Going to London at Xmas time

[Nic m]

Hi everybody i am taking my daughter and her friend to london for a christmas treat i will be going on the 27th and returning home on the 30th.

now the ticket prices are a bit expensive for three for the shows, so i am looking for some handy hints on what to do when we are down there.

My dd loves shopping but tires easily, her friend being there will help a lot.

I still have to book so i am looking for insider knowledge on where is best to stay, eat, what to do, best way to get about etc, can you be my virtual tour guide!

I want to book soon so any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

Nic

[annie]

I've pm'd you

 

Annie

xx

[Kathryn]

Lucky you. I love London.

 

There's so much to do, and it will depend on the interests of your daughter and friend. I wouldn't recommend Oxford Street at this time of year - too many people, but Covent Garden is a must for shopping, plenty of stalls selling original things and

loads of places to eat when you're tired, as well as street entertainers to give the place a bit of atmosphere. The South Bank isn't too far away and the whole section from the Royal Festival Hall right down to London Bridge is a lovely walk, and you can do as much or as little of it as you want.

 

If it's theatre you're after, don't be put off by the quoted prices of some of the shows: once you're in London there are ways of getting in cheaply - I do it all the time. The TKTS half price booth (beware imitations!) in Leicester Square always has a good selection of shows, you have to go down there on the same day you want to see the show. The earlier you get there the better, the seats are sold from front to back so you could end up with excellent seats in the stalls for a fraction of the usual price. It's also worth going directly to the theatre if there's a particular show you want to see - even if it's officially "sold out" - some theatres have concessions or standby tickets or particular seats which they don't sell through the usual agencies. The National Theatre does a large number of �10 tickets for some shows. If you want particular recommendations or good links to some info about theatre, pm me.

 

Most museums and galleries are free, making them a cheap day out. The Science Museum is always good and has recently refurbished it's "hands on" section for children, which has had excellent reviews. The Natural History Museum next door is also worth a visit. And you just have to visit the Tate Modern, just to see the huge crack which runs the length of the floor of the main hall. It's Art, apparently.

 

I could go on...but I won't. London is the best place in the world.

 

K x

[Nic m]

Thank you both.

I need to get a move on and book, glad to know theatres are still an option just could not do �60 a ticket. so i shall check the links and i shall pm you kathryn

[zaman]

Get yourself an Oyster card for travelling on the tubes and buses - it makes it much cheaper than buying tickets each time.

 

And as Kathryn says, the Science Museum, etc, is worth a look. We usually combine it with a trip around Harrods as I love looking at the Food Hall, and breathing in the general opulence. And they do Krispy Kremes. Mmm.

 

Go for a walk in the early evening along the South Bank (even if you don't get as far as the Tate) as it is the best time to see all the lights along the river. One of my fav bits of London. The Tate Modern is free to get into for the general exhibits, its only the special ones that you have to pay for.

[shortcake]

how old is your daughter? I have a few ideas but not sure of the girlys age groups!

[Tally]

An Oyster card works well for one short journey, but if you want to travel through several stops or make several journeys a One Day Travelcard works out a lot cheaper.

[Nic m]

thank-you this is great,

my daughter is nearly 11, and her friend is 11, both girly girls, love shopping and i have taken them to shows here and they love it .

I was in London a few years ago for a weekend but i really just shopped (not very cultured i know)

Where is the best place to stay, i want to be as central as possible. i have looked at a few hotels and there is one in kensington for a good price.

Harrods is a must for the girls, i loved walking past the houses of parliament and the london eye etc.

We have great shops here so i dont want too much shopping (can't believe i just said that)i want to let them see something fabulous in london so i need to have a plan of where to go and what to do.

Are the bus tours good?

Thank-you all

Nic

[Tally]

Yes, the open-topped bus tours are good. Wear a coat, mind!

[Mumble]

An Oyster card works well for one short journey, but if you want to travel through several stops or make several journeys a One Day Travelcard works out a lot cheaper.

