London stay before cruise

[VFG]

I booked the Dover to Barcelona cruise for 2017. We'd like to stay in London beforehand but I have no idea what would be a good area. We will have a 4 year old with us so being close to a few attractions is important to us. Thanks!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Many cruisers stay at the Premier Inn County hall. this is a budget hotel near the London Eye.
From here you can view The London eye, walk the Southbank, and walk over the bridge on the Thames to Westminster.

Its easy accessible from Gatwick airport to the south of London and Heathrow to the west. Also trains from Waterloo east go to Dover priory. The London aquarium is there and its a easy tube train to many sites.

Try to avoid areas where there is cross rail ( Elizabeth Line) work, these include Paddington, bond street, Tottenham court road and Farringdon, also Victoria has ticket office works and avoid London bridge re station construction works.

For a higher end hotel the Thistle Marble arch is great, located a block back off Oxford Street our shopping district and also from a start of the HOHO and on the central line tube. Its near Hyde park.

Kids will love.

Madame Tousards. Pre book cut in line times.

London zoo-Tube Camden Town.

Tower of London, Book in advance.

Thames riverboat.

The museums, most are free.

Riding on the docklands light railway front seats down to Cutty sark through docklands.

Stratford for the Olympic park and a big mall Westfield for shopping.

Harry Potter is an hour to the north of London and pre book.

Windsor is an hour out west from Paddington or an hour and a half out of Windsor on slower trains.

Regent street has Hamleys toy shop, and Knightsbridge, Harrords and Hard Rock.

Shakespears globe is at London Bridge, or over the bridge from St Pauls.

Covent Garden and The London Transport museum there where you can go on old tube trains is great for young children.

There are so many great hotels a lot depends on the airport you come into and how long you stay, its more about avoiding the considerable construction work in London at this time to get a good nights sleep, most places are accessible by Bus and Tube, order your Oyster cards for public transport early and use those, kids under 10 are free, and you touch in and out by the oyster card. Search TFL Oyster for visitors from abroad.

Trip report re sailing from Dover and travel information, http://torussiawithmickeybars.blogspot.co.uk/

Dover part only.

Whilst London is very safe day and night there are places to Avoid, If you find anything then ask, i live and work in London.

 

[thinkoflaura]

when my daughter was 5 going on 6 we stayed at the Premiere Inn (referenced in prior link) and had an excellent experience. Clean but no frills (and no a/c) but really loved the location and there's a little playground/park next to the london eye (and hotel) which was great! Easy to get to the underground from here too! have a blast!!!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

when my daughter was 5 going on 6 we stayed at the Premiere Inn (referenced in prior link) and had an excellent experience. Clean but no frills (and no a/c) but really loved the location and there's a little playground/park next to the London eye (and hotel) which was great! Easy to get to the underground from here too! have a blast!!!

PS Rarely need Air Con in UK, it only gets very hot occasionally, and on the tube.

If important to have Air Con then go for the Thistle.

 

[dcassetta]

I booked the Dover to Barcelona cruise for 2017. We'd like to stay in London beforehand but I have no idea what would be a good area. We will have a 4 year old with us so being close to a few attractions is important to us. Thanks!

If you were planning to stay more than a couple of days, you might want to look into renting a flat, rather than a hotel. This might give you a better sleeping arrangements for your child. www.homeaway.com and www.vrbo.com both have listings in London. Often you can find a flat with more space, for less than hotel rooms.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I would put a health warning on Flats etc in London, good honest sites are being victims to fraud in London at this time. Take care.

Listings can have fake photos, seek money in advance and you do not get what you booked.

Its been on our TV Consumer programes recently.

Some book and send money and come to find no property at all, others come and there informed the one they booked is unavailable and they at short notice can only have a substitute property thats not nice. Some photos are actually off private properties not up for rent for visitors, and when you turn up you find its not what you expected or not there.

Take care, do not send any money until you fully verify, and as said good websites are victims of this now.

 

[kaseyC]

If you were planning to stay more than a couple of days, you might want to look into renting a flat, rather than a hotel. This might give you a better sleeping arrangements for your child. www.homeaway.com and www.vrbo.com both have listings in London. Often you can find a flat with more space, for less than hotel rooms.

I agree. We rented twice last year in London. In June of 2015, we rented a cute little Mews house, it was 3 stories, 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in the South Kensington area. A quick walk to the Earls Court tube station. It was perfect for my family of 5 and less expensive than multiple hotel rooms would have been. With 3 DDs the 2.5 baths were a necessity. In October, my mom and I were in London before a TA cruise out of Southampton. We rented a small flat for the both of us. It was close to the South Kensington tube station. Made getting around with my elderly mom very easy. We used a very reputable company based in the U.S. who own and manage properties in London. They were fantastic from booking thru checking out of the rental.

http://www.londonconnection.com

 

[dcassetta]

I have used www.homeaway.com 8 times in Europe, 4 in London and have always had excellent experiences.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I have used www.homeaway.com 8 times in Europe, 4 in London and have always had excellent experiences.

Understood, but the warning, stands.

As said Even good sites are currently victims to this fraud, my advice is to check, re check, google photos, google trip adviser, as cams are going on. Do not part with money until fully verified.

 

[bumbershoot]

My son and I stayed a night at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, London-Westminster at 30 John Islip Street.

We really liked it. It wasn't some quaint British B&B, but it wasn't like being in America, either. I would stay there again. Walking distance from Big Ben, etc etc.

 

[krisinparis]

With a 4 year old, maybe something by Hyde Park. You could go to Hyde Park every day and do something slightly different. Your 4 year old would love the Diana Memorial Playground, feeding the ducks, taking a ride in a paddleboat and just running around all of the green space. The Hilton London Hyde Park is just across the street. There is also a Fenton's (ice cream) just a block or 2 away that my kids loved. Also easy to take a train directly from Heathrow to Paddington Station and then change to another train, take a cab, or even walk.

