Nicolemp

Can someone give suggesitions on how to plan our short stay in London? We are two families, each with a ten year old boy.
We arrive on June 21st late afternoon. Staying at Royal Park Hotel near Paddington station. What is the easiest way to get to that station from the Heathrow airport?
Once settled in, how should we spend the late afternoon/evening? what area (I was thinking Picadilly)....
Next full day we plan to ride hop on/off red bus around the city and also ride the London Eye. Are advance tickets required for either?
We leave the next morning!
Thanks!

janisj

Do you arrive at LHR in the late afternoon? If so you won't have any time that evening except for dinner. Say you land at 4PM - you won't be at the hotel until maybe 6 or 6:30. Paddington would not be my choice - it isn't that convenient to many sites. The Heathrow Express train would cost an utter fortune for 6. The best way to get there would be to pre-book a car service like justairports.com

Also - w/ just one day in London do you want to spend it stuck on a bus? I'd pick a couple of major sites some or all of you want to visit and actually see/do something. The Eye really shouldn't be pre-booked since it is quite weather dependent. But w/ 6 of you and such a short visit, if you really want to do the Eye then yes, pre book.

Nicolemp

Thanks, yes we arrive at LHR around that time. I chose a hotel (Royal Park) around Paddington thinking it is easy access to/from the airport for our short stay?? We are going to do hop on/off bus for part of the day to see the city and we can get on at Lancaster Circle I think which is close to the hotel... What area do you suggest staying in then instead?

janisj

Paddington is 'convenient' to LHR -- but only by expensive trains. However it is inconvenient to most other parts of London - where the sites are.

Other parts of London are convenient to LHR by the much cheaper Underground/tube. South Kensington, Covent Garden, Bloomsbury, several other areas are on the direct tube line in from LHR and closer to sites. Or Victoria/Westminster are close to even more sites and convenient via the tube w/ one easy transfer at Hammersmith.

I honestly would not spend my only full day in London on a H-o-H-o bus.

indy_dad

Nicolemp

I agree with janisj about the HoHo bus. Everyone is different, but my 10-yo would be bored stiff. We've spent 11 nights over 2 trips. Have a look and see if anything jumps out for you:

http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/london.html

http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11...ndparents.html

Some suggestions for your full day:

Decent (i.e. not horrible) weather option:

Tower of London first thing -- straight to Crown Jewels and then back for the Beefeater tour. Visit the rest of the castle on your own.

Then,

a) St. Paul's, or
b) Tube to say, Green Park, walk town to Buckingham Palace, Birdcage Walk to Westminster, Big Ben, etc. Then the Eye.

If time/energy allows, end up at Covent Garden. My 10 y.o. loves all the performers there. That's quite a full day and you could see how things go. It's good to have a rough plan of options but not force yourself to do it all.

Or, a raining day option would be to visit the Science Museum and the Natural History Museum. If time allows, Hamley's toy store would be a big hit (though it isn't that close to those museums).

To save money, but confuse things, you can get 1-day travelcards from a National Rail Station on your arrival day (if possible) good for the next day. Then, you can get the 2for1 deals if you print off the vouchers at

http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/2for1-london

Tower of London, Eye, and occasionally St. Pauls to name a few are options. (So, that's more for the first plan).

Good luck.

menachem

It's not as if Paddington is in Siberia either. Good tube connections, lots of buses into town. But I too would discourage the HoHo bus. Picadilly in the evening is no fun. If you want to do something touristy at night, choose Covent Garden, or do the South Bank: ride the London Eye at night, and have a bite to eat at the South Bank complex

there's a super interesting exhibition going on at the British Museum about Pompei: for that you will have to pre-book I think. The Natural History Museum with 10 year old boys is also something you might want to do.

justineparis

10 yr old boy, I would take him to either Tower of London ( tons of old weapons and armour on display ) or The Natural History Museum.

Its a shame it such a short visit since there is really quite a bit to do, but its narrowing it down that's hard!

janisj

No - Paddington isn't Siberia. But it really doesn't have great tube connections - basically the Bakerloo line or all the way around on the Circle line to get anywhere much. And it isn't walking distance to anything except for Hyde Park.

Tulips

The Heathrow Express is expensive, but also fast and convenient. You arrive late afternoon on a Friday - travelling to London might be OK, but there is a lot of traffic on a Friday afternoon. The Heathrow Express will get you from LHR to your hotel in less than half an hour. You only have a day and a half - I would pay for the convenience of the Heathrow Express.

The Royal Park is actually close to Lancaster Gate, which is convenient on the Central Line. Also lots of buses on Bayswater Road. I think it's a good location.

June 21st it will be dark very late - you could get a regular bus from Bayswater Road - 94 goes to Piccadilly Circus via Oxford Circus and Regent Street. Buy an Oyster card and load it with some money. Maybe book Brasserie Zedel for dinner. Lots of restaurants in that area.

Livinright

A day and a half in London for two ten year old boys can be truly memorable. Their ages couldn't be more perfect. Definitely heed the wise advice of the posters here. The Tower of London is a must and St.Paul's Church is a great idea, even if it is not raining! Be sure to climb to the top of the dome..a ten year old child's delight!

