London in 4 days
 

Our family is going to be in London around<BR>the first of August....what are the most<BR>worthwhile attractions we can see in four<BR>days? Is Stratford on Avon a tour that<BR>should be taken, we have our 10 year old son<BR>that will be traveling with us?<BR>Is it still not advised to eat beef in the<BR>United Kingdom?<BR>Thanks Susie in The USA

I suggest that you start by reading Fodors' own guide to London: see the link on www.fodors.com Also, the past posts on this board regarding London; there have been several discussions about taking children.<BR><BR>The one place a ten-year-old will enjoy for sure is the Tower of London; get there when they open, head directly for the Crown Jewels, then after that take a tour with one of the Beefeaters.<BR><BR>Please do NOT bother with the London Dungeon. If you are considering it, at least investigate their web site first. <BR><BR>Another site that many Fodorites don't think is "worth it" is the Changing of hte Guard at Buckingham Palace: unless you are very tall or very early, you won't see much, it's just two guys getting of work.<BR><BR>It's OK to eat beef in the UK. <BR><BR>Stratford is a good day trip, but NOT for a 4-day visit.

You might also find the London Tourist Board site useful: www.visitlondon.com

We just came back from London with our teenager. Her favorite places were Stonehenge & the Tower. I have been to Stratford & don't know how interesting a 10 yr old would find it.He would probably enjoy the Jack the Ripper tour & the open red bus tour too. We went to Abbey Road for my daughter to take a picture where the Beatles walked for the album cover.Her friends wanted her to do that.A friend went to Cambridge & punted down the river. Maybe he would like that.<BR>As for beef, we were told Mad Cow is no longer a problem & beef is fine.

Susie: In only 4 days you will certainly not have time to see Stratford (and IF you were going to that area, Warwick would be a much better day out)<BR><BR>Remember - If you are flying from the States, the first day will be VERY tiring after an overnight flight and 36-40 hours without sleep. So you need to take it fairly easy. And some of the 4th day will be taken up by packing and getting to the next destination (airport, train station, rental car, whatever). So in 3+ days you you need to cut back your expectations.<BR><BR>Depending on your son's interests here are some Musts:<BR><BR>The already mentioned Tower<BR>The London Transport Museum<BR>The Science and/or Natural History museums<BR>Ride the London Eye<BR>A boat trip on the Thames - maybe a Frog Tour. These are amphibious vehicles that take tours of many sites on both sides of the river and finish up by driving into the river for a short river cruise. Great fun.<BR>A hop-on-hop-off tour on an open-top double decker bus.<BR>A visit to Hamleys - a HUGE 7 story toy store on Regent Street<BR>The London Aquarium (right next door to the Eye)<BR>a play or musical<BR><BR>In your short visit you will not likely get to all of these since there are probably also some site the adults will want to see (St Pauls, Westminster Abbey, National Gallery, British Museum etc., etc.<BR>

All of the above suggestions are good, but I would add (depending on the weather):<BR>1. Canal tour to Camden Lock<BR>2. Rowing on the Serpentine in Hyde Park<BR>3. Punting in Oxford or Cambridge (if you have a car).

Hi Susie<BR>I have a file on London, including some ideas for children; if you 'd like to see the file, email me.<BR>Also, if you look in your local bookstore or at Amazon.com there are some books geared toward seeing London with children--Fodors has "Around London with Kids" and David White who posts here sometimes has one called <BR>"Let's Take the Kids to London", just to name two.<BR><BR>Does your son like history?<BR>When I was in London with my nephews, around your son's age, they very much enjoyed the Imperial War Museum which has sound and light "war experiences" as well as missiles, tanks and such on display to climb on.<BR>They also enjoyed making brass rubbings at Westminster Abbey, and yes, the Tower was a big hit--we took the Yeoman Warder's tour. <BR><BR>If you are set on a daytrip (and you don't mind missing some important sites in London) the outdoor maze at Hampton Court Palace was one of the things that my nephews enjoyed most--we all had a ball. The rest of the Palace didn't impress them that much, however.<BR><BR>If you are looking for alternative Changing of the Guards, you can see them at the Tower, at the Horse Guards on Whitehall, and even at Windsor Castle.<BR><BR>Enjoy your trip<BR><BR>

Gosh, I’d really reconsider taking a “day trip” with only 4 days. About as far as I’d venture would be Greenwich or Hampton Court. London is such a fascinating city, I’ve been there 6 or 7 times on trips ranging from 4 days to 3 weeks and there is still so much I’d like to see in London alone. In addition, a big hit for the kids (and adults alike) is the London Eye. Fabulous views and, even if they were somehow bored, it’s not like you’ve invested more than an hour or two of your time.

