight. Heathrow has play areas in Terminals 2,3,4 and 5 which are all open early till late. You can find out more about their family friendly facilities here.
A great family travel tip is to check if your airline offers a pre-boarding advantage for those travelling with children and use it. It gives you the opportunity to have some extra time to settle into the flight, organise your space and locate all the essentials you need before the flight sets off.
Our final family travel tip is to remain calm. As most parents and guardians know, when having children or travelling with them, often you need to be flexible or your plans can change - think unexpected toilet trip or a lost teddy. Staying calm in any unexpected situation can help keep the little ones around you calm too, as they can pick up on your energy. As long as you’ve got your passports, then any other travel stresses will melt away once you’re on holiday!
Using our family friendly service to Heathrow and following our other family travel tips can help you have a smooth journey and an even better holiday! Book your RailAir tickets now to ensure the best price for you and your kids.
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