Maurice Picarda
Actually, might as well flounce.
Planetarium next door however isbut very daaaaaark and a bit
for young kids
It no longer exists. The Tussauds Group axed it a few years back.
Rate my tourist itinerary
- Thread starter Minnie_the_Minx
- Start date
It no longer exists. The Tussauds Group axed it a few years back.
No way!!!!
That's shit 
Just googled for it - called The Stardome now or something, showing Aardman films instead of beautiful panoramas of the universe
http://www.madame-tussauds.co.uk/thestardome.htm
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Hah!
Have just figured out a way for me and b/f to avoid Buckingham Palace.
We'll take them by bus to Whitehall, show them Downing Street, walk them up to Horseguards for Changing of the Guard there, then I'll point them over towards St James's Park and tell 'em to walk through it to Buck House and once they're done, walk back and meet us in a pub in Whitehall
Have just figured out a way for me and b/f to avoid Buckingham Palace.
We'll take them by bus to Whitehall, show them Downing Street, walk them up to Horseguards for Changing of the Guard there, then I'll point them over towards St James's Park and tell 'em to walk through it to Buck House and once they're done, walk back and meet us in a pub in Whitehall
That's just bloody inconvenient innit? Ring the queen and get them to change it to suit you!
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
trench experience is still there, as is the blitz one - big queue for that last sunday so we didn't bother with it
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Yes, but one is on horseback and you don't get to see the boring Buck House and the other means a nice little walk through St James's Park which they can do themselves
Have now been told that the 13-year-old girl will probably want to go shopping
I'm thinking those shops in Brixton should be enough for a young girl.
I AM NOT going to Oxford Street
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
That's just bloody inconvenient innit? Ring the queen and get them to change it to suit you!
innit?
scifisam
deleted
Those museums are also highly accessible for anyone with mobility impairments.
I'd say to cut out the Tower of London for that reason. It is one of the capital's best tourist attractions, but it would need much longer than the time you'e allotted it and some parts are unalterably difficult to access if you have difficulty with stairs.
Buckingham Palace - Changing of the Guard. - A lot of tourists do like seeing this, it's true, but it's not terribly interesting and it is a long walk from anywhere else. However, if the weather's good, Green Park might be a nice place for a picnic and a chance for the kids to run around a bit.
Westminster Abbey - not free. Not all wheelchair accessible. It is interesting, but probably not interesting enough, compared to all the other places you can go.
Parliament - don't go out of your way for this one. You can see enough of it from by the London Eye.
Downing Street - you can't see anything of this, really.
Trafalgar Square - check whether there's an event on at Trafalgar\Square while the family's visiting (there often is), and do it on that day. Not much point in going when there's no event.
Meet me and b/f in Lord Moon of the Mall or Silver Cross in Whitehall for some grub (or MacDonalds) - check whether those pubs allow kids. If not, there are lots of nice restaurants round there - but no McDonalds for a bit of a walk.
River Trip to Tower of London - you've already cut this one out.
Tower of London - see above.
HMS Belfast - good, but expensive. Check how your brother-in-law and family feel about the kids being taken to a British warship. I presume you're not going to do it now anyway, since you've cut the Tower out.
I'd do the aforementioned Science, Nat. History and V&A on that day. They are so, so easy to get to, all free, and you might be able to queue-jump. If you can't queue-jump, then enter the Nat. Hist. by the 'Earth Galleries' entrance - the queue there is much, much smaller (and the queues won't be too bad on a Friday). In themselves they're enough for one day - they are very child-friendly. If you walk back towards Kensington, then you pass the Albert Memorial, the Opera House and a few other sights, before coming to Harrods and so on.
Day 2
Saturday, 16 February
Horseguards - Changing of the Guard - why not.
Covent Garden - can be fun.
London Transport Museum (£8 for Richard, £8 for me. John and kids free?) - the LTM is good, and it is unique to London, but it is also rather expensive. Still, if you cut out the Tower of London, it's not too bad an expense.
Chinatown to eat - good plan.
London Eye - I don't like it myself, but lots of people seem to. You will have an advantage if you can queue-jump because of your partner; the queues are the major drawback of it.
