Natural history museum - help please

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Wanting to take the kids to the NHM in half term (last week of October). DH will drive down but doesn't want to drive inside the congestion zone. Does anyone have any ideas of the best way to do this? I guess we'll need a hotel (two nights) and rail transport (South Kensington is the nearest station?).

Never done London before and the options are just confusing us so much.

South Kensington is the nearest station that is correct. But it is tube, not train. If you go, you need to be there at opening time, maybe 20-30 minutes earlier, it gets packed, especially the Dinosaur part.

Hotel depends a lot on your budget. The area around SK and Earl Court normally has a lot of hotels but be careful for what you get.

If you are ok with basic check our IBIS or other chains. You know what you get. There is one IBIS in Greenwich which seem to be popular, you are in the heart of it with good access to DLR and tube. Not sure about congestion charge though, we try to avoid it since introduced and managed it.

Forgot to mention dd is in wheelchair , don't mind being basic but clean dh is panicking how to get to museum from where we stop he thinks cockfoster may be best bet on hotels and that tube goes to SK but will check Greenwich out now thank you noramum

We have been to the num lots of times and have always parked at cockfosters. The parking is really cheap and its on the same line so you don't have to change but not sure if the station closest is wheel chair friendly. Have fun, we have never got there early but have always done the dino bit first as it does get busy.

Greenwich is quite a long journey to NHM. You are going from SE to West. Easiest minimal step way with a buggy would be bus to North Greenwich, change at Westminster, as those stations both have lifts. It relied on someone helping you up the steps at South Ken though I don't know if you can do that with a wheelchair? There is a journey planner on tfl which I think can help.

Why are you so keen to avoid the congestion charge? I know it's £10 or so a day now, but do do the maths as it is sometimes cheaper to pay it than all the travel to get in from outside. Particularly if you are a large family and particularly if you have blue badge parking. It might be worth asking a general question as I remember there being quite a bit round the museums, but I never paid that much attention as I don't have a disability. If you do drive, allow lots and lots of time.

NHM gets mental at half term. Worth checking out whether they are doing the timed passes for the dinosaurs. Science museum less so.

Also bear in mind travel to your hotel. If I was coming from west or north, I'd probably look to stay west-ish for the museums. It is always easier to come into London than to cross or go round it.

Be aware that the dinosaur bit has a separate queue inside the museum after you have queued to get in. All the queues move really fast though so don't be too put off by them. However, as you have a DC in a wheelchair you may get to skip the internal dinosaur queue - when we were there last weekend there were signs up saying the lifts within the Dino section were broken and the normal pathway through involves two sets of stairs, but they were fine with sorting out access to wheelchair users and their families by letting them through bits that are normally no access to public.

You can get a congestion charge cost exemption - so you don't need to pay - with a blue badge. But you need to register in advance and pay a registration fee, which I think is 10. So could be worth it if you'd be in the zone more than one day?

Echo also what penguins has said about avoiding, if you can, crossing London, and go in or out for ease.

Oh, ok. Forgot Greenwich. I would think the congestion charge may be worth it, no idea about exceptions.

Thank you everyone am more lost now lol I think dh is a little scared of driving in London

Hi we were at the nhm recently with dd in a pram. If you follow the subway from the tube station there are 2 sets of stairs- one single flight from the ticket hall to the subway. And another turning stairs up to ground level.

Also my sister went round the Dino part with her kids- she says it is very unfriendly for wheelchairs. Which is crazy, but loads of silly steps up & down.

Just opposite is the V&A. It was great in comparison! Not anything as busy (no Q that's why we went there) totally wheelchair accessible. Super cafe & shop. Enough exhibits to be interesting. Just in case you get hacked off with nhm but want to see something.

Maybe check out the bus routes, they are much more accessible.

Driving in london is hectic. I'd be more worried about that than the c charge tbh. Do bring a real map for map reading, less stress than only sat nav.

Can't help with hotels sorry, but premier inn are a bit nicer generally than ibis.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

OP looks like you can book on site parking with a blue badge so would be worth trying.
www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/access-guide/accessible-travel/index.html

Would take out the hassle of travelling on public transport with a wheelchair. Also as others have said NHM run acicket booking system for the dinosaur gallery during school hols, it's free to book online.

Where abouts are you coming from?
Do you have to come in car, or would train or coach be possible? coaches often go to Victoria station which is quite near the museum. There are premier inns etc nearby which are accessible.

There is a lift to all the galleries IIRC including the dinosaur gallery. But it is crazy hectic. We went on a normal working day before the summer holidays and it was incredibly busy.

The dinos aren't that bad for a wheelchair - except that it a crazy busy tightly packed crowd. One set of stairs at the start - lift right next to it. Gradual ramp back down - bit with Rex might be slightly steep.

Driving in London is fine as long as you are not tentative. And if you get in the wrong lane you probably have to go with it - you can't expect to cut across three lanes cos you are about to miss your turn.

There's fantastic blue-badge parking very near the NHM - have you got a blue badge? Use it!

We coming from Yorkshire ! Yes we could go by train but with dd and quiet a few problems dh wanted to drive just out side London get hotel and either tube or bus to NHM without to many changes dd can walk but not far I do like premier ins . The reasons I mentioned cockfoster it went straight to NHM .

Cockfosters to south ken?! That's about 45 mins minimum of hot tube journey, more in rush hour, not easy with a wheelchair at rush hour either. And not cheaper than congestion charge... Check out bus routes and pick a hotel on one of those maybe? Hammersmith, high street ken, earls court etc

I have done South Kensington tube station with a pram and really wouldn't recommend it with a wheelchair. London buses are more wheelchair friendly but might not be great if you aren't used to or are nervous about London.

If you have a good sat nav and run through the route in pictures on Google maps first . driving in London might not be as bad as you think.

Thanks going to have a word with dh and will check out the new locations :-)

I have done South Kensington with a pram lots of time and would expect you to be ok if your DD can get out the wheelchair and be carried up obe flight whilst the other adult does the chair (people will help). Depends on her age, weight and medical needs I guess.

I still think I would find somewhere more central to stay and drive to the museum. Also very useful if she is young and likely to get tired as can nap in traffic jam.

Is there a reason for going mid week in half term by the way? My absolute best plan would be to go one term weekend. Stay somewhere a little way out, drive in at 9 ish on Sunday, park on doorstep. No congestion usually minimal queues.

Outside rush hour that first para should say...

If you drive in along the M4 its a straight road right from the motorway to the museum. No turning off until you park and is very, very easy and goes nowhere near the congestion zone. The blue badge parking is good and near the museum. You could look out further for hotels then. Maybe somewhere like Ealing or even outside the M25 which would be cheaper

Check for holiday timed passes to the dinosaurs bit, as long as they've got the lift working it's all flat after that apart from one slope.

Why not stay in the Imperial College accommodation (part of university of london), a couple of hundred yards away from the entrance and available in the summer holidays?

October half term is absolutely the worst time to go there, honestly.

I would phone them in advance re easy access.

Penguins yes there is a reason ds plays football all weekend every weekend so was looking at going in school holidays and dh can use holidays from work. Dd is 7 is only very light at 2 stone 10 as I said she can walk but not for long . Thank you all so much some great ideas now :-)