London - Little bit of help!

[Jonnny]

I've never really needed to do London much, and when I have it's only been for O2/London Zoo and without the kids.

This weekend we're taking the kids (3 & 5) from Norfolk to Natural History Museum, and Hamleys. They want to see some Christmas lights, and maybe a sight or too they'll have seen on TV (Buckingham Palace/Tower Bridge/HoP).

We've got London Underground 1-5, but looks like it's easiest to Tube from King's Cross to South Kensington, then Bus to Piccadilly area for lunch/Hamleys.

Main questions are; How do you work a bus these days? Last time I went on a bus it was coins only, and what 'Taxi' app is the best to use? Google seems to suggest FreeNow or Uber? (and are these taxis ok with kids?) I'm just thinking later in the day the kids will be tired and not want to keep doing public transport/walk everywhere.

Thanks all!

[PeteinSQ]

Bus works with contactless cards as does the tube. Uber works well in London in my experience.

Hamleys will be hard work, but the Xmas lights on Regents St are usually very good.

[PeteinSQ]

Are you there for two days? Don't try to do museums and Hamleys in the same day, the kids will be knackered just by doing the museums as they're huge. Might be a good idea to do the main museums one day, then Hamleys the next day and possibly chuck in a visit to the transport museum in Covent Garden. Young children love that museum as you can pretend to drive a bus etc.

[Froomee]

For cabs Bolt or Uber are generally the best for London (I usually opt for whichever is cheapest as surge pricing can apply).

Personally I think the best (I.e quickest way) around London is the Tube. It can get quite busy on the weekends so it may be worth trying to avoid some of the busier hubs, Oxford Circus, Victoria, Kings X, etc if your journey allows.

Buses are pretty good from a tourist perspective as you get to see more. Private bus tours are probably much more efficient in that sense so may also be something to consider as I’m sure you can also hop on and off of those at designated points.

The section from Tower Bridge/Tower of London along the river to St Paul’s is quite a nice walk either along the river or through the city.

[rlw]

Get the tube back to Piccadilly Circus as it will take forever on the bus.

[surveyor]

My daughter at that age loved the DLR out to Royal Victoria (sitting right at the front in the 'drivers' seat.)

Then the cable car across the Thames and the river bus back into town.

Enabled a bit of down time amongst the chaos...

ETA. My daughter would walk miles in London without complaint as it was all so exciting and new...

Edited by surveyor on Monday 27th November 13:44

[Cotty]

Here are some of the Christmas lights
https://secretldn.com/londons-christmas-lights-swi...

[Alickadoo]

Children under 11 travelling with a parent travel free

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/free-and-discounted-trave...

Don't bother buying tickets, use a contactless debit or credit card - use the same card for all journeys, you will have to go through the wide gate at the side to let the children through. You must tap in and tap out - even if the gate is open.

[havoc]

rlw said:

Get the tube back to Piccadilly Circus as it will take forever on the bus.

This. Buses are massively slower than the Tube (north of the river, certainly), unless you need >1 Tube connections and/or a long walk either end.

Froomee said:

Personally I think the best (I.e quickest way) around London is the Tube. It can get quite busy on the weekends so it may be worth trying to avoid some of the busier hubs, Oxford Circus, Victoria, Kings X, etc if your journey allows.

Buses are pretty good from a tourist perspective as you get to see more. Private bus tours are probably much more efficient in that sense so may also be something to consider as I’m sure you can also hop on and off of those at designated points.

The section from Tower Bridge/Tower of London along the river to St Paul’s is quite a nice walk either along the river or through the city.

All of this. South Bank from Westminster heading east too.

...although the bus tours are now very pricey - you need to be in proper tourist mode to want to pay that.



Other thoughts?
- If this is a day-trip, then that's pretty much all you'll fit in, and you'll still need to cherry-pick the best bits of the NHM (given ages of the kids that probably makes sense anyway). And as mentioned above your kids will be knackered before they get to Hamleys, which may be a recipe for disaster
- Pre-book the NHM. Yes it's nominally free, but if you don't book you end up queuing to get in (you queue anyway, so if possible join the queue before 9.45am - at 10:00 all the pre-booked people get let straight through)
- Hamleys prices are proper rip-off territory. Either accept that for the experience, give your kids a tight budget, or explain that it's just looking for ideas "for Santa". You know what your kids are likely to be like.

