So London - my first trip to the capital was at 17 with my two best pals to visit one of their boyfriends who was on a uni work placement there. For three girls from a small town who had not really been further than Glasgow it was an unforgettable weekend where memories we certainly made! In my early twenties I lived and worked in Oxford for two years where nipping to London was as easy as going from Edinburgh to Glasgow and having plenty of free time at the weekends made the trip quite often. Then on one day trip disaster struck and I had my handbag stolen which really put me off and made me pretty anxious about being there. After Oxford I moved back to Scotland and didn't really have any urge or reason to go there. When I met my husband he had spent a year at university there and periodically had to visit for work so wasn't in any rush to go back. Then kids came along and city breaks turned into Centreparcs breaks and it just wasn't somewhere on our radar. That all changed due to Cars 2 which features lots of London landmarks and a small boy was suddenly desperate to go and see Big Ben. Husband was parked at home with little sister and we booked a trip down to the big smoke. That was Easter 2015 and we've been back again in October 2016 and now that there is a Lego shop open in Leicester Square will no doubt be back again in the nearish future. I thought I would share a few hints and tips and ideas about places we visited which might be useful for anyone else planning a trip.
Travel - Plane v Train
This is very much a personal choice but on our first trip we flew down for one night and second we went for two nights and took the train My preference was definitely the latter . Although the actual journey takes longer you arrive straight in the city centre and don't have the inconvenience of having to get to and from the airport or wait at security. Also you can take your own food and drink and as long as your child is happy enough to entertain themselves for four hours without driving you completely bonkers the journey goes relatively quickly. Just don't do what I did and jump on the wrong train on the way home (We were half an hour early and fortunately the guard was very understanding or the credit card would have taken a huge bashing).
Accommodation
Both times we visited London we stayed in a Travelodge first time was in Covent Garden and the second near Kings Cross. Both of these ticked the boxes of being comfortable, clean, safe and near public transport. Things I would look for is hotel that allows you to leave your bags when you check out your room (KC did CG didn't so we had to pay for left luggage at the station) and also proximity to places to eat of an evening. When I am travelling on my own with my child I really don't want to have to wander very far particularly if it's dark so something worth checking out (google earth is very good for this). Another advantage of a Travelodge is that the do a great breakfast buffet and kids eat free so we were both able to fuel ourselves well for the busy day ahead. I've not stayed there myself but friends who visit regularly stay at the Premier Inn near Westminster so we may try there the next time.
Brace Yourself for the Crowds and Plan
I've lived in Edinburgh for the past twenty years but with the exception of during the festival it is nothing like London and that is probably the thing I struggle with most especially when I am not only looking after myself but also a small person. After a near panic attack on Oxford Street I got a bit wise to this and tried to plan a route round where we wanted to visit more carefully and try to avoid the really busy busy places. My husband's top tip for this is if you need to walk somewhere and there is a park try and go through it as people are much more spread out and you don't feel as claustrophobic. I also spent time working out the tube route so we had as few changes as possible and we went furthest away first and worked back towards our accommodation. I am not a massive fan of the tube so sussing it out before I went was best for me and we avoided going on it during rush hour. My son doesn't object to walking so the first trip we got the Tube to St Pauls and then came over the Millenium bridge and went along the south bank to Westminster and then through St James's Park to Buckingham Palace and then caught the tube at Green Park. Took a couple of ice cream stops but was a lovely walk and a great way to see the city. The other thing that is worth remembering about London is that it's generally a good bit warmer than Scotland so worth taking layers that you can take off as you'll get hot from walking and of course the comfy shoes.
