Bringing an 8 month old to London?

The One Doctor

Hi all,

We're going to a wedding in London in August and our little girl will be a bouncy 8 month old by them. We're wondering about what to bring and how to get around with a toddler, has anyone any tips on what's useful and what's not? We're newbies to all this stuff and it's a bit intimidating!

Thanks!

Pawwed Rig

We are doing the same and have opted to drive so we can bring everything .
You will obviously bring the buggy but most hotels will provide a cot of some sort. Bring a few toys etc. Anything you are short of you can get when there.

BeardySi

Ask me in July, we're bringing over our wee girl who'll be 9 months by then...

We did pick up a more compact buggy the our Quinny in a second hand sale to make it a bit less bother to get around. Flying flybe so we can bring 2 out of buggy/car seat/travel cot for free which is useful.

pwurple

I didn't bother with a buggy in london with a baby, but it depends on what you're up to. I found the sling way more useful as loads of the tube stations had no buggy access at all.

Only advice I'd give is to avoid rush hour on public transport with children. Otherwise you should be grand.

unichick

We went on hols to Portugal when our little girl was 9 months. Sterilising bags from boots if bottle feeding, stroller, snooze shade were all invaluable.

supersheeps

Heading to London with our 7month old at the weekend so if I've any dos/don'ts I'll report back. We're bringing a buggy & a sling, going to be a juggling game with luggage!

supersheeps

Ok. The buggy was a terrible idea. After carrying it up & down a few tube stops, we admitted defeat & brought it back to the hotel. The sling was great, no problems with stairs or crowds, and she was high up so could see around her. We just brought enough nappies for the flight, then bought nappies, wipes, food pouches & calpol sachets (drooling teething baby!) in the supermarket. It was really warm & humid so not much clothes needed. The hotel provided a cot, which was a huge help. I would suggest bringing a travel high chair/booster seat thing, some of the chairs in restaurants were too big or didn't have harnesses, which was awkward. I was surprised that some cafes didn't have changing facilities, almost take it for granted here!
Overall, we had a great time, people were so helpful & accommodating when they saw the baby and she spent a lot of time flirting with tube passengers!

carrieblack

supersheeps wrote: »

Ok. The buggy was a terrible idea. After carrying it up & down a few tube stops, we admitted defeat & brought it back to the hotel. The sling was great, no problems with stairs or crowds, and she was high up so could see around her. We just brought enough nappies for the flight, then bought nappies, wipes, food pouches & calpol sachets (drooling teething baby!) in the supermarket. It was really warm & humid so not much clothes needed. The hotel provided a cot, which was a huge help. I would suggest bringing a travel high chair/booster seat thing, some of the chairs in restaurants were too big or didn't have harnesses, which was awkward. I was surprised that some cafes didn't have changing facilities, almost take it for granted here!
Overall, we had a great time, people were so helpful & accommodating when they saw the baby and she spent a lot of time flirting with tube passengers!

The buggy and the london tube never again!

pwurple

supersheeps wrote: »

Ok. The buggy was a terrible idea!

Yeah, thought you would find that alright. Depends what you are doing... If you are visiting rellies and never have to get on public transport then you'd be grand, but I never see locals with buggies on a tube. It just doesn't work.

BoJack Horseman

Is it possible to do 1/2 days in London with a bambino & just carry on luggage?

What was the luggage demands for short trips?

(We are thinking of 1/2 nights in London in September when himself will be 1 yr old)

supersheeps

That's how we did it, carry on luggage & a changing bag. We brought a few changes of clothes for herself & bought all the essentials over there, nappies, wipes & food pouches for 2 1/2 days came to about £10. Didn't even use all of them. We brought some small toys in the changing bag & barely used them. She eats a mix of puree & finger food so she mainly ate bits of what we were having. I'm not sure if bottle feeding would add much extra bulk as I just stuck to breastfeeding for the convenience while travelling. We had paid extra for baby equipment but didn't even use it as the buggy went into the plane on the tarmac and she stayed in the sling for the journey.