EXPLORING LONDON
OUR RESIDENCE
use Big Bus Tours London to explore the city. The bus tour is perfect for tourists and includes all the sights from Big Ben and the River Thames to Nelson’s Column and the lions at Trafalgar Square. Using the hop on and hop off feature, we stopped at the famous toy store Hamleys and St James’s Park – where we enjoyed a picnic in the sun! One of our last stops on the bus was the Coca Cola London Eye. We decided that we couldn’t miss the chance to see London’s spectacular views from this iconic Ferris wheel, so we got in line and went for a ride. I found the journey onboard very enjoyable and relaxing – especially as the children were safety enclosed inside! On the day that we were leaving, we got up early to make the most of our final few hours in London. We headed over to Green Park and fed the ducks before taking a stroll through the grounds to admire Buckingham Palace in all its glory. Our train journey back was much quieter than our first journey – all four of us were thoroughly knackered! We spent it reminiscing about our big adventure to London. It may have passed by in a blur, but I know that it’s something we’ll all remember forever. n
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Pack plenty of activities to keep them amused on the train. See some travel ideas on pages 52 and 53.
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Choose your hotel or apartment wisely. Finding a place which is child friendly will take the stress out of your trip and give you a chance to relax after your journey.
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Walk or take buses whenever you can – part of the London experience is seeing all the sights, you don’t want to spend all your time on a bustling tube underground.
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Don’t cram too much in – while you might manage to see three tourist attractions in a day, it’s too tiring and rushed for the kids.
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Try to vary what you are doing – while it’s a great idea to expose them to some culture, try to mix it up with something they want to do like a trip to the Lego Shop.
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Eating out is expensive, try to choose accommodation where you can eat at least some of your meals at home, or make a picnic and eat it in one of London’s beautiful parks.
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My top tips for exploring London with kids
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