Tips for doing London with little ones!

[Mummyof287]

Planning to go to London for my birthday weekend 5th/6th November (something I used to do often but haven't done since 2016 before we had DD1, but desperate to go back and to take her!) She is now 5.5 and we also have baby DD2 who will have just turned 1.
I'm excited but also apprehensive about taking them and the stress of the practical and logistical stuff! So welcome any tips which will make the whole thing easier.
We have 2 full days Sat & Sun as we are travelling up late afternoon/early evening on the Friday and returning sunday late afternoon/early evening. Planning on incorporating Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Hamleys, The London Eye (when did the cost of THAT get so expensive?!) and The science museum.

Also, due to train costs/length of journey/practicality of transporting luggage, we are planning on driving up to the outskirts of London then getting the train/tube into central london for the days out, and using the underground/busses to get about whilst there.So any recommendations about where outside London would be best to stay to fairly easily and quickly link up to central london would be good, thanks! (Coming from the East of England)

Should say, it was an NCP not just on the street 😄

Also think there’s a car park under the imax at Waterloo?

There are loads of hidden underground car parks I think 😄 we parked under a hotel in Piccadilly for a weekend once too.

Liking this thread. I want to take dc to the tower and Borough Market. Finding somewhere to stay that isn't £££ is a challenge. Coming from North West so assume these suggestions no good for us. My dc are older too. Sorry no help but sounds like you have a full schedule already.

Thanks everyone for all the useful replies! I think we will definitely do one of the hop on hop off bus tours...DH and I have done them in Rome and New York and found them a really good way of seeing all the major sights, and think it will be great for DD as she is an awful walker (moans 'my legs are tired' after about 5mins!)
The 'big bus' one stops/goes past at all the places on my list, although I think we may just do a 'drive by' for big Ben and Buckingham Palace if time is tight, and get off for Hamleys and the London Eye (interesting to read people's views on that...i showed DD a video and she still really wants to do it, and DH and I enjoy it, so I think we will bite the bullet and pay for it) Still debating where to stay...will probably stay in Croydon if we are able to see relatives there for abit on the Sunday, or stay more our side (maybe Ilford/Stratford area) if we don't (and maybe do science museum that day instead if we don't have time on the sat)
@ZenNudist hope you find too somewhere affordable and decent to stay, and have a good trip!

I have done a few trips with my DC and I think the advice not to take on too much is good. There is so much to do! We like to balance out activities with time messing about in parks, eg the Natural History Museum, then the Princess Diana Memorial Playground over in Kensington Gardens. That takes most of a day for us, but we tend to do it every time as DC loves it.

What Gdcs (then 5 and 6) loved best last year was going on trains, tube and buses - on top, preferably in the front seats. They so rarely use public transport at home.

We took them by boat to see the Tower of London, but not actually inside - too young to be properly interested. I have to say that the Tower of London shop was a particular hit with Gds - a plastic battleaxe which I said no to at first, before seeing that it was only a fiver.

This year (6 and 7). they still loved public transport, but we also did the London Eye at their request. I don’t think I’d have taken them when any younger though - it’s very expensive if a child’s too young to appreciate it, and there was a very long queue.
The big riverside playground not far from the London Eye was another hit - never mind that you can find playgrounds anywhere!

We also did London Zoo this year, which went down well, especially the penguins. It’s pricey, though, and you do need more or less a whole day.

If you are going by train you can get the London Eye and a lot of other things on bogof. Look at national rail deals.