Help me with our London trip this weekend!

[Honeymoonmummy]

Hi all,

I'm going with DH, DD (7) and DS (5) to London this weekend (early Saturday to late Monday, 3 full days). I wrote a previous thread with a mammoth OP which I think put people off so I'll try and keep this short without dripfeeding!

I have the Sky Garden booked for Monday at 10am and we want to do Kidzania but otherwise no firm plans. We did our first ever family trip at Easter and did Kidzania, science museum, duck tour, Covent Garden, transport museum, Big Ben.

Current 3 day plan (open to suggestions):

Day 1 (Saturday) - brunch then boat to Greenwich - planetarium, maritime museum, cutty sark from the outside, cable car if time. Boat back to hotel. Evening meal either in Greenwich or South Bank near hotel.

Day 2 (Sunday) walk to Buck Palace, see changing of guard then maybe walk to Covent Garden

Day 3 (Mon) Sky Garden/ Fire of London monument if time, then Kidzania, home!

Golden hinde II & Natural History Museum are also on the wish list!

Questions-

In Greenwich, how close are the planetarium, cutty sark and cable cars? Can we comfortably do the three in an afternoon (not going into cutty sark). Anything else we should do in Greenwich?

Can anyone recommend a nice brunch near the London Eye for Saturday morning on arrival, maybe an American themed brunch?

Any recommendation for good place for an evening meal? We did the Rainforest Cafe last time and the kids want to do the same again!

Is there anything good on at the moment, summer holiday activities/events?

Along the same lines, given that we'll probably be back again during the winter months, is there anything we should definitely do in summer in London?

Which art gallery would you recommend for kids given current exhibitions? We'd like to just take them for an hour at some point.

I'm not sure this post is much shorter but hey ho! Thanks in advance

Thanks all. We did the science museum last time and while the shows were amazing they were pretty underwhelmed by the rest.Madcats we did Kidzania for the first time at Easter on our first trip to London and they were rushing round trying to fit them in right to the end! Not stopped talking about it since either!

Thanks all for your advice ON OUR WAY SOON!! Keep the ideas coming please thank you!

If you skip the cable car, you could take the DLR train from Greenwich into the west end. It's great fun as it goes up high above the city. Get a front seat and you can pretend to be driving it.

Nb the Museum of London in Docklands is a lesser known gem.

Don't be afraid of buses! There's one route that takes you past all the best bits of London. I thinks it's the number 24.

You'll struggle to do all the Greenwich stuff in a full day, let alone after brunch. It also gets really busy so I'd be there for opening. Are you planning to pay for the observatory and do the meridian line and the exhibits there as well?

There you go, 10 best routes: londonist.com/2016/02/london-s-10-best-bus-routes

And I second the pp about looking for 2 for 1 tickets if you've travelled there by train. You'll need a printer, or pick up a leaflet at a mainline station (and your train tickets to prove you've travelled by train). The site is I think daysoutlondon, or google 2 for 1.

Another great indoor activity is the British Museum. Ask for the free to borrow children's backpack. Or Tate Britain - take the bus there via Trafalgar Square, borrow a children's pack, then take the Tate To Tate boat back to the South Bank.

When I tried to walk from Greenwich to the O2 a few weeks ago there were building works & diversions & stuff. Bus would be safer bet.

Ditch the cable car, it's really not that great and there's not very much at either side of of. Given the choice I would stay in Greenwich proper and actually go in the Cutty sark

There is a fountains installation on the S Bank, too, along the upper walkway between the RFH and the QEH, I think. Jets in a grid system which are activated in turn to make 'rooms'. Lots of interesting stuff along the S Bank, so save that for better weather on Monday? And walk along to Tate Modern for your gallery?

From Tate Modern you can walk over the Millenium bridge to St Paul's. Mine enjoyed the whispering gallery, the climb right up into the dome, and up on to the top outside viewing area. But probably worth checking their website for timed tix, as queues could be long, not sure if there are age restrictions. You do end up on ladders.

Hi all,

we've had a great first day at Kidzania,we're all knackered, DS is asleep and DD won't be long.

Greenwich tomorrow and then back to south bank for tea and do the fountain and beach thing.

Things I need to know for tomorrow:

• I'm thinking of getting the boat (clipper) one way and the DLR the other way, heard the dlr is good and goes through a building or something?!? Is it better to go by boat and return DLR or vice versa or no difference?

I'm thinking we'll have a picnic if the ground isn't too wet. Cutty Sark on arrival then picnic in Greenwich park then planetarium show (1:45) then maritime museum sound right??

Keep the ideas coming for day 3. I've seen a hello kitty afternoon tea at a nice cafe in Soho so going to book that for me and DD. Anywhere DH can take DS other than transport museum while we're doing that? He's 5.

Thanks all! I predict I'll be asleep in ooh about 5 minutes!!

Oh we should hopefully be able to set off by 9.30-10 - just going to check boat times!

DLR goes through Canary Wharf if that's what people mean by a building? It's nice but not enough to make you change plans. Although sitting at the front of it is cool.

Planeterium and maritime museum timings right, there are food markets in Greenwich village you can go to as well

Good luck and enjoy

DLR is good, especially if your kids manage to get the front seats. I don't think it makes much difference which order you do that & clipper in.

Greenwich plan sounds fine, you can presumably rearrange the order if you need to? If it's too wet to picnic, there's a cafe in the Maritime Museum with a space for kids to run round & play.

Thanks both, we'll probably take the boat there then. Planetarium show is actually 2.45 so might swap round and do maritime museum in morning.

Thanks both, we'll probably take the boat there then.

Do you pay by oyster and/ or wireless bank card on the boat? And are kids free like the tube? Same for the dlr?

Planetarium show is actually 2.45 so might swap round and do maritime museum in morning.

Clipper fares.

The kids pay 50% and if you pay with your Oyster there's a discount. DLR is free.

Lovely plans, but I'd skip Buck House.

I'm having a wobble about clipper versus city cruises - I have 2 for 1 for the latter. Longer journey versus good commentary and really getting a feel for the surroundings - is the commentary good on the city cruises and does one get more busy than the other?

In the nicest possible way, I think you're going to have to chill a little. Not every single experience will be completely perfect. Everything will have good bits and less good bits. You've had lots of good advice on this thread. I hope you'll be able to take a chance on something and have a lovely day.

It's years since I've been on City Cruises. I'd compare queues & prices & go from there.

Also, you have a chance of sitting outside on a Clipper, I don't know if you can on a City.

Just came back on to say I'm such a control freak and someone beat me to it! Went on the clipper, it was fine. Thanks all. Think we're just going to mooch around Covent Garden/ Soho tomorrow so let me know any must-see bits. Thanks all