Itinerary Check for a Week in London
Mar 20th, 2011, 12:54 PM
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Itinerary Check for a Week in London
Just wanted to run my itinerary for a week in London with my wife and 2 sons (8 & 12) past the group and see if I am on the right track, over scheduled or forgot something that is not to miss.
We arrive on Friday 4/1 landing at Heathrow at 11:25. I need to pickup my older son’s photo oyster card and get oyster cards with enough loaded to get my wife to Pimlico station where we have a flat rented for the week. After checking into the flat I planned to walk up to Victoria Station to pick up 7 day travel cards for my wife and I from the National Rail ticket counter so we can do 2:1s. After that I have the following planned.
Friday Afternoon
British Library
Kings Cross Station for Harry Potter sites
Fish & Chips for Dinner
<suggestions on other activities if we are still moving?>
Saturday
Foodie’s walk with London Walks at Borough’s Market @10 am
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Sunday
Churchill War Rooms in the Morning
Harry Potter walk with London Walks in the afternoon
Monday
British Museum in the morning
Courtauld Gallery in the afternoon before 2
Tuesday
Tower of London in the morning
Westminster Abby in the afternoon
Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London
Wednesday
Legoland Windsor
Thursday
Natural History Museum in the morning
Science Museum in the afternoon
Friday
Our flight out is at 5 pm. Not sure what time we need to be out of the flat by so if we do something Friday I need to have a plan for the luggage until we head to Heathrow.
Other places/activities I would like to fit into the schedule
“We Will Rock You” musical one evening
London Eye
National Gallery
Imperial War Museum
Any advice on other things I should get into the schedule or how to better optimize it would be appreciated.
We arrive on Friday 4/1 landing at Heathrow at 11:25. I need to pickup my older son’s photo oyster card and get oyster cards with enough loaded to get my wife to Pimlico station where we have a flat rented for the week. After checking into the flat I planned to walk up to Victoria Station to pick up 7 day travel cards for my wife and I from the National Rail ticket counter so we can do 2:1s. After that I have the following planned.
Friday Afternoon
British Library
Kings Cross Station for Harry Potter sites
Fish & Chips for Dinner
<suggestions on other activities if we are still moving?>
Saturday
Foodie’s walk with London Walks at Borough’s Market @10 am
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Sunday
Churchill War Rooms in the Morning
Harry Potter walk with London Walks in the afternoon
Monday
British Museum in the morning
Courtauld Gallery in the afternoon before 2
Tuesday
Tower of London in the morning
Westminster Abby in the afternoon
Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London
Wednesday
Legoland Windsor
Thursday
Natural History Museum in the morning
Science Museum in the afternoon
Friday
Our flight out is at 5 pm. Not sure what time we need to be out of the flat by so if we do something Friday I need to have a plan for the luggage until we head to Heathrow.
Other places/activities I would like to fit into the schedule
“We Will Rock You” musical one evening
London Eye
National Gallery
Imperial War Museum
Any advice on other things I should get into the schedule or how to better optimize it would be appreciated.
Mar 20th, 2011, 01:21 PM
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Group things better by walking distance. No need to spend so much time on the Tube.
Why not do Westminster Abbey and the War Rooms on the same day?
Why not do St. Paul's and the Tower on the same day, have dinner near the Tower and do Ceremony of Keys at night?
You have two boys, should get them to Windsor Castle if you're going to Windsor.
Skip the natural history and science museums and go to the Imperial War Museum. Boys will like that way better (esp. if you live anywhere near a good science museum) and you're museumed-up pretty well. And be sure to take them to Hamley's and later to Fortnum & Mason.
Do Speakers' Corner on the Sunday -- the boys should see deranged monologuists in their natural habitats.
Why not do Westminster Abbey and the War Rooms on the same day?
Why not do St. Paul's and the Tower on the same day, have dinner near the Tower and do Ceremony of Keys at night?
You have two boys, should get them to Windsor Castle if you're going to Windsor.
Skip the natural history and science museums and go to the Imperial War Museum. Boys will like that way better (esp. if you live anywhere near a good science museum) and you're museumed-up pretty well. And be sure to take them to Hamley's and later to Fortnum & Mason.
Do Speakers' Corner on the Sunday -- the boys should see deranged monologuists in their natural habitats.
Mar 20th, 2011, 02:14 PM
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Good to not have too many things on a day.
I doubt if you'll need anything else to do on arrival day!
I would also suggest the Imperial War Museum for your boys. And you may have less crowd if you get to the Abbey first thing. So perhaps move Westminster Abbey to Thursday morning, then walk across the bridge and on to the Imperial War Museum.
That leaves some time after the Tower for ??? We had 2for1 vouchers and enjoyed the Tower Bridge Exhibition (hubby's a chemical engineer but loves all machines, I loved views)--it would have been too expensive for what it is without the vouchers. Then all along the SouthBank for the afternoon.
That would give up the Natural History and Science museums but I keep reading that, while great, they're not that special if you have other uniquely London things to do.
Might look into a Regents Canal ride--that was fun for us. Greenwich? They'd like that.
I doubt if you'll need anything else to do on arrival day!
I would also suggest the Imperial War Museum for your boys. And you may have less crowd if you get to the Abbey first thing. So perhaps move Westminster Abbey to Thursday morning, then walk across the bridge and on to the Imperial War Museum.
That leaves some time after the Tower for ??? We had 2for1 vouchers and enjoyed the Tower Bridge Exhibition (hubby's a chemical engineer but loves all machines, I loved views)--it would have been too expensive for what it is without the vouchers. Then all along the SouthBank for the afternoon.
