Help with planning a trip to Britain

The Eurostar from London to Disneyland Paris will drop you off right at the gates at Disneyland. When we were at the Eurostar station, there was a Dixie Band playing Disney music. Sure to get your son excited about going to Disneyland. I don't know if Disneyland Paris is still having the deal, but we where able to get tickets to Walt Disney Studio (Park hopper ticket)for $1 dollar more since we knew the exact date which we where going. I don't know if you are familiar with Disneyland in California, but Disneyland Paris is alot smaller.

I think that your 4-year old son would like the London Eye and maybe a river cruise in London. You might try a train ride out of the city. Kids always like trains because they are not in car seats.

For Disneyland Paris, the Eurostar train goes from London to Disneyland Paris (www.eurostar.com). If you can really nail down the exact date and time that you wish to travel there, you can get non-flexible ticket fares of about 67CAD. But, you better hurry as these Eurostars sell out and these lower fares will normally be gone well in advance of your travel date. You can buy the tickets online.

The Eurostar train runs out of the St Pancras train station. The St Pancras train station is next to the Kings Cross tube station. There's even a tunnel between them.

For something additional, the fabulous British Library is on the other side of St. Pancras train station. Their manuscript room is one of the best. YOu can be in and out in an hour. It's all free.

With your timeline, consider basing in one, or at most two, locations. You could get apartment-type lodging with a kitchenett so you could prepare some of your own meals and save a bit. London makes an ideal base and you can do lots of day trips by train- York, Cardiff, Bath, Canterburry, Dover, Windsor, Stratford-upon-Avon, Brighton, etc. With a younger child, you will want to pace yourselves. Plan "down" time- parks, playgrounds, etc and don't try to cram in all the museums, castles, etc. in one day. Consider using the hop on/off bus to help you get oriented. You son will probably like riding up top, too. Also- to save some time you might try to convince him to go to Legoland rather than EruoDisney-Paris. Then you could think about using a city in Scotland as your second base. If Paris is a must, then think about using Paris as a base for a few days, including the Disney day.

Trains are very easy to use in the UK (I can't speak to France, but others will). And the Tube in London is great.

If you tell us your interests (art, history, nature, etc.) we can make some specific recommendations about your itenerary.

Hi, Ryan. As others have said, what you see and do depends on your own interests and preferences.

Trains in the UK can get you to just about everywhere of any significance. On the other hand, if what you want to see if 20 miles outside town, you may need some other mode of transport. That's where buses come in. Often cheaper and usually slower than trains, buses can and do go places trains don't. For instance, Stonehenge isn't that far outside Salisbury. You can easily get to Salisbury by train from London, but you'll need a bus or a car to get to Stonehenge.

I wouldn't dream of suggesting places that might interest a 4 year-old boy. However, if you Google for "Great Britain with kids" or "London with kids", or other similar phrases, you see many, many suggestions.

I do know that Hamley's in London is possibly the best toy store on the planet. Well worth a visit, for child and adults.

Be prepared to walk more than usual, so make sure everyone has comfy shoes. Do not buy new shoes just before you leave. You want shoes that you know you can wear all day with no problems.

You can Google for the weather to expect. But, sweaters and light jackets (heavier than windbreakers) should be fine unless the weather gets weird. It'll be noticeably colder after sunset, which will happen around 6 pm. Expect anything from the low 40's into the high 60's. Buy a couple of those small travel umbrellas so you can keep them in a pockets or a camera bag.

Go to a bookstore or library and scan travel books with lots of good photos. I find seeing a picture of something much more helpful than any amount of narrative.

Buy train tickets online as early as possible to save money. (Search this site for advice.)

Have a great trip. I'll be there about the same time.

For kids, I would suggest Legoland as mentioned. There are also a number of castles that have special knight shows, but I'm not sure there will be any in October.

Check the National Trust UK web site for Events at various castles and estate locations. They have some events designed for kids and families. You can buy one of their family passes if you want access to lots of things and save money. British Heritage Passes are a good value; but probably only if you are driving since most places are out in the country.
You might want to reconsider driving if you really want to see the sights or just do the cities the train goes to this time. You can take bus or van tours from the towns to various tourist locations also. But again, don't be afraid of driving outside of the big cities; the only difference is driving on the left side and round-abouts. However, you can easily spend a week in London. The rooms are more, but there are a lot of free things to do. You can take day trips to Hampton Court. Kids love this place. The Tower of London is wonderful for kids.
Kew Gardens is great. The Museums are the best! Bon Voyage