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First visit to London May 2014 (from manchester)

Hi,
Instead of a birthday party this year we have decided to take our girls aged 5 & 7 to london for a night or two.
We will be going in the school holidays, and can choose any dates from Fri 23rd (evening) to Sunday 1st June.
We have never been before so i am asking for advice with booking best prices for travelling down (train prices not out yet) and best location vs price for hotel (i have been looking at premiere inns near Euston? but am unsure if this is a good location or not?
We want to see buckingham palace, go on the london eye and find other suitable things to do, places to see.
I could do with finding out what attractions are worth doing with kids and are near each other.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you :)
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Comments

  • Lokolo
    Lokolo Posts: 20,861 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts
    London Zoo is always fun, but it is a lot of walking and a long day to do everything in 2 days, especially for a 5 and 7 year old.
  • p00hsticks
    p00hsticks Posts: 13,930 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited 30 January 2014 at 3:45PM
    Aaargh! Just typed a long reply, been timed out and it's gone.

    so, more briefly;
    Eustom hotels are good for getting to and from station with luggage, not quite so good to get to sites. Check to see if hotel allows you to leave luggage prior to check in and after check out - Travelodges don't, not sure about Premier Inn. If you can, just get by with a backpack.

    There's a good central Premier Inn in County Hall right by the London Eye.
    Travelodges are often cheaper, but not all have family rooms (try the Covent Garden one for a good central location).

    Euston Square tube is direct for a trip round to South Kensington for the Science & Natural History Museums - from there if the weather good, walk across Hyde Park to the Diana Memorial Playground.

    Personally I like a trip on the river for sightseeing- you can get cruises or the commuter Clippers hop on & off services from several piers including one by the Eye. There's likely to be 2-4-1 offers on both with train tickets, although the current batch end on 30th April - most are likely to be extended nearer the time (although probably not the one for the eye, as they only tend to have that in the Winter cycle)
    http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

    Advance train tickets are usually available around 12 weeks in advance - see the 'when to buy Advance tickets' tab half way down here for details.
    http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/tickets-offers/

    Use the 'best fare finder' link on the right of the above page to see when the best prices are for - you may need to be flexible to get the best prices (Friday early evening and Saturday morning may not have the best availability). And if you don't already have a Family Railcard then look into getting one- it may pay for itself on this single trip.
  • susancs
    susancs Posts: 3,888 Forumite
    Children aged 10 and under travel free on tubes, buses and London overground trains. They just follow you through the lugguage/puschair barrier at stations. For transport adults can each buy a daily travelcard for unlimited use on buses, tubes etc. If you buy it from the train station ticket office (e.g. Euston is both train and tube station) it will have the BR logo on it that is elible with the vouchers for the 2for1 London offers. Buy the TC after 9.30am weekdays for cheaper off peak rates.
    http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

    The Natural History and Science museums are both by South Kensington tube. The science Museum basement area is nice for younger children. It is also only about 15-20 minute walk from there to Kensington Gardens. The Albert Hall and Peter Pan Diana memorial garden is there.

    I would do a rough plan of what you want to do and use www.tfl.gov.uk journey finder to plan your journeys from wherever you decide to stay.

    Sundays often have the cheapest hotel rates, so if you plan to start your trip then.
    As poohsticks says there is a good PI at County Hall that overlooks the Eye and the Thames Embankment with the Houses Of Parliament, Big Ben and river boats all there. I tis beside waterloo train/tube station.

