Traveling to England in 2025 with grandkids and looking for guidance

London doing day trips sounds wonderful to me. I think there are some admission passes for families. (National Trust UK has an annual, check if available monthly, membership pass for one Grandparent and 2 G-Kids under 17). Going to Bath on the train with a stop in Salisbury and Stonehenge could be a night away. Lacock a National Trust village near Bath was used in Harry Potter Films. But it might be easier just to pretend you live in London.

I love the idea of pretending you live in London! There's so much to do there, and so many possible day trips.

Why don't you get the kids started researching day trips? They'll probably come up with way too many places they want to go, but limiting and winnowing is interesting and educational in itself.

What fun you'll have!

I too like the idea of “living” in London with some day trips. We’ve traveled to London twice with granddaughters when they were preteens and then teens. As preteens they loved the humorous series Horrible Histories and Harry Potter and we did a London Walks HP tour. If you go to Hampton Court Palace be sure to get the narrated audio tour for kids, it was great and really held their attention.

I love all of your choices but as they help you with the planning you might narrow it down. Our granddaughters loved researching which plays and musicals would be running when we were there each time and we decided on 2-3.

Well before Ted Lasso we discovered Richmond on a long Thames Walk one year. If your grandkids are soccer and TL fans they may enjoy some time near the Richmond Green, pub, shops and river.

We started the year before our first trip with the girls giving books about the things they’d see and coupons for some plays/musicals, special outings, etc.

I think the three of you will have the best trip!

So much to see and explore in London, no need to base elsewhere.

Premiere Inns are of good value. They might like the one in the vibrant Shoreditch neighborhood. Or consider and Air B n B or Vrbo flat.

Maybe such museums as the Horniman, Museum of Water and Power, Grant Museum of Zoology, and even Madame Tussaud’s. Canal Museum is interesting.

For music check out: Union Chapel, Round House, Bush Hall, Omeara, O2 Arena, and Barbican.

Reserve your Harry Potter tickets waaay in advance.
Visit Leadenhall Market and have them locate the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.Have each of them Research the London Walks website
( www.walks.com ) to see if any of the walks are of interest.

Look online for local soccer clubs. You might able to attend a match. Not a Premier League match but a local club’s match. I did that for a rugby match on the Hampstead Heath ages ago. Even went to the pub with the players and their families after the game.

Also be hopeful this is still on stage in 2025.
https://uk.harrypottertheplay.com/

soccer, LOTR, and history

LOTR?

What a nice gift to your grandkids. I agree with the set a base camp and do trips from there. Moving around is stressful and having a home base will be comforting.

You're planning two years out from now. My limited experience with kids (as an aunt/auntie) is that what they're "in" to now will very likely be very different two years from now. I experienced this planning a trip with an older teen who was 17-18 when originally planning, but was 20 by the time we actually traveled (delayed due to COVID). So while it sounds like a good idea to get them thinking about places to go now, it would be more fruitful exercise to have them do that thinking much closer to the travel dates.

Nigel I believe it's Lord Of The Rings.

Oh, thanks to you all! Such wonderful ideas! And I love the idea of telling them we will be "living" in London for the trip - that's fantastic! I'm getting more and more excited as I read all this.

Kathleen, that's a good idea about checking for family admission prices. And I will definitely check out Lacock - thanks!

Jane, yes, I can't wait! I'm thinking of getting my granddaughter a book called London City Trains by Lonely Planet - it's specifically geared for kids 9-12 years old. And I might buy a guidebook for my grandson as well - maybe one of the smaller London ones.

Mona, thanks so much for all that information! They love soccer and Ted Lasso, so we will definitely get to Richmond. And I totally forgot about London theatre! Sheesh! Great ideas! And I will definitely get the younger one started on Horrible Histories - I've never heard of them, but they sound wonderful! They are both die hard Harry Potter fans, so we will search out all the places and go to the studio tour.

Claudia, wow, great info! Yes, I will look at Premier Inns - I'm staying at one next year (the County Hall one), but I will check out Shoreditch and Vrbo's (although I think they would like staying in a hotel). :) Great suggestions for music and museums! And thanks for the tip about the Harry Potter tickets. I love the idea about a local soccer club - how fun!

Nigel, sorry - LOTR is Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. The oldest has read the trilogy and the Hobbit and seen all the movies. I know they were buried in Oxford so he might be interested in seeing that.

Thanks again to all of you! I love this forum!!!

CL, that's a good point about their interests changing. Although they both have loved soccer since they were 5-6 years old, and their dad is a huge soccer fan so I don't see that going away. :) But definitely something to think about. Thank you!

