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?

I just walk between the sights. Or use a bus. Get a buss pass or whatevery the equivalent is these days /Oyster card?/
There is always a way avoiding the tube if you want to / I used to do that as it was cheaper/. If you are far out there is also trains going in.

@Catofthesouth it's not free for the age of the OPs children.

Tube is absolutely fine! There isn't anything to be scared of on it .

1. it's London - everywhere is busy
2. stay together? I took my son to London a few weekends ago and didn't lose him once.
3. more chance above the ground
4. there are maps in every carriage and digital signs telling you the next stop. If you miss it, get off and get the tube going the other way.
5. stay by the wall?
6. tap your card/phone on the gate, then use the same card/phone on the way out ...

If my 10 year old can get himself around the tube, I'm sure you can.

^ yes river taxi is underrated it will take you from your hotel to the tower of London, houses of parlement and the tate.
Also some lines have air con, jubilee, Elizabeth and district.
Ask the station staff If you need to.
You'll have a lovely time

The DLR is great. The tube is efficient, but for a sight-seeing experience, being over-ground might be more fun.

Anxiety can be horrible, @london101asap but good on you for not letting it stop you from trying. I hope you all have a fun time.

as a couple of posters have said, you might only need to do one journey into central London and then be able to walk to many sights from there. I think Embankment is a good start point as it’s close to a number of sights such as Big Ben and Trafalgar Square and you can cross the river to the Southbank which is good to walk down.

if you do want to use the buses, this map is worth having a copy of as shows the routes and the major sights. I found once I got used to the buses they were very easy to use and sometimes quicker than the tube (as can take ages to get down to the tube platforms on the deeper lines).

content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/key-bus-routes-in-central-london.pdf

Sorry I'm not completely sure if the hop on hop off bus is worrying you too? And I'm not actually sure how they work but I'm sure it's very simple for all the tourists... But a possible alternative would be a sightseeing tour where you stay on the bus, I think London City Bus Tous do it.

Oyster card, you won't lose husband or children, any more than you might in Waitrose

Tube maps are easy to navigate, if you do miss the stop, simply get out and go back to the station you want-
some stations now have security glass at platform edge so you can't be pushed onto the track , but just stand near the walls.

Bomb threats.. they could be anywhere these days.

Well you could just use Uber! I mean if it's a once in a while treat, that's what I'd do in an unfamiliar city. Might not be the cheapest, might not be "authentic" but it's easy.

Reasons:
Too busy
Can't help with this one, London in August is really busy. This will be the same whatever mode of transport you use.
Might lose my husband or kids
Why would you? Presumably you all have phones. Keep close to each other, and if you do lose each other you'll be able to reunite quickly.
Bomb threats (low but still)
This could happen anywhere. The tube is no more risky than anywhere else.
Might miss my stop
Then you get off, cross the platform, and there'll be another one back the opposite way in 2 minutes.

I'm scared of being pushed near the track
I have never had this happen or seen this happen and I was a regular commuter into London for years. Just stay behind the yellow line.
I don't know how to pay
You tap your card on the way in and on the way out. If you forget to tap on one end, you will be charged the maximum amount for a day ticket- I think it's ~£15. In theory, they can fine you for it but they are hardly going to fine a family of tourists for forgetting once. I've never once been checked.

You're overthinking it. Remember that children younger than your DCs are using the tube to get to school every day unaccompanied and managing just fine. It's a very user-friendly system and thousands of tourists navigate it each year, some with very little English.

I hate the tube as well. I do go on out of necessity sometimes but not a fan. Alternatively just Uber or Addison Lee.

Cable car to North Greenwich, Boat or River Taxi from North Greenwich up the Thames to see all the sights, to either Tower of London or/and Embankment! Great trip & you will have a fab time!

The payment is taken AT the barrier. The tube doesn't wait at the station long enough, and not enough time between stations, for people to fanny about paying ON the tube. When it's busy you may never get near a payment spot anyway.

I go to lots of places and I would be nervous in London.

You dont have to get the tube if you dont want to but surely you can think of ways to find out how to pay?
I am sure there are instructions on TFL website, tourist websites. You can ask people - online, friends, people in London once you get there. Or simply turn up at the station and work it out.

If you have such severe anxiety, do you have a therapist*? Because they should be able to help you develop strategies and work through some exercises, targeted at your specific anxieties, that will help you cope better while in London.

London is a relatively safe city with a lot of options and though Londoners seem to have a reputation for being brusque or unfriendly and can look uninterested in others when moving about the city, most people are happy to answer questions if you need some help. It can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not used to it, but it’s not outside your capabilities.

