The legit family vacation bucket list in London
London is so much for so many people. Big on business, beautiful architecture, a lazy river passing through the city and a cosmopolitan mix unlike any other city in the world. It’s a city you fall in love with as an individual, and then you go back home and talk about it like the city’s ambassador. Everyone loves London. It would be on the list of most tourists; however, where London excels beyond other cities is being a memorable destination for a family vacation. It charms the kids, woos the wife, and makes the life of a husband a lot easier on a vacation. If you plan it right. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what you need to do.
Map London out
When you travel to London, understand that it’s a big city. Staying on the outskirts is going to eat up a lot of travel time and increase costs. So, stick to Central London, get your family a tube pass and pack good walking shoes. London can be cheap to enjoy and very expensive if you aren’t a smart traveler. Stay away from cabs, download the tube map and start with the Big Ben.
Big Ben, London Eye and Tower Bridge
Located at the north end of the palace of Westminster, the Big Ben is synonymous with London. Many refer to it as the Clock Tower too and in all likelihood, you and your family have already seen it in a lot of pictures and movies. Nothing like a signature London landmark to kickstart the family vacation. Not too far from the Big Ben is London Eye. Europe’s tallest cantilever observation wheel gives you a panoramic view of London. A full circle takes half an hour, and each capsule is big enough to let you walk comfortably in it. A bird’s eye view of the city at your leisure, the kids will love it. Walk along the Thames to enjoy an array of street performers till you get to the bank alongside the Tower bridge. Watching the bridge open will wow everyone. This 19th century suspension bridge has been upgraded with the times yet takes you back to memories of the 20th century when it was a marvel for anyone who came to London. This city is that perfect amalgam of classic and modern.
A speedboat tour
The lazy Thames is great for tourists who want to see London from a cruise, sipping a hot coffee as the city goes past, but cruises are boring for kids. You know what kids love more? Speedboats. Almost an hour on one of these, and you have given the family the right dose of adrenaline to lift spirits up for the rest of the day. Start at Westminster Pier and cross all the seven bridges from the Golden Jubilee footbridge to the Tower of London, enjoy views of the House of Parliament, the Shard, London Eye from the Thames and HMS Belfast – WW2’s town class light cruiser. Once past the Tower Bridge, the Jet is allowed to speed up to a maximum of 30 knots where the ride ends in a rush you were waiting to experience. Platform 9 ¾
Not just the kids, even we have grown up watching Harry Potter movies if you were a teen in the early 2000s, or the late Nineties (if you enjoyed reading the books). And that’s why Platform 9 ¾ is of major significance. Feel like one of the students of Hogwarts school by snapping a picture with the trolley that leads you to the imaginary Hogwarts Express. Don’t forget to carry the scarf of your house colours. But where is Platform 9 ¾? It’s actually a wall on King’s cross station, and because this is a public station, the wall usually gets quite crowded during the day. It’s best to plan an early morning/late evening trip here. We recommend buying the Harry Potter merchandise elsewhere as the store near the platform is expensive.
Change of guards at Buckingham Palace
Catch the tube at King’s Cross station after the platform visit to get in time for the change of guard’s ceremony at Buckingham palace. The Victoria line takes you from King’s Cross to Green Park station in just 17 minutes. A light walk to the gates will get you there before 10:45AM for the change of guard. The ceremony lasts for 45 minutes every day and is free for all so it could get very crowded. Get there early for a good view of the Queen’s guard in red tunics and bearskin hats performing at the ceremony. Every summer, the Queen’s official London residence is also open for public tours if you want to indulge in seeing a royal house replete with paintings from famous artists like Rembrandt and Poussin.
Parks and recreation
London as we mentioned before can be very expensive if you pay for all your experiences. One thing you don’t need to pay for is visits to parks and there are plenty of them around the city. The famous Hyde park is right next to Buckingham Palace where you could snack on a bagel and enjoy the city’s weather and landscape. Hyde park is one of London’s eight royal parks and collectively, these parks cover 5000 acres. Places to relax, indulge in a bit of boating, horse riding, jogging and more, the parks remind you that it is a vacation and you don’t have to be doing an activity all the time. The fresh landscape and pleasant weather at these parks are a good break from the rest of the cityscape.