We like to watch premier league football, so we took a stadium tour at Chelsea football. It was really the only one available to tour while we were there for two weeks in June. Our base was london. Ended up our only day trip was Windsor. We covered a lot of sites in london on our own. One thing we enjoyed was going to St Martens in the fields to do brass rubbings. It is by Trafalgar Square.

Sounds like you got a lot of good ideas you listed and suggestions.

Kim, thanks! I love the idea about touring the stadium - they would really enjoy that! And I'm very familiar with St. Martins-in-the-Field. In fact, I can't wait to take them there to the Cafe in the Crypt, one of my favorite food places in London! Thanks for the reminder!

Just a caution from a retired teacher. Two weeks during the school year for your oldest grandchild (high school age) will have a significant impact on his schooling. I am not discounting the educational value of this trip, but I know from years of experience that few students recover from an absence of this length without negative side effects. The attendance policies in some districts disallow earning credit after 10 absences unless there are extenuating circumstances.

I love the idea of your trip and the memories it will make for all of you. I hope you can take it at a time with minimal impact.

Carol, thanks for your thoughts! I do realize that and I'm going to try and coordinate the trip with a school break if possible, along with the 2 weekends we will use. So I don't think they they will be missing a full 10 days of school. Maybe 6-7 at the most and hopefully less. Easter comes late in April in 2025, so I will try to combine it with spring break.

Their dad is a high school English teacher, so he will work with them as well to make sure they don't miss too much. And their schools allow time off for pre-approved family vacations and will help to make sure they get assignments while they are gone. :)

thnaks for LOTR

You may not have enough time for all these, and as somebody said up thread, there can be a big difference in interests 10/12 and especially 14/16.

Stow on the Wold has the hobbit door. The area south of Birmingham, below the M40 and around the area of the A46 provided inspiration for The Shire. Where Birmingham University is in Selly Oak have the two Towers. There is an old mill east of central Birmingham in the Moseley area of Birmingham (even has a Moseley Bog) where Tolkien grew up across the street and derived all sorts of inspiration.. Called Sarehole Mill, it is the real thing. https://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/sarehole-mill

I know about these things because I am married to a super fan of Tolkien (books, not movies) and we lived just a few miles from that area for a dozen years. I have Victorian family buried in the various churchyards nearby.

And of course the places in Oxford where he taught and he and CS Lewis hung out.

But then again you could spend an entire holiday just following these leads up. But for a true fan of LOTR it is all there.

Nigel, yes, some of their interests are different but I'm hoping I can get each of them some time to see a favorite place or two. I love the idea of taking them to Stow on the Wold. Even if all we see is the Hobbit door, they can still see a bit of the Cotswolds, which would be fun. It looks like St. Edward's can be reached by train and maybe we could walk around the town a bit and have lunch there.

I don't think we will be able to get to Birmingham this trip. But definitely Oxford - and that would be neat to see where he and CS Lewis hung out. They both have read all the Narnia books (as have I). That's interesting that you are married to a Tolkien fan. He was the first fantasy author I read back in high school in the early 70's, and I've read his books over and over again. So this is as much for me as for them. 😊 Thank you so much!

no trains to Stow in the Wold - train to Moreton in Marsh and bus or taxi.

Got it - thanks again, Nigel!

It might be interesting for the kids to reflect on their changing interests by journaling or making notes of initial long range proposed plans vs what they end up with a couple of years out.

Not sure exactly what you will need, but there is a certain amount of documentation needed to take minor grandkids out of the country. In addition, be sure to have authorization to make medical decisions should the need present itself. You've plenty of time to research and see what you'll need. Just add it to the "to do" list.

Cheri, that's a great idea! I'll propose that to them when I give them guidebooks for London. Thanks!

TC, thanks! I'm a retired family law attorney, so I've actually drafted a number of those types of documents over the years for clients. But it never hurts to have a reminder! 😊 In fact, that reminded me that I need to remind my daughter to order passports for them sometime by mid-next year. Definitely a necessity!

I know nothing about Harry Potter, but today at the Shambles in York I saw two kids absolutely thrilled to be there, posing for photos with huge grins.

Aw, how cute!!! I don't think we'll be able to get to York but I might have to check that out next year when I'm there. Hope you are having fun, Mary (although how could you not?)!

You might try to interest them in https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2866/london-game. We have played it for years (have both the old and the new edition; The old board is better than the new, the new cards are better than the old). We often enjoy commenting on every place we have been to when we pass it in the game. You could do it the other way around: commenting on places you are planning to stay and places you are planning to see and how to get the by underground.

