Perth Travel Forum

We are thinking of taking the train from Adalaide to Perth with 3 children - it is a 18 train ride. Is it safe? Will the kids be bored? Is the trip worth going on?

The train is perfectly safe. As to whether or not your children will be bored, that depends a lot on how well you set yourselves up for the journey with books, games, etc - just as you would for a long flight. If you're planning to take the cheapest option and sit up all the way, they'll probably be less bored than they would be by an 18 hour flight - at least the train offers them the chance to move around, go to the buffet car, get off at Cook and Kalgoorlie, maybe see a kangaroo, some emus or an eagle along the way, Move up a peg and book sleeper compartments and they will probably enjoy the experience of sharing their own little cabins.
Check out this website

http://www.seat61.com/Australia.htm

for more details of what to expect - but don't think for a moment that "spotting a koala" is a possibility - you're on the wrong side of the continent for there to be any chance of that.

The trip is definitely worth going on if you want to gain a real insight into just how vast and empty Australia is.

I would also recommend only doing this trip if you can afford the sleeper option, sitting up all the way be hell in my opinion. I know many people who have done this train ride and they all said it was worth having the sleeper, if you were sitiing up all night there could be young people in your carriage who want to party all night and you and your children would get no sleep.

How old are your children?
If they are school age then what a fantastic and safe experience to see the outback and the vastness of Australia--the train would have a veiwing carraige at the end of the train--perfect for children--also agree with others that children can get up and move around--lots of spotting games --like spot the wildlife especially at dusk or dawn. Children seem to sleep quite well on trains --it is the adults who have trouble.It is really up to you because you know your children and their attention spans. Enjoy your train trip it certainly is worth the experience.

our children are 9, 11, 13. We were thinking that we would take just coach seating as we have done so on other trains. It sounds like this is a party train - which is not what we are looking for.

It isn,t a party train as such but because the coach seating is the cheapest you are far more likely to have young people in the carriage and I have heard horror stories.

Thanks for you input - we cannot aford the upgrade - you gave us someone to think about.

Adelaide to Perth is not an 18 hour train ride. It is a 36 hour train ride. This means two nights and one full day on board the train. Two nights in coach seats. Will the kids cope with that? Will the parents cope with that?