Daughter 18 London club

[magamumma]

My 18 year dd and her friend have tickets for a music gig near London Bridge at the beginning of November.

They will be getting the train up to waterloo and then tube across
I'm anxious about them going because it finishes at 4am.

The first train back isn't until 5.30am and I cant see any tubes running that early to get them to a station.

I'm thinking of booking a taxi for them to get them to waterloo and waiting in the station until the 1st train leaves

But I don't know if this is a sensible option, will there be people in waterloo at that time in the morning.
Obviously I am worried about their safety
Are there any other ideas that may help, I might even look at a youth hostel if I can find one close enough

Have you asked her? What's her plan ?- personally I would get an Uber to train station as I'm not a fan walking at night somewhere unfamiliar and eat something wait for train home n crash

I live in Central London and I know the area around London Bridge/Waterloo very well. I also have DC of a similar age to OP.

It would be very easy to get lost. Actually, the last time I got lost in London was following the signposts to a venue from Waterloo instead of taking one of the routes I know. Google maps then sent us into empty back streets - no people, no traffic (at 5pm, not 5am). If she follows the signs to the river from Borough High St, they are going to take her into dark alleyways or through the deserted market. I wouldn't fancy going through the maze of subways by the Imax at Waterloo in the early hours.

If she heads to the station with everyone else straight after the gig, it will be busy. Leave 15 minutes after the crowds, any street that doesn't still have venues open or multiple bus routes/stops or a tube station will be pretty empty.

I'm running through the possible routes she could take in my head and (based on experience), some of the roads will be deserted at that time of night.

My advice is based on common sense that my DC learnt as early teens.

BTW, OP, I wouldn't rely on the night tube running. The Jubilee line (the line she would need) only reopened a few months ago post COVID and there have been strikes on the night tube for most of this year (on the lines that reopened earlier).

You can't get lost walking from London Bridge to Waterloo. You'd just follow the river if unsure of the route

You can't get lost walking from London Bridge to Waterloo. You'd just follow the river if unsure of the route

Yes, exactly. I've done the walk, for pleasure, many times. I don't know why anyone would need to go near the Imax. Or one could go north of the river. Longer, but along streets rather than the riverside walk. Again, I know it's walkable, because I've walked it! And there's probably a Night Bus which goes at least part of the way. (Back in the old days of course Fleet Street and Covent Garden would be busy at that time and there'd be plenty of cafes open serving fry-ups.)

I don't know why anyone would need to go near the Imax

Walking along the National Theatre side of the bridge and crossing to the station in Waterloo Rd avoids that. The area around the Imax is grim and I have no idea why Lambeth doesn't gussy that and the entrance to Waterloo up a bit considering the number of tourists who must use it.

And how do you get to the river from London Bridge, @Explaintome?

There are the new steps on the bridge itself but unless she knows to walk all the way to the bridge, the signs to the river from Borough High Street will send her through the market or down the alley behind Southwark Cathedral.

If you take the walking route suggested by Google maps, it takes you along the A3200 via the Imax roundabout, @Zosime, and the signposts will send her down into the subways.

I'm not sure why anyone is arguing with my common sense original suggestion that she checks out the route before she goes and doesn't wander around in the middle of the night clutching her phone staring at Google maps...

Night bus
Night bus
Night bus
Night bus !!

Having worked at Borough Market, it’s certainly not dead at that time in the morning - the opposite!!