Does anybody know London and can help me?

[cloudyrainbow]

I'm taking my 6yo to London on Monday - there are a few things I want to do but I don't know the best order to do them in and can't work out timings etc. So stressful! Everything needs booking because of COVID so can't just go with the flow.

I have ADHD and dyspraxia and I'm bloody terrible at organising things, working out directions and how long things take, so would really appreciate some help if possible!

We'll arrive at London Victoria at 11am.

I've promised we'll go to:

The Science Museum
Terrible Thames boat trip, at Tower Bridge Quay
Hamleys

If there's time and fits in location-wise with the above, we'd be interested in going to any of the following:

Natural History Museum
Diana Memorial Playground
Buckingham Palace (to see the guards)

Would anybody in the know be able to write out a rough itinerary for me, please, so I know what times to book, in which order? Never been to any of the museums so I don't know how much time you'd normally spend there. I have a train ticket that includes both tubes and buses. Also, any recs for lunch? I might need to book this in advance too.

Thanks so much in advance!

[Katekarate]

You need to prioritise because it sounds like too much for one day, and that may mean you don't enjoy it, it would be a mad rush. Sounds as if for dc Hamleys is the priority. I'd go straight there, and then you could do a boat trip, although tower pier is quite a long way you could go by tube. There are other boat trips which are closer eg Westminster pier or embankment.

Science museum and natural history museum and the princess Diana playgound are all within walking distance of each other and I would do these on a separate day trip if at all possible.

[KittenKong]

Has anyone done many of the river trips ? I’ve literally been once when i needed to go somewhere. Sadly the rocket boat ones and duck tours aren’t running but the usual tfl boats are running. If they go from westminster...

Science museum (get early)
Scoot to Hamleys
Walk to westminster pier for a late afternoon zip along the river.

With regards to eating - there are loads of pizza express type places. Even the cafe in the museum is decent (from memory The Deep Blue?)

tfl.gov.uk/modes/river/

[RubyFakeLips]

Yeah I don’t rate Hamleys either.

Either take district line from St James Park after Buckingham Palace or for the experience take a bus, (download citymapper app to get around).

Have lunch at the museum or one of the restaurants at South Ken (if you don’t go through the tunnel direct museums). There’s a Comptoir Libonais, Honest Burger my kids loved the Creperie.

Probably an hour and a half for each museum minimum, hard to know. I used to make mine spend the day as something to do!

If you cut out Hamleys you can get the district or circle line from South Kensington direct to Tower Hill and take the boat tour.

[titchy]

Book 11.30 slot at Science museum. There are no Nat Hist slots left now.

Then aim to leave by 1.30 to get to Hamleys. Tube to High St Ken to Ox Circus - maybe allow half an hour so you should get to Hamleys at 2.00. Leave Hamleys at 3.30. Tube Ox Circus to Tower Hill. Again allow half an hour. Arrive Tower Hill 4.00 - look at Tower of London from outside. Then make way to 4.45 booking of boat trip.

Then back to Victoria for around 7pm.

You'll need to book ASAP and squeeze lunch and supper in somehow.

There is no way on earth you can do everything in your list in one day unless you arrive around 7am!

[Katekarate]

OP can you stay at a premier inn and do 2 days rather than buying new train tickets?

[korawick12345]

11-11.30 travel to science museum
11.30-1.30 science museum
1.30-2 lunch near station
2 - 2.45 travel to hamleys
3.15 - 4.15 travel to tower bridge
4.45 boat trip

[korawick12345]

Download Citymapper to plan your routes on publicvtranspoty

[daisypond]

Why don’t you just do a normal boat on the Thames run by TFL? They run really frequently. No need to pre-book. Just do a couple of stops. It won’t be a specialist trip but it’ll save you lots of money and you still get the “boat on the Thames experience” with good views of some sights.

[NameChange2PostThis]

@cloudyrainbow

Yes, just one day. I was afraid you'd say that! Earlier trains are really expensive but maybe I'll just have to go for it.

It says on the Science Museum's website to allow 2 hours. She's desperate to go there, on the boat trip (which is 45 mins) and Hamleys - so maybe we will only have time for these, do you think?

If those are her 3 absolute choices I would suggest you go straight on the boat trip from the train, then lunch and hamleys, then science museum until you have to leave. Have a lovely day

[overthethamesfromyou]

Check what time availability is for the Science Museum. If you can get entry at 11.30 or 12, take the district and circle line (yellow or green) to South Kensington and follow the signs from the tube station. Take a picnic lunch, they have a picnic space in the basement I think.

Stay there until 2pm. Walk from there up to the bottom of Hyde park and take number 9 bus to Piccadilly Circus. Slower than the tube, but more sights. Walk up regent street and Hamleys is on the right, about 10 mins up. Max one hour in there, start at the top and work down.
From there, you could take central line (red) to Bank and walk through the City to Tower pier. Not sure on your timetables, but to get back to Victoria, you could take circle and district line back or a series of buses.

[Clymene]

@titchy

Book 11.30 slot at Science museum. There are no Nat Hist slots left now.

