Staying in London with preschoolers in December: hotel and travel advice

[Peterrabbity]

Planning on taking two children (1&4) to London for a couple of nights.

We will be seeing a show at Bloomsbury Theatre, ice skating at Somerset house and would like to see Christmas lights.

I am considering booking the Park Plaza on London Bridge. Maps tells me this is a 40 minute walk from Bloomsbury Theatre but you can get the Northern Line from Waterloo to Euston. Is this straight forward (does anyone know if it’s step free and suitable for a pushchair?)? Is there anywhere else anyone would recommend to stay?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for things to do with this preschoolers in London in December?

Thanks!

How are you getting to London?

You can get the northern line from Waterloo to Euston but from London Bridge you would be better getting on at London Bridge and going up that branch. Citymapper, the tfl site and Google maps all allow you to search step-free but this will exclude escalators.

Most tube stations are not step-free. Most have escalators and a few stairs. Some have lifts. How big is your buggy?

If you've got air defenders/headphones for the kids, bring them.

London Transport museum is a perennial favourite if you're not sick of buses and trains by this point.

Just searched for the hotel and I think you may mean Park Plaza London Westminster Bridge? That's quite an important difference. London Bridge is a different bridge.

Westminster Bridge is a great location to see the landmarks. I'd plan to get the riverboat (Thames Clipper/Uber boat) at some point.

Quite big, I’d bring our double pushchair as it would be easier to keep the 4 YO strapped in rather than risk getting lost.

I’d probably drive to London.

thanks for the recommendation!

Sorry! Yes! Westminster bridge!

Research the Christmas lights situation - the streets get very busy and I'm not sure how good the view will be from a buggy. Double pushchair I've never tried on an escalator. Sounds like a PITA!

But people do navigate London with a double buggy

Sorry but it will be horrifically busy trying to see Christmas lights. You will really struggle with a double buggy anywhere. There is a step free Tube map on TFL website. How are you doing a show and ice skating with a 1 year old? I have a 1 year old and live in London. You couldn’t pay me enough to go into central London in December. Go at a quieter time of year: there’s lot of good museums for kids like Postal museum. And bear in mind the congestion and ULEZ charges when driving.

I’d skip the double pram, most tube stations don’t have lifts and if it won’t fit on the escalators it won’t work. For starters the northern line at waterloo is not step free. Just have the 4YO walk and hold the pram frame and maybe get a buggy board for crowds/if they get tired.

Science museum (specifically the garden play area), postal museum and transport museum are all great for preschoolers. Harrods is also quite good for the toy department (less hectic than Hamleys) and mine love the chocolate room in the food hall. A show and ice skating don’t sound like suitable baby/preschooler activities though?

People will always help you lift the buggy up and down the steps, so don’t worry too much about which stations are step free. But agree I wouldn’t use a double buggy - don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone trying to handle a side by side double buggy doing it…