You can can come up with simple ways to get back on track if your fears like getting split up from your DH materialize. Make sure everyone has charged phones and you have location sharing on. Get Citymapper and familiarize yourself with it. Get the Uber app set up so, if it comes to it, you can call an Uber and meet back at the hotel. If you miss your stop you get off when you realise and cross over to the train going the other way, then catch that back to the stop you should have got off at. Paying - as people have said, it’s pretty easy you just need a contactless bank card. You can watch YouTube videos of people going in and out of tube stations (or London buses) to see exactly how it’s done. You can probably find videos of the exact routes you want to take if that sort of familiarity will help you.

Whether you use the tube for some things or not, a tourist hop-on-hop-off bus is ideal for seeing the sights in your situation.

*(If you don’t have a therapist - get one. Won’t help for this trip, but will for the future. You want to minimise the impact your mental health has on your kids. As tweens they are going to be significantly affected if you don’t get this treated. Even if you have to go private, find a good one and it is money well spent - worth cutting back on a holiday or two for. Anxiety can have a debilitating impact on your life and those of your loved ones but it is one of the most treatable mental health conditions.)

It's great that you're willing to set an example to your daughters that you can be a bit anxious about something but do it anyway. The Citymapper app is great. Excel isn't the best place for connections but you can get the DLR and buses although buses will take a bit longer. Greenwich is a lovely place to visit and you can use the Thames Clipper river boat with contactless or Oyster cards.

I also recommend the hop on hop off tourist bus. They cost £££ but will take you to all the 'must see' sites. Your daughters might like Camden but brace yourself as it's full on.

Good advice about the escalators.

Honestly @london101asap, relying on transport other than Tube is really going to heighten any anxiety you have. They come on time generally and once you have your Oyster card and know which line to get to where then it is the quickest and most efficient way to travel.

Why not do an itinerary now of what you would like to see and when (and book any sights in advance, most of the museums, art galleries and attractions have a pre-booking option so you can avoid queues) and then plot your transport around the city? I promise you that if you don't like crowds or the feeling of being claustrophobic then the Tube (outside peak hours) is really the only way to get around.

Buy a hand fan, ask your GP for a couple of mother's helpers for the trip, make sure to have water on you and a fully charged phone and you will enjoy your trip. Please don't subject yourself to buses or relying on cabs or going for arduous walks.

I have no doubt you will have a fabulous time!

Hello @london101asap I hope you will have a lovely time in London :)

Can I recommend browsing through Google Streetview, it's excellent. You can 'drive' with your mouse and move around, zoom in and so on. Because they knit together data from over 10 years sometimes you'll see something that looks like it's being built and then in the next frame it's a massive towerblock!.

I made a little video showing how to use it - search for a location, select Maps then look at the bottom right for the little yellow person. Click and drag them onto the map and then a whole load of teal-coloured roads will appear. Drop the little person on any road and then drive around.

For what it's worth I live in London and don't use the tube either.

Another recommendation for
• Uber Boat by Thames Clippers (heaven, snacks on board, can buy tickets in advance or everyone can touch in touch out - everyone needs their own tap in device whether that's phone, bank card or Oyster) - there's also a phone app with
• CityMapper app on your phone, will give you a range of travel options including bus only. If you've not used it before you can also familiarise yourself with it on desktop here https://citymapper.com/webapp

There is a big bus station at North Greenwich station, it's no more than 10 mins walk from the cable cars (which just get you across the river to the Excel side of things).

I think others have mentioned that you can take the boat from Royal Wharf Pier (same side of river as Excel). It's approx 20 mins walk from Excel or you can get the 241 bus. If you visit this link then hover over the '16min walk' or '241 bus' (don't click, just hover) you can see the route highlighted. Click either to investigate further.

Or, take the Thames Clipper as far as Greenwich Pier (next to the Cutty Sark) and change to either CityCruises or Thames River Services - you'll get a more tourist experience with someone pointing out the sights whereas the Thames Clipper service is more of a commuter thing, with no chat (which you may prefer!).

Good luck!
Jo

OP I have no idea why people are being so brutal (well, I do, but I'll get myself banned).
I've always had a problem with using the tube. I used to take mad routes to try and avoid it, but now I live nearer, I can use it. I really had to force myself to stay calm at first, but it gets easier.
People just don't get how large all the unknowns can loom in the mind if they haven't experienced it. It takes real guts to do what you are doing. Take the sensible advice, deep breath or several, and hopefully you'll enjoy yourself.