I am looking for some advice on itinerary, transportation, and lodging options for a family of 6, traveling to England 3/28/25-4/5/25 (8 nights, 7 full days). Traveling with 4 adults (parents and grandparents) and 2 kids (ages 9-11). We would prefer to split time in London and see some sights outside the city, and need to determine whether it's worth staying outside the city for 2-3 nights, or just do day trips (factoring lodging and transportation for 6). Kids are huge Harry Potter fans (so we'll be doing HP Studios for sure), as well as football (soccer) fans, so we will try and catch a game while there (non-premier league, possibly a game outside London - I see Wrexham playing in Cambridge April 1, although other clubs would do - more about the experience). They love to explore and see sights, so castles and palaces (e.g. Warwick, Windsor, etc) will be preferred over spending time in museums (although we will do 1 or 2). As far as a group of 6 - we won't do 100% of the things together. Grandparents will probably skip HP Studios and do an extra museum or 2. In my initial reading on things outside London - college towns like Oxford seemed a little more interesting to visit or serve as a base to explore vs touring Cotswold towns. Would appreciate any advice on the best way to explore outside of London. Do we just do structured day trips with transportation provided since we have 6, vs trying to rent a vehicle and find lodging that works for 6 somewhere? For lodging (in and outside London), our preference would be separate living quarters for at least some of the trip, but, recognize it may be more reasonable to find an AirBnB for us all to stay together for most of the time. We don't see ourselves staying in an AirBnB for cooking in, outside of maybe breakfast or occasional lunch) - it'd be more about finding lodging in the same place. My wife would love to consider a splurge to spend 1-2 nights in castle or manor type lodging that would allow kids. Would appreciate any advice on lodging (hotel vs airbnb given group size). Thanks in advance!
Posted by
Cornwall
399 posts
Rule 1: you need to book the HP Studios yesterday.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5534 posts
I agree: get those Harry Potter tickets NOW. And to clarify: do you have 8 nights in Enfgland, or does that include your flights to and from?
Honestly, I had at least half a dozen visits to London before I ever did a day trip. There are just so many things to see and do there. But a day trip to Hampton Court Palace is very worthwhile, and very kid friendly. Just take the train. Add a day at the Warner Bros. Studio tour and a soccer game (if you can find tickets), and you don't have a lot of time left for London. You might also consider a boat ride from Westminster to Greenich, and explore there. Tower of London. London Eye. Transportation museum. Perhaps a family friendly musical in the evening. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and British Museum (Egyptian section) would all be interesting to kids as well as adults.
Posted by
Buckinghamshire
186 posts
You could easily spend the whole time in London. My idea would be to do 2 day trips from London. First, to Hampton Court Palace (not far and train station opposite the Palace, try to pick a dry day) , and then one other.
My vote would be for Oxford but there are quite a few other candidates
Posted by
Preston UK
1247 posts
The football is a bit problematic because of the time you are coming. It’s good that yo7 don’t want to see a Premier League game as there are only two games whilst you are here, both London derbies.
If you are able to see a game on 29/3 then there are a few potential games, of which Charlton Athletic v Huddersfield Town is probably the most interesting for a neutral - a good ground with decent atmosphere and the location is very close to Greenwich, which would be my top pick for a day out of the centre of London with lots to see, although it is actually still in TFL’s zone 2.
The Cambridge v Wrexham game will be on a Tuesday night. The ground is some two miles from Cambridge station, so with it finishing around 21.40 and an hour’s train ride back to London it’s going to be a late finish. United’s ground is also small with a capacity of below 8.000, so tickets whilst probably available may not be straightforward to get. I assume your interest in Wrexham is connected to the club’s owners, which is somewhat dispiriting to many football fans.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you for the heads up on booking HP Studios - I'm on it! We know we could definitely spend the full time in London, but wanted to provide a broader experience if feasible. To clarify - we have 7 full/uninterrupted days
And I like the Charlton Athletic game option - only mentioned Wrexham because of familiarity, not following english league clubs below the premier league very closely.