First Trip To London - Help!

surflou

Hey all

My wife, daughter and I have to travel to London next week to visit the Irish Embassy in Knightsbridge in order to apply for a passport renewal.

We are travelling from North Wales and figured that once we are there, we would do the passport thing in the morning and get it out of the way, before taking our daughter to the Natural History and Science Museums afterwards before heading home.

We need to do this the cheapest way possible. Our first thought was train, but it's quite pricey (although our daughter is free at under 5 years old).

Then we though of driving in, parking in Uxbridge and getting the tube to Knightsbridge, then back again but that is a LOT of driving (over 8 hours for me as my wife doesn't drive) and all in one day...

So, not really sure what to do...! Help!

TUS

Well, to be honest those are your two options unless you are wanting an overnight stay. I believe you can get hotel rooms at Heathrow Travel Lodge for around £15 at the moment with a code - could that be an option along with driving?

surflou

it could be yes, I also think driving is the cheapest option, just worried about being tired behind the wheel, I'll look into the Travelodge...

alexlyne

And the NHM and SM are both huuuuuge - like 2 days (probably, I could be under or over estimating here) in each to do them properly.. so you might want to research which bits of which you really want to see.
If it's a day trip, it'll be a very long day whichever mode of transport you choose. Try friends and family railcard for 1/3 of train journeys?

TUS

Update - just checked and 1 family room comes in @ £24.90 now @ Heathrow Central based on next Wednesday night.

Just search for your date, Heathrow Central and select the blue "Flexible" rate. It shows as £39.90 on Wednesday. Then on the checkout page enter discount code "HJ53006G" and it takes £15 off the price :-D

surflou

Awesome thanks!

Knowing my little one, it'll be the dinosaurs she wants to see lol!

tanith

North Wales to London , then a whole day of traipsing around and then back to North Wales all in one day , thats an awful lot to expect of yourself if you don't mind me saying so... staying overnight is the most sensible thing..

surflou

Thats what I was thinking, I can't possibly drive 9 hours and do walking around London as well... I'll kill us on the way home! I nearly fell asleep at the wheel on the way home from town the other day lol!

eamon

Just out of interest my passport needs renewing next year. Why do you need to go to London? I can't see any mention of this requirement on the website though I haven't checked since late lasy year.

If its really personal reasons don't post on here.

Eamon

surflou

Nothing personal Eamon, the passport is for my daughter and children on Irish passports need long form birth certificates for them and the mother, we lost ours so had to order them from Dublin, that will take at least a week and so that leaves 6-7 weeks before our holiday to get the forms in.

There is no express over here for Irish passports and the full waiting time is up to 9 weeks at present as there are strikes going on or something. The fastest way for us to hopefully get her passport in time for us to go on holiday is to take it in personally according to them today...