Christmas Shopping on Oxford Street and Regent Street with a Wheelchair, Scooter or Pushchair

Oxford Street and Regent Street are at their best in the run-up to Christmas, with the lights, the windows and the big department stores all in one walk. They are also long, busy and hard on tired legs. With a wheelchair, mobility scooter or a good pushchair, and a bit of planning, the whole family can enjoy it. Here is our guide, from a shop that sits just behind Marble Arch, at the western end of Oxford Street.

The route: Marble Arch to Piccadilly Circus

Oxford Street runs for about a mile and a half from Marble Arch in the west to Tottenham Court Road in the east. Halfway along, at Oxford Circus, Regent Street curves south for under a mile to Piccadilly Circus. A good festive loop is:

1. Marble Arch to Selfridges (about 5 minutes). Start at the quieter western end.
2. Selfridges to Oxford Circus, past John Lewis and the flagship stores.
3. Down Regent Street to Hamleys, Liberty (just off Regent Street on Great Marlborough Street) and Carnaby Street.
4. Finish at Piccadilly Circus, or detour along New Bond Street for its own lights.

The pavements are wide and flat, with dropped kerbs at the main crossings, but they get very crowded. A lightweight scooter or a compact wheelchair is easier to steer through crowds than a large model.

Which stations are step-free?

• Bond Street and Tottenham Court Road have step-free access from street to platform, including the Elizabeth line. They are the best stations for Oxford Street.
• Oxford Circus, Marble Arch and Piccadilly Circus are not step-free. Avoid them with a wheelchair, scooter or pushchair.
• Buses along Oxford Street and Regent Street all have a ramp and a wheelchair space, and London's black cabs are wheelchair accessible.

Step-free access can change because of lift works, so check the TfL journey planner on the day.

Toilets and breaks

The big department stores are your friends. Selfridges and John Lewis on Oxford Street both have accessible toilets and baby changing, and John Lewis is listed as having a Changing Places toilet. Check the Changing Places map before you go, as facilities and opening hours can change. The stores are also warm, step-free places to stop, eat and charge your phone.

When to go

• Weekday mornings are by far the quietest. December Saturdays, especially the last two before Christmas, are extremely busy.
• The lights usually go on in early November and stay on into January. They come on in the late afternoon, so a 3pm start gives you shopping in daylight and lights on the way home.
• Wrap up. Sitting still in a wheelchair or on a scooter is colder than walking. Bring a blanket, gloves and a hat, and a rain cover for pushchairs.

Battery range and scooters

A full day on Oxford Street and Regent Street is usually 3 to 5 miles of riding with all the stops. Even our lightweight 7.5-mile scooter covers that comfortably, and our longer-range scooters and electric wheelchairs go much further. Cold weather can shorten battery range a little, so start fully charged. We hand over every scooter and power chair fully charged and show you the controls before you leave.

How to hire from us

• Collect from our shop at 19 Connaught Street, W2 2AY, a short walk from Marble Arch and the start of Oxford Street. Open 7 days, with extended hours in December.
• Or have it delivered to your hotel, Airbnb or home in Central London, often within the hour, and collected when you are done.
• Wheelchairs, mobility scooters, electric wheelchairs, strollers and Wonderfold wagons, plus rain covers and ponchos.

We are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but we can deliver before and collect afterwards, leaving it with your hotel's concierge desk.

Browse mobility aids · Browse strollers and baby equipment · WhatsApp us on +44 7880 152221

Visiting Hyde Park Winter Wonderland too? Read our Winter Wonderland access guide.