Hi TAH-M ... in addition to any advice you may obtain here, it might also be worth checking out or posting in the LONDON Q&As topic in our UK forum, which usually attracts speedy replies and recommendations.

David

I really am going have to get one those icons done as an alarm bell!

Monday 31st August is a bank holiday. It's also too far ahead to get train times as Network Rail haven't confirmed the timetable yet (just tried it at 17:30 8th June). Because of this none of the train companies that provide details to http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/booking_horizons.html are taking reservations (page was dated 4th June). Which is why Virgin won't sell you one of their cheap tickets because it has to have a reservation. Many routes to London, especially the West Coast mainline, are subject to engineering work (=delays and buses) at bank holiday weekends.

So who's sold you the tickets and what guarantee of the schedule did they give?

Also, for getting around make sure you check http://www.tfl.gov.uk and understand the new(ish) system of fares. Paying cash as you go can be really expensive.

Hi ,
Getting around wise I would say one day travel cards , We walk a lot when we visit London and have found loads of places you would miss on the tube.

As for eating , there are Weatherspoon pubs all over the city where you can get a reasonable meal for little money, Also look on the Money Saving Expert web site as there are loads of printable vouchers on there for 241,s in lots of restaurants in London,

And for a cheep'ish thing to do you could take one of the slow ferries down to Greenwich taking in the sights on the way , once there the royal observatory and maritime museum are both free to get into.

Hope this helps, we are there that weekend as its my birthday, so looking foreward to it too.

J...

I agree with the Woolwich idea, and for free, take a walk from there and go UNDER the Thames to the Isle of Dogs, and try a bar meal over there.
(Plenty walk over the river, not many under)
Plenty of restaurants in Woolwich and have a walk round the open air market.
The Oyster card is definitely the cheapest way of getting round London and a damned sight easier than walking - it's a big place.


Enjoy.

Parky

Not just cheap, but a number of things to do for free
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/the-50-best-free-activities-in-london-757359.html
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/free-london.aspx

Bus trip for under a fiver (all instructions here), and other stuff
http://www.londonforfree.net/outdoors/bustour/bustour.shtml

City farm? Admission free
http://www.hackneycityfarm.co.uk/

St James' Park has ducks, geese and pelicans, amongst other things to see (free)
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/st_james_park/

For a bit of fun, how about the dodgems for £2 on the South bank
http://www.namcoexperience.com/countyhall/dodgems.php

An hour for £7 (or half an hour for a fiver) to pedalo on the Serpentine if the weather's nice (Hyde Park Corner or Marble Arch tube).

Interested in the Theartre than check out the half price box called tkts in Leicester Square, as some one has said Wetherspoons for food are good value as are Yates in Leicester Square with just round the corner Mr Wu's Chinese buffet for about £6. Perhaps there will be be bands in Hyde park and a vist there to the Diana memorial is interesting. The Portrait gallery is free and is more interesting for youngsters than the national gallery. We will be there a week on Wednesday for three nights can't wait my ideal holiday destination.

Enjoy.

I live in London and can't give you any idea's. Your best bet to get around are travel cards, depending on the age of teenagers a family travel card will work out the cheapest. Goose pubs are cheaper than wetherspoons for food and drink.

To me its over priced and over rated.

Hire a bike from one of the bike shops, and make a day of cycling round london

Really appreciate all your ideas and happy to get even more !!!

Have booked the train with London Midland from Birmingham, Advance super Saver at just under £23 return FOR THE THREE OF US (with a fam. railcard) which I consider a good deal especially as eldest is 16 and therefore requires an adult ticket now (what a pain!!)

What you've bought is LMs Super Off Peak return not an Advance. Neither LM or Virgin have released their Advance quotas for these dates yet - LM will go as low as £15.20 for the three of you with railcard but you have to pounce as soon as their Advance quota opens, it's like getting 99p tickets on Ryanair! How to get Advance bargains is explained in the UK forum.

The outward timetable is now online and is clearly wrong! LM are showing a normal service so presumably believe the line is open as normal - Virgin aren't showing trains before 11:50 so presumably think otherwise! Give them a couple of weeks to get their acts together and double check.

Although LMs trains are slower (by a whole hour in your case) I think they're more pleasant to travel on than Virgin's especially with kids.

Hi TAH

Sounds like you found a bargain on those fares.

Not sure if your sons are too old for this, but they keep advertising something on TV to do with Dinasours, it might be worth giving it a google as it looks good for any who are into that kind of thing. Somethnig else we have enjoyed is seeing films at the IMAX cinema, which is down near Waterloo. This could be good if you hit a patch of rainily weather and need to do inside activities.

My DD who is 16 and her mates also seems to spend a lot of time at somewhere called the O2, think its full of cinemas and restaurants (not been myself) so it might be worth researching that. It's the other side of the river, but I beleive easy to get to and I am sure a travel card would cover the journey, so it would just be the cost of whatever you do when you are in there.

Doe

If you are wanting to eat in restaurants then look on the internet for 2 for one deals... most of the chain places do deals... just print of the vouchers you want