Metting up with DH on R&R with 3&5yo...Help!!!

My colleague's 3 year old dd is a fanatic TT fan! Suggest you Google "Thomas the train in the UK" and scroll down and you'll see the next big event is scheduled in August. Also, he tells me that the local trains sometimes get "dressed up" for rides. The website is www.watercressline.co.uk. for the main event in August.

If you go to London, plan a day trip to Peterboro. There is a restored steam train line there and it includes a Thomas train! Lovely scenery on the train ride, too. We did it beacuse it was the route/train used by Queen in their "Breakthrough" video and hubby is the world's biggest Queen fan, but we saw "Thomas", too.

Maybe you could meet in London, visit some of the
"Thomas" venues in the UK, then take the train to Paris (a nice trip), spend a few days there, then on to the Rhineland (boats?) and finish in Copenhagen. Rent a car for a 2-3 day tour to Billund and more of the Danish countryside, including a castle or Viking boats.

Adults enjoy Tivoli and Legoland too---at least this one does.

I don't know how you'd work in the ballet---maybe give your daughter 2 out of 3 (Legoland and Tivoli) and skip that.

Tagging on to Lola's reply, you could do the ballet in Paris...that would be amazing in the Paris Opera House if you were there at the right time.

I propose the following:

London first, then fly to Munich or Frankfurt and rent a VW campervan from DRM, then complete your trip flying open-jaw out of Germany after returning the van. (The same thing could work out of Utrecht, Netherlands, where campervans can also be rented.)

Campervans sleep 4, and the upper bunk is a great kid clubhouse/bunkhouse. The freedom of driving is unsurpassed, and you travel in your own little house!

Hmm, if I were meeting my husband on R&R, I'm not sure I'd want to be cooped up in a van with two little kids. A little space and privacy would be nice.

If you want Thomas the Tank Engine days on British preserved steam railways, there are events all over the country throughout the summer.

Try this link: http://www.allgigs.co.uk/search/tourdates/55912/Day_Out_With_Thomas_Thomas_The_Tank_Engine_Friends-1.html

I remember when I worked as a volunteer on those days that they were pretty busy and tickets were snapped up early.

Thank you everyone for the ideas! It doesn't seem so daunting now. :)