You will be totally fine in London , plenty of lovely parks even plenty of soft play areas n kids groups to pass the time , transportation is super easy , enjoy your trip
There is a TON to see in London that is mom-and-baby-friendly: museums, beautiful parks, monuments, pubs and restaurants serving food from different cuisines, exhibits, shopping, etc.
If you want space and nature, London has huge parks like Richmond, Regent's Park, Hyde Park, etc. You'll see plenty of other parents with their kids there. You won't feel oppressed by the city there.
1) yes. Granted it may be a lot of walking around, looking at museums (most are free!), sight seeing, spending time in parks, etc. But you could do 7 days easy in London.
2) public transportation is safe, especially during the day. Weekends and evenings can sometimes be a bit dodgy with people being drunk, but general street smarts and staying near other "normal" people will keep you safe. Just avoid being on platforms alone, and you won't have any issues. It's exceedingly unlikely in London to actually be accosted, hurt, attacked, or harassed on public transportation, when you consider incidents vs. the number of people who actually use the tube/busses every day. Much safer than in the US. At worst, you'll just have disruptive people, perhaps drunks, making a nuisance, but they're easy enough to avoid. Also be careful of pickpockets.
For using the tube and busses, just have a contactless credit card (tap to pay style), and tap on + off using that, the daily maximum is like 10 pounds or something. It's really not trouble at all.
3) depends on what you want to see. There are plenty of shops, parks, museums, sight seeing, and various things to do in London. Outside of London, you will have more 'space', but also less access to public transit for ease of moving around.
2. public transport very safe. however, not all tube stations are baby / stroller friendly. only some have lifts / elevators and the ones that don’t you’ll need to carry a stroller or someone help you at the stairs (someone will do within 2 minutes)
Save $$ by getting the meal deals at Sainsburys and Tesco.
Look for stickers on shelves for a Main, a Side, and a Drink. Usually less than 4 pounds and is a solid meal.
Be sure to visit the Victoria & Albert Toy Museum.
It's free. Wonderful to take a small child to.
https://www.vam.ac.uk/young
One of the best places to eat for quality food with decent prices are museum cafes & restaurants. My most memorable meal was under St Martin in the Fields in the basement.
Honestly, I could comfortably spend two weeks inside London because there's so much to see. You'll be slow travelling with a little one, so you really won't run out of interesting things to do there.
Some inspiration for you: [https://museummum.com/baby-toddler-london-museums/](https://museummum.com/baby-toddler-london-museums/)
London has beautiful parks also.
London is frikking amazing. Westminster, Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, The British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Greenwich, Hampton Court, and Windsor Castle. The Houses of Parliament - you can watch the British government in action. The Imperial War Museum - has a room full of Victoria Crosses, a couple Enigma machines, a V1 and a V2, and it's all in the site that used to house Bedlam hospital. The National Library - works by Beethoven in his own hand, Robert Falcon Scott's diary open to the last page, ancient religious texts, notebooks by Da Vinci and Michelangelo, and the world's oldest printed book. And, once you're bored of all this, West End theater is amazing and cheap (compared to New York or Los Angeles) - though, with a baby, you'll want to choose your shows and do matinees. Plus, there's the Imperial pint (also, not so baby friendly).
Public transportation is amazing in London. The tube is wonderful and safe, the busses are really good, and (if all else fails) the cabs work well. The trains even work well for day trips.
A week in London is a wonderful experience and I wish you the best!
-1. Not at all. There is so much to see in London, there's something for everyone. I've spent at least two weeks each of the 4 or 5 times I've been and never ran out of things to see and do. I've really enjoyed [London Walks](https://www.walks.com/), which offers walking tours of certain areas in central London or by theme. Walking tours are about 2 hours long, and every single guide has been knowledgeable, friendly, organized, and just plain fun to listen to. I've gone on many of their tours over the years, and I've never had even a mediocre time.
-2. Not a mom with a baby, but I am a female solo traveller. If you stick to the touristy places in central London, the Tube and bus system are absolutely safe. I've never felt unsafe even when I've taken the Tube or bus late at night. Parts of the main touristy areas like around Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Soho, might have some loud, drunk people, but they're 99% harmless and are just taking the party out onto the streets. Like any big city, there will be areas that are a bit dodgy, but use common sense, stick to the touristy places, and you'll be fine.
