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I was chatting with a friend a few weeks back who was planning a weekend in London with her children and was asking if I had any tips from my own trips a few years back. We went when the children were really young, and I don’t think the youngest actually remembers much from our trips there. However, it got me thinking about what things I would do again when we next visit and what we might do differently. So, with that in mind here are my tips for traveling to London with children.
Plan….
Now, I don’t mean have your entire day planned out hour by hour, but have a rough plan of what you want to do and see. Try and find the best walking routes if that’s what you want to do and work out the best tube stops for certain things. If you click here you can get cheap ink cartridges so you can print out lists to make this easier. Having a bit of a plan will help you maximize your time and mean you see things as you are close to them. It’s also worth checking out if any attractions you want to visit need booking in advance, and what their opening times are. We did a day of walking to the big sights such as Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace etc. The children loved this and it helped them to understand the geography of the city.
Pack Snacks
Eating out can be expensive so it makes sense to pack snacks. We made sure we had snacks with us to help stave off any peckishness before we got to somewhere to eat. Make use of offers where you can to cut down on costs, for example, some hotels offer free breakfast for children when an adult pays – this saved us a fair bit and the children really did eat a lot at breakfast which meant they didn’t complain about being hungry as soon we set off.
Consider your Luggage
It really pays to think about what you want to take and minimise the amount of ‘stuff’ you’re carrying. We didn’t take a pushchair (H was 1) but did take the baby carrier instead which cut down on having that to carry. If we went again we would need an additional bag I suspect as the children are so much bigger. You really don’t want to be carting a large bag around with you, especially if you’re planning indoor attractions etc so check out spots where you can leave your luggage. You’ll probably want it en route back to your departure station so you don’t have to take too much of a detour. Stasher has plenty of storage options in London so it’s well worth having a look before you travel.
Have Fun!
London is a fantastic city with so much to see and do. I look forward to exploring again with my children now they’re a bit older and going to other parts of the city we haven’t seen. London is full of fantastic opportunities for families and you’ll have a blast I am sure.
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