Buggy in London

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We're off to London for a long weekend with our 4 and a half year old DS. At home, we try not take the buggy anymore as we think he's too big for it but I'm not sure I can cope with 4 days of having to carry him on our shoulders to get round. Would you take one for a trip like this?

I think it’s more faff on the tube and buses than it’s worth. Plus many attractions have steps and lots will ask you to park your buggy so if you have lots of bags etc then you’ll end up carrying them too. I get he’ll be tired but depends on how used he is to walking. I live in London and never took a buggy on the tube and my LO was done with his at 2. We did use a sling for when his legs got tired as I can’t cart him round on my shoulders but can easily in the sling. He could walk a whole day sightseeing though at 4 if fed enough snacks. Also if you plan well you can group atttractions together so there’s less walking to tube stations and changing. Lots of places to sit and rest too, The tfl website is useful.

Having said which at 4 we’d have still stuck our carrier in my bag just in case. Perhaps borrow a carrier and test run? Much less faff than wheeling a buggy which face it he won’t be in a lot of the time. And in any type of emergency you can get your child out more easily on your back than you can in a pushchair, which is something that always occurs to me when I see pushchairs on the tube now.

I live in London and it's so crowded that a buggy would be harder work IMO.

Book the hop on hop off boat. Great value, you see everything and less walking. Starts from Westminster Pier. Cheaper online in advance.

Nobody should be giving a child in a buggy strange looks. How judgemental when you know nothing about the child.

Get CityMapper on your phone and use the buses - they come every few minutes.

If you have a McLaren Volo or similar that you can sling over your shoulder then it might work but otherwise I’d really try to avoid it - the evening rush hour seems to last most of the day nowadays.

It depends if your planning on use the tube a lot, I imagine it could get a bit tricky with a buggy. I’m a walker and love walking round London when I visit, great way to see the city. I hate the tube and not a lover of buses either. I would definitely take a buggy for my 4 year old. I still occasionally use a buggy to collect his sister from school as after an early start and a busy day he will sometimes still nap in the afternoon and if he falls a sleep when I’m carrying him he weighs a ton! My ds is huge so looks 6-7yo and I’ve never noticed any funny looks and couldn’t give 2 hoots if I got any. Works for us!

I live in central London and if you can manage without it don't take it, most of the tubes don't have step free access and the buses are busy so you will need to fold it.

Leave it at home if you can!

Another Londoner here who thinks the buggy will be a hindrance. Getting a buggy up and down steps at tube stations is a nightmare. If there's already a buggy on a bus you'll have to wait for the next one and won't be able to get up and sit on the top deck.

I'd say just don't try to cram too much into your break and use public transport as necessary.

Enjoy!

You'll be fine without I think! Getting a buggy on and off buses and tubes can be a faff. There is so much to look at he'll forget tired feet. We've done some big days out in London recently with my 3.3 year old and he trots along distracted by pigeons and buses :)

I use a buggy with my kid in london (he has sen). I do try and walk with the pushchair where possible as there arent that many stations that have lifts. But i LOVE walking in london. The tfl website shows step free stations and where there are escalators at the tube stations. Yes it can be a pain, eg, id avoid rush hour. But you do naturally make adjustments when you have kids. Just because your child can walk you dont assume they have the stamina of a grown adult and theyll walk for hours every day. Enjoy yr trip

I wouldn’t too many steps too many crowds. Lots of stops anyway

Wow I’m amazed how many people on here seem to have kids with the same walking stamina that adults have on a day out. Or I wonder are they maybe going less far or planning the day a bit more fixedly around what a 4 year old’s legs can cope with?

how many people on here seem to have kids with the same walking stamina that adults have on a day out.

OP is not planning on spending a day constantly walking, but a trip to London which has perfectly adequate public transport.

More hassle than its worth, don't take a pushchair anymore for my 3 nearly 4 year old - I do have a preschool carrier so he is securely on my back if I need to carry him which is helpful in crowds and better for my back, although it very rarely gets used. If you think you need to use a pushchair, use it. But personally I wouldn't. (We have family in outer London so go up there regularly.) Regular rest/snack/toilet stops plus public transport plus general excitement of the trip mean he happily walks miles!

We lived in London when DS was that age and would take the buggy around age 4-4.5 if we were having a long day out with lots of walking.

It's quite common to see and much safer on the underground to have them strapped in. We used the scooter a lot as well - DS could stand and be pulled along when tired - we had a strap thing that work as a pulling handle and also a shoulder strap to carry scooter when not is use.

We took mine at nearly 3 and he was fine. Used the tubes loads and then if needed a quick carry. Did loads of touristy things and there's always somewhere to stop for a break. Loved it so much we went back again a year later.

Op I saw this the other day and it would be ideal for you (weight restrictions might apply)

www.mothercare.com/buggies-and-strollers/mothercare-xss-stroller-exclusive-to-mothercare/LD3125.html

We were hopping on and off the tube which would have been a pain with a buggy. It would have been a pain in the museum and toy shops too.

Buggies on the tube at rush hour on certain lines would be a nightmare. You simply won't be able to get on at certain stops as there's literally a small gap for a couple of people to squeeze onto.
If you're prepared to potentially wait for few tubes to go by before finding space, or not use the tube at rush hour, you'll be fine.

I've been all over London with my dgd. I wouldn't take a full-size buggy, but an umbrella fold-up one was v useful for long days out. Apart from the fact they don't walk as quickly as adults, it's a useful way to anchor them and not have to hold a hand all the time when they're free range.

I agree with PP, I would feel much safer having a small child in a buggy when we’re out in a busy area in town than with the small DC freeranging about, stopping or starting walking suddenly or bending down to look at stuff as we go along, or generally risking getting trodden on.
IME most adults in a crowded area don’t tend to look down much, they aren’t really expecting to see small kids walking along at that lower level to them and they tend to want to walk at a steady pace. So for that kind of walking, having a buggy in town can be really handy.

I live in London and still occasionally take the Maclaren Volo if we're heading into town for a long day (DS is 3 but and rarely uses a buggy locally).

If you add up the walk to the tube station, all the station walking, etc it can very easily add up to 5 miles. Other times I bring his scooter or even his balance bike if we're going to be in parks - wheels speed our progress greatly and reduce whining.

OP- if taking a buggy is the right thing for you and you LO, do it but make sure it's an easily foldable one for getting around easily on public transport.

My LO is 3 (will be 4 in several weeks), we live in urban London and often I'll use the folding buggy to walk to nursery in the morning.

This is more for speed and practicality- I have to get to work at a certain time and do not have time to meander with a 3 year old!

Bring the buggy to London but see how you get on, your son might have more stamina for exploring than you think!

Although I loathe the buggy for many reasons and don’t use it since my dd turned 3 in our daily life, I bitterly regretted not taking it on holiday: I love walking around and getting a feel for the city, but it was seriously marred by a 4 yo not being able to cope with the distances. I needed a holiday to get over my holiday after I had to carry her for miles it felt. Granted, this was Naples, not London with 100 buses a minute. And rush hour on the tube (which lasts from 6-11am and starts back at 3-8pm with a lunch time rush on top;) is hellish with a buggy. But I would take a buggy (now).