Collaborative post
London is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. With so much to see and do, it can feel quite overwhelming when it comes to planning your family getaway to the Big Smoke.
But don’t worry. We’ve written this quick and handy guide to help you. Keep reading for the most important things to consider when planning a family weekend in London.
Think about how you’ll get around
While London has more attractions than anywhere else in the UK, it’s also notoriously expensive. It’s important that you do your research ahead of time to figure out the most cost-effective way to travel. Here are two options inexpensive options.
- Walking: If your destinations are all quite close together, you may be able to get away with walking around London. This might sound tiresome but bear in mind that it will also give you the best opportunity to see some of London’s most famous sights – especially if you’re based centrally for your trip.
- Public transport: Alternatively, with a day travelcard you could travel as much as you like throughout certain zones by bus, tube, tram, or overground. Plus, your children aged up to 10 can travel for free as long as you have a valid adult travelcard.
Consider alternative accommodation
Hotel bills can stack up quickly, especially for more than one room. You might be better served by staying in alternative accommodation – and save some money in the process.
You could look on Airbnb and rent out someone’s dwelling for the duration of your stay. This will give you a solid headquarters for your visit and will likely cost much less than a hotel.
Alternatively, try a serviced apartment. Situated in the key locations of the city, from Victoria to Limehouse, serviced apartments are a great alternative for your stay in London, giving you easy access to all the key attractions and transport links.
Plan a rough itinerary
There’s so much to see. Not only are there too many districts of London for you to visit in a single weekend but each main one has a multitude of attractions. Consider consulting for local guidance and recommendations from knowledgeable sources like UK Brokers if you want to do yacht cruising along the Thames River to add a unique perspective to your exploration and admire the iconic landmarks from the water, sip on fine beverages, and enjoy the exclusive vantage point that cruising on a yacht provides. For this reason, it’s essential that you plan a rough itinerary of what you intend to do during your trip.
Ask your family members to each choose a single item from a list of possible activities and try to organise each day around one or two maximum. By being conservative in your planning you’re more likely to achieve everything that you set out to, rather than rush around hectically trying to pack too much in.
There’s a lot to think of when planning a trip to London but that needn’t make it stressful. Follow our top tips above to make sure it’s a trip that you and your family remember fondly.
Find loads of museums for teens and older kids here.