Feeding the Ravenous Beast
As I already mentioned we were staying at the Travelodge so had a big breakfast to fill us up but even with that all the tramping about made both of us very hungry. I'm pretty lucky that my son is not a fussy eater but with that we didn't have the budget to go anywhere flash to stuck to chain places like Costa, Five Guys, Wagamama and good old Maccie D's. It's always worth keeping an eye out for any deals or vouchers you can download and taking them along - London is expensive so any money saved is a good thing. We also bought snacks and ate them in the park. A Tesco meal deal for lunch definitely tastes better when you are sitting in the sunshine looking at Will and Kate's back garden. The one treat that I did allow myself was some cupcakes from Beas of Bloomsbury which I'd read about here and oh my they were delicious. I don't like to drink when I am out and about in sole charge of the wee guy but a wee gin in a tin and a few snacks for the hotel room was nice of an evening.
Shopping
I love to shop and the boy doesn't so there was a bit of negotiation required there especially as he had some pocket money to spend. Hamleys is the destination toy shop in central London but we avoided that and went to Oxford Street John Lewis to spend his dosh and then mummy was allowed a tiny bit of indulgence on Regent Street of a quick dash into &otherstories and a visit to Liberty aka the most beautiful shop in the world. Fortunately for me the Christmas shop was open so the boy was quite happy to spend a bit of time choosing some decorations for our tree (which made for a lovely surprise when I remembered about them in December). On our second day we came across a shopping centre called One New Change which is in the business district near St Pauls Cathedral and he actually allowed my a bit of a mooch round and we also had a wander round Covent Garden on our way to the theatre.
An Chocolatey Trip to the Theatre
My kids are fairly lucky that living where we do they've had a good few visits to the theatre but on our second trip I decided that a trip to the west end was in order. There are various ways to get cheap theatre tickets but I had a good look around on lastminute dot com and managed to get fairly cheap tickets (£25 each) for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. These turned out to be great seats which I think would cost about £60 normally. I'm not really sure what I expected from the show but we both loved it and when Willy Wonka sang 'Pure Imagination' my tears flowed and didn't really stop until I was in the taxi home. My son was pretty transfixed too and it's definitely something we'd do again.
The SkyGarden
This is on top of One Fenchurch Street (the building that looks like a walkie talkie) and is across the river from the Shard. Unlike the Shard if you book in advance you can visit it for free (it get booked up fairly quickly so plan well in advance). For your visit you get about an hour which is plenty of time to have a wander about, have a coffee or a drink and take lot of lots of photos. You can visit in the evening but there are restrictions on children due to licencing laws.
Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens/Diana Memorial Fountain
Our first trip to London was in the Easter holidays and we left Edinburgh in snow and arrived in London to blazing sunshine. After a trip to the museum district we wandered towards through Kensington Gardens and into Hyde Park to the Diana Memorial Fountain. It's a hard thing to describe without pictures but basically a circle of granite with water flowing round it. I'm not really sure that kids are supposed to paddle in it but being the good Scottish boy my son is he soon had his trousers and t shirt whipped off and was splashing around in his undies (not great when you don't have a towel good job I had a scarf with me). It's a lovely place and can't help thinking that the lady herself would have loved to see lots of children having fun and enjoying themselves.
Natural History Museum
We didn't have a massive amount of time to visit museums in London but this was a really good choice. Like many museums in London admission is free and it's housed in a beautiful Victorian building which we recognised from the film Paddington. It was very very busy (I have never queued for a museum in my life) but we did get to see some of the main attractions including Dippy and a mahoosive slice of tree. I think we would both love to go back there although the Science Museum is next on the hit list.
The Lego Bridge
This exhibition was only on for a short time but during our visit the Institute of Civil Engineers (who I used to be a student member of many years ago) had a bridges exhibition of the worlds biggest Lego bridge at their headquarters in Great George Street. Being in the area we just had to pay it a visit and try and got a chance to make a small bridge of our own and try out some virtual reality.
So there are some of my tops tips for visiting London - now that I've got over my fear of the place I am definitely falling in love with it and can't wait to go back. Got a few places in mind that I'd love to visit next time (some of which might take a child free trip but you can always dream).
