Family trip to England June 2022

With 7 people and only 7 nights, I would spend all 7 nights in London. Day trip from there to Bath or Windsor. 3 days is not enough time for London itself. Don’t try to pack in as many sights as possible. Focus more on making fun, enjoyable memories as a family. Plan one big “sight” per day: Tower of London, British Museum, etc. Take a river cruise and stop at the London Eye. Find unique old pubs. Maybe do the hop on hop off bus tour.

Seven people plus luggage and child seats is going to be a large vehicle that will be a pain to park, although it’s easier herding people into a car than negotiating public transport.

Bath, York and London will involve too much time wasted in transit for only one day actually in Bath and York. You will have to travel at the pace of the youngest, so I would just rent an apartment and stay in London for the duration. The older ones could do their own thing. Windsor, Harry Potter World, Brighton, Canterbury and Hampton Court are days out that would appeal to your different age groups.

If you wanted a two base holiday, I would opt for London and York. Take the train. Presumably, you would have to be back in London for the last night, so it would make sense to start in York, but (unless you can fly into Manchester) would you all be up for a train journey on arrival whilst jet lagged?

For that many people you'll need to rent a MPV or 'People Carrier' as they're known in the UK or a minivan. Be aware however, that these vehicles have little room for luggage storage which might present a bit of a challenge.

Presumably you'll be renting the vehicle at the airport and then driving straight to Bath? If this is the case then it's not a recommended idea due to a combination of jetlag, unfamiliar vehicle and driving on the other side of the road to which you're used to. It would be a better option to start in London and I would also echo the advice to stick to London for the duration of your stay, there's more than enough to occupy a week in London alone before you even consider day trips.

Bath to York is a long drive. Don't take Google's estimation. At the very minimum you'll be looking at 5 hours with no rest stops but it would be more likely to be 6, 7 or even 8 hours. That's a whole day taken out of your trip just driving along monotonous motorways.

If you are going to consider an additional location to London then I would pick York over Bath. It's a more interesting city and has more to offer for the family in general than Bath. If you were to decide on York then I would recommend the train from London rather than a car. A car in London and in York is not an enjoyable experience.

With five children you need to consider their interests…. Bath is great if you have an interest in the Romans in Britain, 18th century architecture or Jane Austen (though she never spent much time there) but for a family trip, I don’t think so much. You would lose a day traveling from Bath to York. Again, consider what is there that makes it worth while for you. The Minster, the Railway Museum, the Jorvik museum. And another day lost driving to London. Motorways are not the equivalent of Interstates and the drives always seem to take longer than you planned.

The suggestion to spend the time in London is a good one. You would not need to rent a car. Easy day trips from London are Windsor/Legoland, Hampton Court, Harry Potter studios all bu rail. Within London even riding the bus and/or tube is something different. Then there are all sorts of other things that may be of interest - museums galore, the Tower, following the guards as they march from their barracks to Buckingham Palace. Shopping Harrods, Selfridges, and that British institution Marks and Spencer (their food halls are not as fancy as Harrods or Selfridges) but have good prepared foods for picnics or non-restaurant to go meals plus accompanying wines, beers and soft drinks.

Staying in one place allows you to consider renting an apartment rather than staying at a hotel. A lot of people on the forum recommend the Premiere Inns many of which seem to be located near the major train stations.

Hi Steve, Echoing what everyone else has said here, 7 nights is just not enough time for your 3 desired destinations. I also agree that London itself has so much to offer that I would stay there all seven nights and avoid that car rental you are considering. Your public transportation options in London will serve you well. You can easily do a daytrip to Windsor or Hampton Court on your own. While I like York very much I think it is too far to go in your time frame. Your kids may very much enjoy Greenwich which is also easily accessible and nearby. If you are interested in Bath or the Cotswolds, maybe look into hiring a driver/guide for a one day private tour. That way someone experienced with driving a larger van on the UK roads does the driving and you can sit back and enjoy the scenery. You wouldn't have to worry about your luggage and cost wise see how it compares to the rental car price you are willing to pay.

Personally I could spend at least a week in London, and it has the advantage of numerous attractions, events and sites for every interest. What usually happens with my family is after a few days the teenagers wander off to do their own thing, and the tube makes it easy to get around.

We usually cover the museums (not only the major ones, but some of the really interesting smaller ones like the Florence Nightingale Museum, The Guards Museum and The Foundling Museum). In terms of bigger museums we love the V&A, the Imperial War Museum and the Museum of Childhood. And then there's the National Gallery etc, as well as the historic sites (we love HMS Belfast).

London is also great for theatre and musicals (my daughter loves the ballet), and also some lovely parks such as Hyde Park and Regents Park, not to mention quiet little squares and some really nice old churches.

And then there's the shopping - it takes us some considerable time to navigate Oxford St, Regents St etc. Liberty's is one of our favourites, but what I really love is all the specialist shops, like James Smith & Sons for beautiful umbrellas. And then there's Covent Garden...

So plenty to keep you busy for a week (or more) in London.

I have to say though that our kids have always loved York. It's historic, picturesque and compact, and great for a few days. But if you are determined, I would strongly recommend the train, which will be much faster and much less hassle than driving.

All three places are wonderful, but with only a week, I would cut one place out.

