A few questions on staying in London!

I think it's great that you're taking your mother to London! I'll just throw in my two pence about the tube/bus/taxi. The tube's especially great for traveling greater distances fast, especially when the surface traffic is at a crawl at rush hours. If your mom has any mobility issues, the downside is the stairs. The tracks are often deep underground with banks of steep escalators to get you up and down. At many stations there are often stairs to take you that final distance up to the street. Some tube stops have elevators, but don't think all do. This website might be helpful to find the stations with lifts to the street if you think that might be a problem. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/avoiding-stairs-tube-guide.pdf
The bus is great for scenic rides but you need to figure out how to read the bus signs. Emma, I think, wrote a great tutorial on this site, and the explanation is also in the RS book.
Of course the taxis are more expensive, especially if stalled in traffic, but I've never thought them outrageous. And when you're tired, wet, confused, lost, or about to miss the opening music of your play, they're worth every pound! London taxi drivers are often delightful to talk with. I would consider taxis a good investment in your mom's trip if they save her energy for more fun activities.
And Portobello Road market on Saturday morning is my favorite, but try to get there early, by 8:30 or so, because it gets really crowded. Plenty of cafes and coffee shops along the street for a rest. Hope my kids want to travel with me when I'm 81!

You are staying in a lovely area. I love Hyde Park and Bayswater. :)

Oyster cards are easy to buy. You can even get them at the tube station at Heathrow. Since you are staying a week, the travel card will save you money on transportation and you can have that put on the Oyster card. If you want to get the 2-4-1 travel card, you can't use the Oyster card - it's complicated, but it could be worth checking into, since it can save you money on entrance fees. Check that out first, though. Some sights aren't included, others a free anyway.

It can be rainy at any time in London. There is no way of knowing, even a few days in advance.

Taxis are in my opinion expensive in London these days, but fortunately you are unlikely to need one, and even if you do it is split between the two of you. They have been out again today clogging up the streets protesting against the competition from licensed minicabs, Uber in particular (as well as unlicensed operators and 'rickshaws') .

Southern England in particular has had a prolonged dry spell starting towards the end of August with only brief periods of rain. This is currently predicted to last another 10 days or so but after that is outside of the models.

1. You cannot buy an oyster at every station, nearly all you can "top" one up. I suggest just getting it at Heathrow on your way in, use a credit card, when you leave you then can get back the deposit for the cards and any balance...otherwise the process is a pain. The travelcard mentioned is something to consider, those I believe you need to buy at a National Rail station
2. Not taken many taxis, but you may find them handy for shorter trips, or from a tube station to your Hotel or other destination.
3. Portobello on Saturday by far is the best, smaller on a couple other days. Camden Market plus others adjacent is also very active, good on a Sunday.
4. Seems in Central London not a great many pubs right on the river. A bit downriver from the tower is the Town of Ramsgate pub, up river in Southwark, not far from the Globe, is The Anchor, because of the flood walls maybe not a great river view (river is down lower) but they do have a Gazebo or garden area you can take your pint for a better view and of course the skyline is very nice..
5. With London, one can never tell, but in several trips scattered among the months, it seems there is always the chance, but usually only intermediate showers....don't recall any all day downpours

Thank you all so much for your advice! So helpful! I attempted to buy a visitor Oyster card online this morning but I am too late. It won't be mailed to me in time. So, I will go with a regular Oyster card. It seems like you can buy regular cards at many places - even newsstands. Please tell me if that is incorrect! We are nearby the Bayswater and Queensway stations. I believe I can purchase cards there. I know I can go to Victoria or Picadilly station because there are TIC there. I was just hoping that there would be something closer to our flat.

"It seems like you can buy regular cards at many places - even newsstands" - You can't buy them at newstands, but you can top them up their. Your best bet is to get one at Heathrow tube station when you arrive.
Newsagents where you can top up Oyster Cards have a sticker in the window (same size sticker as the ones which say they accept credit cards). You just walk in and say "can I have 20 pounds on my Oyster card please".

I forgot to include this in my last post...our flight doesn't get in until 21:30. The offices at Heathrow are closed by that point. :-(

You can get regular Oyster cards at the Oyster Ticket Stops in local shops - what you can't get are the discounted ones that need photocards.

Ticket office at Heathrow Central is open to 23:30 - may be different at other terminals though.

