24 hours in London...

vickiv55

Hello all.
I'm just after a wee bit of advice please. I'm taking my son to the BBC proms in July to see the Dr Who show (he's a massssive fan).

This is literally just a flying visit to London. We travel down on the saturday night, arrive in time for the proms, watch the prom, come out at midday and have 24 hours to "do London"...

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to help me blitz the touristy stuff on a VERY limited time and £££ budget

My son is 10 and top of his things to that he wants to see are: the palace and Hamleys (good priorities there..)

I was thinking about getting a tour bus to scoot round everything but they are soooo expensive...
I have googled london for free, and have seen people talking about Oyster cards and a number 11 bus that apparently covers pretty much the tour bus route.. Where do I get an Oyster card from? Can I pre-order one online? I don't have a clue about all the zones etc so would a pay as you go day oyster card be suitable?
Also, I read about the old style London buses that are still running on a couple of bus routes. Does anyone know which bus routes?

Also! Where is cheap to eat? We are staying in the Vauxhall Travelodge on the Sunday night, so any recommendations of near there would be a help?

Thank you in advance xx

Own_My_Own

Do you have any tesco vouchers ?

vickiv55

Yup, got about £50 in vouchers however I put them in the Christmas savers club and get hold of them till christmas! Meh! It seemed such a good idea at the time!

Own_My_Own

vickiv55 wrote: »

Yup, got about £50 in vouchers however I put them in the Christmas savers club and get hold of them till christmas! Meh! It seemed such a good idea at the time!

That's a shame. Are you going by train ?

vickiv55

We have got the megabus booked.... roll on the 8 hours bus journey! WooHoooo
Needs must, it was the cheapest option, but i'm ever-so slightly dreading it.

Own_My_Own

Do you live near a train station ?

vickiv55

relatively near one, why?

Own_My_Own

Go to the train station the day before you go. Get them to issue you your tube tickets from Vauxall to zone 1. This will give tickets to travel over London while you are there. You may need to get tickets for both days as they can only issue tickets 24 hours in advance. If they say they cannot do it, tell them they can and could they check. A lot of outer London staff don't realise this is available.

Once you have your tickets go to this site and print off which every 241 vouchers you want to use.

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

Explain at the station that you want to do the 241 rail offer.

susancs

The number 9 and 15 bus routes have the older routemaster on them.

I wouldn't bother getting an oyster card for your short time in London as you have to pay a deposit, load the card and either get any small amount left and deposit refunded from a tube station ticket office before you leave or write off for a refund. All abit of a hassle IMO. I would just get a daily travelcard which give you unlimited travel on London buses, tubes and overground. Just purchase it on arrival from the ticket office or one of the machines. Children aged ten and under travel free so your son will just follow you through the lugguage, pushchair manned barrier at tube stations and onto buses. A daily zones 1-2 off peak Travelcard for you would cost £7 per day (weekends are off peak all day). You can use the travelcard on the routemaster buses. If you buy the travelcard from Victoria train station part on arrival it will have the British Rail logo on it and so be eligible for the 2for1 London train offers.

Own_My_Own

susancs wrote: »

The number 9 and 15 bus routes have the older routemaster on them.

I wouldn't bother getting an oyster card for your short time in London as you have to pay a deposit, load the card and either get any small amount left and deposit refunded from a tube station ticket office before you leave or write off for a refund. All abit of a hassle IMO. I would just get a daily travelcard which give you unlimited travel on London buses, tubes and overground. Just purchase it on arrival from the ticket office or one of the machines. Children aged ten and under travel free so your son will just follow you through the lugguage, pushchair manned barrier at tube stations and onto buses. A daily zones 1-2 off peak Travelcard for you would cost £7 per day (weekends are off peak all day). You can use the travelcard on the routemaster buses.

You don't need an Oyster card. A travel card will work to get the 241 offers.

dacouch

It's a good location transport wise, you're about 100m from Vauxhall bus garage and train / underground station.

You can look up bus times and underground routes here https://www.tfl.gov.uk

There's a big Sainsburys about 300m away on Wansdworth Road.

Interesting fact your son will probably like, the Helicoptor crash earlier this year was literally a stones throw away from your hotel