London with Preschoolers

[misskitty100]

Anyone have any experiences with fun things to do with preschoolers (3 yrs & 5 yrs old) while in London? We would probably plan to spend about 9 or 10 days total but with a good amount of free time for adjusting to the time change.

We have never been (other than to Heathrow) and would like to see the usual sights. We would probably go in November so would need things to do indoors in case it is rainy or cold.

Some other questions:

1) I am assuming that it is possible to see London without renting a car (and therefore, not needing carseats). Is that correct? Is there dependable public transportation that is easy to navigate?

2) I would really like to visit The Cotswolds How far is it from London?

[MiMo]

I have no experience with children, but I frequent London at least once (sometimes twice) a year. There is so much for you to do there with kids.

November is a tricky month in London. I went once in November, and it was miserable and rainy. Then another time I went in November, the sun was out every day (it was cold, though).

It is indeed possible to see London without renting a car. As a matter of fact, I would strongly suggest against renting a car. The tube (London Underground) is awesome. It goes everywhere, and trains come and go every few minutes from most central London stations. The tube map is super-easy to read and navigate, too. Also, there are buses and taxis everywhere. It is easy to catch a taxi on every corner, and if you're staying within central London, most taxi rides are about $10 to anywhere (tourist attractions). (By the way, what part of London are you staying in?)

The Cotswolds are lovely. Some of the villages are better than others, though, so make sure you research them. Bourton-on-the-Water is a safe bet. Try to get to Bath for a half day (or even a full day), too. By train, I think it is about 1.5 hours. Train tickets are really pricey in the UK, though. Then again, everything in the UK is outrageously priced. If you want a planned tour of the Cotwalds, I think Evan Evans Tours offers a day-trip there. I have taken two different tours using Evan Evans, and the tours are really well-planned (and they may even be less expensive than buying train tickets for your whole family).

Some places/things to consider with kids:
London Zoo
Legoland (it's at the same train stop as Windsor Castle)
London Eye
Boat ride on the Thames
Walk through Trafalgar Square (kids love the fountains and the pigeons)
A double-decker bus tour of the city (you can get on and off all day at the various sites)

And if it's raining:
Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum (it's really expensive, though; I think it's about $50 per adult admission)
Sherlock Holmes Museum
Natural History Museum - kids love this place
West End theatre - How about a matinee performance of "Mary Poppins"?
London Transport Museum in Covent Garden

If you go to the zoo, plan to do it on a weekend. On the weekends, you can take a boat ride in Little Venice to the Camden Lock market. Afterwards, you can go to the zoo.

I know there are many things I am forgetting. I *think* I have some brochures somewhere from my trip over there this past September. Please PM me if you are interested in them. I will be more than happy to send them to you. (I'll be away all next week, so if you PM me, please give me time to respond.)

You will have such a good time, and it's nice to see you are planning to spend a decent amount of time over there. It's more fun when you aren't rushed.

Mindy

P.S. Make sure you check out Fortnum & Mason and Harrod's Food Hall if you have time, too. :)

[mightyh]

We lived in rural England for a few years and visited London regularly with a 3 and 5 year old, so it definitely can be done and there are certainly fun things to do. MiMo gave you a great start on things.

I agree that public transport (mainly tube) is all you need. Depending on your kids, your three year old may benefit from a strong, lightweight umbrella stroller due to all the walking, but your five year old will be fine walking.

My best suggestion is to give yourself lots of time--plan at MOST two big things in a day. My kids always did much better when they were not rushing to the next thing.

Things we enjoyed with the kids:
- Big Bus Tour
- Guided walking tours (www.walks.com) on any subject you can think of--this company is great and even has day trips, perhaps to the Cotswolds
- Harrods.....spending a lot of time on the toy floor
- Harrods Christmas parade occurs in early November and is a huge deal with lots of very nice freebie toys
- London Transport Museum
- Natural History Museum
- Science Museum (my kids preferred this to the Natural History, probably because there is a small play area downstairs)
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- London Eye ferris wheel - small playground in the park nearby
- Changing of the Guard--many playgrounds in the park right across the street while you wait
- Street performers at base of London Eye/Riverwalk on weekends and in Covent Garden always
- West End performances of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Lion King
- Tour of the restored Shakespeare's theatre
- Princess Di Memorial PLAYGROUND (not Fountain)

Again, I agree with MiMo, that Bath is a great day trip.... my kids were fascinated by the tour of the Roman Baths and it is a charming little town with lots to explore. Bath is also relatively near Stonehenge, if that interests you.

The Cotswolds are probably about an hour by train north of London, but you may need a car or a tour to get around there, as train stops are not as convenient.

PM me if you need any more information!

[cminmd]

We love the Frommers New York with kids, and use it all the time. I know they make a London version. I would get the kids ready for the trip by showing them books and movies of the area. When we went to Paris we read Madeline, Leap Leap Phillipe ect. For London I would think maybe the Rescuers, Tale of two kitties, 101 Dalmations? Anything to help get them used to the accent.
When I travel with kids I make sure to hyperschedule every time block. If I have three options for the afternoon I can look at their mood, the weather, how much walking they are up to and make a decision on which of the three options will work for us. If I make one plan for the day and have no idea what else to do, I am far more likely to try to force the day into the plan and that can spell disaster.
You also need to plan for all the travel time. For kids, the trip starts as soon as they get in the car in the driveway, so plan for the flight like you are invading Poland in December. When my kids were little we lived in Hawaii so every plane ride was a minimum of 8 hours. I would try to bring a bag for trash, plenty of snacks, gummy bears for landing and taking off, possibly a DVD player (battery backup?) and I liked to wrap up little fun toys from the dollar store. Even in the city there is a lot of travel time- waiting for the tube, walking to the stations, taking a shuttle in from Heathrow. Having little activities they can sit and do for ten minutes on the tube- like a game of uno or something can make the day go much easier.
I liked Bath and Burton on the Water in the Cottswalds, but I am not sure how pleasant they are in November? We took a bus tour, as the train is very expensive.