I decided to let the train take the strain, travelling from London to Dumfries for the weekend. Virgin Trains offers assistance not only to disabled travellers, but to those with kids if booked in advance (tel: 0845 744 3366). An open buggy with orange flashing lights and constant horn was waiting for us at the taxi rank, driven by a man dressed like Postman Pat.

My eight-year-old Storme thought it wasn't the start of a journey, but an adventure, as we plunged behind the scenes, through the dark and musty nether regions of Euston station where no children normally tread, our beacons and beepers flashing and hooting. We were helped on board, and even meeted and greeted at Carlisle, where we had to change.

But Storme soon learnt that real adventures only happen in books. The train was so crowded that the at-seat service couldn't squeeze past, so there was no fizzy drink and no chocolate as promised by her wicked parents, and no alcohol to alleviate the increasingly grumpy adults. The five hours on board seemed awfully long.

But I still preferred it to the thought of having to pile on and off a plane. I would choose to travel with the kids to France by rail, especially since Eurostar (eurostar.co.uk) is one of the few trains that will take the baby twins' double buggy through its door without being folded first. Eurostar trains also have family spaces, where a seat flips up so you can put your pushchair in its place.

The only real concern is other passengers. Some train companies have designated quiet carriages, where no mobile phones may roam. Once, I planted my family in one of these oasis of calm, forgetting that we're the very essence of what everyone else is hoping to avoid. One by one, the passengers crept off to the carriage with the mobiles for some peace.

If you have any experiences of travelling with kids, email: deabirkett@cs.com