London Aquarium - ONLY if you book ahead and can queue-jump. Also only if you can at least get your BF in free. It is hugely expensive and the queues are massive at peak times. It is handily close to the London Eye, though.
Imperial War Museum - I doubt you'd have time for it after all the rest. Remember that museums close at about 5ish.
However, there is a place called Segaworld, just up the bank from the London Aquarium, which would be a nice change of pace. Play arcade games, go bowling, play air hockey and so on, for not too bad a price (for central London, anyway). I'm sure the kids would appreciate that.
Or the Imax cinema at Waterloo, to show them a film in 3D. The Science Museum also has an Imax cinema; if you follow my suggestion of doing the Science/V&A/Nat.Hist on Friday, maybe you could stay for the last Imax showing.
Day 3
Madame Tussauds - Nah. Dull, and again, really (really, really) expensive. Do the Imperial War Museum on this day instead - with the caveat about checking on the parents' feelings re: war.
Check online if there are any Oyster or travelcard 2-for-1 deals or any other kinds of deals for the paid places you want to go - there often are.
[/Bossy Sam]
scifisam
deleted
Have now been told that the 13-year-old girl will probably want to go shopping
I'm thinking those shops in Brixton should be enough for a young girl.
I AM NOT going to Oxford Street
She'd probably love Camden market, if it's open. I used to lead tour groups of teenagers, and Camden was always voted as one of their favourite parts of the trip.
scifisam
deleted
Actually, if you cut out the Transport Museum, Tower of London, HMS Belfast and Madame Tussaud's, and go to the cool free places instead (plus the Aquarium), you'll probably have enough left for a trip to the theatre - there are tons of two-for one offers available for musicals and the like.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Yeah, but still loads of walking unless they hire wheelchairs out?
Yes, but going there and getting Horseguards, Buck House, Downing Street and Trafalgar Square out of the way in one hit and me and b/f can just wait for them in a pub in Whitehall. Lord Moon of the Mall is a Wetherspoons pub so would allow kids. There's a McShiteys almost opposite as well. They're from Ireland, they get to run around plenty, parents over there don't have the same paranoia as over here!
Not sure if they're bothered but have told b/f's brother that it's where Kings/Queens etc. are buried and it was centuries old and he thought it sounded interesting
I think they just want to take photos
Regardless, they can say they've been as it's not far from pub in Whitehall
£10 for adults, free for kids. He's not that sad that he's going to hold British/Irish history against a visit
£8 for adults. No price listed on website for kids so I'm assuming it's free
Don't plan on me or b/f going as we've already been up a few times.
b/f isn't free. It's over £11 each for disabled, carers pay the same.
Yep, that's the place I know of as Namco Station where there's bumper cars and 10-pin bowling.
These particular Irish would have no problems visiting the IWM either.
Kids can get £1 all zone travel tickets per day so have no problems with cost of travel.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
yeah, would have liked to have taken them to Stomp but even half price tickets are £22
scifisam
deleted
Are you joking?
No - I used to take groups of around 50 foreign teenagers there and they all loved it.
yeah, would have liked to have taken them to Stomp but even half price tickets are £22
You might be underestimating how much the other paid attractions are going to cost. If you/the family could manage them, then you might be able to manage one of the shows - you can usually get two-for-ones at the more mainstream ones. But it is a lot of money even then.
Oyster 2fers.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Wasn't it half burned down last night?
You might be underestimating how much the other paid attractions are going to cost. If you/the family could manage them, then you might be able to manage one of the shows - you can usually get two-for-ones at the more mainstream ones. But it is a lot of money even then.
Oyster 2fers.
I've checked on-line with all the relevant places what their tickets cost and barring not being sure about London Transport Museum, think I'm about correct.
The kids won't have Oysters as they'll be getting daily £1 tickets
Anyway, I've now come out with a new itinerary. What do you reckon?
Alternative
Friday
Get off at Parliament Square for photos
Walk to Downing Street
Walk to Horseguards for Changing of the Guard
Walk through St James’s Park
Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard
Meet us in Whitehall for something to eat
Covent Garden
London Transport Museum
Home
TO THE THEATRE TO SEE STOMP IN THE EVENING IF TICKETS AVAILABLE?
