Can anyone help me plan my weekend in London, please?

[ElizabethWakefield]

The weekend before Xmas DD (age 9) and I are going to London (from Glasgow) to see Miley Cyrus

We don't have a lot of time, but I would quite like to do some nice things while we are there.

We arrive on the Saturday at about 1.30 into Kings cross, we will have very little luggage, so I thought we could have some lunch and go straight to the shops, DD wants to go to Harrods and Hamleys and I am quite happy to go with that as well as having a bit of a wander. (I'm right in thinking that it wont be too hard to get there from kings cross?)

We are staying in the dockland area, which I know is a bit far out, but I read it was easier to get back from the O2. So after some shopping I thought I could head back to the hotel, but was wondering if there was much in the docklands area that we could do on the Sat night without travelling too far? (I don't know that area at all)

We have the whole of the Sunday free up until the concert at 7.30, so I'm looking for some ideas, please, I was thinking of either an open bus tour (but was thinking we might not have enough time to make the most of it) or going to Ripley's believe it or not (if anyone has been, is it any good?) Both of which I could use clubcard vouchers for Or if anyone could recommend anything else that we might enjoy. We have done the london eye, duck tour, Buckingham palace in the past.

Then we have until 3 o clock on the Monday free when we need to get our train home.

Also any tips on which would be the best route from the hotel (novotel excel) to the o2 and back again would be great!

TIA

Sounds lovely! You realise though that Harrods (in Knightsbridge) is right over the other side of town from where you are staying? It will take you approx half an hour to get from one to the other, longer perhaps if where you are staying is not on the tube. Also Hamleys is in the Oxford Street area which will involve more tube journeys, not especially near Knightsbridge. This is a useful website for planning journeys transport for london

The open bus tour tickets can normally be used over 2 days so that might be something you could do on Sunday and for part of Monday.

Re: docklands area - whereabouts are you staying - where is nearest tube/train station?

Greenwich is near your hotel, and has lovely shops, a fab market and restaurants.

If I were doing your weekend, I think I would go straight to hotel from Kings X, then hang out in Greenwich in the pm and eve. Sun am, would go to Harrods and Hamleys (actually, if it really were me, would be Selfridges and Anthropologie, but anyway...) then do bus tour from about 2pm. Most of the bus tours include a free river cruise, which you can use to get you back to Greenwich Pier, and then get a cab to the O2. (we did a trip with The Big Bus Co, who are the brown/cream buses, in Sept, and it was fab).

The bus ticket are all valid for 24 hrs, so you could then use it again the next day until it's time to head back to Kings X for your train home.

Thaanks for replying pinkteddy, I will check out that website, thanks!

I pretty much figured that where we are staying would be be pretty far from both harrods and hammleys, which is why i thought we might be best to try and go to both as soon as we arrive, straight from the station (kings cross) as I figured that it would be easier from there, than from the docklands.

We are staying in the novotel, which, according to it's website, is near canning town railway station, and cannon town tube station on the jubilee line and custom house on the DLR.

Good idea about the open top bus being able to use that both days, that might be a plan!

Posts crossed PC plum.

I know what you mean, the choice of shops wouldn't be my first choice, but as it is DD's birthday weekend away, I will let her dictate (to an extent )

I do like the idea of having a wander around greenwich market, that sounds like a nice afternoon actually!

I stayed in Beckton last time for the O2, similar area to you but bit further away. If you are feeling tired take the DLR to Canning Town then change to south Jubilee line (one stop to O2) otherwise I'd just walk to Canning Town and use the tube to go under the river.

Hope you have a lovely time

Thanks claire, that sounds pretty straight forward

I would do Selfridges and Hamleys as they are close to each other - just a short bus ride or 1 tube stop on the Central Line. Selfridges is just as good as Harrods to look around, and has a food hall and lots of interesting departments for your DD to look around.

Selfridges have nice places for lunch, or you are just next door to St Christophers Place.

I have been to Ripleys with my DS and, although I wouldn't have paid full price for its as we were in and out in just over an hour, we really enjoyed it. It is not the plcae to go to if you are very PC as some of it is like an old fashioned freak show, but it is good fun for children.

I travel to London with my 11 yr old for hospital visits and she always loves looking round Hamleys as she can play with the toys. If you have time Covent Garden can be interesting with street entertainers etc. WE did a hop on/off bus tour and that was good at giving her a sense of the scale of it all as well as allowing us to spend as much/little time as we wanted on the bus. Anyway, Im sure youll have a super time!

Thanks both. The reason we (DD) picked harrods was because of their Wizard of Oz theme (she is a bit obsessed with it ) But she could be convinced to go elsewhere.

I was going to use my tesco vouchers if we went to Ripleys anyway. I did think from looking at the website that it would be quite hard to spend a lot of time there.

Covent Garden is a good idea too. I really wish we had more time, there is loads i would like to do!