London has a fantastic public transportation system, but it wasn't built for wheeled transport. While the turnstiles have a special wheelchair and pushcart (stroller) entrance manned by station agents, one is immediately confronted with sets of stairs to the trains. Trains arrive at stations and open doors that are a foot above or below the platform. A voice comes over the PA to remind you to "Please, mind the gap between the platform and the train" as you enter or exit the station. At any station, travelers must go up and down several flights of stairs to get out.

Several stations are listed as wheelchair accessible, but one has to wonder how accessible that is. We were in the Covent Garden station and were excited to find an elevator to take us to the platform. Once off the lift, we still had to go down another long flight of stairs to the train. Sheesh!

We illustrate the joys of journeying around with Suraya and her stroller during our trip via the Tube to the British Museum.

Left, we start at the Ealing Broadway stop on the Central Underground Line with these stairs to the ticket booth. Right, stairs to the platform for the train.

Then we "mind the gap" to get the stroller on the train.

Left, we find this imposing flight of stairs going up from the platform. This leads to the following massive escalator, right. We can barely squeeze the stroller on sideways.

Photos by Suna Gurol and Jim Jeffreys