To go to London on the Jubilee bank holiday?

[ponderingthisthing]

Contemplating a 2 night stay in London during the early June bank holiday, taking my 4 and 2 year olds to some museums/ parks. Is London going to be horrendously busy then and AIBU to plan such a trip?

Yeah I'd avoid travelling into London that weekend

I can't think of anything worse. I live near London and was at the concert in the mall for the last one, London was stupid busy. Not fun. Even worse with a 4 and 2 yo.

Definitely don't take such young children to London that weekend, it will be heaving and lots of very drunk partying.

I think it will be fab to be London then. Will be a real buzz. We took our DC in during the Olympics when they were 2 and 4 and was great. Depends if you like a mad atmosphere or prefer to go when it is quieter.

It will be busy but if you plan it well you can pre book museums and restaurants. I would also recommend the Sky Gardens. Prebookable and free.

Cant you just avoid the areas where there are events?

of course go, it won't happen again, london is big :)

Up to you and your personal tolerances. I wouldn't.

I think the fact it's that weekend is irrelevant - London is always busy. But big cities and small children don't really go.

You'd be crazy that weekend imo

London is always 'horrendously busy'.

The mall will be packed on Jubilee Day - and there may well be events in Green Park and St James's park and Trafalgar Square. Otherwise the rest of the city will crack on as we always do. Go for it.

It's a big place

Avoid Buckingham palace and surrounds?

You could do some great museums and parks slightly off the beaten track - Museum of London in the Docklands has a great set of small child friendly exhibitions and activities. Museum of London in the City also has stuff l.

Also the Museum of childhood in Bethnal Green and the Horniman Museum in Forest Gate are good for kids.

Go to the Royal Docks in East London and take the cable car over the Thames to Greenwich, go and see the Cutty Sark, ride on the front of the Docklands Light Railway like you are the driver. Take an Uber boat back into central London.

Clissold Park in Hackney has a toddler paddling pool, Victoria Park in Bethnal Green has great playground and pedal boats etc. Beckenham Palace Park is popular with families. London has loads of great parks.

Yes YABU, it will be hell. I'm a londoner and I wouldn't venture into central London that weekend for anything.

I'm a Londoner too and I can't imagine anything worse tbh. I live quite central and I still stick locally with my 3yo at normal times. There's no point making myself and my 3yo miserable trying to beat the busyness. This is why I don't do city breaks any more because am I able to push the pushchair through, find a toilet and grab a quick snack and most importantly be able to make my way back to the hotel without relying on transport because they will be extremely busy.

Unless you are keen to join in the Jubilee celebrations, that particular weekend is probably contra-indicated.

We went up to London last jubilee weekend, our kids must have been 18mo and 4 at the time. We had a lovely time, the V&A were doing a craft thing with the kids where they made a flag or a crown, the museum was completely empty it was lovely, think we might have done the Natural History Museum too, we hung out on SouthBank and dd danced to some music playing outside the National - one of my favourite ever weekends. Personally I'd avoid the mall and I certainly wouldn't think about driving, but I'm sure you can have a great time, there's loads in London for kids to do and a lot of it doesn't cost anything.

We're going but we're staying with sil who lives in the suburbs

It will be awful. Tubes will be heaving, many places will be shut.

I wouldn't take such young children at that time. Just choose another weekend.

Might get covid too....

Thanks everyone, I think you're right - Jubilee Bank holiday probably not the best time to visit London with little ones! Will have a think of alternatives...