London with a pram

lika_86 · 6 March 2017 at 2:53PM

You'll find it easier to get space on the tube itself if you're in the first or last carriage. Entrances to platforms are often right in the middle of platforms so everyone congregates there, the end carriages are usually the quietest.

I'd take the smallest thing you can take but unless you're trying to get on a Northern Line train at 6pm or something it won't be that bad. Echoing what others have said, I've never seen anyone not be offered help.

tensandunits_2 · 6 March 2017 at 2:57PM

Knowing from experience how difficult it can be even with a wheeled suitcase I certainly wouldn't recommend taking a pram on the Tube. Many stations don't have lifts and even when they do you often need to climb up and down steps to get to them. Escalators also tend to be incredibly busy, whatever the time of day.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted · 6 March 2017 at 3:08PM

Pram on a tube? It's hard enough being an unencumbered human on there.

Buses aren't as bad, as the wheelchair space can make it possible to wheel babe on (assuming the bus isn't packed), and some train platforms require a pretty big leap up to reach the train itself, but as a whole, I'd definitely recommend the smallest, lightest, single hand folding buggy you can find - it's the only way I managed to transport the Offspring to and from childcare whilst working, and I still ended up watching the bus sail off into the distance many times because there wasn't enough space for me, a baby bundled under my arm and a folded buggy slung over the other one.

Don't forget you'll need Oyster Cards - £5 each - as there's no cash fares on the buses and buying tickets for the trains and tubes can take forever now. If it's a manned station, you should be able to get through the wider gate, as the normal ones will end up with you and junior getting stuck with a hundred stressed commuters stuck behind you. Travelling is probably least bad between 10.30am and 2.30pm. And download the London Transport Bus Countdown App on your phone, it's worth having a smartphone just for that alone.

Oh, and just in case you didn't know - DON'T STOP DEAD when you are walking anywhere. London walking speed is somewhere between the four minute mile (usual for Outer London) and Warp Factor 15 (anywhere within Zones 1-3). Know where you are going and only ever stop after you have moved out of the way.

gingercordial · 6 March 2017 at 3:24PM

Could you carry the baby in a sling? You might need to start now to get used to it and find the right sling and position for you. Have your other half carry a bag with spare nappies etc.

My friend who does this with her baby always looks far less flustered when travelling by Tube than the ones who try to use prams and pushchairs! It also keeps the baby against your body and looking at you and not distressed by all the noise and movement of the crowds.

[Deleted User] · 6 March 2017 at 4:04PM

If you are using the underground I wouldnt even contemplate taking a pram,. it is a complete bunfight and far too busy, you will pushed, shoved and jostled and I would imagine it'll be frightening for baby.

lika_86 · 6 March 2017 at 5:56PM

BBH123 wrote: »

If you are using the underground I wouldnt even contemplate taking a pram,. it is a complete bunfight and far too busy, you will pushed, shoved and jostled and I would imagine it'll be frightening for baby.

I think that's a bit of an exaggeration to be honest. Even when tubes have been crammed full I've never been shoved or jostled.

Loads of people take prams on the tube and I've never seen a baby frightened by it. Remember OP, plenty of Londoners live in London and have to get around on a daily basis on the tube.

Personally I'd say buses are worse than the tube if you were trying to navigate them with a pram. You're much more likely to get space on a tube than a busy bus and much less likely to get in the way.

Also, you don't NEED an Oyster card if you have a contactless bank card and most if not all tube stations have an automatic wide gate, just use that.

tensandunits_2 · 6 March 2017 at 7:38PM

I'm not a very regular traveller in London, but I've rarely, if ever, seen people with prams on the Tube.

lika_86 · 6 March 2017 at 10:03PM

tensandunits wrote: »

I'm not a very regular traveller in London, but I've rarely, if ever, seen people with prams on the Tube.

The first part of your sentence may explain the latter.:)

maman · 6 March 2017 at 10:14PM

As you've said we're going to London I take it to mean there will be at least two of you with the baby and pram. I'd go for the lightest, easy folding stroller you can get. They fold so they're not much bigger than an umbrella. One of you takes the baby and the other the stroller. I've seen people with huge musical instruments on the tube and they manage. A compact stroller will be easy.

Fen1 · 6 March 2017 at 11:02PM

As with every tourist to London, focus on one small geographical area per day, e.g. Tower of London, South Bank and Shakespeare's Globe in one trip, which are all within walking distance of each other. Don't zigzag from the V&A ( Knightsbridge) to Covent Garden to the Tower. Zigzagging is a huge waste of time, and will be much harder for you.

You can walk along the length of the Thames, north and south, and is a pleasant way to get across the city. Tower to Embankment is about 45 mins gentle walk. It's often quicker to walk than take the bus!

London with a pram

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