Beaulieu - anything great there for kids?

[clonmult]

I've never been myself, and can guarantee that I'd love the place.

However, wondering if its likely to have enough to entertain our two kids - son aged 7, SWMBOs daughter is 8. They've got karting, which I reckon they'd absolute love, but that isn't quite enough for a whole day ....

[longblackcoat]

I believe they're about to open the Top Gear section (some of the 'challenge' cars - Dampervan etc) but that might be later this year. It's the only reason my son wants to visit.

[Melman Giraffe]

Not much for kids TBH. Unless they like to look at cars!!

[clonmult]

Melman Giraffe said:

Not much for kids TBH. Unless they like to look at cars!!

They both like playing on GT5P and Burnout Paradise ... not quite the same. Maybe I'm better off trying to find somewhere more local for getting them into karts.

[Alex]

There's plenty for kids. I recently took mine (Girls 9 and 6, boy 5).

There's a decent playground.
My kid's loved the monorail.
There's the "Wheels" ride, which my kids enjoyed too.

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/ipus/beaulieu/lots-to-do

[illmonkey]

You say "karts", looking at the track it looks more like they'd get to ride around in these:

And the motor museum takes all of 2 hours to walk around, that's if you take you're time!

[schmalex]

To be fair, you will complete the motor museum in around 2 hours.

There are plenty of other things within 10 / 15 minutes drive though:

Bucklers Hard: A great place to go & have lunch, with a grassed street that leads all the way down to the river
Ashurst: There is an interactive animal farm just before you get on the main road to Southampton
Ashurst: There is a centre that looks after stoats etc, where you can walk around, also got loads of birds of prey there
Calshot: Nice beach & the activity centre
Brockenhurst: Some lovely walks either from Brock, or just before the manic mile after 10 bends on the way to Burley
Lymington: Get some chips & sit on the quay to watch the boats coming in & out.

[.:ian:.]

Lepe is nicer than Calshot.

If you go to Beaulieu, take food, the stuff there is crap and very expensive. Or pop in to Montys Brasserie in the village. and while you are there, have a nose around Beaulieu Garage, some nice cars.

Some nice scenic routes nearby, try the "Beaulieu Triangle" : http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&amp...

Or Ornamental Drive : http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&amp...

Oh, and ETA:

http://www.ottersandowls.co.uk/ - Otters are good, owls are rubbish, but you wander around some bits with some overly friendly deer, which is cool.

http://www.libertyscentre.co.uk/ - go for the displays of birds of prey the bloke the does them is great.

Edited by .:ian:. on Friday 22 May 13:12

[Chrisgr31]

.:ian:. said:

If you go to Beaulieu, take food, the stuff there is crap and very expensive. Or pop in to Montys Brasserie in the village. and while you are there, have a nose around Beaulieu Garage, some nice cars.

When we went (Aug 07) we didn;t think the food was that bad. We have decided that with that sort of place you might as well have hot food, on the basis it is marginally less over-priced than sandwiches! However it was decent sized portions and was fine and edible. A lot better han some other places!

Yes its not cheap, but I wouldn;t have said it was too expensive.