 

[jenf22]

We stayed at the Premier Inn Disney Fantasy recommended last June and LOVED it. We were able to walk and see many sights ans we walked to the train station to see Windsor castle. Being right next to the London Eye was awesome for our 8-year old and the view across the river is amazing. The breakfast was good and the price was great. I recommend it!

 

[MPS516]

With a 4 year old, maybe something by Hyde Park. You could go to Hyde Park every day and do something slightly different. Your 4 year old would love the Diana Memorial Playground, feeding the ducks, taking a ride in a paddleboat and just running around all of the green space. The Hilton London Hyde Park is just across the street. There is also a Fenton's (ice cream) just a block or 2 away that my kids loved. Also easy to take a train directly from Heathrow to Paddington Station and then change to another train, take a cab, or even walk.

We stayed here and loved the location, we were in the park at least every day and some evenings. Because of the tube strike they allowed entry late into the night and we took full advantage. We used black cab to get to points of interest but when at hotel there were restaurants, shops and the park.

 

[tidefan]

Thanks to Hilton Honors points, we'll be at the Doubletree by Hilton London Chelsea prior to our 7-my Norwegian cruise next month. Will report back as to how it is...

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We stayed at the Milestone Hotel which is directly across from Hyde Park. My DS7 loved going to the park! It was so fun to go to the playground and run around. He also enjoyed the London Zoo, British Museum and Natural History Museum. The toy department in Harrods was also a big hit.

I would not recommend staying in the London Eye area as it was a massive tourist trap and was exceedingly crowded. i would not do the eye or Madam Tussauds with a 4 year old.

 

[disneymath]

We stayed at Premier Inn Waterloo I think it was. (County Hall was booked and this one was maybe a block away.) Very easy to walk to see Big Ben and London Eye, plus a large park with kids play area nearby. We used their dinner&breakfast plan (we were only there one night) and thought it was worthwhile.

Our PI did not have air conditioning, CH version does if I recall. Pricewise, it couldn't be beat. The convertible couch was decent, the washroom was large with full tub/shower, and we had enough room. We would have been fine staying there for a couple more nights.

We took a Yellow Moon Tour (since we had less than a full day to explore) and it was well worth the price. We stopped by all the major sites, got informative and entertaining info from our guide and he was also great with the kids!

 

[wilma-bride]

We stayed at the Milestone Hotel which is directly across from Hyde Park. My DS7 loved going to the park! It was so fun to go to the playground and run around. He also enjoyed the London Zoo, British Museum and Natural History Museum. The toy department in Harrods was also a big hit.

I would not recommend staying in the London Eye area as it was a massive tourist trap and was exceedingly crowded. i would not do the eye or Madam Tussauds with a 4 year old.

I would agree with all of this - Natural History Museum is fascinating and you can easily spend a day there and not see it all.

Madame Tussauds would be wasted n a 4 year old, he wouldn't even know who half of the people are. And ditto for the eye, it moves slowly and really just provides good views of the city which, while interesting for an adult, is of little interest to a 4 year old.

 

[lolainkent]

London attractions are so spread out that there's not a single "close to everything" so if being right near specific attractions is key, pick which ones you're after. The underground is pretty easy to navigate and use (and my almost 4 year old DD loves going on the tube!). I really like Premier Inns; they're basic but great value and all over the place.

Places my daughter likes in London: the Transport Museum, Kensington Palace, Princess Diana Memorial Playground (it can get busy in the summer and they do have a capacity - just be warned if it's a hot, sunny, weekend day!), restaurants like Giraffe and GBK, Harrods. We went to the British Museum last week (school holidays) and she only liked the "history of money" and "history of clocks" rooms.

A few people on my Iceland/Norway repo last year did the BB Afternoon Tea bus tour - it's pricey but you get to be in a double decker bus, have afternoon tea and see sites. Several found that it was a good way to kill a few birds with one stone. That has to be booked pretty far in advance. **edited to add: I just looked on their website and kids under 6 aren't allowed for "health and safety reasons." Sorry! (But will leave this paragraph in case anyone else looking at London in interested!)

As Disney Fantasy posted, there have been tv shows about fake flat rentals out there via all those sites (Airbnb, etc). Just be really, really careful. Doesn't mean they all but anything that seems too good to be true probably is.

 

[Danni75]

With a little one I would definitely recommend smaller attractions and museums - transport museum was mentioned, the science museum had an extensive kid programme that's good fun (adults welcome!) or the Royal mews.

If you have some time I would definitely check the butterfly house - though a bit further away.

Then you have the Sherlock Holmes museum (more an attraction with actors) and of course the various parks.

For food, Giraffe was mentioned, Cafe Rouge is very decent and have God kids options. And as others have said, London is very spread out so you may want to organise your days to limit the walking distance.

 

[kaseyC]

Those with older kids or teens, try an East End Tasting tour. We took our girls who were 19, 14 and 12 last summer and they absolutely loved it. It's a easy paced walking tour that starts at Old Spitalfields Market, with stops for different food tasting as well as a drink in a pub. It also included viewing of some fantastic street art. Our guide was informative and fun. IIRC our tastings included a bacon sandwich, bread and butter pudding, cheeses, fish and chips, a variety of curries and naan, hot salt beef and bagels and ended with tea and cake. The portions are a good size so go hungry. We got to see a part of London that we probably wouldn't have went to on our own. We ended up going back to one of the curry houses in the Brick Lane area later that week for dinner.

http://www.eatinglondontours.co.uk/east-end-food-tour/