Family train tickets
Heading for a family day out and travelling by train? You’ve come to the right place.
Our guide to booking family train tickets will provide you with all the information you need to make your family train trip a breeze. From easy ways to save money on train tickets to offers and child fare information, we’ve got you covered. Discover top destinations, travel tips, money-saving ideas and much more in our summer train travel guide.
If you're planning a family day out in London or the South of England this summer, kids can travel by train for £2 or less!
Save with Trainline this summer ☀️
Planning your family's summer trip? Save money on your train tickets with Trainline!
Summer, shades, saving money on your train tickets. The recipe for the perfect summer? Possibly, yes.
Did you know that kids can travel for £2 or less? Well, now you do!
Whether you’re leaving London for a day out with the kids at the beach, or vice versa, you can take advantage of super cheap fares! With the Kids for a Quid deal, up to four kids aged 5-15 years old travel for £1 each on certain trains.
Find out more about Kids for a Quid.
That’s not all - if you’re looking to save money, you can take 1/3 off train tickets with a Family & Friends Railcard.
When travelling with a Family & Friends Railcard, adults will receive 1/3 off, and children receive 60% off certain train tickets. Make sure you carry your Railcard with you during your journey though! In total, eight passengers (four adults and four children) can travel with a Family & Friends Railcard.
Find out more about the Family & Friends Railcard.
How to book family train tickets
Buy a Family & Friends Railcard
The Family & Friends Railcard is a great way to get discounted fares on family train travel and can be used by adults travelling with at least one child in the UK. Adults will receive 1/3 off, and children receive 60% off certain train tickets, make sure you carry your Railcard with you during your journey though.
Learn more about the Family & Friends Railcard.
Check child fares
If you’re travelling with little ones, you’re in luck – all children under the age of 5 travel for free on UK trains. A train ticket for children aged between 5 and 15 will be at a discounted price, although the exact amount can vary between train companies.
Find out more about child train tickets.
Book in advance
As train companies in the UK usually release Advance tickets 12 weeks before the departure date, booking your train tickets ahead of time is often when they’ll be at their lowest price. Depending on the train company you’re travelling with, booking in advance can also mean you’re able to book seats together with a table.
Find out more on our Advance train tickets page, or if you know the date you’d like to travel, sign up for our Ticket Alert service, and we’ll email you when your tickets go on sale.
Travel Off-Peak
It’s typically cheaper to travel during Off-Peak train times in the UK (anything outside of Monday to Friday rush hours), and these trains are usually a lot quieter than during Peak hours, meaning there’s the added bonus of being able to get seats together with your family if you can’t reserve them ahead of time.
We mark journeys as either Peak, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak (between 10:00 and 15:30 and from 19:15 onwards Monday to Friday) when you search for tickets on our website or app to make them easy to spot.
Learn more about Off-Peak train tickets.
Save 1/3 on rail travel with a digital Railcard
Planning to travel by train with your family? If you're travelling with children aged 5-15, we recommend you get a Family & Friends or Network Railcard – they both allow you to get 1/3 off adult train tickets when you travel with 1-4 children, plus kids get 60% off!
Family & Friends
Railcard
For up to four adults and four children (5-15 years old)
Adults get 1/3 off, children get a 60% discount. At least 1 adult and 1 child must travel together. Conditions apply
Great for:
Anyone who travels in groups with children – no relation necessary
1- or 3-year validity available
Save £20 with a 3-year Railcard
Digital only
Railcards live in your account in the Trainline app so you can use them on any of your compatible devices. No download codes are needed!
Network
Railcard
£30
For travellers in the South-East of England
Get 1/3 off travel after 10:00 am (and any time on weekends and public holidays). Applies only to journeys starting and ending in the South-East Network Railcard zone.
For up to four adults and four children aged 5-15
Children get 60% off
Great for:
Commuters and Londoners
Digital only
Railcards live in your account in the Trainline app so you can use them on any of your compatible devices. No download codes are needed!
Kids travel for £2 or less!
We’ve got your back with cheap travel for family days out in London and the South of England. Whether you’re leaving London for a day out with kids in the countryside or vice versa, there are some super cheap fares to be had.
Keep reading for more information on how you can save on kids' train travel – discounts will be applied automatically when booking on our website or app.
How can I get cheap kids’ fares?
Southeastern
With the Kids for a Quid deal, up to four kids aged 5-15 years old travel for £1 each on Southeastern trains when accompanied by at least one adult – no date restrictions for travel. Valid for Off-Peak Single or Return tickets, as well as Advance Single tickets on any Southeastern route.
Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Greater Anglia
Up to four kids aged 5-15 years old travel for £2 on Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Greater Anglia trains when accompanied by at least one adult – no date restrictions for travel. Valid for Off-Peak Single and Return tickets.
Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Railway and LNWR
If you hold an Off-Peak Family Travelcard and are travelling to London with up to 4 children aged 5-15, each of them will travel for just £1 on Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services.
More family train deals
There are a few more family train deals that can help you save on your family train tickets. Click on the deal you’re interested in or start a search in our Journey Planner at the top of the page – the discount will be applied automatically as you book.
Avanti West Coast - Family Tickets from £73.80
For West Coast Mainline journeys to or from London.
LNER - Family Tickets from £99
For journeys between popular LNER stations and London.
c2c - 25% off with a Family Travelcard
For Off-Peak Return journeys into London and Zones 1-6.
Chiltern - Family Travelcard from £25
For Off-Peak Return travel into London and Zones 1-6.
Family train tickets to London
There’s nothing quite like a family day out in London – whether you’re sightseeing, going to the theatre or picnicking on one of the city’s beautiful parks, it’s a great way to spend the day or weekend. Train travel to London can quickly add up though, so we’d recommend using a few of the tips mentioned above when booking your family train tickets to London.
If you already have or are thinking about purchasing a Family and Friends Railcard, it can also give you access to discounts on museums, hotels, attractions and more. So not only will you save on train travel to London, but you could also enjoy discounted entry to fun things to do once you’re there!
Find out more about travelling to the capital on our trains to London page.
Frequently Asked Questions
We've answered some of your most frequently asked questions about family train tickets below.
How much is a family train ticket?
The Family & Friends Railcard costs just £30 for the year. If you buy a 3-year Railcard for just £70, you can save £20 compared to the price of buying three separate 1-year Family & Friends Railcards for £90.
How many people can travel with a Family & Friends Railcard?
A total of eight passengers (four adults and four children) can travel with a Family & Friends Railcard.
Are there any deals for family train travel?
Yes, there is a number of train deals you can benefit from when travelling with your family. Check out our family train deals and kids train deals sections for more details.
What ages qualify for child train tickets?
Children between 5 and 15 inclusive are eligible for child fares, which offer a 50% discount on full-price tickets. Children aged 4 or under travel for free with an accompanying adult.
*Average savings made by UK customers from Advance fares, SplitSave and/or Railcard discounts, where available v. equivalent flexible fare without a Railcard or SplitSave. Subject to availability and eligibility. See Trainline T&Cs for further info.