I've read the various posts regarding strollers in London and basically that you're barking if you want to take one any larger than the smallest umbrella stroller on a bus or on the Tube.

But what about day-trips? We're currently planning trips to Hever Castle/Chartwell (from London Bridge), Leeds Castle (Waterloo East), Oxford (Paddington -- we'll have to squeeze the stroller on the Tube), and Hampton Court Palace (Waterloo). Do the National Rail train services to those sites provide more room or storage at one end of a car so we can fold up the stroller and store it for the trip?

And we'll be going "against traffic" on weekdays -- leaving from our rental flat near Waterloo and traveling against the direction of the rush hour crowds piling into London.

Thanks yet again (this has to be the 4th question I've posted in the last month).

There is, to my knowledge, no such thing as National rail. There are many train companies in England departing from from different stations within London. If , that is what I think you mean, yes, you can take a stroller on the train should it fold up.

for national rail, it varies by train dramatically. some have very small spaces at the ends and very long narrow aisles. others have large doors that open up into quite large open spaces lined with fold-up seats.

on london buses, the drivers are often quite strict about buggies on the buses. many will all but refuse entry in many cases (even when not very crowded. they don't want to be bothered so they will just tell you to take the next one rather than try to serve you by providing a solution...what it comes down to is that they don't want to wait while you fold it, etc...and large buggies won't work for this. i've witnessed this many, many times and it's pretty poor.

we all know what national rail means so it's ok....i use it when i mean the trains in a generic sense. i don't know why roger sounds so confused.

you do not need to fold it on 'national rail' as roger implies. in fact most do not from my observations.

National rail was the state owned and operated rail system from years past and I sure miss it. Today the rail system is comprised of several rail companies. I am not sure, but National rail is a separate company responsible for another part of the rail system. I do like and often use the trains, and will again in about 10 days from now.

I have seen rail personnel have fits with a stroller blocking an aisle What happens that on busy trains people fill up the space for luggage and then someone parks a stroller in front making exit and entry difficult.