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Using a Stroller in London

By: Author Wandermust Daddy

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Using a Stroller in London

One of the most frequent questions we get from people looking to head to our home city is “Is it easy using a stroller in London?”. Having lived in London with a baby and a toddler, I can safely say that we have successfully used a stroller across the city but some places are definitely easier than others. Therefore  in this guide we will tell you where is and isn’t stroller friendly in London, along with our recommendations for the best stroller for travel in London.

Important Note: This post may contain affiliate links which means if you click through and make a purchase I will make a small commission at no extra cost to you!

Do people use strollers in London?

View of Underground Station - Using a stroller in London

Using a stroller in London

 
I can say, as a London who has loved in the city with both a baby and toddler that local people do use strollers in London. And as such we recommend anyone traveling to London with kids of a certain age to bring a stroller and a carrier with them. 
 
Strollers are great for this traveling with babies or toddlers in London when This is because it gets very busy and a stroller is a great way of protecting your little one from the crowds, help them when suffering from jet lag and will save their legs on some of the longer walking days, of which there are likely to be many in London. 

Should I bring a stroller to London?

There are many reasons to take a stroller to London, but it is especially useful for international travellers. 
 
Firstly if you are traveling internationally to get to Italy then there is a chance that you will be experiencing a  a large time difference and you will find your baby or toddler will suffer with jet lag. Strollers are definitely handy for kids suffering from jet lag. 
 
And even once they are over the jet lag you can use the strollers for your toddler or baby’s day time naps. And if you little one will sleep in it at night it means that you may also get chance to have a nice dinner.
 
They are also handy for when you are in some of the busier places in London with a toddler for instance in Covent Garden and Leicester Square for instance.
 
It can get a bit overwhelming for toddlers and babies but having them in a stroller can reduce yours and their stress.

Best Stroller to Use in London?

The main things to consider when looking for the best stroller to use in London. And they are:
  • Compactness
  • foldability
  • how lightweight it is 
  • reclinability 

Hotel rooms and even Airbnbs in London are smaller than American counterparts. Therefore it is important that your stroller is very compact. 

Also you will want something that folds really easily as not all London transport options are stroller friendly (more on that in the next section). Therefore you need something that you can pop up and down quickly and easily. 

Reclinability is also important if your little one is suffering from jet lag as you will want them and they will need to have plenty of naps during the day in your stroller. 

Some of our favorite strollers to use in London are:

BabyZen Yoyo

When you talk about travel strollers no discussion is complete without mentioning the Babyzen Yoyo. The Babyzen Yoyo is a light weight but is also reinforced so it is one of the sturdier travel strollers on the market.

This is what we currently use in London with our toddler and find it a great pick. 

t weighs in at just 6.6kg which isn’t the lightest option on the list but does make it durable. It also has great storage which makes it perfect for long days exploring.

he only downside of the babyzen yoyo is that it is one of the more expensive travel strollers on the market so you really need to be sure that you will get good use out of this if this is the stroller you decide on purchasing. 

Click here for prices 

Mountain Buggy Nano

Another of the big boys in the travel stroller market is the Mountain Nano. The great thing about this is that it is another super compact stroller. 

One of the great things about this stroller is that is has a good recline option which is perfect for those that want to use the stroller for napping toddlers or babies. It can also be used from birth without additional purchases to convert the stroller. 

For more information and prices click here! 

GB Pokit

The GB Pokit can only be used from aged 6 months so if you are going with a younger baby this isn’t the stroller for you.  If your baby is older however this good be the perfect fit.

We considered this stroller however my 6ft5 husband found it just a bit low for him but on the plus side this stroller is one of the lighter ones at 5.8kg. But I probably wouldn’t recommend this if you or your partner is particularly tall. 

The only other downside to this stroller is that the sun shade does not come fully over the child.

ErgoBaby Metro

Another of the lightweight strollers on the market which can be used with from birth with a newborn attachment.

This stroller is fantastic as it has a one hand fold which is very helpful if you ever find yourself traveling solo with your baby. But t is not the cheapest on the market so again you want to make sure you can use it in your everyday life not just for travel. 

Click here for more prices and information. 

Other Stroller Products to Use in London

On top of a stroller we also recommend you bringing the following accessories with you to Italy:

Stroller Bag

If you decide not to use your stroller in the airport and decide to check it rather than putting it in an overhead locker then a stroller bag is an essential to keep it safe in the hold.  There are lots of stroller travel bags on the market but we recommend using this one. 

Rain Cover 

I love London but it is not unheard of to get a rainy day in London no matter the time of year you travel. Therefore we recommend never leaving home in London without a rain cover with you.  

Click here for options! 

Stroller Toys

Whether you are at home or on vacation toys for a stroller are an essential that will keep your baby or toddler amused as you travel around the city.

Click here for options! 

How do you get around London with a stroller?

Perhaps the biggest concern for those thinking about taking a stroller to London is how you get around London with a stroller. And this is definitely always our first thought when traveling in London with a baby or toddler. And it really depends on what method of transport you decide to use, on how easy or hard it is to use a stroller in London.

For this reason we have broken down our experiences of using  a stroller on all of the main types of public transport in London. 

Note: We really don’t think it is a good idea to use a car if you are staying in Central London even with small children.

London Underground with a stroller

Ultimate London 4 day itinerary - London itinerary with kids

Big Ben and the London underground sign in colour

For any visitor to London, with kids or without, you will likely be using the London Underground multiple times. But what is the London Underground with a stroller like?

Well it really depends on what station you are at, the time of day you are traveling and what line you are on. 

The London Underground is actually over 150 years old and therefore as you can expect from such an old infrastructure system, not all stations were built with accessibility in mind. 

However there is some good news. Almost all, and certainly all of the major London Underground stations have wide gates that can easily accommodate a buggy or stroller. This means you won’t have to get your kids out and fold you stroller to enter the station. 

However that is where the good news ends in terms of a stroller. Not all stations, by a long way are accessible. For this reason we recommend you download the city mapper app prior to travel as this will show you all stations that have step free access or as I like to call it a stroller accessible stations. 

There is also a list of step free stations in TFL website. 

At other stations, you may be forced to carry your stroller and your child. Therefore you may want to have carrier with you for use on the Underground, especially at station with large escalators or step access. 

London Buses with a stroller

In my opinion London buses are on of the best forms of public transport in London with babies and toddler. And the reason for this is that many of the buses, mainly newer buses, have drop curbs that allow for step free access for strollers and wheelchairs as well as having dedicated stroller seats. 

This means that you don’t have to remove your little one from the stroller unless the parking is full or a wheelchair user gets on and needs the space. 

Even if you travel to London with a double stroller you should be able to use the rear wider doors to get on and off buses without folding your stroller up.