Couple of London Questions

[Scramble]

Heading into london for a couple of days with the kids. Setting off tomorrow.

We will be using the underground to get in, so wondering what the best options are for a couple of days probably 2 days then another 1 or 2 days with a breakin the middle.

On the list is the
Science Museum,
Tate Modern,
Natural History Museum,
British Museum

We will probably wander past the tower bridge, buckingham palce or what ever.

Any other ideas of places to visit cheap or free is good.

Any other tips for getting around, places to avoid, must sees or good cheap places to eat.

We are having a day at Lego land and a day at Thorpe Park so we might be exausted .

[BexieID]

London Transport Museum is good.
Madame Tussards & Rock Circus is ok.
London Eye is great.
London Dungeon is good too.

I used to live 20 mins drive from Legoland!

[chunkychips]

If kids young enough for a playground the Diana Memorial one is really good if you want to let them run round while you have a rest. Nearest tube station is queensway, there's a huge pirate ship, adventure playgroup, sandpit etc. was really impressed by it.

[BexieID]

No idea about cheap places to eat except McDs, KFC, Pizza Hut & Weatherspoons. The Trocadero is good too, althought the first time we went, we got lost trying to find our way out, lol.

[chunkychips]

It's in hyde park btw

[kneedeepinthedirtylaundry]

For free...

Some museums do activities for free on certain days during the holidays. Try their websites. I've heard of Easter Holiday activities/Story times at the National Portrait Gallery, Geffrye Museum, Ragged School Museum, National Maritime museum. Must be more, too.

A walk along the river from Tower Bridge to the London eye (south bank of river) is good. Can wonder into the Tate Modern to look at the large crack in the ground installation, see the reproduction of someone or other's ship that looks like a pirate ship, and end up at the london eye behind which there is a nice playground.

London parks ? hyde park, battersea park, corram fields, or further out, greenwich park, hampstead heath, richmond park - if the weather's good. Can take a packed lunch. (No cheap places to eat!)

City farms are usually free to get in. see:
www.london-footprints.co.uk/visitfarms.htm

Have fun!

[luvaduck]

yes national portrait gallery does stuff for kids - if they are older its really lovely too- great photos and portraits of famous people now as well as kings and queens
and the view over trafalgar square from the restaurant at the top is fab

[Scramble]

Is londo eye realy worth it?

£30 to go round a very slow ferris wheel

[Scramble]

Sorry thanks loads of good idea there.

I hope the weather is good enough for sandwiches in the park.

So whats it like getting around on the tube? Whats the best tcket option?

[Aimsmum]

Message withdrawn

[Scramble]

No I am driving down and stopping off at a campsite on the way. Then 5 nights near heathrow.

Don't know where to eat near there?

[Aimsmum]

Message withdrawn

[Scramble]

You have fun too .

[chunkychips]

if you sign up to the wagamama website you can get 2 for 1 vouchers (printable ones). Leon is a healthy fast food option, there's one on Carnaby St, just by Liberty and one in Spitalfields by the market. If you're around on Friday Borough Market is good (though not particularly cheap unless you go for the free samples on offer!) followed by walk along the thames path.

[Scramble]

Oh I like a good market!

[luvaduck]

also a wagamamas on the south bank near waterloo - overlooking river
i love the eye, great ever changing views (also can walk along south bank to waterloo to reach it)

tube - prob daily travel card but ask helpful person at station and they should advise (might be worth getting any oyster)

[slim22]

Underground is good to get from A to B, however if you do not have time constraints please take the bus. Sit upstairs and enjoy the view.

The tourist bus is a rip off.

Here are some good routes for sightseing:

[crackinggoodegg]

Branch of Leon behind Tate Modern now too and Giraffe is very good for decent food and very kid friendly - branches all over, including Royal Festival Hall, near Aquarium and London Eye and all South Bank activities.

How old are your children?

Travel - get an Oyster card if you can and check out the offers:

www.tfl.gov.uk/microsites/oysteroffers/

[purpleduck]

We were at Legoland today - had a wondeful day. Don't expect to go on all the rides, you will drive yourself crazy - there are alot of little attractions -in addition to the rides that are enjoyable.

There are the street performers in Covent Garden -FREE, and generally geared toward children.

Have Fun

[slim22]

oops!

Yes do check tfl website for routes.
Oyster is a good way to travel at reasonnable prices. A day ticket might come cheaper if you are going to hop on and off buses which is a good way to see a lot.

I can't find my bus notes!

2 routes I remember as very convenient are:

74 running from Kensington and the museums (natural history and science) along kensington gardens/hyde park towards regent's park/baker street.

274 running from queensway/marble arch along hyde park and up all around regent's parks/the zoo all the way to primrose hill & camden.

If your kids are nearer the teenage years then Camden stalls should be a "cool" stop and lots of cheap eateries.

[Scramble]

Hi all, thats us back

Managed to cram loads in, when we got the tube into London I just got a £7 day ticket because I couldn't figure out he oyster thing and didn't know how many days we would be in London.

Went to the Science Museum, spent a full day in there. loads to see. Kids pack lunch bags wern't too expensive.

Spent the day of the London Marathon sightseeing in London, didn't know it was on but it added a bit of excitement for the kids and a bit of terror at one of the tube stations for me when downpour made everyone crowd into the station entrance and it all got a bit busy. But we got around and saw all the icons.

Day at thorpe park, great for DS but DD didn't have as much to go on but she loved it anyway, wished I had known there were loads of lockers as I left my lunch in the van as suggested by carpark attendent.

Legoland, wasn't feeling great and took a huff at the first queue, I was in a bad mood as I forgot to take any of the free child offers I had so had to pay for all of us. Decided in for a penny in for a pound and traipsed back up and forked out more for a queue bot. Much better not having to queue but my credit card will never recover. We all had kids pizza meals for lunch which was good enough value and I would never have finished an adult pizza plus I got a drink and arlic bread.

Decided to pay out even more money and got a Merlin card at legoland as we decided to go back into london the next day and go on the eye and to tussauds, so we have just about got our moneys worth on them already. Both were great and with the merlin pass you bypass all the queues, (I don't like queues much ).

So good trip really apart from not finding the campsites very easily both on the way there and back but that is another story [sigh].

[Lola234]

i would say go early and end late, london is very packed. you could take the kids to leon or pauls cafe for a great lunch healthy and so luxurious!
same price as starbucks and way better, and much fresher.
travel, go by tube its the quickest way and easiest.