May Holiday in London

[carries]

Our DD school is shut for a week at the end of May so we are thinking of taking her and DD2 to london and staying in a youth hostel. DH has been twice with DD when she was 3 and 5, she is now 6. What attractions do you folk down South recommend! We are from Greenock, near Glasgow.

Oh, and were is cheap and tasty to eat out!

Oops wrong topic

Depends what they're into?

But lots to do really, Science and Natural History Museum are both within muniutes of each ohter and both free

You could spend ages in each (could do one each day)

Have you found a hostel yet? If you have, let us know where and we can plan things for you

Do you know whereabouts the youth hostel is?

Where did DH go last time and what did she enjoy?

Have a look at Top Table for restaurant special offers

Staying at St Paul's YH. dd1 loved the NHM and science museum. I would love to go to the V&A, is it interesting for kids! (QUestion mark button broken). DH and DD1 did kensington palace but dd didn't enjoy that much. Thinking of doing a show but both of DD are a bit unpredictable so would need to be ultra child friendly.

thank you for your help

Why not try out London Zoo...it's a great day out for all the family.

I went with my family over the May bank holiday last week. They have lots of great exhibits...including the giants of the Galapagos (with giant tortoises and Komodo Dragons), a stunning new Rain Forest life exhibit, which is actually like walking through a rainforest and if that wasn't enough, you can also get up close and personal with the Gorillas in Gorilla Kingdom!!

There's also so much more to see and do, it really is great value!

You can even plan your visit before you go by using their new interactive map and book tickets online. Here's a link - www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/visit/zsl-london-zoo-map,1295,AR.html

I hope you have a great time...we did!!

All the parks are great for wee ones (and free!).

The usual suggestions for this question (do a search for more detail) are:

Science Museum
Nat Hist Musuem
Walk by/boat on the Thames
London Eye
Duck Tour
Double Decker bus you can hop on and off
Museum of childhood in Bethnal Green

From where you are, get the DLR to Greenwich. They can pretend they're driving the train and then go to the park there and the Observatory.

I like the Zoo too, but it's not cheap.

Fun places to eat are: Wagamamas, Ed's Diner, Giraffe, Yo Sushi (lots of brances of all of these)

Also buskers on the South Bank by the London Eye (and the Aquarium too) and in Covent Garden.

The Princess Diana Playground in Kensington Gardens if weather nice
Boat to Greenwich, Greenwich Park / Observatory and Astronomy Museum, boating lake...also the Maritime Museum at Greenwich has a great children's hands-on section.
Train to Hampton Court - the maze, the Palace, which has good reconstructions of what people would have been doing in the kitchens etc when HVIII was alive.
Get a Time Out magazine as soon as you arrive and check out what is free and happening in the kids / family / events sections.
There are M&S 'Simply Food' shops at loads of stations now - pick up sandwiches and picnic food for lunches. Eat is good for a sit-in meal, or the Sofra chain of Turkish restaurants for evening (Covent Garden, and other places). Look out for 'pre-theatre' cheap dinner deals.

If you have Tesco clubcard vouchers order Pizza Express vouchers.

I would 2nd Greenwich, there is fab Chinese there too which is very very cheap. Its on a corner near Waterstones as you come from the DLR station. Greenwich also has Pizza Express. There are stalls just up from Pizza Express which sell food,at the back is one that does traditional London pie and mash - fab!

The Aquarium is great (County Hall, by the Eye) but very expensive - go if you can use a merlin pass, or nectar points.

Also, ask if anyone has Pizza express vouchers - there is one doing the rounds which is BOGOF until the end of May.

thank you so much everyone, I'll you know what we do but London eye, parks (please let it be warmer than 8C Greenock), NHM and possibly SM. I want to wander through covent gardens and buy yummy pastry and cakes from Pauls. Ordered Pizza Express and Cafe rouge vouchers with club card.

I am so looking forward to this trip. Our train tickets arrived today too!!

Definitely do the London Eye, it is kind of pricey though. It doesn't seem like it would be all that thrilling, but my son had a fab time when we did it a few years ago (he would of been 6/7 then I think). Also there is a play park quite close to it and loads of street entertainers just along the river front there.

A nice place to go is St Katherine's dock
www.skdocks.co.uk/ if you fancy a wander around on a nice day. Lots of things to do there which are 'free', explore the docks looking at the expensive boats, there's lots of little walkways and huge rocks to climb on, places to sit, even ducks to feed usually. They have a whole wall full of fun modern art if you duck down under the (was thistle hotel think it's different name now) near the lock, and there's a fab fountain with a dolphin statue thing in front of the hotel and you can see tower bridge from there too). When the wind blows the water gets blown towards you, it's great for running round trying to avoid the spray. It's just along from the tower of London too and you can walk round in a huge big circuit to go right around the tower. Loads of places to eat around there, it will be London prices though, but you know that already of course!

Another lovely thing to do is hop on a river cruise for a couple of stops and then walk back along the river with an icecream. There are so many things to find along the river front too, but they change constantly. There was a squirty water fountain thing for the kids to jump in and out of and the big world map that used to be at one of the museums had been relocated to the river front last time we went. So well worth having a look before you go to see what is current.

I'm sure you'll have a fab time!

If you're going to Covent Garden, also go here for cupcakes.

gillybean2, st Katherines dock sounds fabby (I'd never heard of it )My favourite thing is just pottering about and seeing what's about!

squeaver, looks yum, was going to hunt down Hummingbird bakery but that looks as good.

If you are a foodie, try Borough Market (just near river) on Friday or Saturday morning!