Susie...a "must see" when we were in London, was the British Library, home of: the Magna Carta, Historical Bibles-including the Gutenberg Bible and the King James Bible(1611 A.D.), Leonardo da Vinci's Notebook, Shakespeare's First Folio, The Beatles manuscripts and photos, and many more historical paper monuments of British and World history...very educational as well a interesting...Helen

Shannons suggestions are great, for maybe a third or fourth visit. If traveling with a 10 year-old and it is your first visit, I'd keep to the basics mentioned by most of the posters. The Museum of London (near St Paul's) is a small but excellent place to get an historical overview. It seems to appeal to children and adults. <BR><BR>

When I plan a trip for the Loons (4-8 women who travel together) I always ask each of them for a special thing they want to see (no promises that we'll do it, but we'll try). Sometimes I don't even have to ask (my sister is happy looking at "old dug up stuff" aka archaeological sites and museums). What floats your son's boat? If he's interested in WWII, or army stuff, the Imperial War Museum and/or the Cabinet War Museum are a must-see. The historical sites are a drag-to must, like St Paul's and the Tower of London. The British Museum is crammed with all sorts of artifacts. A tour of Parliament is also pretty interesting (SEE where Charles I got whacked). <BR><BR>For a day trip (it actually can take about 6 hours in total, to/from plus the visit, or longer if you choose) is Hampton Court.<BR><BR>I love London, and never am at a loss for something to see or do; but I sometimes I just want to get out of the big city hustlebustle, so a half-day or daytrip outside of London is a nice break. So plan four full days in London, then as an extra, a trip to Oxford (Ashmolean Museum is incredible) or Hampton Court, or wherever - if you find you need a break, you've got a plan all ready.

If you do tour the Tower of London might I also suggest including a tour of Tower Bridge which is right next to the Tower of London. Fascinating to see how the bridge works and a great view from the top of the bridge. And then there is the HMS Belfast directly across from the Tower.

I took my 10 yr old to London last spring and he loved the double-decker bus tour where we could hop on and off. He loved the Tower of London and we climbed to the top of St. Pauls. I'd pass on the London Eye and the lines may be too long. it was rather boring even w/o a long wait. I'd skip Stratford and pick a castle--I like Warwick myself. We went to Hampton Court but it wasn't a big hit. We ended up having more fun looking for metal military figures.

Susie,<BR><BR>I second climbing to the top of St. Paul's. It's a thrill for all ages--but especially a 10 year old. Also, because it expends energy it is a good option when a museum visit for the same day is planned.<BR><BR>You'll have a great time.<BR><BR>linda

Better check about St. Paul's. Last I heard, the very top was closed for repair/renovation work. A shame, because we really enjoyed that last leg, in among the metal braces of the dome itself. Worth the effort, IF it's open.

Their beef is safer and better for you than our genetically modified, antibiotic pumped equivalent.

Susie, Our family just returned from a trip to London. My sons, ages 12 and 15, liked these activities best:<BR><BR>Trip to Stonehenge (with inner circle access)<BR>Imperial War Museum<BR>St. Paul's Cathedral (with climb to top of dome)<BR>Tower of London (the best parts were the beefeater tour with Tony and,later at night, the Ceremony of the Keys)<BR>Hop-on-hop-off bus tour and river boat ride<BR>"Blood Brothers" musical<BR><BR>We did the Jack the Ripper walk which fascinated both boys, but I thought it was pretty graphic and would hesitate recommending it for a ten-year-old.<BR><BR>We also saw other sights including the British Museum, Westminster Abbey, Tate Modern and the London Eye, which were enjoyed more by the adults.<BR><BR>Feel free to contact me about our trip!<BR><BR><BR>

Most interesting to a 10-year old:<BR><BR>Tower of London<BR>Madame Tussauds<BR>London Dungeon <BR>London Eye<BR>British Museum<BR>Warwick Castle<BR>Sightseeing Tour Bus<BR>

Last June, my wife and I went to London and really enjoyed attending the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. You have to write to them in advance for a free ticket. See most major travel guides for information. We really like Rick Steves for travel advice. <BR><BR>As for outside of London, we also enjoyed Warwick Castle a lot. We had a rental car, so I'm not sure about taking trains, etc. But it was wonderful to get out of the big city.<BR><BR>Also, you may want to see if the season for the Globe Theater is still on when you're there. Depending on the show, it could be quite entertaining for the family.

Skip the crappy London Dungeon and Madame Toussauds, afterall, it is your vacation, too. My kids and I loved the Globe Exhibit and tour.