Easiest way for a non-walker to get to Greenwich Observatory?

A cab is the best option i'd say. The walk to the observatory from the Cutty Sark is up hill and super steep for the last part, even breaking it up might be tough. Maybe get the Uber smartphone app, or call a local cab company. Type "cutty sark cabs" into Google and pick the one you like, ask for a price before you book it. At a total guess, i'd think the fare might be £10. You can stand on the Meridian Line for free, just in front of the Observatory outside the gated area, if you don't want to pay the £9.50 each to get in.

We did the Observatory last year and as a relatively in shape person who likes to walk her dog almost every day - mostly flatter areas tho - the steep walk up to the observatory was breathtaking (and not in a good way). If taxis go up, that would be your best bet.

We enjoyed the Observatory - the audio tour was interesting and I think we spent about an hour there, judging from the times on my photos. Also, if you can, go in and see the painted chapel - it was gorgeous!

http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2009/12/10/painted-hall-greenwich-london/

2nd on the taxi - there's always loads of legit cabs around Greenwich station and the pier, but make sure you have a number of a minicab company to pick you up again after unless the walk down is manageable (look on Google Maps' street view to see how steep the paths are).
Possible alternative - take the train out from London Bridge station to Blackheath - the walk is about twice as far but it's pretty well dead level all the way to the Wolfe statue. Plus the heath and the top end of the park are pretty nice places to go for a gentle walk.
Another alternative - the 386 goes up to the heath along the park wall. Get on over the road from the station, in front of the college (stop L, I think it is), then its 5-6 stops to the top followed by a stroll through the top of the park to the ROG. When you go back, simply catch a bus across the road from where you got off.

Thanks, everyone! :-)

Emma, we do have Oyster cards already (left over from the last trip -- I knew I'd be back! :-D ), and plan to use them whenever possible. I have checked the TFL website for the trip planner, which was very helpful. If I'm reading it correctly, it looked as if the closest bus stop was the 53 (on Charlton Way, on the Blackheath side), and then you still have to walk up Blackheath Avenue to the Observatory.

Aiken, I checked out the 386 bus map as well (https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/386/), and it appears that the 386 stops close to the 53 bus stop, so it would still mean walking up Blackheath Ave.

Just to clarify, are taxis/minicabs permitted to drive through the park, right to the Observatory? If so, that would probably be our best bet, I think!

Have you considered renting a mobility scooter while in London? There are several mobility scooter hire firms that will deliver to and pick up from hotels. The Transport for London (www.tfl.gov.uk) and VisitLondon websites have quite a lot of information for people with mobility challenges.

Well, he's not quite THAT mobility-challenged (thank goodness!) ... and trust me, he would NEVER agree to using a scooter :-/ My secret plan is to see if I can get him to start walking more between now and October to build up his stamina -- maybe that'll help! :-D

It's rather a touchy situation, as I'm a super-fast walker who can stride along happily forever, so in that respect we're rather sadly mismatched :-( It's hard slowing down to what feels like (to me) a snail's pace ... sigh ...

Hi

two other sites that may help you make an informed decision are as follows:

Access - visit Greenwich
and
Disabled Go

I'm able-bodied, and visited the Observatory in early September last year. The walk from the DLR stop at Cutty Sark is about 10 mins or so for an able-bodied person, and the latter third is uphill, fairly steeply, if you approach it via the shortest route. Approaching in a roundabout way, circling round to its 'rear', is less steep, but longer.

It's helpful to understand that "downtown Greenwich" is not the middle of nowhere. There is plenty of urban traffic and pedestrians and businesses. You should have no trouble getting a cab. If you look at the museum's web site, you will see that they have a set-down spot near the museum for busses, and disabled car owners can book a parking space at the museum in advance. That makes it clear that your cab will be able to drive to the museum at the top of the hill.

Thank you, Tim -- I kind of assumed that would be the case, but I've learned to err on the side of "never assume" when it comes to traveling :-D

Correct, the buses drop off outside the park wall or on the heath a short distance away. Blackheath Avenue is inside the park, & acts as the access road / car park for the top end of the park and ROG. The 53's no good to you anyway as that goes nowhere near the train station. Taxi's could drop you off right down by Wolfe so they'd definitely be the better option.

I had another thought - it's been well over a decade since I worked there and a lot has changed in that time. It might be that this scenario has been provided for now, so I would advise calling the museum and asking if there are provisions for getting people with restricted mobility up to the ROG. It won't hurt to ask and if so, just walk from the pier to the museum and use that facility.
Also be aware that though the co-branding has completed, the Museum and Observatory are physically separate entities - the NMM is the big building at the bottom of the hill, the Observatory is at the top. The bottom of the hill is the hustle and bustle of Greenwich proper with tons of buses & taxis, the top is the park and heath with little of either. So I would still recommend having a cab number handy for your pick-up after your visit; there may be taxis waiting up there but better prepared than not.

Anyone going by car to the ROG or NMM: the museum's public parking, including disabled bays, is in half of what used to be the staff car park by the east wing and is very limited. There are other car parks near the NMM (within 5-10 minutes walk) but they are all pretty small as well. However, there's loads of parking on Blackheath Ave in the top end of the park & it's not too expensive, just be aware of the 4hr max stay; you could do either site in that time but unlikely both.

Thanks, everyone, for the helpful suggestions! :-) I'm feeling much better about this now!