We finally got to visit the Capital as a family earlier this year and to be honest I can’t believe it took us so long to finally bite the bullet. In light of our epic trip I am already planning the next trip back as a family and here are my tips I am standing by for the next jaunt to the capital.
For me however the only way to visit the capital with small people trailing behind is to make sure you list the stuff you want to see and then plan.
It is super easy to get carried away and end up after your trip kicking yourself that you didn’t see the most important places on your list. Although be realistic, it might look nearby but with traffic and the sheer volume of people it can drastically slow down your adventure.
Once you know where you want to visit … book tickets online. We found that by buying online beforehand it made most of our trips far cheaper.
Finding apps can massively help such as the interactive one that SACO London serviced apartments has launched to help visitors explore the city more easily. This web app will also set itineraries depending on the time you have available and can plan for one day, three days, one week and up two weeks, allowing you to plan the stay in detail and ‘live it like a local’ in the city.
As well as acting as a useful tool for visitors considering serviced apartments in London, the web app also offers exclusive discounts with a number of eateries within the Square Mile, which adds extra value and points out food, drink, health and well-being outlets, history and cultural museums and shopping destinations, helping them find what they are looking for within the Square Mile when it’s needed.
City mapper is another app that can help you get around London transport. Add in your start location and end locations and it will advise you on all methods of getting there from Tubes and buses to walking and biking and will even give you the estimated taxi price!- Great if you want to make the most of your visit with direct travel and no meandering.
Last on the app front is one that was recommended to me by Hannah from Apples & Pips that helps parents traveling with a pushchair in tow. Tubes are notoriously bad at advertising if they are pushchair friendly with limited stairs and lifts and the GoBaby app has all the info you need to find out which tube station you can access if you have a pushchair.
Another handy hint that Hannah shared with me recently too was if you use a contactless bank card you don’t have to bother pre loading an oyster card if it’s not something you use regularly. On accessing the barrier you just need to use your contactless bank card on entry and then again on exit and it charges you for that journey direct to your card. Be aware however that if there was more than one travelling that you need to pay for then they need to use their own card as it only debits for one person.
With Kids in tow its easy to also get carried away on eating out but plan in your meal stops will keep your budget under control and mean less whiny hungry kids while you navigate where to go. For Jacob I take lots of nibbly food with me and bulk it up with stuff from where we are eating. Although this can only really be done for little tiny tots.
Here’s hoping that my next trip with the boys into London during the summer goes off without a hitch now I am planning our trips more comprehensively.
*Collaborative post*
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