Doc Holiday: Where can our family of 9 stay in London?

If you are planning a trip to London with the extended family, there are some logistical issues you need to take into consideration.

Escape's Doc Holiday, Dilvin Yasa, answers your travel-related questions.

We – two grandparents, four parents and three grandchildren aged nine to 15 – are planning a week in London. Are there any hotels and experiences you’d recommend for this age range?

I’m sure you have all the classic attractions such as Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and Big Ben locked in (the best way to cover most of these is through the Hop On Hop Off Bus) but new experiences in London in 2025 include the West End musical Paddington, V&A East Storehouse, as well as the Museum of Shakespeare.

You mentioned taking in a football game but your family may also enjoy the IFS Cloud Cable Car in Greenwich, Lift 109 at Battersea Power Station and Horizon 22 (Europe’s highest free viewing platform), The Making of Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour, and Thames Rockets Speedboat. VisitBritain also suggests checking out the Gunpowder Plot at the Tower of London, and the Natural History Museum and the British Museum. The Visit London site (visitlondon.com) has London guides for teenagers and kids.

When you’re talking accommodation options suitable for multi-gen families (in decent locations), consider an aparthotel such as Locke London, Wilde Aparthotels, which has several central properties including Covent Garden and Paddington, and Citadines Trafalgar Square.

Prefer a hotel? One Aldwych (which offers a fun Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea), The Goring, The Dilly and The Ampersand (which offers a science afternoon tea inspired by its Science Museum neighbour) are solid choices. The London Explorer Pass offers access (and significant discounts) to more than 60 of London’s top attractions, sights and experiences, and lock in a couple of free city walking tours by Free Tours by Foot. London can be tough on the back pocket and every little bit helps.

The Indonesian government is looking to implement a new visa policy that will allow tourists from 20 countries, including Australia, to enter the country without a visa.

Our Holland America Line cruise will be visiting Komodo Island and Benoa and we can’t find which site to apply for visas.

Issues with visas are common on cruises. As with most cruises, you need to organise your own visa and while you can apply for it online at evisa.imigrasi.go.id, Holland America Line informed me it has partnered with CIBT.

This service assists guests who may need a little extra help with visa requirements and/or the collection of necessary documents. Access it at hollandamerica.cibtvisas.com. Select the sailing and the required form will pop up.

Interestingly, the Indonesian government is looking to implement a new visa policy that will allow tourists from 20 countries (Australia among them) to enter the country without a visa. The details of the arrangement are expected to be finalised soon, so since your cruise isn’t for some time, I’d recommend holding off for now.

AirAsia X flies to Kuala Lumpur from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

My family would love to know more about AirAsia, but we’re finding information about the airline difficult to find. Any tips?

There’s a reason you might have struggled with this one: four airlines under the AirAsia brand currently fly to and from Australia. AirAsia X flies to Kuala Lumpur from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, while AirAsia Indonesia flies from Cairns and Perth to Bali, as well as from Perth to Jakarta. Thai AirAsia X will resume flights from Sydney to Bangkok on December 1, and AirAsia Malaysia flies between Perth and Kuala Lumpur. Between these airlines (seven in total under the AirAsia brand) Australians can connect to more than 50 destinations across Asia and beyond, including Japan, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, South Korea and the Philippines. Fancy going to Kenya or Kazakhstan? They’re two destinations that have recently been added to AirAsia X’s ever-growing list of destinations.

AirAsia has been rated the World’s Best Low Cost Airline by Skytrax for 15 years running. Air Asia Malaysia and Air Asia Indonesia fly short haul with the A320 featuring all economy seating with options to upgrade to extra legroom. Meals and drinks can be pre-booked or ordered in-flight. Meanwhile, Air Asia X and Thai Air Asia X fly larger A330 aircraft with three seating zones: economy, quiet zone and premium flatbed which include a host of extras such as a privacy screen, up to 40kg of checked luggage, delayed baggage insurance and complimentary meal.

This can be a considerably cheaper option than full-service airlines, and fares are often on sale, with international flights from under $599 during special promotions, so it pays to sign up for alerts.

Originally published as Doc Holiday: Where can our family of 9 stay in London?