In case you’re visiting London, whether or not on a day journey or an extended break, you’ll end up on public transport sooner or later – and likelihood is meaning the Tube. So after travelling on it as a baby myself and navigating the strains with a buggy, toddler, little one and tween, listed here are my recommendations on utilizing the London Underground with youngsters.
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As a result of in case you’re baffled by the considered utilizing the world’s oldest underground system, it’s not as overwhelming as it’d seem – though there are some quirks to the system, particularly if you’re travelling with youngsters on London Underground.
So whether or not that’s planning prematurely to get one of the best tickets, or realizing when it’s a good suggestion NOT to take the prepare, right here’s every little thing it’s essential to know in regards to the London Underground with youngsters.
What ticket do I would like for the London Underground?
With new know-how bringing new methods to pay for journey, there’s now a stunning variety of selections in terms of tube tickets.
At its easiest, the choices are between the outdated paper travelcards, Tfl’s Oyster card or utilizing contactless fee, with completely different variations for teenagers, and for anybody who wants 7-day travelcards or longer (largely geared toward London residents moderately than guests).
Don’t depend on utilizing money in case you’re hopping onto a bus both: since 2014, you possibly can solely use contactless or an Oyster card to pay (until you have already got a travelcard).
Grownup fares on the tube
Utilizing paper tickets and old style travelcards is sort of by no means the most affordable strategy to get round – and also you’ll end up queueing much more in case you plan to purchase one day-after-day.
The one exceptions when they could be price shopping for are in case you’re spending per week or extra in London, or in case you’re planning to journey quite a bit within the outer journey zones – you possibly can examine costs for pay as you go fares and travelcards right here.
As a substitute there are two principal choices for adults which is able to work out cheaper (and simpler).
Contactless fee
In case 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 only choice.
Merely faucet your card or machine on the yellow readers, and the system will register every journey and mechanically cap it at a most each day price, the identical charge as an Oyster card. At all times faucet out and in on the tube, or by the motive force if you get on a bus.
You have to use the identical card or machine every time although, to make sure it’s capped appropriately, and every grownup wants a separate card or machine (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 £10.50 and you may order it on-line beforehand or just purchase one at an underground station if you arrive, in addition to from a Tfl London Customer Centre.
These need to be arrange with a minimal of £10 pay-as-you-go credit score, which you’ll be able to prime up in tube stations and a few retailers; then similar to like contactless, you utilize the cardboard to faucet out and in, and the system mechanically caps the quantity you spend per day.
The fares fluctuate relying on the time of day and what number of zones you’re travelling via however the each day cap for zones 1-2 is at the moment £8.90 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.
Little one fares on the tube
Tfl little one fares rely on the age of your youngsters, with free journey on the Tfl community (tube, bus, DLR, Elizabeth Line and London Overground) for all youngsters underneath 11 years outdated.
That is just for the Tfl community – in case you’re travelling on Nationwide Rail companies, similar to native commuter trains, youngsters aged 5-15 pay half-price and solely underneath fives are free. One of many uncommon exceptions is the quick prepare to Watford Junction, which you would possibly want in case you’re visiting the Harry Potter studios.
In any other case youngsters aged 11-15 travelling on the tube can get discounted journey utilizing paper travelcards and Oyster playing cards. Learn on for extra particulars of those choices.
Teenagers aged 16+ can solely get discounted journey you probably have a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard, which it’s essential to apply for prematurely, and prices £20.
Bus & tube journey with youngsters underneath 11
Youngsters underneath 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 youngsters per grownup.
You’ll want to make use of the huge baggage/accessible gates to get via, as the primary gates shut speedily to cease fare evaders – positive in case you’re carrying a child, however not in any other case, and positively not with a buggy.
You have got longer to get via 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’s 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 displaying a pink cross, stand close to it and it ought to mechanically change to inexperienced as you go to swipe your ticket.
It’s price realizing that Zip Oyster playing cards for age 5-10 are geared toward London residents who is perhaps utilizing public transport alone, and aren’t wanted for little one guests travelling with an grownup.
Bus & tube journey with youngsters aged 11-15
Youngsters aged 11-15 need to pay for tube journey, however they get a minimum of 50% off the usual grownup fare. With a view 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, Underground workers can add the Younger Customer low cost to an Oyster card which is able to final for 2 weeks, and the kid needs to be current.
