London underground and DLR with baggage

[carlmm]

How difficult it is to travel with baggage on the London underground and other public transportation?

Are there lifts at all the stations?

Difficult to manage entrances and exits?

 

I will have two large suitcases and a piece of hand luggage, arriving at LCY and staying a couple of days in London before going to Southampton. I have used British trains before without problem.

[gumshoe958]

Many people do it, but with two large cases it won’t necessarily be easy. Some tube stations have lifts but many still don’t and involve at least some stairs. There isn’t any dedicated luggage space on the trains and all the stations have ticket barriers to negotiate (though there’s always at least one wide gate).

 

The DLR is easier - lifts everywhere and very few ticket barriers. LCY is really easy - the station is right outside the terminal which itself is small and very quick to navigate through.

 

If you tell us where in London you’re staying we can help plot a suitable route for you.

[Island2Dweller]

Getting on the DLR at City airport is simple.  Escalator or lift to the platform, no problem.  There is no ticket barrier so you have to specifically look for the oyster reader to "tap in" with your card or phone, the readers are too easy to miss. (Don't buy a paper ticket, that is always more expensive)

For the rest of your journey, tell us where you are headed.

[Globaliser]

4 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Some tube stations have lifts but many still don’t and involve at least some stairs.

 

TfL publishes a step-free Tube guide - it's not the easiest guide to use, but it's a valuable indicator of where there are lifts and escalators. But it does illustrate what's already been said: the viability of a Tube journey with lots of luggage depends critically on where you're going.

[carlmm]

Thank you all!

 

Currently I hold two options for hotels, one close to Kings Cross station, one close to Paddington station. 

[Globaliser]

I think that I would take a Stratford International train from London City Airport to West Ham, and change there to the Hammersmith and City Line to either Kings Cross St Pancras, or to Paddington.

 

Make sure you board the correct train at both points, even if you're heading in the correct direction. There will also be trains from London City Airport to Bank, and there will also be District Line trains from West Ham that will go around the bottom edge to Embankment and Victoria. Neither would present you with insoluble problems, but they'd probably be less straighforward journeys.

[gumshoe958]

Agreed - there are lifts at LCY, West Ham, King’s Cross and Paddington stations if you take that route. 

[carlmm]

Great information.

Thank you.