Day trip from London with kids
May 26, 2013 1:34 PM
We're thinking of making a day trip away from London this week. We'd like some place accessible by train or other public transportation. We have two children under five so it needs to be kid friendly... but the trip is in honour of an adult's birthday, so we'd like it to be some place the adults will enjoy at least as much as the kids (which rules out, for example, Legoland.) What would you recommend?
Do they like space?
National Space Centre is one train to Leicester and then one short bus journey.
posted by Katemonkey at 1:49 PM on May 26, 2013
National Space Centre is one train to Leicester and then one short bus journey.
posted by Katemonkey at 1:49 PM on May 26, 2013
Enjoyed going to Brighton with toddler today, good playground and good adult stuff....
posted by laukf at 1:49 PM on May 26, 2013
posted by laukf at 1:49 PM on May 26, 2013
I would suggest Bocketts Farm in Surrey.
Seem like just what you are looking for.
Been there several times with my son, he loved it from when he was three all the way up to 14. Plenty to do and look at for kids, good restaurant, and fun for adults too.
Perfect
posted by jan murray at 2:07 PM on May 26, 2013
Seem like just what you are looking for.
Been there several times with my son, he loved it from when he was three all the way up to 14. Plenty to do and look at for kids, good restaurant, and fun for adults too.
Perfect
posted by jan murray at 2:07 PM on May 26, 2013
Brigthon - stuff for adults and children to enjoy....and you're going on the TRAIN...which is enough to get most of the under 5s I know excited, never mind about going to the sea and all that!
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:53 PM on May 26, 2013
posted by koahiatamadl at 2:53 PM on May 26, 2013
Portsmouth - Historic Dockyard and Spinnaker Tower. Probably depends how near the children are to five.
posted by sock of ages at 3:34 PM on May 26, 2013
posted by sock of ages at 3:34 PM on May 26, 2013
It's a bit of effort to get there by public transit - train from Paddington to Oxford,* then the Stagecoach S3 bus from the Gloucester Green bus station - but Blenheim Palace might be fun. It has a hedge maze, a play area, a miniature train, and a butterfly house for the children, and a historic house and beautiful gardens for the adults. The village of Woodstock itself is also charming. You could stop and see Oxford on the way out or back.
The First Great Western service to Oxford takes about an hour (unless you get on a stopping service), and the bus from Oxford to the Blenheim Palace or Woodstock stop is about 30 minutes depending on the number of passengers it stops to collect.
* You could also take the Stagecoach service from London to Oxford, which takes longer but would be cheaper and would drop you off at the station from which the S3 leaves.
posted by brianogilvie at 4:36 PM on May 26, 2013
The First Great Western service to Oxford takes about an hour (unless you get on a stopping service), and the bus from Oxford to the Blenheim Palace or Woodstock stop is about 30 minutes depending on the number of passengers it stops to collect.
* You could also take the Stagecoach service from London to Oxford, which takes longer but would be cheaper and would drop you off at the station from which the S3 leaves.
posted by brianogilvie at 4:36 PM on May 26, 2013
P.S. If you like Chinese food, Sojo in Oxford would be a great place to stop on your way back from Blenheim. It's between the bus station and the railway station.
posted by brianogilvie at 4:38 PM on May 26, 2013
posted by brianogilvie at 4:38 PM on May 26, 2013
Whipsnade Zoo is awesome! It's a fairly quick train ride from Euston and then a bus ride, and very doable on foot.
posted by Magnakai at 4:40 PM on May 26, 2013
posted by Magnakai at 4:40 PM on May 26, 2013
In broadstairs the grownups can go to the Betsy trotwood house (where the real life influence for the character lived) and visit the smuggling museum and dickens' study (both in the same hotel).
I'm not sure how kid friendly it is, but the Tartar Frigate pub has excellent seafood .
posted by brujita at 9:35 PM on May 26, 2013
I'm not sure how kid friendly it is, but the Tartar Frigate pub has excellent seafood .
posted by brujita at 9:35 PM on May 26, 2013
Thanks everybody! Those are great suggestions.
For this trip, I think we are actually going to take a suggestion we got outside of AskMe: Bletchley Park.
I'm saving this thread for later, though -- you've stocked us up with excellent trips for the coming year. Thanks again!
posted by yankeefog at 6:53 AM on May 28, 2013
For this trip, I think we are actually going to take a suggestion we got outside of AskMe: Bletchley Park.
I'm saving this thread for later, though -- you've stocked us up with excellent trips for the coming year. Thanks again!
posted by yankeefog at 6:53 AM on May 28, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by brujita at 1:47 PM on May 26, 2013