Calling Londoners! Day visit

[GrandmasNightie]

I have seen you wonderful London MNers help people before when they are planning a day trip - please can you help me?
I want to bring my dc down for the day next week - 14,8 and 4yr old. My budget is £150 (of which £40 is train plus underground) What would you recommend? What would you avoid? What is free? I realise this is a “how long is a piece of string” type question - I would like them to see Buckingham Palace, maybe Big Ben - is a river trip in our budget?
I have been to London a few times but don’t know it well. Will be coming into Euston if that makes a difference.
Thank you in advance

You can use your oyster on the river bus! Don’t get a proper tour bus as they are very s l o w!

Catch the bus from Euston down to teafqlgar square for starters - Buckingham palace is just down the mall, Big Ben/Westminster abbey and Downing Street is a walk down Whitehall (both run off Trafalgar Square). Maybe Covent Garden? The younger kids would like the transport museum and the older one a mooch around the market. Walk over the river to southbank maybe? Or up Fleet Street to St. Paul’s and over the millennium ridge to Tate Britain.

You don’t want to go shopping (shudder) do you?

Aw thank you! Nope definitely no shopping! When you say an Oyster card do I get that before I travel?

Yes you should get that so that you can travel - the children are free on the bus (the older one will need a zip card though to prove their age) and it’s half price on the tube for (10+ - best to check). I think they are £5 to buy the card then top up to pay for the fares (tap the card on the readers).

You can buy them in stations and some news agents so if you are coming into Euston that’s fine. Actually you can ask them to supply you with adult oyster card and a teenager card (best bring proof of age). Otherwise you can use your switch but the older child will be charged full price as it won’t recognise age.

Just use your contactless bank card on the tube/bus pads, same price as oyster and you don’t have to worry about getting an oyster

The older child won’t get a teenager price on the tube and will probably be charges for the bus (when it’s free).

Cross post with LordProf

We're here with an 11 year old and an 8 year old. We did the Tower of London yesterday - well worth it. Quick visit to Natural History Museum - could have spent longer. Today we've got the clipper boat from the London Eye down to Greenwich North, then got the Emirates cable car across the river - kids loved it! Could have stopped at the observatory but just came back on the DLR. Slightly regretting not having done the Shrek Experience but will save it for next time.

Science/Natural History/V&A museums all free.
British Museum, National Gallery National Portrait Gallery all free.

Speaking as a Tube worker, your 14 year old needs a child day ticket for the tube, but the younger kids don't. They are free. No need to buy an Oyster card for one day. NR travelcards often fail in Tube gates . Use your contactless card instead. Any questions, ask the customer service staff near the gates.

Taking a short bus ride is quite good too. Try the 9, or 11. www.tfl.gov.uk Cheaper than a bus tour and you see some of the sights.

Near to Euston are the Wellcome Collection and the British Library (Treasures Gallery) both of which have free exhibitions and very nice cafes.

Then hop on the Victoria line to green park. Cross the park to see Buckingham Palace. Walk along the mall through admiralty arch to Traf Sq. Takr photos with the lion statues and Nelson’s column. Walk along horseguards to Parliament sq (Big Ben is scaffolded st the moment so looks rubbish),

Riverboat (Thames Clipper, there are ticket machines by the boarding place) from Westminster pier to Bankside (By Globe). Have lunch. The Thames Clippers are much cheaper than touristy river tours, and with a guide book you can work out what you are looking at.

Tate Modern (and viewing deck) if you like, or over Millennium Bridge to St. Paul’s.

Oh thank you all! The tube is included in our train price so don’t need to factor that in. So rather than get an oyster I can just use my contactless card? Ok going to sound thick now but the train ticket covers underground and regular buses so what do I need the oyster for? The river bus? Kids really want to go on the river!
Nix how much was the cable car? I would love to do that!

Cross post with more! You lot are fucking great and the reason I am too lazy to google a million websites when I knew MN would come up trumps!

Big Ben is covered in scaffolding at the moment, you can't see a thing

And parliament green is full of protestors!

Oops forgot about Big Ben - scratch that then!

I think you can still see the clock face!

Another stupid question - will we see it on a river trip? Think that would be enough for the dc. Going to concentrate on the museums.

Yes, pretty much any river trip will take you near or past the Houses of Parliament.

I was on a boat not long ago and Parliament just looks disappointing at the moment.

There are free tickets for the London Eye available with some Kellogg’s packets at the moment

Come out of Euston station and cross road- pick up bus 73, will take you all the way down to Victoria ( passing down Tottenham Court Road/oxford street/Marble Arch)
Get off at stop for Buckingham palace (ask driver) get back on bus after to Victoria station and pick up rte 24 which goes past Houses of Parliament /Big Ben and horse guards parade ( you could get off here and pick up a riverboat too if you wish, or visit London dungeon/aquarium/millennium wheel ) or stay on bus up to Trafalgar Square.
At Trafalgar Square pick up rte 15 -takes you past St. Paul’s!!
All for roughly £1.50 per bus per person :-)
There will be loads to see/stop on/off on way that takes your fancy.
make sure your train and tube ticket is a family travel card covering all London zones and that will solve the issue for paying for travel.all national rail stations will assist on family travelcard price :-) hth

Btw you won’t need oyster/contactless card if you ask for that travelcard at your home station.
@lordprof children that do not live in London cannot get a “zip” child oystercard- it has to be signed up to with passports/birth certs and London address.
11-15 year olds are entitled to free travel on buses only -with a valid child ticket(think paper travelcard etc at child price) once 16 years of age they require an adult ticket.
On tubes 11-15 year olds get half rate but then also need a paper ticket.
You must have 1 contactless card per person, you are not able to touch 1 contactless card for however many in your party( each person requires a card)

Have they done the science/nat history museums before? They are a bit further out, so if you are planning to do the river etc, it is a lot to fit in.

If they want to see the main sights, they are pretty much walkable. Parliament Square is quite lively at the moment, your 14 year old might find it interesting to spot the areas that are on the news?

Agree, the Thames Clipper is the best way to do the River. You can go down to Tower Bridge. St Paul's is worth a quick look, cross the Millennium Bridge, pop into the Tate - just looking inside the building is great, and you're right next to the Globe too.

Yes the travel card we get will include train, underground and buses (not the tour guide buses)
Kids haven’t been to any museums down there - 8yr old would love to visit 1/some. I am writing an itinerary following all your advice so thank you all so much!
Going to look for Kellogg’s boxes for London Eye - on a £150 budget (minus £40 for travel) take a pack up and snacks we should be able to do river boat and maybe something else?

Thank you all again! You have been so helpful - the dc will be so excited - they have no idea I am planning this

Check here for tower bridge opening times - I still like to watch it

Also if you do go for a paid attraction then you can get 2for1 on lots of places via your train ticket see days out website