London rush hour question: West End to Marylebone at midweek afternoon rush hour

[FrozenMamma38384]

I’m taking my kids to a midweek matinee in December in the West End. One has SEN and is really excited about going but crowds can be challenging for him. It finishes at 4:30pm so I’m a little anxious about hitting the afternoon rush hour when trying to get home. We have to make our way back to Marylebone to get a train.

I used to live in London so fairly comfortable with the transport but it’s been a few years. If we get a bus down the Strand to Charing Cross and then the Bakerloo line we can get on a train just after 5pm, or 5:30pm if we want leave some wiggle room - is that early enough not to get caught in rush hour in London? (Either way we’ll book seats in advance.)

Child also travels much more happily on a scooter than walking. Is taking a scooter on a bus/on the Bakerloo line madness? I can’t remember what the transition is like underground between the tube platform
and the train station. Obviously he won’t be allowed to use it on the platform.

Where in the W End? Which theatre?

Personally I think a scooter would be a hazard. Not good on busy London pavements or in tube tunnels, awkward to carry with your other stuff and keeping close to a child...

If you’re going into Marylebone you must be using a Chiltern Railways train? Just to flag that you can’t book seats with Chiltern and it can be an absolute scrum boarding at rush hour (which 5pm would be) so you might be better to get food after the theatre and travel later.

Also, check if you would even be allowed to take a scooter into the theatre, some have bag restrictions these days.

Mine was welded to his scooter too but I would say absolutely no to that in the theatre, trains, tube, crowded pavements, escalators it would be a nightmare. It's not far to walk from the Strand to Charing Cross probably quicker than getting a bus. I'd agree with staying to eat and going back later.

100% no to the scooter. There is no way you can scoot in that area, it's far too busy, and you'll just end up carrying it and having to put it in the cloakroom.

You can get a bus from the Strand to Marylebone- 139 maybe?

You’re actually hitting right at peak time there! The tube will be busier at that time. And Chiltern Railways peak time is 4-7pm, tickets are more expensive at this time because it’s peak. You’d be better off having some food after the theatre perhaps, miss rush hour and travel back slightly later when it’s quieter.

Get a taxi or a bus if crowds are an issue. The tube will probably be packed from Charing Cross to Marylebone that time of day. Squashed in like sardines packed.
Can you go early or later? Rush hour is 4 to 7pm in my experience.

Couldn’t you just walk? It’s really not so far once you get to Harley Street.

Which theatre? If you know London, you could navigate along the back streets (eg Wigmore Street) parallel to Oxford Steeet and then turn north towards Regents Park and west a bit to Marylebone. I’d say it wouldn’t take you that much longer than a bus and Tube trip.

No to scooter at theatre or on public transport.

Can you get to Piccadilly Circus or Oxford Circus walking? That will save you 'two modes of travel' as you can jump straight on Bakerloo line. Or is there a direct bus?

Are you going to see Paddington? If so you can get a bus all the way from the Savoy theatre to Marylebone, or walk to Charing Cross and get the Bakerloo all the way from there.

The trains will be busy whether you go straight there or stop on the way but you could walk to Covent Garden for dinner and Christmas lights or head straight to the station depending on what works best for your kids.

Thanks for the advice so far. It’s the Peacock Theatre. Walking to Charing Cross is not an issue for me but DS can be difficult when made to walk more than a few minutes. I thought we could check in the scooter in the cloakroom but if it’s still a nightmare to use everywhere else then the bus would probably be least fuss to get to Charing Cross.

How much would a taxi be from the theatre to Marylebone? It looks like about 30 mins with heavy traffic right now.

I think you might be right and we need to get dinner in London. DH is going to be so annoyed - he hates being in London and by that point DS will just want to go home. Rethinking the wisdom of it all now. 🙄

Bus 139 is a good idea actually, thanks.

That bus goes through Piccadilly, Oxford Circus - are they going to be packed with traffic?

There’s also a lot of road closures en route the 139 🤔

Everywhere is busy at that time of day. As PP's have said, you'd be better off getting some dinner and waiting for the rush to die down.

It will be a fairly slow journey by bus, definitely, but you will be going along Regent street and Oxford Street so might be part of the fun to sit upstairs and look at the lights?

I’m rethinking walking now! I’m just concerned about doing it in the dark and DS would definitely need his scooter. I know Covent Garden well but I’ve not walked those back streets to Marylebone before.

That’s true. Maybe dinner and then bus 139 to enjoy the lights would be the best use of time. We’re going at the start of December so presumably they will be up by then?

Any recommendations for kids friendly places to eat around Aldwych? All I can think of is Wagamama. Somewhere we don’t have to wait too long for food.

Agree with this - although slow, the bus can be a really nice way to see the lights! And they are definitely up by start of Dec.

They're up already 😂

There is a Wagamama on Kingsway, or My Old Dutch Pancake on High Holborn.

Definitely advise dinner after the matinee perhaps half way to the tube then you can also get off peak rates. Don’t take a scooter, not all theatres even have cloakrooms and you won’t be able to take it into the auditorium, even if they have a cloakroom them may refuse non clothing. You will find it quicker on the bus and cheaper if you opt for an uber too. Lights will be up on regent street

I'd walk this personally.

But in your circs I'd get dinner (My Old Dutch is a good shout with kids but it's not that close to Aldwych) after the theatre, and a black cab (or a bus - top deck!) to the station afterwards. Don't take the scooter.