Traveling on Public Transit with Kids is a key family budget traveling strategy. And we have built budget family itineraries with public transit as the central mode in Alaska, Italy, Scotland. We even travel from LAX to Disneyland using a hybrid public transit approach.
So when it comes to using public transit, we have a lot of experience. Below are our tips and tricks for traveling on public transit with kids.
The #1 tip for traveling on public transit with kids
Our #1 family travel rule: if you get separated from us, get off at the next stop and wait. We will find you.
But this #1 rule of traveling public transit with kids had to be practiced: Every time we were in a new country, new city, new system of transit, we would quiz him our son, O, with hypotheticals. “So if we were to get off at Covent Garden and you didn’t see us get off, what would you do?”
His little eyes barely able to read, “I would get off at the next stop that starts with an L and wait for you.” “Yep,” we would tell him, “that stop is called Leicester Square. You would wait there.”
We hoped to never need all the practice. Until we did….in Budapest. Read our harrowing story in Budapest if you need a reason to make “get off at the next stop” should be your #1 if you travel public transit with your kids.
First of all, let me be honest. When you travel by public transit, especially when you don’t speak the language , you are going to get lost. Accept it. Move on.
A lot of travel blogs with the same focus will tell you that the #1 rule is to know where you are going. Sure, knowing your route is helpful and doing some research before getting there will help. But chances are, even with the best laid plans, you are going to get a little lost.
The Traveling Public Transit with Kids Rule in Action
We traveled to London and Budapest with my mom and stepdad in 2016, when O was 9. Throughout this trip, we introduced our old people to our backpacker-esque way of traveling. After several Airbnbs and numerous trips on the Underground later, the old people were into it. Although on one day when we pursued separate itineraries, I’m pretty sure they travelled exclusively by cab.
They loved staying in central London without the central London cost. They didn’t even mind lugging their own backpacks through the city. Okay, that is a lie, my step dad definitely hated it, but for the most part kept it to himself. But then, Budapest.
It must be said that Budapest is one of our favorite cities. The architecture is stunning, the history is fascinating, and the Szechenyi Baths are not to be missed. But when you don’t speak the language, the bus system is a bit more challenging. To add to the challenge, we were trying to keep a group of 5 ranging in age from 75 to 9 together.
Our Nearly Disastrous Bus Experience
After a dinner, we decided to head out to explore the Buda side of the river. It was a lark to even go out. So we didn’t take the 10 minutes of research of which bus to take that is necessary for a trip like this to be successful. It didn’t take us long to get lost, and then we made the fatal mistake. In our haste, we hopped on a bus that we weren’t exactly sure where it was going.
Well, it didn’t take us long to realize we had made the wrong choice. Matthew started herding us, all of us, to the exit doors of the bus. We all got off. We thought we all got off. But as the bus pulled away, I could see my 9-year-old looking back at me.
Yes, he was looking back at me from inside the back seat of the bus.
If I tell you I have never run so fast in my entire life, you have to believe me that it is true. I tore after that bus, screaming, “Stop the bus! My son is on that bus!” I ran so hard and so fast that my tights ended up nearly to my knees but even that didn’t stop me.
Luckily for me, a Hungarian man that got off the bus with us immediately saw my distress and ran with me, shouting in Hungarian as I shouted in English.
It felt like a million miles, but in truth, the bus stopped 200 feet from where it let us off. As the door opened, the crying boy that I anticipated hugging with all of my might was actually smiling. “Mom,” he said, “why are you so scared? I would have gotten off at the next stop and waited for you.”
Yes, my friends, #1 rule for traveling public transit with my kid. I hope you will make it your #1 rule.
6 More Tips for Traveling on Public Transit
Letting Go of the Car Seat When Traveling on Public Transit
It is absolutely true that car seats are essential kid equipment when traveling. However, if your primary mode of transit is buses or metros there not enough time to safely install a child’s car seat. Additionally most buses and metros do no have the right type of seat belt for today’s car seats.
But don’t worry. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transit is ten times safer than travel in a rental car. So simply by choosing public transit you are making the safest choice.
We definitely recommend instead of a car seat, try a child carrier. Tucking your little one close to you will not only leave you hands free to hold on should you encounter a particularly busy route, but also keeps them close to minimize having to use rule #1.
Consider Buying a Multi-Day Public Transit Pass
Most often it is far more budget-friendly to get a multi-day pass than to buy single rides. This rule is particularly true for most metros in European city.
Take Paris for example. A single ride is roughly €1.90. However, a single day ticket for 2 zones, which is sufficient for most city travel, is €7.50. So if you are planning to take a minimum of 4 rides per day on the metro, you save money.
Getting a day pass also adds to the convenience. A factor that can not be dismissed when traveling with children. Instead of stopping to get tickets each time–and corralling your kiddos while you wait in line–a day pass is one and done.
Consider City Pass Cards for Free Travel on Public Transit
Many of the tourist City Pass cards offer free transit for the number of days you have the pass.
We have written extensively about how the Paris Pass helps the budget traveler to see so much of the city. And one of its perks, is free transit on all bus, trains and metro. A great deal!
Check For Free or Discounted Ride for Children
Many cities offer free or heavily discounted rides for children. In London, kids under 11 are free when riding with a fare-paying adult. And kids ages 11-15 have a much discounted ride on the Tube.
Our son, O, is now 15 and timing out of the “discounted” age of public transit. So if you have younger ones, you should definitely take advantage of this time.
Use an App to Help Keep You On the Right Path
It goes, perhaps without saying, that using an app like Google Maps is essential to help you map your ride when traveling.
However, one of our budget tips is that we don’t pay for cellular service while we are traveling. Yes, it is only $10 per day. But even with just 1 of our 3 cell phones on cellular, a two-week trip means $140 to our monthly bill. So how to make this work?
The good news is apps like Google Maps will continue to show your locations and give you directions off cellular and without Wi-Fi. The key to making this work is to put in your location into the app when you are on Wi-Fi. Once your phone moves away from the Wi-Fi, you can’t add a new address. So make plans in advance.
We have also gotten pretty crafty about grabbing a moment of free Wi-Fi when needed. Some cities like Barcelona and New York have free city Wi-Fi. Yeah! But if you aren’t in a city with free Wi-Fi zones, you can usually catch a few bars outside of a Starbucks.
In Copenhagen, we realized that 7-Eleven had free Wi-Fi. So it was very common to see us pulling our bikes over to hang in front of a store to locate our next location.
Use the Ride Time to Teach Kids How To Use Public Transit
We really value public transit. And so when we ride, we are teaching our son, O, had to navigate the system. On the metro, we will teach (and entertain him), but asking how he would get from stop to stop.
Most metro cars and some buses have physical route maps. Make it a game to see how many times you kid can describe the correct route for all your stops.
And then, when you moving, let your kids do the navigating. Whenever we can, we turn the navigation over to O. It not only keeps him more engaged and entertained, it builds his self-sufficiency skills.
Benefits of Using Public Transit While Traveling
Traveling by public transit has been one of the best ways that we have seen the world with our son. With such important environmental, economical and health benefits, prioritizing public transit should be the goal of all travelers.
