Help me plan my day trip to London

[BigRedBoat]

Main purpose of the trip is to go to the natural History Museum but looking for suggestions of the best way to get around, where to have lunch and any other things to fit in if we have time. Me, my mum 4 year old dd and baby dd (with pram). Arriving into Waterloo mid morning (weekday), leaving from Victoria around 3.30. I was thinking it might be easier to walk to the museum from the nearest underground with step free access to avoid taking the pram on the escalator but not sure if it's a bit far?

I can't manage all day with a sling and carrying all the stuff we need so the pram is an essential.

This is really negative, but...just wait until they're a bit bigger! Unless your DD is a real museum fan. The NHM is not as fun for little kids as it's made out to be! There are so many other better places to go in London. Wait until they're 8 and 4 or something and have a lovely (buggy free) day!

I use a wheelchair. The nearest tube station with step free access onto the train would be Earls Court which is a long walk from NHM (journey planner says 25 mins) There may be a closer station that is step free to the platform though.

It's a very long walk from Waterloo to the Natural History Museum, and the Tube is not very pram-friendly.
Would funds run to a taxi or Uber to save time and hassle?
I'd suggest you download a free Tube map app, which will give you a route planner, also CityMapper which will show you all the ways to do the journey, with times and prices.

The South Ken museums all have cafes, and places to eat packed lunhes, and there are places to eat on the pedestrian concourse between South Ken tube and the museums.
The is a Carluccio's and a big Pret a Manger just across the road from the Tube station, too.
I recall a nice cafe in the part of the Nat Hist that used to be the Geological Museum [worth a visit to ride up the long escalator and try out the fake earthquake]

My daughter was at Imperial College and we regularly go to exhibs at the V&A. A fave lunch venue of ours is a short walk away, fairly spacious and not usually busy, but a bit more spendy:
www.mkbarandgrill.co.uk/

I hope you all have a wonderful day and lots of fun

You won't have time to do anything else other than the NHM and lunch.

The tube for the museum is South Kensignton but it's a good 15 minute walk. from there. Go to Embankment on the Jubilee and then South Ken on the district/circle. Or walk across the river to Embankment.

Go to Kensington High St for lunch. You could possibly just about squeeze in a trip to the Princess Diana Fountain in Kensington Gardens.

There are also some nice places for lunch in Victoria these days (but not much else).

I actually agree with NuffSaid. Why don't you stick to the South Bank instead - London Eye, Aquarium etc?

With two adults, I don't think taking a pushchair on the tube is a problem, to be honest.

(I use to take mine on the escalator all the time...)

Southbank is much more fun than NHM.

You've got the Southbank centre, which always has some free activity or other going on. The street entertainers. Loads of food places. The aquarium and the wheel which are pricey, but good fun. There is a nice playground. You can go on the river on a boat. You've got the key landmarks to point out. There is always something going on a fair/market/urban beach/festival.

4 year old is massively into dinosaurs, space and volcanos at the moment so thought the natural history museum would be right up her alley and I'm trying to fit in nice weekday day trips before she starts school in September and we're limited to weekends and holidays. Baby is only 4 months so doesn't care where she goes 😆

25 mins from Earl's Court sounds doable but might try the pram on the escalator, I'm just worried about blocking it for people trying to walk up and annoying everyone!

I've downloaded a tube map that says step free access from waterloo and at westminster where we can change to the district or circle lines for South Kensington so it should only be one escalator.

South bank sounds fun, might do that on a weekend with DH

Science museum for Space and that's right next door to NHM. They also have a play area in the basement which is quite nice.

Would it be feasible for you to take just your 4 year old? Could be a nice day for just the two of you?

South Kensington only has stairs up from the platforms then escalators, massive pain when the station is really busy.

Shouldn't be too bad mid-week and mid-morning, though.

I wouldn't worry about using the pram on the escalators. Just give way to obviously rushing people, then position it as far on the right as you can – unless you've got a massive Silver Cross or something, people will be able to get past on the left. In my pram days (happily over), I found people very helpful with offering to lift it for you. You might get a random tutter, but just ignore them.

I agree that you'll be hard pushed to do much else then the NHM and lunch, but you could go to Kensington Gardens if you'd like fresh air after the museum.

In my experience peolple always help, South Ken is your best bet, but it is best to get out at the station rather than take the underpass. We went regularly when my DC were little, often with a double buggy, if it isn't half term or holidays it should be fine. Escalators and prams are actually quite easy. Brindisa near south Ken is nice for a tapas type lunch, museum Cafes are a bit rubbish, although I do like the V&A one because of the ceiling the food is not great. Have fun.

I wouldn't take the pushchair... I'd take reins and a baby carrier

Quick hop on the tube then to the museum which has plenty of places to sit down if needed, I'd take a picnic as you can picnic in museums or use museums cafe and I would expect to spend most of your time in the garden (younger area) of science museum if it's still open.

No point going further with the time you have really

You can get 52 bus from Victoria.
Don't worry about push chair unless it is a mahoosive pram.

Mid morning? 10.30?

Given that you are leaving at 3.30pm you will be hard pushed to fit anything other than the museum and it's cafe into your day. The time you need to transit from station to museum both ends with time to spare so you don't miss your train will be the best part of an hour gone.

Have you booked your trains? Is there anyway you can extend the time in London?

Don't want to put you on a downer but you don't have much time at all

ajandjjmum my mum is my only childcare and I've already invited her so would feel a bit rude saying actually can you stay home with the baby but if it goes well I might do that another time.

crow2018 that's really useful to know thank you.

If you have time, I would look into using the buses - you get to see a lot more.

Thanks everyone, I hadn't considered the bus as assumed it would be too much hassle if there's already a pushchair on there or a wheelchair user needs the space, pram is a bugaboo Fox so not tiny and we're still using the carrycot so it doesn't fold that small.

I think we won't plan anything else but will keep Kensington gardens in mind if the museum is a flop. I don't really want to extend our day as the train to/from home is nearly 2 hours.

My mum did actually live in London for about 20 years so will get her opinion too but thanks for all the tips.

I live in London and have taken all my DC in buggies to the Natural History Museum. I don't get to preoccupied about step free access and have just used the escalator with the OH standing below. If you dont feel able to do that go to the next local one which I think is Earls Court and walk. It is all pretty easy to get to. You can eat in the museum or take a packed lunch on the day and have it in there. Its a great museum and the time goes past very quickly.

The NHM is really not much fun for a 4 year old imo. There is stuff to look at behind glass panels/cordons, so not an interactive experience at all. The written information is quite detailed and not very child friendly.
Have you thought about the science museum instead? It is much more child oriented ime. Space and volcano/earthquake stuff, plus a play type area with mini hands on experiments that they can run around in. Plus yhere’s An IMAX cinema.

I would also say the Science Museum would be better, but check before you go because they charge for some of the exhibits inside and the cafes are not cheap either. We go there less than we did because of this tbh.

My DS loved both museums and we spent 4hrs in the NHM there when he was 31/2! He loved the moving dinosaurs. Your not far from the science museum however I know my DS preferred the one with the dinosaurs