2 days ago
My family train journey in Europe that made me realise how awful British rail services are
WHEN I told my kids the train we were taking had a play area, they had to see it to believe it.
We were on the platform at Central Station in Finland's capital city, Helsinki, ready for our two-hour journey to Turku to reach the seaside town of Naantali.
7
We had seats booked, but the carriage we couldn't wait to board was easy to spot as it displayed a picture of a large cartoon cat on the side.
Climbing the small staircase up to the top deck, there it was - as enticing as it looked in the pictures, and as clean too.
Plus, both the front and back entrances to the carriage were protected by gates that were easy to push and pull open, but sturdy enough to keep a toddler in.
Play while you travel - screen-free
At the end of the carriage, which had around 40 standard seats, the play area featured a slide with cubby area at the top, plus a bookshelf next to a cosy area with several low stools lined up by the window.
There was also a brightly-painted wooden train structure, big enough for four or so kids to sit in and pretend they were driving.
Before the train had even left, our boys, aged six and two, had been up and down the slide about 20 times, shrieking with delight each time.
They had also already had multiple arguments about who would get to be the train driver.
While my husband and I did remind them to be gentle, we didn't tell them off for being noisy or feel bad about the ruckus they were making, as surely, that was the whole point of having a play area on a train.
A number of Finnish children joined them throughout the journey, happily taking turns across each area.
I worried that when the train was at its fastest or bumpiest, the play area wouldn't be safe as the kids would be more inclined to fall and hit their heads, but the train was so smooth it wasn't an issue at all.
Our seats were the closest to the play area, so we tried to take a leaf out of the book of the Finnish mum next to us, literally, as she was relaxing in her seat reading a book while her daughter occupied herself in the play area.
The carriage remained about half full throughout the whole journey, including with passengers who didn't have kids, who opted to sit there.
Cleanliness is king
When our youngest, who is 2.5 and not yet potty trained (that's a whole other story), decided that a good time to do a poo would be at the beginning of the journey, I had a slight feeling of dread as neither of us had changed him on a moving train before.
I quickly found the toilet downstairs, which, to my relief, was not just spacious and clean, but also featured a large, pull-down changing table above the toilet - plenty of room and plenty strong enough for my large toddler.
7
I also spotted a potty in the corner, should we (he) be inclined to use it.
This was something we noticed frequently in public toilets across Finland, which is a much better alternative to finding a potty with a lid and dragging that across the country.
There was also a shelf next to the sink with a bottle warmer.
I've never seen a potty in a public toilet in the UK, as I can't imagine people would remember to clean it.
I also noticed that at the wall next to each row of seats was a pile of detachable plastic bags for rubbish, rather than trying to stuff your trash in an overflowing bin at the end of the carriage like we have to in the UK.
7
They haven't forgotten food and relaxation either
We found a fully-functioning cafe car in the next carriage over, where passengers were relaxing over a beer, or working on their laptops with a coffee.
The menu included hot meals like meatballs and mash and salmon pasta, as well as kids meals like sausage and chips, or nuggets and chips.
They also offered a Finnish meat pie, which is kind of like fried bread with a fragrant mince meat filling.
On our return journey, we opted for a private family compartment as our journey was later in the day.
I haven't seen anything like this on offer in the UK.
The compartment, featuring four seats facing the window, plus luggage rack and coat hooks and mini play area at one end, was on the lower level of the carriage, meaning you had to go up the stairs to play in the play carriage.
We let our older son go up and down as he pleased, but he soon got tired and came back to join us in our private compartment, where our toddler had already dozed off while sprawled out across his seat.
While we were proud of our fully screen-free first journey, as we'd had a busy morning we were happy for our oldest to watch a show on the iPad.
7
As we were in a private compartment, he didn't have to use headphones or worry about the volume.
The cafe car wasn't open on this train, but a trolley came round with sandwiches, muffins and drinks.
My husband and I managed to have a short doze, too.
We couldn't believe our first long train journey as a family had gone so smoothly, thanks to the Finnish train system thinking so clearly about kids.
My husband and I joked that in the UK, a play area on a train carriage would quickly fill up with empty beer cans and be defaced by teenagers.
Finnish trains offer great value
Prices vary depending how far in advance you book and how many tickets have already been sold, but we also couldn't believe what amazing value our journeys were.
Our first leg from Helsinki to Turku in the play carriage cost around €19.80 for both of us, and €6 for our six year old, with our toddler travelling free - a total of €25.80, or around £22.
Our return journey didn't cost much more - two adult tickets were around €6 each, with our six-year-old's ticket being €3.60, plus a €14.70 surcharge for the private family compartment, so a total of €30.10, or around £25.50.
7
That's basically how much it costs me to commute on my own from our town into London, which is less than an hour's journey.
The way the Finns accommodate families with children in their public services is truly inspiring and makes it really appealing as a family holiday destination.
You can see why Finland is the happiest country in the world.
Days can also last three months in Finland.
Plus, the best holiday parks, hotels and pubs in England 2025 revealed – with soft play, safari lodges and floating pods.
7
