We ate at Pizza Express and then took a walk around Kensington Gardens. We checked in around 3pm and took a short 2 hr nap (set an alarm or you'll wake up in the middle of the night wide awake).

I second the Serpentine idea. If it’s even slightly warm out, go to the Princess Diana fountain and let them splash around and then get drinks and ice cream at the cafe by the Lido. It’s an area where we saw a lot of older kids in family groups actually enjoying themselves.

We just got back from London with a 7 yo and a morning flight from CA. We didn’t do anything indoors the first day but had a lot of snacks and ice cream and lemonade she did about 6 miles of walking and fell asleep at a decent time.

Re: the allergy question- it was less haphazard than here for sure. We went to a vast range of restaurants from tiny dumpy places to very fancy teas. Every single order- even additional orders at a tapas restaurant- triggered the waitstaff to formally ask about allergies. It was organized and reassuring.

Go to the Serpentine. Park, outdoor cafe, boating, and an art gallery.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a 9am arrival in Heathrow after a 2.5 hour layover in Dublin, and are staying in Maida Vale. Kids are 12 and 14 and neither sleeps well on planes.

I'd love recommendations on activities for that first day when we're tired but unable to check into our hotel. We thought about walking along Regent's Canal as that's relatively near our hotel. Anything else good for after?

Thanks!

Walking along the canal is a good idea, and you can walk all the way to Camden - kids that age should enjoy the market/buzzy area. You can also get into Regents Park too. Are they good walkers? My kids are a couple of years younger and moan about walking when they are tired! But if yours are good, this is a good plan!

And editing to add, for my kids after an overnight flight to Europe (we are from London so go back quite often), eating a lot on that first day seems key. They are extremely hungry! There are nice restaurants in Maida Vale, and one of my favourite fish and chip places is not far - the Seashell of Lisson Grove.

OP here. They're so-so walkers in the best of times, so this will be challenging! We've done 3 hour and 14 hour time differences, which are more obvious in how to handle than 5 hour differences, to me!

Since you're from London...would you happen to know of any British food allergy social media groups? One of my kids has nut allergies and I'd love to be able to get a better sense of how those are handled in the UK. My understanding is that products have much better labeling than here.

I don't know of any allergy specific social media groups but join the group called The Restaurant Club on facebook. You'll get great recommendations and also if you ask, advice on places that are good at dealing with allergies. From my own experience (my son also has some nut allergies!) food labelling in supermarkets is very good but in restaurants it's a real mix.
On the time difference, we usually find that if you can push through that first day without napping, and then go to bed at a normal time, it works pretty well.

Introduce them to coffee and do some walks - the parks, the riverfront, and then the Tate Modern.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a 9am arrival in Heathrow after a 2.5 hour layover in Dublin, and are staying in Maida Vale. Kids are 12 and 14 and neither sleeps well on planes.

I'd love recommendations on activities for that first day when we're tired but unable to check into our hotel. We thought about walking along Regent's Canal as that's relatively near our hotel. Anything else good for after?

Thanks!

Walking along the canal is a good idea, and you can walk all the way to Camden - kids that age should enjoy the market/buzzy area. You can also get into Regents Park too. Are they good walkers? My kids are a couple of years younger and moan about walking when they are tired! But if yours are good, this is a good plan!

And editing to add, for my kids after an overnight flight to Europe (we are from London so go back quite often), eating a lot on that first day seems key. They are extremely hungry! There are nice restaurants in Maida Vale, and one of my favourite fish and chip places is not far - the Seashell of Lisson Grove.

OP here. They're so-so walkers in the best of times, so this will be challenging! We've done 3 hour and 14 hour time differences, which are more obvious in how to handle than 5 hour differences, to me!

Since you're from London...would you happen to know of any British food allergy social media groups? One of my kids has nut allergies and I'd love to be able to get a better sense of how those are handled in the UK. My understanding is that products have much better labeling than here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a 9am arrival in Heathrow after a 2.5 hour layover in Dublin, and are staying in Maida Vale. Kids are 12 and 14 and neither sleeps well on planes.

I'd love recommendations on activities for that first day when we're tired but unable to check into our hotel. We thought about walking along Regent's Canal as that's relatively near our hotel. Anything else good for after?

Thanks!

Walking along the canal is a good idea, and you can walk all the way to Camden - kids that age should enjoy the market/buzzy area. You can also get into Regents Park too. Are they good walkers? My kids are a couple of years younger and moan about walking when they are tired! But if yours are good, this is a good plan!

And editing to add, for my kids after an overnight flight to Europe (we are from London so go back quite often), eating a lot on that first day seems key. They are extremely hungry! There are nice restaurants in Maida Vale, and one of my favourite fish and chip places is not far - the Seashell of Lisson Grove.

Anonymous wrote:We have a 9am arrival in Heathrow after a 2.5 hour layover in Dublin, and are staying in Maida Vale. Kids are 12 and 14 and neither sleeps well on planes.

I'd love recommendations on activities for that first day when we're tired but unable to check into our hotel. We thought about walking along Regent's Canal as that's relatively near our hotel. Anything else good for after?

Thanks!

Walking along the canal is a good idea, and you can walk all the way to Camden - kids that age should enjoy the market/buzzy area. You can also get into Regents Park too. Are they good walkers? My kids are a couple of years younger and moan about walking when they are tired! But if yours are good, this is a good plan!

I did this several years ago with slightly younger kids. We went to Kensington Palace and had tea in the Orangery. Lots of space to walk around outside and the palace tour is interesting and not too long.

About to go again with a now 18yo who does not sleep well and gets very cranky, but at least is old enough to pump full of caffeine to get through the tough first day!!

Walk in the sun -- the parks are beautiful, and sunshine helps you adjust to the time zone.

We once ran into a flight attendent from our planeride over walking in a London park. She said she always spends her layovers walking in the parks.

We tried the hop on hop off idea with my kids, they are so tired they ended up sleeping on the upper deck, won’t do that again

Anonymous wrote:Do the hop on-hop off bus if the weather is nice. You get a tour of the city, can sit upstairs in the open air, and don’t have to do a lot of walking or other Turing activities.

I'd skip the hop-on bus. They are a rip off. Just use the city buses. Or the tube.

Do the hop on-hop off bus if the weather is nice. You get a tour of the city, can sit upstairs in the open air, and don’t have to do a lot of walking or other Turing activities.

Anonymous wrote:We have a 9am arrival in Heathrow after a 2.5 hour layover in Dublin, and are staying in Maida Vale. Kids are 12 and 14 and neither sleeps well on planes.

I'd love recommendations on activities for that first day when we're tired but unable to check into our hotel. We thought about walking along Regent's Canal as that's relatively near our hotel. Anything else good for after?

Thanks!

If the weather is good I would try to power through with outdoor activities. So take a walk to Buckingham Palace and maybe do the Tower of London and take a tour by one of the beefeaters. The tour and waiting in line to see the Crown Jewels will consume three or four hours. But just strolling through Westminster and the center of London and taking in the sites should keep you busy until dinner and an early bedtime. The more outside the better IME.

We have a 9am arrival in Heathrow after a 2.5 hour layover in Dublin, and are staying in Maida Vale. Kids are 12 and 14 and neither sleeps well on planes.

I'd love recommendations on activities for that first day when we're tired but unable to check into our hotel. We thought about walking along Regent's Canal as that's relatively near our hotel. Anything else good for after?

Thanks!