Peter Pan statue in Kensington ParkLego Shop and Hamleys
Kids can get impatient so leave the Lego store and Hamleys visit as an incentive for later. That way you and the wife can enjoy the peaceful settings of the parks. An evening at Lego or Hamleys is gold for children. Lego’s flagship store is their biggest ever at 9800 square feet and it includes a 20 foot replica of the Big Ben and a life size replica of the London Underground train car built from 637,903 bricks. You can make your own customized mosaic replicas at the Lego shop. Hamleys is a whole new level beyond the Legos though, and since it was founded in London, the store here is special. One of the oldest toy stores in the world, it is spread over seven floors and attracts over five million footfalls every year. Don’t misjudge Hamleys to be just a children’s store; even you will want to pick something up!
Museums
London is known for its museums. From the British museum for artefacts collected by explorers from around the world to Tate Modern for works from famous artists, there is something for everyone. We’d particularly recommend the Royal Air Force museum though. Located at the Hendon Aerodrome, you will get to see the history of aviation and the RAF there. It could be both inspiring and knowledgeable for the entire family. Imagine walking around the Hurricanes, Spitfires and Messerschmitts of World War 2. These are memories of a lifetime in one place, watching these birds of war and learning of the stories that brought them into existence. There are many more galleries and design museums in London if you want to indulge but you could leave that for another time when the kids aren’t around.
London Zoo
What’s a family vacation without a trip to the zoo. And the London Zoo is particularly famous for the variety of species as there are 673 of them spread over the 30 acres of land in London. It is the world’s oldest scientific zoo, established in 1828 and was only intended for scientific study, however, it has transformed into a tourist attraction now. You will see lions, tigers, gorillas and many other mammals here, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish too, and a whole lot of invertebrates. The London Zoo will teach kids so much that humans just can’t. Love for animals is an important part of a child’s upbringing, and the more its celebrated by visiting wildlife and zoos, the better.
Places to stay
All this activity is going to be spread across a few days and you need comfortable Vrbos to get back to. We’ve shortlisted a few places:
The Covent garden apartment
Londoners really know how to furnish their houses well and this apartment is no different. Take the elevator to this second storey apartment and walk into a cozy house full of warm furnishings and all the amenities you can think of. Run through the comments too of this beautiful two-bedroom Covent Garden apartment because you will notice that the description and location is accurate and everyone has a pleasant stay here. They also organize airport transfers.
Average price per night: SGD 526
Shoreditch’s cozy apartment
In a vibrant Shoreditch neighbourhood, this tastefully furnished two-bedroom flat gives you the luxuries of a hotel in the economies of an apartment. The only problem is that you need to book for a minimum of five nights. There’s so much to do in London, we don’t think you could stay any lesser though. The wooden furniture, leather sofas, the blue painted window frames a collage of picture frames on the wall. It feels like your home away from home, which is what we at Vrbo love to offer.
Average price per night: SGD 391
Boutique Georgian garden apartment
Central London tends to shrink on you and space usually on a premium, but move out to Zone 2 and you get easy access to the best bits of London and some space to stretch out as well. This boutique Georgian Garden Vrbo near Highbury & Islington tube station has the charms of countryside and the modern furnishings that do justice to a London apartment blended into one. There’s even a BBQ and hammock outside, a fireplace inside, and high-speed internet to keep the kids happy. It’s also pet friendly.
Average price per night: SGD 416
The big happy family condo
Sometimes you travel with the extended family and that means you at least need a three-bedroom Condo like this one. A newly refurbished condo just stone’s throw away from South Kensington tube station, this apartment has a patioed garden for that late evening cup of tea after a long day of exploring London. The apartment comes with all amenities required for a pleasant stay and a well-equipped kitchen too.
Average price per night: SGD 581