junk4rp

Ok, so I was planning to come up with an itinerary. But then I thought of looking around for suggested itinerary. I came across a nice 3 days itinerary from Frommers. Here is the link:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations...055020791.html

I thought of posting it here on two purposes. One, others who are looking for similar itinerary might benefit from this. Second, I can validate it here whether it is possible.

Waiting for your feedback.

Thanks,
RP

junk4rp

Guys I am back... my account was suspended apparently for confusion... I was not sure how to write back to all you wonderful people... anyway finally it is resolved. I thought I have to plan everything without your help Moving this thread up for your feedback.

janisj

PLEASE - totally 100% ignore that plan from Frommers website. You just linked day 3 -- but days 1, 2 and 3 are borderline crazy. To give you an idea . . . Read this current thread from another poor Fodorite who was considering days 1 & 2 from the Frommers plan.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ng-to-help.cfm

Read it and weep

At least we are saving you a lot of trouble . . .

poutine

I know there are a couple of long threads right now which may have already answered the following question, so my apologies..... but how old are the kids and are they male/female. With three days you will really need to narrow down what you are going to be able to see. So, the above info would help us.

That Frommers itinerary is not doable even on speed.

Bowsprit

Frommers Day Plan: It isn't really an itinerary as much as it is a checklist of 'to do's' and 'to sees'. I've yet to read one Frommers plan that's actually do-able.

junk4rp

OK, so looks like that is not doable. Is there a realistic itinerary that fodor forums has for London? Of course I will read many TRs here and come up with one later. But if there is a good itinerary people follow I would like to know.

junk4rp

Oh I forgot to add @poutine: my kids 11 (boy), 7 9girl & 7 (boy). Does that matter in terms of choosing what to see?

azzure

OK, we were in London for three full days not too long ago, and here is what we did:

Day 1: Tower of London when it opened, thus avoiding major crowds. Had Crown Jewels to ourselves and took first "Beefeater Tour" of the day. Then lunch, and walked to St. Paul's; climbed up to Whispering Gallery. Then a rest, before going out to see "Wicked" that evening.

Day 2: Photos from Westminster Bridge and then into the Abbey as it opened. Took verger's tour (highly recommended).
Then a short walk to Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum. Evening: dinner with friends.

Day 3: British Museum and British Library, then Covent Garden for dinner/drinks at historic Lamb and Flag pub.

The next day we left early by train for York. You'll notice that we only had time for the bare minimum of major sights...and never even got to set foot on the South Bank. With three kids along, you'll be lucky to do even that much; but good luck to you anyway!

janisj

One thing you really should fit in is the London Transport Museum -- it is in Covent Garden and is a fabulous site for families.

Most children enjoy the Natural History and Science Museums.

Instead of copying some itinerary/checklist -- make a list of what each member of the family really wants to see/do and then we can help you work them into a workable plan. Get a guidebook for your kids and let them have some input.

junk4rp

@azzure: Thanks a lot for the suggested itinerary. When you say evening, is that half of the day you spent not doing any sight seeing? We do not have friends in London to spend evening with. So that will probably leave us a few more hours to spend on other things.

janisj: Is London's Natural History and Science Museum much better than that of DC? Being close to DC area, we are not easily convinced to see Museum elsewhere unless it offers completely new things. The London Transport Museum however, would be interesting. Thanks for helping me.

Bowsprit

I think you should make a list of your interests too. However, the best thing about real travel itineraries is that you get an idea of how much one can really fit in a day.

azzure: I like your travel style! Looks like you were able to enjoy nice variety and a good overview of the city.

jamikins

I would pick 6 major sites - 1 site for the morning, 1 for the afternoon for each day. Then group them in a way that makes sense and include some walking around the areas of each to 'see' some of the other sites.

Especially with children, I think anything more would not work. You could also plan something light for after dinner.

So for example:

Day 1 - AM - Start at Buckingham Palace, walk through St James Park to Westminster Abbey - do tour.

Lunch

PM - walk around Parliament/Big Ben - up to Trafalgar Sq/Picadilly Circus to Covent Garden - see transport museum

Dinner

See a show or a London Walk www.walks.com

Day 2 - start at the Tower at 9am, see crown jewels, do a beefeater tour (expect to spend 4 hours here). You can have lunch here, and walk to the river to see Tower Bridge.

PM - Either St Pauls tour or a museum?

You get the idea.

The sites are really spread out and it will be much more enjoyable if you arent running around trying to check off a list. Get a few ideas and enjoy them!

Michel_Paris

I might schedule a London Walks in for one of the days. Kind of nice to have a local take you around and tell you stories. They have morning and afternoon (and evening...but more for adults).

janisj

Jamikins has given you a VERY good rule of thumb. Only plan 2 major sites a day. You could squeeze in 3 IF they are very near each other. But one in the morning and one in the afternoon is about what is practical.

Most of the London Walks would be tough w/ your young children. They'd have to keep up w/ some pretty fast walkers and be quiet while the guide gives lots of historical info and anecdotes.

