Trip report! December 2023, family with teens

Background: Family of four, with "kids" 19 yo and 15 yo. This was our first trip to Europe. I picked London for our winter trip because of the direct flight, endless things to do (including many indoor things, in case the weather was terrible), beautiful Christmas decorations, and I was hoping to meet up with a very close friend. I considered splitting our time with Paris, but the more I researched London, the more I knew we should stay in London the whole time. I prefer to go deep in a location rather than jumping from place-to-place. As it is, even with with seven full days, there were many things we didn't get to (we did spend 2 days out of London, so I guess you could say we had 5 days). It was probably our most expensive vacation ever, and I knew this ahead of time from research. I also splurged on many things, so there could have been several cost savings along the way. The first splurge was the Economy Plus seats on British Airways. My family thanked me profusely for that!! The seats were very comfortable and the meals and other perks were nice. We stayed at a serviced apartment (aparthotel), managed by Silver Door apartments. I believe the property is called Native, and they have many locations. Ours was the "Victoria" location in Westminster, between Victoria station and St James' Park station. A simple corporate apartment, but we were able to get 3 bedrooms 2 bath with a kitchen and W&D for a very reasonable cost. My rep from Silver Door was excellent and we were very happy with the unit. I'm glad I thought to ask if there was a coffee maker ahead of time - there wasn't - so I brought my cone and filters to do a pour-over. My rep also arranged for a free early check in and hair dryers, which I guess weren't in the unit originally.

Day 1 - A smooth overnight flight into LHR. We had some confusion about the tube, but were able to make it to our apartment without making a mistake. Wow, that Piccadilly line was crowded! We squished with our bloated American luggage, lol. Our apartment was self-check in. Everything was a bit confusing (door code, security box, lift, door handle) but we managed to get
into the apartment to rest for a bit. Ventured out for dinner, the Ivy was a block away. We didn't have a reservation, and at first they said they couldn't seat us, but then they offered a table right away if we could finish in 90 min. Sold! We had a decent dinner (all very good, nothing mind blowing). Went for a walk around the neighborhood and made it to Westminster Abbey. My son wasn't feeling well, so my husband took him back to the apartment. My daughter and I continued to Big Ben, Palace of Westminster, Westminster Bridge, Southbank Winter market (packed!!), Golden Jubliee bridge, Trafalgar Square and back "home". The sidewalks were totally packed and I was wondering how busy our week would be. We pushed until 9 pm and had a good night's rest.

Day 2 - Woke up at a very reasonable time. We wanted to get to Tower of London as soon as possible, so we had a quick breakfast at Pret. Arrived at Tower of London at 10:30 and there was barely a line to get tickets. We went in and was happy that it felt very sparse with people. We visited the Crown Jewels first, Yeoman Warders tour (wonderful) and then White tower. During our tour, there was a special moment when some of the beefeaters had a ceremony/procession starting at the church. We also appreciated our Yeoman Warder's account of his standing guard at the Queens memorial, you could tell it was a deeply meaningful experience and great honor for him. We had a great lunch at Bystander Kitchen, and then wandered around the area to see: St Dunstan of the East Church Garden, Sky Garden (outside) Leadenhall Market (for the HP fans), Gherkin building, Monument to the Great Fire of London. Back home to rest, then Sunday roast dinner at Marquis of Westminster. I had a reservation at this restaurant because they serve Sunday roast for dinner too. The family wasn't super hungry at lunch, otherwise I had some restaurants
scoped out just in case. Anyways, our dinner was fine. Some liked it better than others. We aren't super picky eaters, but some of the food was ice cold. Oh well, at least we gave it a try and were full. First day was a success and we were very tired already, haha.

