Questions for Londoners please help.

[Puddlewoman]

Also anyone that travels through London and knows their way around.
I am planning a journey I will have with me my two very nervous autistic children so I need to know where I'm going beforehand. I am arriving in paddington and need to get to st pancras. So I'm thinking tube they look to be running regularly im thinking it would be the circle or hammersmith line which one would be best. If it makes a difference we would be there about 11ish on a weekday.
Does anyone know of a website where i can find out how to get from the platforms where we get off at to the tube station part and the same at st pancras end. I don't want to be trying to work out where have to go on the day.
Also and this might sound daft but are these safe routes? Last time I went on the tube was 2004 i think and i remember it stopped and all the lights went out do they still have these issues?
Would it be better to walk? I know it's quite a distance but we walk loads and it would be a break in the journey tbh

To be honest I'd get a taxi.
Both Paddington and St Pancras/Kings Cross tube station are big and it's easy to get confused if you don't know them.
Follow the signs at Paddington Station to the taxi rank and get one.

TfL - the tube website - will tell
you all this. 5 million people do your trip every day, it’s safe and I promise, not scary.

The Circle line and Hammersmith and City are both on the same line and the trains are interchangeable. They tend to be wider and airier than other tube trains, lest claustrophobic and the gap between seats is wider.

In my opinion they are safe routes...most are during the day if nothing else because there are office workers and tourists around.

The tube will be well signposted when you get out of the mainline train.

You can use any contactless bank card for travel but depending on the age of the children, they would have to pay a reduced fare on the tube. Buying a ticket would probably be the most stressful bit.

When my DD was younger (she is also autistic), we avoided the tube. We go into London regularly but it was too crowded, loud and dark for her. The buses in London are good, you could take the number 205 bus from just outside of Paddington station to the British Library stop, and then it's a couple of minutes walk from there to St Pancras. The bus takes around 25 minutes.
Rome2Rio is a great website to use, it lets you see where the bus stops are. London Paddington Station to St Pancras International Station. The Paddington bus stop is on Eastbourne Terrace so if you popped that into google maps whilst you are in the station you won't go wrong.

Hey there. I’m a big fan of London walking but I wouldn’t walk this. It’s a bit far and not very scenic. Most of the walk is just on an ugly main road.

Circle line is great. I don’t love the tube, but I will do circle line. It’s a ‘cut-and-cover’ line which means it’s barely underground at all. That means you get to avoid lots of escalators going deeper and deeper to platforms.

Alight at Kings Cross/St Pancras, and then you’ll need to follow signs to make sure your exit takes you out at St Pancras. Are you catching a train from St Pancras or doing something else nearby?

However.. if you do decide to walk (and have time) there is a very lovely route along the canal from Paddington through to Granary Square which is just up from St Pancras. You go though Little Venice, Regents Park and Camden. All along the side of the towpath. Maybe about 3hrs i think?

As pp said Circle Line and Hammersmith & City are basically interchangeable for your journey. You can get either. The main this is that you want to sure you follow signs to the platform that say East or Anti clock wise (can’t remember which!) and then you can get on any train from that platform.

If you download the Citymapper app it will tell you which platform, which end of the train to be near the right exit, and also alert you to any issues on the day.

It uses TfL data, but is a lot easier to use, and free.

Finally - so so safe. And at that time of day it won’t be busy.

205 bus is a great thought though.

Thank you for all the answers
I shall get the city mapper app. Unfortunately youngest one will be violently sick if we try anything with wheels so a taxi or bus is not an option. We are going on eurostar so its st pancras international although i am assuming they are at the same place
Tickets might be tricky then. Would you reccomend buying them on the app is it just a scan gate thing like regular trains?

Map of Paddington station

It’s not the easiest map to understand at first, but you’ll see the escalators to underground are really close to the platforms. Paddington is a reasonably quiet station by London standards and simple to navigate round.

St Pancras is a lot busier. It would be helpful to know what you’re doing there (catching onward train?). I know St Pancras really well and happy to help

I don't want to be holding people up and having people huffing at the incompetant tourists

Hi Paddington station has a ton of signs from station to underground lines and even stickers on the floor to guide you too. It's full of tourists as the Heathrow Express goes to and from there plus people looking to see where Paddinton bear comes from. So you will fit right in plus there is an information desk and staff all around to help

Don't worry about that. Take your time.
Your journey is just as important as anyone else's 🙂

If your kids are noise sensitive, have them wear loop earplugs, it can be a bit noisy in these environments so loops are ideal to reduce the decibel levels.

I know the route from that platform out to St Pancras well.

I've found this map. Have done an annotated version with the route marked - will try to upload it separately.

https://tomhalltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/king-cross-upgrade-map2.gif

@Puddlewoman oh and yes St Pancras International is the same as St Pancras (all one station).
The tube station is Kings Cross/St Pancras but it's well signed to show which way to go.

When you arrive in Paddington, you need to look for the bridge that is over the trains. It may mean you need to walk back the way the train came if you are at the front of the train. If you go that way, there is a small exit, very few people and it will take you straight to the Circle and Hammersmith line.

If you exit the platforms the main way, you will see lots of people and signs to the Bakerloo/Circle tube. That's a much worse way to go and takes you to a different bit of the circle.

Arriving at St Pancras won't be fun. The Eurostar terminal requires a walk along a busy shop lined route. You then need to queue and wait with lots of people in an area that's too small.

So, I'd say Paddington to St Pancras on the circle/H&C line is definitely the best and easiest way, but you'll need to prepare yourself for the Eurostar experience.

Don't worry about that, take your time.
Also, I know that you shouldn't have to, but I see a lot of people with hidden disabilities wear the green flowery lanyard to signal for people to be patient. If your children don't have those, I believe they are free through network rail. I think M&S have them too behind the counter.

Ooh exciting!

Heres a link about Eurostar departures from St Pancras

Link

Even though St Pancras is really busy, there are so many signs telling you how to find Eurostar Departures area. It’s on the ground floor. Just a couple of hundred metres max from underground exit.

Toilets at St Pancras are always really busy. Worth bearing in mind so you’re prepared to queue. If you get yourself to St Pancras early, you can grab food from the many Pret A Manger’s or M&S food and sit outside in the area between Kings Cross station and St Pancras. Lots of seating and a giant swing.

This is crucial. There are different bits of the circle line at Paddington in different places and you want to follow the signs for the Hammersmith and City Line. It's a bit further away from the rest of the tube lines.

Hi OP, if it's helpful you can also look up Step Free London which is great for seeing which stations have no steps or for checking where lifts are etc. I realise you may not need this but it helps our autistic child as feels more predictable somehow. Enjoy your time in London with your children.

Don’t be scared to ask people btw when you’re at the station. Nothing makes me happier than helping people out on London transport.

Agree with getting lanyards for the kids. It will make a difference.

Yes we are going to order those. We have headphones entertainment and will have snacks I can cope with anything the kids throw at me as long as i don't have to work out the journey at the same time. I just want to be able to efficiently shepard them from one place to the other as painlessly as possible.
Thank you for all the help and the maps. I am feeling a lot clearer now on how we are going to get about.