Going to London. Really scared. No clue.

[london101asap]

Hi so we are staying near London Excel.

I'm so scared of getting the tube.

I see there is a cable car we can walk (25 min)

Once off the other end though the nearest bus stop to a 48 hop on bus (London Bridge) is a 3 hour walk.

How do we get to from the cable car to the bus?

Dh is used to travelling all over the world and the uk but not around London only the outskirts.

Tween daughters want you to see the sights. Do you get off at every sight then wait for another bus?

I'm so scared as we are relying on dh who has adhd and I have severe anxiety but our 12 and 13 year olds really want to go.

Any advice please?

Use the river then buses.

Googlemaps is your friend

We recently went on a city break to somewhere we'd never been before.
Googled where we wanted to go during the day, and chose the easiest route - in our case mostly tram (no to more than 1 change) but walking if less than 20 min.
Googlemaps literally counted down the stops whilst on the tram, and told us when to get out....although that wouldnt work on the underground.

Get the boat into town and the dock lands light railway overground back

OP could you try and get out locally with a trusted person a few times before you go to London? With this added context I think you might find it overwhelming if you go from not going out locally to navigating a city you're not familiar with.

@london101asap I get anxiety so I understand it can feel overwhelming but
it's really easy to get around London!

For the Tube - watch some videos, here's an example so you know what to expect

The tube is pretty quiet at the moment because it is August, everyone is on holiday! You can avoid between 8 - 9.30am and 4.30 - 6pm but you won't need to, it's not very busy at all!

You won't get separated but have a plan. Whoever is left behind stays on that platform and the others come back to get them. You can get a phone signal now on many parts of the network so you can always use your phones if you need to contact each other.

Excel isn't particularly full of the sights, but it is easy to get to and from. London is BIG! Make a plan of what you want to see.

Big Ben, Changing of the Guard, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey? All near Westminster tube station

Shopping? Piccadilly, Oxford St, Regent St, Carnaby St are all close together.

The Museums V&A, Science Museum, Natural History Museum are all walking distance from each other and then you could have a nice walk in Kensington Gardens and visit Notting Hill.

But try not to cram too much, pick a couple of itineraries and follow those so you don't wear yourself out.

My 11 year takes the tube to school every day and he manages just fine :) Do some preparation and you'll all have a fantastic time!

I've not RTFL so someone may have already suggested this, but consider hiring a personal tour guide to give you a walking tour of London and also show you the ropes on TfL. I think it will give you a bit more confidence for the other days.

Oh and we don't do bomb threats in these here parts. I moved to London in the 80s and then and the 90s were much disrupted but nowadays nothing like that.
I also got on the tube on 8th July 2005 - the day after the last tube attack. Realise that's not an entirely usual response, but it's my city and I no one will scare me

Also worth noting that the tube announces the stations out loud and the signage is massive, and there are maps of the line visible inside the carriage so it is staggeringly unlikely that you will miss your stop.

Oh bugger off with patronising someone with anxiety, do you feel better now?

The tube is very simple once you get the hang of it. You tap before you get on and when you get off. You do this by placing a contactless card, or oyster card, on the machine with the yellow circles, or on the barrier if there is one. Alternatively, you can buy a travel card from a ticket machine that allows you to travel accross all the zones. If you forget to tap out somewhere, the worse that will happen is that you're charged the maximum amount, which caps at about £9 a day. If you're travelling around London you'd probably be spending this anyway.

I lived in London for 5 years with my family and we never once lost each other on the tube. It's really not that bad.

The TFL workers at the gates are very helpful and can explain your journey to you if you get lost.

Stop being horrible for no actual reason.
Do you think that you're going to change the op's mindset? " oh someone has told me to grow up! I'll stop going anxious now!"

Are you this unpleasant in real life?

Oh take the river bus! Just lovely.DLR is quiet after rush hour so you could even get the DLR to Tower Bridge stop and then jump on the boat. Details on TFL website. You will have a great time and best of all you see loads of landmarks etc on the river xx

Honestly I think you sound like there are anxiety issues that need addressing. London is probably not the best place for you right now.

If you decide to get onvthe tourist bus then what I usually do in a new city is stay on for a full loop so I can get the lay of the land. Then I can see which sights I really want to see and get off there.

What bits do you think you'd like to see most?

I mean this in the kindest possible way, take a deep breath and get a grip. People do this every day and so can you.

Buy an all day travel card at the train station that will get you on all tubes and buses. You tap it each time you go in and out a barrier and you are done.

Plan your route carefully and don’t rush on the day. There are hundreds of members of staff to ask if you get confused.

If you miss your stop on a tube, you get off and go back the other way!

As recent events show, bad things happen everywhere, not just London. If you live your life like this you are surviving not living.

You will not lose your family- you are too paranoid. You and your husband have phones, call each other if there is a problem. Write your phone number on your kids arms and teach them a “just in case” routine. If you get lost you speak to……. and show them the number to call.

You will honestly be fine. Just prepare well and calm down. Are you anxious about a lot of things OP?

The tube is very safe and TFL staff are alert to dangers. If you really can’t bring yourself to use it, you could use the Uber Boat. You can buy a hop on hop off family ticket. It is much more expensive than the tube or bus but would be cheaper than taxis. You would have to do more walking or plan your sightseeing around the river, but that would still give you lots of options.

A tip to teach the kids - if they get left behind on the tube platform they stay put - you or your DH will get off at next stop and go back to them. If they get on the tube without you, they get off at the next stop and wait on the platform for you to come to them. Sounds obvious but it needs pointing out. If you're that anxious though I'd say use the London buses or walk, there's so much to see! Go and enjoy yourselves!

You'll really limit your children's lives if you let your irrational fears determine what they do and don't get to do.

And! I’d you apply now for oyster young uns photo cards your kids can travel free. Look on TFL website for all the details (not on all lines but bloody useful) xxx

There are a load of people on here being pretty harsh! Though honestly the tube will be best I would read up all the steps in advance e.g. how to pay etc, I wouldn’t worry about missing a stop I would imagine they would announce the next stop similar to trains? I know anxiety can be horrific but sometimes it’s best to just do it, why don’t you pick an easy route and maybe only go one stop for your first go to see how you go? Just as a trial even if it’s just you and most confident kid with a plan to meet up with DH and 2nd child after X

I'll bet that the op has never thought that!! Now that you've pointed it out , her life will be so much better!!

🙄

The OP wants to have a nice time not a nasty one. Let’s be constructive not mean girls, please

What's wrong with the tube? I love it.

Hello @london101asap
I couldn't not leave a message.
I can't abide the tube either and I spend a lot of time in London.
Central London is very easy to navigate on foot. The river taxi is underrated. Buses, black cabs, Uber so many alternatives!

The Elizabeth line is actually ok to and from Excel. Alternatively you have the Docklands Light Railway x

Stop trying to get the poster to go on the tube ….

She doesn’t want to.

gee whizz how hard is that to understand !!!!