If you're overnighting and turning it into a weekend, say so and we'll come up with other ideas.

[hellorent]

Citymapper is a good app to have, as mentioned above use the same card as a price cap kicks in after so many journeys, around £6.00 p/d I seem to remember

Edited by hellorent on Monday 27th November 13:15

[Jonnny]

Thanks all so far!

It's a one day trip, getting there at 0930.. Plan was straight to NHM from King's Cross, then bus/tube to Leicester Square Pizza Express (kids love it) and then walk to Hamleys from there. We are planning on skipping bits of the museum, the 5 year old just wants to dress as a dinosaur hunter and see the dinosaurs, he's probably not that bothered about too much else but we'll see.

Is Bolt/Uber the recommended apps for getting a taxi?

If buses are contactless, is it worth me and the wife using our own debit cards then or is it easy enough for two of us to pay on one card?

Is Tower Bridge miles away from the general area we'll be on, or is it quite easily reached? They've seen the Peppa Pig episode in London so recognise Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace..

[Panamax]

Jonnny said:

bus/tube to Leicester Square Pizza Express (kids love it)
and Buckingham Palace..

You might not need to do both - Royals have sometimes been seen at Pizza Express.
Oh, actually, that was in Woking.

Travel by tube as much as you can if you're going any distance. Buses are seriously slow. But if you catch the bus from South Ken museums to Piccadilly Circus you'll see a lot of London out the windows, especially if you're sitting upstairs.

[havoc]

Jonnny said:

If buses are contactless, is it worth me and the wife using our own debit cards then or is it easy enough for two of us to pay on one card?

Is Tower Bridge miles away from the general area we'll be on, or is it quite easily reached? They've seen the Peppa Pig episode in London so recognise Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace..

Not sure on the buses (think they're only tap-in), but on the tube you use your card to tap-in/tap-out, and the daily fare is capped at IIRC 3 journeys worth, so you may confuse the system if you use the same card for more than one person.

I'd plan your journeys first using e.g. Google maps, so you can work out how time-effective buses are or aren't.

Leicester Square you say...the Lego store there is worth a look, if that's your thing / your eldest's?

[mike80]

Jonnny said:

Is Tower Bridge miles away from the general area we'll be on, or is it quite easily reached? They've seen the Peppa Pig episode in London so recognise Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace..

24 minutes from South Kensington to Tower Hill according to the TFL site. Similar from Leicester Square.

I've just had two days in London for my daughters birthday, be aware it will be VERY busy in places, especially around Regents Street / Leicester Square and the shopping hotspots. We also went to the NHM and there was a lot of people there, but it wasn't too bad. We also popped into the V&A museum over the road when we had finished which was a lot quieter, but might not appeal to younger kids, and then into the Science museum for the last hour which was a lot quieter at that time.

I'd also reccomend booking a table where you eating if you haven't done already, or you could be disappointed. I do enjoy visiting London at this time of year, but it can be hard work with the crowds, and surprisingly tiring!

[ecsrobin]

As others have mentioned buses are slower than the tube, that also applies to taxis obviously, a friend always insists on using Uber in London but it has yet to be cheaper or faster than if we got the tube/walked.

Best way to see tower bridge would be to use the Uber clipper boat as it is a way out from the area you’re heading to. It also means they get a boat trip.

[fourstardan]

I've got another post going about a west end trip.

Being a Londoner I'd +1 for avoiding buses, they are slow and full of weirdos/unsavoury characters as well!

I'm lucky enough to be staying over for the night as it's too much for one day, it will be West End on Sunday and then a moozy down to NHM from Waterloo where we are staying on Monday morning.

Weather looks a bit pants in the afternoon Sunday so hoping it won't be so busy.