I will need to take public transport at some point, more likely if it rains, I know, but I'll try to use it as little as possible, I also have a stroller for my daughter, and we are walkers anyway.... thanks for the advice though :-)

Sorry, but where you plan to stay, you will need to use public transport more than you think. Plus w/ all the uneven pavements, your poor daughter will hate you and the stroller after a bit.

Look at what attractions you want to see and check the distance from your flat. Would give you an indication of how much public transport you'll need. I'm in agreement with janisj. Cost of public transport may be high but day(s) passes made it economical for us.

For a good indicator of how long it will take you to get from say point A to point B, try this site. I've found it very helpful. www.walkit.com. Like others, I think you will need to use public transportation more than you think. I am a walker, but it's impossible to get to/ from many of London's attraction by foot. Time allowance is an important factor also.

If you are absolutely determined to walk rather than use public transport you should at least try to make sure you are based north of the river.

I agree, if you are so set against public transport you need to be in an area convenient to at least a few major simples. That depends a LOT on which sites you most want to see.

V&A, the parks, buckingham palace, then maybe in south Kensington or Belgravia. British museum, British library, Covent garden - then in Bloomsbury/Russell square . . . And so forth. What sites are your musts? If they aren't near each other and near where you are staying, then you will definitely need quite a bit of public transport.

Thank you historytraveler, that is a great app! I will use it for sure in my long walks :-)
My son is fan of Doctor Who and I will definitely need to use public transportation to get to that store as well as to the attractions that are farther away....in this case, is it better to get the "hop-on-hop-off" bus? If I can use the subway the least and get to see the city that would be best!
Thank you all for your great advise :-)
Viri

The hop-on, hop-off bus is expensive for what you get. Just use the Transport for London website - www.tfl.gov.uk - to plan your journeys via bus and the Tube.

Lee Ann

The H-o-H-o bus is not transportation - it is a circular tour and not only expensive, but EXTREMELY inefficient to get you from place to place.

Just accept that you will be using buses and/or the tube several all times every day.

(Sorry about the 'autocorrect' typos in my earlier posts - one I'll point out is >>. . . an area convenient to at least a few major sights. . . .<<)

Look at the bus map in the TfL visitors' guide:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/maps/visitors-and-tourists

Every bus stop will have a diagram map showing where the buses go from there, and (at major interchange points in central London) from other stops in the area. Many stops also have an indicator board showing when the next buses are due, information which is also available by SMS or smartphone app.

Wow! Great advice! In my notes already.Thank you all.Another question, sorry for the nagging: any info in the cost of taxis? This is probably too general but for example in NYC going from Times Square to Little Italy (little over 3 miles) costs about $20 :-)
Again thank you very much!
Viri

Hard to say what a taxi will cost you - depends on how busy it is on the roads. If you're stuck in traffic with the meter running, you'll pay more.

Have a look at www.citymapper.com to compare the various transport options, how long they take and how much they cost. If you have internet on your phone in London, put this app on it. It will tell you it takes 9 minutes and 15 pounds to take a taxi from Southwark to the British Museum. But in rush hour it could easily be double the time, and much more expensive.

No telling, for the same ride (in this case St Katherine's Marina to Kings Cross) I once paid £10 and the other time nearly £25 when it was extremely congested.

But do take a taxi at least once or twice - kids think the jump seats and the vehicles in general are fun.