Day 3 - Another quick breakfast at Pret, so we could get our day started. Westminster Abbey first. We got there at 10:30 and then next available Verger tour was at 11:30. I would have done it, but the family wasn't interested so I decided to save the 40 pounds and their patience and we did the audio tour instead. Next we went to Abbey Road crossing. We decided to get "the picture" and had fun. We were careful to watch out for cars and not make them stop, but other tourists were a bit obnoxious and stood a long time and made cars wait for them. Abbey Road Studio store was fun, and my daughter the huge Beatles fan got several items. We were very lucky next to get to the Waterbus stop with only a 20 min wait for the next one. This day was spontaneous so I hadn't checked the schedule. The waterbus was nice and the boat captain was funny (I'm sure it's a script, but it was fun). Camden market was crazy packed, and we managed to get some yummy food and do a bit of shopping. Rested at the apartment and then went to Kew Gardens for Christmas lights. They were beautiful! The dinner area was busy, but the lines moved quickly. I was expecting a larger selection based on descriptions, but we were all happy with our food.

Day 4
Crumpets restaurant for breakfast (very good!). Went to Tate Modern for their free exhibits. Pret for lunch. Then London Walks Jewish History tour in the neighborhood of the Royal Exchange. The adults really enjoyed the tour, the kids got bored. I guess I overestimated their interest, and a 2.5 hour walk after 3.5 days of walking was a bit much. I don't believe kids need to be entertained at all moments, but I do wish they enjoyed it more. We made our way to Spitalfields Market to sit for a while. We had some time to kill before dinner and ended up sharing a Humble Crumble. It was good, but I'm glad I didn't wait on line for it (which we saw later that week at Borough Market). Then we had dinner at Dishoom with one of my best friends from high school, whom I haven't seen since 2019. He lives in the US but spends every Christmas time in London. It was so special to see him and we loved our meal at Dishoom.

Day 5
Warner Brothers Studio Tour. The kids love HP, especially my daughter. Needless to say, they loved the HP tour. The only low point was the cafe. The line was crazy, the food was terrible and cold. I would recommend the butter beer ice cream though, that was worth it. Went back home to rest, and then Marugame Udon for dinner. It was a great dinner, and it was interesting to see that it looks much more like a fast food restaurant in London compared to our meal at the Oahu location.

Day 6
Day trip to Bath! Made out way to Paddington station early, found the sweet statue of Paddington Bear. We did have a bit of a panic though for the train, because Google told us the wrong train platform (we stupidly didn't think to cross reference the signs at the station, since Google had been 100% correct for the tube thus far). We were boarding a train and I asked a worker to confirm we were getting on the correct one and he said we weren't. He helped to look up the correct platform and we rushed over there. We found it interesting that there wasn't an announcement about what train we were on until a few minuets after the train pulled away. Otherwise, the train was comfortable. First went to the Roman Bath, which was beautiful and interesting. Debated Pump Room for afternoon tea vs Sally Lunn's. Sally won out. It wasn't our most spectacular meal, but it was good and the restaurant is charming. I wanted to do the Mayor's office walking tour, but the family nixed that idea. Instead we did the kitschy House of Frankenstein. That was fun and a nice break from the serious historical things. Went to a great book store, Mr. B's Emporium and then walked around and up to the Royal Crescent. Went back down into town and had a rest at a coffee shop. I went to see Bath Abbey. We were basically done for the day early and I wanted to see how much it would cost to switch our train tickets to an earlier time. My phone wasn't working for the app or to call someone, so I walked down to the station. They told me we could ride back anytime, with no additional cost. I guess I didn't understand what I had purchased because I thought it was a specific time. Anyways, that was great news. We decided to stick around for an early dinner. We had a reservation at Bill's and they were able to seat us early. Good meal, and caught the train back an hour earlier than planned. We probably had too much fun on the train, we were playing a really fun card game and it passed the time very quickly. (Anyone know Euchre? It is commonly played in the Midwest of the US)

Day 7 -
Crumpets for breakfast. Walked past Buckingham Palace and through the Green Park. British Museum for about 2.5 hours. Novelty Automation - fun and would recommend if you are in the area and like silly but smart things. Covent Garden - wall to wall people! We found a Pret for coffee and just to sit down for a while. Balthazar for dinner - excellent meal and very efficient (I was nervous about making it to our show on time). Stranger Things First Shadow for our theatre night. It was excellent! The special effects were spectacular and as huge fans of the show, it was cool to get more of the "story". We also saw one of the minor character actors from the TV show that night!