This could solely be finished at tube stations, not Nationwide Rail stations. It may be added to a typical Oyster card in case you already personal one or in case you purchase one on arrival in London, in addition to in case you’ve ordered a Customer Oyster card earlier than you allow dwelling. Whereas all tube workers ought to pay attention to this, in case you run into any issues at smaller stations, this web page has all the small print.
You then prime up credit score as regular however are charged half the grownup charge on pay-as-you-go tickets for as much as 14 days, much less for some off-peak journey.
Zip Oyster Photocards for age 11-15 are geared toward these primarily based within the metropolis (or frequent guests) as they price extra and are barely extra sophisticated to use for – you’ll want a passport picture, and to permit further time for it to reach. It’s effectively price contemplating in case you go to London incessantly although, because it saves repeatedly having the low cost added and consists of free journey on buses.
Because the Oyster playing cards price £10.50 to purchase, it may be price getting a paper little one travelcard in case you’re solely visiting for a day or are travelling outdoors zones 1-2.
The day little one travelcard does price greater than the utmost each day capped little one fare utilizing an Oyster card however lower than the grownup contactless charge. If there’s an opportunity you’ll return, having an Oyster card with the younger customer low cost rapidly saves cash.
There’s no strategy to get little one fares on the tube utilizing contactless fee, so it’ll cost full grownup charge in case you use this.
For extra concepts on how to economize on days out in London with youngsters, try my prime suggestions
Obtain the apps
In case 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 data 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 data in addition to serving to to plan tube journeys.
Google maps can also be notably helpful for bus journey, however you should 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 case 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 all the time potential to keep away from peak occasions completely, however keep in mind the crush will often be worst from 8am to 9am, and 5.30pm to six.30pm, then enable a minimum of half an hour both facet when it’ll be busy too.
In case you’re coming from outdoors Zone 1, it’s will also be cheaper in case you keep away from peak morning occasions (fares drop after 9.30am) – and in summer season, some tube strains are horribly sizzling (particularly the Central Line) so the emptier the higher.
The top carriages are sometimes the emptiest in case you do end up on a busy platform. For extra concepts on how you can keep away from a few of the busiest stations, try Tfl’s recommendation
If you wish to keep away from being laden down with heavy luggage as you journey, try Bounce (get 10% off via my hyperlink utilizing code MUMMY10) and Baggage Hero 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 case you don’t contact your card on the yellow readers as you go out and in of stations (or if you get on to buses), you’ll end up getting a penalty fare in consequence.
Don’t overlook to do that, even when obstacles are open. It applies whether or not you’re utilizing Oyster playing cards or contactless.
With the bus, solely faucet your card if you get on, 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, just under the spherical yellow card readers.
It’s effectively price making a free Tfl account and registering your card (together with bank cards) to verify the quantity you’ve been charged – if the gates haven’t registered you tapping out, for instance, you might be overcharged but it surely’s often easy to get a refund.
Do take into account the bus
Relying in your journey, it may be simpler taking one bus than numerous line modifications underground, particularly with a buggy – in case you’re utilizing the London Underground with toddlers and preschoolers, try my separate suggestions.
Bus journeys additionally offer you an opportunity to see extra of town – a few routes will take you previous a few of London’s prime sights too for a discount tour, together with routes 9, 15 and 26 (the outdated quantity 11 has modified route so isn’t pretty much as good any extra)
Until you’re doing a brief simple journey, it’s unlikely to be sooner 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 offers real-time bus data 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 direction of the each day cap for fares.
It’s also possible to use Oyster playing cards/contactless for airport trains together with the Heathrow Categorical, in addition to the Gatwick Categorical, though the airport journeys aren’t lined within the each day restrict.
For one of the best methods to get from London airports to central London, try this submit
In case you’re heading to Watford Junction to go to the Harry Potter studios, you should use Oyster/contactless playing cards for this as effectively and children underneath 11 journey free on the quick trains from Euston to Watford Junction.
Nonetheless, in case you’re planning to make use of different rail companies – together with native suburban rail routes, similar to Waterloo to Hampton Courtroom Palace – youngsters aged 5-15 get 50% off ticket costs however don’t journey free.