Highgate Cemetery I have had a fascination with this after reading Her Fearful Symmetry
by Audrey Niffenegger.
Hamstead Heath having seen so many film set in London where this has featured heavily would love to go visit and maybe even try the outdoor swimming pool.
Horniman Museum apparently this is a really cool museum and is a bit off the beaten track which would be nice.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Having watched so much of the London 2012 would love to go visit the place where it all took place.
Tate Modern We did have a very brief visit in here to visit the cafe but would definitely like to spend a bit more time looking at the art
Afternoon Tea at Sketch A Mayfair resturant which doubles as an art gallery and has the most glamorous toilets ever.
Travel - Plane v Train
This is very much a personal choice but on our first trip we flew down for one night and second we went for two nights and took the train My preference was definitely the latter . Although the actual journey takes longer you arrive straight in the city centre and don't have the inconvenience of having to get to and from the airport or wait at security. Also you can take your own food and drink and as long as your child is happy enough to entertain themselves for four hours without driving you completely bonkers the journey goes relatively quickly. Just don't do what I did and jump on the wrong train on the way home (We were half an hour early and fortunately the guard was very understanding or the credit card would have taken a huge bashing).
Accommodation
Both times we visited London we stayed in a Travelodge first time was in Covent Garden and the second near Kings Cross. Both of these ticked the boxes of being comfortable, clean, safe and near public transport. Things I would look for is hotel that allows you to leave your bags when you check out your room (KC did CG didn't so we had to pay for left luggage at the station) and also proximity to places to eat of an evening. When I am travelling on my own with my child I really don't want to have to wander very far particularly if it's dark so something worth checking out (google earth is very good for this). Another advantage of a Travelodge is that the do a great breakfast buffet and kids eat free so we were both able to fuel ourselves well for the busy day ahead. I've not stayed there myself but friends who visit regularly stay at the Premier Inn near Westminster so we may try there the next time.
Brace Yourself for the Crowds and Plan
I've lived in Edinburgh for the past twenty years but with the exception of during the festival it is nothing like London and that is probably the thing I struggle with most especially when I am not only looking after myself but also a small person. After a near panic attack on Oxford Street I got a bit wise to this and tried to plan a route round where we wanted to visit more carefully and try to avoid the really busy busy places. My husband's top tip for this is if you need to walk somewhere and there is a park try and go through it as people are much more spread out and you don't feel as claustrophobic. I also spent time working out the tube route so we had as few changes as possible and we went furthest away first and worked back towards our accommodation. I am not a massive fan of the tube so sussing it out before I went was best for me and we avoided going on it during rush hour. My son doesn't object to walking so the first trip we got the Tube to St Pauls and then came over the Millenium bridge and went along the south bank to Westminster and then through St James's Park to Buckingham Palace and then caught the tube at Green Park. Took a couple of ice cream stops but was a lovely walk and a great way to see the city. The other thing that is worth remembering about London is that it's generally a good bit warmer than Scotland so worth taking layers that you can take off as you'll get hot from walking and of course the comfy shoes.
Feeding the Ravenous Beast
As I already mentioned we were staying at the Travelodge so had a big breakfast to fill us up but even with that all the tramping about made both of us very hungry. I'm pretty lucky that my son is not a fussy eater but with that we didn't have the budget to go anywhere flash to stuck to chain places like Costa, Five Guys, Wagamama and good old Maccie D's. It's always worth keeping an eye out for any deals or vouchers you can download and taking them along - London is expensive so any money saved is a good thing. We also bought snacks and ate them in the park. A Tesco meal deal for lunch definitely tastes better when you are sitting in the sunshine looking at Will and Kate's back garden. The one treat that I did allow myself was some cupcakes from Beas of Bloomsbury which I'd read about here and oh my they were delicious. I don't like to drink when I am out and about in sole charge of the wee guy but a wee gin in a tin and a few snacks for the hotel room was nice of an evening.