Day 8
Royal Quarter for breakfast. We realized that we had not had any scones with clotted cream and jam yet, so this was a necessity for part of our breakfast. I'm sure there are better ones around, but we enjoyed it and thought they were delicious. Then off to Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirror Rooms at Tate Modern. If this is important to you, get tickets ahead of time. We got lucky and got last minute ones, but we almost didn't get to go. I appreciated the background information about the artist. The exhibits are beautiful. We were lucky that it was very empty for our time, and we got to go through more than once without any wait. I would recommend showing up 10 min before your time slot. After that, I gave my family a choice between staying on Southbank or going to Hampton Court Palace, and they chose Southbank. I was hoping to do something more monarchy related into the trip, but it didn't work out. An excuse to come back! We went to Borough Market for a snack. It was crazy busy, but we were able to get a few delicious items from short lines. Southwark Cathedral (got to see Hodge, the cat, too). Globe Theater tour. Tas Pide for lunch (delicious!). Went back home and grabbed a few items at Little Waitrose. Please don't mock me, but at this point we hadn't gone to a restaurant that served sticky toffee pudding so we got some there (with some ice cream). Rested at home, and then out to the craziness of Oxford and Regent Street. Again, wall to wall people. But, enjoyed the lights for a little bit. Papa Dum for dinner. The food was excellent, but highly priced for the portion size. The drinks were very strange, lol. Went back home and had our generic sticky toffee pudding (not too bad for a store), and packed up.

Day 9
Royal Quarter for breakfast. We were very thankful they were open (had asked the day before). This was 24-December. Even the Pret in our neighborhood was closed. My family really wanted an Uber to the airport, so I splurged. Arrived 3 hours prior to flight.
Airport was not busy at all and it was a comfortable flight home.

Summary: We had such a special time in London! The weather was beautiful (only rained 1 day) and we had a great mix of historical and fun activities. Part of our success was due to the great advice from this forum. Thanks again for your help! My goals for our next trip would be some monarchy related activities, explore a few different neighborhoods, boat ride on the Thames, Horse Guards Parade (wasn't running during our trip) and these food goals: afternoon tea, a great chippy, and proper sticky toffee pudding.

Sounds like a great trip. You can get some good Sticky toffee pudding in Waitrose. They sell the Cartmel brand but maybe not in the smaller shops. Anyway, it’s just as good as most of the versions that you would get in a pub.

Wonderful trip report! It sounds like you had a fabulous time and were able to do a lot. I think you were really smart to stay in London the whole time.

I am extremely impressed that you wrote such a long and detailed report the day after you got back. Which was late on Christmas Day no less!

Thank you Helen and Carroll! I like to write out my trips as a memory to look back upon, as well as to contribute to the forums that helped me so much. I felt pretty crummy yesterday from the jet lag, so just sitting and writing felt good and productive.

Thank you Becky

I went to London for the first time in October and can really relate to some of your experiences. I loved London and hope to go back another time.

Like yourself, there were very good moment and some that were stressful and disappointing but that is anywhere most especially when traveling and to a place for the first time.

My biggest problem is an arthritic knee. My doctor had given me an injection but it did not work so i was in pain (when walking) my entire trip. I wish that i could have walked as much as all of you.

I also saw an old friend who came down from North England. I had not seen her since the 1960's and I met a third cousin who was found on Ancestry,

I stayed at a hotel on Bayswater Road across from Kensington Gardens which I had heard about from a member of this Forum.

But when I walked to Victoria Coach Station to take a coach to Southampton for a cruise, I walked by the Westminister area and Victoria Station. I thought the area was beautiful. Did you enjoy staying in the area because if I ever get the opportunity to go back, I would like to stay around Victoria Station. Never had a chance to explore that part of London.

This forum was also very very helpful to me when I planned my trip and I try to give back whenever possible.

Happy Boxing Day and Happy New Year

Thanks for sharing your experience, becky! It sounds like your family had a great time. I'm about to go to London for the first time in March and going to bookmark this to re-read. London is overwhelming! 😊

Hi Phil! I'm glad to hear you made the best of your trip, and sorry to hear about your chronic pain. We were very tired of walking by day 2, but kept pushing on because that's what needed to do! We were very happy with our location. It was very central and it was nice to be located near 2 tube stations. I would say my only complaint was a lack of restaurants within a very short walking distance. And some of the restaurants/coffee shops in our particular neighborhood were closed on the weekend or opened later for breakfast.

