Why we took the train to the South of France (and didn’t miss flying at all)
Ok, flying may be efficient but let’s face it, it’s not particularly pleasant, especially with children, nor good for the environment. When we fly I tend to feel exhausted, stressed and irritable before we’ve even left the country!
So last summer, we tried something different: we took the train to the South of France – Bordeaux specifically. My initial worries about high stress levels, missing connections and forgetting bags were completely unwarranted.
It turned out to be both easier and better. From the very first platform, the journey was part of the holiday fun.
A family train trip to Bordeaux: how it works
Leg 1: Bristol Temple Meads → London Paddington
12:30 – 14:05 | 1 hour 35 minutes
We set off from Bristol Temple Meads, our local station, and it already felt like a win: no motorways, no airport parking, no depressing service stations. Just 30 minutes after leaving home, we were on our first train with coffee and snacks… but minus the water bottles which we’d forgotten (there had to be something!)
The kids were immediately assigned jobs:
- One in charge of the timetable
- One counting bags and checking station maps
It was a team effort and they loved being part of it.
Leg 2: London → Paris (Eurostar)
16:01 – 19:28 | 3 hours 27 minutes
After hopping on the London underground, we arrived at St Pancras with time on our hands, so we bought more snacks and everyone chose a book in the bookshop.
Boarding the Eurostar is always exciting, and the kids LOVE going through the tunnel. It’s also far more pleasant than flying – there’s space to move, a table, and no ear popping. Plus, no need to stress about your bag fitting in the cabin baggage allowance!
We ate, read, played cards and arrived in Paris without that slightly frazzled, dehydrated feeling that seems to be part of flying.
Leg 3: Crossing Paris: Gare du Nord → Montparnasse
This was the only genuinely tight connection of the day.
I was slightly intimidated about crossing Paris, but it turned out to be easy. Head straight down from the station into the Metro, onto Line 4, and 14 stops later you’re across the city – simple. Buying tickets was straightforward, though with only an hour to spare, a little more time would have been welcome.
One of the better moments was standing in the front carriage of the metro, watching the tunnels and tracks unfold ahead through the giant front window. One of the worse moments was when the children urgently needed a wee (when they’d had ALL that time on the train!)
Leg 4: Paris → Bordeaux (TGV)
20:34 – 22:45 | 2 hours 11 minutes
The final leg was on a double-decker TGV, which was the absolute highlight of the journey. Being able to go upstairs on a train (awesome) and travel insanely fast was the cherry on the cake for the kids.
It was dark by now but despite the long journey, there was no sense of fatigue… just that building excitement of nearly reaching your destination.
The Practical Bit: the cost of family rail travel to France
Booked in advance, a one-way journey for a family of four typically comes out around:
- Bristol → London: £80 – £100 total
- Eurostar: £240–£400 total
- Paris → Bordeaux: £100–£240 total
Rough total: £420–£700 one way (or £340 – £640 from London)
Once you factor in baggage, airport transfers and parking, it’s often comparable to flying – and significantly more enjoyable.
Why taking the train to South of France worked for our family holiday
We arrived in Bordeaux having already done something fun and fantastic- it felt like proper travel. The children had followed maps, checked times, counted bags. We’d eaten proper food, read books, played, chatted and watched the landscape change in front of us. We always had allocated seats, so there was no ‘commuter train’ phobia of packed carriages.
Flying will always be faster. But faster isn’t always better, especially when the journey itself turns out to be one of the best parts of the trip.
If you’re interested in travelling to the Alps for a skiing holiday by train, see my article in the i Paper here.