BUT: When you actually get there, make plans with the current network AND include buses and river boats in your plans.

PS: Remember to visit Greenwich, so you can stand on the international date line.

l.p.enersen, thank you! That is a wonderful idea - they (and all their family) love board games. I'll start looking around for the London Game. I did order the London version of Ticket to Ride, because we all love Ticket to Ride and I thought that would be fun for them to get a bit of a visual of London.

We will definitely visit Greenwich (hopefully by boat). I know they will be excited about the international date line, and I think they'd like the Royal Observatory, too. Thanks again!

With grandkids, suggest visiting Warwick Castle, when we visited it we saw more children there than anywhere in the UK for a four week trip.

Oxford. the Cotswolds, Blenheim Palace, Stratford Upon Avon and Warwick Castle are geographically close. Educating them on Shakespeare at Stratford would be cool. You can visit the house in which he was born and you learn that about 10% of the words in the English language were created by the Bard.

Such good suggestions! If you do go to Greenwich to the international dateline and museum, this excellent 200p book will help set the stage for the special clocks and instruments in the museum. My junior high students and I loved it. Longitude

I will second the suggestion of going to Warwick Castle with the grandkids. I think they would love it.

The idea of "Living in London" is a great one. I'm sure the grandkids would love staying in a hotel, but one other option is an apartment hotel.
London has numerous apartment hotels and I would suggest looking at some of these. They provide a kitchen or kitchenette, plus laundry/washer/dryer.
They also have a living room with couches, so your family can really relax in the evenings, instead of watching TV perched on the foot of your beds in an ordinary hotel room.
There is a reception desk downstairs where you check in, and most have an attendant 24 hours a day.

Marlin Apartments; 7 locations around London.
https://www.marlin.com/
One close to St. Paul’s, Queen Street would be my choice.
Quiet neighborhood, yet walking distance to many sights.
The number 15 bus passes right by St. Paul's, and to the east takes you to the Tower of London/Tower Bridge and Tower Pier/boat to Greenwich.
To the west, the number 15 bus tales you to Trafalgar Square.

Native is another company:
https://nativeplaces.com/book/
All of their locations are good.

Citadines is another apartment hotel, with front desk for check-in and 24-hour service downstairs in case you need them. Daily breakfast is included.
I like their Trafalgar Square location. We have looked at booking a one-bedroom apartment with a sofa bed in the living room (for the snorer in our group).
https://www.discoverasr.com/en/citadines/united-kingdom/citadines-trafalgar-square-london?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gmb&utm_campaign=CitadinesTrafalgarSquareLondon&y_source=1_NTg1OTcwODQtNzE1LWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D

Here are some of the other Citadines locations in London.
Other good choices for you might be South Kensington or Holborn-Covent Garden.

https://www.discoverasr.com/en/europe/united-kingdom/london?utm_source=google&utm_medium=gmb&utm_campaign=CitadinesTrafalgarSquareLondon&y_source=1_NTg1OTcwODQtNzE1LWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D#

Citadines offers a two bedroom apartment in some locations.

One advantage of these apartment hotels is that there is no deposit that you must give, such as the deposit you must give on AirBnB or other apartment rentals.

Since I have mentioned using the riverboat and London city bus in my above posts, here are maps for both.

Map of the bus routes, showing tourist sites:

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/bus-route-maps/key-bus-routes-in-central-london.pdf

Map of the Thames Clipper “Uber” riverboats and their piers:

https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/route-map

George, great ideas! I did plan on taking them to Warwick - I was there back in the 90's and I know they would love it. But that's a good idea about taking them to all those places near each other, like Blenheim, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and so on. And especially teaching them about Shakespeare. I'd like to see a production at the Globe, too. Thank you!

Mona, that book sounds wonderful! I've always been fascinated with the idea of longitude. I remember reading about it many years ago in the book "Shogun" by James Clavell. John Blackthorne was sailing to Japan in the late 1500's and thinking about how his teacher had said, “Find how to fix longitude and you’re the richest man in the world.” Thanks for the suggestion!

Rebecca, thank you so much for all the links! Wow, that will keep me busy - I really appreciate it! The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of an apartment hotel. That might work well, and give us all some space. I have a feeling we will need it, lol!!!

Oh...when you mention the Globe it reminds me of our visit. In 2001, our family (49, 43, 17, 14, 11) had several days north (York, Edinburgh, Inverness). We took a night train to return to London---but not a sleeper car. My husband and I had both travelled the continent during our college years, spending many nights sleeping on the train. It was very different years later with our older bodies and 3 kids leaning on us! We were so exhausted but still grabbed last minute tickets to King Lear at the Globe---as groundlings, so we were not allowed to sit. I was so glad for the intermission so I could sit down on the picnic table outside.

