Do I need to take a baby seat when I travel to london?

[snowgum]

I'm flying to london (stansted) with my 5 month old dd and wondering what the best way is to get to victoria from the airport. Easybus is really cheap, but it's a minibus and they recommend that you bring a car seat with you. A car seat is quite a lot of extra luggage and a real hassle to carry since I won't need otherwise.
Is it safe without a carseat? What's the deal with babies on buses? Do people use car seats on the bigger buses? Is it better to take a train?
Am I worrying too much?!?

Take the train and take the buggy. You don't have to take the Gatwick Express (I assume you're flying there if you're going to Victoria) - you can get a cheaper stopping train to London which is about 1/2 the price and only takes an extra 10 mins

Sorry - just realised you said Stansted - doh. You can get a train to liverpool st and then the tube.

Hiya snowgum. Don't envy you that journey. It may be a personal thing but I'd get the train from Stansted to Liverpool St (45 mins) and then the circle line round to Victoria (30 mins). It depends what time of day you'd be doing it, but any trip by road from Stansted to Victoria's going to take HOURS. good luck.

I would do train to Liverpool Street, then tube.

Here's the easiest way (sorry but Liverpool street is daft) -

Stansted Express train - get off at Tottenham Hale which is an overground and tube station. There is a lift down to the Victoria line (you may need to ask the station staff as it's quite well hidden).

Straight on the Victoria line - to...Victoria.

Easy peasy and much faster than getting the bus.

And then you won't need a car seat - just to clarify!

erm Turniphead, not sure if this lift is new, but last time I was there (about a year ago I think) there were only stairs - not much good if you have a pushchair and luggage. are you sure??

Never seen a carseat on a bus btw- just leave baby in the buggy. You can do this in London cabs too.

Soprana - definately. I was in it with my friend and our buggies and never realised it was there. For some reason, it's a closely guarded secret.

To go via Liverpool Street will add an extra 30 mins to your journey and a bit extra cost.

If it is a Sunday, check the Stansted Express is running. They do have a habit of cancelling it and replacing it with a bus from time to time.

ta for that - v v useful. will make a note for future reference!

turnip is right - it's there, just hidden

Snowgum if you are travelling back before 31 Oct I have two tickets for the return train journey if you (or anyone else) can use them.
They are for Tottenham Hale to Stansted.

Other tip - buy your tickets online then collect on platform machine - slightly cheaper.

thanks! i'm going to be a few days after that so i can't use them .... but it's a very nice offer

turnipheads route is the best. will you have luggage and buggy? if so i dont know how you are going to do it without alot of stress.cant you get a cab?

this should give you a better idea

(hifi link doesn't work)
i will have luggage and a buggy, but i will try to keep it to a minimum. i guess i hadn't thought of a cab because i assumed they were really expensive in london. maybe i should rethink.
otherwise train sounds best.

minicabs will bring a carseat if you book and tell them a baby is a passenger.

try addison lee

Addison Lee is VERY expensive - but excellent. I have had terrible trouble with ordinary minicab companies showing up at airports and actually bringing the carseat.

(I spend a lot of time travelling back and forth from North London to Ireland via Stansted with children so have looked into all options).

IMO - one buggy, one case and one child totally manageable. People are surprisingly helpful on the tube etc - they will normally bring the case or buggy down any steps for you.

yes, that's true, both points

Turniphead, I didn't know there was a lift at Tottenham Hale - is that between overground and tube, does it go near to street level as well? (I live a relatively easy hop on the bus from TH).

Hi there. I am so chuffed to be the expert on Tottenham Hale lol - it's from the tube platform to the tube ticket office. There are stairs/escalator to manage from the Liverpool Street-bound side of the platform.