Traveling with children in Britain

Fares and rules change. Figures below are as the official pages stated on Oct 25, 2026; check the page, or your train company, before you travel. This is general information, not legal advice.

Trains and buses

• Under 5. National Rail says children under 5 can travel free on most journeys, but to check with your train company. They may only occupy a seat that a fare-paying passenger does not need; for a reserved seat you need a child ticket.¹
• Ages 5 to 15. National Rail says they get a 50% discount on most tickets. Child tickets include seat reservations where available, and the Child Rate Photocard is free at any staffed National Rail station.¹
• Family & Friends Railcard. The Railcard site says it gives one third off adult tickets and up to 60% off child tickets (ages 5 to 15), under-5s travel free, up to 4 adults and 4 children can use one card, and at least one named adult and one child must travel together. On Oct 25, 2026 it listed £35 for one year and £80 for three years.² Check its terms for exclusions.
• London. TfL says a fare-paying adult can travel with up to 4 children under 11 free of charge, and that children do not need a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard on buses and trams.³ Our Family London guide has stroller advice and family days out, and our transport page has the journey planner.
• Other operators. Buses, trams and coaches outside London set their own child fares and ages. We did not fetch those pages, so we state nothing: check the operator. See getting between regions for official links.

Car seats

GOV.UK says children generally need a child car seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes first, and must then wear a seat belt. For height-based seats, children must ride rear-facing until they are over 15 months old. Only seats approved under the R129 or R44 standards (marked with an E in a circle) can be used in the UK, and front airbags must be deactivated before a rear-facing baby seat goes in a front seat.⁴ The page we read does not cover taxis, so ask the taxi firm or check GOV.UK. If you are hiring a car, ask the hire company what seats it supplies.

Free entry in our data

These London places have a family page that our data (checked Oct 18, 2026) marks as free for children, or free for some ages. The line under each name is what the page said, summarized. Entry rules change, so check the page, and note some places charge for special exhibitions or sessions.

• British Museum

  Free family backpacks, explorer trails, Museum Missions, Families Desk and holiday workshops.

  Family page for British Museum (opens in new tab)

• London Zoo

  Animal Adventure play area, ZooTown indoor role play, keeper talks; under-3s enter free.

  Family page for London Zoo (opens in new tab)

• Mudchute Park and Farm

  Free-entry farm with 100+ animals, lower paddock for play, children's services, holiday club.

  Family page for Mudchute Park and Farm (opens in new tab)

• Surrey Docks Farm

  Free city farm; weekend small-animal sessions, youth program; groups pre-book mornings.

  Family page for Surrey Docks Farm (opens in new tab)

• Science Museum

  Under-7s route: Garden, free Pattern Pod, bubble show, free stroller parking.

  Family page for Science Museum (opens in new tab)

• National Maritime Museum

  Free museum entry; AHOY! under-7s gallery, Cove playground, free Discover Sundays.

  Family page for National Maritime Museum (opens in new tab)

• Kensington Gardens

  Free pirate galleon, treehouse, waterplay and separate under-fives area; adult must accompany.

  Family page for Kensington Gardens (opens in new tab)

• London Eye

  Child tickets for ages 2-15; under-2s admitted free but must be booked.

  Family page for London Eye (opens in new tab)

• Hampstead Heath

  Free staffed adventure playground with den building, ball games, crafts and gardening club.

  Family page for Hampstead Heath (opens in new tab)

• London Transport Museum

  All Aboard playzone for 0-7s, under-5s sessions, family events; under-18s free.

  Family page for London Transport Museum (opens in new tab)

• Museum of the Home

  Free entry; Mini Playhouse, two family trails, Reading Lounge, sensory den, family events.

  Family page for Museum of the Home (opens in new tab)

• Horniman Museum and Gardens

  Kusuma Nature Play Area, baby changing; under-3s free to Aquarium and Butterfly House.

  Family page for Horniman Museum and Gardens (opens in new tab)

We hold no equivalent free-for-children checks for the other destinations yet. For free things generally see free things in Britain.

Family-friendly areas by destination

This table counts places carrying a family-friendly flag in our data: a family tag on a place to eat or stay, or, in London, a place on our family list. A flag is our editorial label from the place’s own information, not an inspection. It shows where we hold family information, not that other areas are unsuitable.

We hold no family-friendly flags yet for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, Bath, Blackpool and the Lancashire coast, Brighton & Hove, Cambridge, Canterbury & Kent, Cardiff, Cornwall, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gloucester, Hereford, Ironbridge Gorge, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Llangollen and Pontcysyllte, Newcastle and Gateshead, North Coast 500, Northern Ireland, Nottingham, Orkney, Oxford, Portsmouth and Southampton, Salisbury & Stonehenge, Sheffield, Shetland, Shrewsbury, St Andrews and Fife, Stratford & Warwickshire, The Cotswolds, The New Forest, The Outer Hebrides, The South Downs, Worcester, York, Yorkshire.

Where to stay

Our where to stay pages compare areas for families using these flags, walking cues in the area text and the number of things to do. Ask the property about family rooms, cots and child policies before you book. See also accessible travel for step-free and sensory-friendly resources, and traveling with pets.