Transport

Flying with a baby – taking a seven month old to Copenhagen

June 24, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Flying with a baby. It seems to be one of the subjects that attracts the most questions on parenting forums across the internet. What are you able to take with you? How do you carry your baby? How do you stop them screaming for the whole flight? I can’t promise to have all the answers, but what I can do is share our experiences with you.

When she was just seven months old we took Tube Stop Baby with us on a work trip to Copenhagen. This was the first time she had flown and we were intrigued to see what she would make of the whole experience. The flight time was about an hour and a half and we flew with Norwegian from London Gatwick Airport to Copenhagen, and back again five days later.

How much baggage can a baby carry?

The first thing I would advise is planning. Travel as light as you possibly can, but at the same time make sure you have everything you need. Each airline varies in terms of baggage allowance for an infant who is travelling on a parents lap. In our case she got no carry on allowance, but was allowed 5kg in the hold which could either be a separate bag, or added on to the weight allowed for our bag. We were also allowed to have an extra stroller and car seat in the hold. More on those in a minute though. Airlines are normally very clear about what you can take for a baby. Just ask them if you’re unclear.

Carrying milk and baby food on a flight

In our carry on luggage we made sure we had a few toys to keep her entertained, what we needed for nappy changes, a couple of muslins and the milk and food that we would need for the journey. Despite all the rules about liquids being carried on flights you are allowed to take milk and pureed food for babies. The wording suggests that it is as much as is required for the journey. We formula feed so I took water in three bottles and a powder dispenser to be able to make up three bottles worth. I also carried about four pouches of pureed food for her too.

When you go through security you will need to separate out all liquids before your bags are scanned, and the same is the case for baby milk and pureed food. I put all the pouches in a clear plastic bag so I could pull them out quickly, and also took out the three bottles. As expected when the tray went through the scanner it was diverted to be inspected. The official simply saw I was travelling with a baby and he took the three bottles and a couple of randomly chosen pouches of food away to be tested. This only took a couple of minutes and involved them putting the bottles and pouches in some fancy machine which was obviously testing to make sure they were what I’d said they were. The whole process only took about ten minutes longer than usual.

As we went through her pushchair was also checked over by an official and as her and her dad beeped when they went though the metal detector an official just checked her over whilst her dad went through the next stage of scanner. The whole process was quick and relatively simple and painless.

Pushchairs, strollers and baby carriers

For the outbound flight we were able to keep her pushchair with us until the gate. At that stage we had to collapse it and leave it with staff before we went down to board the plane. I took with us an Ergobaby carrier and simply put her in that once I got her out of the pushchair. This gave me my hands free for bags etc whilst getting on the plane.

I would very highly recommend taking a baby carrier of some type with you. When you land you normally don’t get your pushchair back until baggage reclaim, so if you have a sling or carrier then you can keep the baby in that as you go through passport control and get to baggage reclaim. Trying to hold a baby in your arms whilst getting off a plane and hanging on to your passport isn’t easy!

When we flew back from Copenhagen it was just me and the baby and unfortunately, despite flying with the same airline, the rules were suddenly different and we were told that our buggy had to immediately go to excess baggage and be checked in that way. Thank goodness I had the sling and a newly purchased comfortable rucksack on my bag with everything in as otherwise I would have really struggled going through the airport.

After security we were able to pick up a free mini-luggage trolly that had a child seat in it. Luckily TSB is 7 months old and could sit up in it. Otherwise I’d have had to carry her the whole time.

The other advantage of having the sling was that when she needed to take a quick power nap as we waited at the gate she could.

Infant belt

When travelling on your knee you get an extra infant belt for your baby. You feed your seat belt through this, and then close their belt with the usual aeroplane mechanism. If you’re in any doubt as to how it works ask a member of staff on the plane. It is also likely that they will provide you with an infant life-raft and instructions as to how and when it should be used.

