I’ve spent a long time exploring London – visiting as a baby myself, earlier than spending round 25 years residing right here, and now discovering the most effective of London with children with my very own daughter. As a result of this fascinating metropolis at all times has one thing new for households to seek out.
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However when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the thought of a household metropolis break in London, whether or not it’s questioning the right way to use the London underground with children, making an attempt to work out the place to go to first (and the place to skip), plus tips about the place to remain, the place to eat, and what to do if it’s wet (or in the midst of a heatwave), I’ve bought the tried and examined solutions you want under.
Together with important data and a number of the practicalities of London for households, you can even discover issues to do for toddlers and youths, critiques of household points of interest, seasonal enjoyable and particular vacation actions, and even the most effective books to purchase in my information to London with children.
For extra recommendation, ideas and concepts, take a look at the London with Children Fb group
Sensible information
Attending to London
For those who’re travelling from inside the UK or Europe, there’s a wide range of transport choices obtainable to you, together with practice, coach, or airplane.
By practice or coach
Trains are sometimes essentially the most handy choice when travelling from different components of the UK. Nationwide Rail runs a complete practice community throughout your entire nation. You may as well evaluate ticket costs and verify routes utilizing websites like Omio.
Nationwide Categorical and Megabus additionally run coach companies to London, which are typically extra inexpensive than the practice.
London has a number of main railway stations, together with King’s Cross, Euston, Paddington, Waterloo, London Bridge, Liverpool Road and Victoria, in addition to bus stations, particularly at Victoria.
These all then hook up with the Transport for London (Tfl) community – it’s a very good plan to ensure your lodge is near the station you arrive into or has simple connections.
Scroll down for extra tips about getting round London, together with utilizing the underground with children, or take a look at this publish
You may as well get the Eurostar practice to London from European locations together with Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.
By airplane
London has 5 major worldwide airports; Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, and London Metropolis. European airways arrive into all of those airports, with many finances airways specializing in Stansted and Luton.
For those who’re travelling from the US, many airways supply direct flights from main US cities to the bigger London airports of Heathrow and Gatwick. Nevertheless, if there’s no direct route, you can even take a connecting flight by way of someplace else within the US.
There’s a sixth small airport, referred to as London Southend, in Essex however connections should not nearly as good to town so that you’re unlikely to land right here. For extra data on the right way to get from London’s airports to the central London, take a look at this publish for extra particulars.
When to go
London is a unbelievable metropolis to go to all yr spherical so it doesn’t matter what time of yr you go, you’ll discover lots to see and do.
The height vacationer season in London is in the course of the summer season months from June to August. That is when the climate is at its hottest, with the bottom probability of rain. There are additionally plenty of enjoyable outside festivals and occasions happening throughout town in the course of the summer season. Nevertheless, the crowds might be overwhelming, and lodge and tour costs are normally larger.
Throughout the winter months, the climate is prone to be chilly and wet however the metropolis is the least crowded and costs are at their lowest, so it’s a very good time to go to on a finances.
The exception to that is the run-up to Christmas in December, which is one other in style time to be in London. Wonderful Christmas lights illuminate your entire metropolis and there are a great deal of festive occasions happening in each neighbourhood.
One of the best time to go to London is commonly in the course of the shoulder months of March to Could and September to October. Throughout these months, the climate is commonly gentle and nice, and there are fewer crowds and decrease costs than in the course of the peak durations – though college holidays for Easter, Could half-term and October half-term are an exception.
It’s price remembering that Britain’s climate is famously unpredictable, and London is not any exception – the summer season months might see heatwaves or unseasonably cool wet days, whereas wonderful solar in late September and early October isn’t exceptional.
For extra tips about planning for London’s climate, scroll down
What to see
Most individuals know London’s most well-known landmarks: Massive Ben, the Homes of Parliament, the London Eye. However there’s a lot extra to the British capital than the postcard picture.
