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Planning a trip to London?

My family recently returned from our first trip to London, England. We wanted to experience all of the popular attractions, and get to know this famous city. The London Pass was a convenient way to see many attractions in London with just one ticket.

We learned a lot by using The London Pass – especially what NOT to do! Read on to learn about my big mistake, and get tips for getting the most for your time and money with The London Pass.

How it works

The London Pass is one ticket that will get you into dozens of London's most popular attractions, including:

• The Tower of London
• Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour
• Westminster Abbey
• St. Paul's Cathedral
• Windsor Castle
• Churchill War Rooms
• London Zoo
• And many more

Start by selecting the number of consecutive days you want to use the pass – 1, 2, 3, 6 or 10. Purchase the pass at gocity.com/london or at many locations in London. If you buy online, you can use the mobile ticket option for free. We picked up physical cards and a guidebook near Leicester Square, which was handy for our family. 

I made the mistake of thinking that we could use The London Pass on non-consecutive days, and didn't realize my error until after we activated our pass. We already had matinee tickets to Wicked on the second day, and were only able to use our London Pass for a day and a half before it expired. We missed some attractions we would have enjoyed and didn't get the full value out of our pass.

Don't let this happen to you! Plan your itinerary around your London Pass for however long you have it. Don't buy more consecutive days than you will use.

One of the best features of The London Pass is its convenience and flexibility. Rather than standing in line at ticket booths, or purchasing advance tickets from multiple websites, you can purchase The London Pass once and use it everywhere.

Purchase early because it's good for a year, and will not be activated until you use it at your first attraction.

How much will you save?

How much you will save depends on how many attractions you visit in the time allowed. The official website offers suggested itineraries and ways that you can save 30-50%. The website regularly offers discounts on the pass too.

Review the list of attractions. Honestly evaluate how many you want to do, and how many you would do each day. Factor in the convenience and flexibility of The London Pass. Then do the math to see whether purchasing The London Pass or individual admissions will be the best option for your family.

Use prices from the attraction's official website rather than the price quoted on The London Pass website. Child and family rates will be lower.

Because of my mistake, the cost of our London Passes was greater than the cost of the individual activities – but not by much. If we had used that half day, we would have visited at least one more fun attraction and saved money with The London Pass.

More Tips for Using the London Pass

Download The London Pass mobile app in advance and set up your account, so you don't lose any time. I regularly received discounted offers for other London activities through the app. I liked having my physical London Pass on a lanyard, but found the app easier to use than the paper guidebook.

Consider adding an Oyster Card for the London Underground to your London Pass for the same price as buying it separately. Public transportation will make it easy for you to get from one attraction to the next. Keep in mind that kids under age 12 can ride the Underground for free.

Skip the lines with Fast Track Entry at some attractions. You do not need to commit to any attractions in advance. You can visit any or all of them, any time the pass is valid.

Save free activities for another day. These may include the British Museum, British Library, St James's Park and others. Plan your itinerary around The London Pass attractions for the days it will be active.

Full-day activities located outside the city, like Hampton Court Palace, aren't usually the best choice for a 1 or 2-Day London Pass. Admission costs less than the pass. However, your cost per day goes down when you choose more days, so enjoy full-day activities with a 6 or 10-day pass.

Is it a good option for kids?

Kids ages 5-15 qualify for the child price. Kids under age 5 are free. The London Pass offers a wide variety of attractions to accommodate many different interests.

I find that my kids (ages 14 and 11) have a short attention span at some attractions. They don't always like the same places I do, so we have to compromise. With London Pass, you could pop into a museum or cathedral for just a few minutes and then move on without feeling like you didn't get your money's worth.

You can also divide and conquer. If older kids want to visit the Churchill War Rooms with one parent while younger kids visit the London Zoo with another parent, you can easily do that with The London Pass, without buying separate admissions.

Our favorite attractions

Here are the attractions my family enjoyed with The London Pass.

The Tower of London – The Tower of London was a hit with every member of my history-loving family. More so than I expected. This is one of the most popular London Pass attractions.

Related: Tips for Visiting the Tower of London

Big Bus Tour – You have a choice between two hop-on hop-off tour bus companies with The London Pass. We picked Big Bus. You get one full day of hop-on hop-off privileges with both options. You can hop on anywhere on the route, and activate your pass that way.

The Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour is the most expensive option on The London Pass, and it can double as your transportation for one full day, so it's a great choice. 

Westminster Abbey – This gorgeous gothic cathedral was everything I hoped and more. It's right across the street from the Churchill War Rooms, and we got right in with The London Pass. 

St. Paul's Cathedral – This cathedral is newer than Westminster Abbey, and just as grand. I really enjoyed exploring with the audio guide, which is included. Your ticket allows you to climb to the dome galleries and walk downstairs to the crypt. 

Churchill War Rooms – This museum is one of the hottest tickets in London right now, and it's included with The London Pass. Unfortunately, you can't skip the line here, but we arrived first thing in the morning and didn't wait too long. 

Related: What to Expect at the Churchill War Rooms

Hampton Court Palace – This was one of our favorite London activities, but it's a few miles outside the city and we spent a full day there. We paid for Hampton Court Palace separately. I'd use The London Pass only with the 6 or 10-day option.

Related: Why We Loved Hampton Court Palace

The London Pass can help your family see a lot of London's popular attractions for one set price. It's convenient and flexible. To learn more, visit the official website at www.londonpass.com. It's filled with helpful information.

Ready to Buy?

Find out more about The London Pass activities at options at gocity.com/london. Click the button below to visit the official website now.

Disclosure: The London Pass provided my family with four 2-Day passes for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Conclusion

The London Pass is a great option for budget-conscious families who want to experience a lot of London's most popular paid attractions for one set price. It's flexible and convenient.

Don't use The London Pass for full-day activities like Hampton Court Palace unless you have a 6 or 10-day pass. Be sure to use your London Pass on consecutive days and visit three  or more attractions per day to get the most for your money. 

I hope these tips will help your family make the most of your London Pass.

Happy travels!

Allison

Hi there! I am the founder of Tips for Family Trips. I am a married mom of two children, ages 14 and 17, living near Salt Lake City, Utah. We took our first child on a two-week road trip when she was four weeks old and we have been traveling as a family ever since. We love to get out of the house to see and do fun things, both far away and in our own neighborhood.