London with kids - avoid tube

[User908752157]

Planning to use train to visit London. Would like to avoid the tube during three day break. Where to stay to do this? How do I do this - city siteseeing bus?

Where is good for primary aged children in the evening as do not really want to be stuck in a hotel (not detrimental if good location during the day). Could we get to theatre for a family evening show and stay in hotel nearby/still avoid tube?

But presumably not in his strip, on his way to play in a home game 🤣

London is a huge city so getting around can be a bit harder without the tube. But there's loads of buses, black taxis or do a lot of walking. There's theatres everywhere too so you would have to choose a hotel next to the theatre you want to go to.

The Transport museum is good for primary age kids

I also hate the tube but would recommend the Lizzie Line - clean, spacious and never crowded!

Get the bus/ train or taxi then.

I don’t see the big deal with taking the tube though. I was born and raised in London and currently bringing my children up here. We get the tube every week with no issue.

London buses are great, I'm a w/chair user so don't bother with the tube and get the bus everywhere. Like others have said, CityMapper is great.

But there's loads of buses, black taxis

Taxis? just make sure to take out that second mortgage to pay for them.

I'd suggest a hotel in the South Bank area too. You'd be just over the bridge from Houses of Parliament and Whitehall, which is a good hub for buses in either direction.
South Bank itself is quite interesting - the London Eye, playground,street artists and entertainers, Aquarium, eating places, there's a green there and it's quite safe for an evening walk and runaround for the dc.
Within 15 mins walk - Parliament, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, St James Park, Buckingham Palace, National Gallery, Covent Garden (might be pushing it...), Imperial War Museum.
Buses from Whitehall towards Kensington and the museums, Piccadilly/Regents/Oxford Street and the shops, in the other direction St Paul's and the City, Regents Park and the Zoo.
Also a hub for the sightseeing buses and boats - can get a boat to Hampton Court if that takes your fancy, or the other way to Greenwich and the o2.

If you go in on the train, you can get 241 for London zoo and Transport museum. You need to show a train ticket on entry but we weren't asked to produce that with our tickets at either venue.Premier Inn on Southbank is great. Kids eat free at breakfast. When it's hot there's a great splash pad just up from Westminster Bridge by National (?) Theatre.
Kids loved watching the entertainers at Covent Garden too.

If you are travelling the equivalent of 2-3 tube stops, in Z1, and there are a few of you, it is probably cheaper per person than a tube fare.

It is super crowded during busy times! Late at night you can barely even squeeze on.

Was coming along to suggest Riverbus too - it's just a really fun way of getting around and exploring London and imo much cheaper than you'd expect with an oyster 🦪

The tube 🚇 is kinda part of the London experience if you're not from London and absolutely fine out of rush hour with kids although it is incredibly noisy on some lines - DC on spectrum wears ear defenders specifically to cope if ever on it (rarely uses anywhere else) but the DLR if you get a front seat 💺 is more fun - overground for seeing sights and pretend your the driver as it's driverless

If you don't like tubes fair enough, London is possible without

You can also hire bikes and scooters

Google maps will tell you if you can walk faster to things - in central, often you could if all able bodied and fit walk faster than it'd take you on public transport with traffic and people

Pp suggested Greenwich - it's brilliant for kids and North Greenwich has the cable cars 🚠 too, as well as Greenwich having free museum, easy access to Riverbus to get to central, foot tunnel to walk across river underground - easy access to tubes, DLR, buses, boats and green space and markets etc galore! It's likely to be cheaper than central London prices for accommodation and food but it's only 20mins from the action in central too, with multiple ways to get into it!

Because some people suffer from claustrophobia. Pretty obvious really. I've lived in London since 1985 and avoid the tube where I can.

Did you read the OP before jumping on to have a go?

OP is planning to use the bus. She is asking for help in how to do so. She is not asking how you navigate London. I'm sure she doesn't give a flying fuck really.

Stop. Read. Think.

As well as using a map like City Mapper, you might also want to google for "Bus Spider Maps" (I think they're on the TfL site) as these are the stylised pictures of which bus lines there are in a particular area, and this can really help you plan.

Also, there are various "bus times" apps that will tell you how long until the next bus comes along

Primary age DC in evenings - Greenwich has an adventure playground that isn't childcare but does have staff on site open for free till 7.30/8.30 I think with toilets and activities - if you can trust them not to leave it - you could metres away sit by a very lovely pub and riverside view for a half hour of mummy peace ☮️

Or I would run my child next to the river or cutty sark to let off steam or let them pretend busk with the echoes in the foot tunnel!