6 tips for night train travel with children

1. A journey on a night train is an adventure

The atmosphere on the train is unique, for both children and adults. The children will also find night train travel an exciting and memorable adventure. There are several train cars and it is fun to explore them by walking the train corridors, watching the changing scenery from the window and listening to the sounds of the train. Crossing the wagon junctions can feel especially exciting.

Even though the journey is long, it goes quickly on a night train. On the train, children get to move, have fun and get a good night's sleep.

2. Children have their own beds at a discount

Children under the age of 11 travel for free in the same berth as an adult. You should consider having your own berth as the berths are not very wide and sharing one with a little more grown child may be uncomfortable.

You can order a safety net, an extra blanket and pillow for the berth of your child beforehand from VR customer service. The safety net is pre-installed and prevents the child from falling out of bed.

3. Connecting cabins for families

Usually the sleeper cabins are for two or three persons, but the downstairs of the new sleeping cabins have cabins that can be connected with a partition door so that a family can have a cabin suitable for four persons, if needed.

This means that in the new double-deck sleeper cars, a family can reserve adjacent cabins located on the first floor of the car, which can be connected with a partition door. The new sleeping cars are part of night trains between Helsinki, Rovaniemi, Kemijärvi and Kolari.

The cabins upstairs have their own toilet and shower. This means that if you need to use the toilet at night, you can do so without going through the corridor to get to the bathroom.

The cabin doors are open at the beginning of the journey and the keys can be found in the cabin.

Read more about sleeper cabins

4. Prepare your entertainment in advance – train Wi-Fi is not always able to maintain streaming

Although the night train itself is an exciting experience and exploring it is interesting, you should also pack some entertainment and a few toys for your children. Especially when going north, it takes several hours for the train to reach its destination and children may become bored, as night trains do not have cars with play areas.

Movies and other activities should be downloaded to your own device in advance, as the Wi-Fi connection can at times be so weak that it cannot run programmes through streaming. It is also worth noting that in double-decker sleeper cars, you can charge mobile phones and other devices in the cabins, but in the old three-person cabins, this is not possible.

5. The restaurant car has a children's menu

The restaurant car is the heart of the night train and it is definitely worth visiting with the children. It is also a fun addition to your journey. The restaurant car has a menu for children and there are all kinds of snacks available. You can also bring your own snacks on the night train. Remember to bring enough drinking water with you, as the train's tap water is not suitable for drinking.

6. Packing tips for a night train journey

Suitcases and prams can be pushed under the beds for the duration of the trip. If you have a lot of luggage or a pram, you can also leave it in the luggage storage area, as the bedrooms do not have room for everything. Large luggage is subject to a small surcharge, but the pram can be transported free of charge in the luggage storage area.

It is therefore advisable to pack a separate bag for the night train journey. The bag should have the things you will need on the train journey. This way you do not have to unpack all your luggage on the train.

• Learn more about night trains and buy your ticket
  
• Read more about luggage on the train
  
• Information for families with children about travelling by train