Why are children using the tube on field trips?

[Specialapplek]

Very often in London I see big groups of young children (and teens as well) being accompanied by their teachers on the tube. Presumably they are on school trips.

Why don't they charter a bus though? When I was in school we always hired a bus for our trips to the museums, zoo, etc. We could sit with our friends and sing songs and play games. Why would anyone choose to transport a big group of children on the tube? No one gets to sit down, the teachers have to constantly watch out for kids falling over, wandering off...

I'm genuinely curious so could anyone weigh in? As a parent I think I'd prefer my children being transported in a private hire bus, unless travelling on the tube is part of the purpose of the whole excursion.

Have you tried parking a coach in Central London recently?

Coach hire is often a big chunk of the cost of school trips. So if you have the choice of saying to parents we are doing a trip to the Science Museum and it will cost £15 with a coach or nothing if we go by tube what do you think most people would choose.

It keeps the cost of the trip down meaning that more trips can be run without excluding families who can't afford them.

YY to traffic issues too.

Even back in the day we used to get the tube to our annual trip to the Natural History Museum (mid-80s). If where you're going is close to a tube station (Kensington museums are ideal) why wouldn't you take the tube?!

The problem with buses is that you can't guarantee to get the whole group on a single vehicle. As long as you are travelling outside main rush hour, it is much easier to get a whole class onto the same tube train. They also run much more frequently than busses and so if the group is split, it is easier to re-group at the next station.

"The cost part didn't occur to me as well as we never had to pay for the private bus on our trips. Times were different!"

Really? Who paid for it then?

As a result of a leg injury I recently had to get a cab from Charing Cross to my office - probably about 1.5 miles. Once the cab meter hit £15 and there was no sign of the traffic in front of us moving more than a few inches every few minutes, I decided to get out and hobble.

The traffic in London is horrendous!! Tube is free to kids and, it means teachers can stick to a schedule.

It's free for kids and teachers and parents helpers after 9.30am and usually a lot quicker than driving into London.

Who paid for your private bus tour then?

The tube is quick, easy to use and free.

Its the most efficient way of getting around London. Its free for the kids and learning how to use public transport/behave in stations is all part of the education.

Who paid for the bus?

Kids love using the tube -much more fun than a bus!

So was it the elves or the unicorns who paid for your private bus? I personally find anything less than private jet unacceptable for my children.

Did you go to private school, OP?

and parking for buses/coaches in London is a nightmare - the one time my children's school used a coach for a trip they sat in traffic for 2 hours and then had to turn round and go back to school...

Mackerel, yes, where exactly would this private bus park in London?

Not London here, but we use public transport where possible to reduce trip costs. Also with Brownies. We did a trip on a train once- that was the objective for the evening, to simply get on the train as far as we could go in our time, then got off and caught the next one back. They loved it, and for some it was the first time they had been on a train!

I had school outings on the tube 30 years ago. I am in awe that the teachers did not lose anyone. We saw all kinds of things. I am sad that my children don't get similar experiences.

We used to get a coach pretty much EVERYWHERE on our school trips (80's)
No idea who paid for it. No way nowadays. It's too expensive and fuel intensive for London. London Transport let the children and staff and helpers travel free and it's quicker.

You'd be shocked at our school. We live in a city centre and the kids walk to museums, the theatre, swimming lessons. The vast majority of their school trips are on foot. It's good for them - teaches them how to negotiate traffic and find their way around.

Hiring coaches is ridiculously expensive. It's bad enough in Glasgow, where parking at the museums/attractions is free, can't imagine where a bus would park for 4 hours at the British Museum or Natural History Museum while waiting for kids to return. Tube makes a LOT more sense, it's efficient and cheap. I would have no issues at all with my children being taken on trips in this way.

We use the tube when practical, overground as an alternative, very occasional local buses and hire a bus where none of those work...

The kids love going by tube - not sure what your issue is?

It's free. We never paid for our school trips when we lived in zone 3. Now we live in zone 6 and for some reason they do get coaches even when doing trips into London. I have 3 kids and it's usually 20-30 pounds EACH.

The TFL staff are amazing when they see the school groups plus the platform staff make sure they are all on etc. I drive a little in London for my job visiting clients but strictly not in the West End of some of the City. Where would th coach park?! I can barely find parking for my little Astra! When I do its £18 for 3 hours.

Yes, it is £1,000 for the coach vs £15 for 3 teachers and kids go free.

Travelling on the tube is part of the fun when our school does a trip to London.

The cost part didn't occur to me as well as we never had to pay for the private bus on our trips. Times were different!

But who did pay, the bus company wouldn't have done it for free?