Arrival Day Activity-London

I’d pay to have the rooms. Grandparents, kids, an overnight flight thinking you are going to do stuff? You are kidding yourself and youll be miserable .

Take a Gatwick Express train into London, about half an hour to Victoria Coach (bus) Station. Then I'd suggest a taxi to your hotel. You could get to Earls Court on the District Line (Underground, aka subway) but that's a lot of luggage hauling and stairs and such for your tired group. (You might need two taxis for that many people and bags.)

Don't schedule palace entry till after lunch (with coffee and sugar for energy). Try to keep moving. Unless you need to see the palace that day, you might do better staying outside, walking around in the fresh air -- Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Albert Memorial. The idea is to stay awake, have an early dinner, then crash and try to sleep through the night. But people handle jet lag differently, and some lucky few can even sleep on the flight!

Probably the best thing you can do after an overnight flight across time zones is to stroll around outdoors a lot, and go to bed as close to regular bedtime in your new time zone as possible. So, you might do well to meander through Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, etc. rather than into the Palace - save that for another day.

"youll be miserable"

That depends on the person. My wife and I had about the same timing this past spring and were going for the whole day. We were on adrenaline. Works that way for us every time. A 10 and 13 year old could be just hyper and full of energy.

The tube from Heathrow has a stop at Earl's Court so that is one option. With a group of 6 a car for hire could be more economical.

Hi Lynne, people are usually either wanting to nap or walk outside in the sun after arriving from a long flight. I would avoid going inside a palace or museum on that first day. If you want an activity, walk around and get acclimated to the area. But, I definitely wouldn’t schedule anything substantial that first day.

First go with Dicks suggestion on how to travel from Heathrow to your accommodation. OR simply book a car hire.

Second, you are in London, see London. Go to the Earl Courts Tube Station, get everyone an Oyster card, ( yes time consuming but the Oyster will be your key to public transport to visit the sites). Then take the District Line to Westminster Station.

Exit and let all of the family KNOW they are in London!!! Photo ops galore. Then Walk from Parliament Square up Birdcage Walk Through St James Park to the Palace. More excitement, photo ops, then go eat.

Perfect first day of arrival.

Well, go ahead with your plans but be flexible. Limit time indoors as that can make you sleepy--get out in the sun and fresh air. Be ready to slow down and be patient as some in your group will be feeling jet lag more than others.

We also stay up and walk a fair amount upon arrival and yes we're a little cranky. Yes, you will feel a little adrenaline high from a relatively sleepless night.

See if you can check-in at 1500, shower, and take a short nap of no more than 30-45 minutes. Set an alarm as you will be screwed if you sleep a couple of hours. 1600 is fine, too. You will be refreshed just enough to power through the day before crashing around 2100 or so. Avoid alcohol until late in the day as it will knock you out. I made the mistake of having a beer in Frankfurt at lunch and it felt like I had three beers.

Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions -- perhaps a stroll through the market--

I thought about going out to Kensington Palace -- purchasing advance tickets so no wait -- after dropping our bags. We could tour and have tea at the Orangery -- get right into it with the grandkids.

That's exactly what I did when I had hours to kill before I could check into my hotel near Lancaster Gate - except for no grandkids. The Orangery was a great place for a leisurely snack and glass of wine. The park is also a very pleasant place for a stroll. No regrets.

Kensington Palace wasn't a bucket list site for me, so it didn't matter that I was too tired to remember much about the experience.

I've been to London twice now, and just realized that on both trips--arrivals of 1 pm and 8 am--one of my first day activities was a visit to the Victoria & Albert museum--then a thorough exploration of Harrod's where I got some delightful things for an early dinner and a long walk in my Kensington neighborhood. The second trip I hit the V&A first for a timed entry to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit, then over to the Tower in mid-afternoon--by then I was feeling seriously jet-lagged and was happy to walk outside and then rest with a snack and watch the ravens. Early dinner and bed, full of vim and vigor the next day. I travel solo and know what works for me, so obviously if you have a group of 6 people it's more likely that jet lag will affect each differently. I think your plan to tour Kensington palace is a good one.

I do hope you report back on how this all pans out.

My advice-drop your bags off at the hotel and walking around the neighborhood. Find a cafe for a coffee and/or hot chocolate for you and the family, then take a walk in Kensington Gardens. Find the Peter Pan statue, see all the swans and ducks around the Round Pound and stretch your legs.

Going into Kensington Palace after an overnight flight would be sensory overload to me. I found it best that fresh air woke me up far better than seeing any site and would allow the kids to blow off some steam after being cooped up in an airplane.

I’ve had arrival day good luck with jet-lagged kids by keeping them outdoors in the Trafalgar Square/Covent Garden area. Always some street entertainers to watch in both places. We then have an early dinner (5ish) in our favorite Covent Garden spot before there’s a line at the door. Round off our day getting the Oyster Cards refilled and a little grocery shopping, and I generally can keep everybody vertical and happy til an early first night bedtime. I would steer clear of all museums and leisurely tea parties that day. But that’s because I’m pretty sure it would send at least one of us face first into our teacup.

For what it's worth, my sister is a flight attendant for American and flies Miami - Europe routes constantly. Her advice is: do not rest, sleep or sit down when you arrive in your European destination. Go straight out and get on their time clock. Retire early on your first night to get a good night's sleep. But don't lose your first day. We've traveled abroad a few times over the past two years and it has worked for my family!

I agree with CaliMom-we have traveled abroad twice w kids of similar age and we always do something active on arrival day. It gets us on the right clock sooner. Maybe not a museum, as I think outdoors is best for keeping us alert and awake. We will arrive in Heathrow at 8 am in a couple months and my plan is to go to Windsor and walk around the town a bit, have some lunch and tour the castle before heading to our lodging in Oxford. Will we be tired? Probably. But we'll power through with some food and caffeine (and the excitement of being in England!), go to bed early and wake up refreshed and ready to go on our 2nd day. I like the idea of walking around your neighborhood and taking in the sights since you're starting your trip in London. Have fun!