I forgot to include this in my last post...our flight doesn't get in until 21:30. The offices at Heathrow are closed by that point. :-(

What offices are you talking about?

I usually take a flight from the U.S. that arrives at LHR at 10pm. I've always found the manned ticket window at the Heathrow tube stop in T-1-2-3 to be open. According to TFL, the window at T 1-2-3 is open until at least 23:15
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUHRC/heathrow-terminals-1-2-3-underground-station?lineId=piccadilly

I'd check to see which terminal you are arriving at and check the hours for that terminal.

Also, there are automated machines just adjacent to the staffed ticket counter where you could pick up an Oyster card. Really, you can! Remember that there are tourists EVERYWHERE in London. I found a very fun "we're in this together" attitude. If I faltered at something I just couldn't quite sort out, someone very lovely always, always helped me. Mind you, I didn't expect concierge service from strangers, but a quick "this way up" was always forthcoming. One time I stood in front of Boots on a Sunday, really early waiting for it to open. A passing local said "Not till noon." I had forgotten it was Sunday! I said thank you for the reminder, we exchanged smiles and I went on my way. I don't think he broke stride!

eilis614,

i agree with the mobility issues. sometimes there are a lot of stairs/ramps to use just to get to the platforms. Then if you do any transfers, there will be more stairs/ramps and such.

I love using the tube system, but i dont have any mobility issues, yet.

if you dont get any rain at all, just feel lucky.

happy trails.

Hi ellis,
there are some nice older pubs in the tower area heading further out towards Canary Wharf. In order going from the tower are:
1. Town of Ramsgate (you can walk down the slippery steps to the river and find old clay pipes every time. Not recommended if you are 81 though!)
2. The Captain Kidd ("Captain Kidd is a converted warehouse pub, situated very close to the site of the Execution Dock where Kidd was hung for piracy and murder.")
3. The Prospect of Whitby (a contender for oldest riverside pub at 1520 - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prospect_of_Whitby)
4. The Grapes ( now owned by Gandalf himself Sir Ian Mckellen http://www.thegrapes.co.uk/)

All these can be checked on Google maps to see if they are near enough to the Tower for you.

They also make a great pub crawl :-)

Steve.

Outstanding information! Many thanks again! We leave a week from today. Can't believe it is here already!

Sadly for you the long settled and mild spell of weather is finally coming to an end this weekend. But you weren't coming for that ....

Welcome to the neighbourhood! Bayswater is lovely, and you're in a fab location for Hyde Park, the West End (including Oxford St and along to the theatres,) and you have a choice of tube stations to take you anywhere easily in London. (I am of course ever so slightly biased as I live here!)

All three of your closest tube stations will have at least one staircase to navigate. Queensway and Lancaster Gate each are served by a lift, but then have about 26 stairs down to the platform level. Bayswater also has a 26 step staircase from the ticket hall to the platform.

If I were travelling with my 81 year old mum, I'd take the Heathrow Connect (follow the signs for the Heathrow Express) for £10 each. It goes right into Paddington and is completely step free. At Paddington, I'd go to the National Rail ticket office (not the underground) and buy a weekly travelcard each as so to take advantage of the two for one free admission offers (you can also pick up a 2 for 1 booklet at the office). I'd then take a quick taxi to the flat or walk it if she's up for it.

Instead of going east from the Tower, you might want to head back towards Westminster. The Blackfriars is a lovely beautiful gorgeous pub located funnily enough at Blackfriars. For something a bit different, the Tattershall Castle is a permanently moored pub boat on the Embankment. If the weather is nice, you can sit on the deck and admire the view of the London Eye and Big Ben. On the south side of the river, the Founders Arms also has an outstanding view of St Pauls and it's near the Millenium Bridge and the Tate Modern.

As you're in the neighbourhood, go to Portobello Market on Saturday morning. Go about 9ish as it gets uncomfortably busy later on. The tube to Ladbroke Grove would put you in the middle of it, the tube to Notting Hill Gate puts you a short walk from the top of the hill to walk down, or you could take either the 7, or 23 buses from the corner of Queensway and Westbourne Grove and they'll take you to about the middle. For a very pretty gin palace of a pub, go into the Elgin located on the corner of Westbourne Park Road and Ladbroke Grove.

If you need groceries for your flat, there is a Marks & Spencer located inside the Whitely's shopping centre, and a Waitrose on Porchester Terrace. You also have a couple of small Sainsbury's located on Queensway as convenience stores.

