Just got back from 8 days in London with my husband and our kids, 15 and 12. I really appreciated all the helpful advice while I was planning and wanted to share our experience in case it’s of help to anyone. Some of our itinerary as far as what we did, what days, and what things were paired with others were very intentional with our kids in mind. Tried to always have a more “kid oriented” activity paired with something a bit more “adult”.
We arrived pretty early to Heathrow (a little after 7am) and had quite a bit of time to kill before we could get in to our accommodation. We chose to take the Heathrow Express as my kids were free and because we had the Friends and Family Railcard, my husband and I got reduced fares. It was actually the cheapest option and worked great for us. We stayed near Victoria, so we left our bags at the left luggage facility near Platform 8 (it was pretty pricey, but worth the convenience) and ventured out a bit. We hopped one tube stop over to Earl’s Court because my whole family are Dr. Who fans and there’s a Police Box/Tardis outside the Earl’s Court exit. Only a quick photo op but fun all the same. Back to Victoria, We wandered down to Buckingham Palace to kill more time and then collected our bags as we were able to leave our bags at our rental flat and pick up keys for a check in time a couple hours later (once the cleaners were gone). We rented a flat through a company that Rick recommends in his London book: visitapartmentslondon.co.uk and it was great! With moody teens and multiple days, I wanted us to be able to each have some space at the end of the day and not just all be stuck in one hotel room. It was such a good choice. This company lets you specify if you are looking for budget, moderate, or luxury properties. Our flat was quite comparable to a Premier Inn or similar place. We saved money because we got groceries for breakfasts every morning and I cooked about 4 or 5 dinners. We had a property about half way between Victoria and Pimlico. It was quiet, lovely, and exactly what we wanted to give everyone a little space. Mary and Simon from the company were great to work with, responded immediately to inquiries, and everything was as expected. I would highly recommend this company.
Because we got in so early and got ZERO sleep on the flight over, we napped for two hours in the afternoon and then got back out into the fresh air. We got groceries, had dinner and then ventured out on Rick’s “Westminster Walk” audio tour.
Day 2: We had prebooked tickets to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. I would highly recommend one of the tours. You learn so much! We tried an underwhelming Pizza Express for lunch near the theater and then made our way over to St. Paul’s Cathedral. We also had a timed entry ticket. It wasn’t too busy and my kids enjoyed (and huffed and puffed” hiking the 500+ stairs all the way to the top. The views were great. We grabbed a quick snack in the crypt cafe and then headed over to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. Yes, a total tourist trap, but I remember going when I was 13 and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. My kids really enjoyed it. It would not be on my list without kids, but with kids, it’s worth it. One note, there is an optional, HORRIBLE 4D Marvel movie at the end. Not only is the movie horrible and too loud, but the 4D effects like shaking, bumping seats, air blown on you, mist sprayed on you is just plain annoying. One of my kiddos has a lot of sensory sensitivities and Mme. Tussauds did a TERRIBLE job of warning you what this experience was going to be like. They said “you might feel a little bump on your chair”. It was so much more and my poor kiddo was just a basket case after it was over. So, if you’ve got a neurodivergent kiddo or are neurodivergent yourself, do not do this part of the Tussaud’s!