If you go to Bath, take the Mad Max tour that includes Lacock and Harry Potter's parents' house.

i'm glad you're taking into account the school situation, but a dad who is a high school English teacher will likely not be able to catch up the son in math and in the science labs and possibly the content(a 16 yr old would likely be taking chemsitry) that he would miss. As a former science teacher, I spent many hours after school making up labs and tutoring students who were absent. I know it's not always possible to avoid absences, but please remember the extra work that such absences require of teachers, and he may have difficulty making up work after school if he plays soccer.

You have a wonderful list of day trips....absolutely stellar.....and I hope you have time to get them all in, plus see everything you want in London.

About the question you asked "does it make sense to stay in one location, OR should I think about spending some of those nights outside London?"
The places that stand out to me are those named in the post upthread by geovagriffith:
"Oxford. the Cotswolds, Blenheim Palace, Stratford Upon Avon and Warwick Castle are geographically close."

You could do several days (or a week) in London, then move to a second location (perhaps Stratford-upon-Avon) in order to do those things mentioned by geovagriffith (who always gives good advice).

Some discussion of Stratford-upon-Avon is on your other thread.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/input-needed-on-england-trip-in-early-spring-2024

The idea of staying in London for awhile, then going back to Heathrow to rent a car and heading north to the Cotswolds, Oxford, Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon had crossed my mind.
This would make it possible to stay in a cottage in the Cotswolds and base from there.

A week in London plus a week by car in the Cotswolds and surrounding areas would be fabulous.

Cherie, I can imagine how you felt.😵‍💫 But it must still have been pretty neat to see a performance there!

cala, I don't know if we'll get to Bath but if we do, I will definitely look into the Mad Max tour. Thanks!

Rebecca, I get what you're saying but one problem is that in Minnesota, kids don't get out of school until June. For example, this year their last day of school was June 8th. So we would not to be able to avoid summer crowds and I just can't deal with it. However, their spring break is usually mid-April, so there is no reason we could not go then and stay for 2 weeks, and they would only miss 5 days.

At any rate, I'm going to hold off on any definite plans till they're have a chance to read more about England and look through the guide books I ordered for them. But I do like the idea of seeing Warwick and Oxford and the Cotswolds in a more leisurely way rather than just a day trip. I'll talk to them maybe later in the year and see what they think. Thanks!

For example, this year their last day of school was June 8th. So we would not to be able to avoid summer crowds and I just can't deal with it.

Mardee, sounds like you might not be aware that schools in England don’t break up for summer until mid-July. June is a lovely time to go on holiday over here. Beautiful long days and nowhere near as crowded as late July and August. Much much better to travel in England in June than, for example, over Easter or during the late May half-term break or during the school holidays.

Golden Girl, thanks - that makes a lot of sense. I guess I was thinking of crowds of American tourists being there but probably the bulk of tourists would be the Brits. 😊 That did not occur to me.

One problem is that they're both in soccer and the season starts in May. That would not be a dealbreaker for me, but might be for them. I'll talk to my daughter about it and see what she thinks, but I do like the idea of the warmer (and longer) days; especially if we go to the coast. And the idea of them missing less school. Thanks so much!

If soccer season starts in May, the high school soccer coach will probably not be ok with him being gone in April. Also, the boys soccer team at the school where I taught always played in a tournament during their spring break. Soccer may be a compelling reaason to wait until school's out for the summer. Sorry to rain on your parade, but the farther in advance you know about the possible conflicts, the sooner you can make a better plan. I'm sure there's a reason why you're not doing this, but the week after Christmas(arriving in London on Dec 27) seems like a good time to go to London.

cala, they actually go back to school the day after New Year’s this coming year. And that’s usually the norm. They get less time at Christmas but more during the year. For example, they get a 3-day fall break, one week Christmas break, one week winter break (mid-February) and a one week spring break (mid-April, which may or may not tie in with Easter). Sometimes it's a day or two less or more, but that's the gist of it.

This sounds like so much fun! I've never been to England, so I have absolutely no suggestions:)

I'm sure your daughter and SIL, along with the children, can figure out the best time for this trip. Since our MN high school soccer is in the fall, it's just club soccer in the spring, right? This year our local soccer was delayed a few weeks because of that never-ending winter we all endured.

