Help with navigating to London

[ErinAoife]

Despite being very anxious about travel, I have booked a 5 days overnight stay in London for me and my daughter to celebrate her birthday. I haven't been in London in years, could someone help me what do I need to book to go to City centre from Gatwick Airport, what travel pass do I need. It was a bit step for me to book it as I am very anxious so I want to try to be as stress free as possible to avoid having panic attach and ruin the trip. Thank you

What area will you be staying in?
The Gatwick Express train goes directly to London Victoria, you should be able to buy a train and Tube (underground) combined ticket at Gatwick station to take you into London and then on to your destination.

Get on the Gatwick Express and change at Victoria onto the underground for the Tube line you need to take you to where you will be staying.
Get yourself a decent Tube map.

You can get a train from Gatwick to London Victoria. You will need to purchase a ticket - the express is more expensive than the local trains. Once in London you just use your card or phone to tap in and out at tube stations and in when you get on a bus. You will get charged up to the cost of a travel card. Make sure you use the same card or phone though and that you tap both in and out on trains / tube / DLR even if the barriers are open. There are zip cards that give discounts for children - depending on your dd age it might be worth applying.

yes, the Gatwick express will take you to Victoria and you get get a tube from there.

You don’t need a tube ticket. Your debit card or phone will work on the yellow readers on the ticket gates.

Download the app Citymapper for navigation - both walking and public transport. It’s really excellent.

Just use your contactless card on the train from Gatwick to London Bridge.
Simple.

the Tube Map app is very good for navigating the underground 👍🏻

You don’t need to buy a ticket, you can pay with a card - tap on the ticket barrier in and again at the other end.
The Gatwick Express is the more expensive option and IMO not express enough to warrant the extra cost. Southern goes on the same route into Victoria, or the Thameslink line takes you to London Bridge, Blackfriars, City, Farringdon, St Pancras. So depending where you are staying choose which station is closest.

Gatwick express is a waste of money

Get on a 'normal train' to either London Bridge or London Victoria (depending on which side of town you'll be staying in). You don't need to buy a ticket for this at Gatwick, you can just tap in through the barriers with your bank card.

If you need to use the tube once you're in London you can tap with your card too.

Cross posted!

OP, for travelling around once in London, do look at buses as well as the Tube. The public transport option on Google maps is good for this. Buses often get you nearer to your destination than the Tube, and without the hustle and bustle and escalators. You tap onto buses, and they all have screens onboard telling you the name of the next stop. There's quite a few 24h buses too if you're out late.

If you are very anxious, look at the postcode of your hotel, go to the station here and then take an Uber / flag down a taxi with its light on:

WC1 - Thameslink to Kings Cross (1.5 miles in a taxi)
WC2 - Thameslink to Blackfriars (2 miles in taxi)
W1 - Gatwick Express to Victoria (2 miles in taxi)
SE1 - Thameslink to London Bridge (1 mile in a taxi)
EC1/2 - Thameslink to Farringdon (2 mile in a taxi)

The taxi drive will be slow and expensive but you may find it worth it. The last leg can much more easily/cheaply be done on public transport but sounds like you might find that difficult

just use your map app on your phone and pick the public transport option. It will direct you to the nearest bus or tube to get to where you want to go.

You don’t need to ‘book’ anything. Follow signs to ‘trains’. Get the Gatwick Express to Victoria or the Thameslink into Blackfriars, City or Farringdon. You don’t even need a ticket just tap your debit card at the barriers.

It’s exactly the same on the tube and buses and there’s a price cap for the day. No passes or tickets needed.

It really couldn’t be easier.

Don’t get the Gatwick express. Just get the next train in you vocab go contactless. The staff are really helpful at Gatwick train station.

Thank yiu so much. I really thought I needed to buy a pass for the train/tube I really need to shake myself and stop worrying about everything as it really put obstacles in my life.

If I can ask for more help, where will you bring a 12 year old girl to celebrate her birthday? I was thinking an afternoon tea maybe at Charlie and the chocolate factory but it is very pricey so I wonder if it is worth it, we both love the film version with Timothy Chamalet. What activity should i do? I was thinking the natural museum, madame tussaut, London eye, maybe bubble but o wonder if she is too big for it.

For a 12 year old - A wander around Covent Garden and a stop for Macarons or a cake at Laduree or similar on the piazza. Lots of shops for a nose about. You can then wander over the river from there to the south bank for iconic views, art & the london eye if you’re doing it.
Wander east along the River for the Tate Modern and then onto Borough Market. There’s a bubble tea spot in Borough Yards and lots of food and drink and people watching. Also, keep going for great views of Tower Bridge.

I really wouldn't bother with Madame Tussaud's tbh. I took my kids when they were a similar age, we queued for hours & they thought it was hilarious (& not in a good way).
Covent Garden, Borough Market, the museums. I wander around one of the parks if it's nice. London Zoo if that's her sort of thing, also the aquarium.

My girls love to wander around Chinatown. There's a few cute shops to buy snacks etc. They love things like the fish pastries from Chinatown bakery, corn dogs from Bunsik, waffles from May's sweet treats. I've just used Google maps to have a look at the area and then wandered between them.
Museums are good but you often have to book tickets during peak times. They're free but its just because they're busy.
Westfield cross shopping centre is fun if you want a dry option. It's only one stop from St Pancras to Stratford International and you walk out of the station into the shopping centre. Lots of choice of shops and food.

Madame Tussaud’s is a rip off and my teens didn’t even know who half the people were! London eye or the Shard are well worth it, but book ahead. Uber boat from where the Eye is to the O2 at Greenwich is brilliant. Loads of great shopping and eating at the O2, well worth a visit. And for initial orientation the Hop on/off bus tour is great, takes you past all the main landmarks

What does she like to do? Has she been to London before or seen any of the big sights? If not, I’d look at the London Eye and aim to do it on a clear day. She might like a wander around Spitalfields and get some food in the market. Or somewhere a bit influencer-style like Bubble Planet. I agree the Covent Garden suggestion is a really good one, there are also various posh ice cream shops there which do ice cream cones shaped like flowers and so on.

Afternoon tea is a good shout but I’ve never done a more specialist one and I guess it depends on what you want to spend.

For bus/tube/train, you would each need a contactless card. And don’t bother with the Gatwick Express, just get a local train. If you say which area your hotel is in, we can probably help you plan a route if that’s helpful. Keep your train tickets and have a look at 2for1 vouchers with National Rail, as you may be able to get 2for1 entry to some of the big sites.

Yes, the river boats are great - and Greenwich itself is a good option. Lots of places to eat and shop, and you can walk up to the observatory (where Greenwich Mean Time is calculated from).

I would add that while citymapper / google maps are brilliant please be aware of having your phone out while walking around central London. If you do need to refer to your phone, step
into a shop doorway or do it while on a bus or tube. Phone snatching is rife, particularly while people are waiting to cross the road or walking oblivious to their surroundings.

Use the Citymapper app. Use a contactless card - you’ll need one each. Avoid Tussaud’s.

The river boat and red bus tours are fab at that age. You can just hop on and off the busses at places you fancy seeing.

ds loved doing a walking tour to see changing of the guards at about that age. I was very impressed too!

You can get last minute (cheaper) theatre tickets from TKTS (online or in Leicester Square). There are loads of things playing that a 12 year old would enjoy.

Hope you have a great time!