Is it possible to tour Parliament in July when it is not in session?

"Is it possible to tour Parliament in July when it is not in session?"

I've tried to answer that one above.

Greenwich certainly is worth a visit. Henry VIII was born there and it is the home of the Royal Observatory (no longer there!) and the meridian. You can actually stand on the line at the very place of Greenwich Mean Time.

Covent Garden is a nice visit, especially to see the street artists and clowns.

AR,
What I meant is : In July, parliament is in session - during that time, is itpossible for non residents to enter the building and take a look and not necessarily attend the visitor gallery.

Be sure to take your children to Hamley's toy store on Regent Street....They have performers doing magic and demonstrating products all over the store.....one of my favorite places in London!!

Sorry SV - Parliament recesses on July 25th. You can tour the chamber only in August and September. Other than those dates the gallery is open but I must say that it is pointless to wait in line as very few get in. You could visit the Lords, though, but whilst interesting for the architecture it is much, much less interesting than watching MP's make farmyard noises in the commons. Prime Minister's question time takes place on Wednesday afternoons and otherwise the chamber is usually empty as members usually pair up with an opponent so that neither has to vote as they'd just cancel each other out. Blair takes his holiday between June and October, usually in foreign leaders mansions obtained by fraud and deception (this includes Sir Cliff Richard as he defrauds the public into believing he can sing). This holiday is only slightly shorter than the Queen's who leaves for Scotland shortly after Easter and returns to London for Christmas.

AR
I thought overseas visitors are not allowed into Parliament, when it is in session, hence Lords is also ruled out?

Are the Royal Mews worth a look or just an overrated Royal symbol?

Sounds like a good schedule to me. Plenty to keep you all amused but not too tiring.
All the places you mention are good for 7 year olds. When you go to the Natural History museum pop next door to the science museum too. The basement level has been turned into a kids' zone with loads of interactive 'stuff' to fool around with and it'll be a heavenly hour or so for a 7 year old faced with a visit to Harrods. A good chance to run around letting off steam and using up plenty of energy winding handles, turning knobs, pumping water, lifting weights etc.

Trying to think of stuff good for the 7 year old and not boring for adults:

A 'Frog Tour'.They leave from County Hall and are converted military amphibious vehicles that take you on a short road tour, then launch on to the Thames to continue with a river tour.

Rainforest Cafe. A restaurant in the Trocedero which is rainforest themed with animatronic animals all over the place, and a ceiling which has rainstorms etc - sounds a bit scary but its not, kids love it. I loved it when I went too.

Thanks Nona, Is it worth going to the Victoria and Albert Museum too?

Is Kensington Palace worth a Visit? And in July, is it possible to enter inside Buckingham Palace. I read somewhere that it is open to Public only in August

"Day 4 : Buckingham Palace, Mews, Westminster Abbey,
Day 5 : Parliament, Big Ben, Aquarium, St. Pauls
Day 6 : Tower of London, Trafalgar SQ, City"

Have you looked at a map of London -
Swop St Paul's & Trafalgar Square - and your day 4 & 5 stuff are in the same area so you may want to combine them.

BUT why aren't you doing the London Eye?

Heard London eye is highly overrated and expensive !!! Is it possible to combine Buckingham Palace, West Abbey, St. Pauls, Trafalgar Sq etc in one day with a child in tow?

While physically possible, I wouldn't visit Westminster Abbey and St Paul's in one day with a 7 YO child. The tours through Westminster are guided and take about an hour and a half. What 7 YO kid has much context for appreciating the history there?

I'd pick one or the other and if you have additional touring time, add something your child will enjoy, like the Diana playground or a trip to the toy store (Harrods or Hamleys).

Most of the museums have "trails" for children to follow making the parents' trip a little more enjoyable. Check at the information desk when you first visit.

Mine really liked the V&A trail and the V&A in general. Fashion, tiaras, home and decorative arts were a bit more interesting to a 7 YO girl than the Rosetta Stone.

Here are some answers to your questions, based on my kids' experiences:

The London Transport Museum is closed now for refurbishing.

Covent Garden is a good place to walk through and watch the street entertainers. It is very close to Trafalgar Square.

The Maritime Museum is very good!

The Royal Mews is suprisingly fun! I agree, it seems like an over-rated symbol, but the carriages are pretty amazing.

I personally wouldn't combine Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's in one day. I love visiting churches, but there is so much to see at each one, that I think two in one day is overkill. Westminster Abbey is close to the Cabinet War Rooms, which have a very good children's audio guide. They would be easy to do on the same day.

Annette

Annette

Thanks Annette - If I had to choose between Westminster Abbey and St.Pauls, which one would you suggest?

There's nothing to stop overseas visitors entering the galleries during session, but as I said they will have to queue with the public and it's highly unlikely they will get into the commons. There are various degrees of access through members with priority for UK citizens and then dropping for Channel Islands, Isle of Man etc and then for Commonwealth countries. Foreign visitors are only allowed to queue. As I said, you could try and contact an MP but I don't think they'd bother replying and would be suspicious at the very best.

See the following link for information:

http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hcio/gallery.cfm

Visiting Parliament Gallery - Thanks AR, but to avoid queues, is it better to come later in the day, after the question time is over, say, around 3.30 PM?

My personal preference between St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey is Westminster. It's strictly personal choice, though -- they are both fabulous.

From a daily planning perspective, there are more sights on your list that are close to Westminster.

Annette

We'll only have 3 days in London and our daughters are now teenagers, but like your itinerary the London Eye is also absent from ours (at the moment). Many posters with children rate this as number one, but it is incredibly expensive and there are a few sites I believe, where many, many stairs will give similar views. Before we definitely decide it's out, it would be good to hear from others as to why they would/wouldn't recommend it as a must see. Also suggestions for alternative great views over London would be helpful.