As a city that spans more than 1500 square kilometres, London has developed an incredibly complex public transport system to accommodate the five million travellers it accommodates each day. In fact, the English capital’s Underground train service has been in operation since the 1860s, so it has had plenty of time to evolve. If it’s your first stay at the Park Grand London Kensington though it can still be rather overwhelming, especially if you’re navigating the city with children.
London is a great tourist destination for families, but your public transport ventures are always going to be a little stressful if you’re keeping an eye on toddlers and small children. Guests of special offer London hotels can minimize this stress though by following a few simple tips.
How To Pay For A Single Fare
Fear not, multi child travellers on the London Underground, paying for you and your family is less complicated than you might first think. For starters, an adult can travel with up to 4 children under the age of 12 and not have to pay for them, which means their journey will be fully covered by your single fare on the tube.
So essentially, the only person who’s fare you’ll have to worry about is your own (if you match the above criteria that is). To pay for a single fare on the tube you must touch your contactless payment card or Oyster card onto the yellow touch pad at the barriers. Make sure to do the same on your way out, otherwise you’ll be charged a penalty fare. This is important, some tube stations don’t have exit barriers.
On the subject of Oyster cards (small blue contactless top up cards that are used for London’s public transport), if you’re visiting London for a short period with children, then it might be a bit easier to pay via your debit or credit card for tube and bus journeys.
Try And Avoid Rush Hour
Guests of the Shaftesbury Hotel London will know all too well how busy their surrounding area can get during peak times in London. This is why it’s best to avoid them if you’re travelling with children. Keeping sight of your child amidst the crowds is enough to raise the blood pressure, and that’s before we’ve even got started on the 30% higher prices for single journeys.
For guests of the Grand Royale London Hyde Park who haven’t visited London before, peak times, known colloquially as rush hour, is the period between 6.30 am and 9.30 am and 4 pm and 7 pm when a higher rate of underground trains operate on the line to accommodate for the higher footfall. If you’re visiting with children, consider a different mode of transport or walk to your destination if not very far away.
Use The Bus Or Train If Possible
If you’re visiting London with children who use pushchairs, consider using a more accommodating mode of public transport than the London Underground. Some stations have no lift or escalator access, and so it can be quite difficult to navigate with buggy-bound kids. Buses and train services often have more staff at hand to accommodate children. Train services cost the same on single fares as the London Underground whilst the bus is about £1 cheaper.
