Anyone know London and can offer travel advice?

[CountryBumpkin22]

Later this year I’m travelling from Heathrow airport. It’s a long distance from where I live, so I’ll be arriving by train (Kings Cross) the day before. I’m bringing my two (primary aged) children and I’ll be the only adult. Ideally I’d like to visit Big Ben, Tower of London and/or natural history museum. I’ve found a premier inn near the airport so then need to get there for the overnight stay.

Basically I need to know, is any of this possible? I don’t know London at all, so no clue about transport etc. I just need someone who knows London to tell me if I’m trying to attain the impossible? Thanks!

You can take the tube to Heathrow from King’s Cross but it is looong. Other option is circle line to Paddington and then get on the Heathrow express, or pick up the Elizabeth line from Farringdon (metropolitan line from King’s Cross)

I would actually go with Pps suggestion to stay in Paddington basin. Use that as a base for the NHM and other sightseeing

I wouldn't go into the Tower of London unless your kids are crazy history buffs. It will take a huge chunk of your time to get round. Look at it from the outside. Visit Tower Bridge and walk across the top instead. You can see everything from there

Might depend on exactly where your hotel is ...if you end handy for the Piccadilly line I'd grab that - slow but no need to get off again until you get to LHR - just make sure you get a train that's going to the correct terminal(s).

There's probably no way around the fact if it's a weekday it'll be busy and frankly not a lot of fun.

What time are you arriving in London and what time is your flight the next day? Also what time of the year will you be here.

Like others have said, you will be wasting time(maybe 3 hours) if you need to go to your Heathrow hotel from Kings Cross, back to central London and then again back to your Heathrow hotel at the end of the day.

Better to stay by Kings Cross and go to the airport the next day. Just book an uber if it is early or take the tube if later in the day.

I would chose to do either the Natural History museum or Tower of London. If you are coming in the summer or school holidays these places will be heaving and you will have to queue and it takes time to go around. Choose one and then if you have time you can always see if you can go to Big Ben.
Things always take longer than you think. esp with children.

It’d help a lot if you gave your arrival time at KX and flight time from Heathrow the following day.

I agree with others that unless you have an early flight you’d be better staying in central London than Heathrow.

However, if you can’t change that I would do as others have suggested and leave bags at KX (left luggage service is available).

Depending how much time you have available I wouldn’t attempt all the things on your list. Exploring the Tower of London can take numerous hours as can the Nat Hist Museum.

If you aren’t familiar with London and want to see some sites and can handle a bit of walking, and the weather is OK what I would suggest is:

Drop bags at KX
Take piccadilly line to Green Park.
Walk through Green Park, see Buckingham Palace.
Through St James Park (look for pelicans) to Horse Guards Parade. Down Whitehall, past Downing St to parliament square. See houses of parliament/ Big Ben.

Get on an Uber Boat at Westminster pier down to Tower pier - you will see sites from river including London Eye south bank and the shard.

At Tower, rather than the Tower of London I would recommend Tower Bridge museum. You get to walk over the top section of Tower Bridge with a glass floor, and great views (if you are v lucky the bridge may open - you can check scheduled opening times online). From here you can see the Tower of London. It is v child friendly, allow 1-2 hours.

From Tower Bridge you can walk to Tower Hill tube and take the circle line back to KX to pick up your bags.

Agree with this - both NHM & the Tower are a 'whole day' thing with kids - and surprisingly tiring.
Do Big Ben first, because you literally just walk by it, and you can take nice photos with it in the background from the bridge. Then go on to either of the others.
I absolutely love going out to the London attractions - yes, parts of London maybe a 'shithole' but the attractions are great.

It's just over an hour on the tube from Kings X to Heathrow. Unless it's a weekend you'll be travelling at peak rush hour (7.30-8am ish) to be there at least 2 hours before your flight , so be prepared for it to be very busy.

Edgelord 🙄

Of course it’s not a shithole. What a strange thing to say.

International or Domestic flight (so 3hr or 2hr pre-flight arrival time?).

If only 2hr you are likely to hit tube at rush hour which will be awful (unless it's a weekend day). In this situation I might be inclined to stay closer or splash out on heathrow express - if you book in advance you can get some good deals.

You could do Natural History Museum then come back in and do a mini bus tour. Circle line from South ken to Embankment - walk up to Charing Cross (about 5-10 mins) then get no. 15 from outside the coop opposite the station.

It goes along the strand, then fleet street (past the RAF church, Royal Courts of Justice), then past St Pauls and onto the Tower of London.
You could get off there - have a walk around the outside, possible get some dinner - there is a pizza express and some other family friendly type restaurants there . Walk over Tower Bridge (more family friendly stuff on South side if needed) then walk back over to Tower Hill to get circle line back up to King's Cross.