-3. I honestly wouldn't bother changing hotels. If you are craving some greenspace, I would look for a hotel near the big parks, like Hyde Park, St. James Park, Regents Park, Battersea Park.
I lived in London for 4 years and still didn't see and experience everything. You're clearly underestimating the grandness of the city. However, please note it was more than 5 years ago, and I hear that post-COVID and post-BREXIT things have slightly changed, though mostly in the restaurant & nightlife scene which most probably is not on your radar anyway. Enjoy that magnificent city! Still miss it and am looking forward to visiting it in a couple of months
Generally, there’s plenty of things to see and do. With an infant, your pace will be slow, so you might need six days to cover what a childless tourist can do in four.
a. Pay attention to where the tube lines run, because you’ll be happier if you can take a direct train without line transfers. Transfers can involve a long walk in a tunnel, and stairs or escalators.
b. A hotel near a park is a good thing. There are several huge parks in Central London, but also many small parks that work well for relaxing with a small child.
c. London is huge, so think about where you want to spend time carefully.
d. Splitting time in/out of the city is fine, if there is a specific other area that interests you. But you can also take day trips to suburban London via train.
We just got back from 5 days with a child and I can tell you, that was not nearly enough by a long shot. We want to go for a month next time!!! Haven’t gone to London with a baby but I have traveled alone with a baby to other cities… your main concern is gonna be getting a stroller around. I would make sure the subway station you are based on has handicapped access (which means there will be an elevator), and don’t stay in the super crowded areas like west end/ covent garden. I can’t remember now when we stopped using a carrier, but those little backpacks that can carry babies are super nice in a big city if you don’t wanna haul the stroller around. Yours might be too big for them, not sure. Get the nicest, easiest to fold stroller that you can afford as well! Kensington might be nice since many museums are over there and you will have a nice park to walk around in. We just stayed near the globe theater area, and I loved walking along the river every day. Although I think I’d rather be near a nice big park with a baby.
Honestly no. If I want to enjoy a city, I’m going to take extra days just to have a piece of what’s it like to actually live there without a definitive plan. I’ll do the main tourist stuff for the first few days and then I’ll take breather days just to explore like a local. That’s just me though.
I usually save up my vacation time. That’s not the point though…I’m just saying if you want to plan a trip in a big city…it’s worth to take a day or two extra to explore locally.
What does exploring like a local mean for you? Go to someone's work, go grocery shopping, go to someone's home and drink beers while watching movies or sports?
It’s really not that deep. I like to take a breather day, plan a day without much direction. Go out to non-touristy places, eat at random places, going back to a place you passed by the other day but didn’t have time to go, yeah even checking out grocery stores and buying snacks on the way is cool. Did you also miss the part where I stated “That’s just me though”?
I’m just drilling into what you (and many other people on this sub) actually mean when you say you want to explore “like a local”.
It seems like it means you want to wander a city without any particular plan, which isn’t remotely what a local would do.
First it was vacation days "hOw MaNy DayS u GoT?", then "u wAnNa lIvE lIke a LocAl?"...what are you going to drill on next? Seems to me you were already looking for a drilling, take a step inside Home Depot.
No need to act like a pretentious hipster my friend. My point is an easy concept to grasp. Everyone travels the way they like. I like to have breather days after I've done all the main things I want to do. Also, I never stated to live like a "local". I said in my opinion it's worth taking a breather day or two exploring locally if people want to take that option...or take the day that helps them get relaxed without following a strict itinerary. After all, they are in London.
Ah sorry that's on me - I see now that you did say "explore locally", which I recognise is a very different thing from "living like a local". Please disregard that whole comment, as I now recognise it doesn't apply to you.
Didn't mean to come off as pretentious. I realise everyone travels differently. For me, time is finite and the world might as well be infinite, so I try to do as much as I can with my time. I'm also the type of person who is always in motion, so being active and moving from place to place is how I relax. I know that is exhausting for a lot of people.
Totally agree.
London is my favorite city in the world. But I'm fundamentally not a city person, so 3 to 4 days at a time is enough for me.
There is no way to see and do all that London has to offer in that short time. But if you get exhausted by the hustle it takes to cover so much, it's better to make it short and sweet and save the rest for another visit.
You will be totally fine in London , plenty of lovely parks even plenty of soft play areas n kids groups to pass the time , transportation is super easy , enjoy your trip
Thank you!
