England
Traveling Tips for
London
Pro Tips Before You Go
Download the TfL Go app before arriving. It made navigating London incredibly easy. We didn’t love the classic Tube map app, but the Tfl Go app showed exactly where to go, which trains to take, and how long everything would take.
You don’t need cash. We never withdrew money and paid for everything by tapping with our phones or cards. Trains, Tube, and buses all work with tap in / tap out.
- Trains & Tube: tap in and out
- Buses: tap in only
- A normal Visa or Mastercard works perfectly — we used Mastercard everywhere.
London is very easy to navigate, but can be extremely crowded, especially around Christmas. Be mentally prepared for crowds at stations, museums, and popular streets
Flights & Accommodation
We booked flights through the Norwegian app, which worked well. We could bring the stroller to the gate, which was great.
The Premier Inn app, however, didn’t really help — check-in still had to be done in person.
If we return, we would choose Airbnb instead of a hotel, it would be more budget-friendly.
We stayed at a Premier Inn Hammersmith, mainly because we were attending a worldschooling meetup and other families stayed there too. That part was wonderful — traveling solo with a toddler felt much easier when surrounded by familiar faces.
However, the stay itself was challenging:
- One night I had to put my toddler to sleep in the hallway, even though a free room later appeared once the manager got involved.
- One room smelled strongly of cigarettes and cleaning spray, so badly that my toddler’s eyes started running.
Staff were helpful and fixed the situation, and we did enjoy the breakfast — but for the price, we would absolutely rather stay in an Airbnb next time.
We stayed in the Hammersmith area, which worked well for:
- St James’s Park
- Kew Gardens
- General city access
But next time, I would actually stay on the other side of the city, closer to:
- The British Library
- More child-friendly indoor activities we didn’t get to this time
Getting Around London With a Pram
This was my first time traveling with a pram, and overall it worked well.
Some Tube stations have elevators, but there is still a lot of carrying. People were incredibly kind and always helped without hesitation.
It’s important to have a foldable pram — sometimes it simply won’t fit on the Tube due to crowds.
Despite this, London felt very manageable as a solo parent:
- Clear transport system
- Easy tapping system
- Helpful people everywhere
Highlights With a Toddler
Kew Gardens (Absolute Highlight)
If we had gone to London only for Kew Gardens, it would still have been worth the trip. It is a Christmas trail with lights, magical and amazing.
Despite rain, this was magical.
The toddler was completely ecstatic — running, exploring, and fully engaged.
We could easily have stayed much longer. The Christmas experience, Santa, and overall atmosphere made this our number one highlight.
Natural History Museum (Free)
We were lucky to get in very early because we had booked Santa tickets. Early morning was amazing. Later in the day it became far too crowded.
Major toddler hits:
- Tyrannosaurus Rex Christmas version (we saw it twice)
- Santa at the museum (story and a gift)
Sharing the experience with other children from the worldschooling group made it even better.
St James’s Park
Another huge favorite. This was also with the worldschooling group.
Theo Vilje loved:
- Chasing pigeons
- Squirrels climbing onto his foot
- Watching pelicans and birds
We met the worldschooling group here, and the joy of free play together was priceless.
He also enjoyed watching:
- Guards changing shifts
- Horses and swords near the palace
Thames Boat Ride
The boat on the Thames was a big success.
We could easily have stayed on much longer — calm, spacious, and fun for a toddler.
Other Spots
Science Museum – Free, but the toddler area in the basement was very small. Not worth it for us.
Hamleys Toy Store – Fun but extremely crowded.
We agreed on buying one thing, which worked perfectly.
Christmas Lights (Oxford Street & nearby streets) – Beautiful, but far too crowded for us to truly enjoy.
Big Christmas Tree & “Fake Snow” – Disappointing for us coming from Norway.
Sky Bridge – Nice for me, not important for a toddler. Wouldn’t queue with a child unless pre-booked.
Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Tower of London – Nice to see, but the toddler didn’t really care.
Bookshop in Kew – The Alligator’s Mouth – A wonderful find and a calm, cozy highlight.
Food & Daily Rhythm
We rarely sat down to eat.
Most meals were:
- Takeaway
- Eaten back at the hotel during rest time
- Our toddler needed a daily sleep break — London was overwhelming with crowds, noise, and stimulation.
Final Thoughts
London worked surprisingly well as a solo parent traveler thanks to:
- Excellent public transport
- Contactless payment everywhere
- Extremely helpful people
That said, London feels more suited for:
- Adults
- Teens / teenagers
- Families with a higher budget
For toddlers, the true highlights were:
- Kew Gardens
- St James’s Park
- Natural History Museum
But overall, there are many destinations where you get much more for the money and far less crowd stress.
I would never travel to London again at Christmas time with a toddler — far too busy for us. The lights were beautiful, but not necessary.
Even though London can be done on a low budget with free attractions, the crowds at Christmas made it exhausting.
As a solo parent, it worked logistically — but emotionally and energy-wise, it was intense.
For us, London was special for a few unforgettable moments, but next time we would choose:
- Another season
- Another area to stay
- Or even another destination entirely
Still, Kew Gardens, St James’s Park, and the kindness of people made this trip memorable — and I’m grateful for that.
