London - 26th-31st - 2 children - Whats good?

wholehearted

I'll be going to London for the first time from 26th Dec until New Years Eve.

What's worth going to see?!? (at reasonable prices of course - but dont mind splashing out on a couple of 'must-see' items.

Staying in a Travelodge near Tower bridge for £29 per night with my wife and 2 kids, 9 (girl) and 6 (boy) so need eating recommendations as well (we dont drink :A ) and no late night escapades will be ventured.

Any suggestions will be warmly welcomed!!

richardw

Nr 15 bus is cheap with great sights from the top deck.

maximus0983

there are various christmas festivals on.

hyde park has winter wonderland

somerset house ice rink

canary wharf ice rink

http://golondon.about.com/od/decemberannualevents/tp/ChristmasLondon.htm

this should help.

also if you want guided tours around london for the day

https://www.goldentours.co.uk

ifonlyitwaseasier

if you go to county hall, (london eye), there are some great places to eat in the middle strip between the two buildings, Neds noodle bar is fantastic, the bagel place is good too.

if you are going to Oxford street i'd recommend going to oxford circus, follow up regents street past the side of H&M and take the next left, there is a cafe, i think called the Lido on the right hand side, they are very reasonably priced and have great homecooked foods.

for activities try the Imperial War museum, Science Museum, V&A

have a great time!

kb36

I would recommend the museum of Childhood in Bethnall Green for kids of that age and it is also good for the grown ups too , a bit of nostalgia - daily activities and free.
http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/index.html

On Tower Bridge you can get the RV1 bus that follows a great route taking in many big sites between the Tower of London and Covent Garden going past the Tate Modern, Borough Market (worth stopping), London Eye. Check out the exact route on the tfl website. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/central_bus_map.pdf The interactive light display in Covent Garden is beautiful and there is always some sort of entertainment going on.

Science Museum Launch pad is fabulous for kids - get there early and avoid the crowds but it is well worth a visit.

The British Museum especially the Egyptian bit fascinated my 6 year old son. Checking out the mummified remains and finding out about burial rituals... 9 year old daughter liked it too

I really don't think you need to spend a fortune to entertain kids in London as there are loads of great free things to do.

For eating our family faves are Gourmet burger Kitchen (vouchers for two for one on the site), Wagamama, Giraffe, the Real Greek, Yo Sushi - all have branches not too far from your hotel

Becles

I took my two at a similar age. They loved the museums which I think are all free now, and the London Eye. They really enjoyed the Tower of London. Some actors were there that day and they did a tour but acted out things that happened in the tower. It was great fun.

What about a show? We went to see the Lion King and we really enjoyed it.

We didn't do a tour bus. They enjoyed travelling on the normal buses and the tube better.

wholehearted

Plenty to consider there. Many thanks to all who have suggested things.

Checked out the prices of the Gormet Burger Kitchen. Burgers plus chips plus drink will be over a tenner each. Is it worth it? (even with the 2 for 1 burger option its a great deal dearer than Burger King, KFC etc...)

kb36

wholehearted wrote: »

Plenty to consider there. Many thanks to all who have suggested things.

Checked out the prices of the Gormet Burger Kitchen. Burgers plus chips plus drink will be over a tenner each. Is it worth it? (even with the 2 for 1 burger option its a great deal dearer than Burger King, KFC etc...)

Yup -it is more pricey than fast food places but different strokes for different folks as they say. I'd rather spend more on food and less on entertainment but that's just me..... I do however believe that you get what you pay for

cardiffforthefacup

Don't forget the 2 for 1 offers with train tickets and if you pick up one of the free london guide books there are usually 15% off vouchers for places like rainforest cafe. The express had free child tickets not so long ago for pantos and there is also the zoo. The tate modern also has hands on things for young children.

BernadetteN

We've gone to London every year for 4 years just before Christmas, always in cheap Travelodge rooms or similar. We've done all the museums and ice rinks mentioned. This year we are splitting as a family to go and see some shows - £12.50 got our 12 and 10 years in to see "Spamalot" and £12 has bought us places for "The Snowman" for our 3 and 7 year olds. The most expensive thing we have done in the past is the ice skating which we won't do this year as we can skate for less than half the price on a similar rink to the London ones in our home town of Brussels. We've always had to book up the London skating in advance too, due to the popularity of it during the Christmas holiday period.

sooz

wholehearted wrote: »

Plenty to consider there. Many thanks to all who have suggested things.

Checked out the prices of the Gormet Burger Kitchen. Burgers plus chips plus drink will be over a tenner each. Is it worth it? (even with the 2 for 1 burger option its a great deal dearer than Burger King, KFC etc...)

The burgers are HUGE and made with real meat. Between 4 you won't need more than 2 portions of chips...when we go as a family of 4, we even struggle with 1!! The whole thing is a proper meal, rather than a snack.

There is also a very similar thread here on the day out sub-board which has lots of useful suggestions.