4 days in London with teenage girls

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

I've managed to book us a few nights in London over the summer. I love London but I normally just go shopping when I'm there, with a token visit to an art gallery to pretend I've been a culture vulture.

Has anybody got any good ideas for what we can do? It's dp and I and two teenage girls.

Likes - art and museums / eating out / walking / maybe a show but I dread to think how much it would cost
Dislikes - touristy stuff like Madame Tussaud's.

DD1 and I like shopping; dp and dd2 hate it.

We've done the Eye before and whilst we loved it, we probably wouldn't bother again.

We're staying in Greenwich, so I guess a boat trip might be a possibility?

Any ideas for things we might not have thought about would be really appreciated. Thanks. :)

[EldonAve]

www.tkts.co.uk/tkts-leicester-square/ sells half price tickets on the day

[VivaLeBeaver]

Imperial war museum is very good.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Brilliant. Thank you.

Any more ideas please? Dp claims to hate London and I am determined to prove how wrong he is!

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Ooh yes - have been meaning to go to the IWM for ages and never got there. Is there enough to hold the interest of teenagers?

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Hopeful bump...

[VivaLeBeaver]

I think there's enough there for them yes. DD is 10 and thought it was good. You're not far from the Tate Modern either.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Will probably do the Tate Modern although tbh I prefer The 'proper' Tate and haven't been there for years. Thank you.

[ohmeohmy]

For a treat for afternoon tea or lunch the portrait restaurant at the national portrait gallery is very nice, looks out over trafalgar square and the rooftops to Parliament. Take a look at the Southbank, loads of good stuff on there over the summer, Underbelly festival might suit your kids.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Thank you. Will google the festival now.

[NonnoMum]

Don't underestimate just wondering around... Trafalgar Square, then onto Covent Garden. Wandering along the Thames etc etc.

Shows that appeal to teenagers (IMHO): War Horse, Legally Blonde, Blood Brothers, Wicked - and plenty of others...

Have a great time!

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Thank you. We will deffo do lots of wandering and we're not afraid of walking a lot!

Unfortunately I can't STAND Blood Brothers, so that one is not a possibility! I fancy Priscilla but the tickets are fiendishly expensive.

[petitdonkey]

War Horse is meant to be amazing.
Go on a walking tour- there is a fab Jack The Ripper one around London .bridge.
Hire a bike and cycle around Buckingham Palace/Hyde Park.
Ripleys Museum is great fun for teens but you might class it as too touristy.
Markets at Greenwich or Camden.

For me, the most fun is wandering around Soho late at night, (by which I mean 9ish with teens)- I can tell you of a great coffee shop which sells ice cream crafted to look like Spag Bol!! My teenage nieces loved it and, coming from a small town, were amazed by the sheer volume of people out late at night.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Yes to weird icecream shop please. :) Yes to Camden.

Is it easy enought o get back to Greenwich if we hang around Soho for the evening?

[petitdonkey]

they do a Harry Potter walk too

[petitdonkey]

think this might be it- cafe Ciao I've been there often but don't know the name! If youre in Leicester Square, it's essentially behind the capital FM building on Charing Cross Road. It also means you have to break the travellers rule of 'never eat in a place that has pictures on the menu'

I'm fairly certain you can take an overground from Charing Cross to Lewisham then change onto DLR. shouldn't take more than 30 mins. Check the TFL website where you will also find the cheapest option for travel cards. I'm not sure you pay for under 16s.

[VivaLeBeaver]

To get back to Greenwich you can get overland train direct from charring cross to Greenwich. No need to change. There about every thirty mins, maybe more often than that.

[dottygamekeeper]

Walk all the way along the South Bank from London Eye (lots of street entertainers), past Royal Festival Hall - often free music in the foyer/bar bit, and great view from the restaurant, carry on past lots of skateboarders and interesting graffiti, keep walking past The Globe, the Mayors Office (not sure what the building is called but sometimes entertainer in the open air theatre type thing near this) by HMS Belfast/Tower Bridge, Tate Modern (great view from top floor restaurant), Hays Galleria is nice for a quick wander, Design Museum etc. Greenwich Park and the National Maritime Museum are good - great view from up by the Royal Observatory (good for picnic in nice weather). Loads of boat trips from Greenwich Pier up to Royal Festival Hall/London Eye pier (usually stopping at Tower of London). London Duck Tours (Second World War vehicle/lorry that converts to a boat and goes into the river).

If going to Camden Lock, take canal boat trip along Regents Canal past the zoo and up to Little Venice.

Nice areas to shop/explore with small interesting shops inc Primrose Hill - also good view from top of hill; Marylebone High Street.

Open air theatre in Regents Park & boating on the lake there.

Imperial War Museum - great for teenagers esp if they have been doing WW1 and WW2.
V& A - great section on theatre costumes & design, also the fashion sections

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

brilliant. Thanks for all these.

Is the V&A costume bit open again now? It was closed last time we went.

[ChessPiece]

How about going into Buckingham Palace? I think there are 18 State rooms to see, the Queen's art gallery, and the Royal mews with the horses, PLUS the dress and shoes and earrings (Kate's) if that floats your boat.

Does cost a fair whack but the tickets last over a whole year so you can do return visits. We hope to get there this summer.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Thanks Chess - as complete anti-royalists (other than my soft spot for Prince Charles!) we probably won't go for that one but we do like to go and see if there are any nice police dogs outside!

[DilysPrice]

Can I just second absolutely all of dotty's suggestions (apart from Primrose Hill, never been). She's saved me a lot of typing.

And all teenaged girls insist on going to Camden Market.

If they're into costume you should check out The Enchanted Palace at Kensington Palace - not been myself but looks a bit special for teenaged girls.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

The Enchanted Palace thing does look interesting. Has anybody actually been or know anybody who has?

I love Marylebone High Street. Other than the Oxfam book shop, how can I sell it to dp?

[ilovedplaydays]

I have just booked tickets for War Horse - I have heard its fantastic. After getting frustrated booking on the website I phoned the number and got through straightaway and was able to book 6 £15 tickets!

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Well done - I hope it's fab. You did really well to get tickets for that price.

The problem is, I'm not terribly fond of Michael M's books as I think they are rather irritatingly 'worthy' and I didn't particularly like 'War Horse' as a book. I am horribly fussy though, so do ignore me!

We might wait and see if anything is available at the ticket place in Leicester Square when we get there.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Btw Dilys - Primrose Hill is lovely, though I haven't been for about twenty years so it may well have changed since then!