Let’s Take the Kids to London: A Family Travel Guide

If you’re plotting to take your kids to London, I would consider this book just one source of many you should use. The author gives you a fantastic start, but he neglects some sights and suggestions that would make your trip more memorable.

For example, in a few paragraphs, he dismisses the thought of finding a child-friendly pub in London. What’s a trip to London without a pub meal!?! You can find any number of websites listing child-friendly pubs and fit one into your itinerary. In the main tourist district, Ye Ancient Chesire Cheese is one atmospheric choice. Many authors from the pantheon of English greats — Johnson, Boswell, Dickens, etc. — hung their hats here.

Two of my favorite places are missing: the water fountains in the central square of Somerset House in the theatre district. Kids like to romp in these, while you can have a coffee or glass of wine and relax around the perimeter (place warm clothes and a raincoat on the kids… the water’s cold). Also, don’t miss the Guildhall Art Gallery. In the basement are the excavated remains of a Roman amphitheater. The kids can pretend they’re gladiators — when they step on one spot in the center, an audio system adds cheering and crowd noises. One parent can be in charge, while the other takes a whirl through the gallery’s lovely Victorian artworks.

Also, he leaves out any suggestion of playgrounds other than the Diana Memorial playground, which admittedly is fantastic. But when you’re schlepping small ones around a city as huge as London, it helps to know where the playgrounds are — Coram’s Fields, for example, in the Russell Square area. There’s a nice playground at the base of the London Eye, too.

Some logistical information is missing. For example, in the section on Legoland, he doesn’t tell you that it can take 3 hours just to get to Legoland from central London. You need to start off early! Also missing is any useful information on the bus system. The route numbers rarely change and two of them in particular give you a excellent tour of the major sights… grab seats up front on a double-decker Route 11 or 15 bus.

So, as I say, I would use this guide as just one of several you consult. For example, check out my two Traveler Lists on tripadvisor: “In Like with London” and “London with Kids.” The more information, the better. Properly equipped, you’ll have a fantastic time in London with your family.
Rating: 3 / 5

I loved how he changed around the contents from a typical guide book and let’s you read the excellent stuff first. He has descriptions of the most well loved tourist destinations in and around London first and then get’s to the travel tips at the end. This book includes opinions rather than just straight facts based on his repeated trips to London. For example he recommends the paper Travelcards rather than the Oyster card for getting around on the tube and bus system. I couldn’t find that sort of direction in the other London travel guide I bought.
Rating: 5 / 5

If you plot to take children to London this is a fantastic book. I warn you though if you get this and lots of other books you’ll reckon this one too simplistic and place it aside. Don’t. Its very straight forward and pragmatic approach is really helpful if you read the narrative and don’t just focus on the fact sheets. (The book has lots of “fact sheets” with basic details like hours, costs, location and how much time activities take.) I certainly agree with his choices of “must dos” and “highlights”. I also appreciated his themes – like don’t do in London what you can do at home and that children need to vary and pace actvities in ways very different than adults. We nearly always took more time for each activity than he indicated. And of course some of the information is dated (for example most of the museums are free now.) Still, he has a wonderful feel for London and for what really catches a child’s fancy.
Rating: 4 / 5