From world-renowned museums to stunning inexperienced areas like Hyde Park, vibrant markets to quirky immersive points of interest, there are limitless issues to see and do with children in London.
Under is a round-up of a few of our favorite neighbourhoods:
| Westminster | Iconic landmarks, Elizabeth Tower (Massive Ben), Homes of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Bridge |
| Southbank | River Stroll, The London Eye, Sea Life London Aquarium, Shrek’s Journey, The London Dungeon, Tate Trendy, The Globe Theatre |
| West Finish | London’s Theatre District, Shaftesbury Avenue |
| Leicester Sq. | Cinemas, Lego Retailer, M&M Retailer, Chinatown |
| Covent Backyard | Covent Backyard Market, Road Performers, London Transport Museum |
| South Kensington | Pure Historical past Museum, Science Museum, V&A Museum, Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, Princess Diana Memorial Playground |
| Camden | Camden Markets, Road Artwork, Reside Music, London Zoo, Regent’s Canal River Stroll, Views from Primrose Hill |
| Greenwich | The Cutty Sark, The Royal Observatory, Nationwide Maritime Museum, Previous Royal Naval Faculty, Greenwich Park, |
Information to London with children: detailed articles
For extra ideas and inspiration when you’re visiting London with children, take a look at a few of my posts:
Planning a go to to London
Go to London with out breaking the financial institution – lower your expenses on days out in London with children
London within the warmth – the most effective locations in London with air conditioning
Visiting the Warner Bros Studios? My ideas for the Harry Potter Studio tour, London
One of the best children’ books about London, together with information books and fiction for toddlers, youngsters and youths
Ideas for visiting London’s museums with toddlers and youngsters
The place to remain in London with children
The place to remain in London with children
Household lodges sleeping 5 in London
Household lodges close to Harry Potter Studios, London
Getting round London with children
London Underground with children – ideas for utilizing the tube
Ideas for utilizing the London underground with toddlers
The way to journey from London airports to central London
Issues to do in London with children
One of the best issues to do in London with children
One of the best free issues to do in London with children
One of the best issues to do in London within the rain with children
Uncommon issues to do in London with children
One of the best issues to do in London with preschoolers and toddlers
One of the best playgrounds in London with children
One of the best bus excursions in London with children
One of the best boat journeys in London with children
The greatest views in London with children
Royal locations in London with children
The highest Harry Potter places in London
One of the best Roman websites in London
A Nice Hearth of London stroll with children
The place to seek out Paddington Bear in London
London neighbourhood guides
One of the best issues to do in Camden with children and youths
One of the best issues to do on London’s South Financial institution with children
One of the best issues to do in South Kensington with children
One of the best issues to do round Leicester Sq. with children
One of the best issues to do close to Tower Bridge with children
One of the best issues to do at Wembley Park with children
One of the best issues to do in Greenwich with children
Issues to do on the Thames with children
London household points of interest
Visiting the Pure Historical past Museum with a toddler
Visiting the Science Museum with a toddler
Ideas for visiting the British Museum with children
Ideas for visiting the V&A with children
Visiting London Transport Museum with children
London Transport Museum depot – open day with children
Visiting the Museum of London Docklands with children
Visiting Twist Museum London
Visiting The Horniman Museum in London
London’s Museum of the Residence with children
Time out at Battersea Park Kids’s Zoo
Kensington Palace with children
A time out in Greenwich – visiting the Cutty Sark
Horrible Thames evaluate: the Horrible Histories boat tour
Discover London by water – GoBoat self-drive boat tour
Ideas for visiting Kew Gardens with children
London Wetland Centre in Barnes – household time out
Visiting the Golden Hinde – an escape room aboard a Tudor galleon and the Night time Voyage sleepover
London seasonal highlights
February half-term in London with children
Issues to do at Easter in London with children
Could half-term in London with children
Summer time holidays in London with children
London points of interest with air conditioning for summer season
October half-term in London with children
Thrilling issues to do at Halloween in London with children
One of the best locations for Bonfire Night time in London with children
Issues to do for Christmas in London with children
One of the best Christmas theatre in London with children
Festive lights with children at Christmas in London
One of the best Christmas markets in London with children
Locations to ice skate in London with children
London’s Santa Steam Categorical: evaluate
Consuming in London with children
The greatest desserts in London with children
One of the best sizzling chocolate in London
A donut tour of London with children
Days out from London with children
One of the best issues to do in Windsor with children
One of the best issues to do in Kingston with children
Visiting Hampton Courtroom Palace with children
One of the best day journeys from London with children
Travelling inside London
Essentially the most handy method to journey inside London with children is through the use of town’s complete public transport community – the Citymapper app is among the greatest that can assist you navigate, in addition to the Tfl Go app and Google Maps (which is especially good when you’re utilizing buses).
