London Trip advice needed

MadHoneyBadger

Hi all,
I'm going to London at the end of August to do some sightseeing with my kids aged 12 and 15 years old.
I'm hoping to get some help and advice on ways to save money on the trip, either from locals OR people that have been done similar.

We are looking to do the National History and Science Museums, Big Bus London Bus Tour, London Zoo and Sea Life Centre.
We've booked into a Premier Inn at Euston. We booked prior to the Government Eat Out discount and purchased breakfasts for 2 adults at full price. We have been advised that we will be eligible for a small refund when we check in that will be refunded back to the card used for the booking. A small discount working out at £20.

1st Day : Trip to Camden for the first part of our day and then off to the Zoo
2nd Day : Museums and lunch in a park
3rd Day : Sea Life Centre and a open top bus tour using Big Bus

If anyone has any advice, I'd been super grateful. :-)

tower

Could I suggest a river cruise, the commuter clipper is a good cheap choice( I think you get a discount with a travel/oyster card). Maybe from the sea life centre/ London eye pier to Tower Hill then you could go to the Sky gardens( it’s free but needs booking) for a drink(optional) and view of the Shard and the Tower of London. 

MadHoneyBadger

Ah that’s awesome! Thank you so much Sounds good.
I’ve heard about the Sky Gardens before.
Travelling in London via underground is something I’ve given up on planning. I’m going to get into London first and actually speak to someone. I’ve never been so confused about what to buy in my life.
I’ve travelled on the tube loads before but not sure which cards to buy for zones as it is usually included in my train ticket as I pass through.
if anyone is out there and they know the tickets well... what would be best / cheapest to purchase for 2 kids to travel within zones 1&2 for 3 days?

Paula_Smith

Check out http://www.freethingstodoinlondon.com/
or get the Android app "Free Things To Do In London" 
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bhacromwell.com.freelondon

MadHoneyBadger

Paula, thank you so much for the link. I'll grab myself a coffee and have a flick though.

MoonChild91

Are you travelling by train? You used to be able to get 2 for 1 tickets to loads of attractions if you had valid train tickets (just keep your outward ticket and show that with your return) - saved £24 on tickets to the Tower of London by doing this, and I lived in London at the time! 

If you head up the hill after the museums towards Hyde Park the Albert Memorial is just to the left too - definitely worth a look. The cafe's in South Kensington are incredibly overpriced and I'd avoid, but there used to be a little Tesco near the station where you can get supplies for a picnic and there are some nice spots by the Serpentine if its a sunny day. You can quite easily walk to Buckingham Palace, Westminster, and Big Ben from there too. 

I've done a river cruise and would also recommend it, more so than a bus as you can see quite a lot of those places on foot and get a better look at them but the river offers you a new perspective. 

For tube tickets I'd work out how much you'll be travelling as it might actually be cheaper to get Oyster cards if you're not hitting the travel limit each day (you can get the £5 deposit refunded if you return them at a station before you leave) but zones 1 to 2 should do you for most tourist things. 

And if you're heading to Camden watch your bag, it's a hotspot for pickpockets!

If you end up heading to the Sky Garden the London Mithraeum is nearby (ruins of a Roman temple, free and pretty interesting), and the Museum of London is also quite good. 

MadHoneyBadger

@MoonChild91 Thank you! 

We are travelling by train. The 2 for 1 option is not available at the moment. We checked on Days Out Guide.
I did notice that the prices in South Kensington were a little on the high side. We will do a supermarket run and grab a little stash of picnic food to tide us over in the park.
River cruise is definitely something we are considering now, lots of people are recommending them.
Thank you for the advice about the tube, it still baffles me how anyone can work it out.
A little concerned about the pick pocketers, will have to be super aware when there. Have to keep an eye on the kids too.

MoonChild91

MadHoneyBadger said:

@MoonChild91 Thank you! 

We are travelling by train. The 2 for 1 option is not available at the moment. We checked on Days Out Guide.
I did notice that the prices in South Kensington were a little on the high side. We will do a supermarket run and grab a little stash of picnic food to tide us over in the park.
River cruise is definitely something we are considering now, lots of people are recommending them.
Thank you for the advice about the tube, it still baffles me how anyone can work it out.
A little concerned about the pick pocketers, will have to be super aware when there. Have to keep an eye on the kids too.

That's a shame! You can combine cruises with tickets to attractions (mine was in combination with the Eye) to save a little, so that could be worth looking into.
With the tube, the daily cap for an Oyster is about £7.20 if I remember right - once you've spent that much in a day you aren't charged for any more journeys. I think the travel cards are around £13 so it would be cheaper to use an Oyster or contactless. You'd need 3 different contactless cards though, one for each of you, so Oyster might be your best option. You can use them to rent bikes too which could be a nice idea round the park!
I think London is just one of those places you need to be aware of your bags and things in general, but I have had a couple of friends with wallets taken in Camden Market so I'm just a bit careful whenever I go - don't let it put you off though!

DCFC79

Keep valuables to a minimum, keep things on an inside pocket rather than an outside pocket.

MadHoneyBadger

Thank you so much. I did look online earlier after I was first warned.
Will keep that in mind, appreciate the tip.

qwert10

I’ve travelled on the tube loads before but not sure which cards to buy for zones as it is usually included in my train ticket as I pass through.

It's easy to plan routes on the website you put in where you are going from and where to and then I print it out before I go put the colour for the line against the directions e.g. RED and it;s easy in a crisis! Or there is an app you can out on phone.
https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/ 
The tube is quiet outside peak times anyway. Dearer at peak anyway. THere is a daily cap on fares check the website.
Surely oyster cads are the way to go?? I've had mine since they started so may be a better way now?anyone? Also if anyone in family is a student link oyster card with any student/family cards at station.
Sky garden is great and must be seen once as good as the Shard. but book well in advance.

Also worth perusing groupon etc for cheaper boat tickets some are much cheaper tan others - depend if yu want to hop on and of or stay on. 

Also recommend highly the Emirates cable car for the price of a Oyster journey If you do go (don't pay at the kiosk it's much dearer) just breeze through with the oyster card. A few quid and well worth it for a scenic quite exciting trip high over the river!