Killing half a day in London?

[GraemeP]

I'm taking the family to see a show this weekend, and my daughter is excited for her first visit to the capital. Can anyone recommend any of the hop on / off style site seeing bus tours? It would be great for her to see lots of points of interest, and I'm no London expert.

Any other recommendations suitable for a family??

[anonymous-user]

GraemeP said:

I'm taking the family to see a show this weekend, and my daughter is excited for her first visit to the capital. Can anyone recommend any of the hop on / off style site seeing bus tours? It would be great for her to see lots of points of interest, and I'm no London expert.

Any other recommendations suitable for a family??

There are a load of open top buses that do tours - all part of the,same company, IIRC. You can't miss them.

Personally, for half a day, I'd probably book tickets for the London Eye, then walk over Westminster Bridge past Big Ben up to Buck House, back along the Mall to Traf Sq, then from there wander up Haymarket/ Lower Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus, which puts you in the heart of the West End.

[croyde]

Go to Greenwich from Westminster on the boat. See all the sights by boat. DLR/tube to North Greenwich and use the Emirates airline. Much more value for money than the wheel and barely have to queue.

[tr7v8]

croyde said:

Go to Greenwich from Westminster on the boat. See all the sights by boat. DLR/tube to North Greenwich and use the Emirates airline. Much more value for money than the wheel and barely have to queue.

Yup friends own Campion cruisers which run from Greenwich, great views of the river & humorous but informative commentary.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

croyde said:

Go to Greenwich from Westminster on the boat. See all the sights by boat. DLR/tube to North Greenwich and use the Emirates airline. Much more value for money than the wheel and barely have to queue.

Definitely this. You can get off the DLR at Royal Victoria and take the cable car to N Greenwich to pick up the boat, or get on the DLR at Canary Wharf and get a Lewisham train to Cutty Sark and get the boat from there. My kids used to love to sit at the front of the driverless DLR train as it went under the river.

[croyde]

I'm 51 and I love sitting at the front of the DLR and pretending to be the driver. I even rush past all the kids to get the seat and then annoy them all by reading a paper

[hoegaardenruls]

The boat trip is a good option, and the walk along the South bank between the London Eye and London Bridge on a good day can be pretty nice.

Another option would actually be the no. 11 bus between Liverpool St and Fulham Broadway takes in quite a lot of the sights, as well as passing nearby most of the others, just get a one day travelcard.

[GraemeP]

Thank you all, some good food for thought! I did think about south bank and up to buckingham palace - half familiar as I go to Stirling Square for work sometimes

[Blib]

Of the two, I would plump for the open top bus, rather than the boat. You have the opportunity to jump on or off wherever you choose with the bus. Something denied to you on the boat.

[GraemeP]

Thank you all again for input, as we only had a bit of time to kill we walked along the south bank, past big ben et al, st james' park, liz's pad (no offer of a quick earl grey and victoria sponge).

We then walked through town to covent garden, lunched, watched charlie and the chocolate factory, and headed home.

All in all a decent day out (for a non theatre going type).