London is well-served by public transport, with the tube (London Underground), buses, overground trains, and river boats obtainable to get you wherever that you must go always of day. You should utilize your contactless card or an Oyster Card to make use of London’s public transport.
Contactless cost (together with contactless cost by cellphone) is the best and most cost-effective method to journey.
At all times be sure to use the identical card or machine all through to get the utmost fares capped, and at all times faucet the yellow card readers firstly and finish of a tube journey (even when the gates are open) or firstly of a bus journey. Every traveller wants their very own separate card or machine.
In case your contactless card costs you charges to make use of it overseas, then an Oyster card could also be a greater choice. There’s a £7 cost for the Oyster card itself and you’ll then high up credit score to pay as you go – fares are capped on the identical fee as utilizing contactless playing cards.
Whereas paper travelcards are nonetheless obtainable, these are nearly at all times a considerably dearer choice, except you’re staying for lengthy durations and likewise travelling exterior the central zones 1-2.
Kids underneath 11 journey free throughout the community with a paying grownup – be sure to undergo the broader accessible/baggage gates collectively to make use of the tube as the person gates shut shortly.
Children aged 11-15 can get half-rate fares with a younger customer low cost added to an Oyster card by tube workers. For those who do go to London often, it’s price taking a look at a Zip Oyster card – these value extra and are extra difficult to use for, nevertheless it saves having to arrange the low cost for every journey. There’s no method to get the decreased fares utilizing contactless cost.
Throughout the completely different neighbourhoods, strolling is a good way to get round. However it’s most likely greatest to not try and stroll from one space of town to a different (except they’re subsequent door). London is HUGE and it’ll be an excessive amount of strolling for little legs.
Driving inside London is feasible however we positively wouldn’t advise it. Not solely will you spend most of your time caught in site visitors, however you’ll additionally must pay a £15 congestion cost to drive inside the metropolis centre and probably £12.50 to drive within the Extremely Low Emission Zone. Parking can also be extraordinarily exhausting to return by, and costly whenever you do discover it.
Flight assets
Skyscanner is the web site I have a tendency to start out with to check charges for my flights.
Cash-saving tip: Don’t enter any dates to scan the most effective obtainable instances to go OR merely enter ‘LON’ as an alternative of a selected airport – it’s possible you’ll get a less expensive flight!
Lodging assets
After I plan a metropolis break with children, I typically desire my very own condominium – and together with as well-known favourites reminiscent of AirBNB, I’m a giant fan of Plumguide which has a spread of lodging that’s been individually vetted and there’s a sensible choice of AirBNB options in London.
You’ll discover lots extra self-catering lodging in addition to family-friendly lodges. Reserving.com normally affords the most effective offers, together with free cancellation, however you could find extra inspiration on the place to remain in London with children right here.
For bigger households, there are additionally household lodges in London sleeping 5 in addition to some nice lodges close to Harry Potter Studios when you’re planning to go to the Warner Bros Studio tour and like to remain exterior town centre.