Shopping
I love to shop and the boy doesn't so there was a bit of negotiation required there especially as he had some pocket money to spend. Hamleys is the destination toy shop in central London but we avoided that and went to Oxford Street John Lewis to spend his dosh and then mummy was allowed a tiny bit of indulgence on Regent Street of a quick dash into &otherstories and a visit to Liberty aka the most beautiful shop in the world. Fortunately for me the Christmas shop was open so the boy was quite happy to spend a bit of time choosing some decorations for our tree (which made for a lovely surprise when I remembered about them in December). On our second day we came across a shopping centre called One New Change which is in the business district near St Pauls Cathedral and he actually allowed my a bit of a mooch round and we also had a wander round Covent Garden on our way to the theatre.
An Chocolatey Trip to the Theatre
My kids are fairly lucky that living where we do they've had a good few visits to the theatre but on our second trip I decided that a trip to the west end was in order. There are various ways to get cheap theatre tickets but I had a good look around on lastminute dot com and managed to get fairly cheap tickets (£25 each) for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. These turned out to be great seats which I think would cost about £60 normally. I'm not really sure what I expected from the show but we both loved it and when Willy Wonka sang 'Pure Imagination' my tears flowed and didn't really stop until I was in the taxi home. My son was pretty transfixed too and it's definitely something we'd do again.
The SkyGarden
This is on top of One Fenchurch Street (the building that looks like a walkie talkie) and is across the river from the Shard. Unlike the Shard if you book in advance you can visit it for free (it get booked up fairly quickly so plan well in advance). For your visit you get about an hour which is plenty of time to have a wander about, have a coffee or a drink and take lot of lots of photos. You can visit in the evening but there are restrictions on children due to licencing laws.
Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens/Diana Memorial Fountain
Our first trip to London was in the Easter holidays and we left Edinburgh in snow and arrived in London to blazing sunshine. After a trip to the museum district we wandered towards through Kensington Gardens and into Hyde Park to the Diana Memorial Fountain. It's a hard thing to describe without pictures but basically a circle of granite with water flowing round it. I'm not really sure that kids are supposed to paddle in it but being the good Scottish boy my son is he soon had his trousers and t shirt whipped off and was splashing around in his undies (not great when you don't have a towel good job I had a scarf with me). It's a lovely place and can't help thinking that the lady herself would have loved to see lots of children having fun and enjoying themselves.
Natural History Museum
We didn't have a massive amount of time to visit museums in London but this was a really good choice. Like many museums in London admission is free and it's housed in a beautiful Victorian building which we recognised from the film Paddington. It was very very busy (I have never queued for a museum in my life) but we did get to see some of the main attractions including Dippy and a mahoosive slice of tree. I think we would both love to go back there although the Science Museum is next on the hit list.
The Lego Bridge
This exhibition was only on for a short time but during our visit the Institute of Civil Engineers (who I used to be a student member of many years ago) had a bridges exhibition of the worlds biggest Lego bridge at their headquarters in Great George Street. Being in the area we just had to pay it a visit and try and got a chance to make a small bridge of our own and try out some virtual reality.
So there are some of my tops tips for visiting London - now that I've got over my fear of the place I am definitely falling in love with it and can't wait to go back. Got a few places in mind that I'd love to visit next time (some of which might take a child free trip but you can always dream).
Highgate Cemetery I have had a fascination with this after reading Her Fearful Symmetry
by Audrey Niffenegger.
Hamstead Heath having seen so many film set in London where this has featured heavily would love to go visit and maybe even try the outdoor swimming pool.
Horniman Museum apparently this is a really cool museum and is a bit off the beaten track which would be nice.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Having watched so much of the London 2012 would love to go visit the place where it all took place.
Tate Modern We did have a very brief visit in here to visit the cafe but would definitely like to spend a bit more time looking at the art
Afternoon Tea at Sketch A Mayfair resturant which doubles as an art gallery and has the most glamorous toilets ever.