Saturday
London Eye
London Aquarium
Namco Station
Imperial War Museum
Sunday
Shopping or Tower of London/River Trip or the Museums (Science, Natural History etc.)
scifisam
deleted
That's why I said, 'if it's open.' It might well be - doesn't look like that much of it went.
You were right about the TM prices. The others, though, they do add up to a lot - though taking the Tower out helps.
You don't need an Oystercard for everyone - just for one of the two-for-ones, so you'd be fine (since your partner would have different concessionary rates anyway).
Will you be travelling by overland train? If not, the kids don't need tickets at all; they're free on buses and the tube.
Sounds good, though you most likely still won't have time for the Imperial War Museum in the same day as the other things, because it closes too early. Good to have as a back-up plan.
If you do go to the Tower of London, I'd heartily recommend buying a family annual ticket. It works out at about the same cost as taking a family of four or five in for the day, and can then be used for a whole year to get into the Tower, Hampton Court (which is brilliant), Kew Palace and Kensington Palace, as well as getting you 10% off at the shops and restaurants. Again, you can jump the queues by going to the office where you buy the membership card rather than going to the ticket machine booth thingies. Mine must have saved my friends and I around £300 last year
I honestly wouldn't bother with Downing St; I've been persuaded to take tour groups there before, and they just didn't believe me about how small it was (it's a tiny row of terraces houses) or how little you'd get to see (you can see, at a distance, the police guarding the gate in front of the tiny row of terraced houses). They believed me once we'd got there, though - though one group had to ask passers-by if this was really it, because they thought I'd just led them to someone's house.
Not worth going out of your way for.
ricbake
working out how
The Queen's Guard is scheduled to change at Buckingham Palace at 1130 hours on the dates shown below (unless otherwise stated). There will be no Guard Mounting Ceremony in the Forecourt in very wet weather. We advise you arrive by 11.15am and the ceremony finishes at approximately 12 noon.
Friday 15th
ARRC Support Battalion
Band of the Welsh Guards
Horse Guards
The Queen's Life Guard (Mounted on horses) changes daily Monday to Saturday at 1100 hours
The Life Guards
Friday 15th
ARRC Support Battalion
Band of the Welsh Guards
Horse Guards
The Queen's Life Guard (Mounted on horses) changes daily Monday to Saturday at 1100 hours
The Life Guards
scifisam
deleted
Sorry - didn't see this post before.
The Science Museum has wheelchairs on loan - not sure about the others. They certainly do have chairs available to sit on at key points. It's less walking than the Tower, Transport Museum, Westminster Abbey and so on, at any rate.
Yeah, I can see your thinking with keeping things nearby. That's fine about the pub then. They might still need a bit of running around to use up their energy, especially if they're used to it at home.
It is interesting. It's just not as interesting as some of the other places.
Yeah, they always do. Parliament is good for that, I have to say. Dowing St, not so much.
Good for him! That's still £20 or £30 for the adults (depending on how much they ask for your other half).
Yup, they are free.
Don't blame you.
I do wonder why they don't have some of those buskers line up next to the queue there. It is so, so dull waiting for so long there at peak times.
And then the kids' prices aren't cheap either. It might be on the twofer thing, though.
Yeah - knew there was a different name.
It's nice of you to spend so much time planning out a good trip for your almost-in-laws.
The Science Museum has wheelchairs on loan - not sure about the others. They certainly do have chairs available to sit on at key points. It's less walking than the Tower, Transport Museum, Westminster Abbey and so on, at any rate.
Yeah, I can see your thinking with keeping things nearby. That's fine about the pub then. They might still need a bit of running around to use up their energy, especially if they're used to it at home.
It is interesting. It's just not as interesting as some of the other places.
Yeah, they always do. Parliament is good for that, I have to say. Dowing St, not so much.
£10 for adults, free for kids. He's not that sad that he's going to hold British/Irish history against a visit
Good for him! That's still £20 or £30 for the adults (depending on how much they ask for your other half).
Yup, they are free.
Don't blame you.
I do wonder why they don't have some of those buskers line up next to the queue there. It is so, so dull waiting for so long there at peak times.
And then the kids' prices aren't cheap either.
It might be on the twofer thing, though. Yeah - knew there was a different name.
