London tube help please!

[froomeonthebroom]

Can anyone tell me the best way to get tube tickets for a day visit on Saturday? We're going to the NHM, Buckingham Palace and Hamleys.

If I get Oyster cards how much should I put on them?

If I use my contactless debit card can I pay for 3 people at once?

I'm so confused! TIA

You can only use your debit card for one person. It's probably best to get a couple of one-day travel cards for the other people then you don't have to faff about getting your Oyster deposits back.

Don't forget that children up to the age of 10 are free if they are travelling with someone who is a fare paying passenger.

If I use my contactless debit card can I pay for 3 people at once?

Adults, right? Children under 12 are free. So if you're an adult with two children under 12, one contactless card is fine.

You can still buy one day travel cards, and that might be the best bet if you don't have enough debit cards for one per person, or if any of your group are entitled to child fares.

Also, you might want to think about using the bus for some of your route. For example, the 14 from outside the V&A to the top of Piccadilly, then a stroll through Green Park is a much better way of getting from NHM to Buck House, as it's a longer walk to the tube station (both ends) and you have to change.

How are you getting to London in the first place? An inclusive train ticket/travel card is probably best.

We're getting the train but I bought the tickets ages ago and didn't think about tubes

Edith so if we get one day travel cards do they work on buses too?

For one day I would just get travelcards too and yes they work on busses:)

Yes, they do.

And children are free on buses too; up to 11 they can just board them, after that they need Zip cards (junior oyster with photo, so cannot be bought on the spot) which give free buses to age 16. But if you're with DC who look primary school age, you won't be challenged. They are however meant to pay child fare on tubes from 11th birthday.

OK so I have found the travel card section on the TFL website!

DS is 8 so doesn't need to pay, but does he need any type of ticket to get through the tube barriers?

Tube tickets work on buses?

exit the travel cards do

and froomeonthebrrom just grasp him firmly to designate ownership...brandish your ticket at/through/in the machine, but use the disabled/wide/pushchair gate...much much easier than trying to chivvy dawdling chiddlers through at the same time

any bother and the lovely TFL person should let you both through.

No, sorry ExitPBB, tube tickets work only on the tube.

Travelcards are a different thing (though you can buy them from tube station machines) and work across the TfL network.

And, froomeonthebroom, an 8yr old doesn't need anything. You go through the wide barrier together, or ask a member of staff to swipe a gate open for him.

Thanks all, you've been very helpful

OK, so if we changed our itinerary to do NHM first, followed by Hamleys, then onto the Palace/Houses of Parliament, what routes do you suggest?

Our train comes into Paddington so I thought tube to South Ken first...

From NHM, get 14 bus (from front of V&A) and stay on it until Piccadilly Circus. It's then a short (but crowded) walk up Regent's Street to Hamleys.

When you've finished there, get a 3, 88, or 159 bus southbound (from outside Hamleys, along a bit, but same side of the road) going south via Trafalgar Square and Whitehall to Parliament Square. You can then walk along Victoria Street, or be like Londoners and hop on any bus heading for Victoria just for a couple of stops, to Palace Street which you walk up to bring you out by the Royal Mews entrance to the Palace.

Edith you are a star! Thank you so much.

My pleasure!

(Posting to bump, in case anyone else can think of different/better routes)

Download citymapper app!

Or you could walk from Hamleys to the Palace. It's not that far (maybe a mile and a half) and you never know what you might come across enroute that you'd miss otherwise...