Grainger & Co on Westbourne Grove do a lovely brunchy breakfast, but it's very popular and there will be a queue outside unless you're quick. Other good restos nearby include Ottolenghi and Bumpkin.

a couple of points:-

"1. Can I buy Oyster cards at any tube station?"

Not always "any" but at most at the moment. There are machines at the biggest stations as well as windows the other side of which is a very helpful member of staff. The mayor of London wants to shutter all those helpful ticket windows but that has not happened yet.

"2. I plan on taking the tube or a bus as much as possible. If I need to take a taxi, are they really outrageously expensive?"

They aren't cheap but I find them reasonable for what you get - a very direct and as quick as possible A to B ride. DO NOT hail a minicab (private hire) and never get into an unlicensed minicab. If you flag down (hail) a cab make sure it is an official "black cab". They can be different colours to black but have one of just a few very distinctive shapes and signage.

"5. Is it rainy in mid-October?"

It might be. It certainly will be this weekend but that's only the first of October.

You just never know. Best to always be prepared with an umbrella and waterproof of some sort.
February was the wettest winter in history. The summer has been very dry. There is a decent sized storm coming this weekend with autumnal weather coming a month late for the first time this year.

By the middle of the month - who knows? I work outside in and around London. When I get up in the morning I stick my finger out the window. If it comes back wet its raining. If it comes back dry it might rain.

Hi Eilis,

I got my Oyster card at the airport, just like the guys and galls above suggested. The earlier the better, in my experience, there are always long-ish queues at the ticket booths during the day. The hotel I booked was also near the Bayswater station and I managed to get just about everywhere on foot -it was much more fun, too! Only used the tube in the evenings; as it was mid-November and a bit chilly for walking around. Of the markets, I enjoyed Camden most. Since I only stayed for a couple of days, I didn't get to eat out that much, but I would definitely recommend Windsor Castle and Kings Head, which will both be near you and have great food. As for the weather, I only got a 10-minute drizzle during my whole stay.

Have a safe trip and have fun! :-)

I can't get over how helpful everyone has been! Right down to which supermarkets are nearby! Just wonderful! We are staying on Inverness Terrace. I have also heard that there is a Tesco nearby. And I wasn't aware that Lancaster Gate may be nearby so that helps! I am going to use Google Maps to plot out the suggestions for pubs, Portobello and Camden markets, and all the other great ideas! And the weather tip was priceless! Sounds exactly like something my Da would have said! I now feel like I can handle being the "Tour Guide" for this adventure! Thanks to all!

Enjoy your trip. Sounds like you are ready to go.

I'll add another vote for visiting The Blackfriar Pub. An absolutely gorgeous art deco gem. The chicken and mushroom pie. Tasty. Located literally across the street from the Blackfriar station and the difference in architecture is one reason why I love London. Very old. Very new. And it somehow works. If you need a taxi please use a traditional black cab. One of the best ways to hear about London is to enjoy a conversation with a cabbie. Very knowledgeable. Very professional. Personable. As noted you are in a neighborhood well served by public transport. Besides the 3 tube stations both Bayswater and Westbourne Grove Roads a major bus routes.

If you seek a lovely traditional pub to enjoy in your neighborhood, the Daniel Gooch is a pleasant respite. Don't know where you are on Inverness Terrace but if you head toward the Red Oak Station you'll find the pub just before Porchester Square. Discovered this spot last November. Gorgeous interior! Each of the two times I visited both in late afternoon, found the place quiet with older locals, men and women, seated on the red leather couches enjoying their pints and the fireplace. There was a sweet couple in their 90's who would have some sherry. Could tell they'd been coming there for years. You'd feel comfortable there. I did.

If not on your to do list I would consider adding the Sir John C. Ritblatt room (the Treasure Room) at the British Library. http://www.bl.uk/whatson/permgall/treasures/ Truly amazing. The library is a pleasant spot to enjoy a nosh as well. King's Library restaurant should not be missed.

If you get your Oyster cards at a manned window at a tube station be sure to get a couple of the small pocket sized tube maps that are usually on the counter. Invaluable.

Lastly, don't be nervous about being a tour guide. You'll do fine. Simply remember you are on vacation. Don't rush. Linger. Pause. Breathe. Bon Voyage!