Advice on travelling around London next weekend - public transport or car?

[coffeerevelsrock]

I'm travelling from the Midlands to London next Saturday and staying overnight in Battersea. We will be going to a play at the Globe on Saturday afternoon and then probably walking along the river to find somewhere to eat before going back to the hotel. On Sunday we're going to Greenwich. It's me and dc aged 12 and 14.

I was planning on driving as I think there's an NCP near the hotel that'll be about £15 and then I understand that parking is free/there's no congestion charge on Sunday for the Greenwich bit? However, I would quite like to try the train and can get tickets for about £90. My petrol + car park would be about £45ish I expect so half the price but I am happy to pay more to be more ecologically sound. However, I can't work out what my public transport costs would be once in London. I'd need train to hotel, then hotel to theatre and back again, plus hotel to Greenwich the next day (I see there's a boat, which would be great), then Greenwich to train.

I can't get my head around what kids would cost! I've always done travel cards before but I'm getting the sense they're not necessarily best value at the ages the kids are now, Any help would be great.

Is your car ULEZ compliant, also, I thought the congestion charge was every day now?

I just use my contactless debit card to travel on London transport, it gets capped at the price of a day travel card if your journeys come to more than that.

This link will help with travel card prices for your journey, what zones are batteries and Greenwich in?
tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/caps-and-travelcard-prices

Also this for driving charges
tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/

I would most definitely take public transport in the circumstances you describe, as a Zone 4 Londoner with a car. Driving into central London any day of the week unless you absolutely have to is a fool's errand. You can just use contactless on everything and your DC can get free travel with 11+ Oyster cards.

Congestion charge was enough to put me off, however I know where to park outside the M25 and train in.

Download Citymapper it will give you all the different transport modes and routes you’ll need.
Definitely look at getting Oyster cards which you can top up in a pay as you go style or look if there’s weekend/day travel cards that you can add on.
Definitely recommend the boat to Greenwich

The congestion charge is 7 days a week now iirc

It will be about ten pounds a day each on public transport if you use travel cards. The kids should be free on tubes and bus

Drive and then use public transport. You’ll be able to park for free on Saturday but driving to the Globe would be into congestion charge and parking in Greenwich isn’t easy. ULEZ starts on the 25th.

Yes congestion charge is 7 days a week so Saturday and Sunday is already £30, are you staying until Monday? Then it'll be £45 plus parking, plus ULEZ if you're car isn't exempt.

Plus driving in London is a ball ache. Do you know your way around?

Really we live in south London and I wouldn't even drive to Greenwich.

I would use public transport without a doubt.

Also I'd use your contactless card for travel and buy a day travel card for your son.

I got stung for a fine for not paying congestion charge on a Sunday :-(

Also speed limit is 20mph and a lot of roads are mainly cycle lanes, so it’s busy, slow & expensive.

Thanks all - this is so complicated!

I see the congestion charge is 7 days a week now but I think Battersea and Greenwich are both outside it? I think my car is ULEZ compliant but would have to check. I wouldn't drive to the Globe anyway. I'm leaning towards parking somewhere outside and the using public transport for the rest. I have used Stanmore before but not overnight and I can't work out online whether it's okay to leave car there overnight. Also can't work out which Oyster card I can get as a non-London resident and whether I can get them before Saturday.

I feel really stupid but this all seems really complicated.

Do not drive round London!! NCP must be the most expensive car park going, I can't imagine it will be free at any point
Use your contactless card on the tube, getting a free ticket for the kids if you just take them through the wide gate in the tube stations it's free

Really there's no need for an oyster. Your contactless works as an oyster so getting one is more complicated.

Definitely download Citymapper app. It's great.

No oyster needed. Your kids may also be free on some transport. What age are they? I live in battersea and do these journeys daily. Happy to help.

Definitely don’t drive into Central London! And don’t bother with an Oyster card, just use contactless. Kids will travel free except perhaps on the boat to Greenwich (which is lovely and really worth doing).

Do not drive. You will spend a lot of time frustrated in traffic. Much more exciting and part of the trip to do tube, bus and boat.

You can get a visitor oyster before you get to London then get children added to it at a station. Or just buy a day travel card at a station for all of you.
Definitely get the clipper to Greenwich and back.

Ah yes, I can see now you can use contactless for adults but not kids. They need an Oyster, which we don't have but I can maybe apply. Just need to see if I can leave the car somewhere outside now.

I’d love to know where the free parking in Greenwich is on Sundays!
I live not very far from Greenwich, parking is very expensive and half the roads have been rerouted/ made no entry ( which sat Navs don’t seem to know about) I would say definitely don’t drive to Greenwich

You buy a Young Visitor Oyster card from a member of staff hanging around what used to be the ticket hall of any tube station, for each under 16 child. This gives half price travel on the tube. You use a contactless card for adult travel. Don't drive.

Kids are free on buses and you can buy one day travel cards for them. Are you going to be staying near the new tube station?

You can add the young visitor discount to a standard oyster card that you buy from a machine in a ticket hall, via a staff member - or just talk to a staff member hanging around the ticket hall - there is no need to fanny around buying these in advance

As your kids don't live in London they may need to pay despite what some people said here (you need a special card to travel for free over 11) we usually ride in (motorbikes are congestion charge exempt) but check the charge and route because I think it's 7 days now. There's a water bus service to Greenwich which is fun. Take comfortable walking shoes as that's often your best option.

It might be difficult to ensure you drive from Battersea to Greenwich avoiding the congestion zone, particularly as you aren’t familiar with London. I live in London and know my way around but I rarely drive these days - public transport is easier and quicker!