traveling with a kid in London

Mc-BigE

Hi,
My Wife and I are bringing our 3.5 year old to London for a weekend at beginning of December next, were looking forward to doing a bit of shopping and maybe a small bit of sightseeing, London eye, maybe the Science museum, not sure he will like it.
We’re staying near Hyde Park, which is fairly central so I’m told, but it would be handy for him(and us at times) to bring the buggy for walking around, but here lies my problem:
Am I crazy trying to bring a buggy around the place?
Anyone any experience is bringing a 3 year around London?
Is Hyde Park Area within walking distance (5-10mins) of say Regent Street area?
Would I be better off to forget the Buggy and use the Underground?
And what’s the underground like in the weekends especially for kid that’s never been on one?
Also can anyone recommend a nice place to eat out around Hyde Park (child friendly, and not McDonald’s:) )

And also can anyone recommend things to do for kids?

Thanks in advance.

Ruu_Old

Theres lots of street entertainment going on around Covent Gardens (can't remember where exactly it is in relation to the Hyde Park area). The tube can be busy at weekends with tourists and such, you can grab a map online and work out your plan of where to go.

davros

He might like the dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum (beside the Science Museum).

Hyde Park is quite big so it depends where exactly your hotel is but I don't think it's such a short walk to Regent Street. It might take 15mins to walk the length of Piccadilly, which joins one corner of Hyde Park with one end of Regent Street.

As I recall, both Regent Street and Oxford Street were jammed with shoppers at the weekend.

Johnny Storm

Hamleys Toy Shop (Regent St off Oxford St) is probably your best bet for kids of that age.
Going on the underground involves a lot of walking so if your buggy folds up easily I suggest you take it with you. When you have kids you don't have to go through the turnstiles. Each station has a gate at one side or the other or the turnstiles that is manned and they will let you through. Just flash your ticket. The tube is not too crowded during the day at weekends.
Once you get an all day ticket you can go on all buses and tubes. Kids are free. Don't be afraid to hop on the buses. Very handy for example to travel down Oxford street from Hyde Park end. Oxford St starts at one corner of Hyde Park and is at least one mile long.
IMHO, any Museum is probably going to be boring for a 3.5 year old. London Eye would be good (as long as the weather and visibility is good). Maybe the Regents Park Zoo? Covent Garden is where all the tourists go and it has plenty of restaurants and a few street entertainers that kids might like.

There's loads of stuff on the web about visiting London.

Mc-BigE

Thanks for the replies, very useful, the zoo is a good idea, it all depends on the weather, but i don't think a 5 or 10min walk with the buggy is going to be difficult. were staying in the corus hotel at Hyde park.which is near Lancaster Gate Tube station www.corushotel.co.uk/hotel.asp?hotelID=3

thanks again for advice.

babaduck

My bro & sis in law brought my nephew to London for his 3rd birthday in March and he had an absolute ball. If you're doing a lot of walking, a lightweight buggy is a good idea as it's easier to get the child around than holding them by the hand.

He loved the London Eye, the Thames River trip, the Science Museum, the History Museum & had to be dragged out of Hamleys!!!

Mc-BigE

babaduck wrote:

had to be dragged out of Hamleys!!!

I'll have to be dragged out too!, not to mind my 3 year old:)