How to Travel with Children to England
Traveling with children to England offers unique opportunities for fun and learning about history and British culture. Here is how you can get the most out of your experience.
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Things You'll Need
- Stroller (for carrying luggage and/or kids)
- Reading materials for yourself and kids
- Good maps of the areas you will be visiting
- One or two guidebooks
Instructions
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How To Travel With Children To England
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Make sure everyone has a passport, and that all of them are up-to-date. Make sure that none of them are due to expire during the time you will be traveling.
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Research. Get a good guidebook and start reading. Scope out fun attractions and activities for kids, such as the London Zoo, London Eye, Tower of London, British Museum, Museum of Natural History, and other museums. Bookmark all pages with possible places your family might want to visit.
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Discuss the all of these wonderful possibilities with your spouse and children, to narrow down the choices a bit and gauge the relative interest for various activities. Start making a list of museums, live theater shows, sight-seeing destinations and attractions each family member wants to see. Once you have narrowed your list down a bit, you can go online to the destination websites to get more information, such as admission fees, hours, address, coupon offers, and special exhibits. There are many great websites for England as a whole, London, and many smaller cities. You can e-mail them, asking questions and requesting that they send you brochures. While in London, we visited the Tower of London, British Museum, West End, and Buckingham Palace, where we witnessed the timeless Changing of the Guard ceremony. A Tube pass is the way to go if you are staying in London for a week or more, as the cost of a single Tube ride has risen to $2. Treat the kids to at least one ride on a double-decker bus, as it is truly special to ride "upstairs" in these vehicles.
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Consider getting out of London for part of your stay. It is nice to show the kids that all of England does not have London's hustle-bustle.
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Have the children keep a little journal and scrapbook of their trip. They can put pictures, stamps, postcards, and more. Having a fun craft to do on the way keeps them busy. Getting a free brochure or something cheap for their books can become a game at every stop along the way.
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Tips & Warnings
Plan to get an early start, so you can accomplish your travel goals by late afternoon, then have the evening to shop for groceries or find a restaurant.
Have a good breakfast before setting out for the day (many B & B's offer fantastic full breakfasts).
Pack a lunch or pick up a quick snack at a fish-and-chip shop (a favorite of kids) or the many inexpensive and delicious restaurants or pubs. Use good judgment if dining at a pub; some are child-friendly and some are decidedly more for the adult crowd. Another cheap lunch option is to duck into a market, and buy something to-go from the deli counter, along with some bananas or other fresh fruit from the produce department or local fruit vendors.
Have an itinerary, but be ready to change plans swiftly if someone becomes exhausted, sick or cranky, or a destination site was not as expected.
Don't try to cram too many activities into one day. This is a recipe for frustration and stress -- for adults and children!
Crowds are dense in London. Watch your children closely, and talk to them beforehand about the importance of staying close by, especially when traveling on the Tube.
Don't confirm foreigners' notions about Ugly Americans! Advise kids to use quiet voices when appropriate and be respectful while visiting another country.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Janet Lenius