No - Oyster cards are capped, so even using 'pay-as-you-go' you never pay more than the cost of a travelcard. But, you do have to pay for an oyster card (�3 I think) so unless you're regularly in London, there probably isn't much point. All children under 16 travel free on all London buses, so if you want to make it cheaper, use the buses and get a day bus pass for yourself.

 

Definately have a plan for the day, incorporating time for travel, doing 'stuff', hot choccy breaks, and chill-out time.

 

If you're coming down to the Houses of Parliament, London Eye etc, a walk through St James Park is lovely and more relaxing than the busy streets - plus you can see Buckingham Palace and the Pelicans!!

 

Plus by going that way you get to have choccy pancakes on Westminster Bridge. Pearl, Bard and I could help you with those (and having the 3 witches there you wouldn't need to go up to the Globe for a little Shakespeare ('tis out of season anyway!!))

 

If you go on an open-topped bus, go really early in the morning. Alternatively a boat tour along the Thames is great (and again - take a coat, hat, scarf, ear muffs, gloves, ...)

 

Did you mean 27th November or December? If you mean December, then you have to go outdoor ice-skating. Somerset House is great but busy, the one at the Tower is not busy but further away, and there's a new big one this year in Hyde Park:

 

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Edited November 28, 2007 by Mumble

[Nic m]

Oh i think a plan is starting to happen, choccy pancakes are my dd's favourite! ice skating we love.

December 27 is when we will be arriving, by train much easier than flying, so as soon as i get accomodation sorted we can get on with planning all the fun things to do.

Thank-you all

 

Nicola

[Mumble]

Make sure you book ice-skating in advance. The first year my sister and I were here we didn't, and we couldn't get on the ice. Also, I've found the first session of the day is quietest, although it's nice also lit up at night.

[LittleRae]

The Natural History museum is fab and they also have an ice rinkl. Have a fab time. Often stay around the South Kensington area and find the tube is very handy for most places - Piccadilly line.

[Nic m]

Thanks again i shall start organising it now.

Nic

[Nic m]

Hotel is booked! woohoo

Its in kensington so i think i am pretty central

can now start to plan the activities

Nic

[Tally]

Wow, that's posh! You are close to Harrods, and only a small journey from the Houses of Parliament, London Eye, etc.

[Clare63]

That sounds soooo cool, you girlies are going to have a great time. Keep us posted with what you plan to do.

 

Clare x x x

[pearl]

Diana's sparkly dresses are on display at Kensington Palace - I saw them

Mr pearl endured them

[Nic m]

oh Tally, thank goodness you said that i have been looking up so much the last few days that i wasnt quite sure.

The hotel looks nice but my dd being the seasoned traveller, is a bit miffed that there is no pool!

Harrods is a must so i am glad we are near that and she wants to see 10 Downing street and the houses of parliament, maybe tea with the queen!

I feel so much better now that i have booked the hotel.

Nic

[Nic m]

Clare, any suggestions are welcome, pearl i like the idea of that!

Nic

[pearl]

If you fancy a treat theres a posh tea shop in grounds of KP called the Orangery - not cheap but scrumptious cream teas, hot chocolate etc. We sat & watched the yummy mummies in their cashmere sweaters with their expensively dressed mini-me's. Different world.

[Nic m]

I love tea shops one of my favourite things to do is have a cream tea! i may have to try that.

nic

[pearl]

Ver ver nice. They had a film crew in filming the cake display!

I'm amazed Mumble hasn't found it. Or maybe she has, & is keeping it all to herself

[Nic m]

ooh, i like i like, if anyone ever goes to arbroath (i know this is not anywhere near london) there is a fabby tea room there called sugar and spice and we love it! sometimes we go up for the day just for this tea room!

Nic

[Mumble]

she wants to see 10 Downing street

You would probably be best to warn her that you can't actually see 10 Downing Street. You can only get to the end of the road where the policemen look at you suspiciously. You can't see the door.

