London stay with 5 yo

[RougeVinEtFromage]

Wondering if any southerners can help a northerner out.

So in May we want to take my DS6 to London for 2 nights.

We will drive down the sat morning to land mid day, Sunday day we want to do Big Ben and natural history museum then set off home Monday mid day.

Now my dilemma, where to stay? I thought about Windsor but we always stay there. Need to be able to park and want a nice town with an hour max train in to central London. Any ideas??

Hopeful bump

Why would you not stay in central London? If it's cost, there are YMCAs in central London.

Then you can maximise your time without having to travel.

If you don't want to be central, how about somewhere in north London? It might be exciting for your DC to get the underground in.

There are lots of nice properties on Airbnb. I'd look at Bloomsbury, Holborn or Farringdon as all are central but less popular for out of towners who tend to favour Soho, Knightsbridge, Covent Garden etc (more touristy and expensive). If you are doing natural history I'd strongly recommend the science museum and an open top bus ride for your 5 year old.

Remember Big Ben is being renovated so not much to see there! For a 5 year old south bank often have things to do for children and the shrek adventures is brilliant.

Would it not be cheaper to get a family and friends rail card and book train tickets 12 weeks in advance when cheapest... And stay at a premier Inn relatively central... I found it to be cheaper than ymca.

London bank (Tower), County Hall and London Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) I've found to be good with similar aged children... Who love their free breakfast

Money not really an issue, def don't want to be staying in a hostel as we would just stay in a hotel. I thinking somewhere picturesque, Cambridge? Maybe we will do Windsor again as I do really like staying there and the journey to central London isn't bad and DS still gets to go on a train/tube.

We could get the train down I guess but with luggage etc I alway find it so much easier just going in the car.

Damn forgot about the scaffolding!!!

Amersham has some nice hotels and is on the met line.

We did an Airbnb for a similar trip when my ds was that age. It worked really well for us as ds had his own room so could go to bed undisturbed. Also we could sort breakfast (and lunch and dinner if necessary) ourselves.

Surely you'd only have a little hand luggage case for a short stay? Train and then Covent Garden travelodge.

The sky garden is good and free but you need to prebook to go up

@farting, yes and also we can have a vino or 2 when DS is in bed 👏