As the kids break up for the holidays you may be wondering how to entertain them for the next six weeks, or maybe you simply want to take a break this summer and explore another city. No place in Britain will have as much to see and do as the great bustling cosmopolitan city of London. There is such a vast array of things to do and experience that the only problem faced will be that time will be too short!
Plan several trips this summer and if you book rail tickets in advance you will save on advance purchase fares. Whether you travel from Poole to London or from anywhere else in the country you won’t be disappointed with the choice of attractions, events and entertainment. What’s more there’s an abundance of places to visit that’s free of charge to all so that you won’t feel the pinch on the pennies, especially if there are children to entertain.
Meander around Trafalgar square feeding the pigeons and taking in the hoards of tourists posing against the lion statues. Whilst in the area, and especially if you are an art buff, don’t miss London’s National Gallery, it is a vast space filled to the rafters with Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. This iconic art gallery displays work of famous masters such as Van Gogh, Da Vinci, Botticelli, Constable and many more, so brush up on your knowledge and impress your friends. What’s more the museum is free so spend as much or little time as you please.
Continue the art theme and visit the Tate Modern, Britain’s national museum of modern and contemporary art. Sitting grandly on the banks of the Thames, this unique building was previously a power station. The gallery hosts temporary exhibitions by top artists like Damien Hirst to Gauguin. It’s worth visiting just to take a break and recharge your batteries at the museums restaurant as it offers fabulous views across the city at no extra cost.
The children will be fascinated by the dinosaur exhibition at the Natural History Museum. Meet the life sized Blue Whale, a 40 million year old spider or any of the other collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. It’s not only the kids that’ll be amazed.
Another Museum that’ll require the whole day out with the kids is the Science Museum. With the interactive exhibits they’ll be no need to tell the children to keep their distance as you can see, touch and fully experience the major scientific advances of the last 300 years. It is one of the best modes of learning a whole world of interesting scientific advances, from the future of space travel to human evolvement. No visit would be complete with out visiting the awesome IMAX cinema. Some special exhibitions may require tickets, otherwise entry is again free for all.
If you are travelling from Portsmouth to London you may be interested in comparing the history of Portsmouth Harbourside with the world’s largest maritime museum now part of the Royal Museums Greenwich. Other parts include the historic Queen’s House and the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
This is just a small handful of what’s on offer, plan ahead and choose the right attractions for you.