If you go to bath, consider staying at the Brooks Guesthouse. It is a large B&B with great location. Also, be sure to dine at The Scallop Shell, they have the best fish and chips in England.

York is great, but you need minimum of three nights there. Don't miss walking the walls, the Munster (Cathedral) and National Railway Museum.

I'd agree with a few others that with the time available you should consider dropping one of these places. We are headed over in March (hopefully) and are planning to do 3 nights in York and then 4 nights in London with our kids (15M and 10F). On a prior trip, my wife and I (no kids) did the same sort of thing with Bath and London. With locations like these, I'd definitely think about dropping the car and using the train only (it's can be expensive but much more convenient). There's plenty to see in either Bath / York without having to take day trips out and you definitely don't want a car anywhere around London (parking, traffic, etc.).

We have visited the Cotswolds too (just as a day trip from Bath) - that would definitely be best with a car. I don't know if your kids would get a kick out of the Cotswolds - if they're like my kids they won't appreciate the charming villages and countryside as much as the more active towns.

Enjoy the trip - you've got some great options and you can't really go wrong with the places you're considering.

Agree with the other posters.

Stay in London for the 7 days. Could spend a week there and only scratch the surface. +There are heaps of day trips you could do out of London (Bath is possible if that is a must see). What are the children interested in? If you want to do the Harry Potter studio tour you need to book well in advance.

NB the Bank Holidays have moved next year for the Queen's jubilee. Thursday 2nd June and Friday 3rd June are bank holidays in 2022.

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There is a lot more to England than London! I would definitely recommend trying to stop at one other place to widen the experience...

I have traveled twice to Europe with seven people, although our youngest was your oldest age. It is more work to move around with a group. I would not stay less than three nights anywhere. If you want two places, I would pick York and London. You certainly can easily amuse yourself in London for 8 days with day trips. The advantage of York is that it has a very different feel but you then would have transportation costs to York. York may be cheaper to stay in though than London so you will have to figure it out. I would pick York over Bath. I liked both but think York has more to offer for kids.

Have the five expressed their interests?

I’m biased. Been traveling to and exploring London and nearby environs since 1972. Going again in July.

Never bored. So much to see and do.

The History, Museums, Royal Parks, Theatre, Shopping, Architecture, wonderful diverse food options, The Thames Path, Public Transport, all worth an entire stay in London.

Easy days out to Hampton Court, Windsor, Rye, Oxford, Cambridge, Portsmouth.

Bias suggestion expressed.

Safe travels.

You can take a direct train from Manchester’s airport to York according to the Trainline (2h). I would spend two nights in York and then take a direct train to London (2h) and sleep in London the remainder of your time. Bath is a direct 1h 30m train ride away that makes a great day trip.
I like the idea of flying open jaw between Manchester and London but if you can’t, British Airways has a nonstop flight between London Heathrow and Manchester for < $75.

The time of your trip is during the Queen's Jubilee--CROWDS AND HIGH PRICES! If that is absolutely the only time you can go, spend the whole time in London and rent a holiday apartment with a grocery store nearby. South Kensington is great and the area around Victoria station also, as there are large Sainsbury's there. Preparing your own food can be a huge time- and money-saver, and visiting the supermarket is delightful--and very educational. Sign up for the stores' customer cards. Wherever you do go in England, the big supermarkets (Sainsbury's, Tesco, Aldi at least) have a excellent "meal deal": for Pound 3.50 one gets a sandwich, a "side" of chips, fruit, or dessert, and a drink. Besides the big groceries, there are "local" stores that have the same offer. Tube and bus are handy, and you don't need a car (there is an extra fee for cars in central London and parking is very pricey). The major museums are free. Hampton Court is a great trip by train--as are Oxford, Bath, Greenwich, Canterbury.

Sorry, I meant to offer one more item. Many sites can be booked online, even the oyster card and train & bus tickets. Get as many of these as you can so you can spend your time in the site rather than waiting in line to get the ticket--again, Jubilee celebration means crowds. Rick's London book provides websites for booking tickets.

Thank you all for your thoughtful and insightful responses!

It sounds like we need to narrow our focus to one or two areas only. Half of our trip will be during the Queen's Jubilee (Thursday through Sunday). If we were to visit two locations, say York and London, would it be better to spend the days in London before or during the Jubilee? Perhaps the crowds in York would be less during that Thursday through Sunday?

Thanks in advance!

I would go as far as to say Bath or York are viable day trips. If you start early it's two hours both ways from London<-->York, somewhat the same as Bath. However I'd keep your base in London and if you decided to do both York and Bath you'd still have five days of sightseeing in London.
Not to mention that in my experience travelling to and from the states flying into London is cheaper than the other alternatives.
I saw the Woman In Black on the West End and I've recommended it to the point it's become a bit ridiculous, however I still recommend it!

Bath or York are viable day trips.

But then they miss taking the evening walking tours in York.

And there are lots of historic streets to wander in York, in addition to the walk on top of the wall. I spent about 1-1/2 days just sightseeing in York, and I skipped both the Jorvik Center and the cathedral.

I agree with the London and York suggestions. Train travel would be the way to go. I would suggest being in York during the Queen’s Jubilee and London the rest of the time. York and the surrounding area is incredible. I just got back from spending 2 weeks in the Northeast of England.