Can anyone help me with London day out query please?

[LaraWearsZara]

We are going to Harry Potter Studios next week - will drive to Watford and we have Premier Inn in Watford booked.
However we would love to take our 5 and 7 year old to central London the next day but we have no clue logistically how to work it. We have to leave no later than that evening so staying an extra night isn't an option.
We have booked Natural History Museum for 1.30pm but logistically I don't know how to get to London from Watford, if I pay upfront and what I need to buy to travel.
What's around the NHM food wise and what else we can fit in. Would love to swing by Buckingham Palace and my 7 year old wants to see where the Great Fire started. If anyone can help I'd be so grateful 🙏
Thanks

To get into London erm, get a train from Watford. Or Watford junction, whichever is closer.

Buckingham Palace and the NHM are a brisk half hour walk from each other so doable. The great fire of London started in the city which is way over east. But the monument to the fire, allegedly on the spot it started is well worth a visit. It’s right outside Monument tube and you can climb to the top.

As in get from Watford into London? Get the train then the district line. Look on TFL journey planner. Use your debit card to tap on and off, your kids will be free.

Where the great fire started is no where near Buckingham palace so you’ll have to get the tube over to monument which is the District line.

Drive to Stanmore, park at station. Take tubes to NHM. Will take over an hour.

From NHM to Buckingham Palace use the Piccadilly line. But plenty of walking too. You'll get your steps in! Journey about 25 min.

The Monument (for fire of London) is best reached on jubilee line to London Bridge station and walk over the bridge. Journey time 25 min. The attraction itself is only about 20-30 mins to climb up and look from the top. If that.

Then you're back on jubilee line to Stanmore. 50 min.

Google Maps is your friend.

Busy day but worth fitting it all in while you're in the area!

I don’t think it’s worth driving to Stanmore to get on a tube if you’re staying in Watford.
Ok so I would: in the morning walk from the Premier Inn to Watford Junction station (that will take about 15/20 mins). Get a train from the Junction to Euston - you need a fast train, takes about 15/20 mins, (be sure not to get on a slow one as that takes forever). At Euston get on the Victoria line southbound and go to Green Park, where you can walk to Buckingham palace (about 10mins through Green Park itself). When you’re finished there walk to the Natural History Museum (35mins). If you walk via the Brompton Road you’ll find many lunch options, so you can break up the walk a bit. Then NHM. If you’ve energy and time after NHM go to South Ken tube and get on the District or Circle to Monument (see good info above!) After that, get back on the northern line to Euston, train back to Watford Junction, walk back to hotel and collect car. A nice day out, and the kids will definitely sleep in the car on the way home!

I do not think you have time for the monument. The Nhm is massive and you could spend many hours there! There is good there too, a cafe and a restaurant. I do think walking to Buckingham Palace is doable though, we have. We went through the parks, which are lovely.

Nhm restaurants are busy and expensive, if money is tight I’d pick up sandwiches on the way.
there may be a queue for the nhm, so expect that.
You can sometimes navigate that by booking for the exhibition and then you go straight in skipping the queue.

You can easily lose a day there, the science museum & V&A are local as well. I’ll be honest I’d pick the museums or Buckingham palace etc. it’s a lot of walking for one day, better to relax and truly enjoy it. As a side note, nhm do sleep overs which are brilliant.

watford junction is well connected, but depending where your staying in watford consider croxley green or rickmansworth stations - it’s a long time since I’ve been there so I can’t remember parking restrictions.

Tend to agree you won’t have time or energy for monument after NHM - if so and you want to head back to Watford from there, I’d hop on the district line from South Ken to West Brompton (or walk there) and get a direct train from there back to Watford Junction - they’re only once an hour so you’ll need to plan accordingly.

Download an app called Citymapper. It will show you all the transport combinations between any two points in London. Once you are on the tube network, use the same contactless card to tap in and out all day then it wont let you spend over the daily cap (£14.50 for zones 1-6 I think?, £11.70 for zones 1-4)