We are going to London in January for my husband's work. We'll have our 3 kids, ages 12, 9 and 8. We've been to London before for work and are considering splitting our time in another city or country. Any suggestions? Because of work, we'd end up doing a pretty even split on a 8-9 day trip. We've done several of the "big" London things, but there is always more to see and we took it easy and slow last time because our kids were much younger.
Posted by
1570 posts
If your 8-9 days doesn't involve arrival and departure days, I might consider taking the Euro to Paris. Otherwise, I'd probably just stay in London where you'll have time for day trips.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
6665 posts
I agree with KD. Given the time of year, sticking to a big city with lots of indoor options seems wise. And Paris is a logical choice. Even better if you get multicity flights into London and home from Paris.
Posted by
9320 posts
Stay in the British Isles, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are wonderful.
We did a great 4 week trip in 2017 of S. Wales and England, with no large cities. We visited places like Bath, Cardiff, Tenby and St. David (Wales), Glastonbury, Wells, The Cotswolds, Oxford, Blenheim Palace, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwick, Pickering, The Yorkshire Moors, York (this city is amazing), Durham, Hadrian's Wall, The Lake District, Winchester, Salisbury and Cambridge.
The UK countryside is amazing.
Posted by
UK (London - Chelsea Harbour)
431 posts
I am with KD and geovagriffith… and am particularly fond of Wales. That said, if you don’t mind flying to the second destination, you have so many options! Maybe Barcelona, for a change of weather, amazing food, arts/culture and the beach?
Or head to Brussels, or Copenhagen! Northern destinations can be mostly tourist-free and surprisingly fun and hygge and cozy in the winter.
But if you do want a sunny change, again… Barca, Rome, Nice, Porto… they are all worth thinking about.
I live in London. There is so much to do that in the time you have, you will not exhaust your options. Paris is, of course, an obvious and wonderful choice - but since small airlines serve Western Europe so efficiently, it is your oyster! :-)
Posted by
Buckinghamshire
416 posts
Bear in mind that in January in the UK it gets dark around 4pm. Quite a few tourist sites, particularly country houses, close for maintenance or reduce their opening hours during this time
I don’t know if this is true in other countries but guess it could well be. If you are planning on visiting any specific attraction (UK or not) I’d check opening times etc.
Posted by
Warrington, England
160 posts
Forget about countryside things, January can be bleak. Bare trees, little colour, rain, possibly snow, muddy paths, dark early. Stick to cities. Liverpool is a decent place to stay gor a couple of days, and you could take a sidectrip to Chester.
York is similar to chester, and Edinburgh has plenty to offer in winter.
Posted by
SE Washington, USA
634 posts
If you have a total of 8-9 days, I'd stay in the UK. So many places to visit on short trips out of London.
Has your family followed the Richard III story? Perhaps a visit to
https://www.bosworthbattlefield.org.uk/
(the battlefield might be a little mucky, depending on weather)
The Lost King movie
If that interests the kids, be sure to watch The Dig (2021 movie) and visit the British Museum's exhibit:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/galleries/sutton-hoo-and-europe
Posted by
283 posts
I would take the Eurostar over to Paris. Paris in winter is still lively with lots to do. And the kids would probably love taking the train.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
9673 posts
Get Eurostar tickets as soon as they are available. I think about 60 days out. The price goes up as the travel date draws closer.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
6665 posts
Eurostar tickets for London/Paris are generally available starting 6+ months out.