Carting the Kids around London – Do’s and Don’ts

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As a family, there are so many things that you can do around London. Mountains of shops to explore, your pick of the best London restaurants,  beautiful blossom in bloom and more activities than you can shake a stick at. As good as a place as London is to take the kids; it can be hard work keeping everyone in check as you get around the city.

No matter what time of the day you use the Underground, there always seems to be travellers in a mad rush, even when trains run all of just a few minutes apart! Of course, there are other modes of public transport available, such as buses and even ferries, while the braver among us may also prefer to drive through the city.

However you choose to get around the city, there are a few key do’s and don’ts that you will do well to keep in mind. These are:

Do – Plan Where and When You Want to Go

Always, always, always pre-plan your day. Do not try and fit in everything by just simply winging it – it will most likely end in disaster. Set our your schedule for the day, allowing enough time between each visit – as well as enough time to actually enjoy what it is you are doing.

Ideally, you should plan your schedule in terms of what will be easiest to travel to. For example, you shouldn’t have to constantly travel from either side of London throughout the day because this will take up far too much time.

Don’t – Wear Uncomfortable Shoes

In London, there is a lot of walking around to do, so it is best to wear only your most comfortable shoes. Do not worry about leaving your heels at home or in the hotel room because you won’t be alone as most Londoners opt for trainers when getting around.

If you wear shoes that look good, but don’t necessarily feel as good, you will soon regret it and wish you have instead opted for those light pair of pumps. Children, more often than not, will walk around in trainers anyway, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about packing a specially designated pair of walking shoes for the little ones.

Do – Stay the Night

Not to say that you can’t have an enjoyable day trip to London, but in order to be able to enjoy all that the city has to offer without constantly clock watching, it is better to stay the night. Whether you book yourself a cheap hotel or have the luxury of looking into fractional ownership if you are a regular, it is up to you.

If you do decide to book a hotel, look for establishments in outer suburbs such as Edgware, Walthamstow and Harlow. These areas fall in the outer zones on the London Underground map, so you would have to spend around half-an-hour on the tube to get into the city centre, but the savings made more than makeup for this. Of course, the children won’t necessarily understand this, but when you have extra funds for sweets and souvenirs, we are sure they won’t mind!

Don’t – Travel Without Tickets

If you are travelling to London with the intentions of attending an event or events, do not expect to be able to buy tickets on the day. Sports events and theatre performances often sell out before the day of the event, which means that your only possible avenue of acquiring tickets is through unreliable ticket touts at astronomical prices.

Buying in advance can save you money and, where possible, always look to have tickets delivered to you. If you elect to pick up on the day, you will find yourself standing in one line to collect your tickets, followed by another line to enter the venue. With children, this can be a long and unnecessary wait.

If you take heed of our advice then we are sure that you, and the children, will have a wonderful time in the capital!

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