London Break with kids

[andyfromotley]

Calling all you metropolitan types,

ok mid august, have booked cheap travelodge at covent garden for 2 nights (£100) return trains (£36 ALL IN !!!!!!!!) So what are your top tips for me, Mrs AFO and kids 8 and 4 to do??

We have booked lion king, wanted to do the eye but thought £42 was a bit steep. Big Museums look good but very hectic in summer hols?

ty ty ty in advance.

andy

 

[TVC]

The Tower Bridge Tour, spot on for all the family, especially the walk across the top between the towers. Not too expensive iirc.


And here's the link:
http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TBE/EN/

 

[vernon]

Calling all you metropolitan types,

ok mid august, have booked cheap travelodge at covent garden for 2 nights (£100) return trains (£36 ALL IN !!!!!!!!) So what are your top tips for me, Mrs AFO and kids 8 and 4 to do??

We have booked lion king, wanted to do the eye but thought £42 was a bit steep. Big Museums look good but very hectic in summer hols?

ty ty ty in advance.

andy

The buskers around Covent Garden are worth watching.

The Welcome Medical museum just along from Euston Station is worthwhile - it's not well known and is quiet.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are worth seeing and Buckingham Palace is a short walk away with a nearby park selling soft drinks and ice creams.

Tate Modern might not have stuff that appeals to them but they will be in awe of the size of the turbine hall.

Harrods confectionery section is mind blowing as are the prices of some of their exotic fruits.

 

[slowmotion]

If it's good weather, try a sightseeing trip by boat down the Thames to Greenwich. Once there, you can have a picnic in Greenwich Park and visit the National Maritime Museum. Great fun.

 

[TVC]

If it's good weather, try a sightseeing trip by boat down the Thames to Greenwich. Once there, you can have a picnic in Greenwich Park and visit the National Maritime Museum. Great fun.

I did that on Saturday, use the Thames Clipper service, it's cheaper, less queueing, and much less crowded than the sightseeing boats.

 

[TheDoctor]

Science Museum is worth a look too, and the price is right. It's not been particularly crowded the few times I've been there.

 

[wafflycat]

Natural History Museum
Science Museum
National Gallery
National Maritime Museum
Victoria & Albert Museum
Imperial War Museum

 

[Aperitif]

Kids Week?

The view of London's skyline from the 7th floor of Tate Modern is truly interesting - as is the view from one of our regular pull-in places Greenwich Park. A boat to the Thames Barrier is exciting Andy (us old gits on bikes use the Woolwich ferry as a substitute!), There are usually mime / buskers on the South bank adjacent to the Wheel...there is a DUKW - amphibious boat that trails around London then dips in the water - looks good fun but maybe expensive - don't know.
I always like Trafalgar Square - maybe take your children to Admiralty Arch to play 'find the nose', either walk to Parliament from there, and thence The Thames, or go the other way and nip into the national gallery and one of my favourites, The National Portrait Gallery. Vernon's idea of the welcome is good - I was surprised to see it.
There is what looks like a super children's playground - the adventure sort ,in Parliament Hill Fields (another ride route!) Great views 'downtown' too, café and a C2 bus gets you there, from Victoria, via Regent St etc.
Changing of the Guard is on odd days in August. Erm, what else...Go and see Bent Mikey teaching people how to skate in the shadow of The Albert Memorial!, Get ot Wellington Arch in the middle of Hyde Park Corner and see the sight of the departs for the FNRttC and the London Sunday Ride I think you can go upstairs in the Arch as well. Fabulous Australian soldier's memorial there, and there are often historically dressed soldiers with muskets, pretty drums etc. tooling around doing drill and posing for photos...all very civilised.

 

[laurence]

the London Wetland Centre (WWT) . lots of things to see and it's not like being in london. there's children's activities, such as pond dipping and the team who do them are very good. even if you know nothing about wildlife you'll be interested in the centre itself - take a guided tour and discover how it was converted from reservoirs and learn about the captive collection birds.

 

[slowmotion]

the London Wetland Centre (WWT) . lots of things to see and it's not like being in london. there's children's activities, such as pond dipping and the team who do them are very good. even if you know nothing about wildlife you'll be interested in the centre itself - take a guided tour and discover how it was converted from reservoirs and learn about the captive collection birds.

Good call! If you decide to go that way, the Kew Bridge Steam Museum is very close. It may be "in steam" on the day you visit. Jaw-dropping machines......



http://www.kbsm.org/events

 

[srw]

Get an oyster card and save a bundle on tube and bus fares.

 

[ChrisKH]

Difficult age 4, but lots of good suggestions already made.

Walk across the "wobbly" bridge at the Tate Modern.

Tower of London, but this is probably a bit much for the 4 year old.

A walk through St James's park to Buckingham Palace is nice.

Duck Tours come recommended but they're awfully expensive.

HMS Belfast is fun whatever your age.

If the kids like Pizza, I can recommend the Pizza Express near Southwark Cathedral, which is close to HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge and also a trip round the Golden Hind replica which is moored close to the cathedral next to Pickfords Wharf.

And if they get too much you can throw them in "The Clink" (original prison museum open in Clink Street).

Natural History Museum and/or science museum is a good day out. A day each if anything.

 

[swee'pea99]

The river trip to Greenwich is a great idea: the boat's great, it's a great walk up the hill, there's great views from the top and they can straddle the meridian, which impresses kids no end. Lots of places to eat too - and Greenwich itself is a nice villagey place to take a wander.

+1 also for the buskers and general bustle of Covent Garden - and don't miss the transport museum...they love going on all the old buses and trains, and there's a kind of quiz trail they can follow. If they still have any energy after that, take them to the BP portrait awards at the National Portrait Gallery, which is about 5 mins walk from Covent Garden - some stunning stuff that should give them 20 mins interest and a bit of 'quiet time'...then step outside, turn right and in two minutes you're in Trafalgar Square.

And if they're still not tired, you can walk down Northumberland Ave to the Embankment, then 5 mins along the river to pick up that boat to Greenwich. (As others have said, make sure you get the London Transport one, not the sightseeing one.)

 

[Maizie]

As you are arriving by train, check out http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/
LOTS of 2 for 1 offers for people who travel in to town by train. Note that for most of the offers, you need one voucher per two people - this is fine, you can print out as many as you like - but it catches people out (so you would need two vouchers, so each of the adults pay and you get the children free)

 

[Brains]

Re Greenwich:

As all have said, get here by Thames Clipper - It takes Oyster cards at a reduced rate, cash is for tourists
You can go back via the DLR, through the docklands the kids may be able to sit in the front and 'drive' the train (the driver is a computer)
At Weekends there is the very busy but compact craft market which also does a lot of interesting food
Also lots of kid friendly eating places and pubs (no Maccy D !)
On Sundays the Cafe Rouge is heaving with kids and familys
There is a very nice small cinema
National Maritime Meuseum (free) - You can probably do it in 30 mins, as most of it is closed of for a vast rebuilding program, but it's worth having a look at the main bit that is open
Old Royal Naval College (Now Greenwich Uni) (free)- Again can be done in 30 mins, get the photo, look at the Painted Hall, and first person to name 20 films where the site has been used as a set wins an ice creme
Up the hill to the Observitory, (free) facinating to adults, quite good for kids, get the photo with a leg in each hemesphere
There is also the odd Fan Meseum - not sure about the kids on that one, but it's a lot more interesting than it sounds
The Cutty Sark is closed until 2012