 

I'm amazed Mumble hasn't found it. Or maybe she has, & is keeping it all to herself

I'm a student Pearl - I can't strech to anything more than a walk around Kensington!!!

[Nic m]

Thanks for that mumble, i will tell her i am hoping all of this kind of thing would be on a bus tour, i don't think we would manage to walk round all these places.

nic

[Kathryn]

A bus tour will take you past most of the main tourist attractions. But so will the no. 11 bus, for a fraction of the cost, if you don't particularly want the commentary. You could then spend the money you saved on a river tour which might be more fun, and some of those have very entertaining live commentaries.

 

Just a thought!

 

K x

[pearl]

I'm a student Pearl - I can't strech to anything more than a walk around Kensington!!!

 

Yebbut looking & salivating is free!

[Nic m]

Thanks for that kathryn, does the boat trip also show interesting sights?

sorry i should probably know some of this.

Thanks

Nicola

[Karen A]

Hi.If you fancy a boat trip on the cheap and don't mind a fast trip without commentary then I would recommend the city clipper.

The boats are fast boats that are primarily for commuters.However the boats are very nice and the service is about every 15 mins.

It is probably a lot less expensive than a tour boat and there is an extra discount if you have a travel card.

The boat travels from Westminster I think -certainly from the South Bank.It goes to Canary Wharf -which is great to visit and also to the new O2.

Some boats even go to Woolwich if you want to see Greenwich.Karen.

[Kathryn]

Karen's idea sounds great - I haven't tried that boat service - will put it on my "to do" list.

 

Many companies do river cruises, you just have to go to Westminster pier by Westminster Bridge - (there are other points you can get a boat from too). Any boat trip will take you past lots of interesting landmarks - plenty of photo opportunities!

 

Here's one company that does cruises, just to give you an idea of where they go, but there are quite a few others.

 

K x

[Nic m]

Thank-you Karen and Kathryn, i don't know how i missed your replies 'til now.

Sorry for not noticing, and thanks again.

My wee bubs wants to do a bus tour, and a short boat trip seems good. She is making plans with her friend on thursday night with her friend.

She has already asked for extra pocket money, got me to buy her, her magazine this week and asked if she can get a top-up on her pocket money as well for spending money! There was me thinking she struggled with numbers and monetary issues ! No problems adding up eh?

Nic

[Mumble]

Hi Nic,

 

Don't know if you decided to go ice skating or if you've booked anything yet, but if you haven't, I'd definatly recommend the Somerset House one - good size, well organised, very festive. My sister and I did the Hyde Park one yesterday. Now we probably couldn't make a fair comparison because it was pouring with rain and we got very cold and soaked through - but although it's big, it's not in nearly as good a location, and we really got the feeling that the staff were all new to what they were doing - it hadn't been planned so well (for instance having come in out of the rain we had to queue on a soaking carpet for bag return, getting our dry socks soaked through - if you do go there take lots of spare socks and keep some in your bag to change later!!!) - it may get better as the season progresses though and would be better on a dry day. Oh, and watch out for the lamppost in the middle of the rink!!!!!

 

As for boats, it depends how much time you have. I've done both - the tour, and commuted on the clipper. It really depends what you want - the tour shows you all the sights and gives you time to see them, it's not much more expensive than the Clipper. But the Clipper is nice and warm and far more comfortable, which in December is a definate bonus!!!!!!

 

If you want a really good boat tour and don't mind the cold, the two I would like to try but haven't got round to are Duck Tours (put in in google - it's the first one that comes up) - its a combined road and water tour, in the same land-water vehicle - apparently if just drives off the road and straight into the Thames!! Also, there's the Thames RIB tours (google Thames RIB tours) which is in a small, very fast, inflatable boat - because it's fast you see a lot more, it's small so you don't have to worry about crowds, but I would imagine it's very very cold.

 

And if you're shopping on Oxford street and it rains - I suggest wearing a hard hat and goggles - I'm thinking of writing to the Mayor and asking for a law banning umbrellas, particularly big ones, in oxford street at christmas - I nearly lost my eyes several times.