Question:
I live in hertfordshire and very very rarely ever travel into london.. Maybe it's too close.
Anyway Me and my Wife want to take our 2 kids of 4 and 6 to london for the day to see the sights and then show them the lights later on.
We are planning on taking the train as an added bonus for the kids who have never been on a train before. (cars are to convienient)..
Could anyone please give us some ideas on how we could best spend our time in london i.e. best places to visit and see. and where the best places to see the lights are.
We are also hoping to see santa (for the kids) does anyone know if hamleys has one??
Answers:
My favourite way of seeing London is from the Thames. You can get a return ticket from Westminster peer go up to Greenwich on one of the very frequent Guided tour " boats and then go outside ice skating at the old Naval Academy ( I think £20 for a family ticket - cheeper than Somerset House) .
Alternitively take one of the many hop on / hop off guided Bus tours of the city . These are fairly frequent and will take you past all teh majorsites allowing you to get off and explore and catch the next bus 20 minutes later.
We used to take our Kids to Selfridges Grotto which was really magical but they stopped soing this seveal years ago. I think Hamleys still does have a grotto but expect Queues.
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A trip on the thames sounds like an excellent idea the kids will love that. Not sure about iceskating though, could imagine my little boy breaking his neck, he's a nightmare.... thanks for the idea though...
I've also found out from a bloke at work that the science museum is now free entry to everyone but if you want to go into the Imax it's about £7/£8 (don't know what the imax is though?).....
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Yes, the Science Museum is free. (The IMAX is a kind of cinema, with a 3D screen, they mostly show specially made nature documentaries and the like, but also the odd cartoon and some normal films. You have to pay for the tickets, but there are usually 2 for 1 offers around if you look.)
Also free and just round the corner from the Science Museum is the Natural History museum. Young kids love their dinosaur exhibition.
If you are going by train, look/ask in your local train station for a flyer on 2 for 1 offers in London which are valid with a valid train ticket. I think most rail companies do them and they include many of the major attractions (often including boat trips).
There are some good Christmas ights down Regent Street and you could also pop in to Hamleys, the giant children's toy shop. They usually have lots of people demonstrating the toys and stuff. (And yes, they do have a santa, 11-4 every day on the 2nd floor). Selfridges on Oxford street also has a fantastic Christmas department, which feels like a real grotto. (Not sure they have a santa though.)
Have fun!
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If you go to the science museum there is a section that is aimed at children (was on the ground floor) and it is much more fun than the rest of the museum. The imax is good, but there is a bigger and better one at Waterloo(20 X 26 metre screen). They have got a nice cartoon on this year, which we saw last year called santa v snowman. The Waterloo one is showing a 3D version of the Polar Express. However given your children's ages they may find the 3D effects a bit too intense. The Santa film is only about 40mins long. Hamley's is a must I would say. Rainforest cafe is fun place to eat, but a bit expensive,basically done out like a rainforest with sounds and animals.
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If you do a search on the Travel, Trips etc bit you may still find some old posts there about trips to London. If they've gone, let me know and I'll try to dredge up what I found out before. Although the travel bit of the board might be best for this anyway.
I know there was something about getting free travel for the kids but you need to be a bit organised about that by getting a signature from a teacher or similar.
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I downloaded a free guide to London from roughguides.com but its just under 10 megs - so I can't really mail you with it and I don't have the url link anymore.
Perhaps do a search for this on the web and you might come up with the link again (I was actually looking for guide to Venice and found a free e-book roughguide for Venice and happened to see one for London too).
if no luck, pm me as a last resort and Ill see what I can do.
Rgds, Potty.
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From what I understand Harrods has a Santa and Grotto this year, I think you have to pay - but you get photo and present
Again I'm not too sure so check it out
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There are some Here offers on:
have a great day!
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is a good site if you're really looking to save money. But at the ages your children are, I wouldn't want to overdo it on a day trip.
The sightseeing bus trips are great, but expensive, so do some research and find one which offers a children's commentary. Then when you get there, make sure you get on THAT bus and not some other service: all their maps look very similar on the bus stops, so don't be fooled. Think first whether your kids will enjoy listening and looking. You can hop on and off, but if it's cold and you find you have a long wait for the next bus, well that can be downright miserable. And if they won't enjoy listening and looking, give it a miss. They'll grow into it. The London for Free site describes how to do a similar route on a bus pass, which if you know London at all and are confident could be the way to go: YOU then give the commentary, to the amusement of your fellow passengers. But you can then pitch it at your kids' level.
I guess THE free thing to do is see the Changing of the Guard, which only happens every other morning in winter. You don't say whether the children are boys or girls: and perhaps that is irrelevant, but on our latest visit we were assured by one of the policemen that ALL the guns were loaded with live ammunition. Seriously scary amount of firepower!
Another mega good thing to go to London for is the New Year's Day Parade. Obviously a bit late for seeing Santa in his grotto, but he was certainly at the parade the year we went. And I think the lights would still be up in Regent Street, Oxford Street etc. See
Final bit of advice: take plenty of drinks, because you'll spend a fortune buying bottles otherwise. If you do want to buy food or snacks, look out for mini branches of Boots and M&S and places like that where the food isn't marked up!
Enjoy the day!
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Took my kids to the Natural History and Science Museum in the summer. We took our own lunch and had a great day, (and they're14 and 18), The Natural History has really changed since I'd been there as a child, so many interactive things, the Dinosaur bit is brilliant! Well worth a look.
Hope you have a great day!
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Thanks for all your ideas. I've just got to work out how to fit it all in... didn't realise there was so much to do that the kids would enjoy..... They are both into Dinosaurs and had forgotten all about the history museum...
The rain forest cafe sounds great and i'm sure the kids will love this as well..
We don't really get allot of time together as a family (both working parents). So we are going to really make the most of the day and do everything for the kids. So thank you again for the tips / ideas.... Haven't really used any chat forum before and didn't really think i would get any responses...
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There is way to many exciting things to do in one day. You'll have to plan another day for the summer. I really liked going to the Tower of London when I was a child. Maybe take them next year, they might be a bit too weeny now. Kids love things where there are people dressed up and the beefesters are soooo friendly. I went to the changing of the guard in the summer, and this would be great to see. It only lasts a few minutes so make sure you get there in time. Another free thing that is fun is Trafalgar Square, with the fountain and the lions and the pidgeons (I've just remembered Ken has banned pidgeons, but I havnt been for a while, so no pidgeons anymore. boo hoo). I would say take them on an old bus with a conductor. There are some routes that go through all the sights, and they are WAY cheaper than the brown touristy ones. Check out Tarnsport for London website
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My children are 7 and 4, the Science Museum is a must do. It could take you ages to see everything. In the basement is a picnic type area used for school children and anyone bringing their own lunch. We had a great time. We also went to the Natural History museum next door, also free as my son was into Dinosaurs. From where we live in Bristol we use the megabus.com to go to London for £1. A cheap day out and the kids have a great time.
If you want to take your family out to lunch at a themed restaurant, the is a great place to go.
Have fun!
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From where we live in Bristol we use the megabus.com to go to London for £1. A cheap day out and the kids have a great time.
Oh yes, if you have a Megabus route anywhere near you that is an EXCELLENT way to take kids to London (as long as they don't get travelsick!) Get there early, bag the front seats on the top deck and you can look into the Queen's garden on your way to the bus station! MUCH better view than from a boring old train or a single decker National Express coach. (Also from Bristol!)
to check where they go from, couldn't on a quick glance see anywhere in Herts but my geography is not good ...
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Another couple of websites which you may like to look at, have a good day out!
Rosemary