London Family Things to Do
London is the perfect way to expose your kids to the wider world while still speaking the same language! It is full of history and beautiful sites that children of all ages will enjoy. Besides seeing the museums full of history, London is a city full of architectural history as well. Whether it be a walk along the Thames or a visit to Shakespeare’s Globe, London is full of amazing sites and entertainment for the whole family.
Kid Friendly Accommodations: The easiest way to plan your accommodations in London is to first understand what part of the city you want to be in. London is broken up into separate “cities” or “villages” that are arranged in a circular pattern to form the whole large city of London. If you situate your accommodations near where you think you will be most of the time, most sites are easy to walk to. It is best to start with Central London and work from there. Central London is where most of the sites and entertainment is. If you are going in July or August, the best weather months in the UK, it might be nice to stay in South Kensington. From here you can walk through Kensington Gardens to Hyde Park, cut over to St. James Park and Buckingham Palace and make your way to Big Ben, House of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and the river Thames. Then, take a walk along the river where you can view the London Eye, Millennium Bridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Although, wherever you stay it is important to keep in mind that rooms in London are small, even at a 4-star hotel. If space is what you require it is going to get pretty spendy, but the good news is that most hotels, even the budget hotels usually always include breakfast.
London Zoo: One family favorite is to visit London Zoo. A trip to the zoo is a perfect family day out in London. Currently they are rebuilding their Children’s Zoo, which is scheduled to open Easter 2009. The zoo is located in Regents Park and can be accessed easily by the Regent’s Park or Camden Town tube stops.
Parks: London is a gorgeous city full of beautiful parks. On a rare sunny day the best family thing to do is to take a picnic to St. James Park or the better kept secret of Battersea Park. The park has a fascinating history and is breathtakingly beautiful. Although, any park you choose in London is going to be beautiful and full of its own unique history.
Entertainment: Family entertainment is easy to come by in London. There are always festivals and shows going on, and there is always the Stratford Circlets Children’s Festival. To find out information about events going on while you are visiting London simply ask your hotel’s reception or visit one of the many tourist information centers in London where information is usually free and extremely helpful.
Transportation: No matter what size your family, renting a car is never a good idea in London, especially if you are staying in the city center. Not only is it expensive, but it is almost impossible to get anywhere fast with traffic. Plus, London has recently enforced a congestion fee of close to $15.00 USD per day to simply drive into the city. But, you are in luck because London has some of the best public transportation in the world. The London Underground is by far the cheapest and fastest way to get anywhere within the city. You can take the tube straight from Heathrow Airport into the city center with trains leaving every 10 minutes or so. The best way to do public transport in London is to purchase an Oyster Card. These can be bought at any tube stop and cost 5 pounds for the card and then you can add money to it from there. The benefit of the card is that they can be used on the bus or the underground and you definitely get all your money’s worth.