Advice for a London visit

crown_jewel

I'm bringing my family to London first week of April. Kids are 14 and 13. We have researched the usual spots to see, especially the British Museum, but wondering if there are bits of advice those who live there could suggest. We are staying at the Hilton Park Lane.

Thanks very much.

MattC59

hmmmmmmmmm......................

It's expensive, dirty, noisy, full of American tourists and there's nothing you can't do elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.

Otherwise it's great

F*ck me though, you're staying in a flash enough hotel, so I guess the cost isn't an issue !! Fill yer boots !!

The Science Museum is really good if you like that sort of thing though. I love it
Catch a show as well, there are some fantastic theatres. If you like something a bit spooky, see if you can get tickets to 'The Woman in Black' at the Fortune Theatre in Drury Lane, Covent Garden. It's been running for 23yrs now, and is definitely worth catching !
http://www.thewomaninblack.com/book_tickets_womaninblack/booking_info.php

kentphil

Tower of London is great, so is Churchills war rooms. Need to pay for both of these though.

pottssteve

My son got a kick out of this:

http://www.londonducktours.co.uk/

Steve

crown_jewel

MattC59 wrote:

hmmmmmmmmm......................

It's expensive, dirty, noisy, full of American tourists and there's nothing you can't do elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.

Otherwise it's great

F*ck me though, you're staying in a flash enough hotel, so I guess the cost isn't an issue !! Fill yer boots !!

The Science Museum is really good if you like that sort of thing though. I love it
Catch a show as well, there are some fantastic theatres. If you like something a bit spooky, see if you can get tickets to 'The Woman in Black' at the Fortune Theatre in Drury Lane, Covent Garden. It's been running for 23yrs now, and is definitely worth catching !
http://www.thewomaninblack.com/book_tickets_womaninblack/booking_info.php

Well, that's appropriate as I am an American tourist! Thanks for the hints.

MattC59

Crown Jewel wrote:

MattC59 wrote:

hmmmmmmmmm......................

It's expensive, dirty, noisy, full of American tourists and there's nothing you can't do elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.

Otherwise it's great

F*ck me though, you're staying in a flash enough hotel, so I guess the cost isn't an issue !! Fill yer boots !!

The Science Museum is really good if you like that sort of thing though. I love it
Catch a show as well, there are some fantastic theatres. If you like something a bit spooky, see if you can get tickets to 'The Woman in Black' at the Fortune Theatre in Drury Lane, Covent Garden. It's been running for 23yrs now, and is definitely worth catching !
http://www.thewomaninblack.com/book_tickets_womaninblack/booking_info.php

Well, that's appropriate as I am an American tourist! Thanks for the hints.

I'd noticed

nunowoolmez

Erm...turn around! London is a sh*t hole if you ask me. I live hete & can't stand the place. People are so misetable & self obsessed.

Anyway, Madame Tussauds is a must - a real treat all the family can really enjoy & worth the money. Also, the Imperial War Museum is a good bet, your kids are probably old enough to get something out if it & what kid wouldn't want to see a load of tanks, planes, submarines & stuff like that!

Enjoy your visit, i'm just bitter & twisted.

Eyorerox

http://www.mosquito-bikes.co.uk/

http://www.condorcycles.com/

DrKJM

My children (who were 14, 13 and 11 when we last visited last year) loved the trendier (and scruffier) bits around the old Trumans Brewery (now converted into media type businesses, galleries and so on) and Smithfields Market. You might have to research it a bit as it's not on the tourist trail.

Giraffoto

nunowoolmez wrote:

Erm...turn around! London is a sh*t hole if you ask me. I live hete & can't stand the place. People are so misetable & self obsessed.

I agree wholeheartedly - a country-sized population in a city-sized area. Go to the museums and a couple of shows, and get out of there between times

then nunowoolmez wrote:

Anyway, Madame Tussauds is a must - a real treat all the family can really enjoy & worth the money. Also, the Imperial War Museum is a good bet, your kids are probably old enough to get something out if it & what kid wouldn't want to see a load of tanks, planes, submarines & stuff like that!

Got to disagree there: Madame Tussauds is now a monument to the British obsession with celebrity and fame - the only reason to go there used to be the Planetarium, which now runs a show about . . . celebrities. And if you'd enjoy the Imperial War Museum, head out to Cambridge for the Duxford part of the show and also visit the nearby American memorial at Madingley

and not only that, but nunowoolmez also wrote:

Enjoy your visit, i'm just bitter & twisted.

Back in full agreement - don't let us put you off, I worked there for two years and it's made me biased. Have a good time, and don't miss out on the things that are outside London

Ben6899

I guess you're aware of the usual tourist attractions and I agree with the suggestions of Cabinet War Rooms and Imperial War Museum. There is also The Geffrye Museum (http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/), Highgate Cemetery where lots of famous people are laid to rest - proper famous people like Karl Marx and George Eliot; not "celebrities". Also, Brick Lane market, the market at Lower Marsh and the graffiti under Waterloo station...

There are lots of things to do/see which don't always make into the tourist guides; it just depends what you're after.

EDIT: please don't come to Camden; there are far too many tourists already! Battling through to Kentish Town after a day at the office is a nightmare.

