Do I need a stroller for London?

[Willyswaggingfinger]

DH needs to renew his passport at his country's embassy in London so we're going to have to go with 5 month old DD.

We're going on the LNER service from Yorkshire then we'll stay in a hotel near King's Cross and travel to the embassy, probably by tube. The embassy is on the south side of Hyde Park.

We've got the Noordi Sole Pram but I'm conscious that it's not small or lightweight and might be a nightmare trying to navigate the tube. Do you have to fold down for the tube?
Would we be better buying a stroller? Or is that just as bad and we would be better with a baby carrier?
DD isn't able to sit up yet, weighs approx 7kg.

I've never done London with a baby before and probably overthinking it.

I live in London and travel about with my two DC often. We have the "Gb Pockit Plus All City Stroller" (in addition to an Uppababy Vista) which folds up so small that it's very easy to use.

You can get bus 390 from Kings Cross to Hyde Park Corner and never need to go anywhere by tube.

For sightseeing, I'd get the 148 bus from Hyde Park Corner to Westminster tube, and pick up the Uber boat from Westminster Pier. You can tap on and off with an ordinary debit card and see Parliament, the London Eye and the South Bank, St Paul's, the Globe, the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

I'd suggest going as far as Greenwich, which means you also see the Shard, Canary Wharf and the Cutty Sark, having lunch at the indoor market and then getting the boat back to Waterloo where you can get the 59 bus back to Kings Cross.

You will need comfortable shoes!

A PP recommends CityMapper which I'd second. It's really useful for journey planning and will also tell you how long you'll wait for the bus (generally not very long at all).

Thankyou for all these suggestions it's really helpful 😊

Definitely get a lightweight easy to fold buggy (what you are calling a stroller) and take it plus a sling.
Even on buses you may need to take baby out and fold the buggy so having both means you can carry baby when needed but you have the option of actually being able to put her down in the buggy when you want to eat or whatever.

I live very close to where you’re going, and I really think the sightseeing will be more fun/ less rubbish when your LO is a bit older and more aware (and can go longer between feeds and nappy changes and everything, as well as communicating with you a bit more easily).

Plenty of activities and attractions in central London have something good for toddlers and young children, but relatively few are genuinely little-baby/new-parent friendly. I found this out the hard way going out and about with my own DD when she was very small. And, mid-week, central London still has a lot of commuters who travel in for work, and they’re often stressed and grumpy and don’t have much patience for tourists and babies.

I can completely imagine hauling a 5mo baby down from York for an overnight stay/day trip and ending up thinking “ugh why did I think this was a good idea”.

And just to reassure you about DH getting around unaccompanied, plenty of locals (including me) are perfectly nice and will happily stop and check if someone needs directions if they look like they need them!

Live in London with a massive pram. Doesn’t stop me and my baby one bit. Totally fine, especially if there are two of you to carry it up/down steps when needed. You’ll 5m old will be happy to comfortably nap. And you’ll be happy to have the bottom basket for stuff.

I live in London, most people in my area have a yoyo or bee as they are easy on transport and in general.

The citymapper app will show you which stations have lifts.

Buses it depends what time you're travelling if it's busy it can be grim with a pram but usually day to day it's fine, I've never needed to fold.

You'd be okay with a sling only, it would just be a bit intense baby wearing all day. If you have the pram and your baby has a sleep you can enjoy a cofffee and a rest!

Tbh, unless you’re going to be out and about 8 hours a day, I’d take the car seat on the Fran and a sling.

There is no way on earth I would want to navigate tubes/escalators/on and off buses with a tiny baby in a pram without straps (live in London, have 2x DC). You’ll probably want to get your dc out of the pram every time you get on and off transport so if you’re worried about waking her then car seat and sling combination are better options. If you’re happy to have dc in a carrier for traveling and put in pram just for strolling around/stopping for lunch etc, then do that.

LNER ideally want the pram folded which isn't fun with the Noordi as it's huge and heavy and the carrycot doesn't fold so we'll definitely go with a stroller and sling combo.
I've done local trains with the noordi and never had to fold but London trains are always packed from here.

I'm still debating about sending DH alone. I have visions of us having to wait hours at the embassy and no time for sightseeing.

If you want to do some sightseeing, I'd stay two nights. I had to get a visa for Camp America and it took the best part of a morning.

I also had to do the Tube at rush hour - definitely avoid this!

I live in London and travel between York and London multiple times a year. Just take your normal pram. You dont need to fold down the pram on the tube and if there are two of you then it'll be easy to carry the pram up and down any steps.

Btw, in probably 20 return journeys over 2 years, LNER staff have only once asked me to fold down the buggy and that was when i had the car seat and bassinet attached so i could get a taxi when i got off at york.

Book a seat near the vestibule in the carriage with the wheelchair space and we mostly leave the buggy up in the vestibule with DD asleep and we take turns standing with her. Or if its the non stop service and no wheelchair user gets on, then it just parks in the wheelchair space. My buggy is an Uppababy Vista so massive as well and noone has ever said anything.

You can definitely do London with a big pram but a smaller foldable one will be easier.
I would recommend the Joolz Aer over the Yoyo tough.

If you are making it more of a holiday you can rent a BabyZen yo-yo with the newborn pack, then you can see if you like it and don’t need to shell out actually buying the pre 6 month stuff that you’ll hardly get any use out of. I think the rental companies will post to you or your hotel.

Just avoid rush hour and you will be fine. Allow extra time and be flexible

Definitely get a lightweight easy to fold buggy (what you are calling a stroller) and take it plus a sling.

This.

An advantage of having a sling is if transport screws up- and it randomly does - you can get on. There as with a buggy/stroller you can end up waiting ages.

In regards to carrying a buggy/stroller up and down stairs random strangers will help you if you are on your own.

However on an escalator you will need to balance it on your own.