I’ve probably done about 2 train miles in the last few weeks, so when Virgin Trains contacted me to see if I am interested in train journeys with sparkle, I excitedly printed off a plan of their network to see where they might take me to!

Virgin Trains has both East Coast and West Coast routes and as I live in Yorkshire I’m on the East Coast network. I can travel from Leeds or York up to Edinburgh, Glasgow, or even Inverness and going South I can get as far down as London – one of my favourite cities.

With the schools breaking up for summer, parents will be planning activities to keep the family entertained this summer and what a great way to spend a fun day – travelling by train!

On the Virgin Trains East Coast network, kids under 5 go free! Parents can take up to two kids under the age of 5 free of charge, although they may have to sit on your lap on a busy journey! You can learn more about travelling with kids on the train here.

Trains can be a stress free way to get about too, on my last journey I was able to watch a movie on my laptop, being able to relax my mind in a way I can’t do when driving. Virgin Trains have wifi and also serve food for a comfortable ride. Here are some of their benefits of travelling by train.

You can get around far and wide on a train, so if you are planning fun days out in the UK this summer rather than venturing abroad, you can find a beach at the UK’s coastal resorts! Virgin Trains has compiled 5 great coastal destinations for a weekend break but if you want to explore my neck of the woods, here’s what a trip to Yorkshire has to offer and you can travel with Virgin Trains to Leeds or York!

My family and I are planning to use the train for a trip away later in the year, so we all get to relax rather than me or hubby taking shifts driving, and I love how we can show our kids about all forms of travel. As they get older and more independent they will no doubt be getting around by train, so it’s important for me to have shown them how to go on, so that I know they will be capable of doing it for themselves. I did this last summer when I took my kids on the bus all day to teach my teenager how to ask for her ticket, where the bus stops were and how to signal that you want to get on and off the bus! It cost me £26 for busses that day but at least now she can travel on the bus by herself with confidence. I’d like her to do the same with trains in the future.

Have you been anywhere nice by train recently? Are you planning to this summer? Let me know in the !

Disclosure: Thank you to Virgin Trains who have supplied me with a family train ticket. All opinions in this post are my own.

Family days out by train · featured · Virgin Trains Days Out · Travel