It's nice of you to spend so much time planning out a good trip for your almost-in-laws.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
So it is free for kids then?
I have Oyster Travelcard, b/f has Freedom Pass. Not sure whether to get b/f's brother daily paper tickets or a pay as you go Oystercard?
We're in Brixton so it'll be tubes and buses.
May just switch the order of things for Saturday. We're only down the road from War Museum so may just switch the order. Their legs may want a rest on the London Eye and Namco station before going on to Aquarium.
As long as we get Aquarium and War Museum out of the way as they're the ones that shut earliest.
I used to work next door to Downing Street and have been driven out of there so know there's nothing to see but as it's on the way to Horseguards from Parliament, they'll have to pass it anyway, even if they only take 10 seconds to look
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
It's nice of you to spend so much time planning out a good trip for your almost-in-laws.
yeah, my b/f likes to make the point that they're MY family just because I've been with him over 15 years
but his brother's wife is always very good and takes us to and from airport when we're in Ireland
scifisam
deleted
Yup, free for under-16s, which is good compared to a lot of places.
It's well worth getting him an Oystercard - I always have a couple spare for visitors because it does work out a lot cheaper and saves fiddling for change.
That's a good idea. Maybe you could even time the London Eye for sunset - that'd be cool.
I used to work next door to Downing Street and have been driven out of there so know there's nothing to see but as it's on the way to Horseguards from Parliament, they'll have to pass it anyway, even if they only take 10 seconds to look
Makes sense to me. I guess it could even be worth seeing in the sense of 'you know the American President, in his enormous palace? Well, this little terraced house is where the British political leader lives.'
(Don't know anything about the Irish Heads of States' homes).
I assume ricbake was mentioning that because it does dictate your timing an awful lot. But visitors do tend to want to see it - and, if you're lucky, it can be worth it.
Minnie_the_Minx
someinenhhanding menbag and me ah bollox
Yup, free for under-16s, which is good compared to a lot of places.
It's well worth getting him an Oystercard - I always have a couple spare for visitors because it does work out a lot cheaper and saves fiddling for change.
That's a good idea. Maybe you could even time the London Eye for sunset - that'd be cool.
Makes sense to me. I guess it could even be worth seeing in the sense of 'you know the American President, in his enormous palace? Well, this little terraced house is where the British political leader lives.'
(Don't know anything about the Irish Heads of States' homes).
I assume ricbake was mentioning that because it does dictate your timing an awful lot. But visitors do tend to want to see it - and, if you're lucky, it can be worth it.
oh right (re ricbake). I used to have an office overlooking Horseguards Parade and my last office was next door to Buckingham Palace so I already know the times.
I'm buggered. There's six tickets left for Stomp on Lastminute but every time I click to buy them, all the details just go to blank again
eoin_k
Lawyer's fees, beetroot and music
What about the South Bank - the Globe Theatre was pretty cheap last time I went - and the Tate Modern is free and Borough Market will be unlike anything you can see on the banks of the Shannon. I would also suggest Jerk chicken in Brixton, or a good Curry House/Thai before China Town... But it is all a matter of personal taste.
When people come over to see me I prefer to take them to see sides of London that they aren't expecting or that they wouldn't see without a local guide. Local street markets and cafes give people much more of a sense of what London is like than the changing of the guards in my opinion.
My Mum is coming over to see us in a couple of months, for the first time since we moved to Hackney. I'm going to try and take her to places she wouldn't be as likely to go as a tourist: Turkish Cafes in Stoke Newington, Vietnamese in Dalston maybe see if anything is on at the Rio/Hackney Empire/Vortex, go for a walk along the River Lee or the Canal.
When people come over to see me I prefer to take them to see sides of London that they aren't expecting or that they wouldn't see without a local guide. Local street markets and cafes give people much more of a sense of what London is like than the changing of the guards in my opinion.
My Mum is coming over to see us in a couple of months, for the first time since we moved to Hackney. I'm going to try and take her to places she wouldn't be as likely to go as a tourist: Turkish Cafes in Stoke Newington, Vietnamese in Dalston maybe see if anything is on at the Rio/Hackney Empire/Vortex, go for a walk along the River Lee or the Canal.
Treacle Toes
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