Website showing London tube stations and elevators/escalators/stairs?

[bottomfeeder]

I'm going to be spending a couple of days in London after my transatlantic cruise this spring, and will likely travel from Southampton to my London hotel via train/tube. I'm aware that maintenance and repairs happen unexpectedly sometimes, but I'm wondering if anyone knows of a website I can go to in order to tell which stations in London normally have elevators or escalators rather than stairs--because I'll be lugging lots of luggage!

 

And, I'll need to get to Heathrow via tube for my flight home so will want to avoid stairs on that journey.

 

My hotel is close to Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Holborn, but Covent Garden is the closest station, so those are the ones I'm particularly interested in.

 

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[dogs4fun]

I'm going to be spending a couple of days in London after my transatlantic cruise this spring, and will likely travel from Southampton to my London hotel via train/tube. I'm aware that maintenance and repairs happen unexpectedly sometimes, but I'm wondering if anyone knows of a website I can go to in order to tell which stations in London normally have elevators or escalators rather than stairs--because I'll be lugging lots of luggage!

 

And, I'll need to get to Heathrow via tube for my flight home so will want to avoid stairs on that journey.

 

My hotel is close to Charing Cross, Leicester Square, Holborn, but Covent Garden is the closest station, so those are the ones I'm particularly interested in.

 

Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

Here is the link to the tube map that shows the accessibility of stations:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/step-free-tube-guide-map.pdf

The stations marked with a green circle & "A" are the most accessible.

jill

[Cotswold Eagle]

Transport for London is the official website. It is very comprehensive and has the information you are asking about.

 

This page is a good place to start for accessibility issues, and the accessible tube maps are good to carry around (print off or pick up at a station when you are here). http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/transportaccessibility/1169.aspx

Step-free map http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/avoiding-stairs-tube-guide.pdf

 

The live travel news page gives information about planned and unplanned closures and engineering work, as will the Journey Planner. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/realtime/tube/default.html

 

Covent Garden is a very deep tube station - the only access is via lifts (elevators), but there is also a short-ish flight of stairs at the bottom to get to the platform. You can look up individual stations on the TfL website too - here's the Covent Garden page - http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/stations/1000056.aspx

[Cotswold Eagle]

Here's the flight of stairs from the bottom of the lifts to the platform level at Covent Garden http://www.directenquiries.com/images/LUPhotos.New/90/Photos/2007-12-10-42597.jpg

 

That website has a useful section on stations, with photos of routes, but it's not especially user friendly, IMO. You can select a tube station from the list, then click the 'Access Information' tab. http://www.directenquiries.com/londonunderground.aspx?tab=Underground+Stations&level=3

[bottomfeeder]

Thanks so much! I found the tube maps on that official site but clearly wasn't looking close enough because I hadn't found the accessibility info.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Thanks so much! I found the tube maps on that official site but clearly wasn't looking close enough because I hadn't found the accessibility info.

 

No problem - do come back with specific questions about particular stations or routes, as you'll probably find someone here with firsthand knowledge. Stations will be shown as not step free when they only have a few stairs like the ones at Covent Garden, which you might be able to manage.

 

By the way, Covent Garden can get hellish busy - it's a very popular area and quite a small station with narrow passageways. Where's your hotel? One of the other stations you mention might be better. Or to be honest, grab a cab from Waterloo when you come in from Southampton, it's not far.

 

You didn't mention which Terminal at Heathrow, but access via tube is pretty easy at them all.

 

Your query prompted me to click through to the Direct Enquiries site and I found it has an incredible amount of information, with photos, so that will be really useful for answering similar questions in future. Everyone's a winner today :)

[RJHNorthyorks]

I hate Coventry garden tube station. We usually walk from Trafalgar Square which is a relatively short walk

[bottomfeeder]

Well I ended up booking a different hotel. This one is right near the Gloucester Rd. station, and depending how I am doing with my luggage I could choose to get off at Earl's Court instead (which is step-free) and walk about 1/2 mile or so to the hotel instead of using Gloucester Rd. Or get a taxi, I suppose.

 

Looking at the photos though, I think I'll be okay. Thanks again!