I'm joking... Camden is worth a visit just for the experience and reminder how superficially some people carry on in life.

stratcat

I visit London every couple of years (got family in Kent). I love it for a visit, but would hate to live there!
Churchills war rooms are great, as is the Imperial war museum. My wife and I loved 'doing' the art galleries and museums. National gallery and the Tate are fantastic, as are the Science musuem, Victoria and Albert and the Natural history museum is a must IMHO.
Get a guide book and some good walking shoes, often by the time you've got down to the tube, waited, got back up above ground, you could have walked to your destination (if close enough).
You'll love it.

disquieting_museeuws

The original London Walks (http://www.walks.com) are usually very good, led by real experts. £8 for adults, just turn up at the given meeting point. Or as mentioned above, get one of the many walking guide books (Andrew Duncan is excellent) and do it yourself - you can see many astonishing (and free) things on foot in the city.

Take in the exhibition / tour at Shakespeare's Globe - again (usually) good guides, though the theatre season won't have started, I don't think.

A river trip is worth it, look around websites for best options.

National Gallery (free entry).

phy2sll2

Quite hard as I've never been a tourist in London, but off the top of my head...

Go down to Greenwich! You can get there by boat from the Tate Modern, Bankside (which you should also go and see). They've jazzed up the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark should have reopened by then, plus it's just nice to sit by the river with a beer and some market food.

Hire Boris Bikes and ride along Regent's canal (Paddington to Limehouse). Interesting scenery plus nice cafes & pubs along the way. Take a diversion and go and see the Olympic site.

Go for a curry on Brick Lane, E1.

The parks (Hyde & Regents) will be nice at that time of year and London Zoo (in Regent's Park) is a nice diversion.

Take a walk on Hampstead Heath or try going up CentrePoint or Tower 42 for good views across the city.

Go and see some comedy to try and decipher our bizarre sense of humour?!

Get the train out to Hampton Court / Windsor castle?

Do a bit of track racing at Herne Hill?!

phy2sll2

nunowoolmez wrote:

Erm...turn around! London is a sh*t hole if you ask me. I live hete & can't stand the place. People are so misetable & self obsessed.

:roll: Go live in Milton Keynes then and free up space for people who do like it here!

crown_jewel

Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond. I wasn't trying to be controversial. We are really looking forward to the trip.

thepeopleschamp

London Dungeons is good - http://www.the-dungeons.co.uk/london/en/index.htm - full of gruesome London history Jack the ripper, Sweeney Todd, Fire of London etc.. was scary for my 10 year old, the vast majority were a lot older and it's more suitable for older kids.
Tower of London and Tower Bridge are round the corner so a few things in the area.

For a trip out of London (30mins away) Hampton Court with it's maze is good on a nice day.

Monkeypump

Since you're staying at the hotel, head up to the top floor and eat at Galvin - very nice. Also go to The Parlour at Fortnum & Mason for ice cream or The Wolesly for breakfast.

Cross the road and wander through Hyde Park, and head to South Bank for a river walk. Boat tours are also good.

London is expensive, but there is so much to see (a lot of it free) and do. Natural History Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern, British Museum. Shops, shows, walks, food, bars.... London has loads so ignore the nay-sayers above.

OffTheBackAdam

RAF Museum at Hendon, Natural History Museum, loads of museums.

deptfordmarmoset

http://www.ianvisits.co.uk/ occasionally throws up some London curiosities, very often free.

colinsmith123

[quoteAdvice for a London visit
by Crown Jewel » Thu Dec 22, 2011 8:56 pm

I'm bringing my family to London first week of April. Kids are 14 and 13. We have researched the usual spots to see, especially the British Museum, but wondering if there are bits of advice those who live there could suggest. We are staying at the Hilton Park Lane.

Thanks very much.][/quote]

Bring your bike with you. After all this is a bike forum. Once you've done the 10 mins in the saddle around Hyde Park on a Boris Bike (google it), you'll be really sorry you didn't.

And on top of that, participate in a Sunday club run out of London to enjoy the British sense of humour focusing on subtle irony and sarcasm as being demonstrated throughout this post.

TH14

London is no more expensive than any other capital/major city in the world now. Even the old reliable cheapies are no more ; HK,BKK etc etc. The States = expensive especially at 1.56 $-£.

Anyway there's plenty to do and see and your in a good location.

from where you are you can walk down through Hyde Park - do Knightsbridge/Kings Road/cut across Green park and down to Buck palace round the pond all round the back of Horseguards etc etc - loads to see and do. Portobello market is also worth a look and not too far.

Get over to Borough Market near London Bridge, open to the public on Thurs,Fri and sat ( check though ) it's a foodies delight and from there you can walk down past the Globe theater and the Golden Hind through old London alleyways out onto the river and walk down to Bankside (an old power station) which is now part of the Tate and worth a look. Cross the river on the Millenium bridge and over to pudding Lane and st Pauls.

Westminster Abbey - worth a look although not cheap

Temple - not only the old church but all that area and Lincoln Inn fields real old London.

Richmond/Covent Garden/Imperial war Museum/V&A Museum/British Museum - there's even a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibition at the Tate, I think though this may finish in Feb ??

Loads of places to go and see - Look and you will find. Go on line to something like Trip Advisor or look at Time Out Magazine when you get here.

Stay away from Tussauds/Planetarium etc etc same old same old.

Anyway hope you and your family enjoy your trip, quite happy to furnish you with any more info if you need.

Oh yeah - get yourselves to a pie and mash shop - a proper one though, Manze's, Arments to name a couple.

rick_chasey

London takes more time to get around (if you're not a bike anyway) than people think.

If I would suggest something, I'd suggest staying in a similar area. South Ken does the job - nice cafes, restuarants, LOADS of museums that you could easily spend a whole day in.

Do that..

Soni

Jack The Ripper Tour in Whitechapel, walking down the old streets around Whitechapel and being shown where the murders took place and informed of the cover ups and conspiracy surrounding the ripper is excellent, although may be a bit too much for your children at that age......