Need help planning our upcoming London/Paris trip

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with others ... hotel rooms are SMALL in both places. An American chain might be a good idea.

Second the parks in London. You can build whole days around them, and we, too, loved the Princess Di park.

There's a nice chain of restaurants in London that isn't too expensive: Giraffe.

The War Museum and the Theatre Museum are great. So many others, too, but those really left an impression.

In Paris, Centre Pompidou is great. I'd do that and the Picasso Museum over the Louvre. A boat ride on the Seine is fun.

Wow. It's like you're ignoring the most culturally important and historic places to visit.

- Parisian.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with others ... hotel rooms are SMALL in both places. An American chain might be a good idea.

Second the parks in London. You can build whole days around them, and we, too, loved the Princess Di park.

There's a nice chain of restaurants in London that isn't too expensive: Giraffe.

The War Museum and the Theatre Museum are great. So many others, too, but those really left an impression.

In Paris, Centre Pompidou is great. I'd do that and the Picasso Museum over the Louvre. A boat ride on the Seine is fun.

Wow. It's like you're ignoring the most culturally important and historic places to visit.

- Parisian.

Post them, s'il vous plait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Londoner again! Definitely don't do Stonehenge or Wimbledon during 5 days in London. That is ridiculous.

I agree and I would definitely not skip the British Museum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG no, do not take a stroller for a 5yo! Start going on a family walk after dinner and get her used to walking a bit. Then, do your touristing on the kid's pace, not yours.

No way. A light stroller is a must. A family walk after dinner is very different than spending the day criss-crossing London. Little feet get tired, and they can nap in the stroller. My kids are middle schoolers now, but we brought a stroller everywhere when they were little. It was a lifesaver.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG no, do not take a stroller for a 5yo! Start going on a family walk after dinner and get her used to walking a bit. Then, do your touristing on the kid's pace, not yours.

No way. A light stroller is a must. A family walk after dinner is very different than spending the day criss-crossing London. Little feet get tired, and they can nap in the stroller. My kids are middle schoolers now, but we brought a stroller everywhere when they were little. It was a lifesaver.

A light stroller for a 5yo on London and Paris cobblestones? It’s going to get you nowhere and is continuing to coddle your school aged child!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Watch the news out of the UK, there are many strikes in the works. Airports, rail, Underground

This is worth paying attention to, but if you wait for the time that there is not an actual or threatened transit strike, you will never visit the UK.

[Anonymous]

A couple of suggestions -- with the caveat that my accomodations budget is about 1/10th of yours, so our travel styles may be very different.

For a fancy hotel tea, I like Browns -- but the Shangri-La is supposed to have a very nice afternoon tea and presumably the hotel could help you with reservations. For a not-fancy tea with children, the Brigit's Bakery afternoon tea bus might be more fun. You will need reservations, especially to get on the top deck.

The Museum of London is really good and more specific to where you are than the British Museum (which is fabulous but which is filled with treasures from all over the world). I loved it as a kid.

I took my daughter to Hampton Court when she was 5 or 6 -- they had actors playing characters in the Tudor court, grounded in the history of a specific year (late in Henry VIII's reign) which she found magical. I don't know if that occurs all the time (this visit coincided with the Easter school holiday in the UK) but would be worth looking into. You can take the train to Richmond and then a boat to Hampton Court, or train all the way to Hampton Court.

I know you are set on Stonehenge, so just to share our experience there in the summer of 2019. We went straight from Heathrow, after picking up a rental car. When we arrived, around 9:30 or 10 am, it was pretty manageable -- we didn't feel like we were always on the heels of other people, I have pictures of my daughter without other people in them, and there were moments when you could be awed by the site. By the time we left, sometime after noon, it was a mob scene of tour groups with people ten-deep at the good vantage points. Get there early. I seem to remember a tour service that for $$$ got you in before it opened to the general public. If I had the money, I would use that.

Columbia Road Flower Market combined with a trip to the Hackney City Farm (and a late breakfast or lunch at their cafe) is an excellent Sunday morning.

Finally, on that highly-controversial stroller .... my daughter's first trip was when she was two, and we brought an umbrella stroller. Which is when I realized how few Tube stations are fully accessible. For a five-year-old, it may not be worth the effort.

