Surviving London with little ones

We have been going into London  quite a bit recently which is crazy as  we moved even further away from the capital.  Our church is in North London so we do go every weekend but not into the centre as often. London can be stressful at the best of times with the amount of people and getting in and off the tube etc. throw in a double buggy and bags and finding lifts to get down to the tube and it can get even more of a headache. There are so many great places for kids that it shouldn’t put you off. So if you are planning on going into London with your children soon or you were thinking of doing it. I hope this can be of some use to you so I have come up with my top tips when travelling with toddlers or babies into London.

1. Know how to get around on the tube. OK so not every tube station has pushchair access!! I had no idea until I had children as it’s really not something you think about when you casually walk along with your coffee cup in one hand and your small tiny non bulky bag in the other when you don’t have children.   There is a map  you can download that shows you what stations are accessible with a pushchair and it may mean a bit more walking to get to where you need to go but well worth it. A double buggy is not easy to lift up and down stairs with two kids!! I have done it a few times when we hadn’t checked if there was a lift..not fun! It’s also worth downloading the tube map on your phone as you can plan your journey easily on there.
2. Know where baby changing facilities are in the city by downloading this  app
3.  Bring SCHNACKS!!! Snacks are amazing for any journey but especially when  you are in a busy place like London and you may have to wait for trains and tubes and lots of walking so stock up!
4. Let them burn off steam.  London has some beautiful parks and they are lovely and big so let the kids have run around time. It can be hard stuck in a pushchair for so long and they want to get out and shake their silly’s out. If the weather isn’t great then a large toy shop like Hamley’s should do the trick. The staff there are so hilarious.
5. Bring reinforcements- If at all possible have someone tag along to give you hand especially if you have  two or more little ones as it can be difficult on your own.
6. Give yourself plenty of time to get to where you want to go. When you have kids in tow things will always take longer so make sure you have time.
7. Have a great time! There are so many fun things to do and see. The museums are all free but certain exhibitions you have to pay for. We recently went along to the Winnie-the-Pooh exhibition at  The Victoria and Albert Museum, the exhibition is on until April and it was so interactive and the boys really enjoyed themselves.  The National art gallery is really large inside. Albie had a great time running around. They have school children visit often so there is a fair amount of noise and you wont feel out of place with your little ones. The science museum  is also a nice place to visit with lots to see and do.  All of these museums have pushchair access and baby changing facilities so win win.

Jessie x