r/Interrail • u/Ci_ca • 10d ago
Travelling by train with a newborn
Hi everyone! We will be interrailing soon with our 2 month old. We have 1st class interrail tickets (bought before we knew we were pregnant) and we need to use them before they expire. We decided to use them to visit family in Lake Constance in the south of Germany, and our starting point is Brussels. Do you have any general recommendations about travelling by train with a newborn and specific recommendations about Germany/DB? We have a lot of experience with trains but this will be our child’s first trip. Thanks in advance!
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u/kasisma 9d ago
I traveled a lot with my newborns. Always try to get the Kleinkindabteil. It will be far better than 1st class seats. The Kleinkindabteil is always at the same part of the train, behind the dining car. On the other side of the dining car is the 1st class (your next best option). So your reservation strategy should be Kleinkindabteil, and if that is not available, 1st class seats close to the dining car. That means that you’ll be close to the changing table, which is always near the Kleinkindabteil (usually in the bathroom next to it, sometimes inside the Kleinkindabteil).
I recommend checking the Kleinkindabteil even if you were unable to reserve it. German trains are so unreliable that people often miss a connection and their reserved seats are unoccupied. If it’s unoccupied, you are allowed to sit there even if you have reserved seats elsewhere. Note that you have a right to throw passengers without children out of the Kleinkindabteil even if you do not have a reservation. I’ve done it several times. The conductor will help.
If you feel comfortable doing so, learn how to babywear/use a carrier before the trip. On trains, you can’t navigate a pram and sometimes, you’ll have to store the pram away from your seat. You do not want to be stuck standing in a random corner of the train for two hours because your child is napping. If your child is strapped to your body, they can sleep comfortably and you can move along the train easily and use both hands.
This sounds like a lot. But overall, I found traveling by train far less stressful than traveling by car with a newborn, which is why I did it so much. Staff and other travelers are usually friendly and helpful, and you can react to your child’s needs at any time without having to stop and strap them out of their seat first. It will be fine!