Where can I park then get the tube from South East Kent?

[ForkTines]

I’ve not driven into London for years and don’t know how the ulez works. There are 4 of us going so the train is out this time. Where can I park and get on the tube without getting too far into London proper?

Are you trying to avoid ULEZ all together? Because it extends all the way to edges of Bromley, Bexley etc

I’m not sure! I usually get the train but with 4 of us the price seems daft and driving some of the way seemed more sensible? I’m trying to minimise cost and faff 🙂

The Ulez zone is massive and you'll end up on a train anyway to get into town.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/ulez-where-and-when?intcmp=52227

if your car is an old diesel, you will have to pay ULEZ but otherwise is it not an issue. you can check here but 95% of cars don't have to pay

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/

then once you've worked out how far you can drive, you can look on websites like JustPark to rent a space on someone's driveway for the day

Ah - I’m showing off my ignorance - I thought you needed an electric vehicle 😳

There are no tube lines in the outer areas of SE London, so you'd be looking at the Elephant & Castle which is not renowned for it's parking. Unless you want to drive round the M25 either northwards or to the east, why not just get a train and look into the various rail card options?

perhaps I should rephrase the question - what’s the cheapest and least faffy way to get 4 people that don’t really ‘do’ London transport to the British Museum from Kent? 🙂

All of the railways within London use the same ticketing system (tap in, tap out, daily cap on total spend), not just the Tube. For example if you parked near Eltham which is in zone 4 and got the Southeastern train in to Victoria, your total spend for the day would not exceed £12.30 per person.

Loads of trains from Kent go directly into Charing X-you can then just jump on the Northern Line up to Tottenham Ct Rd and walk from there. To be fair if you don’t mind a walk then you could get straight off at Charing X and walk from there.

Where’s your nearest station? From memory the Charing x trains go out to Dartford, Sevenoaks, Gravesend

Drive to Woolwich. Park in the Woolwich Arsenal station carpark cross the main road and get the Elizabeth line to Tottenham Court Road (15 mins journey) and walk to the British Museum (12 minute walk). Have lunch afterwards in Charlotte Street (plenty of restaurants there).

I'm in Sussex and we can get family tickets, one day travel cards etc. When my dc were young they could go with an adult for £1 each - you need to explore your train line offers

From Sussex when trains have been on strike I have driven to Morden and there's a cheap car park near York Close about a 5 min walk from the underground there

Any zone 4 station will have free parking a 10 minute walk away from the station or a pay car park. Eltham, Sidcup, Albany Park, Bexley etc on the Southeastern train line. Tap in using contactless cards and, as a previous poster has said, you are capped at a daily travel limit. It's only about 20-30 minutes in to Charing X from New Eltham for example.

Or Orpington station has fast trains and a large station car park but you can park a 10 minute walk away for free.

You could get to somewhere in SE London...there's no tube but you can get the train into central London very easily...often just two stops into town...it's cheap...a few quid each.... similar prices to the tube.

You need to check if your car is ulez compliant...it doesn't need to be electric to be compliant. My ordinary petrol car is compliant. But you need to check

goodness, thanks to so many people for helping. To someone that rarely ventures into The Big Smoke all the unfamiliar stuff is like speaking in tongues. Witchcraft. :D

@ForkTines what's your nearest station?

Dover 🙂

High speed to Kings Cross then Piccadilly Line to Holborn for the British Museum. Easy peasy :)

I thought Ulez covers the whole of oyster zone 6.

High speed to Kings Cross

St Pancras, not KX. And the BM is walkable from there for an averagely fit person.

It does. But most cars are compliant. I have a 15 year old petrol car which is compliant.

To be honest, most of Mumsnet is as hysterical about ULEZ as they are about IHT when it won't affect the vast majority!

You can get two adults and two kids for £50 return Dover to Victoria if you book in advance and are flexible with times.

I've assumed it's two adults two kids. Less faff than driving up here and finding parking.

I agree that if the car is compliant you can catch a train from eg outer London like Orpington station and park in nearby roads quite easily. Driving into Central London is a nightmare anyway. I think you don’t pay much for kids if it is not rush hour from Zone 6 but check. We as Londoners get it pretty much free for kids with Zip Oyster (no charge until 10 and minor after that).

We're in Herne Bay @ForkTines we drive to North Greenwich where the O2 is. Don't use their car parks, park in the NCP car park, it's £12.50 per day. There are a lot of road works up there at the moment, but get the postcode, put it in your sat nav and follow the diversions and you'll be fine.

Then you are right by the tube station, (North Greenwich) or you can walk down to the pier and get an Uber boat (or whatever they call them now). I prefer the boat to get into central London but it does cost more.

Train to St P then walk. Takes 20 mins (ish) to British Museum.
Or drive to Ebbsfleet, park there and get the fast train to St P.