Christmas in London - Weekend Break - Suggestions that won't break the bank

[Elsashmelsa]

Hi there,

Earlier this year we went to London for a long weekend. We took DD (5 then now 6) and she loved it. Bizarrely her favourite bit was jumping on and off the tubes and going up and down the escalators - but then we are country bumpkins... LOL

So we've decided to go to London again for two nights in December (travelling after school on the Friday and coming back on the Sunday evening).

The trouble is, we don't generally go on holidays because they're too expensive so I do need to be conscious of cost.

So far for the trains it's costing £176 return (which is actually pretty good) and we can get a Travelodge in Kings Cross for £200 for all of us for two nights, again not too bad for Central London. But I'm looking for Xmassy things to do.

I wanted to do a show but we just can't afford it. It would need to be something that DD would like, Matilda or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but for decent seats they're upwards from £70 each, just too much. Plus we're taking her to see Annie in September near us so at least she would have seen one .

Is there a good Santas Grotto that we can book for? (I'm thinking Selfridge's or Hamleys). Where else can we go or look at that will feel Xmassy (not just the shops - that's just where I'd like to spend my time - DD and DH probably won't be as keen... ).

Any suggestions would be fab, thank you!!

Just wrote a message and lost it, anyway yes to booster seats at Matilda, have just seen The railway children and that was fab and all the seats are excellent can often pick up tickets fromlast minute. Com quite cheap

I feel I might go to hell for not suggesting the snowman as my cousin is one of the dancers in it! Highly recommended having seen it many times, will be magical for your DD :)

Definitely the Southbank Xmas market, I was not keen on winter wonderland at all. Around the corner from there is Somerset House which has a beautiful ice rink. Covent Garden is lovely at christmas. Or the nhm to visit and they have an ice rink as well. When are you visiting? because I have booked a premier inn for one night for £35 right next to wembley park tube station that is for a family room staying mon 21 dec. How about disney on ice would that be too expensive?

The Southbank Christmas market has moved to in front of the Tate Modern (or it was last year).

I posted an idea for someone looking for something similar to this a few years ago: it's long to explain but I do it every year and love it.

I would start at the Southbank and do the market and amble along the river towards Waterloo bridge. Depending on how tired you are, walk over the bridge for a hot chocolate overlooking the Somerset House ice rink, or jump on the 139 bus from the bottom of the bridge. You can pick the bus up at either end of the bridge if you go to Somerset House. Sit on the top deck.

The bus goes along the strand and past Trafalgar Square, then up towards Piccadilly Circus and up Regent Street before going left along Oxford Street - you can see all the lights from the warm and dry and if you see anything you fancy you can go back. Stay on until Selfridges - get off and look at the windows and then dog leg down the nice shopping streets to get back to Piccadilly - look at the Fortnum and Mason windows (I think they are better than Selfridges) and you can normally get some free samples if you pop in. Their Christmas shop is beautiful and they normally deck on the lift on the far right side with tinsel and other bits (you might have to wait for it, but it's fab).

Mine are teens, my DS doesn't like London, my DD likes shopping

When they were little:

I took DS to see The Snowman when he was 5yo , it was lovely

We walk along Regent Street counting Hamleys bags but don;t go in now (when we did it was really busy but they loved it)

Winter Wonderland has got bigger and busier.Last time we went was 3 years ago. Very muddy. Huge queues.

Kew Gardens Lighted Walk- we went the first year, it was pouring with rain which is no-ones fault. But it wasn;t as magical or lit as I had hoped.

The Snow-Globe inflateable was broken ,,

Things we did love though - Duck Tours. Very cold. We didn't eat before so were hungry after and piled into a Pizza Express You go round the streets first and then along the Thames.
We saw Buckingham Palace, The Savoy, the Trafalger Square Tree.

Last year we went to Libertys and ChoccyWoccyDooDah ,

Covent Garden is lovely .

The tubes are really busy and unfortunately a huge % of the passenger are rude bas**rds. Even with a young child. So it will take longer .They'll shove and push and your DD will be about elbow level

Last year DD and I went to Sadlers Wells to see The Little Matchgirl (which was brilliant , apart from the Mum behind us telling her child that the girl wasn't dead. "She's sleeping". Erm, haven't you read the story? )
There;s a minimum age to admission.

This year, I'm going to try and get booked at the iMax big screen and some shopping for DD on Oxford Street.

For the less 'big city' London trip... We went to Richmond last year. During the day we walked around the shops and lovely green spaces, had a late lunch, then in the evening went to the lights at Kew Gardens which was brilliant. Finished it off with an overnight stay at a hotel in Richmond (definitely recommend taking the cheap taxi or bus ride between Kew and the nearest hotel, means you can both have a mulled wine!). We loved it and we're going to make it an annual tradition :)

All of these suggestions are really fab, definitely going to look into The Snowman