Is it stupid to have a car in London?

[OReli]

I’m aware that most people with no kids in London don’t bother driving especially if they are in a central part. However, my partner and I live in zone 3 so are thinking about getting a car now for ease, we’ve never had one so are unaware of the costs. We like going on country walks, beaches etc (prepandemic) and although we manage with trains (even with our dog sometimes) it can be a pain to only rely on public transport all the time. For example we really regretted not having one a few months ago when our dog needed emergency vet care in the middle of the night, we ended up having to get an Uber which was fine but not very secure as they could have turned us away! To be honest we probably only need a car for weekends to go on drives outside London etc., my partner currently gets a bus to work which is quite long but it’s also cost effective so he puts up with it. I walk to work but will be looking for a new job in the coming months where I may need to commute to the outskirts of London so yeah a car would be handy if that happens. Just wondering if anyone else has advice on whether it is worth the cost of buying and up keeping a car in London?

@Rollercoaster1920

Can you use car club cars for a week though? I thought they were short term.

As I recall there are 24hr rates as well as hourly rates, yes.

They tend to work out quite expensive for a week although they do include the fuel. If it's longer than a day I usually hire one, but lots of hire firms will drop off and collect either free or for not much extra. Or car sharing as someone mentioned.

My DP said for years that we didn't need a car (Zone 2 in London). Once the pandemic hit, she was so glad we'd kept it - we're quite old, can't ride bikes and have barely used public transport for the past year. Being able to go further than we can walk has been a lifesaver. But I can't wait to start using buses and trains again!

I've caused confusion with my car seats comment 🤣

I meant if you need to take a taxi then what do you do with the seats

Getting across London (e.g. to a hospital appt) can be horrific with little ones. I'm at the edge of my borough so to get to x hospital I guess I would have to take numerous buses, obviously leaving hours extra in case I can't get on with a push chair if there's another one on already/wheelchair.

I was actually without one in 2019 and had to get back to my home town using 4 x trains on my own, it was an "experience" with a baby and 1 yo.

Also if you have 2 x kids in a buggy you can't get on the tube etc if there's one of those massive escalators and no step free access

I actually hate driving so only do it when necessary.

@JanewaysBun you don’t need car seats in taxis any more than you need them on a bus (though obviously safer if you do have them).

I agree though that with DC it’s much easier to have a car. I used public transport a lot through London even with a toddler and a baby (in fact my toddler loved trains and tube so much we used to do it for fun!) but there will always be times when a car is far more convenient.

I lived in Fulham and had a car. I got the tube/bus where possible but it was so handy when I needed to travel out of London - which was most weekends

I’ve always lived in London and always had a car even though I get on the tube and bus every day

@MyDcAreMarvel

are drives not a thing in London? Why the necessity for permits and parking your car not by your home?

Have you ever been to London?

Owning a car involves storing it (aka known as parking it) on a street, using up more than your fair share of public street space. Most cars in cities spend 90% of their time being stored by their owners on streets. If more people ditched their cars and used public transport, cycling, walking and car clubs instead there'd be more space on streets for walking, cycling, parklets, kids to play etc.

I just used Zipcar when I lived in London. To be honest I always preferred getting the train for weekends away etc. That Sunday night traffic driving back through London is a killer!

I’m in C London and would struggle without a car. I’ve just bought and EV as owning a petrol one is becoming increasingly onerous. I have family outside London and so travel regularly. Despite that, the time savings over public transport when doing school run, going to school, shopping etc are immense.