The same old main lodge chains even have loads of choices for household pleasant lodges for various budgets – the Park Plaza lodges from Radisson are nice, whereas Hilton has all the pieces from the Waldorf to cheaper central London lodges close to main points of interest, in addition to the Doubletree and decrease finances Hampton by Hilton manufacturers.
Security ideas
London is usually a fairly secure place to go to. However like every massive metropolis, it’s essential to take precautions to make sure your individual security.
At all times concentrate on your environment, preserve your valuables out of sight, and be cautious of pickpockets, particularly in crowded areas reminiscent of on public transport and round in style vacationer points of interest.
Cash saving ideas
It’s definitely no secret that London may also be an costly place to go to. However with slightly little bit of planning, it’s potential to get pleasure from all the pieces town has to supply with out breaking the financial institution – see my full set of tricks to lower your expenses on days out in London with children right here.
- Go to throughout low season to avoid wasting on flights and lodging.
- Use town’s wonderful public transport system somewhat than taxis.
- Discover a free strolling tour, however do go away a tip when you can.
- Make the most of free actions, reminiscent of visiting museums and parks.
- Use low cost ticket web sites to get good offers on massive points of interest.
- Ebook mixture tickets for a number of points of interest.
- Get monetary savings on meals by on the lookout for meal offers in supermarkets (normally together with a sandwich, snack and drink) in addition to reductions for eating places utilizing a Style card.
For extra tips about methods to avoid wasting on a metropolis break with children, together with metropolis passes and discovering low cost (or free) excursions, take a look at this publish.
Packing information for London with children
When packing for London, it’s vital to organize for the unpredictable British climate. Whereas climate extremes are uncommon, it’s price checking forecasts within the run-up to your journey – don’t be shocked when you’re confronted with sunshine, clouds and rain, generally throughout the identical day.
Even in the course of the peak summer season months, rain and milder days are nonetheless potential, so guarantee you have got a couple of additional layers and a lightweight raincoat or umbrella with you.
Be certain that to pack snug sneakers for strolling across the metropolis too as you’ll be in your toes quite a bit. A day bag for carrying layers, water, and snacks can also be an incredible concept.
Ebook listing
You’re spoiled for selection in terms of books about London – from the most effective information to London with children to fiction for toddlers, youngsters and youths, you’ll discover one thing to swimsuit the entire household.
Take a look at my full listing of the most effective books about London for teenagers right here
The Metropolis Trails collection from Lonely Planet Children are considered one of my favorite guidebooks for youngsters – we’ve used them in different European cities and Metropolis Trails London is simply as filled with quirky details and sights.
Horrible Histories addicts can be delighted to find that there’s a London e book within the collection –Ugly Guides: London – with all of the fascinating and foul, grotesque, gory and downright bizarre details you’d anticipate.
Youthful children will love Paddington’s Information to London, which makes a enjoyable method to get them excited concerning the journey prematurely too. Or the Pop-up London e book from Lonely Planet Children is one other vibrant choice for little ones.
For one thing a bit extra interactive, there are greater than 130 London sights to seek out within the pocket-sized i-spy London, with loads of details to find as you learn and discover.
Or the fabulous Usborne lift-the-flap books features a London choice: Look Inside London is filled with details about town’s key websites – together with Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London – in addition to London’s different well-known sights, reminiscent of purple cellphone containers, black cabs and double-deckers buses.
From the identical publishers, See Inside London takes a journey by time (somewhat than geography), displaying London all through its historical past from Roman instances to the Center Ages, the Black Dying and in the course of the Blitz within the Second World Warfare. An excellent companion to the Look Inside London e book.
Covid assets
Verify right here for present covid guidelines within the UK. For extra basic well being data go to the NHS web site, and obtain my household journey first help guidelines.
Disclosure: This information to London with children comprises affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee
Penguin/Tower Bridge at Christmas pictures copyright MummyTravels, all others courtesy of Depositphotos
