London is one of the best capital cities for a family break purely because of the breadth of activities and possibilities it offers for families of all sizes and ages. If you’re wondering where to start when it comes to planning your first break in the capital, we’ve got some pointers so you can begin your preparations in earnest.
Accommodation
For a home from home base, the serviced apartments from Urban Retreat offer a nice bit of luxury for families. When you’re in a big place for such a short amount of time, being close to attractions can make such a difference – these apartments are in close proximity to Oxford Street and Bond Street as well as Hyde Park which is gorgeous all year round and gives the kids an outdoors space to let off steam.
What to do
Popular tourist attractions like Madame Tussauds and the London Sealife Aquarium are well worth visiting with the family but don’t forget that there are a whole host of museums that don’t charge an entry fee and hold perfectly good exhibitions all year round. The Natural History Museum, the V&A Museum of Childhood and the National Maritime Museum are just three free museums but there are so many choose from, it’s worth picking just one per
day so you’re not rushing around to cram everything in.
Getting around
Hopping from place to place is easy when you use the underground and buses, and having an app like Citymapper on your phone will get you all from A to B without much hassle, and give you timings to boot. Parents will be pleased to hear that children under the age of 11 can travel for free on the Tube, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail services with a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard or when travelling with an adult with a valid ticket. Before you go, it’s
worth reading the Transport for London website for children allowances to be sure you don’t get caught out.
Eating out
Feeding a family could be an expensive affair in London if you don’t pick the right places. Good-quality food to refuel is accessible from all corners of London – China Town springs to mind for fantastic value dim sum while Mexican-style street food eaterie Wahaca, which has most of its branches in London, offers a set menu with a drink for kids at £5.25. Finally, pizza loving-kids wouldn’t be disappointed at Franco Manca, a London favourite for wood-fired sourdough pizza, and they have over 30 branches across the capital.
This is a great post, we are planning a family trip to London so this is helpful
Thank you. I hope you have an amazing time, London has so much to offer.
Great post! I love a good trip to London but I’ve never gone with Luke. I think we need to plan one. 🙂
My kids love a family trip to London, I’m sure Luke will love it too x