Trains Are Families Ticket To Relaxed International Vacations, Survey Finds

Kids dont just want to go on the family vacation, they want to help plan it, and trains are helping both parents and kids enjoy the experience more.

Thats the finding of a new survey of 2,000 U.S. parents — and their school-aged children — who plan to travel internationally in the next five years. The survey, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Trainline, showed 86% of children said they want more input in vacation planning. Parents, meanwhile, admit the process can take an average of three months, suggesting they might be glad to share the load.

The research also found families are prioritizing the journey as much as the destination. Nearly half of parents (45%) said slowing down to watch the scenery is their favorite part of traveling together, while 40% of kids said window views are the best part of train trips. About eight in 10 parents (79%) recommended train travel while adventuring in Europe to minimize stress and spend more quality time as a family. One in five even said they enjoy the travel time itself as a chance to talk, play, or relax.

The theme of stress-free travel carried through the results. Teens ages 14–17 said their top wish was for parents to “relax instead of rushing” (19%). Parents agreed, naming “having a flexible itinerary” (20%) as their number one hack for international family trips. Another 12% said making it easy to get around between cities is key.

“Its clear that when traveling together, families are looking to make the most of every moment and choosing methods of travel that only enhance that experience,” said Sarah Helppi, GM at Trainline. “Its no surprise so many parents recommend taking the train across Europe, as a way to turn traveling into uninterrupted quality family time and a way of seeing even more. And with the right tools, travel becomes easier, more fun and more meaningful when the whole family helps plan.”

To encourage family involvement, Trainline has launched resources including a family-friendly quiz to discover each members travel style and a vacation planning checklist for rail trips in Europe.

Nature and the outdoors also ranked high on the family wish list. Parents described themselves and their kids as “nature-loving nomads,” and 34% of children said a beach vacation tops their dream trips. Parents said managing different food preferences (35%) and avoiding overly exhausting itineraries (27%) were the main challenges of planning travel that works for everyone.

“Results showed that family travel success is strongly related to creating the perfect itinerary, which caters to the varying needs of all family members,” Helppi said. “The ability to reach multiple locations easily in a way that adds to the experience ensures a memorable experience for the whole family. Thats why traveling by train can help families to see and do more without adding stress or journeys that take away from the vacation overall.”

And while parents and kids may align on many travel priorities, theres one place they clash: embarrassment. Parents admitted to embarrassing their kids an average of 2.6 times per trip — from socks and sandals to cheesy jokes — with one in six saying the “bad jokes” and “awful puns” are the biggest cringe factor.