Visiting London... help!

[singalongforever]

Please help a grown woman who has never been to London!

Me, my DP and DSD are going next weekend because DP is running the marathon.
We are staying at a hotel in the Docklands sat/sun night and driving down.

Will we have to pay the congestion charge? Should we buy travel cards for the tube? Any tips for me and DSD to get the best out of spectating on the day?

Are you from the UK?!

More details needed as to where you are coming from.

For congestion - I would recommend you don't drive. On marathon days the roads are closed.

Driving down from where? Can you get public transport? Where do you need to go?

Do you have contactless cards? If so, just use those for bus/tube, no need for a travelcard or tickets. Tap in and out of the tube with the same card and it will calculate your fare and cap it at the daily rate if you do several journeys.

No idea on driving, I always get the train.

I recommend Citymapper app for getting around.

You will have to pay congestion charge if you are staying in Docklands. You can pay in arrears if you like.

I know people who support marathon runners who get travel cards and hop from one location to another several times. Ask him to look out for you at certain spots.

Adults do not need travel cards. Just use a contactless card - same one for every trip, so the 'cap' (the daily maximum charge) will apply. Tap in and out on everything except buses (where it's just tap in) - no penalty, but you'll be charged maximum fare (annoying, but not the end of the world, and of course if you're going to reach the daily cap anyhow also largely irrelevant)

On race day only, your DH will be able to travel free (you need your race number). Competitors only.

Best way for DSD to travel depends on his old she is

Good place to spectate if the bit of the course near Tower Brudge, there it loops back in itself, so you can see him twice from one spot.

I've heard that the bit round Canary Wharf and Isle of Dogs is the dullest part of the course so perhaps that's where you would most lift his spirits!

We're coming from the Midlands. DP wants us to drive down. I hoped we could use the tube on race day to move about and spot him. We thought an oyster card would be a necessity.

@justasmalltownmum

More details needed as to where you are coming from.

For congestion - I would recommend you don't drive. On marathon days the roads are closed.

We'll only drive in and out on Saturday and Monday.

@SquirmOfEels

Good place to spectate if the bit of the course near Tower Brudge, there it loops back in itself, so you can see him twice from one spot.

I've heard that the bit round Canary Wharf and Isle of Dogs is the dullest part of the course so perhaps that's where you would most lift his spirits!

Thank you! That's really helpful.

You don’t need an Oyster card if you have a contactless bank card, you can use that instead. However you can only use one card per person so depending on the age of your DSD, she will need a card of her own

Where are you staying? If I were you I'd drive to a nearby town and park and get the train in. I'm from Guildford (now live in rural Hampshire) but would still drive to Guildford and get the train . I wouldn't drive - road closures etc are on even the day before in some places.

You live in the Midlands and have never been to London! How have you managed that?!

Anyway, I really would encourage getting the train. If you've never been to London you probably don't want your first trip to involve driving in it.