Keeping baby comfortable during the flight

For most babies the white noise on the plane helps them sleep. The only time that TSB got upset (apart from when she tried to steal the Kit Kat from the lady in the next seat) was when the pressure made her ears hurt on take off and landing. The simple solution to this is to get your baby to take milk at those points in the flight. This could either be through breast feeding or from a bottle. Whichever it is the act of sucking and swallowing will help them balance the pressure as the plane gains or loses altitude.

Our experiences

The only part of our actual journey that was hard work was when I unexpectedly didn’t have the pushchair up to the game in Copenhagen on our return journey. Had there been two adults it wouldn’t have been as difficult, but on my own it was tough. Luckily lots of other passengers offered to help at various points, but it did really show me the value of a good sling and packing light and in an organised fashion.

I certainly don’t feel as daunted by the whole process anymore, but at the same time, if I can make sure I’m not travelling alone with her next time it will be far easier!

Disclaimer: All mine and TSB’s flights were paid for by us. All choices regarding airline was down to recommendations and flight times. All products mentioned were paid for by us. We received nothing for writing this post. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them I will receive something but it will cost you nothing more.

Riding an upcycled D-stock from Ridgmont to Bletchley – the Martson Vale Line

May 27, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

The idea of needing to recycle and upcycle is everywhere at the moment. And understandably so. What not everyone realises though is that it’s not just things at home that can be recycled. Have you ever thought about recycling a train? Those people at Vivarail have. That’s exactly what they’ve done with their new Class 230s. They’re upcycled D-stock trains that previously used to run on the London Underground.

Upcycled trains

It’s really a fascinating bit of engineering where they have been converted from electric trains that take power from a third rail into diesel two car units.

The Marston Vale line, a community rail partnership run by London Northwestern that goes between Bedford and Bletchley, has three of these two car units (one to go in each direction, and a spare). I’m pretty sure any London Underground fan wants to go and ride them, just as much as they do the Island Line vintage trains down on the Isle of Wight.

We decided to take a trip along part of the Marston Vale line with the kids, partly as as way of making a trip to Bletchley Park more attractive to my six year old, London Underground and train loving son. It did the trick. The idea of an upcycled D-stock, or as he put it a “recycled underground train” made it a very attractive option. We decided to start our journey at Ridgmont Station, which is conveniently located extremely close to the M1 at junction 13.

Ridgmont Station

I’d heard of Ridgmont before and wanted to go and suss the place out before a return trip with less children. It is an unstaffed station, but one with a small heritage centre and shop, as well as a well respected tea rooms. We will be back to do the place justice in the future.

The other thing that made me choose it as a place to start our journey was the convenient car park just across the tracks. It may not be large, but by the time we returned to our car we were the only ones parked there. And it was free too!

At the moment you can’t buy tickets at the station (the Heritage Centre don’t sell them, but the staff there are incredibly useful at answering any train related questions you might have) but we spotted a ticket machine under wraps on one of the platforms, so I’m guessing it’s coming soon. For now though you buy tickets on the train itself from the onboard staff. They can accept credit cards and railcards on board much as you can at any ticket office.

What’s a class 230 like?

The trains themselves look incredibly smart, and although their basic structure is recognisable from the District Line, the differences are remarkable.

Firstly, the ability to squeeze in a Diesel engine. I guess it makes you realise just how big all the electric motors originally were. The new livery looks incredibly smart though, and to those not in the know I don’t think you’d guess that you were on something up cycled.

Inside the train there are a few hints to what went before. The doors between the two units are obviously to anyone that has travelled on older underground trains. The sideways seating that is used in part of the train is also a bit of a giveaway. Elsewhere in the train though they’ve put in usual “airline” seating and even a few tables too. A far cry from what people used to put up with on the District Line.

Another nice addition is charging points. The tables and airline seats have proper three pin plugs, but the sideways seating has USB ports at the base of the arm rests. Perfect for commuters who needy to give their phone a quick burst of charge.

