In the event you’re visiting London, whether or not on a day journey or an extended break, you’ll end up on public transport in some unspecified time in the future – and likelihood is meaning the Tube. So after travelling on it as a toddler myself and navigating the traces with a buggy, toddler, baby and tween, listed below are my recommendations on utilizing the London Underground with children.
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As a result of in the event you’re baffled by the considered utilizing the world’s oldest underground system, it’s not as overwhelming as it would seem – though there are some quirks to the system, particularly once you’re travelling with kids on London Underground.
So whether or not that’s planning upfront to get the most effective tickets, or realizing when it’s a good suggestion NOT to take the prepare, right here’s every part you might want to know concerning the London Underground with children.
What ticket do I want for the London Underground?
With new know-how bringing new methods to pay for journey, there’s now a stunning variety of decisions with regards to tube tickets.
At its easiest, the choices are the outdated paper travelcards (because of be phased out from January 2024), Tfl’s Oyster card or utilizing contactless fee, with completely different variations for teenagers, and for anybody who wants 7-day travelcards or longer (principally aimed toward London residents moderately than guests).
Don’t depend on utilizing money in the event you’re hopping onto a bus both: since 2014, you possibly can solely use contactless or an Oyster card to pay (except you have already got a travelcard).
Grownup fares on the tube
Utilizing paper tickets and old school travelcards is nearly by no means the most affordable approach to get round – and also you’ll end up queueing much more in the event you play to purchase one day by day (or each journey). They’re additionally because of be phased out from January 2024 so is probably not an choice earlier than lengthy.
The one exceptions when they might be value shopping for are in the event you’re spending every week or extra in London, or in the event you’re planning to journey lots within the outer journey zones – you possibly can examine costs for pay as you go fares and travelcards right here.
As an alternative there are two principal choices for adults which is able to work out cheaper (and simpler).
Contactless fee
In the event you can pay utilizing contactless – both a contactless financial institution card (credit score or debit) or Apple/Google Pay in your telephone – it’s the best choice.
Merely faucet your card or gadget on the yellow readers, and the system will register every journey and robotically cap it at a most day by day value, the identical charge as an Oyster card. At all times faucet out and in on the tube, or once you get on a bus.
You have to use the identical card or gadget every time although, to make sure it’s capped appropriately, and every grownup wants a separate card or gadget (though they are often linked to the identical checking account).
Try the present fare caps right here
Oyster card
Alternatively, a customer plastic Oyster card prices £7 and you may order it on-line beforehand or purchase one at an underground station once you arrive, in addition to from a Tfl London Customer Centre.
These should be arrange with a minimal of £10 pay-as-you-go credit score, which you’ll be able to high up in tube stations and a few retailers; then similar to like contactless, you employ the cardboard to faucet out and in, and the system robotically caps the quantity you spend per day.
The fares differ relying on the time of day and what number of zones you’re travelling by however the day by day cap for zones 1-2 is at the moment £8.50 for adults. You may get a refund on any cash you’ve loaded on however haven’t spent, however the price of the Oyster card is non-refundable.
Youngster fares on the tube
Tfl baby fares rely upon the age of your children, with free journey on the Tfl community (tube, bus, DLR, Elizabeth Line and London Overground) for all kids beneath 11 years outdated.
That is solely for the Tfl community – in the event you’re travelling on Nationwide Rail companies, corresponding to native commuter trains, children aged 5-15 pay half-price and solely beneath fives are free. The exception is the quick prepare to Watford Junction, which you would possibly want in the event you’re visiting the Harry Potter studios.
In any other case kids aged11-15 travelling on the tube can get discounted journey utilizing paper travelcards (being phased out from January 2024) and Oyster playing cards. Learn on for extra particulars.
Teenagers aged 16+ can solely get discounted journey when you’ve got a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard, which you might want to apply for upfront, and prices £20.
