London Plans for family

Here are my thoughts:

Day 1 - fine

Day 2 - Tower of London and Westminster Abbey are both "big" sites. I would not add Parliament to this day. I'd take my time at Tower of London and then maybe get a quick bite in the Armories Cafe at the Tower. In pre-covid days when I visited the service was pretty quick...it was a food court kind of set up with lots of seating.

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/visit/eating/#gs.2mffto

Then if you need a boat ride, take the ferry from Tower of London to Westminster Pier for Westminster Abbey.

Day 3 - Any interest in the National Gallery? It's an interesting walk down Whitehall (Rick has a free walking tour that highlights some of the sights in this area) or go via Horse Guards Row and see the Horse Guards Parade. Any interest in British Museum? You could do a quick visit there this afternoon without overwhelming everyone. I've not ever been into the small museum for the Household Cavalry on the Horseguards Parade although I've been in the Guard's Museum on Birdcage Walk but might be of interest depending on your group. Maybe there is a London Walk that would be of interest this afternoon if people aren't too pooped?

Day 4/5/6 - All look fine

Day 7 - Get to the Eurostar earlier than you need to so you can get sandwiches or snacks for your trip.

Have a wonderful time!

Thank you for the response!

So I won't be devasted if I miss the Parliament tour? I know I can't visit all the sites; I just don't know enough to know which ones are especially crucial for our family.

What about the side trip to Windsor? Would it be beneficial to stay in London proper that day for more relaxed site-seeing? Our family would enjoy the visit, but I don't think any of us (at this point) consider essential.

I definitely want to visit Cambridge so I will keep that on my schedule.

Any other experts willing to chime in?

For Day 3 after the Churchill War Rooms..and I'm thinking of teenagers.......

1) Imperial War Museum

2) British Museum

3) Science Museum

4) Museum of Natural History

5) Harrods

Take a look at London Walks and see if there are any walks your family might enjoy during any time you haven't scheduled.

I've been going to London for 30+ years and I have never taken the Parliament tour. Unless your kids are interested in British politics or history, they may find it boring.

You're lucky....you have already had great advice from two forum experts, Pam and Frank II.

The trip to Windsor Castle might be the biggest "Wow" moment for you and your kids. It's easy to get to Windsor. Take the train from Paddington Station to Slough where you will change trains for Windsor. It's a short walk uphill to the castle. After touring the castle, take some time to walk around Windsor, walk around to The Long Walk, walk down to the river and across the bridge to see Eton. There are lots of cafes in Windsor where you might get some lunch somewhere in all your walking around. Nandos is said to have been a favorite of Prince Harry's. It serves roasted chicken, french fries and salads. (Inexpensive. It's a chain restaurant, so there are also some in London.) Enjoy the town and then head back to London on the train.

On Day 7 definitely get to St. Pancras early. You will clear passport control and luggage inspection at the station. The queue can get long and a little harried.

"So I won't be devasted if I miss the Parliament tour?"

Well, to be honest, over dozens of trips since uhhhh....1973???....I've never done Houses of Parliament. It never worked out right for me time-wise or I had new people with me and I thought other sights were more important or they weren't allowing visitors. It will be there next time, I think.

(And my mind suddenly swerved to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris which shows things aren't always there....)

But for your visit....I'd enjoy what you are seeing and just start making a list for next time. BTW, Rebecca and I joke that we have never-ending lists of things to see in London and England, lol. Truly!

The kids may be bored with Parliament after seeing Westminster Abbey and Tower of London in the same trip. While adults can have an unlimited appetite for historic buildings, I find that kids age 12-18 have a limited capacity for just how much they can take of them.
I second Pam's opinion to add Parliament to the list of things you'll do next time. And she's right......she and I both have long lists of things to do in London (and in England) for "next time". Sometimes you run out of time to do everything you wanted to do.

Take a look at Frank II's list to fill your days. Click on his London Walks link to see if any of those interest you.

While I quite enjoyed the Parliament tour, I’m not sure I would have as a teen with very little knowledge of European history or comparative politics.

3 day trips back to back doesn’t seem ideal, remember there’s time spent going to and from train stations as well as waiting for trains.

Ok, I loved the Parliament tour and there were kids on my trip which the tour guide did a great job with but I've been to London 4 times before. Some kids might get bored if they aren't into history.

Definitely take a London Walk as I've found the guides really try to include the kids in the history and in demonstrations. if you go on the London Walks tour of Greenwich, you meet up around Tower Hill and your tour takes the ferry boat down to Greenwich which ticks off one of your options. I also agree on that three day trips is way too many for a seven day vacation. I'd keep the Windsor trip and drop the Cambridge day.