Scotland for Families

Travelling With Kids

Steam Trains, Stress, and Spilt Squash

A whine pierces the rose-tinted daydream of holidaying with the kids - are we nearly there yet? It’s a familiar refrain, unless said child is a lover of routes, road signs and motorway service stations. It is inevitable that there will be flashpoints at some point on your holidays when stress, fatigue, sibling rivalry or a dropped ice cream will burst everyone's bubble of well-being.

At least with younger kids it's straightforward, cheering them up with a sudden change of subject or a replacement ice cream. One unpredictable random incident could cause a day-long sulk for some poor angst-ridden teenager. How to solve that one? Answers on a postcard!

Long journeys equal long faces for permanently excited children. Here are a few hints for keeping them sweet until they're there.

Let Me Entertain You

Battle boredom, and bond, with an old-school game like 'I Spy'. Teenagers might not be up for bonding, or spotting sheep, but it's a sure bet for keeping the kids busy staring out of the windows.

Entertain Yourselves

Not by fighting in the back seat, but watching a film (if you've got a portable DVD player). If the kids are in a trance at the latest Disney flick, you can play I Spy in peace, or concentrate on the road.

Ditch The Car

Get your motor running, head out on the highway…and get stuck in a contraflow. First day of the school holidays, and everyone else has the same idea. Cue cooped-up kids, road rage and the perfect start to a disastrous holiday. So ditch the motor and go by train so you can watch the world go by instead of falling asleep at the wheel. If you're chilled out, your blissful aura will spread to the kids.

Take Your Time

If you're stressed, the wee ones will be too. Holidays are meant to be relaxing, remember, so don't put yourself under undue pressure and give yourself plenty of time to catch your plane, train or ferry. They may let you on the plane if you all burst into tears at the check-in desk, but it doesn't always work. And research your route - late and lost isn't good.

Make It Fun

Make 'getting there' the highlight of the holiday and travel in style. Hiring a Harley Davidson isn't particularly practical, but you could go Hogwart's Express-style on a steam train (just pretend if you're on non-steam) or go overnight on a romantic sleeper.