London Baby!!!

Pak_Doo_Ik

Pak_Doo_Ik

Well-known member
Long story short we were meant be going to Kos on Friday but unfortunately my lad has tested positive for the you know what. He comes out of isolation on Saturday and has always wanted to go and see the bright lights of our wonderful capital.

He is 12 and footy mad (wife not so much), we are looking at 3 nights (luckily here in Nottinghamshire half term is 2 weeks so we are off next week).

Thoughts so far

Tour of Wembley
Madame Tussauds
Dungeons
Bus thing
Buck House
London Eye
Maybe a show
Somewhere nice to eat

Any advice that you seasoned travellers could offer would be greatly appreciated.
 
After you've done the eye, saw big Ben then jump on the Thames clipper at Westminster and go down the river to Greenwich. You'll go under Tower Bridge and see the skyscrapers of the city and canary wharf on your left. Have a wonder around Greenwich, naval college, Greenwich park, observatory etc. Loads of eating places including Greenwich market. Jump back on to the clipper in to town. Good way to spend an afternoon and getting the boat is more interesting than the train.
 
Imperial War museum is amazing (if you know what I mean).

Just takes you through the history of various wars and conflicts with really interesting exhibits and stories.

It was free last time I went (a few years ago). Just leave a donation at the door on the wayout👍
 
i know Madam Tussauds is a quintessential London thing to do, but I just dont get why seeing a load of badly made wax celebrities is so associated with the most amazing city on earth. I'd swap that out and add in both the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum which are far more interesting even to a 12 year old.

if he's not museumed out, then the Museum of London is also well worth a visit.

My advice, walk everywhere, and look up and look down. It's so much more interesting than getting the tube / bus, and you can never get lost because you're never more than a couple of minutes from a tube station to get your bearings.
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
i know Madam Tussauds is a quintessential London thing to do, but I just dont get why seeing a load of badly made wax celebrities is so associated with the most amazing city on earth. I'd swap that out and add in both the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum which are far more interesting even to a 12 year old.
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Absolutely. It seems there's always a massive queue as well. No idea why. Plus, all those museums mentioned so far are free. If you want to see and tick off the major sights then the 'bus tour is probably the best way of doing it. The Greenwich trip is a personal favourite as well, though I'm not twelve years old.
 
SE4 Red said:
After you've done the eye, saw big Ben then jump on the Thames clipper at Westminster and go down the river to Greenwich. You'll go under Tower Bridge and see the skyscrapers of the city and canary wharf on your left. Have a wonder around Greenwich, naval college, Greenwich park, observatory etc. Loads of eating places including Greenwich market. Jump back on to the clipper in to town. Good way to spend an afternoon and getting the boat is more interesting than the train.
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Good call. I used to love Greenwich park when I lived in south east London for a few years. The river trip should be really good fun. I went on it many years ago.

As you go past the O2 (millennium dome) have a look on the other side of the river to see whether an 8 floor building has been knocked down yet. I used to work for Reuters in that building in it is still there. For people living south of the river we used to run a hovercraft to shuttle them over to our building. To save people have to queue up trying to get through the Blackwall Tunnel.
 
S7DiscoDown said:
Imperial War museum is amazing (if you know what I mean).

Just takes you through the history of various wars and conflicts with really interesting exhibits and stories.

It was free last time I went (a few years ago). Just leave a donation at the door on the wayout👍
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I agree. When I worked in London many years ago we had a Christmas party in there. It was an astonishing place. I guess it still is.
 
The_Lizards_Jumpers said:
i know Madam Tussauds is a quintessential London thing to do, but I just dont get why seeing a load of badly made wax celebrities is so associated with the most amazing city on earth. I'd swap that out and add in both the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum which are far more interesting even to a 12 year old.

if he's not museumed out, then the Museum of London is also well worth a visit.

My advice, walk everywhere, and look up and look down. It's so much more interesting than getting the tube / bus, and you can never get lost because you're never more than a couple of minutes from a tube station to get your bearings.
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I would second this. Madame Tussauds really isn't worth the queue and the cost. "Albertopolis" Near south Kensington station would be my first stop as well. NHM, V&A, Science museums and the albert hall and albert park and then you can walk into hyde park. Bear in mind that Wembley is a bit of a pig to get to and, unless you want to do outlet mall shopping, there isn't anything else near there. If you do insist on the waxworks then I would go to Sherlock Holmes place afterwards and head into regents park maybe? both are nearby.
 
The first place that comes into mind is always the Natural History museum, and the Victoria & Albert museum is next door too.

Camden market is a really fun and quirky place to explore and get a bite to eat for a few hours.

Maybe see the street performers at Covent Garden. There are some nice places with live music (string quartets) and singers to relax near there too. Ok - a kid would find it boring, but its a nice place to relax for an hour after walking around for ages.
 
Steer said:
Maybe see the street performers at Covent Garden. There are some nice places with live music (string quartets) and singers to relax near there too. Ok - a kid would find it boring, but its a nice place to relax for an hour after walking around for ages.
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There's also the London Transport Museum here. Unlike the other museums it costs to get in, but it's worth it if you are into that sort of thing.
 
Have a walk on the South Bank. Always loads going on there. You can walk from the London Eye, all the way down to Tower Bridge taking in lots of the sights. Borough Market, Globe Theatre, Golden Hind etc.

Lots of little places to stop for food and drinks along the way.
 
Science museum is brilliant, National Army museum is also great but a bit out of the centre down in Chelsea, Battersea Park is great - mini golf and a pizza while you are there

Tower of London is fantastic and very interactive with the audio guides

National maritime museum is good but I was quite disappointed with the royal observatory at greenwhich
 
Depending on what he and you are into:

Knightsbridge - Harrods etc
Camden Market and Lock
Houses of Parliament, Whitehall
Canary Wharf
St Paul's area - start of the Great Fire of London.
Tate Modern Gallery

There's some great guided walks which can be pretty entertaining, depending on your guide.
 
what is the easiest way to get kids on the tube when we go in October? i don't have an oyster card. do we just get a family ticket??
 
Go to Speakers' Corner (where Park Lane joins Bayswater Rd) on Sunday afternoon.

There's always a good variety of orators of all political persuasions, and an even greater variety of hecklers.
 
Low_Key said:
what is the easiest way to get kids on the tube when we go in October? i don't have an oyster card. do we just get a family ticket??
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You go through the wide gates at the sides of the main barriers. You tap in (you don't need an Oyster card - you just use a normal debit card these days which works the same as an Oyster) and you take the kids through with you.
 
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