The other thing they’ve squeezed in is an on-train toilet. Even though I have to admit that it did seem to smell a bit on the train we were on!

The outside of them all has been very artistically decorated with images of Bletchley Park, not just the Manor House, but also the Bombe computer too. How they’ve managed it though is quite impressive. The D-stock feels a whole lot more spacious than it ever used to and you really do feel like you are travelling on more than just a two car unit.

Bletchley Park

The real purpose behind our trip was to get to Bletchley so that we could do a family trip to Bletchley Park. This amazing slice of WW2 history is located just a short walk away from Bletchley Station and is well worth a visit. Bletchley played a pivotal, very secret, role in the war and it’s only over the last 20 or so years that the full truth has come out as to what went on there. The museum itself is incredible. Full of fascinating information and making full use of modern day technology to tell the story of Bletchley Park. We feel like we only scratched the surface after a couple of hours there and we will definitely be back for a return visit. Especially since your ticket is valid for a whole 12 months. If you’re an English Heritage member you can even get 20% off the admission price. Once we’ve been back expect to see a much more detailed account of our visit here on Penny Travels.

Once our visit was over though it was back on the train to Ridgmont. It seems the Marston Vale line is actually far busier than I expected it to be, with many people using it as part of their regular commute to and from work. As a visitor though it felt well worth the trip to see just how it is possible to upcycle a train and surely it’s somewhere you just have to visit if you’re a proper London Underground fan.

Tube Stop Baby: Hillingdon

May 8, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Compared to the vintage charm just one stop down the line in Uxbridge, Hillingdon station is completely different. The original station was opened in December 1923, but nearly 70 years later the widening of the A40 meant that the station was in the way. Hence in 1992 a new Hillingdon station was opened, all paid for out of the roads budget that covers the A40 widening. This means that Hillingdon is the newest station on the Metropolitan Line.

This new station is a glass structure, letting in huge amounts of light, but giving it a bit of a greenhouse feel. On a hot day it can also feel like you’re in a greenhouse temperature-wise too!

There is also a glazed passageway up to the station from the street and whilst waiting for the lift to take us between the platform and the ticket hall you get a cracking view of the A40 and the traffic on it, as well as a view of the trains as they come into the station from the east. As with many buildings of this type of construction, the station is starting to look a bit tired right now, so I do wonder if there are plans to give it a bit of a clean up at any point.

Those of you keeping a keen eye on the photos I include here will notice that the roundel actually refers to Hillingdon (Swakeleys). This isn’t reflected on the tube map though. I’m trying to find out why that isn’t the case. As far as I understood the official station name was Hillingdon (as show by the sign over the entrance) but I don’t know why the roundel has both names on it.

From the research I have done though it seems that Swakeleys was a part off Hillingdon, named after a local mansion, where a large part of the grounds were turned into housing. There’s a Swakeleys Park still in existence which isn’t that far away from Hillingdon station, but also a Swakeleys School which is actually closer to the centre of Hillingdon.

Hillingdon today is certainly not one of those stops that the tourists will flock to, but in July 2011 it did get added to the London Borough of Hillingdon’s locally listed buildings and just a couple of years after it opened it was Underground Station of the Year too!

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Hillingdon

Date of visit: 15 February 2019

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan and Piccadilly

Zone: 6

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby: Uxbridge

April 30, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

I seem to be working my way through stations that being with the letter “U” at the moment. Hot on the heels of Upminster and Upminster Bridge was our visit to Uxbridge.

Right over the other side of London, Uxbridge is in zone 6, at the end of the Uxbridge branch of both the Piccadilly and Metropolitan Lines and I think it fair to say that it is one of the most splendid stations on the tube network.

Uxbridge station was designed by Charles Holden (who was responsible for designing many Underground stations in the 1920s and 30s, as well as the London Underground Headquarters at 55 Broadway in London) it really is an impressive building. Many people also compare it to the station he designed at Cockfosters, which is at the other end of the Piccadilly Line.