[Anonymous]

Second Museum of London. I think it would be excellent for kids. Also the Tower of London--that was my kids' favorite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with others ... hotel rooms are SMALL in both places. An American chain might be a good idea.

Second the parks in London. You can build whole days around them, and we, too, loved the Princess Di park.

There's a nice chain of restaurants in London that isn't too expensive: Giraffe.

The War Museum and the Theatre Museum are great. So many others, too, but those really left an impression.

In Paris, Centre Pompidou is great. I'd do that and the Picasso Museum over the Louvre. A boat ride on the Seine is fun.

Wow. It's like you're ignoring the most culturally important and historic places to visit.

- Parisian.

OK, Parisian, OBVIOUSLY, there are more "culturally important and historic places to visit," but I thought I'd toss her a couple of kid-friendly ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A couple of suggestions -- with the caveat that my accomodations budget is about 1/10th of yours, so our travel styles may be very different.

For a fancy hotel tea, I like Browns -- but the Shangri-La is supposed to have a very nice afternoon tea and presumably the hotel could help you with reservations. For a not-fancy tea with children, the Brigit's Bakery afternoon tea bus might be more fun. You will need reservations, especially to get on the top deck.

The Museum of London is really good and more specific to where you are than the British Museum (which is fabulous but which is filled with treasures from all over the world). I loved it as a kid.

I took my daughter to Hampton Court when she was 5 or 6 -- they had actors playing characters in the Tudor court, grounded in the history of a specific year (late in Henry VIII's reign) which she found magical. I don't know if that occurs all the time (this visit coincided with the Easter school holiday in the UK) but would be worth looking into. You can take the train to Richmond and then a boat to Hampton Court, or train all the way to Hampton Court.

I know you are set on Stonehenge, so just to share our experience there in the summer of 2019. We went straight from Heathrow, after picking up a rental car. When we arrived, around 9:30 or 10 am, it was pretty manageable -- we didn't feel like we were always on the heels of other people, I have pictures of my daughter without other people in them, and there were moments when you could be awed by the site. By the time we left, sometime after noon, it was a mob scene of tour groups with people ten-deep at the good vantage points. Get there early. I seem to remember a tour service that for $$$ got you in before it opened to the general public. If I had the money, I would use that.

Columbia Road Flower Market combined with a trip to the Hackney City Farm (and a late breakfast or lunch at their cafe) is an excellent Sunday morning.

Finally, on that highly-controversial stroller .... my daughter's first trip was when she was two, and we brought an umbrella stroller. Which is when I realized how few Tube stations are fully accessible. For a five-year-old, it may not be worth the effort.

We are early risers in the US but the with the time change, very doubtful we can get there before opening. I may have to rethink the long drive to stand in a line to wait in a long line to take pictures with a lot of people.

Dh doesn’t want to take the stroller. The last time I went (without kids) was before I had a smart phone and I walked everywhere. I’m assuming we will take cabs or Uber equivalent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Second Museum of London. I think it would be excellent for kids. Also the Tower of London--that was my kids' favorite.

We are right across from Tower of London. I was only planning to see from outside but I will get tickets to go inside.

[Anonymous]

Several companies offer kids tours for the Louvre. It makes it more fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second Museum of London. I think it would be excellent for kids. Also the Tower of London--that was my kids' favorite.

We are right across from Tower of London. I was only planning to see from outside but I will get tickets to go inside.

There is room to run around on the grounds, costumed actors, ravens—lots of fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of suggestions -- with the caveat that my accomodations budget is about 1/10th of yours, so our travel styles may be very different.

For a fancy hotel tea, I like Browns -- but the Shangri-La is supposed to have a very nice afternoon tea and presumably the hotel could help you with reservations. For a not-fancy tea with children, the Brigit's Bakery afternoon tea bus might be more fun. You will need reservations, especially to get on the top deck.

The Museum of London is really good and more specific to where you are than the British Museum (which is fabulous but which is filled with treasures from all over the world). I loved it as a kid.

