What sightseeing would you recommend with a 15 and 16 boy over during Christmas season?

Totally depends on what their interests are. The British Museum, with it's Egyptian collection perhaps? Also, the Science Museum and Natural History Museum, can be interesting for teens.

Let them read about London, and set up a programme themselves.

There are so many good things to do at every age.
As Tulips said it totally depends on their interests.
If they are not a fan of guide books let them search the net.
The site of the british tourist board has lots of links and informations.

this question has been asked and answered many times. Do a quick search for London and teens and you'll find lots of information

Try and get tickets for a football game - London has many clubs playing at all levels in the English leagues:

Premiership matches can be seen at Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs, Chelsea, Fulham, Charlton & Crystal Palace.

Championship (next division down) at West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers & Millwall.

Division 1 (lower still) @ Brentford

Division 2 (lowest) @ Leyton Orient.

Understand that the quality of the football on display is a sliding scale from Arsenal to Orient, but the passion of the fans is not.

All clubs will have a website from whence you can usually book tickets, so i suggest, if interested, you google away.

Note:- most clubs will play on sunday 26th this year (Boxing Day matches are traditional and often local derbies) and again on New Year's Day (a saturday) and again on monday 3rd Jan (public holiday).

Most matches will be well attended and it will be difficult getting tickets at Arsenal & Chelsea in particular.

Football matches are not the zoos they once were but I would caution about attending at Millwall which does have an unsavoury reputation which they are trying hard to reid themselves of.

A visit to a Premiership match, I'm sure would be an absolute highlight, for any 15 or 16 year old boy and the atmosphere has to be experienced to be truly appreciated - far more intense than almost any sporting event in the states (with the possible exception of a World Series game).

Hope this helps!

Dr D.

I agree with Dr_DoGood with regard to football (and that's football, NOT soccer!) - despite Millwall being rather unfairly maligned (it's much better there now..)

Do they have any other interests? I'm guessing that museums and galleries probably aren't going to be their thing unless there's a particular exhibition on (check www.timeout.com/london). You could also check www.ticketmaster.co.uk to see if there are any concerts on in London during your stay, again dependent on their music choice. This will cover a number of other events such as football matches as well.

I'm guessing this also might not be their thing but there's the outdoor ice-rink at Somerset House that's quite a nice family thing to do.

Hmm...afraid that other than suggesting you pack them off to the pub (not unusual in this country, we all sneak in from about 14-15), I don't think I can help further until I know more about them...

My kids (13 boy & 15 girl) aren't big museums kids, but we still go to most of the major museums (British, V&A). they did like the Tate Modern quite a bit and also the tour of the globe theater. They both have completely different tastes in theater so I allowed them to agree on a show. They picked the compelte works of SHakespeare abridged, which has very inexpensive tickets on the half price line. This would not have been my first choice, but they thought this show was hysterical. We also did the hop on/off tour our 1st full day there. It was a damp rainy day, so that worked out well. We took the incuded river cruise and took advantage of the quick entry tickets to the tower.

We were only there for 3.5 days, but my kids could have easily spent more time there.

The Tower of London was one place that my teens found interesting.

Oxford Street for shopping! Our teens beg for shopping time in London, which they "pay" for, hour for hour, by visiting museums/places of interest with the grownups. There is a great comic book/collectible/anime store in Knightsbridge if your kids are interested in that. For girls' shopping, you are spoiled for choice! (I was a very unpopular mamma, however, when I refused to purchase any of the FCUK label merchandise for them.)

I have posted you by e mail my long note of parents views on London for Children, altered to cover Christmas, and teenagers. What dates are you here ?

Welcome to London

[email protected]

camden market on saturday or Sunday

Be sure to get the boys involved NOW in the research and planning for places they would like to see. Let them alternatively pick things of interest to them (intermixed with things you all pick of course).

Also, require that they each keep a journal that will detail each picture they take, so that when they get home, they will remember what the pics are. Boys are not real interested in keeping journals, but let them know it is important for explaining their trip to their friends when they get home.

--Marv

I like the poster who suggested shopping on Oxford Street. The street has three major music stores, and I prefer the HMV shop at the Bond Street tube stop. Be sure to look for something you can't get in the States...the exchange rate doesn't make buying music there a bargain.