Journey by boat & cable automotive
In case you fancy travelling by river, you should use contactless and Oyster playing cards on the Uber Boat by Thames Clipper companies (or purchase tickets straight utilizing the app).
Solely youngsters underneath 5 journey free, in any other case it’s 50% of the grownup fare – it’s not included within the each day cap both. You probably have a paper travelcard, you may as well get a reduction on these river boat companies.
Whereas the river boats aren’t the quickest strategy to journey, it’s much more scenic than a darkish tunnel.
Or the IFS Cloud Cable Automobile whisks you 90m above the Thames, crossing between the north Greenwich peninsula and the Docklands.
It’s also possible to use Oyster playing cards and contactless fee to journey on London’s cable automotive, however once more, solely youngsters underneath 5 journey free and it’s not included within the each day cap.
For extra concepts of one of the best boat excursions in London with youngsters try my prime picks
Stroll when you possibly can
London’s sheer dimension signifies 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 number of spots the place it’s merely not price taking the tube.
All Londoners realize it’s sooner 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 displaying strolling distances between stations or just verify Google Maps and Citymapper to check 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 youngsters
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 offers an choice to seek for step-free journeys solely.
Both means, you’ll in all probability encounter steps sooner or later, particularly outdoors the centre. Stations within the centre will often have an escalator, together with the 60m whopper at Angel, whereas the deepest stations have lifts – after they say to not take the steps besides in an emergency, these ones actually imply it.
In case you’re taking the underground with a child, take into account a child provider or sling, or a minimum of convey the lightest pushchair you will get away with.
Some larger stations have lengthy walks between strains as effectively: altering from the Victoria line to the Piccadilly line at Inexperienced Park appears to contain a unending stroll, whereas switching strains between Financial institution and Monument (although formally linked) is one other lengthy trek.
In case you’re switching to the Elizabeth Line, you might want to go outdoors and stroll (for instance at Canary Wharf), even when the stations share the identical title or are formally linked
In case you’re feeling completely overwhelmed, footsore and fed up, it’s price realizing that black cabs can take pushchairs so that you needn’t fear about not having a automotive 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 niche, thoughts that too), so hold youngsters behind the yellow line to be secure. In case you’re travelling with a buggy, reversing might be best.
If it’s essential to cease to verify 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 direction of the wall to do it.
Stopping proper in the course of the platform will make you very unpopular when there’s a prepare’s price of individuals strolling behind you.
Maintain youngsters entertained
In case you’re spending some time with bored youngsters on the tube, the novelty can rapidly put on off – in case you’ve obtained a protracted journey, it’s price having one thing up your sleeve to entertain.
For brief journeys, the place you don’t need to be without end taking issues out of luggage 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 ebook.
Or there’s lots of tube trivia to maintain you amused – you received’t be placing up dialog along with your neighbours, I promise.
Try these 150 info 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 all the time a superb failsafe as effectively.
Don’t discuss however do stand on the left
Some issues are merely not finished on the tube – and if you wish to keep away from too many scowls from Londoners it’s greatest to know the etiquette prematurely (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 facet is meant for individuals strolling moderately than standing. Leep a watch out for the little blue indicators within the corridors between platforms or in case you’re altering strains, as they’ll even have a facet for slower walkers in case you’ve obtained babies, so you realize the place to be to keep away from speedwalkers.
Get on-line
The Tfl web site is full of surprisingly useful data – 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 one of the best buggies to make use of on the tube.
It additionally has maps displaying these tube stations with bathrooms – click on right here – though it’s positively greatest to not depend on these, or bear in mind some have a small cost in case you do want them.
And there’s additionally a standing replace for all of the strains, which is price checking earlier than you go, in case of delays or to see if any strains are quickly closed. It’s also possible to discover advance particulars of weekend engineering works and any strike motion.
For extra concepts on issues to do in London with youngsters, try my information to London with youngsters, in addition to options without cost issues to do in London, uncommon issues to do in London and issues to do in London within the rain with youngsters
*First revealed 2014, final up to date 2026*
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Disclosure: This submit comprises affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee. All opinions on utilizing the London Underground with youngsters are my very own.
Pictures courtesy Depositphotos
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