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

keep it simple! I had friends over from the states and I took them up to London Bridge, saw the shard, walked along the river, saw tower bridge, saw the globe, london eye and St Pauls, headed up to the Tate Britain viewing gallery (free) then wandered up to big ben and you can get a boat from the embankment or wander up to downing street or up to trafalgar square. Transport museum is good as its in covent garden ....Natural History/Science is a tube ride away.... enjoy!

Is Buckingham Palace, Natural History Museum, the Eye and a ride on the river realistic or not?

Oooh good timing OP, I'm going to piggy back on this thread as I'm flying back to UK on Thursday with DSs (7&5) for Easter.

Next Tuesday we're going to head straight for NHM (which DS1 loved when we took him for his 4th birthday), and was then planning on heading to London Eye and then a riverboat cruise.

Does anyone know what bus we can get from NHM to South Bank and the most scenic route to take? Or to any bridge that we can walk over to get to London Eye? I'm a Londoner but used to work on Fleet Street and walked from Waterloo, so my London bus knowledge is pretty limited.

I think we're probably only going to manage those three attractions as I expect both DSs will be exhausted but we don't have buses here so they'll be apoplectic with joy at riding a double decker if they get the chance.

Awww, its so nice to come back to London as a tourist, I can't wait!

Piggy back away Stroke I am clueless as fuck! Got an unexpected bonus from work and know my younger 2 are desperate to go to London (the 14yr old will moan all the time but secretly love it) I just want to maximise what we do whilst at the same time not doing so much that it’s not enjoyable!
Hope you have a great time!

Congrats on your work bonus Grandmas, very wise to spend on a London trip, it's such a brilliant city! I can't wait to get back, I've not spent longer than 5 days in the UK for about 3 years but I have to go into my London office for meetings on Monday so am looking forward to an easy one day commute.

My kids are absolutely besides themselves with excitement - planes, trains and automobiles - we live on a very small Caribbean island so they will be very easily pleased with car journeys longer than 15 minutes and cool weather.

Last year DH took DS1 to Scotland for Easter and I got 17 photos whatsapped to me of DS1 grinning like a fool and giving the thumbs up from the front of a double decker bus on the way into Edinburgh...

Trying to contribute things previous posters haven't.

Would highly recommend you download an app called Citymapper - it provides live transport information (inc of a tube line is off), so for example if you are in Trafalgar Square and want to go to the natural
History museum it will show you the beat route and where to go.

Another excellent museum (personal my favourite) is the Museum of London which is free. It's next to St Paul's Cathedral which is also great to see.

Natural history museum gets incredibly busy and sometimes you can only progress around it slowly because of the crowds so aim to get there as early as possible then your other agenda items you can take more leisurely!

When the kids are older if you come again I'd recommend going to the globe theatre, it's only £5 a ticket to stand and a special experience.

Sorry so many typos... tired baby brain.

The best route*

Seconding the Citymapper app and the Thames Clipper boat which is moderately priced and a fun way to see London from the river.

I think you’d have a job seeing the sights and also doing the Nat Hist in the same day tbh. I’d concentrate on sightseeing.

We’re heading to London for a few days next week so watching this thread with interest- some great tips!

Get the 2 for 1 booklet from your local train station. Loads of 2 for 1 (and other deals) in it - you just have to show your train ticket. Make sure it is the London booklet though. On the Euston line there is probably a booklet for Birmingham/Midlands too. Don't get the wrong one.
The 4 year old will get very tired. Unless they are a very grown up 4 year old I would seriously recommend taking a very basic umbrella style buggy. If you need to stock up on drinks and snacks for the journey home don't wait until Euston Station - the Whsmith etc there are very very expensive. There are Tesco Metro /Sainsburys Local everywhere so I would pop in there if you need anything.
Don't forget the 4 year old needs to get a cheap toy London Bus!! Because then she/he can proudly say "I went on a real one" - and if you are from a town that has no double decker buses then it's even more of a "wow" moment for 4 year olds.

Book a ticket for skygarden! It’s a bar/ viewing platform/ London’s highest garden at the top of a City skyscraper and you get fabulous 360 degree views, best of all it’s free! [https://skygarden.london/sky-garden-home] hope the link works!

If you collect tesco clubcard points you can exchange them for vouchers to book the London Eye.

If you're starting early I say start at Greenwich Cutty Sark, go on the clipper (its a muesum and a ship although not free) or go and see the National Martime museum which is fab and free and right in the fabulous park. Greenwich pier is literally right near the clipper. Take the boat to either Tower pier (you come out near tower bridge close to the tower of London, it also goes past 'traitors gate' or go onto Westminister pier

If coming out of Westminister pier see Big Ben and Westminister Abbey then walk up Horseguards parade to tralfalgar square Nelsons column etc can see the national art gallery if you want... then jump on a bus to piccadilly and green park (or walk through the mall from trafalgar)

Walk through green park to Buckingham Palace then make your way to hyde park corner walk through the Wellington Arch and grab a bus going past harrods to exhibition road where you can see the Natural History, Science or Victoria and Albert you'll probably only manage one...then walk up exhibition road towards hyde park again, and grab an outside look at the Royal Albert Hall.

