I’ve messed up!!

[Cupofteaandbiscuits]

I got excited by the rail sale and got some very cheap train tickets to London Victoria for half term. We haven’t got lots of money and I had massively underestimated how much it would cost on the tube etc to go to other places!
what can we do from London Victoria without spending additional money on the tube? We have a nine and ten year old.
lesson learnt not to get swept away by bargains 🤦🏻‍♀️

Under 11s travel free on the tube

Am I right in thinking they need TFL ID to travel free? They don’t have this as we never go!

I've never got ID - just go through the wide gates with them in front of me

I would head to South Ken and all the museums then Hyde Park but bring packed lunches and snacks

Children of that age will travel free. Tube fares for adults are capped and are fairly inexpensive. I suggest you look at the daily cap amounts before you plan your itinerary around not leaving Victoria.

Under 11s are free on the tube and bus and they don't need any ID or anything (there are specific cards for Londoners but they aren't needed for this).
For adults if you use just buses you will not pay anymore than £5.25 in total because that's the daily price cap. You could go on 20 different buses and it will still be £5.25 total.
Where are you thinking of going? You can get buses directly from Victoria to dozens of places and not use the tube.

Science museum natural history museum British museum national gallery all free entry

There is a fab playground at Kensington gardens

Other options cost money do you have any Tesco Clubcard vouchers?

The daily cap for adults using their bank cards just in zone 1, at any time, is £8.90. Go through the big barriers with one child each and the maximum you’ll spend will be under £20. It is vanishingly unlikely anyone will ask you to produce Zip Oysters (children’s travel cards). Is that okay? Otherwise walk to South Ken and the museums is 40 mins, same to Covent Garden.

ETA you can get the buses as mentioned above (and it’s a nice way to see the city) but takes a lot longer if you only have the day and not a HUGE saving, although I appreciate that you might feel differently.

No ID needed. Once they turn 11 then they need a Zip card to get half-price fares, but as they're both under 11 they can just go through the barriers with you for free (use the wide gates that accommodate buggies etc to avoid the barrier slamming shut before you're all through!)

Walk up to Buckingham Palace then St James Park, along to Westminster for Big Ben. Cross the bridge and head to the Southbank centre or take in Tate Britain and walk along Embankment to Trafalgar Square for National Gallery (you may need to book) and Covent Garden. You could take buses or tube for a capped adult daily fare.

I went with my DDs a couple of years ago when they were 11 & 8, didn't get ID and nobody asked us. You just go through the big gates.
If you're staying within zone 1 the tube for an adult is quite cheap.
The natural history museum and science museums are free. My 2 enjoyed a walk around St James's Park more than anything seeing the squirrels and parakeets!
You can see Buckingham palace from there and then walk past the Houses of Parliament & Big Ben and up to trafalgar square

I was going to suggest the same, that’s an easily walkable route and a nice walk as well

When mine were younger I just used to shove them both through the family gate and only pay for me. Never had ID. On my latest trip to London I travelled all over from Richmond to the excel centre out near the Isle of Dogs and loads of places in between and it only cost £12 ish. London transport is very reasonable.

Echo what others have said. Going as a tourist, kids don't need any card - just go through bigger gates with them.

Horizon 22 or skygarden are free to go up to viewing platforms - just need to book a spot in advance to avoid queuing. Sky garden is prettier inside, but horizon 22 has better views imo. If there are no advance tickets left, there are usually tickets on the day for horizon 22. You have to go there and scan the qr code to check, but you can do that by getting the qr code from Google images to save going over there for nothing. Here it is.

How much were you expecting the tube to be? It's £8.50 per day if you're staying in zone 1&2.
Kids are free.

The tube is really cheap, there's a maximum per day, are you sure you've looked at the right prices

Not sure that picture has uploaded well. If you want to use it, try this one or search for "horizon 22 qr code" on Google images

Packed lunches and water bottles. Tube free via main large gates to South Kensington. Free museum for Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert museum. Science museum may ask for donation but just say not today. Only some exhibitions are ticketed or price, so don’t go to those sections. Check on websites to see what is on and free family events. Tube back.