To consider London with the DC's?

[hippoherostandinghere]

DH and I are thinking about taking the DCs to London for a night or two. They are 4 and 1.10. We would be flying in from Belfast and aren't quite sure if its manageable getting around London with a buggy and a small child. We really want to do some sight seeing and DS four would absolutely love it. But would it be mad?

Also which airport has the best transport links into the city centre? Is there a good train from gatwick?

Of course it is possible - people live there with kids!

As others say - avoid rush hour and you will be fine. Where will you be staying? Personally I quite like London City for getting in and out of town. There are often good hotel deals in and around tower hill too.

Hits with friends children are: the pirate playground (princess diana memorial playground in Hyde Park), the zoo, Coram fields playground ( useful place to run off steam if you have attempted the british museum), London transport museum and the southbank (good playpark near London Eye). London Eye has been a big hit too. As is going on the river boat to Greenwich and then the maritime museum. River boat is VERY buggy friendly and can take you into town (London Eye/ Tate modern) and out to Greenwich.

Personally I find the bus much easier than the tube and try to walk as many places as possible often with back pack rather than buggy.

I'd go for whichever flight is cheapest as no real difference in getting here from the airports. Having said that the hotel you chose may be a factor (ie. if staying close to Victoria it is easiest to come in from Gatwick).

You'll have a wonderful time - and despite our reputation we Londoners on the whole are very friendly, will help live buggies up stairs, give directions etc.!

If course it's bloody possible but you have to have the right kind of attitude and if you are going to quake at the thought of taking a buggy on a bus then you might want to consider somewhere else.

Def fly heathrow if possible. From there you can cheaply jump on Picadilly tube and it will take you right to the museums/ Hyde park / central wherever you need to get off.

Once in use buses easiest with buggy but tubes fine if foldable and you will have two adults.

We are out everyday with regular pram ( not umbrella) with now 2 and 3 year olds. It's very easy. Harrods ice cream parlour is a must if around there. £3.50 for a small scoop ( which is actually 3 large, in a tall glass with wafers), kids love walking around there. Also pedlo boats on serpentine in Hyde park, Diana water play park, the lido has a kids pool and park in Hyde park also. Covent garden is nice to eat in and transport museum there

We've been with a 6 and 2.5 year old. We are considering doing it again without a doubt.

We took the kids on the duck tours which dc loved especially when the 'bus' went into the Thames and we saw Big Ben, London eye, Westminster Abbey etc,

If definitely recommend it.

Clearly I spoke to soon about us being welcoming, friendly types !

You'll have a wonderful time - and despite our reputation we Londoners on the whole are very friendly

Agreed. Just try not to run into Guitargirl.

hehe x-post

Yes, visit us! Heathrow easy because you can get the tube.

You might want to consider a sling for the little one, as possibly easier fir public transport.

You could also see Houses of Parliament near St. James's and pat the horses on Whitehall, near Downing Street.

There are loads of 2 for 1 vouchers for things like the aquarium btw - think they're doing them on Kellogg's cereal now.

By 'us' I mean London. I'm sure you don't want to visit me and DH :)

DON'T use the Gatwick Express - costs a fortune! The 'standard' train takes under 10 minutes more and costs much less.

Thanks for all the great tips. So much to see and do will take ages to fit it all in.

I'm also well aware that people live and bring up kids in London but as I live in NI and have been to London twice in my entire life I was worried about the logistics if it with a buggy. I remember being so cramped in the tube that we couldn't turn round and there's no way you could get a buggy in there but then that must have been rush hour. I also didn't take much heed of where there are lifts or if you can push a buggy straight on a bus because I was 19.

Lol Binky I'll come visit if you want. As long as you haven't invited guitar girl too.

It will be great, but if you are not used to cities/public transport, then try to do your planning in advance and definitely try not to do too much. Preume it will take you an hour to and an hour back from wherever you are going, even if it just looks like a few stops!

people who live in London are used to it so can't imagine why someone would think you couldn't go there with kids, but I kow where you're coming from if you live somewhere in rural Ireland (I'm Irish)

With 2 adults and 2 kids its fine but best to bring small folding buggy - I use Maclaren one with shoulder strap on tube and its fine even on my own.

I apologise - I have had a bad day.

Of course it will be fine. Keep an eye on the tube map for the stations that have wheelchair signs which will mean there is a lift or step-free access to the street. If your buggy has massive wheels then get one adult to get on the front of the bus and ask the driver if you can take the buggy on the bus through the middle doors - don't just try and get on the middle doors without asking first - drivers don't like that IME.

Makre sure your 4 year old does frequent toilet stops, especially before going into a tube station as they don't have toilets.

If you are coming in the summer it can get very hot on the tube - take water.

It's a lot of effort to stay just for one night - I would suggest staying longer.

There is loads of stuff to do for kids. Plenty of threads on here or TimeOut London for children is also a good book.

Ha ha Guitargirl you said what I was thinking! Why would London not be possible to get around with small children? What do you think those of us who live here do?! Your OP sounded a bit insulting - the suggestion that it might be 'mad' to bring children to a big scary city like London. Hmph.

You need to check all your tube stations before hand. It isa Victorian system and not all have disabled access, so that means lugging your buggy up and down flights of stairs.

I don't see what mileage a baby would get though from being lugged about a city.

My babies live in a city! Though I do try not to 'lug' them, and to transport them by conventional means. Not sure about their 'mileage' - it's probably quite high by now...

Buggy-lugging isn't that hard with two adults, and normally a member of the public will offer to help if things get hairy. The Jubilee line stations all have lifts and every tube has escalators - there are the occasional short flights of stairs on some of the changes.

Holly - Baby isn't going to get much out of seeing London, but may get a lot out of seeing Mum Dad and brother having a great adventure together and looking at the photos in years to come.

Sounds like a good plan. lots of great places to visit already mentioned here. If the Natural History Museum and Science Museum are key perhaps try and stay around the South Kensington area, or a little further out. There are some new and (relatively) cheap hotels near Clapham Junction, which can be accessed very easily from Gatwick (if that's an option as an alternative to Luton) and then an easy bus ride to South Ken. There's also the National Army Museum in Chelsea very nearby and Battersea Park is utterly wonderful.

Other side of London, a boat trip, the new cable car and the Museum of childhood (Bethnal Green) can all be combined for a good day out. Agree with posts above though about not trying to fit in too much in one day.

I 'm a Londoner with similar aged children ad regularly try to do too much and regret it! But at least we can get home quite easily!! By the way, in 4 years of parenthood I have only had to fold a buggy on a bus twice and have once chosen to get off as a wheelchair user needed to get on (and toddler was sleeping on buggy). Was fine as I jumped on next bus. You do sometimes have to be patient if not able to get on first bus though if two other buggy users on ahead of you. Tube has never been a problem, especially with two adults (even with only one adult I have never had a problem getting help lugging the buggy if needed).

(p.s. both my DCs have loved the science museum, NHM, NAM, racing around the parks and just generally being 'lugged' around before the age of 2!!)

Where are you thinking of staying when you get here? I have raised two in london btw. Both grown now so what's this duck walk thing?

Premier Inn Putney is good value. On the river, near the river taxi, next to tube, district line so v easy access to the museums, the parks, london eye, etc. If you want to do the S Ken museums which are on the disteict line suggest you avoid Wimbledon ortnight for cost and crowd reasons.

Be careful of the dinosaur at the Natural History Museum. I went with dd and we were both scared. Which is pathetic but true.