Navigating London Underground with suitcase and 7 year old plus evening travel

RuthnJasper

The London Dungeon is excellent value for money - a really good experience with lots to see and learn and some excellent bits with actors (a Jack the Ripper bit, a 17th Century court trial, etc). Some of it is quite graphic in it's gruesomeness, however, and it might be a bit "full-on" for your son.

I don't have kids myself, but am a Londoner by birth, so I agreed to take a friend's 11 year-old to London for the day, to give her a break. He was desperate to go to the London Dungeon and very vocal about the gory bits before-hand. However, he almost wet himself at a couple of points, and during the Tudor torture bit I felt him slip his hand in mine! I held his hand all the way for that bit!!!
:eek:

That said, he really did enjoy it in the end - but I thought I should warn you!

The LD is run by the same people as Madame Tussauds and it's the same price to get into each one, but there is SUCH a difference between the two venues. MT is a HUGE rip-off for what it is and quite disappointing. However, we were several hours in the LD - it was informative, well-designed, and a great (if slightly unsettling!) experience. I left feeling that I'd really got my money's-worth, something I never have done with MT.

Here's another little tip - the Horniman Museum (near to where I lived as a child) is excellent and completely free to enter. It's in Forest Hill, easy to get to on overground rail; might be useful for another time. Here's their website: http://www.horniman.ac.uk/index.php Also the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, both in Trafalgar Square (beware the pigeons!) are free to enter.

If you are faced with a choice between the National History and Science museums, go for the latter this time 'round. I took another friend there once with her son, who has Downs Syndrome, and he absolutely adored it; loads of buttons to press and kids are extremely welcome (even encouraged) to really get stuck in.

If little feet get tired, it's always fun to just get on a double-decker bus, sit on the top deck, and ride around central London for a bit.

Have fun! Samuel Johnson (who wrote the original dictionary) once said "If you are tired of London, you are tired of life." But I suspect I'm biased. xx

poe.tuesday

as you have not booked your hotel yet why not see if you can get a good deal with a hotel that is more central to what you are planning to do, going out to ealing way makes no sense not unless you have found a good hotel deal

at the mo, intercontinental group (holiday inn etc) have a 2 4 1 offer that you maybe able to find a good location at a good price

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/6c/1/en/c/1/content/dec/teaser/6c/1/en/lp/emea/twofor.html?rateCode=IDEX1&PID=1546795&cm_mmc=DCE-_-PCES120709-_-EMEN-_-UKLEISURE%3Fcm_mmc%3DCJ-_-1453124-_-1546795-_-IHG+Redirect

candjsmum

dacouch wrote: »

I'm not sure you could fit the Science and History Museums and also see the London Dungeon all on the same short day

Have to agree. When we went to London last year we spent 1 whole day just doing the natural history museum. Think you may be pushing it to do all.
Have a great time though!!

Nicky

bluenose1

Dear all,
thanks again for all your brilliant advise.
I have decided not to try and navigate the Tube with my suitcase as it sounds rather difficult to get through Euston Tube station with luggage.
I have booked to stay in the Holiday Inn Express in Watford which is 2 minutes walk away from Watford Junction.
I know Watford Junction is far away but I stayed there last time and the overland train took less than 20 minutes and I didn't have to navigate any stairs.

Thanks Poe Tuesday but couldn't get the 2 for 1 to work for Watford for intercontinental group, however managed to get £10 off per night booking via hotels.com with the code provided by Martin.
So 2 nights stay with breakfast cost £99.90 for room for 4, could have got it for £87 but decided to pay the extra so that I have the option to cancel if necessary.
The reviews are very good.

Thanks RuthnJasper for the warning re the Dungeons. He is nearly 8 and would love to go as he has seen it on YouTube etc but like you said I am conscious of how scary it will be. At least I would be using my Tesco Clubcard to pay so if we left early wouldn't matter financially.

Will have a think about my itinerary and prioritise to make sure we do the things we want to most.

susancs

The Lord mayors Show is on in November and if coming to London that weekend there is a nice parade earlier on and a good Fireworks display over the Thames later in the evening- might be worth considering.

Stompa

susancs wrote: »

The Lord mayors Show is on in November and if coming to London that weekend there is a nice parade earlier on and a good Fireworks display over the Thames later in the evening- might be worth considering.

And there's a website:

http://www.lordmayorsshow.org/

DealCruncher

dacouch wrote: »

I'm not sure you could fit the Science and History Museums and also see the London Dungeon all on the same short day

Science Museum could take a day with kids, though I could see how you could do both. The Dungeon is only about an hour or so.

@Bluenose - If you're going to Ealing, then Ealing Broadway is on the Central line, the same line as Oxford Circus, it splits in two at North Acton.

Hanger Lane isn't the nicest place at night, I work there, but it's unlikely you'll get trouble, it's mainly an industrial area with a huge roundabout. Busses are pretty regular everywhere, but I'd rather be getting off in Ealing at 10ish than at Hanger Lane.

poe.tuesday

have a wonderful time and rather than doing the bus trips (which I personally think are tres expensive) have a look at the duck tours - same as the bus but you also go on the river too - for me this is far better value - you do have to book though

LisaPapakis

I think the Dungeon, the Natural History and the Science is too much. The Science has a brilliant play area in the basement, my daughter (7) could've stayed there all day. And of course, the Natural History has dinosaurs, every little boys dream...

Dungeon is VERY scary, even from the outside, why don't you have a nice relaxed day at the Natural History and the Science and save on money and nightmares? The Natural History and the Science are HUGE, there's a lot of walking, I don't think you'd have time to get down to Dungeon with two kids in tow.

london_saver

If its nt too late to cancel, maybe the 2 for 1 offer at Holiday Inn, Intercontinental, Crown Plaza may be a better option/ deal. You might be able to get a closer hotel in the centre of London for the same or lower price than what you have booked already? The deal is on the money.co. uk website (can I quote another website?)