As non-drivers though, we are always left wondering where we can go. Can we get to the holiday park next the beach? Or the museum in London? Or even Butlins for a week? Well actually, the answer is yes to all of those. You'd be surprised at just how many places you can get to by rail. Just last month Roarr! (the dinosaur park we visited) started a free bus service from the train station, adding that to the list too!
So I contacted Greater Anglia to work with them on their #RailAdventure Campaign, to share the amazing journeys that you can take.
Traveling With Greater Anglia
We headed off to Ely station in the morning. We'd had a nice slow morning and took our time to get to the station. We got onto the platform and waited for our train. The girls were so excited for their adventure, we had told them we were going to visit a castle, but they had no idea where we were off to.
If we are heading for a long journey, we usually take their pads to keep them busy, but as Norwich isn't too far away, we decided to spend the time playing fun train games. Naminé sat next to me and decided that we were mermaids on an underground train. She created stories about all the things she could see out of the window and talked about her excitement being a mermaid and visiting a castle for the first time.
The journey went really smoothly, the seats were comfy and the train wasn't at all overcrowded. We got off at a very busy. but fast moving Norwich station. Showed our tickets and after a very quick toilet stop, went straight outside.
Visiting Norwich
We had grabbed a map for the open top bus tour, but as they were once every hour and there was an event on in Norwich, we decided it was better to take the 10 minute walk into the city centre to Norwich Castle Museum.
The girls were amazed as we approached the castle, they loved how it looked and were so excited to cross the bridge and walk inside. I'm shocked at how long we were inside if i'm honest. Museums usually don't hold the girls attention for too long, but this had plenty of activities and hands on bits to jeep them occupied.
Myself and Ryan loved reading up on the history of the castle and Norwich itself. It's crazy to think it's a castle that was build on top of a castle!
After trying on clothes, going on a chariot ride and learning all about the prison town that Norwich was, it was somehow early 2pm and we were getting a bit late for lunch! Fortunately, right outside the castle is the shopping mall and as the castle is build high up, you can walk straight out (past the beautiful wedding that was going on) and into the food court.
We grabbed our lunch and spent time chatting about all the things we had seen and done. The girls especially loved the mini farm model and trying on the masks. Ryan told me what he had discovered while in there and I told him all about the animal area (which I'd take the girls too while he rested).
After lunch we decided to go onto the next part of our day. We took a nice walk through the centre, planning on heading to Jarrolds for tea. However, we got a bit distracted by the many great shops on the way and took time to pop into them and have a browse. Living in a small city with a tiny high street, it's not something we get to do often, so it was nice.
By this point, my hyper mobility was making my joints hurt a lot and as Ryan can't get too tired due to his epilepsy, we decided to head back. The walk to the train station wasn't far at all and we got there to find out our train was pretty soon (it's such a great bonus living on a busy line!)
We hopped onto the train and this time grabbed a table. The girls had so much more to say about their day and while they chatted Ryan tried to take a quick nap! We got home with them inspired from their day out, so they dressed up as royalty and had a tea party for dinner.
Why Greater Anglia?
Did you know accompanied children travel for just £2 return?! This amazing fare is valid for any off peak journey on Greater Anglia’s network. No need to book in advance either - just turn up and buy them from the station on the day. (This fits in so well with our busy - don't know when we want a day out - lives).
The adventure starts the minute you board a Greater Anglia train with the space to move around, comfortable seats and no sitting in queues of traffic, travelling by trains allows you to sit back and enjoy the adventure.
There are so many wonderful destinations to try in East Anglia so you can have a whole summer of fun – whether it’s travelling to London, the coast, shopping, museums, a day out with the kids – the train journey is all part of the adventure!
Greater Anglia offers great value off peak fares with 2FOR1 on top London attractions and if you book in advance, tickets from Norwich to London are available at just £10, Cambridge – London at £7 and Southend-London just £5 one way.
Discover destinations and ticket prices at www.greateranglia.co.uk
Head over and plan your journey at www.nationalrail.co.uk
I'd LOVE to know if my post made you feel inspired to travel, please head over and fill out this survey. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/5CG9TGG
*This is a colaborative post*
