first London trip as a family - where to go

[elfsmum]

Hi

we're planning to go to Leogland in Windsor and i'd really like to take the opportunity to go that little bit further into London for DS's to go to the natural history museum.

where else would you recommend go, and is it easy enough to travel about, what could we realisticly hope to fit in in a day ??

DS's are 5 and 7.

I've looked at the maps on the visit London and don't know where to begin.

You can spend Hours in the museums! Science museum is also great.

However, we went on the London Eye and walked to see Big Ben/Houses of Parliament after a museum once - that was fun. Later in the day you don't need to book, just buy a ticket & get on.

Get a Travelcard and you can at least look at Harrods / Hamleys / any sites to see without paying entrance fees, or get a Tour bus/water Taxi tour.

Science museum is next door to NHM, then if you walk up Exhibition Road (10 minutes at most) you'll reach Hyde Park. From there you can take a bus to Knightsbridge, Park Lane, Oxford Street, Victoria etc. Or take Tube to Westminster to see Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. From Marble Arch/Park Lane(and other pick up/set down points I think) you can take a open top bus tour.

We live in newcastle and maybe visit london every 18 months. If your budget will stretch go on a 'Ducktour'. Leave from by the London Eye, drive around London on a 'standard tourist bus' type tour, but in a bright yellow amphibious vehicle. then you park up by the river, the driver gets off and the 'sailor' gets on and it drives straight into the thames and floats down the river. The first time we did it we managed not to tell our dd (7) about the second half and her face was a picture when we drove into the water!

should have said costs about £50 for family of four so not cheap but great fun

thanks guys so if we plan

NHM and science museum - 1st thing in the morning

walk up get bus/tube do the London eye and a ducktour

finish with a trip to hamleys before heading back to our hotel in Windsor /

do-able or over ambitious ?

and in terms of travel are these anywhere near each other ??

aquarium is great for your childrens ages, you can then go on the london eye, lunch around the corner at pizza express. cross westminster bridge, see houses of parliament then short walk past gordon browns house to sit on the lions and chase the pigeons at trafalgar square then on to see the fire eaters and jugglers in covent garden.

seems like a day isn't going to be enough !

where's the aquarium ?

I'm really excited about this now, can't wait to see DS2's face at the dinosaurs

Tower of London

also elfs you could go on aquarium website and if you show your travelcard you can get a free child entry, you can also touch stingrays in a pool, its fab.

my nieces come to london and always ask to go to ikea for the day!

Be prepared to queue for the dinosaurs . Took us 45 minutes or more.