Yes you’d want to be on the tube about 7am from KX to allow some time in hand for delays. But at that time it shouldn’t be too busy then you’re travelling against the tide.

If staying near KX I would just get the Piccadilly line but there’s Elizabeth Line or Heathrow express if a back up plan needed - would advise checking tube status first thing when waking up then choose.

Last time we took the kids to London we got a ticket for the City Sightseeing bus that included the boat from Westminster to Tower of London. We then went into the Tower, bus was handy as we managed to squeeze in a lot of sights, whilst getting where we wanted to go and it minimised the moaning about walking.

The tube is obviously great for getting around but as a tourist with one day buses help you see more.

For an enjoyment and cost perspective as you’re already paying for travel and a hotel, I would book a slot at the natural history museum (its free) and then one at the science museum next door, again free. Both sometimes have additional things you can pay for, but there’s enough to keep busy without it. You’ll also be in a really lovely area to do a little bit of touristy walking, and close to Covent Garden, Kensington palace and hyde park.

11am is quite early. It will be a more relaxing start to the holiday to be in Heathrow overnight I think rather than haring across London in rush hour.

There's a little left luggage place across the road from kings cross. You can book a slot online and drop your bags when you arrive.

The circle line will take you to Tower Hill in around fifteen minutes. If you receive any universal credit payments at all it's free to get in the Tower. There are (free) tours by yeoman guards throughout the day and they are genuinely engaging and interesting.

District line from Tower Hill will take you to Westminster to look at Big Ben. Like pps said there's not much more to do other than look at it but it's nice and the houses of parliament are impressive.

Carry on with the District Line to South Kensington for the Natural History museum. Then Piccadilly line back up to king's cross to collect your bags.

The Elizabeth Line is the quickest way to get to Heathrow. From King's Cross it's really easy - go on the tube one stop metropolitan line to Farringdon. Then you just walk across to the Elizabeth Line platform, no stairs or steps. It will take you straight to Heathrow.

Which terminal are you flying from? If it's terminal 4 there's a premier inn with its own covered walkway to and from the airport.

Oh and personally I would stay near Heathrow, but book a slot at a left luggage place near the train station, 11am would be a much earlier get up to get to heathrow for 8am.

Big Ben and the Tower are 11 minutes apart on the District Line…

If you have a morning flight I’d try for a hotel central and on Elizabeth line so you ca. easily transfer in the morning as it will be an early ish start (allow an hour at least to get to Heathrow)

Does your flight require a 3 hour check in?

Oh and for food, there's a brilliant cafe near Tower Hill, towards the city on Vine Street under the arches. They do literally everything, full English, toasties, jackets, curries, lasagna for great prices. Very clean too. The people watching there is fabulous - everyone from city workers to tradies to tourists all mixed in together.

De Vine it's called. They don't have a website.

Is this your kids first time in London? Another idea might be to do uber boat or a tourist boat tour on the Thames. That should cover the dome, Canary Wharf, Tower of London, Tate, Big Ben, London eye and Battersea power station. Then you could visit one or two of the places you’d like more in depth.

Yes, agree!

There are still left luggage depositories at major railway stations but they’re expensive and charge per item

District (Green) or Jubilee (Grey) line to Westminster, NOT Central line

There’s no way all of that is possible in one day! You will need food! NH museum is a big attraction and you need South Kensington and then a walk. Then go back via Westminster to look at Big Ben etc. I’d go into Westminster Abbey if you have time. Then back to KX hotel. Premier Inns around there.

Arrive at KX. I’d stay at KX. Dump bags there if you can and go and explore. Or do a bag drop as suggested above. There’s a train from Paddington to Heathrow. The Heathrow Express. You could get an uber there or just get uber to Tottenham Court Road and use the Lizzy Line. Tower of London and NH museum simply aren’t possible in a day.

There’s an app called Stasher that lists places you can leave luggage

If you want to do the museums then South Kensington is about half way on Piccadilly line between King’s Cross and Heathrow so you may as well take the luggage and stay near there or store it there while you do the museums and then get back on the underground to Heathrow. It doesn’t make sense to crisscross London with kids and suitcases.

There is a cloakroom at the natural history museum that accepts suitcases although they discourage it if you can use an alternative - see their website.

The TFL (transport for London) website / app has all the travel info including journey planners, maps etc South Kensington does have steps which may be tricky with luggage and children but you could use Earl’s Court or Victoria (lift access) - drop luggage - and then pop to and from the museums from there.

I would find it less stressful to stay near airport for a morning flight so would probably store the luggage for the day and stick to your original hotel.

If you want to see Big Ben and museum then you could look at hotel or luggage drop around victoria station as that’s close to both and an easy journey on Victoria line from King’s Cross.