We are traveling in June (Covid permitting) with a party of 4. My wife uses a walker for balance issues and if long walks are in board, my grandson (18) sometimes uses a wheelchair.
We will be there a week. I'm wondering whether it would be better to use a London pass or stick to taxicabs. The tube would work when my grandson isn't using a wheelchair and buses would be no problem. He used a wheelchair when we were in Washington several years ago and we used only cabs there.
Any suggestions?
If you go to the London Underground website...
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/tube/
You can look at any station and see if it offers step free access.
However, sometimes finding the lift can be difficult in a big station and may mean a long walk. Or, they may be out of order. And, there can be large crowds in the stations.
Plus, there is the infamous, "Mind the Gap" announcement because not all station platforms and train cars are flush. There may be a gap or even a height difference.
Not all taxis can handle a wheelchair being used. Folded, yes, used, not necessarily.
My suggestion is to consider both. Do your research and decide which journeys are best for each type of travel.
Remember, with a regular Oyster Card, used on pubic transport, any money left over can be refunded.
I'm wondering if the price of a taxi, which normally is the same for four passengers as for one, would come close to four Oyster cards?
Ditto what Frank said. Many tube stations do not have step free access and would be difficult for those with walkers and wheelchairs. The link is to the tube map that shows wheelchair accessible stations.
Tube fare is pretty cheap - you can google fare calculators to work out what it will cost for particular journeys, but it’s usually just a few pounds and there are daily caps. Unless the taxi journey is very short, a taxi, especially multiple taxis in one day, will be more. However I still think it’s probably your best option.
A couple years ago I spent several months on crutches due to a serious injury. Something I learned during that time was that if I wanted to take the Tube, it was best to avoid peak times. Off-peak was fine, but at peak times the train cars can get really crowded, and I was honestly shocked how apathetic people seemed to be to a woman balancing on crutches. Very rarely did anyone offer me a seat, and I was routinely buffeted around as people crammed into the car. I can’t imagine even attempting to fit a wheelchair onto a train during rush hour, it simply wouldn’t be possible. So that’s something to keep in mind if you do try the Tube - morning or evening commute times, or prime time for heading to a night out on the weekends or to sporting matches and the like, are not the times to try it! Having moved here from a city where the metro is an absolute shambles (DC), I love the Tube overall, but it was a nightmare when I had mobility issues.
I think accessibility is sadly an area where London really could and should improve a lot. On the bright side, lots of cabbies are very chatty - look at those rides as an opportunity to talk to locals with a unique perspective on the city.
Also - I think you’ll have better luck with black cabs than with Ubers, because of the way the interiors of black cabs are set up to be more spacious. Particularly the van cabs will be good for when your grandson is using his wheelchair. Ubers tend to be a bit cheaper but I like to support the local cabs and they are generally much better about knowing the quickest route somewhere. I use the app Gett if I’m somewhere where I can’t just hail a black cab on the street - it allows you to order a black cab on demand much like the Uber app. There is a surcharge as compared to just hailing one on the street though.
Buses can be a bit of an adventure with a wheelchair - the ramp extends from under the middle door, unattended but with plenty of noise. Not every driver is good about - or always has the room to - line up the edge of the bus with the edge of the kerb. And doesn't always extend the ramp without prompting, either joining or leaving the bus. And then there are the pushchairs which should fold down but users often "forget". The walker could be fun too. Does she have one with 4 feet or 2 feet and 2 wheels? Or does she have the tricycle kind, perhaps with a seat?
All real taxis - black cabs in London - are required to be able accomodate wheelchairs but not all wheelchairs are alike as I'm sure you know. I hope the walker folds up? Don't expect much from mini-cabs and I lump the ubers and other brands in with that. The only minicabs I would reliably want to use with a wheelchair is Addison-Lee.
Sounds as if we'll have to skip the tube, as much as I've enjoyed it in the past. The grandson won't need a wheelchair unless we wind up with longer walks, which a taxi would probably eliminate. My wife has a walker that folds.
I suspect buses would work when my grandson doesn't use a wheelchair, so that gives us another option.
Thanks for those who have provided insights.
My two cents - is that if her walker doesn't have a seat, to invest in one. A couple years ago I took my mom who is disabled to London and that seat was a lifesaver for her. Bonus is that you can get the bag that attaches to under the seat for a little extra storage.
We used the tube and buses and the only thing that was difficult was rush hour. I saw the same true for passengers in wheelchairs. We managed to work around stops that didn't have elevators pretty easily.
She has one with a seat, but it is too bulky for travel. She can stand with no real problem, but has balance issues.
Thanks
I think you are approaching the problem from the wrong angle. It is not a case of A or B and once you have used the tube you are commited to that mode of transport and is not allowed to take a taxi.
It depends. Use whatever makes sense for where you are going at the moment. For one journey it might be a bus, for another the tube and for a third a taxi.
