Visiting london this weekend with 3 small kids - need advice as pretty clueless!

[theoldwomanwholivedinashoe]

Hi - Help - myself and my partner have booked to stay in a hotel in Maida Vale this weekend with kids 1, 3 & 5 yrs. Really don't know London - how should we get about - car / taxi / bus / tube. Would like to take kids to see main "sights". Any advice much appreciated!

Hello!

We were in London over half term with 5yo ds and 2yo dd. They loved the London Eye (and it's free for under 5s), seeing Big Ben, Nelson's Column, horseguards and Changing of the guards. Also the Natural History Museum for the dinos, fab. Get a day pass for trains and tube, again free for under 5s, although within central London most things are within walking distance of each other. The passes also let you get on the red buses- we found a handy one from right outside Hamleys which took us back to Waterloo at the end of the day when the kids were knackered!

Best stop now before I plan your schedule, I'm sad like that!

Have a good time, hope that helps

The tube will be a nightmare with a buggy, many stations don't have lifts just plenty of stairs but with 2 of you may ne manageable.
Tube is Enjoy!

I'd never take my kids on the Tibe until they were a lot older (they're 3 and 6) just because it's so packed - I'd be scared of losing them!
A bus would be my preferred option I think - at least you get to see more that way too.

Get an Oystercard for you and your dp - you can put some money on it like a pre-pay phone and it'll work out cheaper than a day pass on public transport . Your dcs will travel free.

agree with other posts, try to avoid the tube too many stairs, too many people!

If your hotel is on the Edgware Road then you can catch a bus up to Marble Arch/Oxford St etc. Taxi's are quicker and quite cheap and fairly easy to find, especially on the Edgware Rd or around Maida Vale or Little Venice tube stations.

There is a Puppet Show barge at Little Venice, not always open, but quite good fun. Your hotel is bound to have details. There are canal trips too, not sure it's all year, but they go through Camden & Regents Park (London Zoo).

thanks - I think tube would be difficult even with 2 adults - buggy, bags, and 2 needing a hand to hold. will we be able to get bus easily into centre from maida vale? if we use taxis will it be really expensive? what about car seats? do any taxi firms let you book car seats? Is driving totally inpractacle - want to visit big ben, buckingham palace, museums, london eye.

you wouldnt really be in taxis - its just black cabs really in central london so no car seats. if you hotel does ring for mini cab check the price first , some are real rip offs. get a good map, if the kids are in buggies/dont mind a walk you can do alot on foot(houses of parliament up to buckingham palace 10-15 mins) try to do the things that are near each other together (sounds obvious but so many people come here and work their way through a list, going backwards and forwards past the same things all day!)

science museum is very good, has an activity bit at the bottom, is free to get in and is round the corner from the Natural History Museum.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1375&threadid=461273#9325562
never done a link before but there was a similar thread a few weeks ago which might be of use?

or it would be if i knew how to do it!

The Science/Natural History museums are also close to the V & A if you want to take in museums. The South Bank of the Embankment can be good for side shows, people statues etc. Have you looked at any websies like visitlondon.com? They often list free activities .

I never drive when I'm in town because the parking is so crap.

Buses going through Maida Vale - the no. 16 will go Marble Arch/Hyde Park Corner/Victoria Station and the no. 98 goes to Marble Arch/Oxford Street & Oxford Circus. You can pick up buses to most places you'll want to visit from Victoria Station or Oxford Circus but if you're changing buses a lot, be prepared for it to take some time. If you take a good map, a buggy & don't mind piggy-back children you'll be surprised at how much is within walking distance.

No idea about private hire taxis. I do travel with DCs in black cabs without car seats. I've yet to have a lunatic driver.

Little Venice to Piccadilly used to cost me about £6 - but that was 8 years ago!

thanks so much for all your advice - i will have a look at other thread and websites.
Do any black cabs have car seats?

no, not that ive ever seen. i would really go for buses as much as you can, if you get in a black cab and get stuck in traffic your fare can be pretty big! id save the cabs for getting back to the hotel when you are all worn out. how are you getting to london?

OOOh us too! We are staying in Mayfair. I looked at the Time Out website and am considering the puppet barge that Norksbridge mentioned. We have previously done St Paul's with the kids (they loved climbing the steps to the whispering gallery), the London Eye, the Rainforest Cafe, Natural History Museum, changing of the guard, the Tate Modern (only for an hour, granted) and Chinese New Year celebrations.

This year we are thinking of perhaps London Zoo...Kew Gardens (apparently have a human sized badger set model to explore), the tower of London etc

Children are 3 and 5

And Covent garden complete with steet entertainment of course.

We use black cabs - don't worry about child seats. Unlikely to go more than 20 mph anyway

We were planning to drive to hotel. How are buses for taking buggys - will we have to fold it each time?

dont have to fold buggy unless is really busy, just go out really really early or wait until after 9.30ish

IME (february half term tourist to London for past 3 years) London isn't very 'busy' currently. Not many foreign or domestic tourists. Buses probably won't be too crowded

The Pirate Ship playground in Kensington Gardens is great for kids and free (I think it called the Princess Diana playground) Bayswater Rd side of the park. And you can have a stroll in Hyde Park and visit Kensington Palace at the same time.

No need for car seat in a black cab - just strap little one into pushchair.

thanks again - sorry to be so dim! don't get out much []

You really should try and get a lunch time reservation for Rainforest Cafe - the children will love it

Agree with others buses are the way to go. The kids will love the top deck too.

Don't drive in London pleeeeese (congestion charge is a killer anyway).

There is a lovely playground in Hyde Park if it's fine - Princess Diana playground (not the fountain) - there is a pirate ship and a xylophone in the ground and lots of other stuff. Really nice for littlies.

Also yes Nat Hist museum for dinos (bit scary tho!) it's free too.

Transport Museum in Covent Garden is great if you have bus fans tho it was closed for a while...

Looks like it's open again here plenty of interactive stuff for your 5yo too (you get a card and stamp it at the various exhibits)