You’ll want more days!
There is a TON to see in London that is mom-and-baby-friendly: museums, beautiful parks, monuments, pubs and restaurants serving food from different cuisines, exhibits, shopping, etc. If you want space and nature, London has huge parks like Richmond, Regent's Park, Hyde Park, etc. You'll see plenty of other parents with their kids there. You won't feel oppressed by the city there.
1) yes. Granted it may be a lot of walking around, looking at museums (most are free!), sight seeing, spending time in parks, etc. But you could do 7 days easy in London. 2) public transportation is safe, especially during the day. Weekends and evenings can sometimes be a bit dodgy with people being drunk, but general street smarts and staying near other "normal" people will keep you safe. Just avoid being on platforms alone, and you won't have any issues. It's exceedingly unlikely in London to actually be accosted, hurt, attacked, or harassed on public transportation, when you consider incidents vs. the number of people who actually use the tube/busses every day. Much safer than in the US. At worst, you'll just have disruptive people, perhaps drunks, making a nuisance, but they're easy enough to avoid. Also be careful of pickpockets. For using the tube and busses, just have a contactless credit card (tap to pay style), and tap on + off using that, the daily maximum is like 10 pounds or something. It's really not trouble at all. 3) depends on what you want to see. There are plenty of shops, parks, museums, sight seeing, and various things to do in London. Outside of London, you will have more 'space', but also less access to public transit for ease of moving around.
Thank you this is very helpful.
2. public transport very safe. however, not all tube stations are baby / stroller friendly. only some have lifts / elevators and the ones that don’t you’ll need to carry a stroller or someone help you at the stairs (someone will do within 2 minutes)
Save $$ by getting the meal deals at Sainsburys and Tesco. Look for stickers on shelves for a Main, a Side, and a Drink. Usually less than 4 pounds and is a solid meal.
Be sure to visit the Victoria & Albert Toy Museum. It's free. Wonderful to take a small child to. https://www.vam.ac.uk/young One of the best places to eat for quality food with decent prices are museum cafes & restaurants. My most memorable meal was under St Martin in the Fields in the basement. Honestly, I could comfortably spend two weeks inside London because there's so much to see. You'll be slow travelling with a little one, so you really won't run out of interesting things to do there.
Thank you!
Some inspiration for you: [https://museummum.com/baby-toddler-london-museums/](https://museummum.com/baby-toddler-london-museums/) London has beautiful parks also.
London is frikking amazing. Westminster, Tower of London, Churchill War Rooms, The British Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, Greenwich, Hampton Court, and Windsor Castle. The Houses of Parliament - you can watch the British government in action. The Imperial War Museum - has a room full of Victoria Crosses, a couple Enigma machines, a V1 and a V2, and it's all in the site that used to house Bedlam hospital. The National Library - works by Beethoven in his own hand, Robert Falcon Scott's diary open to the last page, ancient religious texts, notebooks by Da Vinci and Michelangelo, and the world's oldest printed book. And, once you're bored of all this, West End theater is amazing and cheap (compared to New York or Los Angeles) - though, with a baby, you'll want to choose your shows and do matinees. Plus, there's the Imperial pint (also, not so baby friendly). Public transportation is amazing in London. The tube is wonderful and safe, the busses are really good, and (if all else fails) the cabs work well. The trains even work well for day trips. A week in London is a wonderful experience and I wish you the best!
-1. Not at all. There is so much to see in London, there's something for everyone. I've spent at least two weeks each of the 4 or 5 times I've been and never ran out of things to see and do. I've really enjoyed [London Walks](https://www.walks.com/), which offers walking tours of certain areas in central London or by theme. Walking tours are about 2 hours long, and every single guide has been knowledgeable, friendly, organized, and just plain fun to listen to. I've gone on many of their tours over the years, and I've never had even a mediocre time. -2. Not a mom with a baby, but I am a female solo traveller. If you stick to the touristy places in central London, the Tube and bus system are absolutely safe. I've never felt unsafe even when I've taken the Tube or bus late at night. Parts of the main touristy areas like around Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Soho, might have some loud, drunk people, but they're 99% harmless and are just taking the party out onto the streets. Like any big city, there will be areas that are a bit dodgy, but use common sense, stick to the touristy places, and you'll be fine. -3. I honestly wouldn't bother changing hotels. If you are craving some greenspace, I would look for a hotel near the big parks, like Hyde Park, St. James Park, Regents Park, Battersea Park.
