LONDON

[kkgirl]

We are off to London for the weekend with boy aged 10 and twins boy and girl of 8.
Any suggestions apart from the obvious sights of places we could go, especially places to eat fairly cheaply.

To eat cheaply, try the Sofra chain, and also the Stockpot chain- there is one in Old Compton St, for instance. Also cheap and cheeful italian cafes: Pollo or one further down the road in Old Compton St, There's a new Burger restaurant which is classy and good value almost next to the Soho theatre in Dean St (all these are W end).

The obvious ones - (Natural History Museum, Science Museum, London Eye, watching performers in Cvt Gdn,) are all good, and it might be worth checking out the national theatre and South banck Centre website for details of any free outf=door performance artists they have. Also Somerset house for free spectacular events in the courtyard.

Pollocks toy museum on Whitfield St always interested me as a kid although don't know if current generation expect more bells and whistles. Just simple stuff like taking a boat down the river (Embankment pier) can be entertaining or travelling on a Routemaster with the open platform.
You could always go to Kensington Gardens (next door to Hyde Park) to see the statue of Peter Pan and the children's garden - think the Diana memorial is nearby now. And London Transport Museum in Covent Garden is a good one.

yes, river boat to greenwich - you can see the Cutty Sark from the outside, without paying the admission fee. the Royal Naval Museum is quite good, there, too, with a good children's section on the top floor. And the market has lots of lovely food stalls with good interesting cheap food. get a tube back if you don't want to spend another hour or so on the boat.

Tourist food is incredibly expensive, often not very nice, and it can be frustrating queuing with hungry irritable children. We always take a picnic, and at weekends most of the free museums and galleries let families use the education area for picnics indoors. If you don't have kitchen facilities where you are staying, another good option is to buy sandwiches and snacks from a supermarket first thing in the morning. There are M&S food stores and Sainsburys in Covent Garden and M&S opp St Pauls (no longer free entry), and Tate Modern is easy walk from St Pauls. Blu has given good recommendations for evening meal, and Pizza Express is everywhere too. Kew Gardens are always beautiful, but expensive, and not sure if it would appeal to older children, but the Museum of London is very good, and free, as are V&A, National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, parts of Somerset House, and Brit Mus, and all of these now provide activities for children of different ages. The Geffrye Museum is really nice too, and you could combine with visit to Spitalfields market. Remember to buy a family travelcard because at the weekend this means an adult with children can travel cheaper than an adult alone. Hope you have lots of fun - I still think that London is a wonderful place.

Have a look at Londonfreelist for some ideas. Also you might find some suitable organised walks here

Best to pre-book your ticket where possible, especially for the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, London Dungeon. If travelling by train, your local station might have a brochure with current offers for entrance fees to some visitors attractions.