Theatre breaks in London just before Christmas can become a bit of a family tradition. It is easy to find a good family show to see in London. There is always a wide option available.They tend to sell out fast for November and December so a pre Christmas theatre break in London with the kids needs to be booked well in advance. The simplest way to do it is to book a show and hotel box from one of the reputable master web sites. They often have tickets for the most popular shows even the theatres have sold out.
A theatre break in London and a shopping trip?
Train Table For Kids
It is great fun to merge a bit of discreet Christmas shopping with a night in a child cordial hotel and an evening at the theatre. What could be great for getting you all in a festive mood? You could probably see the lights as well. Last year's were spectacular, with lots of blue everywhere. Very pretty!
Taking the kids to Hamleys is a bit mad in November or December but you just have to grit your teeth and enjoy it! On the other hand, you've got the major agency stores for one of you to browse whilst the other one does Santa duty.
Train or car?
For us it has to be the train every time! I hate London traffic and the long drive on the motorway is no fun for any of us. The train is quick, painless and has an on board loo! What more can I say?
The best thing is if you can get a table, then it's out with the colouring books and comics whilst the grown-ups take turns to have a snooze. Some of the trains even hand out goody bags for the kids. It's always worth asking at the buffet as they don't advertise them. Some of the packages let you consist of your rail fare and offer critical discounts on the general prices.
When to Book?
Really, for anything popular you need to be mental about booking as soon as you can. Once you've decided on the show you want you need to get cracking, otherwise you'll be struggling for dates. It's surprising how fast your time gets booked up too so it helps to get things penciled in as soon as you can. If you want to be sure of getting your pick of shows book right away. The myth of the last little deal is, I'm afraid, a myth. It is the citizen who book early who get the bargains.
Is it mad to take young kids to the theatre?
My acknowledge to this has to be an emphatic No! Kids can enjoy a theatre doing just as much as adults do. The incommunicable is to catch them young! Even three year olds can be taught that it is just not standard to shout out or worse yet scream while a play. Be realistic though. A young child is not meant to sit still for hours at a time. Be prepared to do regular wanders to the loo or take them for a bit of a walk while a lull in proceedings. You might be surprised though, once entranced even a 3 year old can sit quietly for long periods. Take a favourite cuddly and don't be too shocked if little ones end up asleep on your knee.
Older children thrive on good theatrical performances and enjoy them every bit as much and sometimes more than adults. Watch out for little girls, and occasionally boys, getting star struck though! This can be the start of a very high-priced hobby!
All that's left to do is book
So all that remains to be done is to book. There are some great sites where you can book the whole package, train tickets, hotel, dinner and tickets for the show. That's assuredly the best way to sort out theatre breaks in London.
London Theatre Breaks and Christmas Shopping