If you don't want to 'over-museum' the kids, you can skip the Natural History and Science. But I'd still go to the Transport and British museums

historytraveler

You probably already have to much on your list but an excellent museum for both adults and kids (unlike anything in DC) is the London Museum. As janisj and others have said, limit your major sites to two a day and have a couple of small things that you can add on if time allows.

junk4rp

@jamikins: Thanks a lot for providing a good guideline. I will work towards it. Yes, finally kids need to enjoy the city. I am planning to rent a videos from Local library to get an idea about things and to make kids excited about the trip. This will also help us decide on the major sites we want to see.

@Michel_Paris: I will check the walking tours. My kids are fine with walks - of course, they might behave differently when they are tired/sleepy. I will check to see if it would be interesting and appropriate with the kids.

@janisj: Yes, Transport, British and V&A museums are in my radar. Will see how our itinirary shapes up as we get closer to the trip dates.

I actually have another half of a day. But I am keeping it a little free for jet lag etc. Thank you all for your feedback. Keep it coming as long as it is not taking too much time out of your lives. I appreaciate your suggestions.

Cholmondley_Warner

Don't take kids to the V&A. It's deathly dull for adults. I think children would probably start self-harming if dragged there.

Science Museum's what you want.

texasbookworm

Agree with the advice, esp. these items:
1.Plan 2 things each day that are high priority must sees and then consider a couple minor other things to maybe get to that are near by (get very familiar with a map of London now, plan out routes, look at distances)
2.I wouldn't drag kids to the V&A, either; it's marvelous but not for kids your ages who will, I think, LOVE the British Museum and the Museum of London--as will the adults, too. I don't know the other 2 museums suggested but it sounds like they'd definitely be better for kids than the V&A.

We (DH and I) enjoyed the Tower Bridge Exhibition which had great views and lots of hands-on stuff for kids. It's not free like many of the other museums, but it is near the Tower, is cool to walk across and through, and might fit into your schedule. Also remember that the Tower Bridge is a working bridge that lifts to allow ships to pass; your kids might enjoy seeing that (which can be seen from inside the Tower but is great to see from actually on the Bridge itself). Search on the internet for Tower Bridge Lift schedules closer to your trip and you can find the scheduled opening times--and the whole process doesn't take long, so you don't have to take loads of time out of your day. Just an extra minor idea to throw into the mix!

Michel_Paris

The Old Palaces tour is timed such that you get to see the end of the changing of the guard...along the Mall.

poutine

I asked the ages of your kids as a reference to my own. Three years ago we went with my then 9 yo old son and 7 yo daughter - 9 nights in London and 5 in Paris. We were there at the end of June early July when it was still dusk at 10 pm, which helps a lot in terms of maximizing activities with kids.

London was such a hit with the kids that I am trying to arrange a return trip this summer - only 5 nights in London and then two weeks with a car driving around the southern half of England and Wales. If only I could find a reasonable airfare....

The activities they most enjoyed were:

Tower of London (an absolute must), including the Ceremony of the Keys. I don't know if it is too late for you to get a spot, but it was really enjoyed by all of us. As another poster mentioned, be there as it opens before it gets overcrowded. Sometimes you can get "2 for 1" prices or family prices in the UK that reduce the cost a lot.

The British Museum. My son knew about the Rosetta Stone, and the Egyptian displays. The library was very impressive too. We were all happy we went.

The London Eye. We did this on the last day and bought walk up tickets. I hesitated for the first week over the cost for about 20 minutes in the air, but gave in and am glad I did. Waiting until the end meant that we could identify many buildings from the pod.

Brass Rubbing at St. Martins in the Field. They had a great time here, and it allowed my husband to sit for awhile and the kids to take a breather.

Natural History Museum and Science Museum. They really enjoyed the Natural History Museum, but given your short time in London and the fact that they have been in DC, perhaps put it on your maybe list. We chose not to go to the V & A so I can't comment it.

Do go and hang out by the horseguards to see the changing of the guard. You will get much better photos as it was not crowded when we went. One thing that kids really enjoy about London is the pomp and ceremony that still exists. The costumes are impressive, the formality etc.

London Walks - we went on two, mostly because I wanted to. The Greenwich walk and the walk which includes around Westminster (forget exactly what that one is called). I was the only one that enjoyed it. Maybe now that mine are older, but I would get them to read up and choose one themselves. Otherwise I would give it a miss and choose the HoHo instead.

If the weather is good, take a quick boat ride on the Thames. It gives the tourist a whole different perspective of the city, and how important the rivers were to a cities growth.

My daughter loved Covent Garden and the buskers. She was pulled into one show and wound up receiving several tips for her efforts!

We went for tea (not high tea) at a place in St James Park (forget the name). It was not expensive, yet the kids could eat scones and jam and sip tea. Made them think they were English....

Other notes:

We did not go to the London Transport Museum as it was closed for renovations when we were there. It is on the list for this time.

The Imperial War Museum - we went but they were really too young to appreciate it. Will definitely return next time as they have some great exhibits.

We did not go to any of the art museums in London, instead seeing many of the art museums in Paris.

On a general note - almost all museums are free and will have an activities booklet for the kids. If you want to get your 9 & 11 year old to have a look online at the British Museum, they had info you could download and read at home to better appreciate your time there.

I would encourage you to get your kids to pick a novel or two to read on each city they are visiting. At the time my son read The Baker Street Irregulars, and a few others I am forgetting. I will ask him when he gets back from school and repost.