We're planning our first family trip to London and Paris (a week in each) from Canada for next July. It's funny to me that 23 years after I traveled solo through Europe with Rick's Europe Through The Back Door in my backpack, I'm back to relying on Rick Steves for trip advice. I've been to Paris twice, but never London.
We'll be traveling in the high season, so I'd like to pre-book as much as possible. Would you recommend booking flights first and then accommodations, or lock in accommodations and plan flights around them? Money is very much an issue - trying to travel as a family as I did as a backpacker 20 years ago, within reason.
Also, I'd love your recommendations for safe, simple family accommodations in central London. Have been looking at apartments, but they're all 30+ minutes from the core. We are five, with boys ages 10, 14 and 16. While an apartment will give us space, I'm starting to think I'd like to prioritize being in the city core, even if we'll be on top of each other in (budget) hotel rooms.
Thanks for the wealth of info here. I've been reading the forum madly for weeks!