London Calling - visitor transport options

slowbike

We're off to London tomorrow - visiting Grenwich area around lunchtime ... coming up from the south

Train/Tube/Bus ? Or Drive and park? Prob staying for 3-4hours I guess.

Will be Little Slowbike's first visit to the capital - so train/tube could be exciting & intimidating at the same time.

graeme_s-2

I seem to recall my son is roughly the same age as Little Slowbike. He's not been on the Underground, but he has been on the Metro in Brussels, which he really enjoyed. Except for our first ride where we totally forgot how sharply the trains brake coming into a station. He wasn't holding onto anything and stacked it onto the floor when the train stopped (which is just an example of my terrible parenting). After that he was fine!

veronese68

Train/tube/bus.

elbowloh

If you're coming from the South, i'd drive, but I would say that parking is pretty expensive in Greenwich.

The maritime museum and observatory are great (for me anyways)!

fenix

Definitely public transport.

cjcp

Public transport.

figbat

I was in that London this weekend just gone with Little Miss (10) and Master (8) figbat (and Mrs f). We would never even contemplate anything other than public transport. Yes, it takes a while and yes there are Other People, but it is cost-competitive and you can all have a drink. And you get to join in with the travel banter/bickering.

Our travel involved a 5 minute walk, a 25 minute bus ride (one an hour, so critical to catch the one we were aiming for), a 45 minute train and then 30 minutes on the Circle line. Little Miss figbat is past the excitement of train journeys and is openly disparaging about using them, but despite this we all survived and got where we wanted around the time we wanted to.

slowbike

ok - thanks chaps - PT it is (we would ride, but LSB through london traffic - and then finding somewhere to lock the bikes safely -not worth the hassle! )

For the tube bits I'll be sure to hold onto Little SB - just to prove that I'm not a bad parent

inbike

Train + bike can be a good option, provided you are travelling outside of peak hours.

Q1 goes from Waterloo to Grenwich and is suitable for trailler bikes or confident (traffic-aware) junior riders. Q14 goes from London Bridge to The Cut. CS5 will go to King's Cross soon.

They all connect (via CS5) with CS3 which takes you directly to most of London's biggest tourist attractions.

...but if they've not done it before, London Public Transport is part of the experience. I have fond memories of my first visits to London as a child and exploring the tube network.

HydraulicGarlic

If you’re arriving via Waterloo, Blackfriars or London Bridge the Thames Clipper riverboat service is a good option to get to Greenwich, departs from a few places along the central stretch of the river and arrives next to the Cutty Sark. Slower than train but more of an experience.

I’ve taken friends who are visiting on the Jubilee line to North Greenwich for a return trip over the river on the Emirates cable car, or back into town via DLR from the other side.

You could take the DLR from Greenwich to the cable car when you’re finished there, cross river North to South and head back into town via Jubilee for mainline station connections if you have time to fit that in.

cougie

And you can use the oyster card for the cable car. You don't have to pay for the souvenir trip ?

HydraulicGarlic

Discount for PAYG Oyster or contactless fares:

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/fares/emirates-air-line

tangled_metal

London Calling, but I love by the river.

There's also London Burning. Not admitting to which I prefer!

slowbike

Thanks for the suggestions

Having checked out full public transport options - it was going to be just shy of £100 for the 3 of us for the day - stuff that!
We drove to a bit inside the M25 - parked up on the road where I used to be in digs and walked to a station (5 minutes) - got a travel card (£25 for 2 + under 5 who we didn't have to pay for) and got the train into Waterloo - from there we did the tube to Bank and then got on the DLR - it was an experience for Little Slowbike - not quite what we would've done had we got a bit more freedom to roam - but enough.
After meeting up with friends and doing friends stuff we were going to come back on the boat - but there was a 40 minute wait - so we just did the DLR/Tube/Train route back - Little Slowbike fell asleep fairly early on.
Pleased to say that despite it being the start of rush-hour - most people were accepting of 2 obvious visitors with a little one fast asleep in a push chair- one Gent stood back in Bank to let us on first - although a woman did push through ...
A reasonable - but rushed day - will have to do it again with a bit more time to visit a few sights for Little Slowbike...

mtb-idle

Slowbike wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions

one Gent stood back in Bank to let us on first - although a woman did push through ...

That's equality for you...

Ben6899

MTB-Idle wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

Thanks for the suggestions

one Gent stood back in Bank to let us on first - although a woman did push through ...

That's equality for you...

All the women
Who' independent
Throw your hands up at me