Do you have to have your children looked after by family at the other end of France?
No need to make the return trip on purpose.
Parents who wish to accompany their beloved darlings on their train journey can use Junior & Cie, the dedicated SNCF service or call on a private babysitter on the Kidygo classifieds site.
Prices, destinations, differences ...
Le Figaro
makes the comparison.
To read also School holidays 2021-2022: Christmas, New Year, calendar, dates of zones A, B and C ...
Junior & Cie, the dedicated SNCF service for 40 years
Since 1979, SNCF has had its own child support service, today known as Junior & Cie. Supervision, reserved for travelers aged 4 to 14, is provided by professional animators between the departure station and the arrival station. You are asked to arrive at the station no later than 30 minutes before the departure of the train, while the attendant checks in (identification of the child, labeling of the baggage, etc.). The person designated as responsible on arrival must have the booking confirmation and an ID to collect the child. In 2019, nearly 250,000 children took advantage of this offer.
Towards which destinations?
While the service is available to 130 destinations during school holidays, it is only available to around 20 cities on weekends the rest of the year. To find out which trains are available on the desired dates, just run a simulation on the juniorcie.oui.sncf website. Note that Junior & Cie is only offered on direct journeys and on board the inOui and Intercités TGVs with compulsory reservation.
How much does it cost ?
From € 35 per child and per journey in addition to the train ticket. Example: a Paris-Marseille during the first weekend of the All Saints holidays is displayed at € 94.70 excluding reduction (€ 48.70 for the ticket + € 46 for the Junior & Cie package). Reservations are open between two and three months before the start of the school holidays and up to four days before departure on the website juniorcie.oui.sncf or at 3635. It is better to do this well in advance: most of trains running the first weekend of the Christmas holidays are full. You have been warned for those of February ...
A snack option at € 5 can be added when booking.
Junior & Cie tickets are exchangeable and refundable without deduction until D-16 before departure.
Between D-15 and D-4 inclusive, a deduction of € 10 per child and per trip applies.
After this period, exchange and refund are no longer possible.
Reduction cards allow you to benefit from -15% on the service.
The advantages:
supervision is provided by professional animators holding Bafa;
a fun atmosphere on board thanks to games and workshops and the presence of other children.
The disadvantages:
few trains and destinations are eligible outside of school holidays;
trains quickly full on days of large departures.
Read alsoStroller, food, seat ... What you need to know before taking a plane with a toddler
Kidygo: parent looking for travel babysitter
"
Mum of an 8-year-old girl is looking for a companion for the first weekend of the holidays
": this is the type of announcement that can be read on Kidygo, a platform that connects parents and individuals ready to accompany their children by train, but also by bus or plane. The site created in 2014 now has nearly 50,000 users. To be certified, each candidate must provide proof of a clean criminal record and a presentation video and can add diplomas and certifications (Bafa, first aid, etc.) to their profile. The meeting place is defined jointly by the parents and the guide: it can be the departure station, but also the home or a public place.
Towards which destinations?
Potentially all destinations served by train, bus or plane, in France and in Europe.
How much does it cost ?
In three quarters of cases, parents choose to pay for the “KidySitter” transport ticket.
The price therefore varies depending on the date of travel and when you make the reservation for your child and his accompanying person.
Another solution: offer cash compensation of a minimum amount of € 30.
If the site is free for parents to read and publish advertisements, “KidySitters” must take out a subscription of € 9.90 per month.
The advantages:
for parents, a certain flexibility in the choice of dates and destinations;
for babysitters, the guarantee of traveling for free or almost.
The disadvantages:
no guarantee of finding a guide on the desired dates and the risk that the latter may cancel at the last moment due to an unforeseen event.
This article originally published on October 19, 2021 has been updated.