Then aim to leave by 1.30 to get to Hamleys. Tube to High St Ken to Ox Circus - maybe allow half an hour so you should get to Hamleys at 2.00. Leave Hamleys at 3.30. Tube Ox Circus to Tower Hill. Again allow half an hour. Arrive Tower Hill 4.00 - look at Tower of London from outside. Then make way to 4.45 booking of boat trip.

Then back to Victoria for around 7pm.

You'll need to book ASAP and squeeze lunch and supper in somehow.

There is no way on earth you can do everything in your list in one day unless you arrive around 7am!

That works. You can take a packed lunch to eat in the science museum

Or you could get the tube to Piccadilly Circus and then a random bus up regent street to hamleys. And then walk up to Oxford Circus to get the tube to the boat trip

[cloudyrainbow]

The boat trip sounds great - it's horrible histories, with actors and stuff, so not just a mode of travel, otherwise I'd agree I'd bump it!

I don't know where th boat trip goes from. Not a dady to day London thing! But my advice would be science museum first while you have energy to take stuff in. Lunch, boat trip as you can sit for a bit presumably? Then hamlets.

I think this is my plan at the moment. We could eat a picnic lunch on the boat trip, even?

She has (suspected) ADHD too and doesn't really tire easily, but I don't want to be stressed with timings and getting lost etc. so I agree with you all that I'm best not to be too ambitious re cramming everything in!

[Clymene]

The only boat times left at 2.45 and 4.45. You need to book quickly!

[HopelesslydevotedtoGu]

Harrods toy department is fun to visit and not far from the Science museum, I would prefer Harrods to Hamleys. Hamleys can feel really overwhelming. If you do go I'd have a time limit inside, and have something nice to leave for afterwards, to get her out willingly!

For the boat trip does she particularly want to do the Terrible Thames one, or just go on a boat trip? As the Thames Clipper is much more affordable and leaves regularly from multiple stops.

Personally arriving at 11am I'd choose one museum, and then either go to the Diana playground, or to Buckingham Palace (and walk through St James park and Trafalgar Square on way to tube station, maybe walk on to Westminster if you have time).

[Nitgel]

I would walk to buck palace from.victoria then

[cloudyrainbow]

Ah OK, lots more posts whilst I was replying with very helpful times etc. I'll do science museum, hamleys, boat trip and book it all right away before it all gets sold out.

Thank you, thank you!!

[cloudyrainbow]

Ah, the boat trip is sold out (or won't let me book 2 tickets, anyway) for both of the times left. Gutted! We can't stay overnight but I guess now we'll have to return soon enough. should have been more organised - story of my life! Will book Science Museum for 11.30.

[Floralnomad]

Where are you coming from @cloudyrainbow as you may be better off driving at least part way until you can pick up a tube line . Trains early in the day are ridiculously expensive .

[RadioSixMusicLover]

Hamleys is a boiling, dark depressing excuse for a toy shop. Don’t bother.

[YesThisIsMe]

I’d do science museum for an hour and a half, have a very quick lunch in the cafe there at 1:15pm, leave at 1:45pm get the District line straight to Tower Hill, then do the boat trip at 2:45 which will be a nice sit down, finishing 3:30 then go to Hamleys (c.45 mins journey) and stay there until bored (it’s open until 8), grab a Maccy D’s then Vicky line back from Oxford Circus to Victoria.

Alternatively spend longer in the Science Museum, catch the 4:45 boat, finishing at 5:30, then to Oxford Circus for tea and McDonalds then spend 7pm to 8pm in Hamleys then back to Victoria for a very late train home. Very long day for a 6 year old though.

[KittenKong]

I don’t like Hamleys at all - I think it’s the lack of windows (I feel disorientated, and it’s often crowded) so do bear that in mind! Is it really the worlds biggest toystore?

[YesThisIsMe]

Oh sorry X-post. Another time OP.
My top tip would be that Harrods toy department is a) lovely and exciting b) much less hellish than Hamleys and less likely to trigger your neurodisabilities c) within easy walking distance of the Science Museum. But if your DD has her heart set on Hamleys and she can’t have the boat trip then you probably do need to take a deep breath and live with it.

[Katekarate]

Good luck OP and I hope you have a lovely day

[KittenKong]

Does Harrods still have the pet store? It’s cruel and cute at the same time. I remember taking DS to look at all the crazy things people buy for their pets (furniture, clothes, perfume... even a bakery stall).

[cloudyrainbow]

I don’t like Hamleys at all - I think it’s the lack of windows (I feel disorientated, and it’s often crowded) so do bear that in mind! Is it really the worlds biggest toystore?

Apparently so! I'll try my best to manage her expectations but I don't think I'll be able to talk her out of it and as long as she leaves with a new toy, she'll be happy. It certainly wouldn't be my choice (I'd much rather she'd never heard of its existence) - I hate thinking how much cheaper these things would be from B&M but it's her day, so I wouldn't want to say we can't go.

I've booked the Science Museum for 11.30 - 12pm, and one of their 3D film things for 12.30. She'll definitely be happy to stay in London until like 6pm. Will set a time limit for an hour in hamleys. Is there anything else I should look at booking/ doing, or am I getting carried away again?