London in January with teenagers

Tricky to answer in any detail. Where to stay depends on what things you like to do and your budget. There isn't much in the way of winter activities as London doesn't often get very wintery, but there are Christmas things--markets, panto and so on--and a lot of outdoor skating. Somerset House is probably the best. Kew Gardens has a good winter lights exhibition, but you'd probably be best advised to book. Unless you are going to the fireworks, I'd avoid central London on New Years Eve. You'll be quite safe, but the British like to drink --a lot-- in celebration.
Almost everywhere will be open apart fro Christmas Day when most things are shut, including most public transport. Boxing Day abd New Years Day a little patchy.

Theatre information can be found at (among other websites) theatremonkey.com. You can monitor what shows are currently offering discounted seats through the TKTS booth at tkts.co.uk. Individual theatres sometimes have same-day deals (including some for students), though those may require that you arrive well before the ticket booth opens and wait in line, which could be a chilly/wet experience at your time of the year. There are currently many, many musicals running.

Since weather may sometimes turn out to be an issue, I'd suggest spending some time hitting the websites of the major London museums, checking out their special exhibitions. There might be something going on that would really appeal to your family. Be advised, though, that free (donation typically requested) museums may have rather pricey special exhibitions. I saw some in the neighborhood of £20. Fortunately, they were not things I felt I just had to see. Smaller special exhibitions are often free.

I think most teenagers would find street markets fun. A good guide book will provide information that will help you choose. Rick says the tourist office has a list, but I did not find that to be the case. I was very disappointed to find very, very little printed information available at the TI office I visited. I think they've been hit by severe budget cuts. More than in the past, it's up to the tourist to arrive with a lot of planning already done if he doesn't want to spend mucho time Googling on the fly.

Among the things I did not find was a good free map. The TI's £1 map is fine, but it's printed on ordinary paper and needed repair with tape after just a few days. Your family will need more than one if you choose not to buy a sturdier commercial map. I traveled with a 1-gallon Zip Lock bag in my purse so I could protect maps and other critical information from the rain, which I found was a possibility every day in September, though it often came down in a rather light sprinkle. Still enough to destroy a map, however.

Rick mentions several different commercial maps in his guide book, I think. I liked having a separate small tube map so I didn't have to use the large map while navigating the Underground. Those can be picked up in tube stations. And somewhere I did acquire a free bus map for just central London. Keep your eyes open for that.

The Imperial War Museum including the HMS Belfast

The Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory

The British Museum (mummies and all)

The Science Museum

The London Transport Museum

Thanks everyone! The more suggestions the better!

Things to do...

New years day parade
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
Book tickets to the NYE Fireworks by the London Eye
Christmas Markets on the south bank
Evening open top bus tour to see all the xmas lights
The Boxing Day Sales
Ice skating in many locations

Plenty going on around xmas, wrap up warm!

Places to stay? Anywhere in Zone 1... Really too numerous to mention. Others will have better advice i'm sure.

At that age, our kids loved the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. They also really enjoyed the various markets. If you want to get out of London for one day there are lots of good day trips you can do by train- Windsor, Bath, York, Cardiff Wales, Canterbury , Dover, Winchester and many others are really easy.

Our kids enjoyed the Tower, Hampton Court Palace, and the Sherlock Holmes Museum. And definitely the London Eye. We had fewer than 4 days so tried to group sites--Tower and Borough Market together, etc. They were looking forward to visiting the Old Operating Theater but there was renovation on the building exterior and the museum was closed at that time (early April). If the kids are girls they might enjoy Harrod's. We paired that with V&A Museum. A short visit to National Gallery was followed by a quick look into St Martin in the Fields and there was a very nice rehearsal with violinists--the girls both play so this was a treat.

I prefer the diverse Bayswater neighborhood as I always take the Heathrow Express into Paddington Station. Where I prefer to stay is a 15 minute stroll from the station. 3 tube stations and plenty of buses along Bayswater Rd. You are close to Hyde Park as well.

Advice...if you do choose to take the 15 minute ride into Paddington Station, book your tickets in advance. At least 2 months. Will cut down on the pricey ticket cost.

Some posters abhor the Express and will recommend the Connect (which is fine) or to save money advise taking the nearly 1 hour tube ride via the Piccadilly Line into to London.

The choice should be based on budget, how much luggage you are taking and convenience.

As far as what to do.....SO MUCH is available.

