Travelling around London with children
Discussion
I'm staying in London for the weekend in a couple of weeks with my wife and two young children. We've never taken the kids to London before so are unsure of the best method of getting around. My question is this - what's the most pram-friendly method of transport? We'll be doing all the touristy stuff so will want to get about. Whenever I've visited London in the past I've always used the tube but don't recall how suitable it would be for getting on and off with two buggies (or thought about considering it at the time!). Any advice / suggestions? Thanks in advance.
Most central london underground stations still dont have step free access.
All the buses do and they can take 2 pushchairs provided they are not full of course.
Taxi's are good but expensive but if you dont have an oyster card for the underground then there is not much in it.
As you would be paying £4 a trip without a card.
Cards can be got at any station ticket offices and some newsagents.
What do you plan on seeing as most weekends there is often more of the underground closed rather than open.
how old are your kids?
Any more info just ask.
All the buses do and they can take 2 pushchairs provided they are not full of course.
Taxi's are good but expensive but if you dont have an oyster card for the underground then there is not much in it.
As you would be paying £4 a trip without a card.
Cards can be got at any station ticket offices and some newsagents.
What do you plan on seeing as most weekends there is often more of the underground closed rather than open.
how old are your kids?
Any more info just ask.
Taxis are a bit pricey, busses are OK though.
I think the bigger tubes are OK (Circle, District, Hamm and City, Metropolitan), but I'd be less keen on the rest (e.g Northern and Central) as they are deeper and the trains are smaller.
Most details on here
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx
An Oyster card is a good idea, and kids are free
I think the bigger tubes are OK (Circle, District, Hamm and City, Metropolitan), but I'd be less keen on the rest (e.g Northern and Central) as they are deeper and the trains are smaller.
Most details on here
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx
An Oyster card is a good idea, and kids are free
The tube is not very pram friendly at all. Buses can take two Maclarens, but only one of the poncy designer 'solutions' and they are often 'full' at peak times. Black cabs are fantastic but will get expensive as the kids aren't going to be splitting the cost.
One thing to consider is: walk. London is a very old city and the centre is really not very big. Plan your days carefully and you can easily walk from place to place.
One thing to consider is: walk. London is a very old city and the centre is really not very big. Plan your days carefully and you can easily walk from place to place.
Great advice guys, thanks. The kids are two and six months. They're both in buggies as opposed to prams which do fold down nice and small. We're only there for a weekend (our anniversary) so basically have a full day to potter around. Probably spend half the day in the westminster area and the rest dotting about (our last visit to London was a 'drive through' without the kids so we went sightseeing on a saturday in the car which was an experience!
The newest leg of the Jubilee line has wheelchair access at most stations, these are mainly out city & docklands way and not provide much help I'd guess. The rest of the network is still as built (ain't that so true in so many more ways than just accessibility 
It must have been stunning in the 1920's ) and it should not be regarded as pushchair friendly. Most stations just have short staircase after short staircase and escalators after all.
Taxi's will take pushchairs but the time taken and effort involved will surely make you wonder if it was worth it, especially for a short journey.
The overground rail network doesn't really touch too much of the tourist trail either.
Sorry, it'll be complicated. Don't forget to pack your sense of humour.
It must have been stunning in the 1920's ) and it should not be regarded as pushchair friendly. Most stations just have short staircase after short staircase and escalators after all.Taxi's will take pushchairs but the time taken and effort involved will surely make you wonder if it was worth it, especially for a short journey.
The overground rail network doesn't really touch too much of the tourist trail either.
Sorry, it'll be complicated. Don't forget to pack your sense of humour.
grumbledoak said:
One thing to consider is: walk. London is a very old city and the centre is really not very big. Plan your days carefully and you can easily walk from place to place.
and on a bright spring day, a glorious place to walk about. All pretty flat too.Westminster underground station has lifts and it is a short walk from there past Big Ben, across Parliament Sq and into to St James' Park with its bird sanctuary and wildlife etc. A further stroll and you are at Buck House.
tubbystu said:
grumbledoak said:
One thing to consider is: walk. London is a very old city and the centre is really not very big. Plan your days carefully and you can easily walk from place to place.
and on a bright spring day, a glorious place to walk about. All pretty flat too.Westminster underground station has lifts and it is a short walk from there past Big Ben, across Parliament Sq and into to St James' Park with its bird sanctuary and wildlife etc. A further stroll and you are at Buck House.
Another, much more pricey, option would be to hire a car and driver for the day to shuttle you around as you wish. Plenty of places do that.
Enjoy!
i'd go along with most people here - get taxis between the main tourist areas and then walk around.
London is great for walking as it is very flat - most of my friends who visit London finish the day totally knackered as they haven't bothered with tubes/buses and just walked.
Pay attention to the weather forecast as well so that you have the right clothes - a raincoat with hood is much better than faffing around with umbrellas when it rains
London is great for walking as it is very flat - most of my friends who visit London finish the day totally knackered as they haven't bothered with tubes/buses and just walked.
Pay attention to the weather forecast as well so that you have the right clothes - a raincoat with hood is much better than faffing around with umbrellas when it rains
Friends here with young kids tend to use the baby-wrap things to carry them - much easier than buggies on public transport, and warmer for them at this time of year. A proper carrier may be better for the 2 year old though.
Buggies can be OK on the tube as long as you avoid busy times or the stations like Covent Garden that are permanently busy (and have cramped lifts to get up to street level). If you get caught at a busy time it can be hellish.
I'd agree with walking if you can, but plan your days around places that are close together above ground. Lots of people get too optimistic about how much ground they can cover, or just fail to plan and think "let's go to to the Natural History Museum" when they're out by St Pauls. There's lots of clusters of attractions in one place, go for those, you can always come back and do other stuff when the kids are older.
Buggies can be OK on the tube as long as you avoid busy times or the stations like Covent Garden that are permanently busy (and have cramped lifts to get up to street level). If you get caught at a busy time it can be hellish.
I'd agree with walking if you can, but plan your days around places that are close together above ground. Lots of people get too optimistic about how much ground they can cover, or just fail to plan and think "let's go to to the Natural History Museum" when they're out by St Pauls. There's lots of clusters of attractions in one place, go for those, you can always come back and do other stuff when the kids are older.
Tuscanless Ali said:
flakeypaul said:
We're only there for a weekend (our anniversary) so basically have a full day to potter around.
Is there no way you could get someone to look after them and really enjoy the weekend? 
The thought of taking 2 such young kids to London fills me with dread.
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