Bus & tube journey with kids beneath 11
Kids beneath 11 journey free with an grownup with any legitimate ticket, together with a contactless card or Oyster card, as much as a most of 4 children per grownup.
You’ll want to make use of the extensive baggage/accessible gates to get by, as the principle gates shut speedily to cease fare evaders – positive in the event you’re carrying a child, however not in any other case, and definitely not with a buggy.
You have got longer to get by the broader gates although, and also you’ll discover these on the finish of the financial institution of entry gates into the tube. In bigger stations, there may be often one at every finish so search for the one with the inexperienced gentle.
In smaller stations there could solely be one, so if it’s exhibiting a crimson cross, stand close to it and it ought to robotically change to inexperienced as you go to swipe your ticket.
It’s value realizing that Zip Oyster playing cards for age 5-10 are aimed toward London residents who is perhaps utilizing public transport alone, and aren’t wanted for baby guests travelling with an grownup.
Bus & tube journey with kids aged 11-15
Kids aged 11-15 should pay for tube journey, however they get 50% off the usual grownup fare. In an effort to do this, they’ll have to have a baby ticket of their very own to get the discounted fare.
For guests to London and non UK-residents, Tfl suggests ordering a Customer Oyster card earlier than you permit house, then once you arrive in London, Underground workers can add the Younger Customer low cost to your card.
This will solely be executed at tube stations, not Nationwide Rail stations, and will also be added to a typical Oyster card in the event you already personal one or in the event you purchase one on arrival. Whereas all tube workers ought to concentrate on this, in the event you run into any issues at smaller stations, this web page has all the main points.
You then high up credit score as regular however are charged half the grownup charge on pay-as-you-go tickets for as much as 14 days.
Zip Oyster Photocards for age 11-15 are aimed toward these based mostly within the metropolis (or frequent guests) as they value extra and are extra sophisticated to use for – you’ll want a passport photograph, and to permit additional time for it to reach. It’s value contemplating in the event you go to London continuously although, and consists of free journey on buses.
Because the Oyster playing cards value £7 to purchase, in the event you’re solely visiting for a day or are travelling exterior zones 1-2, it may be value getting a paper baby travelcard.
Nevertheless, these are being phased out from January 2024. The day baby travelcard additionally prices greater than the utmost day by day capped fare utilizing an Oyster card, so if there’s an opportunity you’ll return, having an Oyster card with the younger customer low cost rapidly saves cash.
There’s no approach to get baby fares on the tube utilizing contactless fee, so it’ll cost full grownup charge in the event you use this.
For extra concepts on how to economize on days out in London with children, try my high ideas
Obtain the apps
In the event you’re struggling to plan out your journeys, there are some useful apps to take the stress out of understanding a route.
Citymapper is my private favorite, with info on completely different routes, real-time prepare occasions, and even options on which carriage to get on at for the best exit.
Or the Tfl Go app is Tfl’s personal route planner, with standing updates and bus info in addition to serving to to plan tube journeys.
Google maps can also be significantly helpful for bus journey, however you need to use it for route planning on the tube community as effectively.
Keep away from rush hour
London at rush hour isn’t enjoyable, even in the event you’ve had follow. Cramming your self right into a carriage of surly commuters with a pushchair, toddler or suitcase is even much less enjoyable.
It’s not at all times attainable to keep away from peak occasions fully, however keep in mind the crush will often be worst from 8am to 9am, and 5.30pm to six.30pm, then enable no less than half an hour both aspect when it’ll be busy too.
In the event you’re coming from exterior Zone 1, it’s will also be cheaper in the event you keep away from peak morning occasions (fares drop after 9.30am) – and in summer season, some tube traces are horribly scorching (particularly the Central Line) so the emptier the higher.
