Getting around london (no tubes-I'm a wuss)

[Rowgtfc72]

We're due to visit London beginning of Nov. Dh, me and dd (11).
Staying in South Croydon And driving down.
We hope to visit the Science museum and the Natural history museum, certainly central London.
I'm not a fan of the tubes. Nor trains but would rather get on one than a tube. Love buses. We have a car.
What's the best way to get in and out of central London? Is it drivable? The train to King's Cross from Croydon is over an hour.
And how the hell do oystercards work? Or travelcards?
Would appreciate any advice for confused Northerners!

Typical MN.
OP says no tube.
Everyone say use the tube.
Really helpful.
FFS.

just to say I'm a lifelong Londoner (can't wait to leave though) and have a passionate hatred of the Tube.

sadly the roads are impassable now but you can do most of what you need to do using overground trains which are less grim.

hope you have a good trip.

I think you can use contactless debit cards to pay now.

Don't drive. However long Google maps says a journey will take, if it goes via central London, multiply that by 5. Or probably 10.

I had a very quick look at parking - you're looking at minimum £30-40 for a day, and that's assuming they actually have any space.

The tube is easy and quick, provided you don't travel in rush hour - which in London means avoid 7-10am and 4.30-7pm. The beginnings and ends of those times aren't so bad, though. Check ahead on the TFL website for closures/delays, and use your contactless bank card to pay tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/contactless?intcmp=8257

@Purplehammer Yes because she basically said she wanted to go by bus or car, both of which are really impractical suggestions for the journey required.

you don't need Oyster cards

you use the same contactless card to pay all day and you will be charged whatever is correct for your timings

also walkit.com is handy.

buses are often a matter of luck but I will use them where possible instead of Tube. Victoria line was like a hot hairdryer yesterday - I know it was a warm day but jeez.

Just looked at South croydon to Victoria. 20mins and £32. Will do us. I was looking at King's Cross.
I am the bus expert where I live so will be fine with bus timetables.
It looked so complicated you've all made it look much easier and it's appreciated.
Broken,yes I'm a wuss. I have travelled by tube. Don't like them. Spent an afternoon on the tubes with dd last time so she could experience it. She prefers buses too. Fortunately I'd never show her how terrified I was. My hang up ,nobody else's.

I'm suprised it is as much as that . All zones off peak travelcard, one adult can include a child under 16.

If your child is 11 they will have to pay for the train and the bus. Bus is free for London children over 11 if they have a photo Zip Oyster card. The problem with using contactless is it can only be used for one person (the owner of the card) so if you have your card and hubby has his that is fine but you will still need to pay for the 11 year old. This would mean a paper ticket travel card or an Oyster one. Oyster is always cheaper than the paper tickets but I think you have to register it if you want it to be at childs price and I think you have to pay a 'deposit' if you register it so may not work out cheaper in the end.

Under 11 don't pay, 11 to 15 can apply for zip oyster, book off peak train after 9.30 or weekends, apply for visitor oyster card. It's all online.

I have never heard of an under 16 being included on a travel card LIZS. Interesting. May research that one.

The 11+ Zip Cards you have to pay for and have photo on so if you are only in London for that weekend and won't be coming back much it would be a bit of a faff to get one.

Genuine question, not being goady - why are some people (OP and a couple of other PPs) scared of the tube? Is it because of terrorism?

try here www.goeuro.co.uk/buses_from_south_croydon_to_london

Once you are in central London lots of it is walkable.

I would plan your days well coming into Victoria each day and then looking to get a bus to a point where you can walk for the rest of the day and then bus back to Vic.

Look at at the attractions/sights you want to do and then group them into 3 areas.

From Victoria itself you can easily walk to buck palace, through green park, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester sq, Covent Garden back down through Westminster, seeing Big Ben/houses of P, Downing Street and back to Victoria. Spread it out over the day stopping in between.

Another day train to vic walk to Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge (Harrods) Kensington palace gardens - Diana statue, park and fountain, plus museums like V&A, natural history, Science.

Then another day you could do train to st Pancras (do kings x and Harry Potter trolley) then walk past British museum, Oxford st, China town, Regent's Park.

So many possibilities - just decide what you want to see!

My best tip - buy an A5 sized A-Z, Googling routes online is easy but I find it much easier on paper (and you can carry it in case you take a wrong turn!)

If time isn’t of the essence, bus or walking is much nicer than the tube! I’d recommend the Buschecker app as well as citymapper/google maps as it’s more accurate for live bus info. If your debit card is contactless I’d say registering that with oyster is the easiest way to pay rather than getting a travel card. That train fare sounds excessive though - I’d double check!

clock yes. I have colossal anxiety problems and don't like crowded areas I can't easily escape.
It felt different in the days of the IRA because they sometimes gave out warnings.

Is does bug me that Transport for London make a big hoo ha about how great and easy using contactless is but never mentioned what you do when travelling with children. I have seen it at many tube stations an adult holding out their debit card at the gates saying to the gate person "It's me and 3 kids. Do I beep 4 times?" and gate person is "er no the kids need their own cards". But children don't usually have their own contactless debit cards do they? (not much help to the OP sorry. Just me having a moan)

I used to live in South Croydon and commute to London.

IMO the ONLY practical way to get into London is by train. There are regular trains from South Croydon to Victoria. I would definitely NOT drive into London (congestion, congestion charge, lack of parking, very expensive if you find any). To get to Alexandra Palace you need the Thameslink to St Pancras from East Croydon and the train to Alexandra Palace from King’s Cross.

Depending on where you are staying in South Croydon you can get the tramlink to East Croydon as there is a more regular train service to Victoria.
Also, you will need a contactless card for each traveller. Don’t forget to scan the card at the beginning and end of each journey. On leaving stations it isn’t always obvious where to scan. The tramlink also uses contactless.

Why do you have a problem travelling by train?

www.southernrailway.com/tickets/ticket-types-explained/off-peak
See Kid Travel towards the bottom, condition is that they have to accompany the adult travelcard holder.

tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/visiting-london/visitor-oyster-card#on-this-page-0

order 3 of these. Pick up when you arrive in London. Not sure if that means you will be paying over the odds for the 11y old though?

ZIP photo card is £15, so I guess it depends if you will go back - I bought one for the 12yr old, despite not living in London and got our money's worth because their aunt and uncle live in London, so we could pop them on the train down to be met at the other end and then they could use oyster.

I don't particularly like the tube in London as it is very crammed, but living in a commuter town and visiting London frequently I will use them as there is often no alternative.

On a Sunday the buses are great.

Train price was via trainline travelling at 9am. Is that still peak?
I've never liked train travel. They go too fast and go through tunnels. Hence no tubes. Not a terrorism issue. Used to travel by train in the early 90s. We were often evacuated from stations due to bomb threats.
Half hour on a train is probably my limit these days before I want to get off.
Dh and I have contact less. Will look into something for dd.