London Underground

[summerlovingvibes]

Taking a family trip to see a few things. 2 children aged 2.5 & 4 months.

How do you know which stations are accessible with the pram so we can pre plan?

How do you get the pram through the barrier?

tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/wheelchair-access-and-avoiding-stairs

Scroll down and there's a step free tube guide

There are wider gates you can use which give space for prams.

The tube map shows a wheelchair for the accessible stations.

There is always at least one double width barrier for wheelchairs and prams to use.

tfl.gov.uk/transport-accessibility/plan-an-accessible-journey?intcmp=5331

Barriers: just use your card on the wide access barrier.

All stations have the wider gates for pushchairs/prams/wheelchairs/children/people with lots of bags.

The stations with the wheelchair sign are completely step-free. The tube map doesn’t show actual walking distances very well - Green Park is handy for Buckingham Palace and Oxford Street, Earl’s Court is probably the best bet for Science Museum/NHM.

Or most of the other surface-level stations will be manageable if there are two of you to get the pushchair up a couple of steps - really depends on how big your pushchair is and how mobile your two year old is - if the baby is in a sling and two year old is in a lightweight foldable buggy, I would be fine with all of those stations. If you have them both in a big double buggy that can’t be carried up a flight of stairs, then stick to the step-free stations.

Earl’s Court is probably the best bet for Science Museum/NHM

South Kensington is the nearest.

Also I find that people are very willing to help with prams up stairs, perhaps avoid proper rush hour but other than that you will get help

But it isn’t step-free…

Sorry, didn't read properly

Thanks everyone this is really useful.
Single pram with bassinet for baby but then with a ride on skate board thing attached for the toddler. So as step free as possible is great :)

Get Citymapper app and use for moving around - it will show best options for public transport and also the time for walking. So much is walkable central London or buses are much nicer as you get to see the city.

Do not put your toddler on a skateboard or buggy board while walking through tube stations.

With two adults we managed to just carry the buggy up the steps (although I'd be a bit careful with the bassinet and get a lightweight one if you can). Most stations it's only a short flight of steps and the rest is escalators (fine if one adult takes the buggy and the other the toddler). When we had the buggy board we had to hook it up when getting on/off trains anyway so DS just walked in the stations.

Had both DC in London, went everywhere, local tube station has stairs and no lift or escalators, and I never once got stuck by the stairs. You just stop at the bottom or top with the pram and within about 10 seconds (30 seconds on a slow day) someone will offer to help you carry it up/down. So definitely don't limit yourself only to stations which are step free, as you'll be fine.

Buses are actually worse since if there are already two buggies on the bus, you won't be allowed on with a buggy. Which is massively frustrating if you've just waited ten minutes for the bus and the next one is ten minutes away and you don't know whether it will already have two buggies on it too...

Sling for baby and backpack for toddler! In London currently and can’t imagine anything worse than trying to manage a buggy as well.

Why's that? I mean the board attached to the pram - she stands under the handle bars. Maybe should have called it a buggy board?

I included 'buggy board' in my post that you replied to. It's not safe or sensible or practical to travel on the tube with a toddler on a buggy board.

@HoboHotel can you explain why? I'm meaning when we're walking through the stations, not physically getting on or off the train / obviously when going up steps etc. Why is it not safe? At least she is then "contained" / holding on to the pram between my arms when I push and travelling at a normal pace? Surely that's better than her walking next to us? Genuinely interested to know what's not safe please?

You're talking about manoeuvring a buggy through a busy, crowded, fast moving station. It's difficult enough with a baby in the buggy, without adding a balancing toddler.

I am from london and have raised my kids here, 3 year age gap..I don't drive so always use the tube or bus. I am telling you that trying to get through a crowded tube station with a 2 year old balancing on a board at waist height is a very bad idea.

@HoboHotel ok thanks, will bear that in mind.

I have the feeling you're going to try to do it anyway, so my last comment on this is:

In 43 years of living here I have never seen anyone attempting this.

@HoboHotel where do you live?! We have used a buggy board across 3dc in zone 2 travelling by tube every weekend, to all the usual Central London stops. Buggy boards are the norm, you'll see them everywhere attached to a Bugaboo Bee or Yoyo. Normal city buggies.
OP ignore, you'll be fine with a buggy board! Just have to hook it up before you get on the escalator.

And obviously they get off the board and you hook it up getting on and off trains

Live in zone 3 North London, use tube on average 4 times a week (return journeys), for 43 years, never seen a 2 year old standing on a buggy board in a station.

Bugaboos are also specifically not recommended as the wheels get stuck on the escalator.

I had a mclaren for exactly this reason.

And frequently in tube stations, much easier to manage things with them on the board.