The top carriages are sometimes the emptiest in the event you do end up on a busy platform. For extra concepts on how one can keep away from among the busiest stations, try Tfl’s recommendation
If you wish to keep away from being laden down with heavy luggage as you journey, try Baggage Hero and Radical Storage which have dozens of locations round London to retailer baggage securely when you discover
At all times contact out and in
It’s not such a unusually coded message because it sounds – merely that in the event you don’t contact your card on the yellow readers as you go out and in of stations (or once you get on to buses), you’ll end up getting a penalty fare because of this.
Don’t overlook to do that, even when limitations are open. And it applies whether or not you’re utilizing Oyster playing cards or contactless.
With the bus, solely faucet your card once you get on although, you don’t have to do is as you get off.
In case you are utilizing a paper travelcard, there’s a slot to feed the cardboard into, not removed from the spherical yellow card readers.
Do take into account the bus
Relying in your journey, it may be simpler taking one bus than a lot of line adjustments underground, particularly with a buggy – in the event you’re utilizing the London Underground with toddlers and preschoolers, try my separate ideas.
Bus journeys additionally offer you an opportunity to see extra of town – a couple of routes will take you previous a few of London’s high sights too for a discount tour, together with routes 9, 15 and 26 (the outdated quantity 11 has modified route so isn’t nearly as good any extra)
Except you’re doing a brief simple journey, it’s unlikely to be quicker than the tube although. Apps like Citymapper are actually helpful if you wish to examine completely different choices to get you from A to B, whereas Google Maps provides real-time bus info and reveals the closest stops.
Don’t overlook trains on the Tfl community
In addition to buses and the underground, overground companies, the Elizabeth Line and DLR (Docklands Gentle Railway) trains are additionally a part of the Tfl community, and depend in the direction of the day by day cap for fares.
You may as well use Oyster playing cards/contactless for airport trains together with the Heathrow Specific, in addition to the Gatwick Specific, though the airport journeys aren’t coated within the day by day restrict.
For the most effective methods to get from London airports to central London, try this submit
In the event you’re heading to Watford Junction to go to the Harry Potter studios, you need to use Oyster/contactless playing cards for this as effectively and children beneath 11 journey free on the quick trains from Euston to Watford Junction.
Nevertheless, in the event you’re planning to make use of different rail companies – together with native suburban rail routes, corresponding to Waterloo to Hampton Courtroom Palace – children aged 5-15 get 50% off ticket costs however don’t journey free.
Journey by boat & cable automobile
In the event you fancy travelling by river, you need to use contactless and Oyster playing cards on the Uber Boat by Thames Clipper companies (or purchase tickets straight utilizing the app).
Solely children beneath 5 journey free, in any other case it’s 50% of the grownup fare – it’s not included within the day by day cap both.
You probably have a paper travelcard, you may also get a reduction on these river boat companies.
And whereas the river boats aren’t the quickest approach to journey, it’s much more scenic than a darkish tunnel.
Or the IFS Cloud Cable Automotive whisks you 90m above the Thames, crossing between the north Greenwich peninsula and the Docklands.
You may as well use Oyster playing cards and contactless fee to journey on London’s cable automobile, however once more, solely children beneath 5 journey free and it’s not included within the day by day cap.
For extra concepts of the finest boat excursions in London with children try my high picks
Stroll when you possibly can
London’s sheer dimension implies that if you wish to discover, you actually can’t do all of it on foot. However the tube map, iconic design although it’s, doesn’t precisely mirror the geography of London so there are a couple of spots the place it’s merely not value taking the tube.
All Londoners realize it’s quicker to stroll from Embankment to Charing Cross, for instance, or from Leicester Sq. to Covent Backyard, as a substitute of venturing up and down the escalators for a single cease.
There’s a useful map exhibiting strolling distances between stations or just test Google Maps and Citymapper to match how lengthy it’ll tackle foot, versus the quickest choice on public transport.
Try my strolling tour of London’s landmarks if you wish to discover the capital on foot with children
Be ready for stairs & strolling
There are greater than 250 stations on the Tfl community, and solely a restricted quantity have step-free entry – Tfl’s Journey Planner can rule out stairs although it’ll be limiting, whereas the Citymapper app additionally provides an choice to seek for step-free journeys solely.
