Budget days out in London

[Pocketmonstie]

I have a 9 & 6 year old. We are going to London for a couple of days for half term. What can we do that won’t break the bank? Other than the usual museums which we plan to visit.

Try bablands blog for a listing of cool stuff going on by date. The listing isn’t just for babies and toddlers despite the blog’s name.
there’s a lot of free stuff available in London, but very often you do need to book.
Free lunchtime concerts in city churches are an exception. Some kids will love this.

franco manca and Nando’s both do good kids meals deals

musuem cafes are overpriced and poor quality but they all tend to have picnic areas now

canary Wharf might still have the “winter lights” in the evening- free light trail.

have fun!

Blue Peter badges get you free entry into a few places in London too.

www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/attractions/location/london

You can view the outside of the Cutty Sark in Greenwich without paying to go in.

walking tour

Why don’t you a walking tour?

Changing of the Guard.

another website

It’s also free for under 5s and people with Blue Light cards, which basically means free entry for us…

The Mithraeum temple is also free - only a quick visit but quite cool. it's the ruins of an old temple but they create the rest with mist and lighting in the dark so it sort of flashes before your eyes.

And five minutes walk away is the Roman amphitheatre, under the Guildhall Art Gallery, also free and no need to book. And the Guildhall Art Gallery has really nice loos.

If you have children who like exploring, just wandering around the City and poking into all the alleys, courtyards and churchyards can be interesting.

The Museum of London at Barbican is now closed, but the Docklands Museum is worth visiting - Canary Wharf or West India Quay.

(I realise OP isn't going to manage all these things in just a couple of days, but other people may come across this thread. And many of the suggestions will work for teenagers and adults as well as young children.)

The DLR train that goes past Billingsgate is like a mini roller coaster. Get DC to sit right at the front so they can 'drive' the train

I've never managed to drive the train in all the times I've travelled on the DLR. 🙁 Someone else always gets there ahead of me.

Seconding the Docklands Museum - you can get there on the DLR - worth standing at the end of the platform to see if you can go in the front seats and pretend to be the driver. If you go to the Docklands Museum then look to see what the booking situation is in the Mudlarks Gallery (its a play area for pre school to older primary and has a lot of interactive acitivites like loading ship and building Canary Wharf tower etc). Budget lunch option would be heading to the supermarket in the Canary WHarf mall and then having a picnic in Cabot Square.

Agree we've done a few of these and can be a good way to find things off the main streets, and can easily be mixed in with lunch and other activities.

OP : a word of warning - we went to the V and A last week and South Ken tube was absolutely rammed. I've never seen it so busy - they had to close the gates down to the platforms because of overcrowding. And the queue for the NHM was enormous!! The V and A was a lot less busy but I think it has less appeal for kids.

OP : a word of warning - we went to the V and A last week and South Ken tube was absolutely rammed. I've never seen it so busy - they had to close the gates down to the platforms because of overcrowding.

Yes, I once found South Ken Tube closed when wanting to get back from the V&A during a wet October half term. We got a bus back into central London instead.

This is really useful!

We're going for a day this week too.
We we're hoping to go on the cable car as recommended and maybe combine with a boat trip. (Thames Clipper?) wondering which end will be best to start the cable car really?

Also our kids are 11&12 and wondering whether to get a kids travel card for the tube - is that the cheapest option for them? We're only going for the day.

Sorry, hope I'm not derailing, thought others might want to know too.

@PoorMrsNorris Depending where you are going, a lot of London sights are within walking distance of each other, so it’s worth looking on a map before going. .

Thanks. I'm doing lots of looking on the map 😂 Heading from lunch in Camden and need to be at Paddington for 5 so going to try and squeeze in cable car and a bit of sightseeing if we have time.

Ditto to the Postal Museum!

There have been some fab ideas on this thread. Thank you so much. I have worked out a budget of spending a maximum of £150 a day (on all food and entertainment and travel). Does that sound doable?

Easy peasy on £150 a day. Instead of restaurants, we enjoy the various street food markets which save lots of money and are a chance to try something different ( I’m a fan of Ethiopian food now). There are nice ones on Picadilly ( in the church) and behind the Royal Festival Hall. Or take picnics to museums from little supermarkets dotted about. The free museums in London are a godsend and there are lots of great small museums dotted about as well as the flagship ones. And outside activities on the way if you walk, walk, walk ( like the statues in parliament square). There are loads of places you can pop on for a sit down/ quick wee for free. The Royal Festival hall, the big departments stores, Tate Modern etc.

Don't forget that children under 11 travel free on Transport for London services (so bus tube tram and London overground trains) which helps with the budget!

You need a licence to mudlark.And they are currently suspended

I live next to Thames and regularly see people being cautioned for not having a licence (warned to stop or else)

www.pla.co.uk/Environment/Thames-foreshore-permits

Good lord, didn't know that. We often played mudlarking as children and my child and friends do too! Thanks for the warning!

Cable car is scary if you don't like heights, though. It goes very slowly and you're dangling over the river and at one point feels like you've stopped.