Train travel proves popular amongst parents

With the school holidays in full swing, families across Britain will be off on their travels- but it doesn't have to spell out the beginning of traffic jams, squabbling kids and endless toilet breaks.

Research from leading train company CrossCountry reveals that some parents are opting for train services when travelling with children - with 43% of parents agreeing that they are able to have more stimulating conversations with their children on a train than if they were travelling by car.

Two fifths (40%) of parents say their children get a better understanding of geography by travelling on train and 34% say their children benefit from spending more quality time with their family. More than half (57%) say their children enjoy looking out of the window at the scenery and talking about the sights they pass.

To make family travel by train even more appealing and a little easier this summer, CrossCounty have teamed up with Mumsnet to find out what parents like about travelling by train. Below is a selection of top tips for families, as recommended by the Mumsnet users:

1. Pack a back-pack full of tricks (think cheap, disposable toys)
2. Book in advance to make sure you get a seat reservation
3. Check to see if you could save even more by buying a Family & Friends Railcard
4. When travelling with a toddler try and tire them out first
5. Sit back, relax and enjoy and enjoy the view!

Despite every parent's best efforts, travelling with kids is not always plain sailing. Some of the more humorous events that parents admit to happening on a train include children saying 'hello' to every individual passenger, asking the ticket inspector for his ticket and even telling someone off for not having a ticket.

The research also found that over half (51%) of Brits like to travel by train because it's often  quicker than driving, 64% say they benefit from missing out on traffic jams and 56% simply enjoy the opportunity to sit back and relax.

Clare Shufflebotham, Partnerships Manager at CrossCountry commented; "We see lots of families travelling with us over the Summer months. Travelling by rail is a great way to see the country and re-visiting some of your favourite childhood holiday destinations with your own children can be really special."

CrossCountry run to 118 stations - covering more of Britain than any other train operator - and have lots of special travel offers to help make family travel even easier this summer at www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/special-offers/treats-and-discounts

Notes to editors

Research methodology:

OnePoll interviewed a random sample of 2,000 adults aged 18+ from through its online panel between 24th and 31st January 2013. The survey findings are nationally representative and further information is available at www.onepoll.com

Mumsnet methodology

CrossCountry sponsored discussion was carried out between the 12 and 29 July 2013. The Mumsnet users' top tips have been taken from 188 posts.

About Mumsnet

Mumsnet is the UK's largest network for parents, with over 50 million page views and over 9 million visits per month. It has 200 local sites, as well as a network of over 3,000 bloggers. It regularly campaigns on issues such as support for families of children with Special Educational Needs, improvements in miscarriage care and freedom of speech on the internet

CrossCountry

CrossCountry started operating on 11 November 2007. The franchise, which is the most extensive in the UK, will run until 31 March 2016. For further information on CrossCountry services and future franchise plans log on to crosscountrytrains.co.uk.

CrossCountry is part of the Arriva group, which is owned by Deutsche Bahn. Arriva is a leading pan-European public transport operators with more than 42,000 employees and operations across 12 European countries. The link to Arriva is www.arriva.co.uk. The link to Deutsche Bahn is deutschebahn.com.

Like CrossCountry on Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains.

Follow CrossCountry on Twitter via twitter.com/crosscountryuk.

CrossCountry bookings

Passengers can buy tickets for any rail journey in Britain, with any train company and with no booking fee at crosscountrytrains.co.uk or via the free CrossCountry Train Tickets app.Download the app by visiting your app store or by texting TRAVEL to 87080.

CrossCountry facts and figures

STATIONS SERVED: 119
ROUTE MILES: 1,490
WEEKDAY SERVICES: 295
PASSENGERS CARRIED: Over 30 million passenger journeys a year anticipated
ANNUAL TRAIN MILEAGE: Approximately 16 million
EMPLOYEES: Approximately 1,600
LONGEST TRAIN SERVICE: 08.20 Aberdeen to Penzance (774 miles)

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Contact Information

CrossCountry Press Office: [email protected]

About CrossCountry

CrossCountry is a long-distance passenger train operator, with a network stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff and calling at over 100 stations. Based in Birmingham, CrossCountry connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities and delivers 240 services every weekday, equating to over 42 million passenger journeys each year.

For further information on CrossCountry services, visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or visit one of our social media platforms via X @crosscountryuk or Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains