London with an 11 month old.

I’m sitting here after 3 full days in London, England. Me, my husband and our 11 month old have managed to see (most of) London without an argument or a melt down. How? Here’s a few pointers to travelling with an 11 month old through one of the busiest cities in the world.

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Pack your essentials.

Everyday we packed a backpack that had all the necessities we needed to last a whole day. You never know how long it will take to get back home on the tube/bus/train so make sure you have plenty of stocks to keep you going. Our pack consisted of; 4 nappies, wipes, botty balm, cloth nappy (to put down on change tables), change mat, snacks (crackers, bread, fruit pouches), water, at least 3 baby bottles filled with water, thermos of hot water to warm up baby milk, formula (decanted into dispenser, if you’re using it), 1 change of clothes for baby, warm jacket and beanie (weather can change). Then there’s you two. Make sure you have a water bottle (there are refill stations throughout the city), money, comfy shoes, reusable bag for shopping.

Forget using taxis and buses, get the hang of using the tube.

It took a few goes and about 10 double checks to make sure we had caught the right line, but the tube was so easy to use and super baby friendly. There are priority seats at every door for people travelling with babies and most people do their best to make your trip easier by moving seats or helping you lift the buggy on or off the train.

Stroller or front pack? We found the stroller to be VERY useful when we had got to our destinations after getting off the tube. The first day we walked over 15 kilometers and having the stroller was super handy. The downside to having the stroller was the difficulty getting in and out of the tube stations. Most of them are all stairs or travellators and they have no lifts. This is where a lightweight, easily foldable stroller would do the job well. We had a jolly jumper 4 wheeled stroller and our trick was to take baby out of the stroller and one of us carried him and the other carried the folded down stroller. Yes it was a slight pain in the ass but it worked out to be the best and cheapest way of getting around the city. If our boy was any younger, I would’ve used a front pack for getting around more easily.

Keep your cool.

You’re travelling around one of the busiest cities in the world. There are going to be times when your patience is tested, especially if you’re trying to have a nice meal or you’re walking through Oxford Street. Just remember that at some point it will end and you will be back in your hotel room and relaxing in a bath.

Don’t plan too much.

You will know already that life with a young one can be very unpredictable. Have one thing in mind for what you want to see that day and go from there. There are so many little things to do and see along the way to most destinations that your day will fill up with heaps of amazing things.

Buy an oyster card.

Nobody wants to be rummaging around in a wallet trying to find the right change for a ticket fare on the tube and juggling a baby at the same time! An oyster card is an electronic card that allows you to hop on and off a train, bus, boat with ease and is only 5 pounds. All you need to do is purchase an oyster card from most tube stations and load it up with as much credit as you like. Then tap it on the circular yellow card reader before hopping on the transport, then tapping it again when you reach your destination and it will electronically charge you the fare. We loaded our cards with 30 pounds each and it did us the whole 3 days and we traveled a lot!

Make use of the beautiful parks.

London is well known for its beautiful big parks and gardens and they are your best friends for taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Hyde park was one of our highlights. We found a nice shady spot and just lay in the grass and let the little one out of the stroller for a wriggle around. It’s hard to believe you are in the middle of a busy city when no buildings or cars are in eyesight. It was the perfect reset before heading off to do more sightseeing.

Accommodation.

London isn’t cheap. Your best bet is to book your accommodation at least a month in advance to get the best rates. The closer to your travel dates, the more expensive it gets. Initially, we were looking for somewhere with a kitchen/kitchenette so we could make our baby some food. But realistically we couldn’t afford places with that feature so had to settle for a hotel room (found on booking.com at a great rate). It was perfect and everything we needed. Our boy wasn’t fussed about eating ready made baby food for those 3 days and it makes a lot less work and preparation for you. It wasn’t my ideal situation but it was a sacrifice I was going to make to make life that little bit easier.

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If you have anymore tips for travelling with a young one, send them through to me!

Claire.