    No cheap but my girls used to love the Rainforest Cafe when youngerwith the moving animals and thunderstorms.
  • Thank you so much, the information has been really useful.
    I have booked a room at the county hall PI, as it sounds to be a good location for the things we want to do.
    The children would like to see buckingham palace too - is this far from the hotel?
    Rainforest cafe looks good, a bit pricey but worth a visit for the children. Its these sorts of things that they will enjoy but unless recomended by others im sure i wouldnt have found out about it.
    I think waterloo train startion is going to be the closest one for me. I hope i can get cheap train tickets for our dates - i have set up an alert on trainline and have checked out the best fares link on virgin. Im expecting that my fares wont be out until early march.
    Any other info on places to go, things to see, etc would be most appreciated. I have a much better idea after reading your replies - and i am really happy that i have chosen this hotel by the london eye it will be a fantastic spot. :) :T
  • Waterloo is the nearest station to County Hall but if you are coming from the North (as your opening posts suggests) you'll be coming to Kings Cross or Euston so you'll need to hop on the tube or, the 59 bus outside Euston Station. This stops on Waterloo Bridge and you just turn right along the river to County Hall which will give you some immediate sight-seeing (you really can't miss the hotel). Get your Oyster cards at Euston before you get on the bus.

    One really nice thing to do is get the boat along the river to Greenwich which takes about an hour from just by your hotel. Then get the DLR to the city from Greenwich - it's like a futuristic toy train where you can pretend to be the driver!
  • susancs
    susancs Posts: 3,888 Forumite
    You could look at the bespoke £10 Starbucks voucher for £5 offer as there are so many Starbuck shops around London and usually the children like the strawberry frappes and a cake. You and OH could each get one as it is one per person and the voucher is valid until 29 May.
    https://www.bespokeoffers.co.uk/consumer/offers/buy-a-10-starbucks-card-egift-for-5-from-bespoke-offers--25dfa

    Your little ones might also like M&M World in Lecester Square. Also Build a bear is great for birthday gifts as they choose a bear, get to make a wish on a heart and stuff a bear and then fluff it up, get a birth cert and box and can get outfits. Hamleys Toyshop and Covent Garden have BAB.
    http://www.buildabear.co.uk/default.aspx?sc_hpan=tabs&sc_hpdr=tab_home

    For Buckingham Palace it would be a 5 minute tube journey from Waterloo to Green Park and then a 15 minute walk. You can go on www.tfl.gov.uk journey planner to left on paget to plan your journeys in advance. If you want to get up close to the horses and guards for photos there are better opportunities at Whitehall ( nearest tube St James Park).
  • MancBrel
    MancBrel Posts: 223 Forumite
    edited 10 February 2014 at 7:39PM
    Also, buy your outward tickets as soon as they show online, the return ones will appear a day or two later and you can then buy. Do this and not only will you get the best price, but you'll be able to time the journeys that best suit you. I usually pick them up from the machine at Piccadilly Train station, as I'm in town quite frequently.

    For the Palace, I'd tie that trip up with Trafalgar Square. From Trafalgar Sq you can call into the National Portrait Gallery (free), see the horse at Horse Guards Parade (on Whitehall) and show the kids Number 10 Downing Street. A walk down the Mall from Trafalgar Sq will take you to Buckingham Palace. House of Commons, Whitehall, Trafalgar Sq & the Palace are all very walkable from your hotel in my opinion. The kids will be so distracted, they'll hardly notice that the walk (said the man with no kids!!).



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

    Check out this website, lots of attractions offer 2 for 1 just by showing them your train tickets. We used this last year and visited Kew Gardens.
  • Legendmum
    Legendmum Posts: 2,833 Forumite
    This is really helpful for me too! I went to London last year as won a competition and stayed in a hotel on the embankment saw the premier inn and looked to be good place to bring ds who I promised I would take this year too! So all this is helpful although trying to find cheapest dates to go is fun! ;)
    :xmassmile**New** Thrifty Gifty Money Making for Christmas and all occasions 2012**:xmassmile
    Member No. 11 of Happy Chappy's Clip Strip Club! ;):dance:
  • Money_maker
    Money_maker Posts: 5,471 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Me three as DD is really into museuems at the moment (Night at the Musuem fan!).
    Please do not quote spam as this enables it to 'live on' once the spam post is removed. ;)

    If you quote me, don't forget the capital 'M'

    Declutterers of the world - unite! :rotfl::rotfl:
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