if you are thinking of getting Oyster cards, there is a reduction in travel costs,they are also a lot more convenient than messing about with different tickets. You can also order and get them delivered to your home before you travel..

Oyster info..http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/default.aspx

I've never known them to ask for id when paying Helen . I think you should be fine . Just get your own and go through the barrier . Nobody will say a word ,it's too busy for that .

Free with an adult or these are the fares if not in which case cheaper with an oyster at 1.30 if travelling off peak . Once you have to pay at 11 it is again cheaper with an oyster card off peak http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/14416.aspx

Most fares I believe are capped the same with either travel cards or oyster but Oyster is a lot easier as you can just top them up at the machines. but they will cost you £5(gone up from £3) which is refundable if you hand it back in or you can keep it for your next visit. I believe the min top up is £5 at the machines.

If you travel into london regularly they are worth having but for a day or 2 maybe not so

Can we buy these travelcards at Paddington Station? As we're going on Friday, I'm a bit wary of buying online, in case they won't arrive in time.

Im guessing you will be arriving by overground rail Helen . You may have to go over to the undergound side to get them . Do you need to get on the underground to get to your hotel first ?? Smaller stations and those further out where we live are often unmaned at off peak times in which case you will need to use the machine but can't see a problem at paddington .

We usually go on the underground Lyn, but thought we might go by bus this time - hopefully we can get front seats upstairs so the kids can see more

That's a nice idea Helen . You dont see a lot on the tube

The underground at paddington has the ticket office and machines just down a short flight of stairs from the actual train station. We normally arrive at paddington if we take the heathrow express or when we came in from Slough when we were staying there. The walk at Kings Cross to the underground ticket machines and office was really quite a long one and then we couldn't find the kids travel cards for them on the machines so had to join the queue but we could have bought them on the train as the guard was selling them.

Reading the last poster's comments Helen, has jogged my memory. When we went to London the guard that came around checking the ticket on the train was selling travelcards. We didn't buy because we already had them. It'll be worth you buying them on the train because it'll save you the bus fare as you can use them for the buses too

can people who bought the cards on the train please say which company/route and clarify whether it was before they needed them (ie still traveling on proper train ticket) or after they had started the journey they needed them for. Underground trains and many National Rail local services do not have guards and most travel within London is subject to a Penalty Fares scheme (on the spot fine) for ticketless travel so you don't want to get it wrong!

And the date you did it would be useful, the rules on Travelcards seem to have changed twice since Boris took over as mayor!

The guard last week said he had day and weekend travel cards which could be used on buses and tube. He was from the East Coast train service. We didn't buy any as we needed to top up our oyster cards and then planned to buy the girls's day travel cards anyway.

Steve when we were in London over Feb half term the train from llanelli to london had the guard asking us if we wanted travelcards that could be used on bus and underground. We had obviously bought our tickets for the train to London before hand.

Shirley - we've never had that happen before in all the times we've travelled to London. I hope he comes round on Friday, as he'll have a sale

Any must do's for a 9 year old and an 11 year old, who haven't been to London before. We'll have from 2pm on Friday, all day Saturday and until 2pm on Sunday. We'll be going to see Shrek on the Saturday night.

Top 2 on my list for youngsters would be madam Tussauds and the war museum (but I believe they've been to the museum already)

The eldest spent a few hours there on a day trip with the school, but as world wars hold a fascination for him, I'm sure he'd enjoy spending some more time there.

Male or female Helen ??

11 year old boy and 9 year old girl Lyn.

My 2 love going to green park or hyde park to just run about and see the pigeons. On our last trip as a family we made a point of going to trafalgar square and spending time there. We also love Covent Garden and the street shows and the Piazza cafe is nice for pizza and wedges.

Madame Tussauds and the London Eye have been favourites and the transport museum at Covent Garden is free for children and can be fun

How about get off the tube at Tower hill. Tower of London right in front of you for a visit > then walk over Tower bridge and finish off with a visit on HMS Belfast . It may sound more boyish but as a young girl I visited HMS belfast 3 times and loved it every time . 3 attractions all in one close area there .

If they dont mind a little walk this is a favourite of ours but we usually do it at night when it is quiet. Leicester square > Trafalgar Square > down the mall to Buckingham palace (checking out the guards at clarence house on the way down) > back up the mall on the other side and walk across horse guards parade ground and through the arch onto whitehall . (Always guards there and usually some on horseback too ) . A stroll up whitehall finishing at Westminster bridge for houses of parliament , Abbey , london eye etc. There is also the london Aquarium next to the london eye.

There that lot should take you 2/3 days Helen