northerners guide to london (beginner level)

bilty

I took my 2 6 yr old grandsons this year on the train using a friends and family rail card, their ticket was about £4. Lovely around the London eye and a great free playground. The loved the History Museum.

craftynutters

you could try this site for where to stay
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/416500

ERICS_MUM

Cornucopia wrote: »

Kings Cross is not quite as bad as it used to be, but still not a great area to stay in.

fair point but hopefully the OP will be out and about in London town all day into the evening, returning to the hotel for bedtime ? I don't think it would be unsafe, as long as they don't go wandering down the back streets after dark !

Kings Cross has good transport links to all of central London by tube and bus.

OP, another thing to bear in mind is that once you get to the central "tourist" area it's easy to walk from place to place if you plan your route carefully and visit a few sights in one area. For example, the Tower of London can be coupled with a trip up Tower Bridge, cross the river and walk down to the Shard, visit HMS Belfast. Or get on a boat at the Tower and visit Greenwich or go the other way to Westminster.

Or - The London Eye, the Aquarium, wander across Westminster Bridge to the Houses of Parliament (I think you can ask your MP to arrange a visit inside), then stroll round to Westminster Abbey.

3rd: Some shopping in Oxford Street (or Hamleys toy store in Regents St), walk down Regents Street to Piccadilly Circus then down to Trafalgar Sq. Carry on to Covent Garden for your dinner and see the free open-air entertainment.

Harrods in Knightsbridge then stroll down Brompton Rd to the Natural History and Science Museums and the V&A.

If the suggestion of Coram Fields interests you, it's not far from the British Museum, then get a bus or stroll down Charing Cross Road to Soho, the theatre district and China Town. Theatre tickets will be expensive though.

I could go on and on ! I used to live/work and socialise in London but since I retired and moved out to Essex I rarely visit. My sole new years resolution this year is to go up more often and so far I've been to the Chelsea Flower Show, an Eric Clapton concert at the Royal Albert Hall and a Rod Stewart concert at the O2 Arena. Still on my list is the Globe Theatre and a guided tour of the Shard.

Have a great time. I've travelled widely but London remains my favourite city by a country mile.

PS you could buy sandwiches, snacks and drinks in the Marks and Spencers "Simply Food" & Tesco Express stores dotted about London and have a picnic rather than getting McDonalds or spending quite a lot of money in a restaurant chain.

Linda xx