Penny Travels - Page 3 of 9 - Travelling the world, near and far, one step at a time.

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.

Tube Stop Baby: Chesham

June 10, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Chesham is the most far flung place you can get to on the London Underground. Located out in Zone 9, the station is actually in the County of Buckinghamshire and it is 25 miles fro Charing Cross. This makes it the furthest station from central London. Chesham is also 3.89 miles from the next station on the line, Chalfont and Latimer, which is the longest distance between adjacent stations on the whole of the Underground network.

The station building is Grade II listed building and it was originally opened in 1889 by the Metropolitan Railway as their temporary northern terminus. The plan had been to extend the line further across the Chilterns towards Tring, to join up with the mainline there. Before work started though an alternative route was chosen going via Aylesbury.

From Chesham you can get a direct Metropolitan Line train into central London every thirty minutes. Services weren’t always that regular though, and up until December 2010 in off-peak times Chesham was only served by a 4-car shuttle service from Chalfont and Latimer.

Today the station has one working platform, but you can see the remains of an old second platform that is now a pretty garden. This platform as closed in November 1970.

When you see the floral arrangements on it today it’s therefore no wonder that the waiting room at the station is full of certificates from the London Underground Station Gardens competition.

There’s also a plaque you can spot outside showing that in 1993 it was the Winning Garden in the Station Garden Competition.

Chesham is also one of the few stations where I’ve seen a Bicycle Store on the platform.

If you’re looking out for interesting details then make sure you spot the station’s 1993 First Class Heritage Award above the suggestions box in the ticket office.

The nearby signal box is also listed and a beautifully kept example of the period.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Chesham

Date of visit: 16 March 2019

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 9

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

Tube Stop Baby: Chalfont and Latimer

June 3, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

Chalfont and Latimer just sounds posh as far as tube station names go. Posh and mysterious. That’s certainly what I always thought when I saw it on the list of stops when I was travelling on the Metropolitan Line in some of the lower numbered zones.

The station is actually located in Little Chalfont, and served “the Chalfonts” (that’s Chalfont St Peter, Chalfont St Giles and Little Chalfont) as well as the village of Latimer. Just the idea of a tube station serving a village still seems a bit weird to me. And a million miles from London!

Just like Chorleywood one station before it, Chalfont and Latimer is served by both the Metropolitan Line and Chiltern Railways. One different between the two stations though is that it is the station where Met Line services split to either go to Chesham or Amersham. There are a total of three platforms at the station, but only two of them are generally used.

As is the case at Chorleywood, Chalfont and Latimer was served by steam services up until the electrification off the line north of Rickmansworth in 1960.

If, like me, you’re a bit of a geek for anything vintage and technical then you might be interested to know that whilst at Chalfont and Latimer it is worth looking out for the K8 phone kiosk that sits on one of the platforms.

Housing London Underground telephony, it is painted a nice maroon colour to fit in with the colour scheme at the station. These 1960s phone boxes where obviously more commonly seen in the standard red livery on Britain’s streets, but nowadays they are somewhat rarer. I’m told there are a few more to look out for on the Underground so I will try my best to capture them too. If you want to know a bit more about the K8 Kiosk though this page gives you a good overview of the design that went into them and efforts to preserve them today.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Chalfont and Latimer

Date of visit: 16 March 2019

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 8

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

Tube Stop Baby: Chorleywood

May 30, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

It feels like I’m always saying this, but I’m struggling to keep up with all the tube stops that we’re visiting right now. We’ve a fair number under our belt where I have photos on my phone and notes in my notebook, but making the time to combine those into a blog post seems to keep evading me. A few days with some extra childcare means I’m making a bit of an effort to resolve that. And the first step in doing so is to tell you all about Chorleywood station, which is the first one that we visited on a day of trying to tick off as much as of the outer parts of the Metropolitan Line as possible.

Located out in Hertfordshire, 20 miles from London, the approach to Chorleywood station honestly felt like we were driving through a village in the Yorkshire Moors! I’ve never felt less like I was arriving at a tube station in my life.

Chorleywood (or Chorley Wood as it was then known) was originally opened in 1889 as part of the extension to the Metropolitan Line. The station was formally served by steam hauled locomotives from Aylesbury to London, with an electric loco only being added at Riuckmansworth as they went South. The electrification of the line from Rickmansworth north only happened in 1960, with the steam locomotives finally withdrawn in 1961.

There are just two platforms at Chorleywood station, which both serve both London Underground and Chiltern Train services. The latter running into London Marylebone station.

We might not have spent much time in the surrounding area at Chorleywood, but the small bit that we did see really made me realise just how different all London Underground stations are. From one that feels like a country station like Chorleywood through to a zone 1 station that’s never quiet. I think the variety and the fact that all the stations are connected by a simple train ride is one of the reasons why I am so fascinated by the Underground. Getting to explore all of it as we’re doing with Tube Stop Baby feels like a privilege.

Tube Stop Baby Facts – Chorleywood

Date of visit: 16 March 2019

Underground Line(s): Metropolitan

Zone: 7

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

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.

Colourscape at Waddesdon Manor

May 22, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

We never need much of an excuse to visit Waddesdon Manor. This wonderful National Trust property belonged to the Rothchild family and is an amazing chateau style building packed with history and fantastic architecture. The gardens look beautiful throughout the year and to keep the children happy there is an amazing hillside playground that suits all ages. What I wasn’t expecting during a visit last year was the amazing, unique spectacle that is Colourscape.

It’s hard to explain exactly what Colourscape is, but I’ll try my best. Really though it is one of those things that you just have to experience for yourself.

What is Colourscape?

In short, Colourscape is 56 interlinked colourful chambers that visitors walk through. It’s a bit like being inside a maze of tents, but please don’t let that clumsy description put you off. The you arrived you take off your shoes and are also asked to wear a coloured cloak like garment.

As you walk through the entrance and into the first the colourful chambers your senses start to get confused. the colour of the chamber combined with the light effects m can that everything starts to take on different colours. Some of the cloak colours mean that some visitors start to bland in with the chamber they’re stood in, whilst others look like they’re wearing different colours.

Walking from chamber to chamber you start to feel a little disorientated. Have you been through this bit before? What colour is this? Being barefoot you can feel the ground under the “tent” floor beneath your feet and it reminded me of holidays. The overall feeling is somewhat magical.

In one chamber (the only one with natural light) there are a group of musicians, and their music is piped through the whole Colourscape structure, making your visit one for all the senses.

What age is Colourscape for?

In our group we had my then five year old son, my teenage step-daughter, right up to my mum in her mid-seventies. All of us absolutely loved it. I saw toddlers going around transfixed by the colours and how everything looked different. Colourscape really is for the whole family.

Over a year later we still talk about this particular visit to Waddesdon and just how magical it was. I’m delighted to see that Colourscape is returning to Waddesdon this year (25 May – 2 June 2019) and urge you to go and visit this amazing colourful world for yourself.

Colourscape – the facts

Colourscape is at Waddesdon Manor from 25 May to 2 June 2019. More details can be found here. Please note that the charge for Colourscape is on top of the standard Waddesdon entry fee (which is waived if you are a National Trust member). It is £5 for adults and £3 for children.