Arriving in King’s Cross—would you wait?

[theferry]

We’re visiting London from Scotland next week (6 hour journey). We get in to King’s across at 4.50pm. We need to get the tube to Edgware Road. Would you just go straight to the tube? I’m expecting it to be packed? I was wondering about just waiting around in the station until after 6. Would it be quieter?

No- it won't be any quieter at 6pm
Just go and get on the tube. It will take only a few minutes to get on and then as short tube journey. Ends of carriages- so ends of platform tend to be less busy

It is a really short journey. You could also get a bus from Kings cross

I'd try to get on the Tube asap, before 5pm if possible

Or wait until 7ish

It won’t be that bad

Just get on the tube!

No, just go immediately.

Do you live in Central London?
Its a 10 minute tube journey

Many thanks. We’ll have suitcases so wondered whether we’ll be able to get on with them. Been many years since I was in London.

6pm will be much worse!

I would not wait. Just carry on to the Tube.

Yes see suitcases all the time on the Tube. Use the disabled ticket gates to go in/out. The staff also use them for people with suitcases,

Go to back or front of tube you’ll be fine with cases - you might have to stand but it’s a really short journey

I think it might depend on the day of the week. Monday and Friday are typically quieter than midweek. Such is the joy of working from home these days.

Go straight away, quieter at 5 than 6

You'll be fine getting on with cases at 5pm, it will be busy but manageable. Please don't take the cases through the normal gates though (used the wider disabled gates) and don't use the escalators, use the lifts even if it's a slightly longer walk. If one train is full let it go and get the next one, take any backpacks off before you get on or you'll smack people in the face...

It’s a Wednesday (typical!)

Yes, and I find that 17:30 (or a bit earlier) to 18:45-1900 is worst for tube evening congestion. Length of walk is unrelated to how crowded the tube is (but OP doesn't want to walk because of suitcases)

OP wasn't asking about journey times, but about the time when evening crowding will be peaking and seemed to want to wait until it subsided. I was pointing out that waiting until 18:00 (as she suggested) won't be long enough.

OP: another possibility is 205 bus, goes from outside the station and crosses Edgware Road on its way to Paddington.

Regular commuter going from the City to King's Cross here. You'll have no issues unless there happens to be delays on one of the lines. Many more people get off at King's Cross than get on.

Just get straight on - it's a quick journey and you will be fine!

What you want to do is get to the tube before everybody has managed to walk there after finishing work at 5pm. You will not benefit in the slightest from waiting around Kings X in the 5-6pm slot.

It won't be too bad. Don't wait, it would be pointless. If you're really concerned, could you afford a taxi?

Thanks everyone. Hopefully the train will be on time. Will just go straight over there.

I am sure you will be fine. I was in London recently for the first time post-covid and the underground was much quieter than I remembered it being. I was there mid-week and travelled by underground between 4-6pm on two evenings.

If you have big suitcases why not get a taxi?

Get a taxi

I get this exact same train from Scotland several times a year heading to Waterloo from kings Cross which I think goes through Edgeware Rd. The tube has not been that busy since Covid times.