I would recommend a pub meal, maybe at The Anchor. The Anchor will give you views of the Thames and across to London sights. The pub restaurants are separate from the drinking areas. Very atmospheric.

I would do a London Walks walking tour.These group walking tours are awesome and you get to allow someone else to do the work/talking while you walk at a leisurely pace and enjoy. It is a great nighttime option. BTW Their pub tours are great and not your typical pub crawl with many adults ordering soft drinks. Could be an option if it is up your alley. The Thames walk is great.

If you have the time and money, Mousetrap is another great night time option. My boys were 9 & 12 when they saw it and loved it. Might be able to get same day tickets at a discount. I did.

Regarding the Paddington Station area. The problem for me is the vibe. It is just hotel after hotel, many of which feel like long term boarding room hotels. It is remote and you feel like you have to haul yourself around to get anywhere.I agree that it does not have good tube connections

Skip the bus! Have a great time!

Tulips

This is true, regarding the Paddington Station area; lots of hotels, some of which look pretty awful. I would not want to stay in Praed Street, for example.
But the one the OP has booked looks ok, and is at the end of Sussex gdns closer to the park and Lancaster Gate. That is not bad, and Lancaster Gate has the Central line.

Livinright

Tulips, thank you! You make me feel better! Amazing how much you can care about a poster's choices!

Nicolemp

Thank you everyone! I appreciate all of the feedback. But of course, now I am second guessing my choice of the Royal Park Hotel/Paddington area. BTW, how much will it cost to take the Heathrow Express?
I don't know where to start a different hotel search!What area would be a direct train ride from the airport, and also in an area that is convenient to major sites?

menachem

That location is OK, don't worry about it. But if you want to reconsider, consider the South Bank. I often stay in either of the two Park Plazas they have just across Westminster Bridge: one short walk and you're at all the sights, you have the Festival Hall Pier nearby to take a riverbus to the Tower, and the London Eye is your neighbour. Good restaurants in the area and the Festival Hall area is nice, at night, with restaurants, some street performers, there's a festival thing (udderbelly) going on... Of course I don't know what your budget is...

https://www.heathrowexpress.com/tick...s/prices-fares

cheaper to get a car and driver to get you into town.

janisj

"<i>What area would be a direct train ride from the airport, and also in an area that is convenient to major sites?</i>"

As I posted above: >><blue>Other parts of London are convenient to LHR by the much cheaper Underground/tube. South Kensington, Covent Garden, Bloomsbury, several other areas are on the direct tube line in from LHR and closer to sites. Or Victoria/Westminster are close to even more sites and convenient via the tube w/ one easy transfer at Hammersmith. </blue><<

The only 'trains' from LHR go to Paddington. But the Tube (the subway system) has direct connections to lots of areas.

Or a pre-booked car service like justairports.com could take you anywhere. If you pay cash, Justairports charges £48 to £50-ish for a van (not per person) for most parts of central London.

The Heathrow Express would cost a fortune for six people. The cheapest pre-purchased tickets are £20 per adult and £10 per child - so £100 (almost $160) just to get to Paddington and then you'd either have to take cabs to the hotel or hike the 3+ block.

PatrickLondon

You will also need the Transport for London visitors' guide to public transport:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/15101.aspx

At that time of year, it will be light well after 9pm, so depending on exactly where you stay and the time you arrive and get settled in, there might be time for a walk in a park to get some fresh-ish air.

To cover public transport, get an Oystercard per adult with £15 on each one (the 10-year olds will be free). Using the maps in that visitors' guide you can work out fairly easily how to get between the main sights by tube or bus (I should think the 10-year olds might enjoy at least one ride on the top deck).

Tulips

"The Heathrow Express would cost a fortune for six people'

Yes it does, but no other mode of transport will get you from LHR to your hotel in less than half an hour on a Friday afternoon.

The location of the Royal Park Hotel is fine, I really wouldn't change it.
In the morning, walk straight through the park, to the Albert Memorial, and cross Knightsbridge to Exhibition Road, where you can visit the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum. Both are great for kids.
Then take the tube at South Kensington and either visit the British Museum, or go to Westminster; cross the bridge for the London Eye, Acquarium, Film Museum (which my kids enjoyed).
After that, walk along the river to the Tate (go to the restaurant on the top floor, great views), cross Millenium Bridge, visit St Paul's.
And that's a nice day in London for kids. No need for the Hoho bus, just get Oyster cards loaded with some money.

If you want some kind of tour, then maybe http://www.londonducktours.co.uk/

Livinright

London is known for its wonderful museums, however, with such limited time I would choose to do things that are truly "London". Many cities have a Science Museum, aquarium, Natural History Museum, etc. Also, even going at lightning speed, these museums are huge and will take a lot of time.

I would stick to the Tower and St Pauls, but if you have to choose a museum, I would choose The British Museum. At least you will not find it elsewhere. I just can't imagine not going to the Tower and St Pauls with two ten year old boys! From St Pauls you could take the Millennium bridge over to the Thames Walkway, Take in the Tate, go to the Anchor for a meal (you must reserve!).While in the area you could also visit the Globe Theatre?

BTW I am a huge museum fan. I just would not choose them with two ten year old boys in London for such a brief time.

Good luck! We want to know what you do!