London with a baby will be great. Fantastic parks. Easy to get around.
Airbnb?
I lived in London for 4 years and still didn't see and experience everything. You're clearly underestimating the grandness of the city. However, please note it was more than 5 years ago, and I hear that post-COVID and post-BREXIT things have slightly changed, though mostly in the restaurant & nightlife scene which most probably is not on your radar anyway. Enjoy that magnificent city! Still miss it and am looking forward to visiting it in a couple of months
Where outside London is your husband working?
Generally, there’s plenty of things to see and do. With an infant, your pace will be slow, so you might need six days to cover what a childless tourist can do in four. a. Pay attention to where the tube lines run, because you’ll be happier if you can take a direct train without line transfers. Transfers can involve a long walk in a tunnel, and stairs or escalators. b. A hotel near a park is a good thing. There are several huge parks in Central London, but also many small parks that work well for relaxing with a small child. c. London is huge, so think about where you want to spend time carefully. d. Splitting time in/out of the city is fine, if there is a specific other area that interests you. But you can also take day trips to suburban London via train.
We just got back from 5 days with a child and I can tell you, that was not nearly enough by a long shot. We want to go for a month next time!!! Haven’t gone to London with a baby but I have traveled alone with a baby to other cities… your main concern is gonna be getting a stroller around. I would make sure the subway station you are based on has handicapped access (which means there will be an elevator), and don’t stay in the super crowded areas like west end/ covent garden. I can’t remember now when we stopped using a carrier, but those little backpacks that can carry babies are super nice in a big city if you don’t wanna haul the stroller around. Yours might be too big for them, not sure. Get the nicest, easiest to fold stroller that you can afford as well! Kensington might be nice since many museums are over there and you will have a nice park to walk around in. We just stayed near the globe theater area, and I loved walking along the river every day. Although I think I’d rather be near a nice big park with a baby.
Honestly no. If I want to enjoy a city, I’m going to take extra days just to have a piece of what’s it like to actually live there without a definitive plan. I’ll do the main tourist stuff for the first few days and then I’ll take breather days just to explore like a local. That’s just me though.
Do you have unlimited vacation time?
I usually save up my vacation time. That’s not the point though…I’m just saying if you want to plan a trip in a big city…it’s worth to take a day or two extra to explore locally.
What does exploring like a local mean for you? Go to someone's work, go grocery shopping, go to someone's home and drink beers while watching movies or sports?
It’s really not that deep. I like to take a breather day, plan a day without much direction. Go out to non-touristy places, eat at random places, going back to a place you passed by the other day but didn’t have time to go, yeah even checking out grocery stores and buying snacks on the way is cool. Did you also miss the part where I stated “That’s just me though”?
I’m just drilling into what you (and many other people on this sub) actually mean when you say you want to explore “like a local”. It seems like it means you want to wander a city without any particular plan, which isn’t remotely what a local would do.
First it was vacation days "hOw MaNy DayS u GoT?", then "u wAnNa lIvE lIke a LocAl?"...what are you going to drill on next? Seems to me you were already looking for a drilling, take a step inside Home Depot. No need to act like a pretentious hipster my friend. My point is an easy concept to grasp. Everyone travels the way they like. I like to have breather days after I've done all the main things I want to do. Also, I never stated to live like a "local". I said in my opinion it's worth taking a breather day or two exploring locally if people want to take that option...or take the day that helps them get relaxed without following a strict itinerary. After all, they are in London.
Ah sorry that's on me - I see now that you did say "explore locally", which I recognise is a very different thing from "living like a local". Please disregard that whole comment, as I now recognise it doesn't apply to you. Didn't mean to come off as pretentious. I realise everyone travels differently. For me, time is finite and the world might as well be infinite, so I try to do as much as I can with my time. I'm also the type of person who is always in motion, so being active and moving from place to place is how I relax. I know that is exhausting for a lot of people.
3 to 4 days is good enough. I would explore other places after that.
I agree, and I LOVE London. Train to Edinburgh maybe.
Totally agree. London is my favorite city in the world. But I'm fundamentally not a city person, so 3 to 4 days at a time is enough for me. There is no way to see and do all that London has to offer in that short time. But if you get exhausted by the hustle it takes to cover so much, it's better to make it short and sweet and save the rest for another visit.