Ask your teens what their interests are. History? Food? Museums? Theatre?

Have them google London. Do some initial research say on The Royals, Jack the Ripper, the London Eye, the street markets and of course, Harry Potter.

Sit down as a family and read about the London Walks....www.walks.com....

Have they seen a musical? Check www.theatremonkey.com to see what's on or take them to see the venerable Mousetrap.

Persue Timeout London. I get the weekly newsletter. Always something intriguing and unique.

Start looking now to see if you can get tickets to the new Postal Museum ride the mail rail.
postal museum.org

If no one is afraid of heights the Tower Bridge Experience might be something to try.
tower ridge.org.uk

Camden Lock Market and walk along the canals.

If not raining ride bikes in Hyde Park.

Definitely Brick Lane. Maybe the graffiti tour walks.

was going to suggest the Whitechapel Bell Foundry but I see now it's permanently closed. Sigh.

Check hours for London's Silver Vault.

Walk inside Liberty.

Treasure Room at the British Library....and we aren't talking gold or silver.

Tower of London.
Westminster Cathedral
London Transport Museum

As I said SO MUCH to see and do.

We stayed near Russell Square (Bloomsbury) last Christmas and we are returning this year. The transit system is superb---we could go anywhere via tube (Picadilly Line; Russell Square tube stop) or via one of the ultra clean, fast city buses. We like to stay in rental apartments rather than hotels as it gives us so much more room and the opportunity to have a kitchen for breakfasts, snacks, and some light cooking. There is a Holiday Inn Bloomsbury in this area, nearly adjacent to the Picadilly Line Russell Square Tube stop).

One block east of Russell Square tube station and immediately across the street from the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury is The Brunswick shopping center, a small, dignified outdoor mini-mall(on Google Maps). It has a large Waitrose grocery store, a movie theater (The Curzon Bloomsbury) with documentaries and current films, a Boots pharmacy, a few small restaurants---- all good for teens: Carluccios, Giraffe, Gourmet Burger). It is nicely lit up at Christmas time.

My kids loved the play STOMP, which is a drumming extravaganza along with some nonverbal comedy/juggling, and overall amazing athletics by the performers. It goes for 2 straight hours and I can't imagine anyone not smiling through the whole performance. I have one teen who is sensitive to noise and even she loved it. Tickets were reasonably priced and the theater is so small there is almost not a bad seat in the house. It is in the Covent Garden theater district, right in the middle of the theater area.

Another place for teens that my teens LOVED (besides Stomp) was Camden Stables Market. It is basically a flea market located in a giant horse stall area. It is very funky. I myself thought it was junk, but my teens LOVED walking around looking at whatever it was that was on sale in all the stalls (hundreds, perhaps thousands of Tshirts with "witty" sayings on them, music/rock star names, etc), hats, jewelry, scarves, candles, jean jackets, etc. This is not the place to find a nice Christmas outfit but between the independence of walking around in a new area, seeing tons of different types of food served to go out of stalls (everything from Korean to pizza to fish/chips to ice cream to burgers to Thai etc etc). It is a super easy bus ride; you get on bus 168 on the east side of Russell Square, the bus goes straight north for 15-20 minutes directly to the Market. Google maps shows easily how to use mass transit to go anywhere. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186338-d187577-Reviews-Camden_Market-London_England.html

Kids also enjoyed the walk from Buckingham Palace (or Green Park) to the Horse Guards (to see how still the horse is who is on guard), and then the few blocks to Trafalgar Square to see the enormity of the statue and simply to see all the people milling about. We did take a walking tour called "A Tour for Muggles" (Harry Potter) look here is a garage door that you can see in the 3rd Harry Potter movie when Hermione is tying her shoe". It was the only activity we did not enjoy on our trip, but it gets rave reviews so perhaps we had a poor guide. He seemed enthusiastic and knowledgeable, it just seemed that what he had to work with was not that interesting.

Lastly, nearly everyone enjoys something in the British Museum but it's good to have a plan of attack or else it can be overwhelming. I would look at Rick Steve's tour book. We tried to follow his audioguide but it was a bit difficult to follow at times...other times it was great.

PS London is a goal mine for the Pokemon Go game (the game is downloadable free and you hunt Pokemon characters---my kids have not played since but I know they will play it again when they return to London).
Enjoy your wonderful trip. We are returning this Christmas and can't wait.

SuzieeQQ
San Diego