Kathy

We are taking our two children (ages 6 & 9)to London next month. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to eat (for children) and some good attractions for the kids to see? Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

elaine

Kathy <BR>There have been several previous postings on this topic. If you do a Search on this forum for Children London <BR>I'll bet you'll find lots of entries. <BR>I was there in 98 with two nephews <BR>then aged 10 and 7. <BR>They very much liked the Imperial War Museum and the nighttime Ceremony of the Keys. The latter requires advance requests for tickets, and it may be too late. <BR>For restaurants my nephews enjoyed the Hard Rock Cafe, Joe Allen's, and The Rainforest Cafe, but that's because they could get American-style burgers and such; they are culinarily challenged, to say the least. <BR>If you would like a copy of my London notes (it's general, not just for kids) feel free to email me.

Ben Haines

<BR>I have a note on disc about children aged 6 and 10 in London, and about meals, and am copying it to you by e-mail. <BR> <BR>Please write again if I can help further. Welcome to London. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR>

gerri

For a quick meal, we like the little sandwich shops called Petit Manager. There were quite a few downtown. The kids can look at the food and sandwiches first before deciding. My kids always like their food better if they see it before ordering. My kids were 13 and 9 when we went to London. They only lasted an hour in the British Museum! (too crowded). They loved the Tower of London. We took a boat ride from Westminster to the tower. They stayed interested in Westminster Abbey. We made a phone call to back home just before Big Ben gonged. They also enjoyed Hampton Court Palace. I have girls and they enjoyed Harrods.

Ben Haines

Fodors <BR> <BR>I agree with Gerri that the huge monuments from Egypt Mesopotamia and Greece are crowded and dull. So for children the age of yours I suggest going straight upstairs to the Anglo Saxon room to see the burial of a prince, in his ship. As I think I mention in my note on disc, a reading from the part about Grendel's Mother in "Beowulf" at bedtime the night before makes a good opener. On the other hand, at times parents on this and other fora say that childen like the Rosetta Stone. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR>

Robbyn

Kathy, <BR>We were in London 2 years ago with our son who was 14 at the time. He wants to go back!! He loved Picadilly (sp) circus the best. There's a store with floors and floors of games. He really enjoyed the Tower. We loved London, have been there twice and can't wait to go back.

anna

Take them to see the Rosetta Stone anyway. It will come up fairly often in the next several years in their social studies classes and they will appreciate its signifcance in the future and appreciate having actually seen it, even if they don't seem to appreciate it at the time. The crown jewels and the Yeoman Warder tour at the tower are a must. I posted a bunch of other stuff in response to a similar question a few weeks ago, so look for it. As far as places to eat, if they're picky eaters, be assured that Burger King, McDonald's, and KFC are everywhere in London so they won't starve. Our kids liked take-away sandwiches from several different shops, and loved the drinkable yogurt we found in the stores there, which you can't get here. Have a good trip.

Kathy Albert

Thank you to all that replied with your helpful suggestions!

carolyn

I live in the U.K. with a 3 and 6 year old. We go into London quite regularly. Our favorite place to eat is Wagamama's. It's a very informal, upbeat,hip Japanese noodle house. The kids love to order rice and noodles and eat it with soy sauce. It's also fairly inexpensive, with several locations throughout the city. If your kids will eat Chinese, go to Chinatown, just off Leicester square on Gerard St. - interesting area, with big Chinese gates. <BR> <BR>The London Acquairium is okay, but save it for an extremely rainy day if there's nothing else to do. <BR> <BR>They might find the Millennium Dome fun, I've heard rave reviews from people who've been to it. If the wheel is going, it might be fun to do also. <BR> <BR>Our kids thought the changing of the guard was pretty neat. The bobbies usually let the kids sit/stand on the curb so they can see better. There's another place, the name escapes me, just up from #10 Downing street that has a changing of the guard also. A bit less hoopla than Buckingham palace, but it's a nice show on horseback. <BR> <BR>If you have girls, they'll love the crown jewels at the Tower. <BR> <BR>Take 'em to see a musical. Our kids loved Beauty and the Beast, Dr. Doolittle and Nutcracker. The Lion King may also be good since it's Disney, they really go for it when it comes to costumes and sets. If you can, sit close to the stage so they can see the actors sweat. <BR> <BR>If you can manage a day trip, either go to Leeds Castle or Stonehenge. The Roman Baths in Baths are quite impressive to young ones also, they might just enjoy the train ride.

Steph

My girlfriend and I just returned from a week in London with our two sons 15 and 12 (different vacation schedules from rest of family). It was our first trip and I found many of the suggestions on this forum very helpful. Anyone interested in info. re our experience, which was phenomenal, feel free to e-mail me. I highly recommend getting the weekly travelcards at the tube staions as it saves a great deal of time and money, and can be used on the bus or subway. We had made color copies of our passports here (2.00) and used those photos for our passes. We managed to see all the "biggies", including the London Eye, and we also did a day trip by train to Stratford-upon-Avon, where we did Warwick Castle, and saw "As You Like It at the RSC". Highlights in London for the boys were Trocadero in Picadilly (huge arcade), street performers in Leiscester Square and Covent Garden, The Eye, Climbing to the top of Saint Paul's, Westminster Abbey, The Tower of London, etc. The Changing of the Guard was a little anti-climactic but still worth going to. Again, anyone interested feel free to e-mail me.