Thank you Mary! I'm glad it was helpful. You will have an amazing time!

Great trip report, you really pushed yourselves to see as much as possible. We visited London for the first time last April for 10 days. We definitely need a return trip because there is so much to see and so many day trips to take.
I’m going to bookmark your report to help with our next visit, whenever that may be.

We did have a bit of a panic though for the train, because Google told us the wrong train platform (we stupidly didn't think to cross reference the signs at the station, since Google had been 100% correct for the tube thus far). We were boarding a train and I asked a worker to confirm we were getting on the correct one and he said we weren't. He helped to look up the correct platform and we rushed over there ...

Many London terminal stations including Paddington suppress the actual platform information from apps. These therefore show "usual' platforms (or nothing at all) but on any given day there are often many deviations from that for operational reasons so you have to rely on the screens and boarding announcements.

Trains to Bath & onto Bristol can go from any platform between 1-11.

Thanks Barbara! Hopefully that is helpful for your future trip. :)

That is good to know Marco! It was a good lesson learned, not to rely on Google for everything and to arrive earlier than needed. Thankfully we didn't miss our train.

Great trip report! Thanks for taking the time to write it.
Great planning...you really did your homework planning this trip, and it paid off.
Kudos to you for putting together a great itinerary for you and your family!

I'm glad you had time for a trip to Bath. It's one of my favorite places in England. Love the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey! Lots of good restaurants in Bath. I had the best sticky toffee pudding I've ever had in Bath!

Excellent report. Thank you for sharing.

My favorite city on the planet. Never fails to please and entice a return visit.

Each trip I discover new neighborhoods, visit museums, wander in parks, see theatre, meander about food markets, find new galleries, and walk more of the Thames River Path. Also find true non gastro pubs to enjoy pint while resting tired feet and lower back. I’m a 6-8 mile a day stroller.

Thank you Rebecca and Claudia! I am a bit of a research nut, but that's part of the fun of vacation planning. We loved our time in Bath! I was so enamored, I forgot to take as many pictures as I would have liked.

My guess is that our next trip might feel more relaxed. Since we checked a lot of boxes this time, we can settle in the next time and have a more casual itinerary.

For your next trip, I hope you get to go to Hampton Court Palace. You may want to go to Windsor Castle and walk around the town of Windsor.....very pretty.

You may want to do some walks with the excellent London Walks Company. They do walks around London neighborhoods and day trips to Oxford, Cambridge, and other destinations, by train with a guide. (They have a Harry Potter Walk in London.)
https://www.walks.com/

Rabbies is a tour company doing day trips and multi-day trips out of London. Many forum members have been on their tours and been pleased with them.
https://www.rabbies.com/en/england-tours#seetour

If you go back to England in the summertime, I suggest a trip to one of the beaches.

You could stay in the Cotswolds for hiking, relaxing, seeing lovely villages and Sudeley Castle.
You could spend a night or two in Oxford, with a walking tour of the colleges led by students. See Blenheim Palace just north of town.
Or stay a couple of nights in Salisbury to visit its cathedral and nearby Stonehenge.
Or take the train from London north to York, spending several nights there. Lots to see in York.
I hope you get to go back to England soon.
Best wishes!

Great suggestions Rebecca! I definitely hope to explore more of England in a future trip.

loved your brief report - lots of really good info.

I'd love to know what the ceremony was from the Chapel at the Tower. There is a whole world of life inside the walls.

Nigel - the details for me are fuzzy since it was the very beginning of our vacation. There was a chief up front (the head yeoman), two men in black uniforms, and then 7 yeomans in the rear. My husband thinks the chief had just attended mass (I can confirm that the service had just ended), and that the procession was to escort the chief from the church to wherever he was going next. Our Yeoman was excited for us that we got to see it, so it must not happen frequently?

The service that morning at St Peter ad Vincula Church at the Tower of London had been the 'State Carol Service', rather than Communion/Mass. So there must have been one or more Dignatories there- thus the Chief Warder would have been in his best finery, and the formal parade to and from the Church.