London weekend on the cheap for one adult and 2 kids 24th April one night

london_saver

If you want cheap eats, look at the vouchercodes website or chinatown always does good cheap food (Wan Chai corner restaurant, you can get a bowl of noodles or rice for £3.50!). I also like london's greasy spoons. You can have yourself (or share) a massive breakfast for under a five, and includes a cup of tea!
If you fancy a cup of tea/ coffee, dont go to Starbucks etc, you can always nip into a little coffee bar/ sandwich bar and pick up a cup of tea for around 70p- £1. Much cheaper and the same thing!

terryw

also:

1. Use the Oystercard on the DLR - kids love the train without a driver
2. Brick Lane particularly for car-boot style market on Sundays. It is very close to Petticoat Lane for the market there.

susancs

purpleheather2810 wrote: »

Hi all, I am hoping to visit London for a day trip in the Easter Hols with my 2 daughters (5 and 2) - I thought I would join this thread rather than start a new one. I have read the whole thread and there are some useful links which I will take a look at. We will be arriving at Marylebone station and hoping perhaps to do Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Science Museum and any other general mooching we can squeeze in. Does anyone have any tips for me? TIA and bluenose, I hope you have a fab time!

I would check the tube line closures for the Easter weekend as usually they have a lot of part or whole line closures to do track work then. There are usually alternative routes and replacement buses, but this will mean you have to factor in extra travel time in your journeys.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/livetravelnews/realtime/tube/track-closures.pdf

I would get to museum for opening time, as you can get around it a lot faster and see a lot more, before it gets too crowded. Kensington Gardens would probably be more fun for your little ones than Hyde Park, so I would head there and if you have time then walk into Hyde Park from there. KG has a peter pan playpark, the Palace, a pond that people sail toy boats on if the weather is OK. The Serpentine lake in Hyde Park is good in the late spring/early summer, to watch people boating, go into the lido, cafe etc, but think you may be a bit too early in the year-as most things open in May.

Wildside

purpleheather2810 wrote: »

Hi all, I am hoping to visit London for a day trip in the Easter Hols with my 2 daughters (5 and 2) - I thought I would join this thread rather than start a new one. I have read the whole thread and there are some useful links which I will take a look at. We will be arriving at Marylebone station and hoping perhaps to do Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Science Museum and any other general mooching we can squeeze in. Does anyone have any tips for me? TIA and bluenose, I hope you have a fab time!

Your children might also enjoy the Museum of Childhood if you get time. They might find the website fun as well. Only problem is that it might be a bit far away from the other places you are going to.

The V&A Museum of Childhood is open from 10:00 until 17:45 every day. Admission is free
http://www.vam.ac.uk/moc/index.html

I notice your children are very young so best to limit how much walking etc, little legs get very tired walking even walking around a museum so allow time for taking a break & having a rest as well. Are you going to be on your own with them or will you have another adult to help? The reason I ask is it can be difficult holding on to 2 young ones in the crowds, also the less you have to carry the easier it will be. I wouldn't advise using the tube unless you really have to.

A couple of other things to do that you could consider are a bus trip round to see all the sights (open top if it is a nice day) and/or a River Cruise I am not sure about cost or the cheapest way to do them so if anyone else knows please post info. I've heard a lot of people say the Duck Tours are really fun but I think these tour are all quite expensive so it depends on what sort of budget your on really.

http://www.visitlondon.com/events/tours/bus-tours

Wildside

Bluenoise, liames & Purple heather,
Have a great time, be nice to hear how you get on & might be of use to others in the future.

bluenose1

Have been looking through Airmiles offers and notice that I could get afternoon tea in London. Any advise if this is worth doing, and if they are in central locations?
Bearing in mind I have a well behaved seven year old and thirteen year old in tow.
Thanks

keys_2

I used to work in London and go out round there alot , But I now live back up north and plan to take my soon to be 4 yr old there for a few days and was having the same thought as you .
I will be keeping my eyes posted on here for ideas as I didnt have a little one when I lived there.

You could always go on late deals .com as they sometimes hve special offers on in things to do in london . And at nigh tyou could always take them to see a show

minerva_windsong

The show idea is good, go to the TKTS booth in Leicester Square (as mentioned on the cheap tickets section of the main site) to see if there are any good cheap ones. For kids depending on age I'd go for Hairspray if you're there when it's still on, Grease, The Lion King or Wicked.

bluenose1 wrote: »

Have been looking through Airmiles offers and notice that I could get afternoon tea in London. Any advise if this is worth doing, and if they are in central locations?
Bearing in mind I have a well behaved seven year old and thirteen year old in tow.
Thanks

I've done this, at the Strand Palace Hotel which is about 10-15 minutes walk from Charing Cross station. It was nice if very quiet, although next time I'd push the boat out a bit and go to a different hotel, as I think afternoon tea is more about the atmosphere than anything else.

dangers

We were in London last weekend and had a great time.
Our itinerary went as follows:
Thursday - trip to Lords cricket ground as my two are MAD on cricket.
Friday - tube from Earls Court to Holborn, walk to British Museum (where we spent 2½ hours and didn't see it all!). From there, we walked to Oxford St and along it until just before Regents Street. Here we dropped down to see Liberty's (youngest son doing Tudors at school) before going to Hamleys - walked in, up escalator to 5th floor, looked at overpriced toys, back down again. Walked to Piccadilly Circus and then tubed it to Harrods. The boys weren't very impressed and I only showed them the food halls. We then walked to the Science Museum; but to be honest we were too tired to make the most of it.
Saturday - Imperial War Museum - where again we spent a good 2½ hours just doing the ground floor and basement. Then home - exhausted.

I do think we crammed too much in, but we did manage it and have put the Science Museum higher on the list of things to do next time we are in London.

I was very impressed to find a lot of small Tesco stores/M&S etc for popping into for cheap sandwiches etc.

marie-moo-moo

just a quicky,if you have a family rail card they have offers of their own for days out combined family rail card tickets,look at website,not alot in watford at all,remember to print 2 for 1 for days out and restraunts,meal deals in shops,or lunch time specials(£6.49-adults- £3.99 kids under12 eat all you want buffet at pizza hut) tel no., maps,directions ect...