I took my daughter to Hampton Court when she was 5 or 6 -- they had actors playing characters in the Tudor court, grounded in the history of a specific year (late in Henry VIII's reign) which she found magical. I don't know if that occurs all the time (this visit coincided with the Easter school holiday in the UK) but would be worth looking into. You can take the train to Richmond and then a boat to Hampton Court, or train all the way to Hampton Court.

I know you are set on Stonehenge, so just to share our experience there in the summer of 2019. We went straight from Heathrow, after picking up a rental car. When we arrived, around 9:30 or 10 am, it was pretty manageable -- we didn't feel like we were always on the heels of other people, I have pictures of my daughter without other people in them, and there were moments when you could be awed by the site. By the time we left, sometime after noon, it was a mob scene of tour groups with people ten-deep at the good vantage points. Get there early. I seem to remember a tour service that for $$$ got you in before it opened to the general public. If I had the money, I would use that.

Columbia Road Flower Market combined with a trip to the Hackney City Farm (and a late breakfast or lunch at their cafe) is an excellent Sunday morning.

Finally, on that highly-controversial stroller .... my daughter's first trip was when she was two, and we brought an umbrella stroller. Which is when I realized how few Tube stations are fully accessible. For a five-year-old, it may not be worth the effort.

We are early risers in the US but the with the time change, very doubtful we can get there before opening. I may have to rethink the long drive to stand in a line to wait in a long line to take pictures with a lot of people.

Dh doesn’t want to take the stroller. The last time I went (without kids) was before I had a smart phone and I walked everywhere. I’m assuming we will take cabs or Uber equivalent.

Why would you drive to Stonehenge? Having a car in London is not at all worth the hassle, and the train/bus combo is the same as or faster than driving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A couple of suggestions -- with the caveat that my accomodations budget is about 1/10th of yours, so our travel styles may be very different.

For a fancy hotel tea, I like Browns -- but the Shangri-La is supposed to have a very nice afternoon tea and presumably the hotel could help you with reservations. For a not-fancy tea with children, the Brigit's Bakery afternoon tea bus might be more fun. You will need reservations, especially to get on the top deck.

The Museum of London is really good and more specific to where you are than the British Museum (which is fabulous but which is filled with treasures from all over the world). I loved it as a kid.

I took my daughter to Hampton Court when she was 5 or 6 -- they had actors playing characters in the Tudor court, grounded in the history of a specific year (late in Henry VIII's reign) which she found magical. I don't know if that occurs all the time (this visit coincided with the Easter school holiday in the UK) but would be worth looking into. You can take the train to Richmond and then a boat to Hampton Court, or train all the way to Hampton Court.

I know you are set on Stonehenge, so just to share our experience there in the summer of 2019. We went straight from Heathrow, after picking up a rental car. When we arrived, around 9:30 or 10 am, it was pretty manageable -- we didn't feel like we were always on the heels of other people, I have pictures of my daughter without other people in them, and there were moments when you could be awed by the site. By the time we left, sometime after noon, it was a mob scene of tour groups with people ten-deep at the good vantage points. Get there early. I seem to remember a tour service that for $$$ got you in before it opened to the general public. If I had the money, I would use that.

Columbia Road Flower Market combined with a trip to the Hackney City Farm (and a late breakfast or lunch at their cafe) is an excellent Sunday morning.

Finally, on that highly-controversial stroller .... my daughter's first trip was when she was two, and we brought an umbrella stroller. Which is when I realized how few Tube stations are fully accessible. For a five-year-old, it may not be worth the effort.

We are early risers in the US but the with the time change, very doubtful we can get there before opening. I may have to rethink the long drive to stand in a line to wait in a long line to take pictures with a lot of people.

Dh doesn’t want to take the stroller. The last time I went (without kids) was before I had a smart phone and I walked everywhere. I’m assuming we will take cabs or Uber equivalent.

Why would you drive to Stonehenge? Having a car in London is not at all worth the hassle, and the train/bus combo is the same as or faster than driving.

Op here. I didn’t mean drive ourselves. We would get a driver. I looked up some tours and there is no way we are trekking to some bus terminal to get on a bus with other people and wait in line with them and come back. If we go, it will be a private transport.