Sanity saving tips for doing London with a toddler or baby
We made our first family trip to London when the girls were 11-months and three-years-old. As anyone travelling with young kids will relate to, our city break with a baby and toddler was a wonderful and testing experience.
Alongside every iconic site seen there was an avoidable tantrum involving the kids or me. It was shattering.
We picked up a lot of tips that week for visiting big cities with kids and have already been able to use them to make subsequent city breaks much more harmonious.
If you’re planning to visit London with a toddler or baby, or both, read on.
*This post contains affiliate links*
*This post contains affiliate links*
Here’s how you can plan a visit to London with a toddler or baby with less stress:
Contents - jump to what you'd like to know
Bring food, and lots of it
It’s easy for meal times to sneak up on you when you’re caught up in sightseeing or queues for attractions during a city break with kids. Avoid toddler and baby meltdowns by packing plentiful of snacks to dish out during your day.
We were waiting to get on the London Eye when it was suddenly time for lunch one day. Luckily we had some wraps for the girls to munch on. Another day we were caught short and it caused all kinds of stress.
Handy snacks to have in your bag during a city break include squeezy yogurts, bread sticks, fruit and cheese. Even when you’re staying in a hotel it’s easy to store these few bits and pieces in a small fridge or cool bag.
Check out more of my family holiday packing lists.
Take the train
We were staying in Crystal Palace – a half hour train ride or a 45 minute bus trip from the city centre (up to an hour and a half in traffic).
If you’re using public transport the bus can be fun but we found it was less comfortable for getting into the city than the train, especially with a baby and pushchair.
However, once you are in the city check out your route as it might be easier to hop on the bus for a short ride than carry children and pushchairs up and down tube station steps.
Stay somewhere central
Staying outside the city centre seemed like a good idea in advance. It was definitely the cheaper option.
However, if you intend to see the big sights, a hotel in the city will work out easier than staying on the outskirts and commuting in every day. We spent half of our time going to and from Crystal Palace, which threw out our timings for feeds and sleeps.
You can find lots of family-friendly London hotels* on Bookings.com:
Don’t expect to see all the sights in a day
Pace yourself. It always takes longer than you think to navigate a city, especially when you need to factor in feeds, nappy changes and naps.
We tried to squeeze more than one thing into the day on a couple of occasions. Bad idea!
This resulted in us not having enough time to appreciate the sights or get the girls back to where we were staying in time for bed. Cue more meltdowns.
Babywear
Using a baby or toddler carrier will help you navigate London’s busy streets and attractions easier than a pushchair. I lost count of the number times we (I mean Mr Tin Box) had to pick up our buggy and carry it up steps to cross bridges or get to the tube platform.
There are lifts around but at peak times there will be a queue of parents and other passengers waiting to use them.
We have had a few baby and toddler carriers over the years. Take a look at my baby and toddler travel essentials list for some recommendations
Seek out free attractions
Visiting London is expensive, even if your children haven’t reached the age where they ask for something every time you walk through the gift shop.
As well as a couple of treats, like visiting the London Eye and Cutty Sark, we also went to the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the parks. There’s plenty to entertain kids of all ages, as well as fulfil your lust to see the best of the capital.
If you’d like more recommendations for free attractions in London The Trusted Traveller has written about 30 places you should visit.
What are your top tips for visiting London with a toddler or baby? I’d love to top up my tip list for our next city break.
Read more of my tips for travel and holidays with kids.
Time for more adventures in London with kids?
Take a look at these guides to fun in and around the capital for all budgets:
- easy and cheap weekend itinerary for visiting London with kids
- where to see the best views of London
- how to get free West End theatre tickets
- day trips from London
- afternoon tea at The Waldorf
- things to see on the South Bank
- things to do in Windsor
More family travel inspiration
There’s plenty more family travel tips and inspiration on Tin Box Traveller. Why not check out: the travel stroller that we rate best; our top recommendations for luxury holidays with kids and a dog; or family days out we’ve tried in the UK and beyond.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links marked with *. If you link on one of these links and make a purchase I may earn some commission. This will not affect the price you pay.
Pin this post about doing London with a baby or toddler ahead of your visit to the English capital!
Yes! Snacks are essential. Last summer, my husband and I travelled from the US to Britain with our toddler. I packed a big stash of snacks and had to replenish it within a few days of arriving in Britain.
Kids are bottomless, right?! 😉
What baby carrier is your older child on? It looks a lot less bulky. Thanks!
It’s a Babyweavers carrier. We got it from Kiddicare and it works for both our girls aged 3.5 years and 18 months. Although our eldest is almost out of it now 🙂
We had a weekend down in London with our 2 earlier this year and we’ve just booked again for next year. I totally agree with all your tips. We usually stay in a premier inn right in the centre – not v glamorous but fine for families. We liked the sky garden and it is free! #citytripping
Jo Addison recently posted…Meet The Parents: A Road Trip Around Iceland With 5 Kids (including a 4 month old baby)
I’ve heard good things about the Premier Inn. I’ll check it out for our next visit 🙂
Don’t expect to see all the sights in a day. thanks for this tips it will help a lot to me when I travel across the country. I always want to see more sites in just a day but now I will follow your guide. Thanks.
Great tips. There’s so much to see in London! Too much in fact, so breaking it down into small chunks is a good idea. Tubes can be a nightmare with buggies…Buses are good for central areas and definitely pack some sarnies! I’m very inpressed with how much you did do though! Thanks for linking #citytripping
Elizabeth -Wander Mum recently posted…Review: Family Photos Made Easy With Splento
I don’t think well ever get to see it all. I’m looking forward to going back to London with the girls for trips when they are a bit younger. Seeing a show and going round historic places like the Tower of London are high on my wish list.
London is pretty overwhelming – even as an adult living here I can lose track of what’s realistic in a day. Some great tips but I’d also suggest planning in London’s parks and green spaces for a bit of a break between attractions as you’re usually not too far from somewhere, even in the centre. And I totally agree about trying to stay somewhere central when they’re smaller.
Cathy (Mummytravels) recently posted…MummyTravels guide to Burma with kids
Great tip about the green spaces Cathy. You often forget there are loads of these around in cities. They’re perfect for a bit of down time and picnic!
And thanks for linking up with #citytripping too
Cathy (Mummytravels) recently posted…City Tripping #51
I think your tip about having realsitic expectations and not seeing everything at once is really good. Also – slow down a bit.
Susanna recently posted…Postcards from Costa Barcelona
Yes, that’s my biggest down fall. I want to do as much now as we did pre-kids 🙂