That would give up the Natural History and Science museums but I keep reading that, while great, they're not that special if you have other uniquely London things to do.
Might look into a Regents Canal ride--that was fun for us. Greenwich? They'd like that.
Mar 21st, 2011, 06:21 PM
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A couple quick thoughts -
(I've traveled to Paris 2x with kids - ages 5 and 7 at the time and London and Paris with ages 6, 8, and 10).
Friday - arrival day - I would try to spend this outside as much as possible - I (and kids) always adjust better when we can be outside - walking or in a park is great!
- Fat Tire Bike Tours - we've done these in Paris and they are great! The first time, both girls (ages 5, and 7) were behind us on a tandem bike. The second time, the girls were older and rode their own bikes and our son was behind Mr. Surf on a tandem. They also have tours in London and this would be extremely fun - this was one of the kids highlights in Paris.
www.fattirebiketours.com
Cabinet War Rooms - the kids didn't like. They got fixated on the fact that they were dark and stinky and couldn't get "into" the historical piece of it. In retrospect, we should have bailed earlier.
Tower of London - Ceremony of the Keys - stay towards the front of the tour group and when he lines you up on the sidewalk next to Traitor's Gate, get the boys right in front on the curb (he will make sure you are off the road part). Don't get pushed down too far towards the entrance where you came in - the sentry will come under the entrance directly across from Traitor's Gate and that is the best place that the kids will be able to see them. At the end, you follow them up the hill (with your back to Traitor's Gate) and if you are right there, you can be virtually "first" to follow the guards up the hill.
*this will make sense when you've been there - when you go during the day, look at the spot and you'll understand*
dinner - We walked over to St. Katharine's Docks and ate at the Dickens Inn - very family friendly and convenient to the Tower.
We did both Windsor and Hampton Court - they both are neat. At Hampton Court, we went on a day when they were doing the demonstrations were happening in the kitchen. My 10yo was very interested in watching and seeing what they were doing. They also had fun in the maze.
We purchased an annual pass for Historic Royal Palaces - look at the prices. This had some side benefits in that we went back to the Tower of London and broke it into 2 different days and didn't pay 2x. (My 10yo had done a school project on the Tower and couldn't wait to visit!) They kids could also do the maze multiple times vs. doing it only once with a regular ticket.
St. Martin's in the Fields - brass rubbing - this was very fun for the kids - and easier for the parents. There is a cafe right there, so you can get food and drink and bring it out to the tables while they do their thing.
good points above about grouping things together:
Westminister tube - West. Abbey + Cabinet War Rooms + Trafalgar Square
Also, be mentally prepared to switch days as the weather dictates.
here is my (unfinished) trip report - I'm done with London, though, so read that part for some ideas and my perspective.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...three-kids.cfm
(I've traveled to Paris 2x with kids - ages 5 and 7 at the time and London and Paris with ages 6, 8, and 10).
Friday - arrival day - I would try to spend this outside as much as possible - I (and kids) always adjust better when we can be outside - walking or in a park is great!
- Fat Tire Bike Tours - we've done these in Paris and they are great! The first time, both girls (ages 5, and 7) were behind us on a tandem bike. The second time, the girls were older and rode their own bikes and our son was behind Mr. Surf on a tandem. They also have tours in London and this would be extremely fun - this was one of the kids highlights in Paris.
www.fattirebiketours.com
Cabinet War Rooms - the kids didn't like. They got fixated on the fact that they were dark and stinky and couldn't get "into" the historical piece of it. In retrospect, we should have bailed earlier.
Tower of London - Ceremony of the Keys - stay towards the front of the tour group and when he lines you up on the sidewalk next to Traitor's Gate, get the boys right in front on the curb (he will make sure you are off the road part). Don't get pushed down too far towards the entrance where you came in - the sentry will come under the entrance directly across from Traitor's Gate and that is the best place that the kids will be able to see them. At the end, you follow them up the hill (with your back to Traitor's Gate) and if you are right there, you can be virtually "first" to follow the guards up the hill.
*this will make sense when you've been there - when you go during the day, look at the spot and you'll understand*
dinner - We walked over to St. Katharine's Docks and ate at the Dickens Inn - very family friendly and convenient to the Tower.
We did both Windsor and Hampton Court - they both are neat. At Hampton Court, we went on a day when they were doing the demonstrations were happening in the kitchen. My 10yo was very interested in watching and seeing what they were doing. They also had fun in the maze.
We purchased an annual pass for Historic Royal Palaces - look at the prices. This had some side benefits in that we went back to the Tower of London and broke it into 2 different days and didn't pay 2x. (My 10yo had done a school project on the Tower and couldn't wait to visit!) They kids could also do the maze multiple times vs. doing it only once with a regular ticket.
St. Martin's in the Fields - brass rubbing - this was very fun for the kids - and easier for the parents. There is a cafe right there, so you can get food and drink and bring it out to the tables while they do their thing.
good points above about grouping things together:
Westminister tube - West. Abbey + Cabinet War Rooms + Trafalgar Square
Also, be mentally prepared to switch days as the weather dictates.
here is my (unfinished) trip report - I'm done with London, though, so read that part for some ideas and my perspective.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...three-kids.cfm
Mar 21st, 2011, 06:48 PM
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If you're still up for fish and chips after your visit to Kings Cross try North Sea Fish on Leigh Street . You can walk to the restaurant from the station.
http://www.northseafishrestaurant.co.uk/
http://www.northseafishrestaurant.co.uk/