Both method, you’ll in all probability encounter steps in some unspecified time in the future, particularly exterior the centre. Stations within the centre will often have an escalator, together with the 60m whopper at Angel, whereas the deepest stations have lifts – once they say to not take the steps besides in an emergency, these ones actually imply it.
In the event you’re taking the underground with a child, take into account a child service or sling, or no less than deliver the lightest pushchair you will get away with.
Some larger stations have lengthy walks between traces as effectively: altering from the Victoria line to the Piccadilly line at Inexperienced Park appears to contain a unending stroll, whereas switching traces between Financial institution and Monument (although formally related) is one other lengthy trek.
In the event you’re switching to the Elizabeth Line, it’s possible you’ll want to move exterior and stroll (for instance at Canary Wharf), even when the stations share the identical identify or are formally related
In the event you’re feeling fully overwhelmed, footsore and fed up, it’s value realizing that black cabs can take pushchairs so that you needn’t fear about not having a automobile seat – merely pop the brake on, and settle your self again.
Stand behind the yellow line
A severe piece of recommendation. At most stations, there’s nothing between the platform and the prepare (besides sometimes a spot, thoughts that too), so hold children behind the yellow line to be protected. In the event you’re travelling with a buggy, reversing might be best.
If you might want to cease to test a map when you’ve obtained off (there are a lot across the stations as effectively), or just to get your bearings, head over in the direction of the wall to do it.
Stopping proper in the midst of the platform will make you very unpopular when there’s a prepare’s value of individuals strolling behind you.
Preserve children entertained
In the event you’re spending some time with bored children on the tube, the novelty can rapidly put on off – in the event you’ve obtained an extended journey, it’s value having one thing up your sleeve to entertain.
For brief journeys, the place you don’t wish to be ceaselessly taking issues out of baggage and placing them again two stations later, encourage them to show the journey right into a problem with a pocket-sized I-Spy London Transport e book.
Or there’s lots of tube trivia to maintain you amused – you gained’t be putting up dialog along with your neighbours, I promise.
Try these 150 information celebrating the underground’s 150 years, together with the 2 station names containing all 5 vowels, and the one station which doesn’t have any letters of the phrase ‘mackerel’ in it.
In any other case, hold the standard leisure – stickers, books, magazines – handy. Counting the stations is at all times a very good failsafe as effectively.
Don’t discuss however do stand on the left
Some issues are merely not executed on the tube – and if you wish to keep away from too many scowls from Londoners it’s finest to know the etiquette upfront (though we’re not all unfriendly).
These unstated guidelines embrace not chatting with fellow passengers, whereas the official guidelines embrace not standing on the left on escalators.
The left hand aspect is meant for folks strolling moderately than standing: the identical typically goes for the corridors between platforms or in the event you’re altering line too, so those that are strolling extra slowly with babies, hold a watch out for the little blue indicators as you go to keep away from the speedwalkers.
Get on-line
The Tfl web site is filled with surprisingly useful info – there are FAQs for guests and extra particulars on fares for kids who get both free journey or diminished costs on completely different transport, even options on the finest buggies to make use of on the tube.
It additionally has maps exhibiting these tube stations with bogs – click on right here – though it’s undoubtedly finest to not depend on these, or bear in mind some have a small cost in the event you do want them.
And there’s additionally a standing replace for all of the traces, which is value checking earlier than you go, in case of delays or to see if any traces are briefly closed. You may as well discover advance particulars of weekend engineering works and any strike motion.
For extra concepts on issues to do in London with children, try my information to London with children, in addition to options for free issues to do in London, uncommon issues to do in London and issues to do in London within the rain with children
*First printed 2014, final up to date 2024*
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Disclosure: This submit incorporates affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee. All opinions on utilizing the London Underground with children are my very own.
Photographs courtesy Depositphotos