There are so many things to look out for when you visit Uxbridge and it is really worth a trip to the end of the line if you’re a fan of anything tube related. The ticket hall area has some lovely stained glass that catches the light on a sunny day.

You can also spot an old buffet sign in the ticket hall, which leads you to what is now a thoroughly decent cafe that serves a very good all day breakfast and mug of tea.

In addition to old fashioned light up train indicators you should also seek out the preserved old cigarette machines outside what is still a newsagent at the entrance to the ticket hall from the forecourt.

These really are something that you just wouldn’t see today and it’s beautiful to see that they are still there.

After passing through the ticket hall towards the trains, there is a large concrete canopy over the tracks and with the high up windows it gives it almost a cathedral type of feel. It’s no surprise therefore that the station buildings have Grade II listed status.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Uxbridge

Date of visit: 15 February 2019

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan and Piccadilly

Zone: 6

If you want to know more about our Tube Stop Baby Challenge then pop over here and have a read.

Tube Stop Baby – Watford

January 1, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Our Tube Stop Baby challenge ended up starting at our “local” Underground station – Watford.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to some people to discover that Watford is on the tube, but it very much is. Even if it is right at the top end of the Metropolitan Line where most regular tube users don’t venture. The expansion of the Met Line into Herfordshire and beyond (at one point it went as far as Verney Junction which is an incredibly 50 miles from Baker Street!) was part of a huge campaign to encourage people to move out of London into the surrounding countryside (named Metro-Land), whilst still commuting into the capital.

Now, one of three northern termini (along with Amersham and Chesham) Watford is actually quite a quiet and sleepy station compared to many, and is located in a residential part of the town, close to the wonderful Cassiobury Park.

Watford station has been under threat of closure now for quite a while due to plans for an expansion of the line from Croxley to Watford Junction. For years people have wanted an underground station closer to the centre of the town (at the moment is is served by National Rail stations at Watford Junction and Watford High Street), but these plans keep getting pushed back due to funding issues and at the time of writing no one seems to know what is really happening with the plans.

For us though Watford is a convenient place to start our journey, and a lovely Arts and Crafts style station (designed by the Metropolitan Railway’s architect Charles Walter Clark who was responsible for 25 stations on the line in total). It may be quiet but there’s something rather quaint and lovely about it too.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Watford

Date of visit: 13 December 2018

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 7

Introducing Tube Stop Baby

January 1, 2019 by Penny 2 Comments

Sometimes you have a crazy idea, convince yourself it’s genius, then the next day realise that it’s actually a bit too bonkers, even for you. That’s pretty much what happened with my Tube Stop Baby plan. But, without the last stage. The Tube Stop Baby challenge is on!

Inspired by the likes of Geoff and Vicki from All the Stations, and also Louise from Little Heart Big Love (who, with her husband and daughter Jessica visited all the gold postboxes that were painted to celebrate the London 2012 Gold Medal winners), we decided that Little Miss D needed a challenge of her own. And seeing as she’s my and Bonn’s daughter it had to be a train related one. All the National Rail stations seemed a bit much for a baby, but the London Underground should be a bit more manageable. Living not that far from London we’re often there – either for work or pleasure – so taking LMD with us isn’t exactly difficult.

So, that’s exactly what we’re planning. For her to visit all the stations on the London Underground – and hopefully be the youngest person to do so. Not that I’ve researched if there is any such record, but then again we’re just doing this for fun, so it doesn’t really matter.

Looking at the tube map, we might even extend it to include all the stations on TfL Rail (if you know what that is!) and London Overground too. Maybe even the tram and the Emirates Air Line if we find the time.

We’ll document it all here on Penny Travels, and have also set up up her own Instagram account too (Tube Stop Baby if you’re interested in following).

It’s all a bit crazy, but after the year we’ve just had that seems somewhat appropriate for us and her. Hope you’ll join us for the journey!