Mini break in London

oliviarosejackson

We are looking into a mini break in London for us over the summer. Just for two days to have some time away from everything with the kids. Our DD would love to see the sights of London.

Where is the best place to look for reasonably priced hotels. Can anyone suggest on what things would be best to do. Our children would be 9 and nearly 2.

We would like to keep costs as low as possible.

Thanks in advance for any help.

jemcart

If the weather is good when you’re here, there are variousHarry Potter Tours of London that are reasonably priced, or the changing of theguard at Buckingham Palace or the Princess Diana Memorial Playground in HydePark (both of which are free).

If the weather isn’t so good, there are several museums andshops the whole family will enjoy. Pollock’s Toy Museum of the V&A’s Museumof Childhood are both meant to be very good, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not is definitelya museum with a difference. I don’t think any of these, particularly the first two, are too expensive.

Finally no trip to London would be complete without a tripto Hamley’s toy store on Regent Street or Harrods’ toy department in Knightsbridge.I’m afraid they’re not so cheap, but a short visit can help limit the damage!

jordanchaos

London is brilliant whatever the weather! With a bit of planning you can fit quite a bit in, especially if you use the tube and get something like the London Pass. You'll get a few naysayers complaining its too expensive but with a bit of thrifty knowledge it doesn't have to break the bank. book the train tickets as far in advance as possible!

I've used the 241 Hotel Club card when staying in London, you get two nights for the price of one which can save quite a bit of cash
I always schedule a break in Hyde Park or Notting Hill for a packed lunch especially when it's really hot!

p00hsticks

For budget accomodation, look at a family room in the various central Travelodges - e.g. Southwark, Waterloo, Covent Garden. And avoid Saturday nights (usuallly the most expensive).

If you are only going for two days, I wouldn't recommend trying to save money on accomodation by staying out in the sticks somewhere - you'll spend more money, and more importantly time, travelling in.

Ther are loads of free things to do - I'd recommend the Science Museum and Natural History Museum in South Kensington one day, with perhaps a break in Hyde Park, and then perhaps for the second if your feet will take it, you can see many of the sights simply by walking to the river and along the Embankment (and if your feet won't take it, invest in a river roamer ticket to go up and down the river on the Thames Clippers all day )

mustmakealist

You might enjoy a duck tour. It's an amphibian vehicle that goes both on land and on the river.

Outer_Limits

There are lots of brilliant activities for children during the holidays - and a lot of them are free!

Don't know if all the listings are out yet but try this:

www.timeout.com/london/kids/

Dunroamin

I hate to be negative but central London with a 1 year old in the summer doesn't seem to be an awfully good idea to me, particularly on a tight budget. Sorry.

terrence-man

Holiday Inn group (IHG) have a two for one offer on at the moment, will keep costs down (Search google for Greenroom 2 for 1 Holiday Inn). Try looking for a hotel on the outskirts, but with easy access to central london, - like the docklands, custom house, beckton, greenwich even (check out prices for the Devere Hotel in greenwich). Holiday Inn Limehouse is quite cheap at times too. You might be able to find a decent hotel for around £50 depending on when you go. The likelyhood is that the olympics will push prices sky high and might be better to go another time or afterwards?

heather79

we stayed at the waterloo travelodge. train and sub station are a 5 min walk away. your only 10 mins walk from the london eye, the sealife centre is just down from the london eye, then alk over wetminster bridge. my daughter was 13 when we went and we visited the horses guard its free to see the horses, then walk down to buckingham palace. we bought tickets off ebay for the london eye, madame tussauds and london dungeons which saved us a lot of money. just down the road from the waterloo travelodge is a sainsburys where they have fresh sandwiches.

sarah69696pink

We regularly stay at the waterloo travel lodge - love it there, basic but you know what you are getting and great position for buses, trains, tube and walking.

alisont

I was going to say Travelodge or Premier inn - both have had sale rooms - either side of the Olympics.
Thanks to poster who mentioned Holiday Inn 2for 1 deal ill look at that as I need to book a hotel for a weekend in August - funny enough was looking at Waterloo travelodge! Am being tight as wondering if I'll get better than £42.50 for the Fri night I need! If I get a Hol Inn 2for1 might be better but bet its not for single person booking.

Museums are great for children and Covent gardens nice - street entertainers are fun. Most museums have picnic areas - and nearby supermarkets and parks for cheap lunches out.