Family stay in London

Neil49

For accommodation, the Imperial Hotel group are reasonably priced (for London) and stick to a fixed rate. They have about 6 hotels around Southampton Row which is just south of Euston Station. Check their website for any deals. Prices are refundable virtually up to the day before arrival. 

https://www.imperialhotels.co.uk/

As mentioned in a post above the Skygarden is an absolute must but booking is essential. 

The 74 year old can use their bus pass on the buses but not the underground. 

madlyn

Neil49 said:

For accommodation, the Imperial Hotel group are reasonably priced (for London) and stick to a fixed rate. They have about 6 hotels around Southampton Row which is just south of Euston Station. Check their website for any deals. Prices are refundable virtually up to the day before arrival. 

https://www.imperialhotels.co.uk/

As mentioned in a post above the Skygarden is an absolute must but booking is essential. 

The 74 year old can use their bus pass on the buses but not the underground. 

Ater talking to my dad, him and my late mum stayed in the Tavistock hotel a couple of times and loved it.

barnstar2077

madlyn said:

My Nephew wants to see Buckingham palace and to go Hamleys, we may visit a museum too, either the natural history or imperial war museum.

I highly recommend the Victoria and Albert Museum for the adults, it's filled to the brim with the most incredible art and artifacts you will ever see! 

baser999

zagubov said:

Emmia said:

zagubov said:

This site shows where the shops are. I'd take them to Hamley's.

When you're in central London you can find most attractions near tube stations using this tube map.  The underground's rubbish for kids compared with being upstairs on a bus.

Trust me when I was a kid, my relatives took me round the central London shops at Christmas, and the memories are still with me. We must also have travelled on the underground but that didn't stick in the memory.

Plus, you can go a long way on the underground without getting very far, IYSWIM.

And for buses, these are some of the ones that show you the touristy bits (they're just ordinary buses so you use your Oyster card), and maybe use this website to find stuff to do.  I'd recommend Chinatown for good eating but many of their best deals are for two or more and I don't know if your kids appetites are  equal to your own.

I'll recommend the Duck Tour.

For accommodation, maybe consider a hotel in the suburbs. There's a Premier inn in Tolworth ext to the train station for example, but your last train from Waterloo to the hotel would be 11PM.

Hope you have a great time!

The Duck Tour hasn't operated since 2019 

I also don't think you've been to Hamleys lately... I agree it was magical, but sadly it is now very shabby and touristy, its really trading on it's past /nostalgia.

Sadly a lot of attractions in London disappeared in 2019 and after.

I'd like to think more might be restored by next summer when the OP will visit.

From Tolworth you can access London's centre and its theme park in Chessington.

OP when you come to London, check what the health warnings are about masks and distancing. Stick with the most cautious ones.

The age range of your family makes this of paramount importance.

We're nowhere near the end of this.

 Not sure why you’d want to stay in Tolworth? That’s hardly central London and would mean travelling in/out every day which is a pita. 

zagubov

baser999 said:

zagubov said:

Emmia said:

zagubov said:

This site shows where the shops are. I'd take them to Hamley's.

When you're in central London you can find most attractions near tube stations using this tube map.  The underground's rubbish for kids compared with being upstairs on a bus.

Trust me when I was a kid, my relatives took me round the central London shops at Christmas, and the memories are still with me. We must also have travelled on the underground but that didn't stick in the memory.

Plus, you can go a long way on the underground without getting very far, IYSWIM.

And for buses, these are some of the ones that show you the touristy bits (they're just ordinary buses so you use your Oyster card), and maybe use this website to find stuff to do.  I'd recommend Chinatown for good eating but many of their best deals are for two or more and I don't know if your kids appetites are  equal to your own.

I'll recommend the Duck Tour.

For accommodation, maybe consider a hotel in the suburbs. There's a Premier inn in Tolworth ext to the train station for example, but your last train from Waterloo to the hotel would be 11PM.

Hope you have a great time!

The Duck Tour hasn't operated since 2019 

I also don't think you've been to Hamleys lately... I agree it was magical, but sadly it is now very shabby and touristy, its really trading on it's past /nostalgia.

Sadly a lot of attractions in London disappeared in 2019 and after.

I'd like to think more might be restored by next summer when the OP will visit.

