Day trip from London tomorrow

[HotandSweatyBetty]

I'm awful at making decisions - please tell me where to go!

• me and a 5yo
• public transport only (or possibly including a short taxi ride)
• travelling from near Stratford
• obviously it will be hot 🥵

Hi probable neighbour!

There are some engineering works on the train line from Stratford down to Kent tomorrow. I think you can get to Margate direct but I know the train to Whitstable involves a bus replacement service, I checked it for myself.

Check the trains to Southend, that might be an option.

You might enjoy Epping Forest, accessible on the central line.

I’m told the kids splash park in Vicky Park is open from this weekend.

Personally I hate travelling in the busy heat, I'd go simple like dlr from Stratford to Greenwich, there's a doggy show on in Greenwich, sit in the park with a picnic then take an uber river boat.

Thanks all - really helpful!

I'm currently torn between Greenwich (was already considered this but the dog show might cinch) and Leigh on sea (people always talk about it but I've never been)...

Coast . Southend or leigh on sea. Take swimming things . Clacton.

I live not far from Leigh on Sea and used to live in West Ham. As PP said, Stratford will get really busy tomorrow but you can get the C2C from West Ham. Trains are air conditioned so shouldn’t be too uncomfortable. And then the Olympic Park should be fine on Monday.

Oh no, just announced doggies postponed till June because of the heatwave. Plan b.

Not on a Bank Hoiday Sunday. Try Folkestone. Bit of a walk from the station to the seafront, but well worth it.

Try Folkestone. Bit of a walk from the station to the seafront, but well worth it.

Most railway stations round the Kent coast are a bit of a walk from the beach. It's only Margate that's right on the seafront.

Cambridge! So much better for that age as there are so many free air conditioned museums to go into. Rover for pointing. Gardens for running about/ picnics/ walks. Freshly made cinnamon buns and icecream.

Definitely Folkestone.
Quick journey from Stratford
Your child will love it
Beautiful park opposite station if he/she needs a good run around after train journey
Most people who visit Folkestone want to move here!

Thanks all - really appreciate all the input.

I have finally made a decision to try Leigh on Sea!

@DialSquare any specific tips/recommendations? The tide will be out so I'm thinking rock pooling (mudflating?!) is there somewhere that sells nets? And do we need beach shoes, or will trainers/bare feet be ok?

Got on here too late to be of use... but like any beach, Margate, Broadstairs etc will be really busy. Canterbury will probably be stupidly busy as well as there is a 'Canterbury unlocked' festival on...people abseiling or something from the Towers, bands, food stalls, things happening in the parks, Morris dancing etc etc

Too late - I’d pick Epping forest as it is so much closer.

You can get crabbing nets/buckets at the shops down by the sea a short walk from Leigh on sea station. There’s a man made sea oo for kids with a bit of sand around it. It will be busy. Walk up the hill to Leigh on Sea town bit for shops, cafes or head into Southend itself for more stuff like Adventure Island (rides/amusements).

You need a pass to go mudlarking
long waiting list
I live 2 mins from Thames and mine expired in April and can’t even join the waiting list for another

This pretty much how I would have responded. Maybe get a return to Southend so you can go there later as suggested. You can break your journey anywhere along the line.

Don't do this, I live in the area and won't be going anywhere near the beach today it'll be heaving , thorpe bay will be quieter but the station isn't nearby and it's pebbly

Updating this for the benefit of anyone else looking to get out of London in a mini heatwave.

Leigh-on-Sea was rammed as predicted 😂 especially on the tiny beach. The little high street is super cute though with lovely looking restaurants, and there were lots of kids having fun on the mudflats at low tide (including sliding down the mudbanks on inflatables!).

We escaped the crowds and did the very easy walk from Leigh-on-Sea to Chalkwell, keeping cool in the sea breeze. Then caught an open top bus to Southend and braved the crowds again to go on a ride at Adventure Island. By that time the tide was in far enough to have a dip in the sea.

It was a lovely day overall - thanks for all the advice!

I thought "never again" when we went shortly after it had opened. It was so chaotic, FULL of screaming kids* and lacked the usual "neccesities" like places to sit to eat lunch you had made at home, sit generally, park pushchairs. However, I went back earlier this year and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

• My son would have been 3 or 4 at the time, so I didn't expect it to be that quiet!

Was there enough for kids to do? (Guessing that yours would be 5 ish now?)

My main beef was that (maybe understandably, given that it's a museum) most of it seemed geared to adults reminiscing about their childhoods, rather than children themselves

He is 6, yes. He enjoyed playing with the bricks to build towers and was now tall enough to do the interactive activities where you had to drag things along screens (robot making, I recall) which he was too small for before ... which was another gripe I had last time we went!! They also had more visability of the times of shows in the theatre area so you could plan your time, whereas again, last time we missed everything. It is small though so doesnt need more than 2 hours (and you are right about some stuff, the dolls house section in particular could be better!) - Id be disapointed if I had travelled far, but it is/was a good halfway point for meeting friends which is why we returned.