@grandmas, your iterinary is ambitious just because of the distance from buck palace to natural history museum and back. The natural history museum is rammed at Easter and slow moving as another op said.
If your going to go though, do it first maybe? Change onto Victoria line at Euston to Victoria - then 2 stops to Gloucester Road on circle line, then 10 min walk.it takes roughly 30 mins from Euston to museum.
Go from natural history museum 5 stops back on circle line to Westminster - again with the walk back to station probably 30 mins back to London eye.
Westminster you pick up a riverboat.
Do that then come back to Westminster.find bus stop for rte 24 to Victoria and get off Victoria stn ( 10-15 mins) and walk up to Buckingham palace.
After go back to Victoria for your train to Euston ( 10 mins)
I think if it was me, even with older kids you will be knackered by time get you get back after river boat !! As another op said I’d take a fold up buggy for 4 year old and I’d download Citymapper app.
As you exit Euston station main entrance there is a Sainsbury’s express store on your right tucked back a little( grab your refreshments there)
HTH:-)

If you go to the NHM and the queues at the main entrance on Cromwell are (Life Galleries) are massive, then go round the corner to the Earth Galleries’ entrance on Exhibition Rd (the old Geological Museum). The two museums now link up, and you can walk through one to the other. The Earth Galleries entrance is usually far less busy.

Oh you are all brilliant! Thank you!
Spoken to 14yr old who says that ds (8) would prefer Science Museum to NH museum, also try to see changing of the guard. Am knocking the Eye on the head as too expensive this time but still want to try a river boat! Am I being more realistic?
4 yr old is nearly 5 and there isn’t enough money in the world to tempt him into a buggy —sadly—

Yes that’s all fine- do museum first though as could take up a fair chunk of your day- also it’s better to go to furthest place first and be back in locality for your trains home later.Then take suggested route for a river boat- then up to see a later changing of guard.

Agree with Thecrown3 Its quite a lot to do in a day. I live in London and do a lot of sight seeing with visitors but usually over the course of a few days. So really be clear what is on your top 3 to do list and plan from their.

@GrandmasNightie I also found when my brother used to come to stay with me when he was the age of your kids that he found the walking really tiring. I was used to it but I underestimated how much we were walking each day and he used to get exhausted even though he was always into sport and active. So jump on buses when you can.

Science museum queues are definitely shorter. We went to the Powered Up exhibition on Saturday, and there wasn't a queue at all at 11am. The museum is free, despite the fact you have to go through an entrance thing which asks for donations.

I always think the museum cafes are quite pricey, so wouldn't bother with those if you're on a budget. Don't try and do the whole thing, with your ages, you can pretty much stick to Space etc.

The Clipper will give you a good view of the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's, Tower Bridge, Tower of London etc. Go to the Tower and back up to Westminster.

That will leave you with Buck Palace, and they may also be interested in Downing Street etc? All fairly walkable.

Have you done your trip yet op?

@Thecrown3 - going next week. Dc very excited! Thanks all for suggestions and tips.
Current plan is Changing of the Guard then Science Museum and see how we feel after that.

I did London on my own for the first time last month and bought the all day card. Which meant as I was walking along the road and a bus came by,i jumped on! Headed to Fleet street and managed to ride the bus to St Pauls and again later past Downing street. Buses were pretty empty and this was a Saturday. Going again tomorrow with eleven year old and he wants to visit Hamleys and then we have Les mis to watch (he hasn't been to London). Have fun OP!

Found this website really useful for the changing of the guard changing-guard.com/visit-with-children.html Be warned though - there are lots of little things that happen rather than it being one single event. If you scroll to the bottom of the page it explains a slightly different event that you might like.

Cable car was £1.70 per child, £3.40 per adult (single trip).

Just wanted to say thank you all for your advice and suggestions! We had the best day. Didn’t get down in time for changing of the guard so went straight to Science Museum - which the kids loved! Then got the river boat from parliament down to Canary Wharf and back again - think that was the kids highlight! Then went to Trafalgar Square and saw the street entertainers. A long day but a brilliant one - the dc did amazing with so much walking. Got home 830 last night to see on the news about all the protests etc it had clearly passed me by and nothing seemed busier than I would have expected. We assumed armed police in the tube stations was a normality for London?
Dc bloody loved it and we are already planning our next trip.
Oh, and whenever I wasn’t sure where I was going etc everyone I asked were the most helpful and friendly people!