From Tolworth you can access London's centre and its theme park in Chessington.

OP when you come to London, check what the health warnings are about masks and distancing. Stick with the most cautious ones.

The age range of your family makes this of paramount importance.

We're nowhere near the end of this.

 Not sure why you’d want to stay in Tolworth? That’s hardly central London and would mean travelling in/out every day which is a pita. 

If you came by car, it's far enough out to have parking space for you and it's near the train station for central London. Plus access to Chessington theme park (and could drive to Legoland).
The only other thing Tolworth's famous for is the pub where Ziggy Stardust first appeared.

Emmia

zagubov said:

baser999 said:

zagubov said:

Emmia said:

zagubov said:

This site shows where the shops are. I'd take them to Hamley's.

When you're in central London you can find most attractions near tube stations using this tube map.  The underground's rubbish for kids compared with being upstairs on a bus.

Trust me when I was a kid, my relatives took me round the central London shops at Christmas, and the memories are still with me. We must also have travelled on the underground but that didn't stick in the memory.

Plus, you can go a long way on the underground without getting very far, IYSWIM.

And for buses, these are some of the ones that show you the touristy bits (they're just ordinary buses so you use your Oyster card), and maybe use this website to find stuff to do.  I'd recommend Chinatown for good eating but many of their best deals are for two or more and I don't know if your kids appetites are  equal to your own.

I'll recommend the Duck Tour.

For accommodation, maybe consider a hotel in the suburbs. There's a Premier inn in Tolworth ext to the train station for example, but your last train from Waterloo to the hotel would be 11PM.

Hope you have a great time!

The Duck Tour hasn't operated since 2019 

I also don't think you've been to Hamleys lately... I agree it was magical, but sadly it is now very shabby and touristy, its really trading on it's past /nostalgia.

Sadly a lot of attractions in London disappeared in 2019 and after.

I'd like to think more might be restored by next summer when the OP will visit.

From Tolworth you can access London's centre and its theme park in Chessington.

OP when you come to London, check what the health warnings are about masks and distancing. Stick with the most cautious ones.

The age range of your family makes this of paramount importance.

We're nowhere near the end of this.

 Not sure why you’d want to stay in Tolworth? That’s hardly central London and would mean travelling in/out every day which is a pita. 

If you came by car, it's far enough out to have parking space for you and it's near the train station for central London. Plus access to Chessington theme park (and could drive to Legoland).
The only other thing Tolworth's famous for is the pub where Ziggy Stardust first appeared.

The OP said on page 1, they were arriving by train into St Pancras - so not really convienient for Tolworth, Chessington, or Legoland.

jon81uk

zagubov said:

When you're in central London you can find most attractions near tube stations using this tube map.  The underground's rubbish for kids compared with being upstairs on a bus.

Trust me when I was a kid, my relatives took me round the central London shops at Christmas, and the memories are still with me. We must also have travelled on the underground but that didn't stick in the memory.

When I was a kid (probably about 9) I was taken to London and the Underground journey still sticks with me, how busy it was, the long escalators, the trains themselves. I would say a speedy Underground journey is better than wasting hours on the bus.

For the OP they might be best looking at the Premier Inn near St Pancras if that is where they are arriving from.
Can then use the bus to get close to the West End for Hamleys, Lego and Buckingham Palace.
Or take the Piccadilly Line across to South Kensington for the museums.

flyer

My wife and I are bringing our 2 children next Sunday 39th for 2 days. Where is the best place to book tickets for the likes of London Eye and Open Top Bus tours?

Emmia

flyer said:

My wife and I are bringing our 2 children next Sunday 39th for 2 days. Where is the best place to book tickets for the likes of London Eye and Open Top Bus tours?

I'd book the eye directly on their website https://www.londoneye.com/tickets-and-prices/pre-booked-tickets/

swansea_lad

Check out the Premier Inns. Bigger rooms than many 4 star hotels, unless you pay extra for a deluxe or club room in a 4 star hotel and pay a fortune.

We stay in the Premier Inn Chiswick, a short bus ride from Paddington Station and often pay £60 or £70 a night. We paid £170 for a  3 or 4 night stay over Easter before covid. The Kensington Olympia and Earls Court Premier Inns are good too, the Earls Court Premier Inn is a short walk from the tube station.