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I must be, I've spent most of the morning trying to work out the best way to travel around London with my wife and child next month.
Travelcards for various zones, on or off peak, children traveling free (how long has that been true, I paid last time), visitor oyster cards which is the most confusing thing ever, then delivery costs, but buying online doesn't appear to be any cheaper than buying from a station so why buy in advance, then the most confusing bit of all, some travel cards are out of stock, but can be bought at stations or at a partner website.
Don't they just print the things off and impregnate the magnetic strip thing with the details of what you've bought?
An hour and a half of reading various websites and making various calculations later I have no tickets for traveling around London and a headache.
So, people who understand how the big city works better than this confused village idiot;
If you were going to that there London with your wife and 8 yo daughter on a Monday (arriving into Euston around lunchtime), stopping in a hotel in zone 4, taking in a show in the west end that evening, going back into the city for touristy stuff after breakfast on the Tuesday before heading home from Euston that evening.
What would you buy and how?
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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I feel your pain. There is nothing more I hate than going into London. We went to Hyde Park for a concert recently. We drove to Clapham Junction got the train to London and then the Tube to Knightsbridge. The Lady at the Train Station made me feel like a foreigner, getting the tube map out and pointing to Knightsbridge, saying it slowly several times.
My only advise is don't worry too much about the price, concentrate on doing the least stressful journeys even if it means getting a cab for some journeys. I'd much rather pay more than deal with all the hustle and bustle.
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When we went to the play-off final IO completely ignored the day, left everything up to everyone else, it was wonderful.
My brother bought the train tickets and picked me up in the morning (the only thing I knew was what time he was picking me up), drove to my mum and dad's walked to the train station. Got into London and followed my dad to somewhere for breakfast, followed him to a tube where he bought travelcards for all, followed him onto a tube and then off again in Harrow, followed him to the pub my brother had agreed to meet people in (including the bloke who had sorted out the match tickets). Drank and then followed the crowd to Wembley. After the match followed my dad back to the tube, then to Euston, then let him buy me dinner. Got back to my mum and dad's house then drove my brothers car home cos he'd stopped down in London drinking.
Wonderfully stress free day out.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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Our trip was totally unplanned. We just drove in the direction of London with the plan at stopping somewhere near (that turned out to be Clapham) and winging it from there. It was relatively stress-free, but even walking down the streets in London gets me stressed. Both my Brothers live there and I for the of me don't understand how they do it.
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Just wondering your profile says American, but from your tone & screen name I'm guessing Portsmouth...
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The default location if you don't specify it when you sign up is the USA - hence all the Americans with Indian names! 
Since PompeyBoy was going through a phase of being banned about on a daily basis, he didn't spend much time setting the account up!
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Have a guess how many single journeys will be involved, but I'd go for two Oysters and the child goes free, or travel cards bought on the day at the underground.
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That was the bit I was trying to work out.
We did a similar thing in January, except we went to the O2 rather than the West End.
Arrived, tube to the fire of London monument as my daughter had been studying it at school and wanted to see it, tube to Westminster, walked around a bit, tube to the hotel (Premier Inn Docklands), tube to the show, tube back to the hotel. Next morning after breakfast tube to natural history museum, tube to Westminster, on the London Eye, walked around a bit, tube back to Euston.
I'd expect it would be a similar pattern this time, different things to look at though.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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A car.
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Undoubtedly the worst way of getting around London for a couple of days.
A boat might not be a bad shout though.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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If you aren't in a hurry, much of central London is surprisingly walkable.
(All those parks around her maj's gaffe)
TfL also run a river boat service that is worth a go.
Leave the underground to the Morlocks 
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Got caught in a hailstorm in St James' Park last time, that meant I then had to buy the wife some dry jeans. Hoping for at least warmer, if not drier weather in August.
Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.
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Next time have her empty all the ice out of her pockets before it melts. 
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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I was going to suggest a motorbike, but getting the wife and kid on one as well is problematic in England.
Have you considered Boris Bikes? (Don't know if they do anything for kid carrying though)
London public transport always used to annoy me. Incomprehensible rules and ticket pricing, dirty, slow, and full of obnoxious drunks. 
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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We will often drive into London when we go at the weekends. That is because Mrs Wife's office has parking what we can use and it is a relatively easy and not too busy area to access for us from Saff of the river.
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Taxi from Euston to hotel - no messing. Black Cabs are the world's best despite all the crap you read on the BBC about them. Then two travel cards zones 1-4 for the days you travel. Will cover overground, underground, buses, DLR etc. (Not boats).
And enjoy your time in the world's best City!
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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Rob Philpott wrote: enjoy your time in the world's best City
No, no he is going to London...
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. --- George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952)
Those who fail to clear history are doomed to explain it. --- OriginalGriff (February 24, 1959 – ∞)
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Tempting though it is to have a swipe at - where is it your from again, that place where they all talk funny and nothing ever happens - I won't.
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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Rob Philpott wrote: And enjoy your time in the world's best City!
Paris?
Alberto Brandolini: The amount of energy necessary to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it.
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PARIS?!
Compose yourself man!
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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Paris is way better than London:
0. The Food
1. The Buildings
2. The Womenfolk
3. The ability to actually get around, cheaply.
4. Their adverts are way sexier than ours.
5. The Womenfolk.
And lets not forget, it's in Europe!
Alberto Brandolini: The amount of energy necessary to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it.
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I call selection bias on the sources here, but even reading the the article, this is telling:
"Paris is full of tourists! Literally, it's the most visited city in the world. "
Of course it is, it's a much better city than London. I mean look at all the great empires that have existed: Roman, Byzantine (OK Roman++), Persian, and more recently the French and the British. All have managed to leave cities with great architecture. The problem is the British Empire did this in Deli, and a few Wren Churches aren't going to balance the magnificence of the two world-class cathedrals in Paris, let alone the other architecture they have.
Alberto Brandolini: The amount of energy necessary to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it.
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Keith Barrow wrote: Of course it is, it's a much better city than London
And you base this on two Cathedrals? What a one-dimensional outlook you have. I sense there is not going to be agreement here. Architecture - Next time you travel to your favourite city I invite you to compare the magnificence of St. Pancras vs. the shed they've got at the other end.
Good for baguettes mind you.
Regards,
Rob Philpott.
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