Connecting it to the April break seems like a good time. As a retired school secretary (who still subs at the school where my daughter teaches), I know a lot of families in the northland escape the weather at that time of year and miss several days of school. Going to England would certainly be a wonderful learning experience for the two of them.

Hey, mnannie! Yes, both of them play with Gitche Gumee in the spring. But I'm think it starts in May so April break may be the best time to go. My daughter and SIL are gone with the kids for a couple of days but I'll ask them when they get back. That's good to know about other families doing this. I think they'll be fine. They're both smart and good students and they're very excited about this trip (as am I). 😊

And don't remind me of that winter! I'm so hoping that it's more like the winter of '21 where it didn't snow till November, and it was fairly light until January. But in the meantime, we're supposed to be hitting 90 degrees today and 97 tomorrow. Ugh! I turned on the central air for only the second time this summer.

There’s plenty of time, but definitely, passports sooner rather than later, as getting a passport for a child under 16 is a real pain in the neck. Both parents have to be there to apply, in person (if one can’t be, there’s a lot more required documentation). And then when you get it, it’s only good for 5 years, and you have to go through the whole thing again to renew, if they are still under 16. I know there are good reasons for this (trying to prevent international spousal child abduction) but it’s still a hassle.

Thanks, Slate - I'm aware of the documentation (and parental appearances) needed, and have already started bugging my daughter about this. Unfortunately she and her husband can take procrastination to a whole new level, lol! Once it gets to be late summer or early fall, I will put the pressure on (and I'm good at that)!

Mardee, since you mentioned Hampton court, consider a family pass through Historic Royal Palaces. It covers Hampton Court Palace, Tower of London, Kensington Palace and a couple others but not Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace.
https://www.hrp.org.uk/membership/#gs.4y2123 FYI The discount for direct debit is UK residents only.

Friend and I bought the joint membership in 2022. It was handy and we saved money.

Horsewoofie, that's a very good idea! I can get a family membership for £80, which would save money as the tickets for just the Tower and HCP combined for 1 senior and 2 5-15 year olds would be around £100. Definitely worth it!!

Hi Mardee! I took my sons to London when they were 11 and 12 and we had a great time. The Harry Potter studio tour was a definite highlight. Also LOVED Greenwich, visiting the naval museum and the Cutty Sark, then taking a boat back along the Thames.

Make time to visit grocery stores -- my kids were so intrigued by what was different and what was the same. And any kind of food market was a big hit. (When we went to Italy a few years later, food tours were our favorite thing to do.) You can also find fun teas -- we did one that was wizard themed.

We read books about London but also watched a lot of documentaries about British history/castles, etc. The 14 year old can follow London-specific social media to find cool restaurants and things to do.

I gave each boy a set amount of money for souvenirs as their Christmas gift; once it was gone, it was gone -- cut down a lot of the "i want, I want."

And if they don't have phones yet, definitely get something. One of my sons wandered off 3 different times, and while it created a rich memory, it nearly killed me!

But probably the best thing I did was buy business class tickets for the flight over. Because we only travel once every couple of years, the plane ride was as much a part of the adventure as any other part of the trip. Business class made it feel super special. And, more importantly, I arrived well rested and able to manage the chaos of arrival/getting to our accomodation, etc!

Hello Mardee! I absolutely agree with anne--I'm glad she brought up a visit to Greenwich.
I think your grandkids would enjoy taking the Thames Clipper/Uber boat to Greenwich and back.
They might love to go onboard the Cutty Sark.
OK, it's on dry land, but still fun for kids to explore.
Walk up the hill to the Royal Observatory for a wonderful view of the river all the way to London in the distance.
The National Maritime Museum has great exhibits plus
a great lunchroom for sandwiches and salads.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum

Anne, thank you for so many good ideas! That's a great idea about visiting groceries and food markets. And I like that idea of my older grandson using London-specific social media for ideas--he will love that! That's smart about the souvenirs, although I usually do that anyway. I'm sure their parents will give them some money to spend, and I will allot them a certain amount, too as well. But when it's gone, it's gone.

The 14 year old has a phone and I'll have to think of something for my granddaughter as I doubt she will (although I could get her a prepaid phone for the trip--maybe something to ask the forum about). And I also love the idea of business class, but I'm not sure I can bring myself to pay that much as I can't even do it for myself, lol! But I could price it and see. You're right in that it would be a wonderful experience, though!

Rebecca, yes, I agree--I think they would love Greenwich and boating there and/or back. I'm planning to visit Greenwich this trip so I'll check out all the possibilities. Thanks for the wonderful ideas--and good to know about the museum's lunchroom! I may stop there in March.