Off to London - top tips

[debbiedora]

Hi all, we are visiting London next week to see the Lion King for my daughters birthday.
What are your top tips for getting around. I have never been to London with the kids before just with friends.
We only have 3 days and want to fit as much in as possible
I'm thinking London eye and south bank up to tower bridge one day, Covent Garden and Oxford street on theatre day and that leaves one full day unplanned at the moment. Kids are 14 and 10 so not babies.
TIA

My 2 are the same age and they enjoyed the London Dungeon which is also on the Southbank.

The Sky Garden is free, but try to book a slot online beforehand. They also loved the Tower Bridge experience and the Tower of London is good too.

Maybe go to Trafalgar Sqauare as well.

Greenwich, including a walk through the foot tunnel, Cutty Sark, walk up the hill to the Royal Observatory and Royal Maritime Museum. Could also take the DLR to the Emirates airline from the north side of the Thames after walking through the foot tunnel.

The Lyceum is actually closer to the Southbank than anywhere else you've mentioned so maybe do that on theatre day.

Really depends what they are into... History? Art? Cultural stuff?

Kensington- Natural History and/or Science museums or V and A, park if it is nice, Kensington palace, High Street for food and shopping.

On getting around - I’d do walking, buses & tube in order of preference, depending on distances. Your kids might enjoy working out routes on the big street maps.

If you do go by tube, my tips are to avoid rush hour like the plague & make sure they know about standing on the right on escalators.

Look into getting you 14yo a child oyster card... it could save a lot of money.

Your 10yo would be free on bus/tube.

You would be surprised how much of London you can cover walking. Agree avoid the tube. Buses are good.

There is currently a free exhibition at the V&A about costumes from musicals. Has some of the Lion King ones on show.

At that age mine have loved

China town for dinner -

Boat tour / Open top bus tour (a good chance to sit down on a busy day)

Churchill war rooms

War of the Worlds experience

IMAX cinema if anything good on

Camden market

Punch drunk Burnt City (the older one anyway)

Shard or the freebie sky garden rather than the eye

Walking over the top of the O2 (check ten isn’t too young / don’t think so)

The mummy rooms at the British Museum

Walk where you can, avoid tube at rush hour where possible - and get them Oyster cards

Amazing thank you all, I'm a bit anxious about the tube so glad we can walk a few places. So always stand on the right on the escalators?

Stand On the right... its hard to get wrong really, there's a lot of people so you just follow everyone else.

Yes. The left is for people in a hurry to walk down, so if you’re spread out you may find someone asking you to move - again, especially at rush hour.

Have a look at the Citymapper app for planning routes, and do take a boat if you get the chance.

Well, you’d think… but it’s amazing how often people don't seem to notice that everyone else is standing on one side, & are shocked at being asked to move over!

Me too. Covent garden tube only has lifts or 193 steps to get out......as I discovered on Tuesday. We had to back track to Leicester Square to get out......I dont like overcrowded places. Lucky its not far!

Went for trip on the Thames from Tower Bridge to Westminster..we all enjoyed that but weather was fair!

I love the Lion King.

Further to the other suggestions, I'd add:

Graffiti tunnels at Leeke Street by Waterloo station (my teenagers think they're pretty cool)
Borough Market (by London Bridge station/not Borough station!)
Walk up from there through More London to a nice view of Tower Bridge
The restaurant Aqua Shard is good for the views although they've stopped doing the cheap breakfast option
If you go over the Millennium Bridge, have a look at the tiny paintings on the floor

The river bus or river cruise are a good way of seeing a lot - you can get an all day ticket similar to a travel card. You could walk one way and then when everyone is whinging you could get the boat back!

Sorry me again, we are hoping to do hamleys and Harrods, are these close together? Also Hoping to walk by the palace

Harrods is in Knightsbridge, just south of Hyde Park,
Hamleys in Regent Street near Oxford Circus. Not very close but doable.Buckingham Palace is partway between (if a slight diversion). You could do Harrods, bus to Hyde Park Corner, walk down to palace via Constitution Hill and back through Green Park to Piccadilly, walk/bus to Piccadilly Circus and walk/bus up Regent Street to Hamleys.

Liberty is practically next door to Hamleys (potentially more interesting than Hamleys to 14yo!)

Yes. And don't stop at the top, move away if you want to check your phone or make sure everyone's together.

it’s amazing how often people don't seem to notice that everyone else is standing on one side

Some people do it just to be arses in an 'I'm not a boring conformist, I'm a rebel, me' sort of way -then wonder why everyones pushing past them.

tfl.gov.uk/modes/walking/

This might help. The journey planner includes walking

It’s also much easier if you have your oysters / contactless cards ready before you get to the gates. Incidentally, if you’re getting a bus you only need to tap when you get on, not when you get off.

Yes, & then they just look daft!

Although people who stand on the wrong side by mistake, & then move when asked, are less annoying than people who walk very slowly, often while looking at their phone.